The competition was in full swing.
The group from Shrek Academy demonstrated formidable strength, advancing triumphantly in both the individual and two-on-two competitions with frequent victories. Gu La's journey through the individual competition seemed as leisurely as a stroll in the garden.
His number, 666, seemed to carry some kind of lucky charm. The opponents he drew throughout the preliminary and semifinal stages were only considered average in strength. Against these foes, Gu La displayed an awe-inspiring "composure".
He never rushed to end the fight.
Often, after his opponents released their martial souls and launched their attacks, he would stand quietly in place, his silver eyes calmly observing the various soul skills and martial soul characteristics being displayed, as if watching a performance unrelated to him.
Whether it was Power Attacks, Agility Attacks, Control, or Defense systems—whether it was Beast-type, Weapon-type, or Elemental martial souls—as long as they were types he hadn't deeply studied before, he would give them ample time and space to showcase themselves.
The opponent's attacks landed on an invisible barrier around him, either easily neutralized by his domain or casually deflected.
He was like an insurmountable mountain, allowing streams to crash against him without budging.
Only when he felt he had observed enough, or when his opponent had exhausted all their tricks, would he slightly raise his hand, flick his fingers, or wave his sleeve. Sometimes, even just a focused glance unleashed a condensed burst of soul power that precisely struck the weakest point of his opponent.
"Thud," "Boom…"
Without fail, his opponents were defeated, knocked flying, and rendered unable to continue fighting.
One strike! Always just one strike!
Whether his opponent was at the four-ring or five-ring level, or even a one-word battle armor master, none could withstand a single encounter with him. The only difference lay in how long he allowed them to "perform".
This absolute strength, this almost artistic mastery and effortless grace displayed in battle, earned him increasing attention.
Although he hailed from the Douluo Continent and was technically an "enemy" to the young soul masters of the Star Luo Empire, strength itself was a passport, especially in a place where individual heroism thrived like the Star Luo Empire.
In the Star Luo Stadium, cheers for "Number 666" began to emerge among the audience. Young soul masters who revered strength were particularly drawn to his power and mystery.
His handsome, graceful appearance and otherworldly demeanor also won him a fair share of female fans.
However, Gu La paid no mind to any of this.
The cheers or hostility from the stands were to him like the wind passing by his ears.
His gaze was more often directed toward opponents with rare martial souls or unique abilities. Unfortunately, even as he breezed into the top sixteen of the individual competition, he hadn't encountered a martial soul or soul skill that truly caught his interest or warranted serious attention.
Beyond the arena, Gu La's plans were also unfolding simultaneously.
He had dispatched Bo Xi. This avatar, possessing all of Gu La's memories, participated in the Star Luo Empire's concurrent and equally grand sub-professional competition—forging, design, manufacturing, and repair.
Bo Xi's performance was nothing short of stunning. His divine martial soul, Wave Ripple Water, granted him stability, precision, and tirelessness far beyond ordinary humans. He wielded hammers like the wind on the forging platform, calculated rapidly over intricate blueprints, and operated like the most precise mechanical arm in front of complex soul-guided core arrays.
With breathtaking speed and quality, he effortlessly advanced through the ranks, showcasing championship-level ability in all four categories.
The sub-professional masters of the Star Luo Empire were astonished by this burly, taciturn young man whose skills were unbelievably refined.
Bo Xi's name quickly spread through sub-professional circles, becoming the biggest dark horse and hottest new star.
Gu La had anticipated this.
He wasn't worried about Bo Xi's identity being exposed. At worst, he'd die once. If things went south, Gu La could still remotely support Bo Xi with time-locking techniques as a last resort.
What mattered more to Gu La was the outcome. As expected, Bo Xi stood a high chance of sweeping all four championships.
Once he demonstrated such astonishing value, the official bodies of the Star Luo Empire, especially those hungry for technology and talent, would undoubtedly extend olive branches.
This was precisely what Gu La wanted. He would go along with the flow, letting Bo Xi "accept" the Star Luo Empire's recruitment and stay on this continent with legitimacy.
Bo Xi would become an important chess piece buried deep within the core technical circles of the Star Luo Empire, continuously gathering information and resources for Gu La.
Meanwhile, Gu La himself was having a blast in another arena—the mecha competition.
He repaired and enhanced the giant ape mech he had "picked up" from the resistance army.
This mecha had a solid foundation, being black-grade level, but was severely damaged and somewhat technologically behind Shrek Academy and the Federation.
Under Gu La's skilled hands, not only was its performance restored, but key areas were optimized and upgraded. The output of the power core became more stable and powerful, joint transmission more flexible, and the outer armor's soul power defense was elevated to a new level.
Piloting this rejuvenated black giant ape, Gu La stepped onto the battleground of the mecha competition. Mecha battles tested not only the hardware performance of the mech but also the pilot's neural reaction speed, tactical awareness, and precision in controlling the mech.
And this happened to be Gu La's absolute domain.
His body, tempered by the essence of Groudon, fused with Life Gold, possessed inhuman coordination, reaction speed, and strength. His mental power was so potent that he could instantly process massive amounts of combat information.
Inside the mecha cockpit, Gu La seemed to merge with the giant ape. The cumbersome mech, under his control, exhibited incredible flexibility and precision.
Moving with the agility of a leopard, dodging and blocking like a ghost, each strike was as precise and deadly as a scalpel. Opponents' elaborate tactical combinations and cunning weapon attacks appeared like slow-motion replays to him, always easily seen through and countered.
The iron fists of the giant ape whistled through the air, repeatedly smashing and flattening enemy mechas. That overwhelming power and meticulous-to-the-extreme control made all spectators watch with boiling blood and wide-eyed astonishment.
"Crushing! Another crushing victory!"
"Who is the pilot of this Black Ape? Too terrifying!"
"It feels like he's playing with toys so effortlessly!"
"He's definitely a strong contender for the championship! No, perhaps the predetermined champion?"
As the audience predicted, Gu La piloting the black giant ape swept through the competition, unstoppable, advancing into the finals with no suspense. Winning the championship was almost a foregone conclusion.
However, when these reports reached the desk of Emperor Dai Tianling of the Star Luo Empire, the sovereign's expression grew increasingly somber.
Among the top sixteen of the individual competition, Shrek Academy held several spots. One of them, a youth named Bai Yuan, had already garnered significant attention with his bizarre devouring martial soul in previous matches.
Though reportedly a Soul King, he had only used a three-headed, six-armed soul skill. For the rest of the time, he relied on his terrifying physical strength and devouring ability to defeat opponents, making it impossible to gauge his true depth.
As for the enigmatic Gu La, numbered 666, he was unfathomable. No one had yet forced out his second move. It seemed as though he possessed countless self-created soul skills. So far, he had demonstrated stellar swordsmanship, mastery over four elements, teleportation abilities, and considerable mental power…
Evaluated as having peak five-ring strength, possibly even suspected six-ring power without using battle armor! These two individuals were undoubtedly strong contenders for the championship.
On the other hand, the trump card of the Star Luo Empire, Long Yue of the Monster Academy, though powerful and dubbed the "Dragon King," now caused Dai Tianling's confidence to waver for the first time when faced with these two mysterious opponents from Shrek. Could they really secure a guaranteed win?
Looking at the sub-professional competition, the prodigious Bo Xi, excelling in all four fields and poised to sweep all championships, had a questionable background—preliminary investigations revealed only that he seemed to have stowed away from the Star Luo mega-ship, with no known background.
Clearly, he wasn't talent cultivated by the Star Luo Empire!
In the mecha competition, the pilot of the black giant ape that had obliterated all opposition, though mysterious to others, was no secret to Emperor Dai Tianling. The prowess Gu La displayed in controlling the mech was nothing short of monstrous!
"Besides the individual competition champion, which still has some suspense, the promising champions of the other competitions… why do they all feel like they don't belong to the Star Luo Empire?"
Dai Tianling set down the intelligence report and heavily tapped his fingers on the desk, emitting a dull sound. His feelings were complex and indescribable.
This tournament was supposed to be an excellent opportunity for the Star Luo Empire to showcase the strength of its new generation to the Douluo Continent. Now, it seemed more like a stage for the geniuses of the Douluo Continent to perform. How could he accept this?
"Your Majesty," a trusted close minister whispered, "Regarding that Bo Xi, our people have made initial contact."
"He seems interested in joining the Imperial Ministry of Works or the Royal Research Institute, but his attitude is cautious, seemingly waiting for the right offer. He mentioned hoping to gain higher-level access to soul-guided research permissions and resource support."
A sharp gleam flashed in Dai Tianling's eyes.
Talent. Especially talent with top-tier aptitude in sub-professions, was exactly what the empire desperately needed.
Even with a questionable background, as long as he could serve the empire, he was worth aggressively recruiting. Background checks could proceed slowly, but talent couldn't be missed.
"Approved!"
Dai Tianling decisively ordered, "Satisfy his demands. Give him the highest-level permissions and resource allocation; make sure he stays in the Star Luo Empire."
"Simultaneously, continue deeper investigations into his background. Be quick, and keep it covert." He paused, adding, "Also, send people to 'protect' him, ensuring he doesn't encounter any 'danger.'"
"Remember, the approach must be gentle, avoiding causing any aversion."
"Yes!" The minister acknowledged the order and left.
Dai Tianling stood up and walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the brilliantly lit Star Luo City.
The competition continued, but an invisible pressure had already settled over his heart. The younger generation of the Douluo Continent was proving to be more troublesome than he had anticipated.
Shrek… Spirit Pagoda… and the mysterious Bo Xi and Gu La… The waters were getting murkier.
He had to do something to reverse this seemingly unfavorable situation. The individual competition champion must remain within the Star Luo Empire. Long Yue… don't disappoint me.
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