Early in the morning, Star Luo Plaza was already abuzz.
The moment Xiao Jinchen led the people from Zhengtian Academy into the arena, deafening cheers erupted from the stands.
As for Ice Empress, she had taken his Storage Ring first thing this morning, saying she wanted to show Snow Empress around the human world and do some shopping. Off she'd gone to buy, buy, buy.
Only four separate sections remained in the rest area. With half an hour to go before the match, all four top teams had already taken their seats, ready for battle.
Sunlight bathed the plaza, and a ten-meter-long red carpet stretched from the imperial city to the front of the competition stage. Ten minutes before the draw, Xu Jiawei strode onto the stage, surrounded by guards.
"Long live!" The soldiers and citizens cried out in unison, and the competitors rose to pay their respects.
When the plaza had quieted, Xu Jiawei said with a smile, "The semifinals are about to begin. This will also be the final draw of this tournament, and I have decided to oversee it personally."
Then an old man said in a deep voice, "Team captains, please come up and draw."
Xu Jiawei added, "To ensure the matches are safe, an Imperial Guardian Douluo will referee all the remaining rounds. Today's match will be overseen by Senior Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo."
The four captains soon gathered onstage: Xiao Jinchen of Zhengtian Academy, Ma Rulong of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, a young man from Di'ao Academy, and Princess Jiu Jiu of the Star Luo Empire.
Xu Jiawei smiled. "I'll toss four golden balls into the air, and you'll all try to catch one at the same time. Are you ready?"
The four nodded.
"Watch closely!" Xu Jiawei narrowed his eyes, and four balls of golden light shot into the air.
Faced with the golden balls overhead, Xiao Jinchen merely crooked a finger, and one flew straight into his hand. On the other side, the student from Di'ao Academy and Ma Rulong leaped into the air at the same time, scrambling to grab one. Princess Jiu Jiu, however, stood still, smiling.
Xiao Jinchen glanced at the golden ball in his hand and smiled faintly. "Number one."
Princess Jiu Jiu looked at the golden ball in her hand too, and her expression immediately stiffened. It was some time before she finally spoke. "I'm number one."
"Ah." Hearing the number Princess Jiu Jiu had drawn, Xu Jiawei sighed helplessly. "It seems Star Luo National Academy's run ends here."
Xu Jiawei wasn't so naïve as to think Star Luo National Academy had any chance of defeating Zhengtian Academy. After all, even Shrek Academy had lost; they hardly expected to stand a chance against Zhengtian Academy.
Next, Ma Rulong said calmly, "Number two."
At that point, although Di'ao Academy had yet to announce its number, the draw's outcome was already clear. Zhengtian Academy and Star Luo National Academy had both drawn number one and would face each other today, while Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy would naturally take on Di'ao Academy.
After personally checking the draw results, Xu Jiawei announced them to the crowd. When the people of the Star Luo Empire heard that their team would be facing Zhengtian Academy—the team that had once defeated Shrek Academy—gasps of surprise rose one after another from the stands. They might be outmatched in strength, but they absolutely could not lose in spirit.
"Zhengtian Academy, Star Luo National Academy—team battle participants, take the field!" Heavenly Fiend Douluo shouted.
Xu Jiawei had already returned to the imperial city under the protection of three other Titled Douluos, and was watching the match from atop the city wall.
Xiao Jinchen yawned lazily and led the Zhengtian Academy team onto the stage. The Star Luo National Academy team stepped onto the stage at the same time from the opposite side.
The semifinals had yet to begin, but the difference between the two sides was already plain. The Zhengtian Academy team looked relaxed and at ease, while the atmosphere around Star Luo National Academy was rather heavy.
Star Luo National Academy had already begun forming its lineup. Six people stood in a triangle: one in front, then two, then three. Only Princess Jiu Jiu stood at the very back, and a glimmer of gold flashed through her eyes.
"Begin!" Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo, shouted. A streak of golden light flashed across the center of the stage, and he withdrew from the arena.
The students of Star Luo National Academy reacted swiftly, releasing their Martial Souls at once.
A golden light shone from Princess Jiu Jiu's forehead. It was a diamond-shaped golden gem. The moment it appeared, it blazed brilliantly, then detached itself from her forehead and floated slowly upward, surrounded by golden light. A magnificent crown appeared above her head, then slowly descended onto it.
The crown seemed to be made of countless stars, each a pale gold. Starting from the diamond-shaped gem, they swiftly gathered toward the back. Eighteen larger stars rose from the crown, forming a beautiful ring of pointed tips.
The Star Crown—this was Princess Jiu Jiu's Martial Soul.
It was also the hereditary Martial Soul of the Xu family, the Star Luo Imperial Family. Thanks to Tang Jia San Shao's inconsistent worldbuilding, the Star Crown Martial Soul had been included among the designs on the Spirit Hall Elder Token from ten thousand years earlier.
Five Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black—rose from beneath Xu Jiu Jiu's feet. A Soul Power fluctuation at the Soul King level immediately swept outward.
The other six people in front of Princess Jiu Jiu released their own Martial Souls as well. All six were also Soul King-level experts. Star Luo National Academy had formed an all-Soul King team.
"You can just watch from behind," Xiao Jinchen instructed Ye Wuqing and the others before walking toward Star Luo National Academy, looking completely at ease.
Seeing Xiao Jinchen approach, Princess Jiu Jiu decisively unleashed her third Soul Skill—Star Radiance Art.
A beam of golden light shot into the sky, then transformed into a vast mist of golden light that shrouded all their team members.
As a layer of brilliant golden light enveloped every member of Star Luo National Academy, a soft white glow appeared behind all seven, with Princess Jiu Jiu at the center of the formation. Drawn together by this strange force, their Soul Power, which had been independent until then, miraculously linked and merged into one.
This was thanks to the extraordinarily rare Soul Tool—the Nine-Turn Soul Transformation Instrument.
It could not only link the Soul Power of the team members perfectly, but, under Princess Jiu Jiu's precise control, also concentrate the power of all seven in one place, forcibly raising a single team member's combat strength to the Soul Saint level for a short time.
At that moment, Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan, the members of Star Luo Team with the deepest reserves of Soul Power, received this immense power, and their cultivation levels were forcibly raised to the Soul Emperor level.
"Roar! Roar!"
Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan roared together. A tiger and a lion charged across the arena, racing toward Xiao Jinchen.
"Third Soul Skill, Demon Tiger Sharp Claws!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Demon Tiger Shakes the Heavens!"
"Third Soul Skill, Netherworld Charge!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Mad Lion Breaks the Fiend!"
As Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan ran, they unleashed their strongest Soul Skills. A powerful surge of Soul Power swept outward as they closed in from both sides. Tiger claws and lion paws came hurtling toward Xiao Jinchen's face with a sharp whistling sound.