Douluo: The Ultimate Self

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To everyone's surprise, Shrek Team drew the same opponent as before in the first round—Blazing Academy. However, Blazing Academy forfeited immediately, allowing Shrek Team to secure their first victory without any effort.

When God Wind Academy took the stage, three Soul Ancestors from Blazing Academy appeared in their lineup. As in the original storyline, the two teams had merged their Soul Ancestors, forming a new team of seven Soul Ancestors.

Facing a team from the Xing Luo Empire, Tian Dou's God Wind Academy achieved victory within just one minute. Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian worked together seamlessly—fire fueled by wind, and wind amplifying fire. Both wind and fire attributes saw a significant boost in power.

The crowd was astonished. From this performance, it was clear that combining God Wind Academy and Blazing Academy into one team had greatly increased their strength. Their seven Soul Ancestors were now on par with the strongest teams.

Seeing Huo Wu's confident demeanor, Yang Xiong couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. 'Only someone like Feng Xiaotian, the double-headed simp, would come up with such a ridiculous idea. He must have been pressured by their loss in the promotion matches and wanted to impress Huo Wu.'

But this fool didn't realize that God Wind Academy's dominance in the preliminaries wasn't due to individual strength—it was because all seven members were wind-elemental soul masters who could fly. By adding three Soul Ancestors from Blazing Academy, they had effectively thrown away their greatest advantage.

In the second round, Shrek Team had a bye while the three seeded teams took the stage. Tian Dou's Team One also made a grand appearance, with Oscar and Qin Shuang among them. However, even against a weak team from the Xing Luo Empire, they suffered an embarrassing defeat, turning the once-seeded team into a laughingstock.

The other two seeded teams, however, performed admirably. The Xing Luo Imperial Academy team also fielded seven Soul Ancestors, with Dai Weisi reaching Level 49—the highest soul power level among all participants outside the Spirit Hall team. Yang Xiong could clearly sense that Dai Weisi was far stronger and more aggressive than Dai Mubai.

As for the Spirit Hall team, their strength was even more exaggerated. They not only had three Soul Kings, but all their members were above Level 45. Their overwhelming soul power advantage, combined with their extensive combat experience, truly made them the 'Golden Generation'.

After two rounds of competition, most teams had revealed their true strength. Based on Yang Xiong's estimation, the Spirit Hall team, Xing Luo Imperial Academy team, and the newly formed God Wind team ranked among the top three. They were far stronger than Shrek Team in terms of both soul power levels and teamwork.

In contrast, Shrek Team seemed rather mediocre. They lacked powerful martial soul fusion techniques, and there were noticeable gaps in soul power and coordination among the team members.

While Yang Xiong remained nonchalant, the rest of the team was unusually tense—especially Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and substitute Zhu Zhuqing.

After the second round, there was a one-day break. Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong decided to ignore team matters and spent the day exploring Spirit City.

Compared to Seven Treasures City or Tian Dou City, Spirit City wasn't as bustling, but it exuded a peaceful atmosphere. The entire city was inhabited solely by soul masters; ordinary people were not allowed entry. Yet, there was no conflict among the soul masters, nor were there any slaves—everything seemed harmonious and prosperous.

In contrast, Yu Xiaogang, Qin Ming, and others appeared incredibly busy and utterly exhausted.

Yu Xiaogang, in particular, had bloodshot eyes, furiously writing and calculating on paper. The room was piled high with papers, as if he were analyzing every team's strength. At the center of it all were the three strongest teams.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang in this state, Tang San felt a pang of sympathy.

"Teacher, don't be so nervous. We'll do our best and won't lose to any other team."

Yu Xiaogang forced a bitter smile: "Xiao San, after days of analysis and calculation, I fear we don't stand much of a chance against these three strong teams, especially the Spirit Hall team. Their strength completely eclipses all other teams—they're not even on the same level."

Tang San quickly consoled him: "Teacher, we're still young. Those on the Spirit Hall team are clearly over twenty. In the next Soul Master Competition, we'll also have multiple Soul Kings, and our strength will surpass theirs."

Yu Xiaogang sighed with regret: "The next competition? I'm just not satisfied. You've worked so hard—you're already the youngest Soul Ancestor in history—but we can't achieve the results we want."

"After years of planning, we've finally reached Spirit City, only to face such immense difficulty. Any of these three strong teams would have easily won in previous years."

Tang San said: "Teacher, we still have a chance. Against the new God Wind team or Xing Luo Imperial Academy, we're not guaranteed to lose."

Yu Xiaogang smiled bitterly: "It's not that simple. Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu naturally counter you and Dugu Yan. Moreover, Feng Xiaotian himself is extremely formidable. Remember, our Shrek Team lost to these two teams during the preliminaries, proving there's still a gap between us."

"As for Xing Luo Imperial Academy, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun are incredibly strong, and they haven't even revealed their trump cards yet."

Tang San was puzzled: "Teacher, can Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun perfectly control the Netherworld White Tiger?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded: "There shouldn't be any issues. Both Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun are advanced Soul Ancestors. Based on my research on the Xing Luo Empire, once two individuals reach the Soul Ancestor level and have sufficient understanding and cooperation, they can summon the Netherworld White Tiger."

"I originally included Zhu Zhuqing in the team hoping she and Mubai could form the Netherworld White Tiger, perhaps becoming one of our trump cards. But Zhu Zhuqing and Mubai remain distant, not fully in sync. The Netherworld White Tiger's effectiveness is inconsistent."

"Based on Dai Weisi's soul power, the Netherworld White Tiger they summon should have at least mid-level Soul King strength, possibly even top-tier Soul King strength. Even with Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda boosts, it'll be hard for us to compete."

Hearing this, Tang San's disappointment deepened. He wanted to prove himself, to shine on this grandest stage and demonstrate his worth to the world.

Yu Xiaogang continued: "I've thoroughly analyzed every member of Shrek Team. In terms of pure combat power, you, Yu Tianheng, and Dai Mubai are quite good, but your strength is around Levels 45-46. There's still a gap compared to Feng Xiaotian. What truly puzzles me is Yang Xiong."

Tang San frowned: "Yang Xiong? His combat strength is indeed stronger than mine, but if I use my external soul bone, I shouldn't be too far behind him."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head: "It's not that simple. I spoke with Sect Leader Ning about this. Even he doesn't know the full extent of Yang Xiong's true strength. But he did say that Yang Xiong, in the entire Soul Master Competition, is not inferior to anyone else."

"I've been pondering the meaning behind those words. So far, Yang Xiong has never used a soul skill—we don't even know what his soul skills are. This might be our hidden advantage against strong teams, perhaps even giving us a chance to fight the Spirit Hall team."

A flicker of determination lit Tang San's eyes: "Teacher, I'll train harder—I won't fall behind Yang Xiong."

Yu Xiaogang sighed: "Xiao San, I believe in your strength and talent. You are truly unparalleled."

"But over these two years, I've been curious about Yang Xiong. Though he continues to train at the academy, it's clear this hasn't pushed him to his limits. He has his own training methods, which even I can't interfere with too much."

"For example, the four wristbands he wears. Back when we first joined Shrek, you mentioned they were weights. Recently, I noticed that Yang Xiong even wears them during battles, and the weights seem to have increased significantly. It's evident his strength far exceeds our expectations."

Tang San quickly interjected: "Teacher, something's off. Yang Xiong's martial soul is ordinary, so why is his physical strength so extraordinary? Especially in the past year, his cultivation speed seems faster than mine—even faster than everyone else's. This doesn't match someone with only six levels of innate soul power."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head: "I don't know. Perhaps he's discovered a completely new cultivation method, or maybe he's encountered some great opportunity. It's possible that Elder Bone Douluo has taken special interest in him. Title Douluos are beyond our comprehension."

Tang San fell silent. While Yu Xiaogang knew many things, Tang San's own knowledge had expanded over the years, and he gradually began noticing the limitations of Yu Xiaogang's theories.

Still, after so many years together, their bond was like that of father and son. Tang San even felt a long-lost sense of paternal affection, so he harbored no doubts toward Yu Xiaogang.

When Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong returned to the hotel after a day of sightseeing, the atmosphere was unusually heavy. Even the usually lively Xiao Wu was silent.

Clearly, after two rounds of competition, everyone had begun to realize the gap between their team and the stronger ones.

Dai Mubai, in particular, no longer appeared as confident as before. A hint of frustration showed in his eyes. The gap between him and Dai Weisi was vast—Dai Mubai was only at Level 42, while Dai Weisi was at Level 49. Moreover, Dai Weisi appeared to have undergone rigorous training, making him an exceptionally formidable opponent.

Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, looked as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, leaving Yang Xiong confused on how to interact with him.

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