Soul Master Tournament About to Begin, Orange Investigates the List of Participants

The night they returned to Shrek from the abandoned post road, Huo Yuhao did not sleep. His physical injuries had fully healed, but the wounds in his heart remained. Dong'er did not argue or make a scene. After returning to the academy, she still handed him his medicine as usual, still submitted the battle records to Xuan Lao as usual, and even covered for Huo Yuhao with a casual, "He's already fine," when Bei Bei asked about his injuries.

But she no longer looked at him.

Wang Qiu'er did not explain what had happened in the inner room of the abandoned post station either. Sitting in the soul tool laboratory and looking at the Soul Tool Recording Formation in his palm, Huo Yuhao felt for the first time that something harder than dismantling Zhang Peng's Blood Fiend Formation was figuring out how to face two people neither of whom deserved to be let down.

After dawn, Xuan Lao summoned all the participants to the Sea God Pavilion. A new tournament schedule was spread across the long table, with seven words written at the top—Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament.

This was neither an internal Shrek sparring event nor an ordinary exchange between academies. Every few years, the major advanced soul master academies across the continent sent their strongest young generation to compete. The top academies of the three nations—Heaven Soul, Dou Ling, and Star Luo—would attend, as would the soul engineering academies of the Sun Moon Empire. Since the rise of soul tools, this tournament had long ceased to be merely a contest between soul masters. It was also a place where nations, academies, and factions openly tested one another's hidden strengths.

Shrek had never been absent, because Shrek represented more than the academy's reputation. It represented the final pinnacle of Douluo Continent's traditional soul master system.

Xuan Lao tapped the table. "On the surface, this tournament ranks young soul masters. In secret, it is a test between all parties. Soul tools have progressed rapidly in the Sun Moon Empire, and the Holy Spirit Cult acted early at the abandoned post station. That means they have their eyes on this tournament too."

Bei Bei frowned. "They want to use the tournament to observe Yuhao and Qiu'er?"

"Not merely observe them." He Caitou placed a Sun-Moon Conduction Pattern on the table. "They have already begun creating soul tool cores that simulate the aura of an auspicious beast. As long as they force Qiu'er to act in the tournament arena, they can gather more aura fluctuations, identify the pattern, and make their imitation more convincing."

Xuan Lao continued, "So this time, you are not competing merely to win. You must show Shrek's confidence in the public arena, and force those hiding in the shadows to reveal themselves."

Huo Yuhao looked at the tournament schedule.

Star Luo Royal Academy, Heaven Soul Empire Academy, the Dou Ling Team, Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, and several powerful young teams affiliated with sects—their names were densely listed across the page.

Xuan Lao pushed forward a second list. "Shrek's tournament team."

Huo Yuhao saw his own name in the center. He had been specifically appointed captain, responsible for the entire team's spiritual control and the core of their battle formation.

Wang Dong'er, Wang Qiu'er, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, He Caitou.

Huo Yuhao looked at his name, his fingertips tightening slightly. This was no longer a matter of a few people pulling him in different directions. An entire Shrek team would be built around his spiritual control of the battlefield.

"Don't get careless," Dong'er took the initiative to speak to Yuhao. Her words were cold, but she could not hide her concern for him. "Being in the core position doesn't mean you get to force yourself."

Xuan Lao rolled up the list again. "Before the official competition, the academy will arrange several internal training matches for you."

Over the next few days, the training matches proceeded as scheduled.

The academy did not turn them into lively public sparring events. They were held in private at the inner academy training grounds. Powerful outer academy students such as Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Ning Tian were temporarily brought in, while several inner academy squads simulated the Sun Moon soul engineers' long-range firepower and positional suppression. There was no need to recount the entire process. Huo Yuhao only remembered a few things: Dai Huabin's White Tiger Charge was fiercer than before, Ning Tian's support could forcibly accelerate the team's pace by a full level, and whenever Dong'er and Qiu'er stood on either side of him, Shrek's main formation possessed an attack line powerful enough to make anyone tremble.

But the weaknesses were equally obvious—

Dong'er worried too much about Huo Yuhao, leaving her somewhat hesitant, while Qiu'er's style was too overbearing for her to fully integrate into the team. When the final training match ended, Xuan Lao said only one thing: "You can defeat many opponents, but if you want to overcome the schemes laid out by the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult, you are still not enough."

After the training matches ended, Huo Yuhao did not immediately return to his dormitory.

The communication formation outside the Sea God Pavilion had been lightly touched, leaving behind an exceedingly fine Sun-Moon Conduction Pattern. The trace was neither aggressive nor urgent, like someone knocking tentatively on a door from a great distance away.

Someone was trying to intercept Shrek's main formation roster.

Huo Yuhao recognized it at a glance.

Orange.