In a corner of the Star Luo Grand Stadium, a high-ranking official from the Star Luo Empire responsible for observing the matches watched Gu La's departing figure. His expression grew extremely solemn as he quickly jotted something down on his notepad.
Gu La's gaze lingered for a moment on Ba Song's "Serpent" battle armor—the deep emerald green, the snake scale patterns, the flexible joint design… the energy flow of the core gemstone…
He understood immediately: The technology behind one-word battle armor on the Star Luo Continent—whether it was the construction of the core array, material selection and application, or the principles of compatibility and amplification with martial souls—was fundamentally no different from the mainstream systems of the Douluo Continent.
It seemed that the development of battle armor had progressed in sync between the two empires.
He withdrew his gaze without further interest. Ba Song's battle armor, while impressive, was only delaying the inevitable in the face of an overwhelming power gap.
With an easy victory in his first match, Gu La returned to the Star Luo Grand Hotel to rest. The next day's schedule featured the preliminary round of the two-on-two competition.
The pairings for Shrek Academy had already been decided:
- Gu La and Ye Xinglan.
- Gu Yuena and Xu Xiaoyan.
- Wu Siduo and Bai Yuan.
- Yuanen Yehui and Xie Xie.
- Tang Wulin and Xu Lizhi.
These groupings were carefully arranged to maximize synergy and complementarity between their martial souls, while also reflecting the personal preferences of the students.
What surprised Gu La somewhat was that Ye Xinglan, the wielder of the Star God Sword martial soul, would proactively invite him to team up. Known for her aloof and prideful nature, she was deeply devoted to the way of the sword.
She approached Gu La, her eyes filled with the pure determination of a swordsman: "Gu La, I want to team up with you. I wish to feel your sword intent while fighting side by side."
Her voice was clear and cold, carrying an undeniable seriousness.
Faced with such a pure and sword-obsessed beauty, especially the unabashed thirst for knowledge in her clear eyes, Gu La found it difficult to refuse her heartfelt invitation. He nodded slightly: "Alright."
Their first-round opponents were soon confirmed. Upon seeing the opponent information, even Gu La found it somewhat coincidental.
One of them was none other than Ling Wuxie, the Nine-Ring Silver Blade Soul King whom Tang Wulin had defeated in the individual competition's first round.
At just eighteen years old, Ling Wuxie was at Level 58 with two yellow and three purple soul rings and was a one-word battle armor master. It was surprising to see him not only recover so quickly but also immediately participate in the two-on-two competition, indicating substantial resources and background.
Ling Wuxie's partner was a male soul master named Tuoba Feng, a Level 51 control and strong attack system Battle Soul King, also a one-word battle armor master.
His soul rings were also two yellow and three purple. His martial soul was rather unique, called the Silver Chain Spear. This martial soul was not a single weapon but could manipulate several resilient silver chains formed from soul power, each tipped with sharp spearheads.
This martial soul's attack method was extremely tricky and unpredictable. The silver chains moved like living snakes, capable of piercing, entangling, and strangling from any angle, making them very hard to predict. It combined mid-range control with powerful offensive capabilities.
According to intelligence gathered by Wu Zhangkong, his cultivation progress was slower because he had devoted much time to designing and crafting his own battle armor, which delayed his training.
On the arena, both sides took their positions.
Ye Xinglan looked at Gu La, her eyes resolute: "I'll take care of the Silver Chain Spear."
Though she was only at Level 46 and not yet a battle armor master, facing a five-level soul power gap and the chasm of battle armor against Tuoba Feng, the sharpness of her Star God Sword and her half-step sword intent gave her the courage to challenge. She wanted to seek a breakthrough under the pressure of real combat.
Gu La glanced at Ye Xinglan, then at Tuoba Feng, who controlled several silver chains like a silver witch.
He was somewhat intrigued by this peculiar weapon-type martial soul. After a brief contemplation, he agreed with Ye Xinglan's proposal: "Alright. Be careful of his chain variations."
Afterward, his gaze locked onto Ling Wuxie, whose eyes were dark and filled with vengeful flames directed at them.
"Are you teammates of Tang Wulin?"
Ling Wuxie asked.
Gu La nodded affirmatively: "Yes, is there a problem?"
Ling Wuxie did not respond but merely sneered, turning to Tuoba Feng: "That woman is yours; the other one is mine."
"No problem."
Tuoba Feng nodded in agreement. His cultivation was weaker, so he preferred not to face someone from the legendary Shrek Academy.
With the assignments settled, the referee signaled, and the battle began!
Ling Wuxie roared, instantly wielding the Nine-Ring Silver Blade. A flash of silver light burst forth, carrying fierce blade qi directly toward Gu La. Clearly, he wanted revenge for his elimination in the individual competition. His battle armor "Blade" also fused instantly, intensifying the blade qi. There was no holding back his soul power or strength.
Being eliminated early in the individual competition had cost him much face within his sect, and he was determined to regain his honor in the two-on-two match.
Meanwhile, Tuoba Feng flicked his wrist, sending four silver chains darting through the air like four venomous snakes, whistling sharply. Two chains lashed out like whips toward Ye Xinglan, attempting to restrict her movement, while the other two shot forward like spears, targeting her vital points with extremely cunning angles.
Facing Ling Wuxie's ferocious charge, Gu La remained calm.
To allow Ye Xinglan to more clearly sense the sword intent, he refrained from using other abilities.
He simply made a grasping motion with his right hand. As soul power surged, a longsword composed entirely of dazzling diamond-like crystals materialized out of thin air.
The longsword was crystal-clear, refracting myriad rays of light under the open-air stadium's sunlight. It was breathtakingly beautiful yet exuded an intimidating sharpness!
Subsequently, the Stellar Soul Core within his body subtly activated, channeling a stream of pure stellar energy that coated the diamond longsword like a film.
Instantly, the entire longsword seemed to transform into a condensed galaxy, with starlight flowing and flickering across its surface, radiating a vast, ancient, and razor-sharp stellar sword intent!
Simultaneously, wave force quietly flowed, perfectly integrating his profound understanding of the sword into this stellar energy, converting it into a unique sword intent domain that Ye Xinglan could distinctly perceive and even resonate with her Star God Sword.
Feeling the vast, pure, and guiding stellar sword intent emanating from behind her, Ye Xinglan's heart warmed suddenly.
From a young age, she had borne the expectations of the Star Saint Sword Ye family, rigorously practicing swordsmanship with the goal of becoming a Super Douluo, joining the Sea God Pavilion, and bringing glory to her lineage.
She was accustomed to solitary training, shielding herself with a cold exterior. This was the first time she had felt such a selfless kind of care, purely aimed at helping her understand the way of the sword.
This feeling of being cared for and guided was strange, unfamiliar, yet it stirred ripples in her icy heart, generating an indescribable warmth and reassurance.
Ye Xinglan's sharp, sword-like gaze softened unconsciously when glancing at Gu La's back but quickly transformed into even firmer resolve—not to let this goodwill go to waste!
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