A weakling's mindset

The sea is right outside the window, and the muffled sound of waves crashing against the shore drifts in.

Bai Yushan walked to the window and gazed at the distant lights of the harbor.

He raised his hand and looked at his fist.

That's not enough.

It needs to be even stronger.

He was strong enough to stand openly beside Na'er, strong enough to protect everyone he wanted to protect, strong enough that no rules or constraints could hold him back.

The boy stood by the window, moonlight falling on his profile, half bright and half hidden in shadow.

The light in his eyes was brighter than the lights outside the window.

In the next room, Gu Yue leaned against the door, still struggling to catch her breath.

She raised her hand to touch her ear; it was frighteningly hot.

"He's gone mad."

She muttered something under her breath.

What's wrong with me?

It's just Na'er, it's just Bai Yushan, what's there to care about?

She is the Silver Dragon King!

Gu Yue frowned, shook her head vigorously, and shook off the jumbled thoughts.

She walked to the bedside, sat down, and looked out at the sea.

The sound of the waves kept coming, which was very annoying.

"Give him the things as soon as the competition is over tomorrow, to avoid any trouble."

She whispered to herself, "But... what should I give them?"

Gu Yue didn't know how she could cover up her lie this time.

She and Na'er had lost contact long ago, so how could she possibly have any so-called "things" to give to Bai Yushan?

But for some reason, the image of that figure wearing a white tiger mask on the arena reappeared in my mind.

The image of him punching the Crimson Scale King away.

Gu Yue quickly lay down and pulled the blanket over her head.

Sleep!

I don't want to think about it anymore!

Under the covers, the girl's ears remained red, and the redness didn't fade for a long time.

As night deepened, the entire city gradually fell asleep.

But the fervor in underground boxing rings continues.

The name "Sea Tiger" spread like wildfire throughout the underground world of Skysea City overnight.

Sweeping through the Iron, Bronze, and Gold levels, and defeating the Crimson Scale King head-on.

This newcomer from Eastsea City was like a thunderbolt, turning the underground boxing arena in Skysea City upside down.

Some people win big in gambling and make a fortune, while others lose everything.

Many people were talking about the bloody battle that night and discussing the mysterious young man wearing the white tiger mask.

Nobody knew his name, nobody knew who he was.

Everyone only remembered that name— Sea Tiger.

But all of this, Bai Yushan, at the eye of the storm, was already fast asleep.

For him, this was just a way to stretch his muscles.

The real show begins tomorrow.

The Skysea Alliance Grand Competition, and... Na'er we haven't seen in a long time.

The boy slept soundly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

It felt like returning to Aolai City, like returning to that manor, like returning to the little home that Bi Ji and Na'er shared...

Early in the morning, the teams representing various cities had already entered the stadium to wait.

The huge stadium was packed with people.

The stands were already packed with people.

The enormous Tianhai Stadium is built against the mountain, with tiered stands spreading out along the mountainside, capable of holding 100,000 people at the same time. At this moment, every seat is taken, and colorful flags are planted around the stands, fluttering in the wind.

The teams from each city, dressed in matching school uniforms, sat neatly in the inner field, their yellow, blue, red, and green uniforms resembling vibrant blocks of color. The air was thick with noise, a cacophony of chatter that could be felt from a distance.

Today is the opening ceremony of the Skysea Alliance Grand Competition. Soul Master Academy from five first-tier cities and more than a dozen second-tier cities across the entire East Sea have gathered here, making it a grand event for Soul Master held every three years in the entire East Sea region.

The Eastsea Academy team followed the main group into the arena, their uniform dark blue school uniforms making them inconspicuous among the other teams. The four students from Class Zero walked at the front of the team, with Tang Wulin looking around curiously.

Xie Xie skipped and hopped around, occasionally pointing at the new gadgets on the stands and talking to Xu Xiaoyan. Xu Xiaoyan smiled with her lips pursed, nodding in agreement from time to time.

The group followed the signs toward the competition area and soon saw Bai Yushan.

The boy, dressed in a loose-fitting navy blue school uniform, with slightly disheveled black hair, stood slowly towards the edge of the stands, one hand in his pocket.

The amazing thing is that there wasn't a single person within a meter of him.

Students from other colleges nearby instinctively moved to the side, preferring to squeeze in rather than get close to him.

From a distance, it looks like a circle that has suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the crowd, making it particularly eye-catching.

Xie Xie whispered to Tang Wulin, "Look, Bai Yushan is just too scary-looking; no one dares to get close."

"Bang!"

Almost instantly, Xie Xie was put to sleep by Bai Yushan's punch.

"I can hear you," Bai Yushan said calmly, then withdrew his hand.

Tang Wulin and Xu Xiaoyan felt Bai Yushan's gaze on them and quickly shut their mouths, indicating that they hadn't said anything at all.

The microphone on the podium suddenly rang.

The host's voice resonated throughout the stadium via the loudspeaker, and the opening ceremony officially began.

The process was simple. The alliance leader went on stage and said a few words, nothing more than wishing the competition a complete success and urging each college to show their style and skill. Then the alliance flag was raised and the alliance song was played. The whole process went by very quickly.

A short while later, the host announced that the lottery would begin.

The teachers in charge of each college took turns going on stage to draw their respective teams' groups and opponents for the first round.

Wu Changkong walked onto the stage expressionlessly, casually drew a lot, and turned to leave without even glancing at it.

For him, it doesn't matter which one he smokes.

With Bai Yushan and Gu Yue involved, the outcome of the seven-person junior group competition is practically a foregone conclusion.

While the teachers were drawing lots, the center of the venue became bustling with activity.

A dozen or so workers pushed the components into the room, and with the help of the Soul Tool, the metal components were quickly assembled and joined together.

In just a few minutes, a three-meter-high battle platform was erected. The platform surface was made of a special alloy plate, and the edges were inlaid with protective array patterns, a standard configuration for official competitions.

What are they doing?

Tang Wulin was a little curious and craned his neck to look at the center.

"You wouldn't know that, would you?"

Xie Xie immediately picked up the conversation, looking like he knew everything, "There will be an exhibition match later. I heard that the alliance spent a lot of money to specially invite a strong player from the Shrek Academy. Their opponent is the champion of the previous seven-person tournament from our Skysea Alliance. The alliance arranged this mainly to let us younger participants see the gap between us and their top-level strength."

He paused, then shrugged. "But I don't think this arrangement is necessarily right. A gap within a certain range can be called a gap, and it can have a motivating effect. But if the gap exceeds a certain level, then it's no longer a gap, it's a chasm. An insurmountable chasm will only make people feel frustrated."

After all, what kind of place is Shrek Academy?

That was the sacred ground of the entire Soul Master World of the Douluo Continent.

Any random student could easily defeat the top geniuses from local academies.

This kind of exhibition match is less of an inspiration and more of a devastating blow.

After listening, Gu Yue scoffed, his expression tinged with undisguised contempt.

"The mindset of the weak."