They left quickly, and returned just as fast. Before long, Xuan Zi flew back. Looking at everyone, he said, "It's already done. All of you get ready—we're heading for Star Luo City."
Since the inspection mission had ended ahead of schedule, there was no reason to stay in this disgusting place any longer. Not long after, everyone followed Xuan Zi, soaring straight into the sky, flying toward Star Luo City.
Of course, this time Xuan Zi slowed down his speed. The mission was over, and the competition was still several days away—there was no need to hurry.
"By the way, Elder Xuan, does this mission count as a success or a failure?" Xixi used spirit power to transmit her voice, and everyone could hear it.
Huo Yuhao and the reserve team members didn't feel much, but the main team members raised their heads, anticipation showing in their eyes as they looked toward Xuan Zi.
Zhang Lexuan shook her head and smiled, giving Xuan Zi's answer on his behalf. "This mission counts under your credits."
"Beautiful!"
The main team immediately became excited.
"Focus yourselves. Our next task is the Soul Fighting Tournament," Zhang Lexuan reminded them.
"Yes, Senior Sister!"
The seven members responded in unison.
…
Star Luo City—a city with over ten thousand years of history, standing side by side in stature and lineage with the Heaven Dou City of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Star Luo City was not only the imperial capital but also the cultural, political, and economic center of the Star Luo Empire. Since the day it was built, it had never once fallen.
Its resident population had reached an astonishing eight million, making it the most populated city among the original three Douluo nations. But what was even more eye-catching than its population was the massive city wall encircling it.
Outside Star Luo City, a group of people approached from a distance. Even from far away, they could see the one-hundred-meter-tall and one-hundred-meter-thick city walls. Every fifteen meters, a flagpole stood tall, the flags snapping loudly in the wind. Each flag bore a vivid Star Crown insignia, symbol of the Empire's ruling house.
And leading to Star Luo City were countless connected official roads. From the sky, they looked like veins spreading outward. There were six nearby cities with populations exceeding one million, collectively forming a metropolitan cluster.
Due to population growth, Star Luo City itself had continuously expanded. Otherwise, how could eight million people fit into a thousand-square-kilometer area?
"There are way too many people…"
As they approached the eight gigantic city gates, Wang Dong couldn't help crying out in astonishment.
As far as the eye could see, beneath the towering gates were people everywhere—whether walking or in carriages—packed so densely it felt like a sea of heads.
Noise filled the air nonstop, giving everyone a heavy feeling in their skulls.
Even more shocking, new waves of travelers continued flowing in from every direction via the network of roads.
It felt like even the oxygen in the air had been thinned by the crowd, making each breath feel stifling.
Under the city gates, more than several thousand soldiers were maintaining order. To ensure the safety of spectators during the tournament, many soul masters of at least Soul King level were hiding in the surroundings. Any unexpected incident would be swiftly suppressed.
"Participating academies have a separate passage. Follow me," Xuan Zi said, taking a swig from his gourd. It was filled with fruit juice—not alcohol. Since agreeing to Elder Mu's request, he truly hadn't touched wine.
To be fair, this sour-sweet juice was actually pretty good…
Naturally, everyone followed Elder Xuan, heading toward a fully armored city defense commander.
Among the eight city gates, one was empty—reserved specifically for participating academies.
The moment the commander saw the academy emblem Xuan Lao handed over—a Shrek Academy Little Monster—his eyes almost bulged out. His expression instantly turned respectful.
"Please enter. Someone will guide you to your hotel."
"Mm." Xuan Lao nodded slightly. "Little monsters, let's go."
Perhaps it was because they used the special passage, but they drew countless gazes. However, people couldn't identify which academy Huo Yuhao's group belonged to.
The commander didn't lie. After entering the city gate, a Star Luo Empire Royal Guard soldier immediately arrived to guide them.
By carriage, of course.
Once they entered the city, the various buildings finally came fully into view—tall and short structures alike, many decorated with banners celebrating the tournament.
The massive roads, wide enough for sixteen carriages to ride side by side, had been temporarily narrowed to allow pedestrians more room.
Crowds of travelers moved along the streets—Star Luo Empire citizens, Heavenly Soul Empire citizens, Dou Ling Empire citizens, and a smaller number from the Sun Moon Empire.
Merchants were practically smiling themselves silly. But those strolling the streets leisurely were only the ones who had already secured hotel rooms. Many others were still searching desperately, otherwise they'd be sleeping outdoors.
The Star Luo authorities understood this well. They had requisitioned many civilian homes and, using the momentum of the tournament, rapidly built new housing and commercial districts in areas designated for future expansion. This not only satisfied visitor needs but also advanced urban development—a perfect two-birds-one-stone solution.
Looking at the bustling city, Huo Yuhao felt a strange sense of daze. In the memories of the original Huo Yuhao, he had never visited Star Luo City. He grew up entirely within the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, and his rare outings were only to the forest with his mother to search for edible wild fruits and vegetables.
He had seen Star Luo City from afar, yes—but who knew what young Huo Yuhao had felt when gazing at this city from a distant hill?
The students chattered noisily. Aside from the competition, sightseeing was equally exciting. Only Dai Yueheng remained expressionless the entire time, lost in unknown thoughts.
Eventually, the Royal Guard soldier led them to a quiet and beautiful massive hotel.
"Everyone, this is Star Emperor Hotel," he announced.
Once they all disembarked, the seven-story building loomed before them. Though only seven floors, it was actually several buildings connected into one, occupying an enormous area.
The hotel lobby wasn't crowded—only staff were present.
Upon seeing Shrek Academy's credentials, the staff erupted in excited whispers. A cheerful receptionist led them via a soul-tool elevator straight to the luxurious top-floor suites.
But upon entering the suite, everyone froze—the living room already had three girls seated inside.
"Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Zhu Lu?"
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong rushed forward in surprise.
"We meet again," Wu Feng said excitedly as she stood.
Zhu Lu glanced at Huo Yuhao and gave a soft nod.
Seeing Zhu Lu look at Huo Yuhao, Dai Yueheng's brows furrowed deeply. Clearly, he also knew about the recent events involving the White Tiger and Spirit Cat families.
Had his second brother been… cuckolded?
"Elder Xuan." Ning Tian approached and gave a graceful salute.
Xuan Zi nodded and explained to everyone, "I mentioned before that the Academy approved three slots to be chosen among the eliminated competitors. These three were selected. They're here purely to observe the tournament—they won't participate."
The main team had known this, but the reserve team members were stunned.
"Welcome," Huo Yuhao said first. Soon, the others followed, making the atmosphere warmer.
"Thank you." The three girls smiled in return, though their thanks were mostly directed at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao nodded but didn't speak further.
Xuan Zi instructed, "Lexuan, you and Wang Yan go to the Tournament Committee for registration. Everyone else may act freely, but listen well—if you leave the hotel, you must report it. Whoever dares sneak out, this old man will beat him hard."
"Yes!"
They replied in unison.
"Elder Xuan, I have something to take care of. Requesting permission to leave the team," Dai Yueheng said.
"Go, but return quickly," Xuan Zi waved.
"Yes." Dai Yueheng's eyes briefly swept toward Huo Yuhao and Zhu Lu before he expressionlessly left with Zhang Lexuan and Wang Yan.
Xuan Zi didn't bother socializing with the youngsters and simply left the space to them.
The moment he was gone, the atmosphere grew lively.
"Xiao Tian, Xiao Feng, why are you here?" Yao Haoxuan flashed to Ning Tian's side, stunned.
"You know them?" Xixi teased. "Don't tell me you're trying to flirt with pretty girls already?"
Yao Haoxuan twitched and explained, "Xiao Tian is the Young Mistress of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Xiao Feng is the granddaughter of Senior Red Dragon Douluo. My family has close ties with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—we're old family friends."
"Young Mistress of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Everyone was shocked. For such an ancient sect—older than Shrek Academy—almost no one on the continent didn't know it. Not to mention the statue of Ning Rongrong still standing on the Academy's entrance bridge.
"Just call me Xiao Tian," Ning Tian said naturally. "Here, I'm only a Shrek student—nothing more."
Her attitude won many people's favor instantly.
"By the way, who brought you here?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"An old man, but we didn't know him. After bringing us to the hotel, he left," Zhu Lu answered.
Wu Feng and Ning Tian nodded.
"An old man?"
Everyone exchanged looks.
Huo Yuhao's heart skipped. Could it have been Elder Mu?
Because three new girls—each beautiful—the chatting quickly grew even livelier. Even Gongyang Mo and Chen Zifeng joined in. Only Ling Luochen and Xixi shrugged and went to find their rooms.
They were all young—conversation flowed easily.
The happiest was Xu Sanshi. With three more girls around, the senior brothers barely looked at Jiang Nannan anymore. He finally felt relieved.
…
Star Luo Imperial Palace.
Inside the study of a side hall, Xu Jiawei was reviewing the progress report on the Star Luo City expansion project. This expansion would increase the city's size by a third—greatly easing the current housing crisis. Without the Soul Fighting Tournament, they wouldn't have attracted so many sponsors to fund the construction.
Suddenly, the door opened. The stunningly beautiful Xu Jiujing walked in. She approached Xu Jiawei and spoke directly:
"Royal Brother, Shrek Academy's main team has arrived. Also, the Star Guards I sent noticed Dai Yueheng returning to the Duke's Mansion alone."
Xu Jiawei paused his movements. "Continue monitoring the White Tiger Duke's Mansion."
"I understand," Xu Jiujing nodded.
"What about your investigation results? I assigned you three Super Douluo," Xu Jiawei said seriously.
Xu Jiujing's expression darkened. "The results are out. A total of four dukes, twelve marquises, and twenty earls have improper involvement with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and the Spirit Cat Duke's Mansion."
"These nobles are all from major cities of the Empire's southwest region. Ever since the Sun Moon Empire's invasion years ago, the southwest was never touched by war. When our family first ascended as the imperial house, our control over that region has always been weak. Even though the Empire forbids nobles from establishing fiefs, after thousands of years, their current situation is no different from those with fiefs."
"In those areas, they are practically local tyrants. Every year, they secretly siphon off at least forty percent of the taxes owed to the capital. They even abuse their influence to protect one another, establishing private maritime trade routes and colluding with pirates to amass wealth."
"What's worse, your decree for free martial soul awakening for civilians never reached the southwest. Actually, the entire southern region ignored it. Commoners have no idea such a policy even exists. To awaken a martial soul, ordinary people must either sign slave contracts or give up entirely."
"As a result, these nobles have accumulated massive soul master resources. In the top-tier noble residences, some even have Title Douluo stationed."
"Since our family became the imperial house, emperors of each generation have dealt with the southwest differently—sometimes harsh, sometimes lenient. But never thoroughly. This nurtured a deadly threat. Starting from Grandfather's reign, we began suppressing these tangled noble factions, which triggered their hostility. They dared not rebel openly, so they turned to the White Tiger Duke's family."
"The White Tiger family is the former royal house. Their identity is suitable. And everyone knows the tension between the current royal family and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. Combined with Dai Hao inheriting control of most of the Western Legion from his father, this tempted the southwest nobles. They provided wealth and resources, so in recent years, whenever the court discussed policies targeting the southwest, the White Tiger family remained silent, while the Spirit Cat family openly opposed."
"Many court officials accepted bribes as well, so they strongly support the two ducal families."
"When the profits are big enough, anyone will risk their life to reach for forbidden things. Here is the list of names. Please review it."
She placed a thick stack of documents on the desk.
Xu Jiawei kept a calm face as he picked it up. After a moment, he said something that shocked Xu Jiujing:
"Jiujing, you did well—but you haven't thought deeply enough."
Xu Jiujing blinked. "Please enlighten me, Royal Brother."
Xu Jiawei looked straight into her eyes. "Do you really think the southwest nobles treat the White Tiger family as their true trump card against the imperial house? Or… is there another force behind them?"
Xu Jiujing's brows furrowed. After a few seconds, her breathing hitched, as if realizing something unbelievable.
"So you've figured it out," Xu Jiawei said with satisfaction.
"As you said, Grandfather began suppressing the southwest nobles. Father continued this policy. They banded together in resentment but dared not rebel openly. So they needed a scapegoat—a decoy. On the surface, that is the White Tiger Duke's Mansion."
"The White Tiger family is perfect cover."
"But don't forget—every time we prepare to punish these nobles, the Sun Moon Empire conveniently launches a minor border conflict, shifting the court's priorities. And when we finally resolve to deal with them decisively, the Sun Moon Empire drops the skirmishes entirely and mobilizes troops directly."
"Do you still think this is a coincidence? If our hypothesis is correct, then the White Tiger family is merely a pawn—a chess piece used to distract us."
"I never intended to destroy the White Tiger family. Unless they produce an overwhelmingly powerful soul master, they can never threaten imperial authority."
"Whether the Sun Moon Empire is secretly involved remains unconfirmed—we only have suspicions. But we can use the Soul Fighting Tournament as cover and directly eliminate the southwest nobles, reversing the situation. With the world's attention on us, even the Sun Moon Empire must consider the consequences."
Xu Jiujing's eyes lit up. "No wonder you insisted we wait until the tournament."
"Correct," Xu Jiawei nodded. "During the tournament, our actions are safest. Miss this window, and it becomes difficult."
"What about the White Tiger family?" Xu Jiujing asked.
"I have already summoned Dai Hao to return tomorrow to participate in the tournament event. If the Sun Moon Empire moves when we eliminate the nobles, I can use Dai Hao's absence—leaving the White Tiger line leaderless—to reclaim part of the Western Legion's military authority. And we can confirm whether those nobles have truly aligned with the Sun Moon Empire."
"Anyone obstructing my appointment of personnel to the Western Legion will be executed immediately for treason. But this plan still depends on whether the Sun Moon Empire takes the bait."
"But…" Xu Jiawei smiled faintly, "instead of waiting passively for the enemy to act, it's better to provoke movement ourselves. When Dai Hao returns tomorrow, have the southwest Star Guards leak rumors that the Empire plans to deal with the nobles. If they act swiftly, they will undoubtedly inform their Sun Moon Empire handlers."
"At that moment, Dai Hao will be back. If conflict arises, I will keep Dai Hao in Star Luo City and send someone else to guard the border. As for those southwest nobles—kill the leaders outright. Crush the major houses completely. No mercy. The smaller ones may be subjugated."
Xu Jiujing nodded subconsciously. These were matters that could shape the future of the Empire. "I understand. I will arrange it."
"No—you won't," Xu Jiawei said calmly. "I've already sent Second Grandfather. You focus on preparing for the tournament."
"Yes." Xu Jiujing understood this was beyond her authority. Xu Jiawei was teaching her, not expecting her to act.
"Enough politics. How is your Star Guardian preparation going?" Xu Jiawei changed the topic.
Xu Jiujing showed a firm smile. "I believe I can cause great trouble for Shrek Academy. After all, this soul skill has not been used by our family for many years."
"If you can even defeat Shrek Academy, the benefits to us would be threefold," Xu Jiawei said with a smile. "Go on, I still have government affairs to handle."
"Okay," Xu Jiujing replied sweetly, closing the door as she left.
.....
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