Half of the White Tiger Duke's estate had been reduced to rubble. The estate's soul tools, already nearly obsolete, were completely unable to withstand the combined assault of the Vacuous Devouring Flame and the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame.
Some were devoured, others were purified—either way, they ceased to function.
"Lord!"
The Duchess rushed over in a fluster, abandoning her usual composure, and cried out, "I don't know what scoundrel did this, but they set fire to the Duke's estate! You must capture the arsonist and have them executed!"
Dai Hao's expression was grim. "This isn't an ordinary fire. The one who set this must have been a soul master. Men—search the nearby forest thoroughly!"
"Yes, sir!"
His guards bowed and quickly dispersed to carry out the order.
Once they were gone, Dai Hao turned back to the Duchess. "I'll report this to His Majesty. We will find the perpetrator. With the estate damaged like this, take everyone and temporarily relocate into Star Luo City."
The Duchess nodded. "Perfect timing. Since the Soul Master Tournament is ongoing, Yaoheng and Huabin have returned to the city. I'll stay at the Star Luo Grand Hotel for a while."
Dai Hao didn't object. He only reminded her, "Both of them are participants representing Shrek Academy. I know you miss them, but do try not to disrupt their preparations."
"Understood," the Duchess replied demurely, playing the part of the dutiful wife.
The guards returned shortly. Their leader saluted Dai Hao and reported, "Duke, we searched the woods. No one was found, but we did discover two sets of disorganized footprints."
"Two people?"
Dai Hao nodded thoughtfully. "I see. With people from all across the continent gathered in Star Luo City, it's a chaotic time. Perhaps some old enemies of mine chose to act now."
"Cowards," the Duchess spat bitterly. "Too afraid to face you directly, so they resort to sneaky tricks!"
Dai Hao glanced at her. "The Soul Master Tournament has been entrusted to me by His Majesty, so I'll be quite busy. Once I report to the Emperor, I'll leave the estate's restoration in your care."
"Yes, my Lord." She nodded respectfully.
---
Back at the Star Luo Grand Hotel, Huo Yuhao was chatting with Meng Hongchen when Jiang Shengyu burst through the door, grabbed a teapot, and downed its contents in one long gulp.
"Phew—I'm alive," he sighed in relief.
"What did you do?" Meng Hongchen asked suspiciously.
"I—" Jiang Shengyu started.
But then Xiao Hongchen kicked the door open, shouting, "Jiang Shengyu, you bastard! Do you even care about our brotherhood?!"
Jiang Shengyu grinned sheepishly.
Meng Hongchen furrowed her brows. "You two… what exactly were you doing?"
Xiao Hongchen let out a cough and awkwardly fiddled with a teacup. "Pour me one, would you?"
Jiang Shengyu complied, and the two sat quietly, sipping their tea.
Meng Hongchen and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance. She walked over, knocked on the table, and said, "Enough of that. Heads up! What were you two doing?"
The two clinked their cups but still said nothing.
Now annoyed, Meng Hongchen snatched the cups from their hands. "Did you even listen to me? This is Star Luo Empire, not Mingdu! We're the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's official team. We're already in enough danger—do you have any idea—"
"Stop! Pause!" Both Xiao and Jiang interrupted in unison.
"We didn't do anything," Xiao Hongchen said casually. "Just took a walk."
"Yeah, just a walk," Jiang Shengyu nodded.
Meng Hongchen knew they were lying. She glared at them. "You're the captain and vice-captain. Lead by example—understand?"
"Yes, little sister!" Xiao Hongchen quickly poured her tea with a grin. "You've talked so much, you must be thirsty."
Meng Hongchen stared at her smiling brother, clearly unconvinced. Huo Yuhao came over and asked, "So, how's Star Luo City? Is it fun?"
Meng Hongchen turned to him, confused. "You've never toured Star Luo City?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Never had the chance as a child. After my mother died, I left."
To think someone born in Star Luo City had never explored it…
Meng Hongchen fell silent for a moment, then gently patted Yuhao on the shoulder. "Come on, big sis will show you around! The academy gave us tons of funds—spend it freely!"
And just like that, the issue with Xiao and Jiang was brushed aside.
Their supervising teacher entered shortly after. "Hold off on going out," she said. "I've got some things to go over with you first."
Once everyone had gathered, she began explaining the tournament format.
This year's rules were mostly the same, but the restrictions on soul tools had been tightened. Participants without official registered soul engineer status would be prohibited from using soul tools.
Unfortunately, Jiang Shengyu, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen hadn't officially registered as soul engineers.
"They're clearly targeting us," Meng Hongchen said, frowning.
Their teacher tried to reassure them. "Don't worry. With your cultivation, you can beat nearly anyone at your level even without soul tools. Besides, the rest of the team is officially registered."
"Yeah, we've got your backs!" one of the official members added cheerfully.
The teacher nodded. "Also, tomorrow's the draw for the knockout rounds. Aside from Shrek, there's no one we need to fear—but still, stay sharp. We won't let the old Douluo factions look down on our academy!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Everyone responded in unison.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Star Luo Imperial Palace, Dai Hao reported the incident at the White Tiger Duke's estate to Emperor Xu Jiawei.
After hearing the details, the Emperor's expression turned dark.
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