Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

 "Brother Hao, is that the Clear Sky Hammer?"

The Star Luo Emperor turned to look at Dai Hao beside him, a trace of shock lingering in his voice. This news was simply too astounding. The once peerless Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, had reappeared, and it was part of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's team. This revelation forced the Star Luo Emperor to think deeply. Could the long-hidden Clear Sky Sect now be standing on the side of the Sun Moon Empire? If that were true, the impact on the Star Luo Empire would be unimaginable. After all, this was the Clear Sky Sect—once the number one sect on the continent. Though it had been secluded for many years, its power likely still surpassed even that of Shrek Academy today. An entire sect of soul masters with the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul—it was terrifying just to consider. If such an entity had truly aligned with the Sun Moon Empire, how could he, as emperor, find any peace?

"...This…this is the Clear Sky Hammer."

Dai Hao was equally stunned by the news. As a member of the Dai family, he was naturally familiar with the Clear Sky Hammer and fully aware of the terrifying strength of the Clear Sky Sect. The Clear Sky Hammer martial soul was undoubtedly superior to their Dai family's White Tiger martial soul. After all, ten thousand years ago, the legendary Sea God had wielded the Clear Sky Hammer. Though proud, the Dai family understood the might of the Clear Sky Sect. And now, appearing on the tournament stage, it was unmistakably the Clear Sky Hammer. The fact that the Clear Sky Hammer was part of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's team was something Dai Hao had never even considered. It was the kind of news that could shake him for an entire year.

"Brother Hao, do you think the Clear Sky Sect has sided with the Sun Moon Empire?"

The Star Luo Emperor's tone was low, his expression grim. If that were true, it would require careful handling.

"Your Majesty, I believe the possibility is not high," Dai Hao replied. "After all, the Clear Sky Sect is deeply connected to the legacy of the Sea God. I don't think they would do such a thing."

"But the facts are right before us. I don't want to believe it either, but I can't ignore the doubt in my heart."

The Star Luo Emperor's voice grew cold. How could he not take this matter to heart? The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy might be just a school, but the word "royal" in its name carried significant weight. Could the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect have joined the academy purely for education? Frankly, the emperor found it hard to believe. As a ruler, his thoughts naturally veered toward more complex possibilities.

"This situation is indeed hard to believe. However, given that it involves the Clear Sky Sect, we must uncover the truth," Dai Hao said. "The Clear Sky Sect is no ordinary sect…"

Though Dai Hao spoke calmly, the Star Luo Emperor understood his point. Even Shrek Academy commanded respect from the three great empires. Could the Clear Sky Sect be any less formidable? The Clear Sky Sect wasn't something the Star Luo Empire could easily deal with. Even if the sect hadn't allied with the Sun Moon Empire, acting rashly might have pushed them in that direction. Such foolishness could not be allowed.

Hearing Dai Hao's words, the Star Luo Emperor gradually calmed down.

"You're right, Brother Hao. I cannot afford to lose composure."

"Acting against the Clear Sky Sect and souring relations might only delight the Sun Moon Empire."

"We must first understand the full story."

The emperor's voice grew steadier, his eyes reflecting deep thoughtfulness.

"Shrek Academy has ties with the Clear Sky Sect. Perhaps we can inquire with them."

"Or we could send a letter to the Clear Sky Sect, asking for an explanation. Their response might reveal their attitude."

"Regardless, we must not rashly antagonize the Clear Sky Sect."

The Star Luo Emperor muttered to himself, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear.

"Your Majesty, should we also privately question this Wang Dong?"

Dai Hao suggested.

"A child of only twelve or thirteen may not be skilled at concealing their emotions."

The Star Luo Emperor's eyes lit up.

"You're right, Brother Hao. This Clear Sky Sect child is young. Questioning him might yield some information."

"Even if we learn nothing, it's only a small effort."

"We just need to approach this carefully and avoid alerting the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy."

The emperor's gaze grew sharper as he silently planned his next steps.

...

On the stage, after summoning the Clear Sky Hammer, Wang Dong'er successfully defeated the third Soul Ancestor of the Purple Cloud Advanced Soul Master Academy. However, Wang Dong'er's soul power was nearly depleted, forcing her to withdraw. Still, as a Soul Elder who had consecutively eliminated three Soul Ancestors, her performance was remarkable. After Wang Dong'er left the stage, Zhou Qin took over, and the individual elimination matches continued. But at this point, few people paid attention to the competition. The appearance of the Clear Sky Hammer had stirred countless thoughts. The three empires and Shrek Academy, in particular, felt as if they'd been struck by a thunderclap. Their leaders were desperate to understand what had happened.

For example, Wang Yan couldn't sit still. He needed to report this to Shrek Academy and let them investigate. This was no trivial matter. The disciples of the Clear Sky Sect mingling with the Sun Moon Empire was a grave situation. Handled poorly, it could alter the balance of the continent.

The match continued, but it was clear the Purple Cloud Advanced Soul Master Academy team was no match for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team. When Yang Xu stepped forward for the Sun Moon team, he defeated all seven members of the Purple Cloud team in one go. The disparity in strength was evident.

"Let's go," Su Yu said with a faintly meaningful smile as he rose. It seemed tonight, many people would have trouble sleeping. The Clear Sky Hammer's reappearance would surely drive the three original empires into a frenzy. To be honest, even Su Yu hadn't expected Wang Dong'er to be so determined to win, to the point of revealing the Clear Sky Hammer. But it was done, and the consequences were manageable. What could the Star Luo Empire do? Su Yu knew that Tai Tan was secretly protecting Wang Dong'er. With Tai Tan around, it would be difficult for the Star Luo Empire to harm her. The entire Star Luo Empire didn't even have a Rank 98 Titled Douluo. Tai Tan alone was enough to make them tread cautiously. Even Shrek Academy wouldn't dare to provoke Tai Tan now—they simply lacked the strength.

Su Yu was indeed curious about what actions this group would take now that Wang Dong'er had revealed the Clear Sky Hammer. After returning to the Star Emperor Grand Hotel with the others, Su Yu went alone to Wang Dong'er's room. Wang Dong'er was surprised to see him, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes before she quickly masked it. Pouting, she feigned indifference and said, "What are you doing here? Why don't you go spend time with Meng Hongchen?"

Su Yu smiled faintly.

"Then I'll leave?"

"You!"

Wang Dong'er was instantly flustered, her eyes reddening with frustration. Seeing that Wang Dong'er was genuinely upset, Su Yu stopped teasing her. He stepped closer, sat down beside her, and gently placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Just kidding," Su Yu said with a smile.

"Hmph!"

Wang Dong'er snorted, puffing out her cheeks. Since Su Yu started dating Meng Hongchen, Wang Dong'er had fewer chances to spend time with him alone. Truthfully, Wang Dong'er felt a bit aggrieved but couldn't express it openly—after all, her outward appearance was still that of a boy. Thus, she often ended up sulking by herself. Whenever she saw Su Yu and Meng Hongchen flirting, she felt a mix of jealousy and envy. If only she could switch places with her... Looking back, she regretted disguising herself as a boy. It had put her in such a complicated and awkward position.

Su Yu didn't mind Wang Dong'er's little tantrums. After all, her actions spoke louder than words—if Wang Dong'er were truly angry, she wouldn't have allowed Su Yu to hold her so easily.

"Wang Dong," Su Yu began with a serious expression, "I came to remind you about something. Now that you've exposed the Clear Sky Hammer, it might stir up some trouble. You should prepare yourself mentally."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

Wang Dong'er asked, looking confused. It was clear this oblivious little butterfly didn't grasp the gravity of the situation.

"You're from the Clear Sky Sect, appearing in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's team. The higher-ups of the three great empires won't overlook this. If I'm not mistaken, they're probably in chaos already. I imagine it won't be long before someone comes to find you—whether it's the royal family of the Star Luo Empire or representatives from Shrek Academy. They'll want to figure out what's going on. So, you must be cautious and protect yourself."

"If you encounter them in private, don't panic or overreact. Just answer their questions as calmly as you can. Your safety is the priority. While I doubt there's any real danger, you can't rule out the chance of a few reckless idiots causing trouble."

Su Yu's visit was more about prevention than anything else. Although Wang Dong'er had the protection of Tai Tan, Su Yu felt it was unwise to rely solely on him. Tai Tan, despite his human form, still had the temperament of an ape. If Tai Tan happened to be absent at a critical moment, Wang Dong'er could end up in serious trouble.

"Really? Is it that big of a deal?"

Wang Dong'er frowned. She didn't understand why revealing the Clear Sky Hammer would cause so much drama. What's wrong with a member of the Clear Sky Sect studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy? Wang Dong'er felt annoyed. These people were meddling unnecessarily.

"It's unavoidable. The Clear Sky Sect's influence is immense," Su Yu explained with a shrug.

"Well, your Ice God Palace isn't exactly insignificant. I bet if you revealed yourself, the situation wouldn't be much better than mine," Wang Dong'er retorted with a huff.

"I'm different from you. The Ice God Palace is also different from the Clear Sky Sect. We don't concern ourselves with the three great empires," Su Yu said with a chuckle. Explain himself? Why would he need to explain anything? The weak explain; the strong don't need to. There would always be those willing to justify his actions because the cost of becoming his enemy was too great.

"Well, the Clear Sky Sect is no less than that!"

Wang Dong'er retorted indignantly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Su Yu chuckled, ruffling Wang Dong'er's hair until it was a mess.

"Ugh, stop it!"

Wang Dong'er slapped Su Yu's hand away, though the corners of her mouth betrayed a small smile.

"Alright, I'll head out now. Get some rest."

Su Yu stood up after finishing his teasing.

"That's it? You're leaving already?"

Wang Dong'er frowned, clearly dissatisfied. She waved dismissively, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Fine, go. Go spend time with your Meng Hongchen."

"You little…"

Su Yu sighed with an amused shake of his head.

"I'm going to discuss your situation with Elder Ma and the others, not what you're thinking."

"Oh~"

Wang Dong'er's response was drawn out, a hint of delight flickering in her eyes. Su Yu shook his head helplessly and left the room.

...

As Su Yu had predicted, word of a Clear Sky Sect member appearing in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team quickly spread. The reaction from the teams of the three great empires, especially Shrek Academy, was intense. The Dou Ling Empire's response was lukewarm—they were preoccupied with internal struggles. However, the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo Empires were in a frenzy. When Shrek Academy received the news, it caused a massive uproar. Were the Clear Sky Sect truly betraying the Douluo Continent? Sea God's Pavilion was in an uproar.

Yan Shaozhe couldn't stay seated.

"Teacher, this matter is of utmost importance. We must demand an explanation from the Clear Sky Sect. How can they, descendants of the Sea God, do something so disgraceful?"

Mu En took a deep breath, suppressing the agitated Yan Shaozhe.

"Shaozhe, Shrek Academy cannot afford to act rashly anymore…"