Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

In no time, everyone acted with a cautious and obedient demeanor, fearing they might also be targeted for retribution.

"Senior Ice Emperor, the matter concerning Xu Sanshi is indeed the fault of our Shrek Academy. I, as the junior, sincerely apologize to you."

"As for Xu Sanshi's offense, our academy will certainly provide Young Master Su Yu with a satisfactory explanation."

Having confirmed Su Yu's and Hai Bodong's identities, how could Yan Shaozhe dare to offend the Ice God Palace?

What's more, Xu Sanshi was indeed the one who initiated the trouble.

Although Xu Sanshi ended up being the unfortunate one, it was Su Yu's superior skill that turned the tide. Yan Shaozhe even felt relieved that Su Yu was unharmed; otherwise, Shrek Academy would be in immense trouble.

If the Ice God Palace unleashed its wrath, Shrek Academy could face the danger of destruction. Moreover, if anything happened to Su Yu, Ma Xiaotao's future would be entirely hopeless. Considering that Xuanzi also needed Mu Wu's assistance, the academy, from both the perspective of power disparity and self-interest, simply could not afford to offend the Ice God Palace.

Xu Sanshi was important, but not enough to risk going against the Ice God Palace, let alone comparing to Ma Xiaotao or Xuanzi.

Forget standing up for Xu Sanshi—Yan Shaozhe refraining from reprimanding him was already lenient. Xu Sanshi's disobedience had pushed Shrek Academy into such a passive position. If Yan Shaozhe didn't hold some resentment toward him, it would be surprising.

Even though Xu Sanshi's background was not simple, compared to the Ice God Palace, what did the Xuanwu Sect amount to?

For Yan Shaozhe, some decisions didn't even require hesitation—they were obvious. Moreover, if he didn't take a stand, the Ice Emperor in front of him might not even let him off. With a blade metaphorically at his throat, could he claim innocence? Impossible—he didn't have the guts.

The people of the Ice God Palace were not benevolent saints, and Yan Shaozhe had known this for a long time.

Seeing Yan Shaozhe's submissive attitude, Hai Bodong's expression softened slightly. "That's more like it. It seems you still understand basic decorum."

"I was even prepared to drag you over to the Sea God Pavilion for a visit. Unfortunately, it seems I won't have the opportunity. What a pity."

Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe shivered. Fortunately, he had admitted fault quickly enough. Otherwise, Shrek Academy would have been in serious trouble. This high priest was far more domineering than anyone else from the Ice God Palace. Even Mu Wu wasn't as unreasonable as him.

Yan Shaozhe silently counted his blessings—better to back down quickly.

"Next!"

While the Sky Fiend Douluo was still dazedly watching Hai Bodong, Su Yu's calm voice rang out.

Hai Bodong shot a glare at the Sky Fiend Douluo, who immediately tensed, his hair standing on end.

"What are you staring at? Didn't you hear the Young Master say 'Next'? Get on with the competition!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The Sky Fiend Douluo quickly complied, acting like an obedient subordinate, completely lacking the assertiveness he showed earlier toward Yan Shaozhe. Without delay, he carried Xu Sanshi off the stage.

Wang Yan hurried over to check on Xu Sanshi's condition. After a while, his expression turned grave.

"How is he?" Bei Bei asked, concerned. While most others now regarded Xu Sanshi with mixed feelings, Bei Bei still deeply cared about his close friend.

"How bad is it?" Bei Bei's pupils contracted in shock. Could Xu Sanshi's condition be beyond cure?

"It hasn't reached that point—his life is not in danger," Wang Yan said heavily.

"Not in danger?" Bei Bei breathed a sigh of relief, and even Yan Shaozhe seemed more at ease.

No matter what his grievances were against Xu Sanshi, Yan Shaozhe didn't wish for his death. After all, Xu Sanshi was still a student of Shrek Academy, and while the Xuanwu Sect wasn't particularly impressive, it did have a Titled Douluo in its ranks.

Death would make matters far worse.

"Our Young Master would never do anything against the rules. Do you think we're like you, daring to kill in a tournament?" Hai Bodong sneered coldly.

Yan Shaozhe forced a smile and nodded. "Young Master Su Yu's adherence to the rules is commendable."

Wang Yan hesitated before speaking. "Although Xu Sanshi's life isn't at risk, there is…"

"What is it?"

"Don't stammer—just say it!" Ma Xiaotao snapped impatiently. She couldn't stand people who dragged things out.

Wang Yan faltered under her sharp tone, knowing her high status within Shrek Academy. With her Soul Emperor level and fiery personality, she commanded far more respect than he did.

After a deep breath, Wang Yan said bitterly, "Xu Sanshi's martial soul appears to have suffered severe damage. If I'm not mistaken, he may never be able to use the Xuanwu Force again."

Xu Sanshi's greatest talent—his awakened Xuanwu Bloodline—had been crippled. Even if his martial soul recovered, he would only be an ordinary Mystic Deep Turtle Shield Soul Master. While the Mystic Deep Turtle Shield was still a top-tier martial soul, it was worlds apart from the Xuanwu Bloodline.

Effectively, Xu Sanshi had fallen from being on par with Bei Bei to the rank of an ordinary core disciple. His value and future prospects had been drastically reduced, and the likelihood of him ever becoming a Titled Douluo was now slim to none.

In this regard, Xu Sanshi was arguably in an even worse position than Dai Huabin.

"H-How could this happen?" Bei Bei staggered backward, struggling to accept the news.

Xu Sanshi's Xuanwu Bloodline had been his defining talent, and now it was gone. It was as though his very foundation had been taken away.

"This is entirely his own doing," Wang Yan sighed. "This is the result of martial soul backlash. Su Yu's martial soul overwhelmed his Xuanwu Force, causing his bloodline to be damaged.

"All right, stop discussing this and focus on treating him."

While Yan Shaozhe regretted Xu Sanshi's condition, now was not the time for recriminations. Did this mean Su Yu should be blamed for retaliating and crippling Xu Sanshi's bloodline?

But wasn't it Xu Sanshi who initially tried to kill?

It had been hard enough to calm Hai Bodong down, and yet they were still talking about this. Were they trying to provoke Hai Bodong into losing his temper on the spot?

If an Ultimate Douluo were to go berserk, no one present would leave alive. With the Ice God Palace currently housing such a powerhouse, they couldn't afford to offend them. Knowing when to yield was vital.

As for Xu Sanshi, he had only himself to blame—disobeying orders, acting recklessly, and causing trouble for everyone else. Hmph!

It was only because Xu Sanshi was unconscious; otherwise...

Yan Shaozhe's gaze grew sharp. While he didn't dare provoke the Ice God Palace, that didn't mean he was afraid of confrontation.

"Next! Zhu Lu from Shrek Academy, step forward," the Sky Fiend Douluo's voice rang out. Zhu Lu emerged nervously from the crowd.

Perhaps it was the sight of her defeated senior, coupled with Su Yu's imposing background that even made Yan Shaozhe bow his head. The young girl was visibly uneasy, her nerves palpable.

"It's alright, go on and compete," Wang Yan said with a forced smile, trying to reassure her gently.

Yan Shaozhe also nodded. "Go ahead."

With no other choice, Zhu Lu forced herself onto the stage.

As Su Yu sized up his opponent, he was almost dumbfounded. First Dai Huabin, and now even Zhu Lu?

Had Shrek Academy truly fallen so far?

Looking closely, though, Zhu Lu was quite pretty—a budding beauty. She had a slender waist, long legs, a tall figure, heterochromatic eyes, and the distinguished inheritance of the Zhu family's ancestral techniques. Despite her youth, her physical development was already impressive. A remarkable wildcat from the Zhu family indeed.

"Let the match begin!"

As soon as the Sky Fiend Douluo's voice fell, Zhu Lu's martial soul activated. Three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—flared up as a spirit cat manifested behind her. Her hands transformed into sharp claws, and she leaped toward Su Yu.

As an agility-type Soul Master, Zhu Lu's speed was indeed impressive, leaving afterimages in her wake. But to Su Yu, her speed was far too slow.

In a flash, Su Yu disappeared and reappeared with Zhu Lu already in his grasp. He had her neck in a firm hold, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. Zhu Lu struggled, clawing at Su Yu's arm with a pained expression.

"A pretty little thing, but what a pity to be following a eunuch," Su Yu's lips curled into a smirk. "Little wildcat, you'd do well to listen to me and stay away from that useless guy. Otherwise, when misfortune befalls him, you might get caught in the crossfire."

With that, Su Yu casually carried Zhu Lu to the edge of the stage and threw her off.

"Next!"

As Zhu Lu landed, the Sky Fiend Douluo promptly escorted her away. Shrek Academy members rushed to her side.

"Zhu Lu, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Zhu Lu coughed lightly, her breathing gradually steadying.

Reflecting on the brief exchange, a sense of awe flickered in Zhu Lu's eyes. Just one move—Su Yu had subdued her effortlessly. His strength was truly terrifying.

However, Su Yu didn't seem to harbor any particular malice toward her. Otherwise, she would've been completely powerless to resist. Compared to the others, her treatment had been the best—she lost the match but emerged unharmed.

"Next from Shrek Academy: Dai Yueheng, step forward!" The Sky Fiend Douluo called again as Dai Yueheng stepped up.

Shrek Academy had already seen five consecutive defeats at Su Yu's hands: Bei Bei, Ling Luochen, Dai Huabin, Xu Sanshi, and Zhu Lu. Not a single one could last more than a moment, each falling with ease.

It was hard to gauge how much soul power Su Yu had expended, but the situation was undeniably grim for Shrek Academy. Only Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng remained.

Meanwhile, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's team still had Su Yu, a Soul Emperor, and four Soul Kings waiting in reserve.

Anyone with eyes could see that the Sun Moon team had an overwhelming advantage.

"Dai Yueheng!"

Just as Dai Yueheng prepared to enter the stage, Ma Xiaotao called out to him.

Dai Yueheng turned toward her, puzzled.

Ma Xiaotao said, "He's an Ultimate Ice user. He's probably skilled in control, but he's also incredibly strong and fast. Be cautious. If you can, strike with overwhelming force."

"Got it," Dai Yueheng nodded, narrowing his tiger-like eyes as he leaped onto the stage.

Facing Dai Yueheng, Su Yu's previously nonchalant demeanor became slightly more serious. After all, Dai Yueheng was a Soul Emperor—a power-type Soul Emperor at that.

Finally, a somewhat decent opponent.

The previous challengers hadn't even been enough to keep him entertained. Dai Yueheng, though, might finally give him a chance to stretch his muscles.

Dai Yueheng stopped a short distance from Su Yu, and a fierce, imposing aura erupted from his body, pressing toward Su Yu.

The overbearing and powerful pressure he exuded was indeed impressive.

Su Yu stood with one hand casually behind his back, as steady as a mountain, unmoving.

"Interesting. You're much stronger than your younger brother," Su Yu remarked with a faint smile, speaking the truth.

Dai Yueheng's tiger-like eyes gleamed with sharp light as he responded, "I know a bit about the conflict between you and my younger brother. To be honest, he was in the wrong first. I'll apologize on his behalf—how about we resolve this with a drink and let bygones be bygones?"

Dai Yueheng was no fool. Someone even Shrek Academy couldn't afford to provoke was far beyond the reach of the White Tiger Duke's mansion.

It was wiser to reconcile before the grudge deepened into an irreparable feud. Unlike Dai Huabin, Dai Yueheng was much more mature. When the time called for it, this fierce tiger didn't mind bowing his head temporarily.

In some ways, this made Dai Yueheng far more dangerous than Dai Huabin.

"Apologizing on his behalf? Let him do that himself," Su Yu chuckled, clearly uninterested in Dai Yueheng's offer.

If he wanted to apologize now, what was he doing earlier? Now that he understood Su Yu's background, he was backing down.

It wasn't that simple.

The grudge had already been formed. Su Yu wasn't the type to let things slide easily. Letting a tiger return to the mountain was the most foolish move.

Seeing that Su Yu refused to give him face, a flicker of darkness flashed in Dai Yueheng's eyes, though he concealed it well.

Now wasn't the time to show any hostility—he understood that much. Revealing animosity at this moment would only lead to dire consequences.

"Both sides, step back..."

Su Yu and Dai Yueheng retreated, putting some distance between them.

"Let the match begin!"

The moment the Sky Fiend Douluo's voice fell, his figure vanished from the stage, and both contestants moved simultaneously.

Dai Yueheng immediately activated his White Tiger martial soul. His figure grew taller by several inches, his black-and-white hair cascaded down, and the distinctive "king" mark appeared on his forehead. Streams of black-and-white energy swirled around his body.

He let out a resounding tiger roar and charged forward at full speed.

His first, third, and fifth soul rings lit up almost simultaneously.

White Tiger Barrier, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, White Tiger Demon God Transformation.

With these three augmentation soul skills activated at once, Dai Yueheng's power surged dramatically.

His wild and overwhelming momentum seemed capable of tearing apart everything before him.

Just as Ma Xiaotao had advised, Dai Yueheng intended to end the battle with a swift and overwhelming assault.

From the earlier matches, he'd learned that if the fight dragged on, Su Yu's endless array of techniques would inevitably shift the situation to his disadvantage.