Morning light bathed the spectator stands of Star Luo Plaza. Tens of thousands of spectators shouted one name after another, and amid their roaring voices, Zhu Ziyang walked at the front, leading Shrek Academy's team into the plaza.
Since Zhu Ziyang appeared in the match against the Dou Spirit Empire team, everyone had already realized that this youth was the true core of Shrek Academy. So the team no longer concealed anything. Zhu Ziyang directly assumed the role of leader—since he was already exposed, why not embrace it openly?
As they drew closer to the newly sectioned-off resting area for the semifinals, the crowd's enthusiasm grew even more intense. No longer satisfied with just shouting "Shrek Academy," the audience began to call out the names of individual members.
"Golden Moon Sovereign!" This was Zhu Ziyang's title. Though he had only appeared once, his move "Emperor's Moon" left a deep impression, and the name quickly gained recognition starting from the front row spectators.
"Phoenix Queen!" Naturally referring to Ma Xiaotao. Compared to her self-proclaimed title "Flame Demon," this was much more pleasant. Although she had only appeared once as well, being the first Soul Emperor to appear in the tournament and the first to defeat seven opponents in a row, she thoroughly earned this name.
"Moon Goddess Princess!" As the most beautiful contestant in this year's competition, Jiang Nannan had more fans than anyone. After all, who wouldn't love a stunning goddess who could also fight? The name was inspired partly by her soul skills—especially her fifth soul skill, with that dreamy silver moon—and partly by her exquisite appearance and noble elegance, resembling the moon goddess from Douluo mythology.
Besides Zhu Ziyang, Ma Xiaotao, and Jiang Nannan, Beibei was called "Thunderclap Lightning Dragon," and Xu Sanshi was dubbed "Black Tortoise Demon Shield." The two had also earned love from the crowd due to their outstanding performances.
However, in the entire competition, only Shrek Academy's members had received such honors. Not even contestants from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy or Star Luo Academy received similar treatment.
Hearing the waves of cheering for Shrek's team, the expressions of the other three semifinal teams turned sour. Being disregarded before the match even began was truly frustrating.
"Alright, don't let these mundane voices bother you." Elder Ma of the Sun Moon team clapped his hands and said, drawing the attention of his teammates. "They're nothing more than a bunch of ignorant fools."
"Sigh, it's always like this. I can't help but feel a bit jealous." Princess Xu Jiujiu of Star Luo Academy let out a sigh full of helplessness and envy. Though she was the princess of the Star Luo Empire, she couldn't hope to match the popularity of Shrek Academy.
"Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Beibei, Xu Sanshi… this competition is becoming less and less interesting," said Jiang Peng, captain of Diao Academy, full of emotion.
With all four semifinalist teams present, the semifinals were about to begin.
To everyone's surprise, Star Luo Empire's Emperor Xu Jiawei did not appear in the royal viewing platform. Just when everyone assumed he wouldn't attend, he stepped out directly from the imperial city, flanked by officials, and walked onto the main stage.
A wave of cheers erupted as he smiled and said, "The All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament is our continent's grand event, held once every five years. It is a great honor for our nation to host it this time. I must first thank the more than one hundred academies from all nations for delivering such spectacular matches and showing us the growth and development of soul masters and soul engineers across the continent. It has also brought joy to the people—and to me, as their ruler."
"Today marks the beginning of the semifinals, which means we're entering the final stretch of this grand tournament. The draw for the semifinals will be the last one. Therefore, I shall personally oversee the draw."
"I hope that Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Diao Academy, and our Star Luo Royal Academy will deliver even more splendid matches in the days to come."
"I know everyone is eager to watch the battles, and so am I. Let us begin. May the Star Luo Empire flourish for generations to come!"
After another round of cheers, one of the four old men behind Xu Jiawei stepped forward. He faced the four teams and said solemnly, "Captains of the four teams, please come forward to draw lots."
As he moved, an overwhelming aura exploded from his body. The sheer pressure made it feel as though the sky had darkened for everyone in the plaza.
Zhu Ziyang remained calm. Just by sensing the four old men's aura, he knew their identities—they were clearly Title Douluo serving the Star Luo royal family.
Sure enough, Xu Jiawei confirmed his suspicion with a smile. "To ensure the safety of all participants in the semifinals and finals, each match from this point forward will be judged by a national guardian Title Douluo. Today's draw and the first semifinal match will be overseen by Senior Huang Jinxu, whose title is Heavenly Fiend."
Zhu Ziyang had heard of Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu and was surprised. He hadn't expected this man to still be alive, let alone serving as Star Luo's national guardian. Didn't Xu Jiawei worry about being cursed to death by him?
Zhu Ziyang's expression turned a little strange.
Wang Yan was just as shocked and exclaimed, "Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu? I thought he was long dead. So he defected to the Star Luo Empire?"
"Brother Ziyang, who is this Heavenly Fiend Douluo? Is he really strong?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
Zhu Ziyang smiled and briefly explained Huang Jinxu's background. Huo Yuhao was astonished. This world's martial souls truly were full of wonders.
The four team captains walked onto the stage. As Star Luo Academy's captain, Princess Xu Jiujiu also stepped forward, drawing stunned reactions from the other teams.
"Isn't that the same Jiujiu who works as an auctioneer?" Wang Yan was surprised, then suddenly recalled what the elegant auctioneer said that day. "So the princess herself is competing… Star Luo Academy was hiding this well!"
"Teacher Wang, if I recall correctly, the Star Luo royal family's martial soul is the Star Crown, right?" Zhu Ziyang asked thoughtfully.
"That's right," Wang Yan nodded with a serious expression. "The Star Crown is one of the continent's ancient martial souls, like the Clear Sky Hammer, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. It's an auxiliary-type soul. According to the Academy's intelligence, the current emperor has exceptional talent—one of the most gifted in 300 years. If this princess, Jiujiu, is representing Star Luo Academy, her strength must at least be at Soul King level! That introduces an interesting variable."
"Hehe." Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "Even so, she's just an auxiliary-type soul master. Without powerful teammates, it's meaningless."
"That's true," Wang Yan replied with a smile. "Let's see how the draw goes. A one-in-three chance, after all."
On stage, under the watchful eyes of the four Title Douluo, the four captains stood before Emperor Xu Jiawei. He smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet such outstanding young talents. The match is about to begin. I hope all of you will uphold the spirit of friendship and fair competition. I will toss four balls into the air, each with a number inside. Grab them at the same time. Are you ready?"
Ma Xiaotao narrowed her eyes and looked at Xu Jiujiu beside her. "Ready."
Xu Jiujiu smiled and nodded. Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng also inclined their heads slightly.
"Attention!" Xu Jiawei narrowed his eyes, and before anyone could see his movement, four golden balls shot into the air.
Ma Xiaotao had been ready for this. The moment he acted, she leapt into the air. Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng moved simultaneously, racing for the golden balls. Only Xu Jiujiu remained motionless, still smiling calmly.
As captain of Shrek, Ma Xiaotao snatched a ball first and landed gracefully. Moments later, Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng also claimed theirs. The last golden ball fell directly toward Xu Jiujiu, who extended a hand and caught it effortlessly.
A soft smile curved the princess's lips. Looking at the ball in her hand, she was the first to announce her result despite being the last to grab one.
"I got number one."
Ma Rulong followed: "Number two."
Ma Xiaotao's gaze landed directly on Xu Jiujiu's face. "Number one."
Though Jiang Peng had yet to speak, the results were already clear. Shrek Academy would face Star Luo Royal Academy today. Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy would battle Diao Academy.
(End of Chapter)
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