Douluo Jueshi: I can only explode the ring, all I can do is operate.

Chapter 291 Opening Ceremony, Xiao Hongchen's Challenge

This Soul Battle competition was held on the outskirts of Mingdu, where a brand-new arena had been built. The competition area was made of hard metal, ten meters thick and one hundred and forty meters in diameter.

This arena is certainly sufficient for ordinary matches; even a Soul Emperor could only open two small craters at most. However, the overall strength of this competition is clearly extraordinary, so the arena becomes less and less impressive as the competition progresses.

Meanwhile, the arena for this competition is also equipped with a special soul-guided shield. Considering the reasons for flight and the true form of the martial soul, this shield is only four meters high, like a city wall. Its only purpose is to prevent opponents from being knocked off the stage and losing the competition.

In other words, the kind of opportunistic tricks that Xu Sanshi used will no longer work in this competition, and the intensity will be even more brutal.

The first impression of the entire competition is that it's like a fighting cage!
Ning Wuque was even more convinced of this idea after seeing the arena, which resembled the Colosseum in ancient Rome. No wonder people died so often in the original novel; the arena itself was one of the influencing factors, encouraging the participants to fight to the death!

"Beibei, cheer up! If you run into the Holy Spirit Sect, you'll definitely be able to wake Tang Ya up! She hasn't made a serious mistake yet; she still needs you!"

"I'm fine, Sanshi, thank you... I'm much better. You were right, Tang Ya still needs me."

Encouraged by his good friend, Bei Bei mustered his spirits and believed that he could definitely wake Tang Ya up!

If we can't wake her up... then we'll catch her ourselves later and prevent her from doing anything wrong. When we get back, we'll ask our ancestor if he has any experience or solutions in this area.

So, everyone went to the rest area that the organizers had prepared for them in the competition area and sat down.

Shrek Academy and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School temporarily parted ways, but Wu Feng did not leave with the group. Instead, she stayed by Ning Wuque's side and waited quietly. She did not intend to leave unless it was their turn to compete.

Isn't this irresponsible? Indeed, it is. Wu Feng had given up hope of winning the championship in this competition, so he didn't take it too seriously; he just wanted to have fun in the battle.

step, step, step
step, step, step
The rapid sound of hooves rang out as the many participating forces entered meditation, and the esteemed entourage, dragged by thirty-two horse-like soul beasts known as "Horned Scale Horses," came into everyone's view.

"It's His Majesty the Emperor!"

"And the Regent's wife!"

"Your Majesty the Regent's Wife!"

The carriage stopped, and a handsome but somewhat effeminate man in a wheelchair was pushed off the carriage by a girl with orange hair.

In the competition venue, the contestants from the Sun and Moon faction stood in neat rows, looking excitedly at Xu Tianran, the current emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire, and his queen, Ju Zi.

Soon, Xu Tianran was pushed step by step by Ju Zi to the viewing platform, which was located directly above the competition arena, and from there he could clearly see everything below the stage.

Before Xu Tianran arrived, a number of people had already arrived at the high platform. Some of them were standing, while others were sitting on the seats nearby, waiting silently. Some of them wore hoods, making it impossible to see their true faces from a distance.

"quiet!"

The aged but powerful voice brought the scene to a complete silence, as if it had been paused.

On the high platform, Xu Tianran, now helped to a seat by Ju Zi, looked at the crowd below with a blank expression.
"My beloved ministers, you may rise above the formalities. I hope you will live up to my reputation. Now, the Princess will give a speech."

"Fellow citizens of the Sun Moon Empire and distinguished guests from afar, on behalf of His Highness the Regent, I welcome you all." His words were concise and to the point. Ju Zi, wearing glasses, possessed a dignified and aloof appearance, his tone upright, much like a general.
"At the same time, on behalf of His Highness the Regent, I hereby announce that the Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Competition is now in session. Please welcome the Royal Soul Master Academy of the Sun Moon Empire to present a spectacular opening ceremony!"

"The first match of the preliminary elimination round is between the Royal Soul Master Academy of the Sun Moon Empire and the Dragon Slayer Sect. This match is a one-on-one elimination battle. Please send seven members from each side to the waiting area."

The referee for this Soul Fighting Tournament is not the one from the original story, but a titled Douluo whom Ning Wuque does not recognize. He appears to be a middle-aged man with a somewhat handsome appearance and snow-white hair.

As the referee's words fell to the ground.

In the stands, Ning Wuque watched the two teams take to the field with his arms around both of them. To his slight surprise, the starting lineup for the Sun Moon Royal Academy in this competition was not Meng Hongchen, but Xiao Hongchen!
He walked easily onto the stage, nodded to the referee, and then, without even glancing at his opponent, focused his gaze precisely on Ning Wuque in the distance.

"He's looking at me? Interesting. Is he issuing a challenge to me? Come on, let me see what you're capable of."

Their eyes met, and Ning Wuque looked at Xiao Hongchen with a smile and expectation. If it was just the original seven-ring Soul Saint, it wouldn't be enough to impress him.

But then, Xiao Hongchen's battle made the previously carefree Ning Wuque sit up straight, his eyes flashing with a fanatical fighting spirit!
.........

"There's only one rule for the individual elimination tournament: fight until one side is unable to fight or concedes defeat. Try not to injure your opponent, understand?"

"Hmph, you'll regret your arrogance!"

"Oh."

"How rude... Alright, let the competition begin!"

As the referee's words fell, the two men, who were twenty meters apart, simultaneously activated their martial spirits. The blond-haired boy from the Dragon Slaying Sect instantly grew larger and charged towards Xiao Hongchen without hesitation.

Across from him, Xiao Hongchen remained expressionless as seven soul rings—yellow, purple, black, and black—appeared amidst gasps from 99% of the people present.

At the same time, six metal humanoid puzzle pieces flew out from his soul tool, and the first six soul rings lit up in turn, completing the metal liquefaction in an instant.

Then——

boom! ! !
The six-meter-tall metal humanoid punched out, sending the young blond boy from the Dragon Slayer Sect flying. He crashed into the soul-guiding shield like a dead dog, barely breathing and on the verge of death, a sight that made one feel a pang of pain.

"You can't even withstand a single punch, and you expect me to look you in the eye? Lament your powerlessness in the face of absolute strength, next."

A calm, metallic voice rang out. Xiao Hongchen spoke, stretched his arms, and then raised the metal head to look at Ning Wuque once more.

Soon, he saw what he wanted to see.

That was Ning Wuque's surging passion, a fighting spirit that Ning Wuque could feel from the bottom of his heart even from hundreds of meters away!

(End of this chapter)