Chapter 72: The Tournament Begins
Already almost at the city gate, Du Qianjue glanced back at Xu Sanshi, squinting his eyes.
Others couldn't hear Shrek's conversation, but how could someone with the strength of a Soul Sage comparable to a Titled Douluo not hear it?
Xu Sanshi?
Excellent!
Kid, just wait. When you meet me, I'll show you what true cruelty is!
Du Qianjue had already thought of countless ways to break Xu Sanshi's turtle shell.
Don't ask how he knew it was Xu Sanshi — with his square face, tall build, dignified appearance, and a penchant for lechery and foolishness, who else could it be among Shrek's reserve team?
Huo Yuhao, keenly sensing a malicious gaze, stopped mid-sentence just as he was about to describe Ice Empress's appearance.
"I forgot."
Huo Yuhao shook his head nervously. For some reason, he felt that describing Ice Empress's appearance would bring some terrifying misfortune upon him.
To be fair, Huo Yuhao was spot on.
Du Qianjue didn't hold much malice toward Huo Yuhao. Although he looked down on the original protagonist, he wouldn't mess with him without being provoked.
Huo Yuhao and Tang San were different.
Messing with Tang San was something Du Qianjue would do eagerly and without hesitation. But messing with Huo Yuhao? Not unless Huo Yuhao did something to provoke him first.
There was no need.
Huo Yuhao, without most of his original opportunities, was no longer a threat.
Just as Shrek's curiosity was piqued by Huo Yuhao's words, he shut them down with a simple "I forgot," leaving them disappointed. Only Wang Dong narrowed his eyes, sensing something amiss.
In the following days, teams from various soul master academies arrived in Star Luo City, making the already bustling imperial capital even more lively.
The Soul Master Tournament, held every five years and rotated among the four empires, was hosted by the Star Luo Empire this year. The last time it was held in Star Luo City was twenty years ago. This grand event attracted countless soul masters and civilians alike.
For them, the students who shone brightly in the tournament were all strong individuals.
Powerful soul masters on the Douluo Continent were always a minority; most were either unable to cultivate or couldn't break through the Soul Elder level their entire lives. Achieving levels above Soul Elder was a distant dream for them.
But that didn't dampen their admiration for the strong.
The Soul Master Tournament was their best chance to see powerful individuals up close and personal, and for the empires, it was an excellent opportunity to boost their GDP.
Whether it was the tickets bought by the crowds or the expenses incurred during the tournament, the host empire would profit immensely.
This was why all the empires were eager to host the tournament.
Star Emperor Hotel.
This was the most luxurious hotel under the Star Luo Royal Family. During the tournament, the hotel was cleared out to accommodate the participating academies.
As a top-four team from the previous tournament, Di'ao Academy was given a spot on the top floor.
The top floor was the most luxurious, housing Di'ao Academy and the other three top four teams: the Star Luo Royal Academy, last tournament's runner-up Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, and the perennial champion Shrek Academy.
While the academies didn't directly interact, sharing the same hotel meant frequent encounters, each meeting sparking intense rivalry.
Du Qianjue wasn't interested in these off-court trash talk sessions. He either lounged around the hotel, cultivated his soul power, or went out to find some snacks.
After forming his Yin-Yang Complementary Second Soul Core, his soul power remained at level seventy-five, unchanged.
The essence of four soul beasts had been used to form the second soul core. Any residual energy was absorbed into his body during its continuous destruction and regeneration process, enhancing his physical strength rather than his soul power.
So, his physical strength had skyrocketed again after forming the second soul core. In recent days, Du Qianjue had been exploring new combat techniques.
Du Qianjue had always sought to strengthen his physical body. Now, he could begin forging his own path: relying on his martial soul while focusing on body cultivation.
This tournament was the perfect stage to test his strength, and the participating teams were the perfect whetstones.
He wasn't afraid of failure. At worst, he'd just flip the table and crush them with his Soul Sage strength.
Du Qianjue wouldn't let arrogance lead to defeat.
As the sun rose, Du Qianjue opened his eyes, ending a day of cultivation. Despite only having Ice Empress's essence left to aid his cultivation, his speed had increased.
The dual soul cores provided a ridiculous boost. He felt he could break through to level seventy-six within a month and maintain a pace of leveling up every two to three months.
Such rapid soul power advancement was rare even in the early stages of cultivation.
"Indeed, forming soul cores was the right choice. I must thank Wei Na for her help," Du Qianjue couldn't help but appreciate the Life Lake's first-class healer.
"The tournament starts today."
The Star Emperor Hotel was tall, and from the top floor, one could easily see the bustling tournament grounds nearby. Even though it was still early, the arena was already lively.
Today marked the start of the tournament.
Though only one match was scheduled, it promised great excitement.
Today's match was Shrek Academy's showcase against a randomly drawn opponent.
The so-called opening match.
The draw was just for show. No strong team would face Shrek in the opening match — it wouldn't be fair to either side.
It was merely an opportunity for Shrek Academy to show off.
Du Qianjue was interested in this opening match. When he encountered Shrek Academy at the city gate, he noticed that their main team members likely needed about ten days to recover.
This meant the opening match would fall to the reserve team, Huo Yuhao's group.
Without Tianmeng and Ice Empress, would Huo Yuhao still pull off his flashy stunts?
Six ten-thousand-year soul rings?
Du Qianjue smiled wryly.
With these thoughts, Du Qianjue donned his tiger-skin coat and headed to the arena.
There were many people in line, but the participating teams had special access. When Du Qianjue arrived at Di'ao Academy's resting area, it was already crowded.
"Hey, you're all here!" Du Qianjue waved.
Weifeng and the others had all arrived, including the reserve team.
"Why didn't you call me?"
(End of Chapter)
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