The afternoon sun spilled across the vast white-stone plaza of Heaven Dou City's Great Spirit Arena. Its towering architecture gleamed, and inside, a sea of voices churned with excitement. This arena had hosted the Tiandou Cup year after year, and yet each occasion carried the same anticipation.
But this year was different.
This year was grander.
From the highest seats descended Emperor Xue Ye himself, wearing robes embroidered in gold thread, his stern eyes surveying the arena like a hawk. Sitting only a row away was Ning Fengzhi, refined as always, with the gentle poise of a scholar, and beside him, the silent colossus Gu Rong, bone staff in hand.
Their presence had raised the Tiandou Cup into something more than a student competition—it had become a spectacle worthy of the empire's nobility.
The Emperor's purpose was no secret. Whispers spread among the students and sect representatives:
"He came to see that Lu Yuan…"
"They say his raw talent isn't weaker than a Titled Douluo!"
"Hard to believe… the drunk genius who never fights?"
All across the arena, the participating academies gathered in neat clusters, their uniforms brilliant in the sun. Those who did not qualify for the competition were banished to the grandstands, eager to cheer regardless.
Excited voices rippled through the crowd.
"Look, Shui Bing'er from Tianshui Academy. She's even prettier this year!"
"Pfft, don't look now, but Feng Xiaotian is shamelessly pestering Huo Wu again."
"Don't underestimate Huo Wushuang. Everyone says his attack ability is the strongest in all Tiandou City."
"Not necessarily… I heard Tiandou Academy has someone named Lu Yuan. Some say he's unbeatable."
"Lu Yuan? If he's so strong, why haven't we ever seen him fight before?"
Their debates filled the air as impatience simmered.
And then—the moment everyone had waited for: Tiandou Royal Academy's grand entrance.
They were the last to arrive. Not because they wanted dramatic flair, but because… they simply couldn't find Lu Yuan. Mengshenji had nearly collapsed when report after report came in: the dorms were empty, his usual drunken haunts deserted.
If Lu Yuan failed to appear, it would mean more than embarrassment—it would mean letting down Emperor Xue Ye himself.
Mengshenji was on the verge of a heart attack.
Meanwhile, Yu Tianheng and the rest of the Huangdou Team quietly cheered in their hearts. If Lu Yuan stayed missing, their team wouldn't have to risk being his victims. But they couldn't let their relief show. If Mengshenji suspected them of gloating, they would pay dearly. And worse—what if Lu Yuan somehow learned about it later?
As they stepped into the arena, the crowd's disappointment was immediate.
"Where's Lu Yuan? Isn't he supposed to be here?"
"What a letdown! I wanted to see that legendary spirit ring of his."
"Too disappointing…"
Even Emperor Xue Ye's brow furrowed with faint displeasure. He had come specifically to see this young man, only to be stood up like an abandoned duke. Princess Xue Ke, seated just behind him, shared her father's disappointment. She had little interest in the violence of soul fights. The only reason she'd come was the curiosity to finally see this enigmatic "Lu Yuan" whom every girl seemed to talk about.
But he wasn't here.
Boring.
Just as anticipation sank…
A familiar voice broke through, lazy and loud:
"How can one relieve his sorrows? Only with Dukang's wine!"
Heads turned toward the entryway.
There he was—stumbling forward, wine jar in one hand, sword strapped loosely across his back, his robes swaying like a willow in the breeze.
"Brother Lu Yuan!" Ning Rongrong cried out with relief, rushing to him as if seeing family after a long absence. The other three girls followed quickly, their concern showing despite his obvious drunken haze.
In contrast, Yu Tianheng's face turned pale. He clutched his chest as if stabbed. Why did he have to show up now?! They had prayed to every god that he would stay lost… yet here he was, striding in at the worst possible moment.
"Brother Lu Yuan, where did you disappear to?" Ning Rongrong asked, her brows knit in concern.
"I went to the Yuexuan Restaurant," he replied simply, exhaling a small sigh. His tone was calm, almost wistful.
After his last visit, Lu Yuan had fallen in love with that quiet place. Yuexuan washed away the restlessness in his heart—its calm music and refined atmosphere soothed him in ways wine sometimes couldn't. He had gone there to relax again before the Cup began.
The only regret? Tang Yuehua had refused to share a drink with him, leaving him more melancholy than refreshed.
"Yuexuan Restaurant? What kind of place is that?" one of the girls asked, puzzled.
"Classic Lu Yuan…" Yu Tianheng groaned under his breath, watching disaster march straight into their midst.
In the stands, excited chatter spread fast:
"Is that him?! Really the drunken genius? Jar in one hand, sword in the other—just like the legends say!"
"Look! Look at him, he's actually handsome!" squealed a girl with long blue hair from Tianshui Academy, her eyes shining.
"Seven-girl, since when are you such a fool?" teased her short‑haired friend with a rather proud figure, though her grin betrayed no real malice.
"Focus. The tournament's about to begin," came the calm voice of Shui Binger, their captain. From her place at the front of Tianshui Academy's team, her long aqua-blue hair shimmered as her piercing dark-blue eyes surveyed the stage.
Even Emperor Xue Ye couldn't help but mutter to Ning Fengzhi: "So this is Lu Yuan, the famed student." He shook his head, watching as the boy swaggered in mid-drink. "To be carousing in a restaurant mere hours before the Cup… what kind of ridiculous genius is this?"
"What else could it be? This is Lu Yuan," Ning Fengzhi answered with a faint smile, neither embarrassed nor surprised.
Meanwhile, sitting just behind them, Princess Xue Ke was left speechless. She had expected him to be aloof, maybe arrogant, but to find him so casual… and clearly adored by four talented academy girls already… her chest felt strangely tight.
What on earth does he see in my brother the crown prince, then? she thought with bewilderment.
Time slipped like water, flowing swiftly. The lottery ceremony concluded before long, announcing the competition's structure: two groups, three teams each, a round-robin system.
Tiandou Royal Academy drew a bracket against Blazing Academy and Kamikaze Academy.
Emperor Xue Ye rose and delivered a short speech. The moment his words ended, the Tiandou Cup officially began.
From his seat, Lu Yuan stared lazily at the teams across from him. To him, they weren't competitors. They were jars of fine wine lined neatly on a shelf—some a little dusty, some a little cracked, but all equally meant to be "drunk" by him sooner or later.
Rules? Round robins? Elimination formats?
Nonsense.
His philosophy was simple: knock every opponent flat, and the championship will naturally be his.
"Teacher Qin," Yu Tianheng said quietly, leaning toward their instructor, "we face Kamikaze Academy in ten minutes. How… how do we proceed?"
His tone made it clear what he really meant: How do we deal with having that man as our teammate?
Qin Ming could feel the heavy stares of his students boring into him. In this moment, their destinies seemed to hang on his answer.
His eyes shifted toward the cluster of girls around Lu Yuan. "Rongrong, and… Ranran, would you like to participate?"
"Huh? Me?" Meng Yiran blinked in surprise, pointing at herself. For years she'd watched the Tiandou Cup from the sidelines, her Alien Beast Academy not qualified to enter. Being asked to personally step onto the stage now felt unreal. "I… can I?"
"Yes." Ning Rongrong answered firmly for her. "If Brother Lu Yuan is with us, we shouldn't be afraid of anything."
Hearing her confidence, Qin Ming made his choice.
"All right then. To minimize risk, the four girls will go, along with Tianheng and Yufeng. That will be enough."
He secretly reasoned that Lu Yuan—no matter how drunk—would never harm the four girls closest to him. Having them anchor the team offered at least a measure of safety.
"Tianheng, you're the captain. That's your burden. Yufeng—watch yourself." He patted both on the shoulders reassuringly.
Yu Tianheng looked stricken. For the first time in his life, he regretted ever becoming captain.
"Tiandou Royal Academy versus Kamikaze Academy! Both teams enter the field!"
The referee's crisp voice echoed across the arena.
The Kamikaze Academy stepped in first, their movements sharp and unified, led by Feng Xiaotian, his eyes burning with fighting intent. Their martial souls glimmered faintly in the air around them, adding to their imposing presence.
Tiandou Royal Academy followed, their pace noticeably less tidy. Six of them settled quickly into formation. At the very tail end trailed Lu Yuan, swaying like a reed in the wind, wine jar tilted at his lips.
"Tons, tons, tons…" The sloppy sound of gulps filled the silence as he actually stopped in the middle of the ring to drink openly, earning gasps and laughter from the stands.
The referee, sighing with practiced resignation, called: "Both sides, release martial souls! One minute preparation time!"
Brilliant lights flared across the Kamikaze Academy's formation. Seven martial souls erupted skyward—six Soul Sovereigns and one leader surpassing them all: Feng Xiaotian, a Soul Sect of rare talent.
Tiandou's side shone just as brilliantly. Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling had all broken into Soul Sect rank themselves. The girls around Lu Yuan held firm, aura steady.
And then there was Lu Yuan.
The moment his martial soul bloomed, the air itself shifted.
A ripple of power burst outward, so suffocating it drew silence across the stands.
The crowd rose to their feet, shouting in disbelief.
"A… a Soul King?! Already?!"
At his age, his level, it was obscene. Too outrageous. Too terrifying.
The Tiandou Cup had just begun, and already, the competition was cracking.
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