Finals Begin
After defeating the Sun Moon Team, the Noumenon Academy successfully advanced into the finals.
At the same time, they also gained several precious days of rest.
During this period, Shrek Academy held another semifinal match against the Star Luo National Academy.
After Shrek Academy sent out six official team members, the Star Luo National Academy was completely unable to resist and was crushed in the team battle with overwhelming strength.
In the subsequent individual battles, Shrek Academy directly dispatched two Soul Emperors, who easily defeated the remaining members of the Star Luo National Academy without suffering any injuries.
At this point, the Shrek Academy team had also successfully advanced to the finals, where they would face the Noumenon Academy led by Yuhao in a decisive battle.
...
Early in the morning on the day of the finals.
When Yuhao arrived at Xingluo Square, he immediately felt the overwhelming enthusiasm surrounding the event. The noise and excitement were so intense that they could be heard even ten miles away.
People from the Star Luo Empire as well as representatives from other major forces across the continent had all gathered here to witness this grand competition held once every five years.
Yuhao glanced around calmly, then his gaze fixed on a middle-aged man standing on the central viewing platform.
That man stood directly behind the emperor of the Star Luo Empire. His posture was upright and imposing, his bearing heroic, and he naturally exuded an aura of authority and conquest forged through years of battle.
If one looked closely, it was not difficult to notice that this middle-aged man shared certain similarities with Yuhao between the brows.
Most notably, the two of them possessed exactly the same eyes.
This man was Yuhao's biological father—the Dai Hao, also known as the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire.
Naturally, Yuhao harbored no goodwill toward this man who had abandoned his wife and child. If given the opportunity, he would not hesitate to kill him without mercy.
Yuhao had inherited the original body, and with it, he had also inherited all of its karma and grudges.
Because of the intervention of Tang San and Dai Mubai, Dai Hao and the White Tiger Duke's lineage had ultimately been spared in the original timeline.
But Yuhao would not.
The moment he saw Dai Hao's face, the tragic memories of his childhood in the Duke's Mansion surged uncontrollably into his mind.
"Don't worry. I'll kill him for you."
Yuhao spoke softly in his heart, then slowly shifted his gaze away.
Dai Hao, standing among the spectators, seemed to sense something and glanced toward Yuhao's direction, but ultimately found nothing unusual.
...
"Contestants from both sides, please enter the stage!"
Following the commanding voice of the referee, Tiansha Douluo, seven members from the Noumenon Academy and seven members from the Shrek Academy team stepped onto the competition stage one after another.
The Noumenon Academy fielded its original seven members.
On Shrek Academy's side, in addition to the six official team members, Xu Sanshi—known as one of the twin stars of the outer academy—also took part.
Because of the earlier mission involving the Death Messenger, one of Shrek Academy's seven official members had fallen in battle.
As a result, Xu Sanshi was brought in to fill the vacant position.
Although Xu Sanshi was relatively young, his soul power had already reached the level of a Soul Sect.
More importantly, he was anything but ordinary.
He possessed a top-tier defensive martial soul—the Xuanming Turtle Shield—along with traces of divine beast bloodline. Once fully activated, the power he could unleash was no weaker than that of a Soul King.
In addition, as a pure defensive-type Soul Master, his presence effectively compensated for Shrek Academy's frontline stability.
When all fourteen competitors from both sides stood on the stage, thunderous cheers erupted from the audience.
"Shrek! Shrek!"
"Noumenon Academy! Noumenon Academy!"
"Shrek! Shrek!"
...
Although some spectators supported the Noumenon Academy, the overwhelming majority still favored Shrek Academy.
After all, Shrek Academy was recognized as the number one academy on the continent. For thousands of years, it had almost monopolized the championship titles of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition.
Naturally, its support base was immense.
Moreover, judging purely from surface strength, Shrek Academy appeared to completely suppress the Noumenon Academy.
First, Shrek Academy possessed two Soul Emperors—Ma Xiaotao, the level sixty-seven Assault-type Soul Emperor with the highest soul power in this entire competition, and Dai Yueheng, a level sixty-four Soul Emperor, two full levels higher than Zhenyue.
Aside from Xu Sanshi, who came in as a substitute, the remaining members were all Soul Kings.
Furthermore, their martial souls were all top-tier martial souls with exceptional combat potential.
In contrast, the Noumenon Academy only had one Soul Emperor, Zhenyue, and three Soul Kings. Although all of them possessed top-grade martial souls and had completed secondary awakenings, the gap compared to Shrek Academy was still obvious.
The only true variable was Yuhao—the Soul Master.
It was precisely for this reason that the cheers supporting Shrek Academy were so overwhelming.
...
However, Zhenyue, Long Aotian, and the others from the Noumenon Academy were filled with confidence.
The source of that confidence stood at the very front of their formation.
Yuhao.
After battle after battle, Yuhao had already completely conquered these proud young geniuses.
In their hearts, as long as Yuhao was present, victory was inevitable.
Even if their opponent was Shrek Academy.
...
On Shrek Academy's side, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, standing at the forefront, exchanged glances before nodding subtly to one another.
A few days earlier, when the Noumenon Academy was battling the Sun Moon Team, Yan Shaozhe had personally given them strict instructions.
If they encountered the Noumenon Academy in the finals, they were to deal with Yuhao as quickly as possible.
If there was an opportunity, it would be best to eliminate him entirely.
Although Ma Xiaotao felt uneasy about such an approach, Yan Shaozhe was her teacher. He had warned her that the Noumenon Sect posed no less a threat to the Douluo Continent than Evil Soul Masters.
If Yuhao were allowed to grow unchecked, Shrek Academy itself could face a catastrophic future.
In the end, Ma Xiaotao accepted this reasoning.
As for Dai Yueheng, he did not hesitate at all.
As the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, he understood Yuhao's potential threat even more clearly than Ma Xiaotao.
Whether from the standpoint of Shrek Academy or the Star Luo Empire, there were sufficient reasons to eradicate Yuhao.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, when Dai Yueheng looked at Yuhao from such close range, an inexplicable irritation rose in his heart.
At this moment, Tiansha Douluo stepped into the center of the competition stage. After confirming that both teams were fully prepared, he gave the order to begin.
The instant his voice fell, the two most outstanding and talented teams on the continent entered full combat mode.
Hum—
Martial soul fluctuations erupted violently.
Brilliant and bizarre lights flashed one after another, different in form yet equally powerful, as martial souls were released across the stage.
Boom!
As Ma Xiaotao let out a sharp phoenix cry, blazing flames surged across her entire body. At the same time, dazzling white light burst forth from Dai Yueheng's palms beside her.
Behind them, Gong Yangmo released several rays of multicolored light, which descended upon Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, amplifying their combat power even further.
Gong Yangmo was an auxiliary-type Soul Master. His martial soul was the Rainbow Dragon, a support martial soul that could rival even the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in versatility.
However, what puzzled everyone was that the combined attacks of the two Soul Emperors were not aimed at anyone from the Noumenon Academy.
Instead, they were directed straight toward Xu Sanshi.
At the same moment, under countless astonished gazes, a black line suddenly shot out from Xu Sanshi's shield at extreme speed, pointing directly beneath Yuhao's feet.
In the next instant, space rippled violently.
Yuhao and Xu Sanshi's positions swapped instantly.
This was one of Xu Sanshi's soul skills—Xuanming Substitution.
Originally considered a somewhat impractical ability, but when used correctly, it could produce astonishing effects.
For example—right now.
The terrifying attack from the two Soul Emperors, which should have landed on Xu Sanshi, was instead descending directly toward Yuhao.
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