Douluo Dalu (Soul Land 2): Peerless Gu master

As the undisputed ace of Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao walked at the forefront of the team, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament existed to showcase the tales of young geniuses to the continent.

And Huo Yuhao—with his unparalleled talent, extraordinary abilities, and peerless appearance—perfectly embodied everyone's fantasy of a prodigious genius. His popularity was beyond imagination.

As soon as he appeared, the chants of "Shrek!" and "Huo Yuhao!" surged like tidal waves, each roar louder than the last.

Of course, fame came with detractors.

Some were skeptical of Huo Yuhao's true strength.

'So what if he absorbed a ten-thousand-year soul ring for his fourth ring?'

While soul rings were a crucial part of a soul master's power, combat prowess wasn't solely determined by the age of one's rings.

Besides, hadn't Huo Yuhao relied on the Soul Emperor in his team to dominate the opening match? Yet somehow, all the credit seemed to fall on him alone.

They didn't understand.

All 67 participating teams were present today.

Some teams didn't even have a match scheduled, but they had come specifically to observe Huo Yuhao's abilities, hoping to uncover Shrek's weaknesses for future strategies.

But one thing puzzled everyone—

'Why was Shrek still fielding their reserve team?'

This time, even the Soul Emperor from before was absent.

Was Shrek planning something new?

Of course, the audience noticed, but most dismissed it as part of Shrek's strategy.

…

Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy – Rest Area

Team leader Ma Rulong frowned.

"Where are Shrek's main team members?"

In truth, participants in the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament were required to register their names, appearances, and undergo bone age tests.

Even Shrek, despite its privileges, had to comply eventually.

Using their vast resources, the Sun Moon team had obtained a copy of Shrek's registration records.

What shocked them was—This year, Shrek had only twelve participants.

Among them, only four were 19-year-olds—presumably the main team—while the remaining eight were all under 15, clearly the reserve squad.

Most startlingly, three of them were only 12 years old!

And Huo Yuhao, the center of attention, was one of them.

"Round-robin training—strengthening the reserve team's foundation while concealing the main team's true strength."

Ma Rulong's frown deepened as he pieced it together.

Shrek had done the same in the last tournament—fielding reserves against weaker opponents.

Back then, Dai Yuheng had left an impression on him.

After some investigation, Ma Rulong learned that Dai Yuheng had since broken through to Soul Emperor.

This time, the situation was similar—except Shrek was even bolder.

The four 19-year-old main team members hadn't even shown up.

Under deliberate misinformation, no one could have guessed that Shrek's seemingly invincible exterior hid internal fragility.

…

Under Wang Yan's lead, the team arrived at their exclusive rest area.

Located on the north side of Star Luo Square, Shrek's resting zone was closer to the Imperial City and far more luxurious than others.

Over twenty plush sofas were arranged neatly, with tables laden with gourmet food, fresh fruits, and premium beverages. Attendants stood by, ready to serve at any moment.

This wasn't a competition—it was VIP treatment.

Meanwhile, the host had begun hyping up the crowd.

First, the list of advancing academies was announced, followed by the group placements.

Dai Yuheng, Ling Luochen, and Xixi hadn't come to watch, instead staying at the hotel to recover from their injuries.

As for Ma Xiaotao, she had left with Xuan Zi to obtain her soul ring and hadn't returned yet.

Before her departure, Huo Yuhao had given her strict instructions: "Don't rush. Find the most suitable soul beast—better none than a subpar one. Even if you miss the round-robin matches, it doesn't matter. I'll handle things here."

With Xuan Zi protecting her, nothing should go wrong.

At least, before she left, Huo Yuhao hadn't sensed any foreboding.

Thanks to repeated use of the Peeping Gu, combined with his Spirit Eye martial soul's unique perception—the Eye of Life—Huo Yuhao could sometimes sense fluctuations in the power of destiny.

For example, when tracking the Death's Hand Bandits, he had foreseen the threat to his teammates.

The same applied to the 70,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion left arm bone.

Though it shared traits with the Ice Explosion Gu, the latter was only Three-Ringed—its power no longer sufficient for Huo Yuhao's needs.

Initially, he had considered absorbing the soul bone, given its near-Hundred-Thousand-Year quality.

But then a thought struck him— "How narrow-minded. The true path is to have Hundred-Thousand-Year soul bones in every slot, no?"

Thus, he abandoned the idea.

It was almost ridiculous.

The two soul bones Shrek had given him—the Dread Dragon King Skull Bone and the Ice Jade Scorpion arm bone—were useless to him.

They'd just end up collecting dust in his spatial guide.

As Huo Yuhao's thoughts wandered, the host's speech concluded.

Excitement filled the air as the announcement boomed:

"For the first round of the round-robin tournament, we invite the continent's top academy—Shrek Academy!—and their opponents, Zhengtian Academy from the Heavenly Soul Empire, to enter the waiting area! Captains, please step forward to determine the battle format!"

Compared to the original timeline, their opponent had changed—but the group placements remained the same.

In a round-robin tournament, every team in the group would face each other once, with the top two advancing.

Like Shrek, Zhengtian Academy hailed from the Heavenly Soul Empire—though Shrek itself belonged to no nation, its status as an independent city-state commanded universal respect.

Zhengtian Academy was an ancient institution with deep roots, having nurtured countless powerful soul masters.

Among the four great empires, the Heavenly Soul Empire was the most traditional, rejecting soul tools entirely. Thus, Zhengtian Academy was even more purist than Shrek—training only soul masters.

As a top-eight contender in the last tournament, their strength was undeniable. Had they not faced the Sun Moon team prematurely, they might have advanced further.

Huo Yuhao stepped forward amid thunderous cheers.

Opposite him stood a young man in his twenties—handsome, though slightly overshadowed by Huo Yuhao's brilliance.

Ye Wuqing, 19 year old, Level 58 was the captain of Zhengtian Academy with Golden Leaf martial soul.

A veteran of the last tournament, he was now the academy's pillar.

If he was 20 this year, he might have broken through to Soul Emperor—making him the first in Zhengtian's history to compete at that level.

Their eyes met.

Huo Yuhao remained calm.

Ye Wuqing's gaze was sharp as a blade, probing for weaknesses.

Huo Yuhao didn't indulge him—his own sword intent flickered briefly.

Ye Wuqing stiffened, but his eyes burned with fighting spirit.

Offstage, Wang Yan explained in a hushed tone: "Zhengtian was a top-eight team last time—extremely strong. This year, their main squad includes three Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors."

He paused, expression grave.

"Their captain is hailed as a once-in-a-millennium talent. Even Elder Xuan once remarked that if Ye Wuqing were at Shrek, he'd undoubtedly reach Soul Emperor before 20."

Wang Yan's face darkened.

The stakes were high. If Shrek lost the very first match, the backlash would be catastrophic.

Luck had not been kind—Zhengtian was the second-strongest in their group.

Yet they were Shrek's first opponent.

The reserve team tensed.

They had expected weaker foes in the round-robin, but this was far beyond their estimates.

Facing opponents like Huo Yuhao or Ma Xiaotao, what chance did they have?

They had been thoroughly schooled by Huo Yuhao before.

But now—Only Huo Yuhao and seven reserves remained.

Could they really rely on him alone?

Against such a numerical and power gap, any format would be a struggle.

If the draw was unfavorable, Wang Yan even considered forfeiting—though the blow to morale and reputation would be severe.

But losing outright would crush the reserves under overwhelming pressure.

…

Onstage, the referee raised a transparent box containing three balls—red (team battle), yellow (solo elimination), blue (2-2-3 format).

Huo Yuhao and Ye Wuhao channeled their soul power, sending the box spinning into the air.

A yellow ball tumbled out.

The referee caught it and announced: "The first round—Shrek Academy vs. Zhengtian Academy—will be a one-on-one elimination match! Captains, you may withdraw and prepare!"

Wang Yan exhaled in relief.

This was the best possible outcome—avoiding the disastrous 2-2-3 format.

Beibei suggested: "Teacher Wang, let me go first. Huo Yuhao can anchor us. It's the best and safest approach."

Wang Yan agreed—victory was paramount.

But Huo Yuhao shook his head.

"If I'm last, it's safe—but your strength will be completely exposed. Besides…" His gaze sharpened. "Their captain is near-Soul Emperor level."

Xu Sanshi paled. "Then should we fetch Senior Dai Yuheng? Even if it worsens his injuries—"

"Nonsense!" Wang Yan cut in. "Forcing him to fight without even recovering would only harm him further!"

He turned to Huo Yuhao. "Then what's your plan?"

Huo Yuhao smiled—a confident, domineering aura radiating from him.

All traces of laziness vanished. He was no longer a resting lion, but a predator.

"It's simple."

"Let me go first."

…

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