The Tournament Opens, Heroes Gather

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was the grandest event in the Soul Master world of Douluo Continent. Hosted by Spirit Hall and jointly organized by the Two Great Empires, it was held once every five years. The tournament champion would not only win supreme glory for their academy and empire, but also receive generous rewards from Spirit Hall, including precious soul bones!

This year's tournament was held in Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire. Three days before the opening ceremony, the entire city had already plunged into a sea of celebration. Soul Master Academy teams from all across the continent arrived one after another. Young Soul Masters in uniforms of every color could be seen everywhere in the streets, and the air was thick with excitement and tension.

The Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena had been expanded and lavishly redecorated. As the main venue, it could accommodate one hundred thousand spectators. Tickets had long since sold out, and their prices on the black market had soared to astronomical levels.

As one of the pillar sects of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect naturally received great attention. Ning Fengzhi, as the honorary dean of Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the vice chairman of the tournament committee, was busier than ever.

As a Guest Elder, Ling Yun could have watched the tournament at his leisure. Yet he was also quite interested in this grand gathering of the younger generation's finest talents. He planned to visit the venue personally, especially to keep an eye on several key teams.

On the day of the opening ceremony, the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena was packed with people. Banners fluttered everywhere, and the cheers shook the heavens. After the grand opening ceremony, the drawing of lots began.

In the first round, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team, as a seeded team, received a bye and advanced directly. Yu Tianheng and the others found that somewhat regrettable. They wanted to test the results of their special training as soon as possible.

Ling Yun sat in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's private box, his gaze sweeping across the teams below. He spotted many familiar figures.

The Shrek Academy Team from the Balak Kingdom! Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Yu Xiaogang led the team of seven: Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Ning Rongrong—whom Flender had talked into joining Shrek ahead of time—and Zhu Zhuqing. Wearing those shit-green uniforms, they stood out conspicuously among the crowd. Tang San's gaze was sharp, and his aura was far stronger than it had been in Suotuo City. It seemed he had improved considerably during this time.

The Star Luo National Academy Team from the Star Luo Empire was led by Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun. They were imposing and aggressive, and their strength could not be underestimated.

There was also the Spirit Hall Team! Three young men and women in golden uniforms stood at the very front of their team, their auras as obscure and powerful as an abyss! They were Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena, the Golden Generation! Hu Liena in particular was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her eyes carried a trace of strange seduction and coldness that made Ling Yun feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Besides them, there were several other powerful teams mentioned in the original work, such as Godwind Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, and Skywater Academy.

"What a gathering of heroes..." Ling Yun smiled faintly. He could sense that several of these young Soul Masters possessed truly extraordinary auras. Tang San, Hu Liena, and Dai Weisi of the Star Luo Empire had all reached the Soul Ancestor level. At their age, they were considered among the very best.

Most of the first day's matches had obvious disparities in strength, leaving little suspense. Shrek Academy encountered a weak team and won with ease. Tang San's control over Blue Silver Grass was indeed outstanding, and his team's coordination was remarkably seamless.

After watching for a while, Ling Yun lost interest. To him, these matches were like children playing house.

Just as he was about to leave the private box, his attention was drawn to an otherwise unremarkable match.

The two sides were a pair of obscure academy teams. Yet among one of them was a figure that caught Ling Yun's attention.

He was an inconspicuous youth in a gray uniform, seemingly even younger than Tang San. His looks were ordinary, and his eyes were indifferent. He was not particularly active in the arena and even appeared somewhat lazy, but every time he made a move, he precisely neutralized the opponent's attacks. His movements were concise and effective, without the slightest excess.

What caught Ling Yun's attention most was the extremely concealed aura surrounding the youth, something utterly at odds with his surroundings. It carried a scent of... deathly stillness and destruction. Moreover, Ling Yun's Spiritual Sense could not fully discern his Soul Power Level or martial soul attributes!

"Interesting..." Ling Yun stopped, his gaze locking onto the gray-clad youth. This youth did not seem to be a character from the original work. Was he an unforeseen variable?

As if sensing Ling Yun's gaze, the gray-clad youth suddenly looked up. His indifferent eyes passed through the crowd and met Ling Yun's for an instant. That gaze was cold and hollow, as though devoid of any emotion.

A moment later, he lowered his head and continued the match.

Ling Yun's lips curved slightly. It seemed this tournament would not be as boring as he had imagined. Besides the known opponents, it appeared that some... uninvited guests had slipped in as well.

The waters of this tournament truly ran deep. He was growing more and more eager for the matches to come.