The Tournament Begins, First Meeting with Huo Yuhao

Sun Moon Imperial Academy's main gate.

After three days, Xia Yu and Meng Hongchen appeared here once more.

"Whew, we finally shook off your grandfather's pestering. If I'd known, I wouldn't have mentioned the Spirit Forging Method."

"Oh, that's just how Grandpa is. Brother Yu, it's not like you don't know how important the Spirit Forging Method is to soul engineers. It's understandable that he kept bothering you about it."

"It's understandable, sure, but he can't keep hounding me every moment, reminding me to hurry up and start trying the Spirit Forging Method."

"Uh... that really was inappropriate..."

Xia Yu and Meng Hongchen had originally come to Sun Moon Imperial Academy merely to visit Jing Hongchen and the others, as well as take a short rest. They had never planned to stay long.

However, Jing Hongchen had strongly urged them to remain for reasons including the Spirit Forging Method. They had spent more than three days in Virtue Hall before finally finding an opportunity to get away.

So, the moment they escaped, they could not wait to leave Sun Moon Imperial Academy.

"Wow, Radiant City is getting livelier and livelier! It's packed with people!"

Walking down the street and watching the bustling crowds flowing past shoulder to shoulder, Meng Hongchen could not help sighing with emotion.

As the once-every-five-years Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament drew nearer, the number of people in Radiant City continued to grow.

Fortunately, the imperial family had anticipated this situation long ago and made preparations in advance, dispatching additional patrol guards and other personnel.

As a result, no disorder had broken out. Everything remained as orderly as usual.

"Mm, it really is lively!"

Xia Yu agreed with Meng Hongchen's sentiment.

Along the way, they occasionally spotted people from the Three Douluo Kingdoms.

Such a sight was rarely seen under normal circumstances.

Time slowly passed, and Xia Yu and Meng Hongchen made their way from the southern part of Radiant City to the central district.

As they passed an intersection, Meng Hongchen suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on a spot in the distance.

"Mm? Why did you stop?"

Noticing Meng Hongchen's abrupt halt, Xia Yu was somewhat puzzled. He immediately followed her line of sight.

Then, Xia Yu saw a strange group of ten people.

Judging by the fact that they were following directions toward the tournament's designated lodgings, they should have been a team participating in the Soul Master Elite Tournament.

Yet among them was a "disabled person" sitting in a wheelchair.

"So it's them. No wonder."

The moment he saw that peculiar group of ten, Xia Yu recognized who they were.

They were Huo Yuhao and the Shrek Seven Monsters, now representing the Tang Sect in the competition.

Come to think of it, this was Xia Yu's first meeting with the protagonist, Huo Yuhao.

How should he put it? Huo Yuhao felt weak to him—far too weak.

The current Huo Yuhao could be killed with a single glare from him.

But unfortunately, Xia Yu could not do that, because Huo Yuhao was Tang San's dog to "train." Wasn't the God King's daughter right beside him?

If Xia Yu dared to kill Huo Yuhao now, that Sea God would intervene.

As for why Xia Yu was so certain, it was simple. His intuition told him so.

"Forget it. Huo Yuhao isn't worth worrying about. Once I find a way to keep Tang San in check, won't I be able to deal with him however I please?"

Xia Yu truly did not care much about Huo Yuhao.

He had already pulled so far ahead of this dog favored by destiny. If he could still be surpassed, he might as well die early and move on to his next life. What would be the point of thinking about keeping Tang San in check?

"Brother Yu, let's go!"

While Xia Yu was thinking about Huo Yuhao, Meng Hongchen came back to her senses.

Her expression was quite complicated at that moment, containing both reluctance and relief.

In the end, she did not even look at Wang Dong'er. Instead, she took Xia Yu's hand and wanted to continue on their way.

"Aren't you going over to take a look and say hello?"

Xia Yu was not surprised by Meng Hongchen's reaction. If he could not even gradually change Meng Hongchen, then he truly would be useless.

"No. We'll run into each other during the tournament anyway."

Meng Hongchen shook her head, then continued down the route they had planned.

"Fine."

Xia Yu did not say much else. Going along with Meng Hongchen's wishes, he took her hand and continued toward their residence.

Only after the two vanished beyond the intersection did Huo Yuhao, the most perceptive member of the Tang Sect's group, suddenly let out a breath of relief.

Just moments ago, while resting with his eyes closed, he had abruptly sensed an incomparably terrifying gaze.

No, it should have been two gazes. One weaker gaze had not fallen on him, but on Wang Dong'er, who was pushing his wheelchair.

However, with the other terrifying gaze pressing down on him, Huo Yuhao had no mind to pay attention to anything else.

The pressure brought by that gaze was simply too terrifying. Even the strongest soul masters he had encountered so far, the Black-and-White Saint Dragons, were far inferior to it.

It felt as though an Ultimate Douluo specializing in spiritual power were staring directly at him. It left him feeling as if needles were pricking his back.

Huo Yuhao did not even dare spread out his spiritual power to investigate who was watching their group.

It was fortunate Huo Yuhao had not investigated. Otherwise, he would have suffered badly.

Xia Yu could not kill Huo Yuhao right now.

But if Huo Yuhao dared use his spiritual power to probe Xia Yu in the middle of the street, he would not mind teaching Huo Yuhao an unforgettable lesson.

"Yuhao, what's wrong?"

Wang Dong'er had been paying close attention to Huo Yuhao the whole time. She immediately noticed something was off and asked anxiously.

At Wang Dong'er's question, the others in the group immediately reacted as well. They all turned concerned looks toward Huo Yuhao and began asking whether he was all right.

"I'm fine, I..."

Perhaps because he did not want Wang Dong'er and the others to worry, Huo Yuhao did not mention the oppressive gaze. He casually came up with an excuse about being reminded of painful memories by the scenery and muddled through.

Surprisingly, the others in the group actually believed him.

After all, when Huo Yuhao had been an exchange student at Sun Moon Imperial Academy in Radiant City, he had endured torture from the Royal Enforcement Squad.

Thus, the members of the Tang Sect's team began quietly criticizing the Sun Moon Empire and Sun Moon Imperial Academy.

Only because they were in Radiant City did they restrain themselves. Otherwise, with their temperaments, they would likely have condemned the Sun Moon Empire as utterly worthless.

"Meng, tell me. Is there something going on between you and that Shrek girl called Wang Dong?"

While Huo Yuhao's group was criticizing and cursing the Sun Moon Empire, Xia Yu, who had already walked away, deliberately asked Meng Hongchen about Wang Dong.

Mm, he even pretended to casually expose Wang Dong'er's identity as a girl.

"Wait, Brother Yu, what did you say? Wang Dong is a girl?"

Meng Hongchen had been rather nervous when Xia Yu brought up Wang Dong, but the moment she learned Wang Dong had been disguising herself as a boy, she was instantly dumbfounded.

How could Wang Dong be a girl? But Brother Yu would not lie to me. Does that mean the person I've liked all this time was actually a girl?

Th-this... what is all this?