Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 365 Competition Selection: A Free-for-All
As the new semester began, Shrek Academy was calm on the surface, but a surge of excitement was brewing as they prepared for the major competition. However, Gula's daily routine remained completely unchanged.

He carefully stored the Netherworld Flower, the Mutated Bodhi Seed, and the Time Flower Seed into the Forest Sea Space.

That realm of life-stopping time, which has been expanded and stabilized by the gold of life, is now beginning to take shape.

The spirit of the ancient golden tree stretched its branches and leaves within, its life force so rich it was almost palpable.

Looking at these seeds, Gula had a clear vision in his mind: in the future, he would not only cultivate rare plants here, but also find an opportunity to "move" the entire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye into the area.

In the current timeline, the Tang Clan does not occupy that treasure land. The spring with the ultimate Yin-Yang attribute will become the strongest "time accelerator" in the Forest Sea space. Combined with the time acceleration effect of the space itself, it will be enough to make the flow of time reach an astonishing ratio.

“Flower of Time…” Gula’s gaze fell on the bag of silver particles as fine as dust.

Their lifespan is extremely short, and with the acceleration of space, we may soon see them flowering and fruiting.

As for the Netherworld Flower and the Mutant Bodhi Seed, they require a much longer period of time to cultivate and guide their evolution.

However, for Gura, who can travel through time, the one thing he has in abundance is time.

In the new semester, Gura's life still revolves around the forge.

The difficulty of forging the Soul-Forging Ice God Crystal far exceeded his expectations. Every hammer blow was a collision between his physical body and extreme cold, but he enjoyed it.

At the academy, he remained a loner, with few friends. The only person who could give him a moment's respite was Xiao Xiao.

The little girl was shy for quite a while after she finally mustered the courage to "take the initiative" last time.

After waiting and waiting, Gula didn't come to find her. Her initial reserve was quickly overwhelmed by her longing, and she took the initiative to come find him again. In the end, she couldn't hide the fact that her martial soul had mutated and evolved into a blue phoenix, so she had to tell her family and the academy.

Xiao Xiao comes from a noble family in the Heavenly Soul Empire, but seems to have a rather cold relationship with her family. Seeing that she was unwilling to talk about it, Gula did not delve into it.

However, within Shrek Academy, this news caused quite a stir. While twin martial souls are indeed rare, in this era, the potential of twin weapon martial souls is generally considered inferior to that of twin beast martial souls.

The reason lies in the bottleneck of the Soul Master's physical fitness—the lack of effective training methods and methods for cultivating Qi and blood power, which leads the Soul Master to rely excessively on the feedback from the Martial Soul itself to the body.

The biggest hidden danger of having twin martial souls is that the body may not be able to withstand the eighteen spirit rings that may be added in the future. Not everyone can have such a heaven-defying opportunity as Tang San.

However, Xiao Xiao's situation was completely different. She possessed two martial souls, one a weapon martial soul and the other a beast martial soul. The latter, in particular, was of extremely high quality after fusing with the Nine-Headed Phoenix Soul, possessing attributes close to those of the ultimate wood.

This means that her future potential is already close to that of Huo Yuhao, who has revealed the ultimate ice.

Moreover, how could Gula possibly mistreat the girl who was devoted to him? While he was simultaneously forging his strength in the universe of Dragon King Legend, he had already obtained a drop of essence blood from Mu Yi of the Ultimate Wood. Combined with some rare immortal herbs, he was fully confident that he could help Xiao Xiao completely evolve her Azure Phoenix Martial Soul into the true Ultimate Wood.

Of course, that's all for later.

Xiao Xiao's current physique is simply unable to withstand the domineering tempering of Mu Yi's essence blood.

Moreover, possessing ultimate attributes too early would cause her soul power to be spontaneously and highly compressed, which would slow down the rate at which her soul power level increased—after all, she didn't have those "big shots" in Huo Yuhao's body helping her cheat.

The college's senior management held a special meeting to address this issue.

Ultimately, it was decided that Taotie Douluo Xuanzi would personally accept Xiao Xiao as his disciple.

After all, Dragon God Douluo Mu En had already intended to take Gula and Huo Yuhao as his last disciples, although they were unaware of this, and Gula had no interest in it whatsoever.

In Gula's view, Mu En's method of training disciples, which required them to strictly follow his path, was far less to his liking than Leng Yaozhu's hands-off approach.

Moreover, after refining the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, his soul power has quietly broken through to level sixty-seven!

Once the three-word battle armor is completed, with his foundation comparable to a Super Douluo and his ultimate attributes, even Mu En, the Limit Douluo, might not be able to defeat him easily.

The most important event of the new semester is the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament.

Shrek Academy's tradition is that the inner court disciples form the official competition team, while the outer court selects seven people to form a reserve team, which serves as both substitutes and talent cultivation for the next competition.

The selection process was personally overseen by Xuanzi.

The moment this unkempt Gluttonous Douluo appeared, he unleashed the terrifying pressure of a Title Douluo, striking all the candidate trainees like a tangible hammer blow. The noisy Soul Arena instantly fell silent, many trainees turning pale and barely able to breathe. This was a ruthless display of power.

"No need for all that trouble, let's keep it simple." Xuanzi took a swig of wine, his voice lazy yet clear, carrying throughout the room. "Let's have a free-for-all, and the seven who are still standing at the end will be the reserve team members. Let's begin!"

After a brief silence, the battle arena erupted with intense fluctuations of soul power as the students rushed toward their friends.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, recognized as the "twin stars" of the outer academy, have already been chosen by the authorities because their powerful bloodlines have not yet been fully awakened.

The two reacted quickly and immediately began to rally their teammates.

Bei Bei called out, and Huo Yuhao went over without hesitation.

Xu Sanshi immediately rushed towards Jiang Nannan, trying to pull her into his protective circle. Jiang Nannan remained cold and indifferent towards him, refusing to cooperate.

But Xu Sanshi was thick-skinned enough to take advantage of his defensive-type soul master position and stubbornly stood around Jiang Nannan, blocking attacks from all directions for her.

Although Jiang Nannan was unwilling, in the chaotic battle, she had no choice but to accept that Xu Sanshi was acting as her "shield" for the time being, as he was almost shameless in his close protection.

Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, won over Wang Dong.

After revealing his ultimate ice power, he became a core disciple of both the Martial Soul and Soul Guidance systems, his status soared, and he quickly recruited He Caitou, a core disciple of the Soul Guidance system, into his team.

In the blink of an eye, their small group has grown to include six people: Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, He Caitou, and Jiang Nannan. They are a formidable force and have become one of the most unshakeable forces on the field.

One more person needed!
Huo Yuhao's gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield and quickly locked onto Xiao Xiao.

Because Gula was busy with his own things and wasn't serving as class monitor, Huo Yuhao replaced Wang Dong as class monitor in the new semester. He was very familiar with the abilities of the students in the class.

After Xiao Xiao's martial soul evolved, it possessed the powerful regenerative ability of the Azure Phoenix and attributes close to the ultimate wood. Even though the Azure Phoenix only had one soul ring, its overall combat power far exceeded that of ordinary soul masters. At the same time, the Phoenix martial soul could fly, making it an excellent candidate for interference and control.

However, just as he was about to call out to Xiao Xiao, he caught a glimpse of a solitary figure not far away—Gula.

Huo Yuhao's heart sank. As a fellow possessor of an ultimate martial soul, he knew all too well how terrifying Gula was. Although he possessed a 100,000-year soul ring sacrificed by the Ice Emperor, the vast difference in soul power level was a fatal flaw.

He had no doubt that if Gula wanted to take action, his small group might not be able to win, and might even be defeated one by one.

“If Gura joins us, he will undoubtedly occupy a central position, but given his personality… it will likely cause conflict. If he doesn’t join and acts alone, he will be a huge threat to all of us…”

Huo Yuhao instantly felt a headache coming on. Giving the last spot to Xiao Xiao would be the best choice, but Gula's presence made the selection process unpredictable.

Of the seven of them, some will eventually be eliminated, but Huo Yuhao can't worry about that now. He needs to make sure that the core fighting force is formed first.

"Xiao Xiao, over here!" Huo Yuhao called out, while keeping a watchful eye on Gula's reaction.

Faced with Huo Yuhao's invitation, Xiao Xiao subconsciously looked at Gula, her eyes questioning. She wanted to be with Gula more.

Gula shook his head slightly at her, gesturing for her to come over with his eyes.

He couldn't stay in this time and space forever. Keeping Xiao Xiao with Huo Yuhao, the "chosen one," and his companions was undoubtedly the best way to ensure her safety.

As for the competition spots? Gula's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile—he didn't need teammates at all.

Xiao Xiao was a little disappointed when Gula told her to go, but she still obediently ran quickly towards the battle circle where Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei were.

A yellow spirit ring rose beneath her feet, while the phantoms of a black cauldron and a blue phoenix appeared alternately behind her, radiating a powerful aura of life and defense.

Xuanzi's gaze also fell on Gula, who was alone and seemed detached from the situation. He recalled the evaluation of Gula at the Sea God Pavilion meeting: his strength and talent were unparalleled, but he was also aloof and proud, and had a distant relationship with his classmates.

Seeing Gula's aloof and uninterested demeanor in the chaotic battle, Xuanzi felt rather helpless. He couldn't force others to team up with Gula; that would only backfire.

"Sigh, let's think of something after he joins the reserve team. Young people need to spend more time together and fight side by side a few times to build a relationship."

Xuanzi could only console himself with this thought, silently planning how to "train" this troublesome genius.

"Alright, time's up." Xuanzi looked at the still chaotic situation on the field, which had begun to form several small groups. He estimated that the time was right, took a big gulp of wine, and said in a loud voice, "The big melee begins. The last seven people will be the reserve team members."

"boom--!"

With his command, the already tense battle arena erupted with the light of soul skills like fireworks.

Various spirit rings shone, the roars of beast spirits, the sound of weapon spirits tearing through the air, and the binding light of control-type spirit masters intertwined instantly, and the battle instantly entered a white-hot state.

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, He Caitou, Jiang Nannan, and Xiao Xiao quickly formed a tight formation back to back. Their powerful offensive and defensive capabilities allowed them to stand like a rock in the center of the battlefield, withstanding attacks from all directions while also looking for opportunities to counterattack.

And Gula moved the instant Xuanzi finished speaking.

He didn't rush towards any team, nor did he choose to hold his ground. He simply took a calm step forward. With that step, an invisible, suffocating, terrifying pressure erupted from him.

The intense golden-red flames did not burn fiercely; instead, they covered his body with a thin, exquisitely condensed halo of fire. His brilliant golden eyes swept across the entire area, and wherever his cold gaze fell, the air seemed to ignite and distort.

It was a kind of pressure originating from the depths of the soul, a mixture of domineering power of extreme attributes and a sense of alienation from divine power.

Several lower-grade students who tried to take advantage of the chaos to ambush Gula had just used their soul skills when they felt an overwhelming force slam into their chests. Their vision went black, and they were sent flying backward without even uttering a sound, crashing out of the Soul Arena.

Gula strolled leisurely across the chaotic battlefield. He did not attack anyone, but all attacks that came within ten meters of him, whether soul skills or physical weapons, were silently annihilated and swallowed up by that seemingly thin golden-red aura.

Any attempt to lock onto his mental power is like hitting a towering volcano, instantly burning it all away and leaving the caster with a splitting headache.

Wherever he went, the chaotic crowd seemed to be cleaved apart by an invisible giant blade, automatically making way for him.

Some of the stronger students tried to join forces to stop them, but whether it was the offensive charge or the control restraint, they all melted away like ice and snow the moment they came into contact with the golden-red halo, without even causing a ripple.

Gula didn't even glance at them. He simply raised his hand and waved it casually. The flames transformed into an invisible giant hand, which swatted away several Soul Masters who were attacking him like flies. It was clean and efficient, disabling their fighting power without harming anyone, demonstrating his superb control.

His goal was clear—to eliminate those "small fish" who were trying to take advantage of the chaos and who lacked the strength but hoped to stay by luck, and finally have a righteous fight against seven opponents.

With each move he made, he precisely "sent" one or more students out of the arena, demonstrating astonishing efficiency.

Soon, the number of people on the field decreased dramatically.

While Huo Yuhao's seven-person team was undoubtedly powerful and attracted most of the firepower, Gula's presence was more like a mobile "clearing machine," demonstrating the absolute difference in strength with an unparalleled demeanor.

Xuanzi's originally cloudy, drunken eyes instantly became as sharp as an eagle's after Gula began to act.

He watched Gula's effortless and nonchalant demeanor, his every move precise, efficient, and decisive, and how those strong students were as vulnerable as children in his presence... Xuanzi's fingers tightened unconsciously around the gourd.

"This kid..." Xuanzi's mind was in turmoil, "This strength...this control...is he really a Soul Venerable? No, this foundation...this aura..."

He had a vague feeling that the Sea God Pavilion's assessment of Gula's strength was probably conservative. This wasn't just aloof arrogance; it was clearly absolute confidence that made him stand head and shoulders above all others!
Within the protective circle of Huo Yuhao and the others, Xiao Xiao released the defensive aura of the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron to assist her while keeping her eyes fixed on Gula's composed figure amidst the chaos.

Watching him move with effortless ease, effortlessly clearing away distractions, her eyes held no surprise, only an almost blind trust and a touch of pride. She knew that her Gula was meant to shine this brightly.

Huo Yuhao's mental detection sharing clearly relayed Gula's actions to his teammates. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the others all showed deep shock and solemnity on their faces.

They knew Gura was strong, but they never imagined he could be this strong in a chaotic battle involving a hundred people. It was a kind of power that made people unable to even think of fighting him.

Sensing the faint envy in Huo Yuhao's eyes, Bei Bei gently comforted him, "Yuhao, as a fellow master of martial souls, I believe you can achieve the same in the future."

"Ok!"

Huo Yuhao nodded emphatically. The image of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and the Ice Emperor in his mind encouraged him, turning the envy in his eyes into fighting spirit.

But this is still not his show; he is just an audience member.

The chaotic battle on the field was accelerated by Gula's presence. More and more students were eliminated, leaving only the best of the outer academy.

The battle began to escalate to a more intense and brutal state. Gura, still seemingly an outsider, yet also a controller, steered the selection process in his unique way.

(End of this chapter)