Douluo: The Unrivaled Demon Lord

Chapter 163 Semi-finals, Instantly Defeating Xingluo National Academy, Meng Hongchen's Strange Behavior

After a series of crushing victories, this year's Soul Fighting Tournament has finally come to an end.

And today, it is the semi-final.

The first day of the semi-finals was a team battle.

Just like in the original story, the four teams that made it to the semifinals were Shrek Academy, Di'ao Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and Star Luo National Academy.

Shrek Academy is undoubtedly the strongest, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is not to be underestimated, and Di'ao Academy also has a Soul Emperor-level expert. Star Luo National Academy is the most balanced team in terms of overall strength.

Yes, all seven members of their team are Soul Kings. Although none of them are particularly outstanding in individual strength, they are well-balanced and have no obvious weaknesses in any aspect.

The specific opponents for the four teams are drawn by the team captains themselves, which is considered fair, at least it's done in front of everyone.

Before Shu Yan even stepped onto the competition stage, he had already attracted countless gazes, a large portion of which came from the audience on stage, while another portion came from the teams participating in this competition and the powerful nobles present.

Under the spotlight, Shu Yan showed no stage fright, his steps remained steady, and he showed no signs of nervousness or discomfort.

To be honest, this was his first time stepping onto the competition stage since the start of the tournament... To be frank, this competition was indeed a completely free trip for him.

Recently, he has taken Han Ruoruo to visit all the famous attractions near Xingluo City. He even took some time to visit the "Firefly Beach," a famous spot in the southern part of the Xingluo Empire. It has to be said that the sand there is really white, and the seafood tastes quite good.

When they arrived at the center of the competition stage, the captains of the other three teams had already arrived, including Xu Jiujiu, who had changed into a bright yellow outfit.

After Shu Yan arrived, the captains of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Ma Rulong and Di'ao Academy, looked over at the same time. Their gazes were extremely intense, and their fervent fighting spirit was undisguised.

Xu Jiujiu gave Shu Yan a playful smile, and Shu Yan nodded slightly in return.

When the four people arrived, Huang Jinxu, the referee of the semi-finals and finals, sent four golden balls flying rapidly into the air under the impetus of his soul power.

Apart from Xu Jiujiu and Shu Yan, the other two immediately released their martial soul power, trying to catch the golden ball in mid-air. Shu Yan raised his eyes, then slightly raised his hand, and the two golden balls were pulled by a huge suction force, changing from rising to falling rapidly, and then came to a steady stop in front of the two.

She paused for a moment, then smiled gently and, without refusing, picked one of the two small balls in front of her.

Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng, the captain of Di'ao Academy, were also stunned in mid-air. Neither of them had even realized what had happened. But since things had come to this, they looked at each other and then their soul power erupted again. They grabbed the two small balls in mid-air one after the other.

After landing, the outcome was revealed.

Shrek Academy versus Star Luo National Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy versus Emperor Ao Academy.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Xu Jiujiu secretly winked at Shu Yan, a hint of fighting spirit and provocation surfacing in her eyes.

Shu Yan smiled slightly, ignoring the provocation from this princess who had never experienced the harsh realities of society.

Seeing that Shu Yan ignored her, she did not get discouraged for a long time.

Geniuses are all proud. She could be proud on the battlefield for a long time, so why couldn't Shu Yan, who was stronger than her, be proud?
However, if anyone else had ignored her like that, she would definitely have been annoyed. But since it was Shu Yan, and he said it was nothing after a long while, she actually admired Shu Yan even more…

Back on stage, Han Ruoruo and Shu Yan stood side by side, and she chuckled softly:
"What? You really plan to go up and play with this little princess all by yourself?"

"What's not allowed?"

Shu Yan smiled and asked in return.

"It's nothing, it's just that her identity is sensitive. Getting her to be Xiao Wu isn't a simple matter."

Han Ruoruo linked arms with Shu Yan and looked into the distance from a great distance.

There, Xu Jiujiu was looking over from the stands. For a moment, Han Ruoruo and Xu Jiujiu's eyes met. Both of them noticed each other, but after exchanging a smile, they looked away.

Shu Yan noticed all of this, but he didn't seem to care much.

“Princess…this is not a big deal. The world of the strong doesn’t have so many rules and regulations. Xu Jiujiu is a sensible person. Since she is willing to get involved, it means she has already made some preparations.”

"After all, she knows all too well how much help and benefit being with me can provide her. Her feelings are complicated. She does have a budding attraction to me, but at the same time, she also has some ulterior motives. But that's often the most real thing. If she only got close to me because she likes me, that's the hardest thing for me to believe."

Han Ruoruo smiled again, pleased that Shu Yan could see things so clearly.

His own sapling has indeed grown up; at least he doesn't imagine love to be as beautiful and pure as those naive young boys and girls imagine it to be…

Love, like human nature, is never all good. Often, the bad side is also part of love, but many people subconsciously ignore or forget it.

……

As the curtain rose on the first match of the semifinals, both teams entered the arena.

As soon as Xu Jiujiu led the Xingluo National Academy team onto the field, they were greeted with deafening cheers and shouts, demonstrating their home advantage to the fullest.

On Shrek Academy's side, Shu Yan waved to Ma Xiaotao and the others, then walked straight towards the competition stage.

As Shu Yan stepped out of the passageway, Xingluo Square, which could hold hundreds of thousands of people, suddenly fell silent. The cheers and shouts that had been filling the air vanished without a trace. Everyone felt an invisible pressure descend upon them, and though they wanted to make a sound, they unconsciously remained quiet.

After a long while, seeing that only Shu Yan had stepped onto the competition stage, a strange look flashed in his eyes.

That night, when she asked Shu Yan out for a "date," Shu Yan had said that he would fight them all by himself. At the time, she didn't really believe Shu Yan's words for a long time, but now that Shu Yan was going out alone, it just proved what he said that day.

He really intended to fight the entire Star Luo National Academy by himself.

The referee, Tian Sha Douluo, was taken aback to see that only Shu Yan was there, but before he could ask, Shu Yan's voice rang out:

"I am the only one fighting in this match. Your Majesty, you may declare the match open."

Tian Sha Douluo wanted to ask more questions, but the moment he met Shu Yan's gaze, his heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath and then said in a low voice:

"Game start!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo transformed into a golden light and disappeared from the center of the arena.

...Shu Yan watched as the various spirit rings rose up opposite him, then glanced at Xu Jiujiu standing in the very center of the group. He chuckled softly and said:

"Don't hold back, go all out. For the sake of Her Highness the Princess, I won't send you all down right at the start."

Shu Yan's words immediately ignited the anger of everyone at the Star Luo National Academy.

After a long while, she released her martial spirit, surrounded by golden light. A magnificent crown slowly appeared above her head and then gently descended, landing on her head.

This crown is extremely dazzling, as if it were composed of countless stars. On the crown, a total of eighteen stars protrude upwards, forming a beautiful and stunning apex.

The unique and powerful star energy surrounding the star crown showcases the charm unique to top-tier weapon spirits.

As Xu Jiujiu activated his third soul skill, Starry Sky Technique, golden light enveloped his group. Instantly, their aura surged, becoming nearly twice as strong as before.

"Brothers, come on!"

The one who spoke was Huang Heyun, the Dark Demon Tiger Soul King. Before Xu Jiujiu joined the team, he was the captain of the Star Luo National Academy.

The Dark Demon Tiger is a top-tier beast spirit, no less powerful than the White Tiger spirit. As a high-level Soul King, with the support of the Starry Sky Technique, his true combat strength is by no means inferior to Dai Yueheng.

Huang Heyun immediately unleashed his fifth soul skill, Demonic Tiger Body, combined with his third soul skill, Demonic Tiger Shocking the Heavens, followed by a fusion control soul skill that combines wind and fire.

The Netherworld Lion Dugu Shangshan and the Lightning Falcon Chen Xiaojie were lurking in the shadows, ready to deliver the final blow at any moment. The two had already prepared their soul skills, waiting for the perfect opportunity!
But what happened on the competition stage the next moment surprised everyone.

Shu Yan slightly raised his hand, and the space within a radius of several dozen meters around his body suddenly froze. The Yellow River Cloud in mid-air strangely stopped moving. He was still in the posture of casting his third soul skill, but no matter how he mobilized his soul power, he could not advance any further...

The look in Huang Heyun's eyes gradually turned to terror. The next moment, with a slight wave of Shu Yan's hand, he was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing directly into the soul shield maintained by 108 soul masters. He screamed and fell heavily to the ground.

As the dust settled, Huang Heyun barely managed to lift his eyes to look in the direction of the competition stage before completely losing consciousness.

The smile in Shu Yan's eyes remained unchanged. He took a step forward, and the space immediately distorted. The soul skill that Shu Yan had used in conjunction with his wind and fire control was instantly swallowed up by the shattered space. Shu Yan tried his best to restrain his power, but even so, the people who were sent flying still coughed up a mouthful of blood after landing. Each of them had broken three or four bones in their balance.

In less than three seconds, before many people could even react to what had happened, only Shu Yan and Xu Jiujiu remained on the competition stage.

Xu Jiujiu's eyes widened in shock. She was still in the stance of charging her soul skill, but looking around, she was horrified to find that all her many teammates were gone! How could she have been left alone on the stage in the blink of an eye…

"My princess, remember our bet. You lost this time, but don't be too sad. Just try harder next time."

Shu Yan lightly flicked Xu Jiujiu's forehead, then turned and walked towards Shrek Academy.

Standing there for a long time, staring blankly at Shu Yan's retreating figure, Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo and referee, was even more dumbfounded. It wasn't until Shu Yan walked off the stage that he snapped back to reality, and then announced in a slightly trembling voice:

"The match is over! Shrek Academy wins!"

It wasn't until then that Xu Jiujiu finally realized what was happening.

The confusion in her mind was instantly dispelled, and she instinctively walked backward. On the way, she raised her hand to touch her forehead, which was still slightly sore, her expression complex and indescribable.

"Shrek! Long live Shrek!"

"Shu Yan! Shu Yan!"

"Shuyan, I want to have your babies—"

A moment later, as the audience gradually came to their senses, cheers and shouts that nearly lifted the entire Xingluo Square soared into the sky and continued for a long time...

From a distance, Shu Yan noticed the guy who shouted the last sentence.

His lips twitched; he felt there was some inexplicable connection between Xingluo City and Chengdu from his previous life…

This strange trend sent a chill down my spine...

Back at the stands where Shrek Academy was located, Ma Xiaotao, the most impulsive of them all, excitedly rushed forward and threw herself into Shu Yan's arms.

"Shu Yan, I really can't imagine just how strong you are..."

Shu Yan chuckled and patted Ma Xiaotao on the back, then teased:
"Everyone's watching, aren't you worried about being laughed at now?"

Ma Xiaotao snapped out of her daze and turned around sharply, only to meet the surprised or teasing expressions of the crowd.

Even someone as strong as Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but blush slightly. Her strength lay in fighting; when it came to matters of the heart, she was a complete novice, even if she could be as "thick-skinned" as veterans like Han Ruoruo.

"Alright, our relationship will have to be made public sooner or later. You're not planning to keep it a secret forever, are you...?"

Before Shu Yan could finish speaking, Ma Xiaotao hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand.

"Please, stop talking. If you keep going, I'll be too ashamed to face anyone."

A pleading look appeared in Ma Xiaotao's eyes. She was too shy to handle the situation.

Shu Yan smiled and didn't say anything more.

The smiles on everyone's faces slowly disappeared, replaced by a deeper sense of awe.

It's a foregone conclusion that Shu Yan will annihilate Xingluo National Academy, and his prestige and status will inevitably be pushed to another peak with today's match. From today onwards, the name Shu Yan will truly be associated with mythology.

In the distance, the members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy all had gloomy expressions. Xiao Hongchen clenched his fists tightly, and his gaze toward Shrek Academy was full of astonishment and disbelief, as if some belief had collapsed. The aura emanating from his body was particularly low.

Beside Xiao Hongchen, a pretty young girl also had a strange look in her eyes.

The girl had long, straight silver hair, which was now gathered on the right side and styled into a ponytail. A faint blue light flickered in her large, light blue eyes—the fluctuations of a reconnaissance-type soul tool. If you looked closely, you could see that her pupils clearly reflected Shu Yan's face. As she focused on Shu Yan for longer, the strange light in her eyes grew stronger...

……

(End of this chapter)