Chapter 354: Let It Go, Deal With It Later
"Zhu Xian"
The familiar setting and characters of this unknown universe instantly made Ye Cheng realize what kind of world this was.
For a moment, he felt completely lost.
How could this be possible?
He had randomly selected a new universe, and it just happened to be a world from a novel he had read in his past life?
That was statistically impossible.
The multiverse was vast beyond imagination, with endless worlds. The odds of randomly encountering a familiar one should be infinitesimally small almost zero.
Yet, here it was.
Even stranger, he hadn't deliberately searched for it it was just the closest one he had picked.
It didn't feel like a coincidence.
This forced him to reconsider something terrifying
"Is this world even real?"
After all, Douluo Continent was also just a fictional story in his past life.
Had he ever truly traveled through worlds?
Was he actually just dreaming?
Would he wake up to find himself a powerless office worker, dying alone in his tiny apartment?
Had the system, his powers, everything… been nothing more than a dying man's fantasy?
For the first time, Ye Cheng felt a deep existential crisis.
His mind went blank.
He withdrew his consciousness from the Zhu Xian universe and sat frozen in his chair, dazed and uncertain.
Right now, he didn't care about universe fusion anymore.
He needed time to think.
Three days passed.
Ye Cheng finally snapped out of his existential doubt.
But he had made a decision
He would shelve all plans to explore other universes for now.
He wasn't mentally prepared to face the truth beyond the multiverse just yet.
For now, he would focus on strengthening himself.
He would continue collecting powerful personas and stockpile strength.
Then, when the time was right, he would face the unknown.
The Contract Soul Master Tournament
Meanwhile, the Contract Soul Master Tournament was reaching its climax.
The top 100 contestants had been selected.
From this point on, even if they didn't make it to the finals, they would at least receive a consolation prize.
After all, emerging from over 1,000 contestants was already an impressive feat it wouldn't be fair for them to walk away empty handed.
The consolation prizes were customized.
The tournament organizers would assess each contestant's needs and provide a reward that suited them not necessarily legendary treasures, but definitely valuable and practical.
Interestingly, most of the top 100 were students from White Cloud Academy.
This wasn't favoritism
White Cloud Academy had always emphasized beast taming as part of its curriculum.
Its training conditions were also vastly superior, with resources like the time accelerating cultivation tower.
Some students were so powerful that they weren't being carried by their soul beasts instead, they were the ones carrying their soul beasts to victory!
With such advantages, it was only natural that they dominated the tournament.
The Semi Finals Location: White Cloud City
Unlike the preliminary rounds, which were hosted worldwide in various Wuhun Hall branches, the semi finals and finals required a grand stage.
After all, the preliminary rounds were mostly casual elimination matches.
But now, the real tournament was beginning.
It needed a proper setting one that would make the event legendary.
Thus, Ye Cheng chose White Cloud City as the main venue.
There were several reasons for this:
It was spacious enough to accommodate countless spectators.Its divine aura suppressed all troublemakers, deterring any villains from causing problems.The presence of gods meant no one dared to interfere with the matches.
The Day of the Semi Finals
White Cloud City became livelier than ever.
People from every corner of the world poured in, eager to witness history in the making.
Even foreign soul masters from other continents arrived some out of curiosity, others to steal knowledge and bring it back to their homelands.
In recent years, Douluo Continent's rapid advancements had drawn increasing numbers of illegal immigrants
Some came for personal gain.
Others came to learn and serve their nations.
The local response?
Indifference.
Douluo Continent's people didn't care much
These outsiders weren't a threat, but they weren't particularly welcomed either.
At most, locals viewed them as country bumpkins, looking at them with casual arrogance, much like how White Cloud City's elite viewed outsiders.
Despite the massive crowds, order remained flawless.
No one dared to act recklessly under the watchful gaze of divine beings.The White Cloud City law enforcement was leagues above the average soul master, ensuring instant suppression of any troublemakers.
Even when small disturbances arose, they were handled immediately.
Tournament Format
The semi finals used a pure knockout system.
One on one duels.Loser eliminated.Winner advances.
Only the final champion would receive the grand prize.
As for the remaining rankings
A panel of judges would assign scores based on each contestant's performance.
Higher scores = higher ranking.
If two contestants had the same score, they would have to fight a tiebreaker match.
Though not perfect, this system ensured fairness as much as possible.
And so
With the world watching, the first ever Contract Soul Master Tournament entered its most intense phase.
(End of Chapter)
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