Douluo Dalu (Soul Land 2): Peerless Gu master

Hearing Huo Yuhao's calm words, everyone fell silent, mouths agape.

Wang Yan, in particular, was deeply moved as he gazed at the confident young man before him.

While the outer court reserve team might not fully grasp the weight of Huo Yuhao's declaration, Wang Yan—a man of knowledge—understood all too well.

Especially since he himself had been stuck at the Soul King realm for years.

Ye Qingqing, praised by Elder Xuan, was no ordinary talent. At just nineteen, he had already reached the 58th rank as a Soul King—a feat that undoubtedly rivaled Dai Yueheng's prowess.

Had Ye Qingqing studied at Shrek Academy instead of Zhengtian, Elder Xuan's words suggested he might have broken through to Soul Emperor before turning twenty.

Huo Yuhao agreed silently.

'Indeed, Shrek now boasts tens of thousands of foundations and abundant resources—truly the continent's premier soul master academy, far from its humble beginnings in Tang San's era. But reaching such heights demands extraordinary strength.'

Breaking through to Soul Emperor before twenty was a completely different concept from doing so afterward.

Those who achieved it were destined for greatness—barring unforeseen tragedies, they could almost certainly reach Titled Douluo, with a high chance of even attaining Super Douluo.

Compared to ten thousand years ago, the human soul master cultivation system had grown far more refined, leading to a significant increase in Titled Douluo.

Yet among them, only one in ten—perhaps even one in a hundred—could ascend to Super Douluo.

Take this year's Shrek Seven Monsters as an example.

Aside from Huo Yuhao and the two Soul Emperors, Gong Yangmo and Chen Zifeng possessed the highest soul power levels. Even within the inner courtyard, their talents were among the best.

Yet, at nineteen, Gong Yangmo (level 59) still had a slim chance, while Chen Zifeng (level 57) likely wouldn't make it in time.

And Ye Qingqing wasn't the only threat from Zhengtian Academy.

In the first knockout round, among their remaining two Soul Kings, one was Yu Mengdi—a female student who had revealed her angelic martial soul, likely a descendant of the Spirit Hall's angel lineage from ten thousand years ago.

The other, Tang Xiaolei, wielded the Zihua Bow. Though seemingly ordinary at first glance, his ability to use his own soul rings as arrows granted him terrifying offensive power—albeit at the cost of exhausting his soul power after five shots.

'The top eight truly live up to their reputation.'

Zhengtian Academy might lack Soul Emperors, but these three Soul Kings each possessed unique skills.

Of course, Wang Yan knew Huo Yuhao was strong. In a one-on-one or even two-on-one duel, he wouldn't have worried.

But this was an individual elimination round.

With Zhengtian likely saving Ye Qingqing for last, Huo Yuhao might have to endure seven consecutive battles. No matter how strong he was, he was still only a Soul Ancestor.

The more powerful the soul skill, the greater the soul power consumption. Wang Yan feared even Huo Yuhao—with his ultimate martial soul—would struggle to pull off a one-versus-seven sweep.

Thus, he had hoped the reserve team could wear down Zhengtian's players first, leaving Huo Yuhao to finish the rest.

At that moment, the referee's voice rang out: "Both sides, send your contestants."

"I'll go." Huo Yuhao nodded to Wang Yan and the others before stepping onto the stage, leaving the reserve team members exchanging stunned glances.

Xu Sanshi nudged the dazed Beibei with an elbow, grinning.

"What's wrong, Beibei?Are you overthinking things? With Yuhao taking action, victory's guaranteed!"

If Huo Yuhao a year ago could effortlessly defeat him, then now—after recent training sessions where even Xu Sanshi, a defensive soul master, had been reduced to a punching bag—his strength was undeniable.

No one present understood Huo Yuhao better than Xu Sanshi.

His monstrous physical prowess, coupled with his elusive teleportation skill and the devastating Ice Soul Sword Domain, was downright unfair.

Xu Sanshi was certain: even with his Xuanwu bloodline fully awakened, he couldn't withstand a single strike from that sword.

Beibei pushed Xu Sanshi's hand away, watching Huo Yuhao's retreating figure with a hint of melancholy.

"It's just… Xiaoya and I met Yuhao before any of you. We were the ones who brought him into Shrek. Yet now, he's already reached such heights."

Tang Ya nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Even though he's entered the inner courtyard, he's actually younger than us—the same age as Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao. Yet he's shouldering responsibilities far beyond his years."

As the group fell into discussion, the reserve team members chimed in.

Wang Dong'er sighed. "Every time Yuhao steps up, everything suddenly feels so much easier."

Xiao Xiao nodded fervently. "Yes! I trust him unconditionally!"

He Caitou rubbed his head regretfully. "Too bad my Cigar martial soul is only useful in team battles. Otherwise, I could've shared some of his burden."

Jiang Nannan murmured, "Thank goodness Yuhao is on our side."

Xu Sanshi clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough talk! Even if this is an easy win, we're the reserve team—let's cheer for Yuhao like proper supporters!"

Wang Yan smiled as he watched the seven of them.

With the overwhelming expectations from the crowd, even he had felt immense pressure. Shrek's fanbase was simply too massive.

A poor start would have been disastrous.

But Huo Yuhao's appearance had restored his confidence.

'Is this what they call the bearing of a great general?'

Wang Yan clapped his hands. "Alright, kids! Let's cheer for Yuhao together—he won't let us down!"

…

As Huo Yuhao stepped onto the stage, the audience's cheers reached a fever pitch.

The champion of the last tournament was making his appearance in the very first round of the group stage!

Excitement rippled through the crowd—they couldn't wait to witness the spectacle.

Zhengtian Academy's first contestant was a towering, muscular soul master—the agile-attack specialist, Xue Lang.

Though unlucky to face Shrek, Zhengtian had no intention of surrendering. Their players were determined to fight to the end, even in defeat.

[**Zhengtian Academy = Justsky Advanced Soul Academy**]

The referee's voice boomed: "Rules of the individual elimination match: the losing side steps down immediately. The winner may continue or withdraw and switch players. Each side sends seven members until one side is completely defeated. Understood?"

"Understood." Both replied without hesitation.

"Then take your positions! The match begins—no lethal soul tools or fixed soul ammunition allowed!" With that, the referee retreated to the edge.

Xue Lang immediately felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him. His hair stood on end, and a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes.

The gentle-looking boy before him now seemed like a primordial beast—unfathomable, unstoppable.

His fighting spirit waned rapidly.

Gritting his teeth, Xue Lang roared and lunged forward, his body transforming mid-charge.

"First Soul Skill: Wolf Transformation!"

Silver-gray fur sprouted across his body, fangs bared, hands morphing into claws—he had become a werewolf.

Though his Soul Wolf martial soul wasn't top-tier, its unique skills had earned him a spot on Zhengtian's team.

For beast soul masters, the more their bodies changed to resemble their martial souls, the greater their power.

His Wolf Transformation was a self-amplification skill—a weaker version of White Tiger Vajra Transformation.

Now, despite being an agile-attack specialist, he could rival a strong-attack soul master in raw power.

"Fourth soul skill: Arm Breaker!"

Simultaneously, he also prepared his fourth foul skill, ready to unleash it at the right moment.

'If I can just close the distance…!'

But the moment Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed—His sole yellow soul ring flickered.

"Soul Shock."

Xue Lang's mind went blank.

A single, effortless mental strike—and he collapsed, reverting to human form before hitting the ground, unconscious.

The audience stared, dumbfounded.

One second, Xue Lang had charged.

The next, he was down.

'What just happened?!'

Zhengtian's team and teachers were equally stunned. Had they not known Xue Lang personally, they'd have suspected match-fixing.

But there was no time to mourn—their next contestant, Yang Yifan (Soul Ancestor, Long Dagger martial soul), stepped up, determined to uncover Huo Yuhao's trick.

…Only to meet the same fate.

Then came Yan'er, a 46th-rank strong-attack specialist with a Fireball martial soul.

Her strategy? Long-range bombardment—no more reckless close combat.

But before she could even activate a soul skill—

Thud.

She joined her teammates on the floor.

Zhengtian's coach: 'What the hell?!'

This humiliation was career-ending. He could already see the blame being pinned on him.

Ye Qingqing, originally slated as the anchor, could no longer sit still.

As captain, protecting his team was his duty.

"Let me go next. I've figured out his attack method." Shangguan Can (46th-rank Soul Ancestor) volunteered, his eyes burning with resolve.

Like Yan'er, he was one of Zhengtian's strongest below the Soul King level.

Seeing his crush defeated so effortlessly, he couldn't stand idle.

A terrifying suspicion had formed in his mind: 'Huo Yuhao must be a spiritual-type soul master!'

Zhengtian, obsessed with martial souls and disdainful of soul tools, had unique standards for talent.

As an auxiliary-control Soul Ancestor, Shangguan Can's Soulsucking Bell was a rare spiritual-type martial soul—which was why he could deduce the truth.

Yet he struggled to accept it.

'Since when were spiritual types this overpowered?!'

'Was there a patch note I missed?!'

But after eliminating all impossibilities, the remaining truth—no matter how absurd—had to be accepted.

Shangguan Can wasn't much to look at—short, with a flat nose, thin lips, and receding hairline.

High EQ: Mature.

Low EQ: Ugly.

But in this moment, his teammates saw him as a hero.

'Pity Yan'er can't see me now.' As the match restarted, Shangguan Can closed his eyes, a faint blue mist enveloping him.

"Ding-ding-ding!"

A dark-blue ancient bell materialized in his hand, three strange orbs clattering inside—his Soulsucking Bell.

Or so he thought.

…

Enjoying the story? Get early access to 10 advanced chapters for just $3.

👉 Join me on Patreon: patreon.com/DarkLord621