Douluo: Yu Hao is reborn, this Tang San is different

Chapter 135 Shrek Academy vs. Canghui Academy
Thousands of glass lamps hung from the dome of the Heaven Dou Grand Arena, turning the entire venue into a golden sea. Platinum Bishop Salas, dressed in a black robe embroidered with six-winged angel crests, walked slowly towards the drawing platform, led by a court lady.

His long, silvery-white hair flowed like moonlight, his pale face devoid of warmth, each step he took seemed to tread on nothingness, and he exuded a chilling aura. When his well-defined fingers touched the lottery box, even the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"The first match of the preliminary rounds: Canghui Academy versus Shrek Academy." The emcee's booming voice echoed through the hall, causing a slight commotion.

"Auckland Academy vs. Flamebringer Academy." As the second match was announced, a few scattered murmurs arose from the stands.

When Salas drew the last lot, his indifferent gaze swept across the direction of Shrek Academy, his tone as cold as frost: "Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team Two, facing Star Luo Royal Academy."

The voice struck the Shrek team like a hammer blow. Oscar subconsciously stroked the sausage mold, a bitter laugh escaping his throat: "With this kind of luck, if he went to buy lottery tickets, he could probably empty the entire jackpot."

Ma Hongjun's knuckles were clenched so tightly they turned white, and the flames of his Phoenix Martial Soul flickered wildly in his eyes, like two small flames about to erupt.

"I was just looking for a place to vent my anger, and they just delivered themselves right to my doorstep!"

In an instant, a deafening roar erupted from the stands, like a surging tide. Boos and jeers mingled, creating a cacophony of sound. "This is rigged! This is clearly bullying the newcomers!" "Shrek Academy, with its looks, dares to compare itself to Canghui Academy? It's a joke!"

A barrage of offensive remarks erupted, yet the Shrek academy students remained composed, their eyes burning with a strange intensity. Their fists clenched so tightly their nails dug into their palms, their anger silently building, waiting to explode.

Salas surveyed the entire arena, his eyes filled with arrogant superiority, his voice as cold as ice: "I swear in the name of the Spirit Hall that the draw was fair and without question. Furthermore, I hereby declare that all Soul Masters who qualify for the finals may directly enter the Spirit Temple."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples throughout the arena. The Soul Masters whispered among themselves, their eyes gleaming with greed and desire.

The Spirit Temple is second only to the Pope's Palace and the Douluo Palace, a sacred place that countless soul masters dream of. At this moment, Emperor Xue Ye's face instantly darkened, like dark clouds before a storm. Ning Fengzhi beside him lightly waved his folding fan, seemingly calm and composed, but a trace of barely perceptible worry flashed in his eyes.

This subtle interaction was all captured by Tang San's Purple Demon Eye.

He was secretly alarmed, his heart churning with turmoil.

The various past events that the master had once recounted kept flashing through his mind. He knew that the conflict between the Spirit Hall and the Empire was no longer as simple as it seemed on the surface. Now it seemed that this struggle had reached a fever pitch, and a storm was quietly brewing.

"The first match is between Canghui Academy and Shrek Academy! All teams, please leave the field and prepare. The match will begin in half an hour."

The emcee's voice rang out again, pulling everyone's thoughts back to reality.

The atmosphere in Shrek Academy's lounge was so tense it seemed like it could be squeezed out of water. Ma Hongjun paced back and forth anxiously, wringing his hands incessantly, his eyes filled with urgency: "Third Brother, let me lead the charge! I promise I'll teach them a lesson!"

Tang San raised his hand to stop him, his gaze firm and steady: "Stand by the original lineup. Remember, we have only one goal—to advance with a perfect record!"

The indigo battle flag of Canghui Academy fluttered in the arena as twelve team members marched in with synchronized steps. The phantom images of their wolf-head martial spirits flickered behind them, and the air was filled with the nauseating stench of rotting flesh.

"Shrek scum, today I'll show you what a real Soul Master is!" The one-eyed youth leading the group licked his lips, his mechanical prosthetic eye flashing with an eerie purple light.

Tang San stood at the very front of the group, Blue Silver Grass silently spreading from beneath his feet, weaving a dark golden grid across the ground. Dai Mubai's tiger eyes crackled with vertical lines, the power of the White Tiger surging within him; Xiao Wu's rabbit ears stood up, her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul fully unleashed, phantom rabbit claws appearing and disappearing amidst a pink halo.

"Remember, don't hold back." Tang San's voice was as cold as frost. "Make them pay the price for their past arrogance."

As soon as the referee's whistle blew, Canghui Academy launched the first attack. Seven Soul Masters formed the "Seven Asura Illusion," and the dark red barrier surged towards the Shrek Academy group like a tidal wave. The remaining five dispersed, their wolf claws glowing with a ghostly blue poisonous light, clearly preparing for a war of attrition.

"Break!" Dai Mubai roared, and the White Tiger Meteor Shower crashed down. The dazzling starlight struck the barrier, exploding into a sky full of sparks. But Canghui Academy was prepared. The team leader raised his hand, and a wolf shield formed from soul power rose up, barely blocking the attack.

Just then, Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames soared into the sky. Nine pillars of fire intertwined to form a fire net, engulfing the remaining five Canghui students. "Phoenix Fire Lines!" The blazing flames darted like serpents, instantly igniting the sleeves of their opponents. One Canghui student screamed and rolled on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames on his body.

"Jingling, engage! Jiangzhu, support!" Tang San gave the order, his figure flashing across the battlefield like a ghost. Blue Silver Grass transformed into countless vines, entangling the Canghui students who were trying to break through. Xiao Wu followed closely behind, activating her teleportation skill, three rabbit claws in a pink afterimage aimed straight for the leader's throat.

The one-eyed youth sneered, and his mechanical prosthetic eye suddenly shot out a beam of purple light. Xiao Wu's figure paused slightly, and her attack was momentarily slowed down.

"Oh no, it's mental interference!"

Oscar yelled and hurriedly threw out the recovery sausage. But it was too late. The leader's wolf claws grazed Xiao Wu's shoulder, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone.

"Xiao Wu!" Tang San's voice was filled with rage as his Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul awakened with a roar. Golden patterns crawled up his face along his veins. He raised his hand and waved his hand, causing all the Blue Silver Grass to grow wildly, piercing through the illusion and binding his opponent's ankles. "Blue Silver Cage, Mutated Golden Cage!"

A massive golden cage trapped the students of Canghui Academy, their soul power being continuously absorbed within. The team leader was horrified to discover that his wolf spirit was losing its power. "Impossible! How can this be!" He frantically attacked the cage, but each attack only made it stronger.

Tailong unleashed his full power with his Vajra Bear Martial Soul, roaring as he charged towards the barrier. "Vajra Earthshaker!" Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the ground, trapping the Canghui Academy students in the center. Huang Yuan's Lone Wolf Martial Soul followed closely behind.

"Lone Wolf Assault!" Sharp wolf claws tore through the defenses of a Canghui student, splattering blood onto the stone slabs of the arena. Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shone brightly, "First, strength; second, speed!"

The Shrek Academy members' attack power and speed instantly increased. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, "Netherworld White Tiger," finally took shape, compressing the air within a hundred meters to the point of explosion. The enormous white tiger phantom roared to the sky, the sound waves causing the eardrums of the Canghui Academy members to ache.

"It's over!" Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames transformed into the form of a fire phoenix. Wherever his wings swept, the uniforms of Canghui Academy ignited with eerie green flames. That was the unique corrosiveness of phoenix flames; once it touched them, it was impossible to extinguish unless one had a top-tier healing soul master.

When the flames died down, the twelve members of the Canghui Academy lay sprawled on the ground. Their martial spirits were destroyed, their meridians severed, and their screams echoed through the arena.

The one-eyed youth's prosthetic eye was shattered. He looked at the Shrek Academy members slowly approaching, his eyes filled with fear: "You...you're breaking the rules!"

Tang San bent down to pick up his broken prosthetic eye, his voice icy: "Rules? You should have known this would happen the moment you insulted us. Go back and tell Canghui Academy that Shrek Academy is not someone you can mess with."

As the Shrek Academy team turned to leave, a dark figure shot through the audience like an arrow and landed heavily on the arena. It was the team leader from Canghui Academy—a middle-aged Soul Master with a sinister face, dressed in a dark purple robe. Behind him floated three pairs of bat-wing-shaped Martial Soul phantoms, and his body exuded an unpleasant stench of decay.

He coldly surveyed the injured students lying on the ground, a flicker of heartache and anger in his eyes.

"This match doesn't count! Shrek Academy committed a serious foul, severely crippling my student. They must be disqualified!" His voice, sharp and malicious like a viper's hiss, echoed throughout the vast Soul Arena.

These words caused an uproar. The audience whispered among themselves, and murmurs rose and fell. The Shrek Academy students paused upon hearing this. Dai Mubai's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he turned to confront them, but Tang San stopped him with a gesture.

The referees huddled together, frowning, and discussed the matter in hushed tones.

At this moment, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang slowly walked onto the Soul Arena. He was still wearing that faded gray robe, and although he was thin, his eyes revealed an undeniable determination.

He adjusted his glasses and calmly looked at the teacher from Canghui Academy: "Teacher, where did Shrek Academy commit a foul? The rules of the competition do not prohibit defeating an opponent within reasonable limits."

"Reasonable range?" The teacher from Canghui Academy laughed angrily. "Look at my students! Their martial spirits have been destroyed and their meridians severed. Is this reasonable? You are clearly retaliating intentionally and are ruthless!" He waved his arm, pointing at the unconscious Canghui students on the ground, his emotions running high.

The master remained calm and said in a deep voice:

"Competitions are inherently risky. If you blame your opponent for being less skilled, wouldn't that be ridiculous? The Shrek Academy students were just using their soul skills normally and did not exceed the rules."

"Hmph! Yu Xiaogang, don't think you can cover up the truth just because you're good with words!" A student from Canghui Academy suddenly struggled to his feet, glaring at Grandmaster with a face full of resentment. "Who doesn't know you're a traitor to the Spirit Hall, making a name for yourself in the Soul Master world by plagiarizing the Spirit Hall's theories! And now the students you teach are just as wicked as you!"

These words were like a bombshell, instantly igniting the entire audience. All eyes turned to the master, and the murmurs grew increasingly noisy.

The master's body stiffened slightly, his hands clenching into fists, but he quickly relaxed them. He took a deep breath, his voice low and powerful: "I, Yu Xiaogang, have dedicated my life to the study of martial spirit theory. All my achievements are the result of my own painstaking thinking and repeated verification day and night. If you have evidence to prove that I plagiarized, you are welcome to present it! Unfounded slander is nothing but the cowardly act of someone who can't accept defeat!"

"Evidence? Your so-called ten core competitiveness theories of martial spirits are exactly the same as the research of the Spirit Hall. What is this if not plagiarism?" another Canghui student shouted. "And your bullshit about teaching according to aptitude, the Spirit Hall has already proposed a similar concept!"

"absurd!"

The master finally couldn't hold back any longer and roared, his eyes burning with rage: "The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls are the culmination of decades of research, combining countless real-world cases of Soul Masters with the characteristics of Martial Souls. The 'Personalized Instruction' is tailored to each Soul Master's unique talent and personality. How can you slander it with a mere accusation of plagiarism? You know nothing about Martial Soul theory, yet you spout nonsense here!"

Seeing the master's anger, the teachers of Canghui Academy became even more smug and sneered:
"Did you hit a nerve? Yu Xiaogang, you were expelled from the Spirit Hall back then because of academic misconduct, weren't you? Now you want to pretend to be virtuous? The fact that your students are so vicious just proves that you, as a teacher, are morally deficient!"

"Shut up!" Tang San, who had been holding back, finally couldn't help but speak. Blue Silver Grass quietly appeared around him, and his eyes were filled with rage.

"My teacher devoted himself tirelessly to the development of Soul Master theory, working day and night. He imparted all his knowledge to us, so that we could become stronger. You may insult me, but you must never insult my teacher!"

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and others also stepped forward, their soul power surging, and various martial soul phantoms such as tiger eyes, phoenix fire, and rabbit ears appeared, staring menacingly at the Canghui Academy students.

"Want to make a move?" The teacher from Canghui Academy sneered. "You think you can do that? Don't forget, this is Heaven Dou City, not a place for you to run wild!" He turned to the referee's table and shouted, "Referees, if Shrek Academy is not disqualified, Canghui Academy will withdraw from the competition and appeal to the Spirit Hall!"

The referees exchanged bewildered glances, looking quite troubled. Just then, Ning Fengzhi, sitting in the VIP section, slowly rose, elegantly fanning himself with a folding fan, and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, arguing like this isn't going to solve anything. In my opinion, it would be better to have the referee team review the match footage again and determine whether a foul occurred based on the facts."

Emperor Xueye nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Sect Leader Ning is absolutely right. The referee team, go and review the match video immediately, and make a fair judgment."

The referees, relieved, quickly stepped back to review the video.

On the Soul Arena, the Shrek Academy and Canghui Academy remained locked in a tense standoff, as if a major battle was about to erupt at any moment.

The master stood in the center of the crowd, his eyes firm and cold, looking quite angry.

(End of this chapter)