SWNOVELXO Chapter 154: Flattered
"Breaking the record for the youngest Soul King in history!"
As the host said this, his voice was filled with emotion, and his facial expressions were exaggerated, almost as if he were not a host but a devoted fanboy.
And to be fair, it's understandable for someone so young to become a powerful Soul King and have such an identity—it would naturally attract some fans.
Moreover, Xiao Feilian's beauty could easily be considered one of the finest in all of Douluo Continent.
Even with the three beauties of Shrek and the Skywater Team ahead, her appearance still outshone them all.
In the audience, though everyone already knew this, they still gasped in amazement.
Just hearing about Chi Yu's background and status was enough to make them envious.
She was a disciple of the three education dean of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and the Holy Maiden of the Body Sect!
It's important to know that both the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens have a chance to inherit leadership and become the sect master!
What made the audience gasp even more was the group of burly men behind Chi Yu—no, to be more accurate, these were outstanding young talents.
While they weren't as tall as the Elephant Armor Academy students and their physiques weren't as "robust," the pressure exuded by Du Siji and his companions far exceeded that of the Elephant Armor students.
Even the captain of the Elephant Armor team, Huyan Li, felt a chill down his spine and broke into a cold sweat after seeing Chi Yu and the Du Siji team.
After all, he had once been severely injured by a single strike from Du Siji and had spent months in bed recovering.
Following behind Chi Yu was a group of brawny men with broad shoulders and muscular builds, and no matter how you looked at it, they didn't seem like ordinary teammates.
Instead, it looked more like a little princess leading a group of bodyguards.
In the contestants' rest area, almost all the competitors wore grim expressions.
The Heaven Dou Royal Team was like an insurmountable mountain!
The only thing that gave them some relief was knowing that the Heaven Dou Royal Team wouldn't participate in the preliminary or qualifying rounds.
If the Heaven Dou Royal Team did compete in the preliminaries, all the attention would focus on them, leaving the other teams with no chance to showcase their abilities.
And that would defeat the purpose of participating.
For most, the goal of joining the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament wasn't the elusive championship, but to display their skills and potential, hoping to attract some "investment."
Only a few aimed for the championship, which was practically unattainable.
In the Heaven Dou Empire, despite its vast size and many advanced soul master academies, they had never won the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
At least the Star Luo Empire had claimed a championship title before, but Heaven Dou Empire had not won a single time!
This was one of the reasons why, in the original timeline, Emperor Xue Ye had been so displeased.
But now, seeing the Royal Battle Team, the smile on Emperor Xue Ye's face was harder to suppress than a loaded AK rifle!
"It's secure, it's secure!"
No matter how strong the Spirit Hall Team was, they were absolutely no match for the Heaven Dou Royal Team!
Meanwhile, on the Blue Sunshine Team's side, everyone's expressions were grim, especially the team captain, whose face was pale and filled with hatred, though he dared not act on it.
"Don't even think about it, unless you can all break through to the Soul Douluo level or even become Titled Douluos. Otherwise, don't entertain that thought!"
Shi Nian muttered softly.
Did he hate them?
Yes, he did!
But he didn't dare to.
He feared that if he allowed himself to indulge in that thought, he would be walking down a path of self-destruction.
Those people were not ones a mere Soul Sage like him could afford to offend.
Hearing this, the others subconsciously nodded, including the captain of the Blue Sunshine Team.
He trusted Shi Nian on this.
As for the Shrek Team...
"Hmph…"
Dai Mubai snorted coldly and said in dissatisfaction, "If it weren't for the Martial God Douluo, would the Heaven Dou Royal Team have gotten to where they are today?"
"They're just relying on the prestige of the Martial God Douluo to flaunt their power!"
There was definitely a bit of jealousy in Dai Mubai's words—he was genuinely feeling bitter!
At his age and with his level of strength, he had already surpassed countless peers and could be considered a prodigy.
However, in the eyes of those monsters from the Heaven Dou Royal Team, even someone like him—who was considered a prodigy—seemed as fragile as a sheet of paper.
He couldn't help but think about how Du Siji beat up Huyan Li, and how Yuan Batian pummeled the captain of the Blue Sunshine Team.
Dai Mubai couldn't help but yearn for that kind of reckless freedom—where you didn't care about someone's background, and if they dared provoke you...
Wait, wasn't the saying "those who avoid trouble are mediocore"?
But then again, the disciples of the Body Sect didn't actively seek trouble, yet who would dare call them mediocre?
At that thought, Dai Mubai instinctively glanced at Flender nearby, and then fell into deep thought.
If they provoked these lunatics, the only thing awaiting them might be death...
"No!"
At that moment, Tang San shook his head and said, "The Martial God Douluo isn't the main reason. They rely more on the power of immortal herbs!"
His words left everyone stunned.
"I suspect the Martial God Douluo didn't just obtain two immortal herbs."
"He probably discovered an entire medicinal garden!"
Tang San's gaze shifted from Chi Yu and her companions to Zhongli.
"Are those immortal herbs really that powerful? They're just external aids…"
Hearing this, Tang San rolled his eyes, feeling a bit speechless.
Are the immortal herbs really that powerful?
"Heh…"
"They're more than powerful!"
"It's just a pity… why couldn't such a fortune fall to us?"
Meanwhile, the host continued his introduction.
"And the man behind the captain Xiao Feilian—I'm sure many of you recognize him—he is none other than the vice-captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team, Du Siji!"
...
Unlike his usual introductions of other academies, the host put extra effort into introducing the Heaven Dou Royal Team, making sure to mention every member.
Of course, this was all based on written records—there was much more that even he didn't know.
After the participants entered the arena, it was time for Emperor Xue Ye to speak, following the usual protocol.
The emperor's speech was filled with the typical uninspiring platitudes, offering some rewards to motivate the young soul masters to strive harder.
"Lord, Martial God Douluo, do you have anything you'd like to say?" the host asked, his face full of respect as he addressed Zhongli after Emperor Xue Ye finished speaking, following the customary left-respect, right-secondary rule.
Zhongli was momentarily stunned but then nodded slightly.
It wasn't that the host was putting him on the spot—this was just part of the process. After his speech, it would be Ning Fengzhi's turn, followed by Platinum Bishop Salas.
Zhongli stood up without using the sound-amplifying soul tool. With his strength, there was no need for it; his voice could easily reach every corner of the arena.
"Greetings, I am Zhongli, Sect Master of the Body Sect and a guest elder of the Crown Prince."
As soon as he spoke, the entire arena erupted into thunderous applause.
True to his title as the Martial God, his first words were "Greetings to you all!"
The applause lasted only a moment before subsiding.
"Your enthusiasm is overwhelming…" Zhongli said, his face calm as usual.
The audience: "..."
If only Zhongli showed even the slightest hint of expression, they might actually believe his words. But alas, there was no emotion on his face whatsoever.
"Martial God Douluo!!!"
As one person started to cheer, the entire arena began to shake with chants.
"Martial God Douluo!"
"..."
Zhongli raised his right hand and gestured for silence.
Although he didn't exert any force, the entire arena fell silent immediately.
"Since this is a competition, I'll throw in a little reward myself."