Douluo Continent: Reborn as Yuhao, they all have ulterior motives.

Chapter 330 The Tree Stands Out in the Forest (Part 2)

Shrek Academy, Lower Division.

"Sun Moon Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy, Upper Division"

As Xu Sanshi and Meng Hongchen took turns representing their respective teams to draw lots, everyone's hearts were filled with suspense.

Although the team that wins the group is a level above the teams that finish second in each group, there is still a significant gap between them.

Take the Spirit Pagoda and the Holy Spirit Cult for example. The former not only has a Soul Saint, but its captain also defeated Huo Yuhao, a Soul Douluo, in the Soul Master Competition five years ago. Now, five years later, no one knows just how terrifying his strength has become.

As for the Holy Spirit Cult, although it was not well-known in previous years, its performance in this competition was equally terrifying. A Soul Douluo powerhouse who was not even twenty years old, coupled with an unprecedented Soul Ring and the strange methods of an evil Soul Master, his strength was probably enough to rival that of an ordinary Title Douluo.

Without a doubt, the overall strength of these two teams is far superior to that of Shrek and Sun Moon teams, which each only have one Soul Saint.

Consequently, it's only natural that their lottery draws receive more attention.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Nan Qiuqiu nervously took out a slip of paper from the blind box and unfolded it to read it.

"Spirit Pagoda, Upper Half".

Upon hearing this, Meng Hongchen couldn't help but pout, looking at the white figure standing at the very front of the Spirit Pagoda team with a resentful expression.

It's like watching a scumbag who turns his back on you the moment he pulls up his pants.

Huo Yuhao wore a bitter expression and spread his hands innocently. The next second, his waist was hit hard by someone next to him, and his body trembled.

"Holy Spirit Cult Team, Lower Half of the Bracket"

With three of the four teams already decided, the Holy Spirit Cult naturally didn't need to be drawn again and was directly assigned to the lower bracket where Shrek Academy was located.

After taking the slip of paper from Nan Qiuqiu, the official showed the words on the paper to everyone present, then took out another blind box and handed it to Vina.

"Next, please have the four team representatives draw the names of the opponents you will face in the quarterfinals. This time, we will draw the names in the reverse order of the previous draws, with the Holy Spirit Church team drawing first."

coming!

Upon hearing the official's words, the remaining four teams perked up, all secretly praying that they wouldn't be the unlucky ones to go against the Holy Spirit Church.

Although this group of evil soul masters suffered almost no casualties except for their rampage in the battle against the Body Sect, their lineup, consisting entirely of Soul Emperors and including one Soul Douluo, was still like an insurmountable mountain, making it difficult for everyone to breathe.

Having reached the quarterfinals, everyone is a top genius in their respective fields. If there is even the slightest chance of winning, no one wants to pack up and go home.

At least when facing Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Academy, there's still a fighting spirit to put up, but once you encounter the Holy Spirit Cult and the Spirit Pagoda, there's truly no hope left.

Vina expressionlessly reached into the blind box, quickly pulled out a slip of paper, glanced at its contents, frowned slightly, and handed it to the official in front of her.

"Body Sect, I need to draw again."

The official was clearly surprised by such a coincidence. He first glanced subtly at the ugly faces of the Body Sect members, then unfolded the note and showed it to everyone present.

"Since the Holy Spirit Cult and the Body Sect were in the same group in the round-robin tournament, the results of this draw are invalid. Please have the Holy Spirit Cult representative draw again."

Seemingly enjoying the spectacle, the official raised his voice noticeably when saying the words "representative of the Holy Spirit Church."

Vina didn't pay any attention to this little incident and quickly drew another card from the blind box.

This time, she didn't even bother to glance at it and simply had an official read it aloud for her.

"The Holy Spirit Cult's next opponent is—Mingdu Advanced Soul Master Academy."

Upon hearing this, everyone at Mingdu Soul Master Academy, including Xu Tianzhen, felt their vision go black.

But they calmed down quickly, and apart from still looking a little pale, they didn't lose their composure too much.

After all, they had been thoroughly thrashed by the Sun Moon Royal Academy yesterday, even though Meng Hongchen hadn't appeared at all, and they already had a clear understanding of their own strength.

Anyway, you'll lose to anyone, it's just a matter of how fast or slow you lose.

It's nothing serious.

After Vina, it was Nan Qiuqiu's turn to draw lots.

Having learned from her previous experience, she wasn't nervous this time. She grabbed a slip of paper from the blind box, unfolded it, and immediately frowned.

"The Spirit Pagoda versus the Haotian Sect."

As she spoke, she instinctively turned her gaze towards Huo Yuhao's location, wanting to see the reaction of this freak.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the surprise on that unforgettable face, Nan Qiuqiu was momentarily stunned, feeling somewhat confused.

Judging from this reaction, could it be that I really drew the best fortune this guy mentioned?

That silly girl actually won!

Just as he was marveling at how fools sometimes have good fortune, Huo Yuhao keenly sensed that a gaze from the Haotian Sect was falling on him.

Turning his head, he met Tang San's cold and venomous eyes.

Seeing the burning fighting spirit in the other's eyes, Huo Yuhao blinked and a playful smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

Without warning, he raised his hand and gave Tang San a thumbs-up again.

?

Seeing this somewhat familiar movement, Tang San frowned, puzzled.

But then, as if he had just thought of something, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he subconsciously began searching for Xiao Qi's figure in the Spirit Pagoda's ranks.

Soon, he found the pink and blue figure who was smiling and chatting with her best friend.

Although her appearance was largely the same as he remembered, Tang San still noticed something different about the girl thanks to the keen observation skills granted by his Purple Demon Eyes.

It's as if they've experienced something significant and, in just one night, have grown beyond their wildest dreams and undergone a transformation in identity.

Now, Xiaoqi's face has lost some of the naivety of a young girl, and her eyebrows and eyes have gained a touch of allure that symbolizes a mature woman.

Tang San stared blankly back at the front of the group and found that Huo Yuhao was still looking at him.

However, unlike before, the smile on this guy's face became even brighter.

boom--!!!

As if the universe had exploded in his mind, an unprecedented rage surged into Tang San's brain, relentlessly assaulting his reason.

Almost instantly, Tang San's eyes were filled with those terrifying blood vessels, looking completely crimson, and his overwhelming rage made his chest heave violently like a bellows.

It made one fear that he might lose control of his inner rage and madness at any moment, pounce on someone, tear at flesh and blood, and suck the marrow from bones.

How dare you!?

Huo Yuhao!!! How dare you do such a thing to Xiao Qi!?

His worst fears came true.

His own precious daughter was actually taken by the very enemy who had pushed him into the abyss in his past life.

For a fleeting moment, Tang San even considered recklessly pulling out his trident, hoping to attract the attention of Tang San from the God Realm and perish together with Huo Yuhao.

But he quickly suppressed this impulse.

Even if this method were used, Huo Yuhao might not necessarily be killed.

Based on his previous deductions, this guy was likely already being watched by the gods, which meant that as long as he followed the plan, achieving final victory would not be a problem at all.

Choosing to take down the opponent even when you have a huge advantage is clearly not a good choice.

Most importantly, letting Huo Yuhao die like this is too lenient for him, and it is not enough to make up for what he did in his past and present lives.

Just wait, Huo Yuhao.

Tang San clenched his fists tightly, ignoring the pain from his still-healing injuries, and looked at Huo Yuhao with a venomous gaze like that of a snake lurking in the shadows.

I swear, you will pay a terrible price for what you have done!

And so, amidst the atmosphere of everyone harboring their own secrets, the lottery ceremony quickly came to an end.

Apart from the two unlucky ones, Mingdu Soul Master Academy and Haotian Sect, the remaining Body Sect and Star Luo Royal Academy were selected by Sun Moon Team and Shrek Team respectively, becoming their opponents in the quarterfinals.

On the afternoon of the same day the draw ceremony concluded, the Imperial government released the proposed schedule, using the two-day break to warm up for the competition.

However, as the saying goes, some are happy while others are sad, and this schedule is destined to not satisfy everyone.

For example, a disheveled old man from Shrek Academy, upon hearing the news, immediately gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor due to the surging anger within him.

"asshole!"

Slamming the gourd in his hand onto the table, Elder Xuan, hiccuping from drinking, angrily denounced the despicable behavior of the Sun Moon Empire.

"It's a shady operation! It must be a shady operation!"

"The Sun Moon Empire must have been instructed by Huo Yuhao to deliberately tamper with the lottery ceremony, arranging for the Spirit Pagoda and the Clear Sky Sect to compete in the same match!"

"The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. I should have known that long ago. Glug—glug—"

Unable to resist, he rewarded himself with another bite. Beneath his messy hair, Elder Xuan's face seemed so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

"While I anticipated these evil spirit masters might do this, I never expected them to be so brazen!"

Hearing Elder Xuan's voice, Yan Shaozhe, though his expression was also somewhat unpleasant, still offered a soft word of comfort.

"Elder Xuan, don't worry too much. This might just be a coincidence, and things might not be as bad as you think."

He knew what Elder Xuan was worried about.

Tang San was severely injured in the battle with Shrek Academy yesterday, and today he is arranged to face off against the Spirit Pagoda. It is very likely that the Sun Moon Empire is deliberately plotting to take advantage of Tang San's weakness to completely eliminate the Clear Sky Sect.

Even to put it in the worst-case scenario, it's not impossible that they might want to use this opportunity to kill Tang San on the stage.

However, Yan Shaozhe felt that the probability of such a thing happening was not very high.

"Coincidence? Shao Zhe, you're still too naive."

Elder Xuan shook his head, a wise light flashing again in his dim eyes: "The cunning of those evil soul masters is beyond our imagination. Especially in times like these, we must prepare for the worst!"

In the past, he might have thought, like Yan Shaozhe, that it was all a coincidence.

But when he confirmed Huo Yuhao's identity as a member of the Holy Spirit Cult and looked back on what had happened before, he suddenly realized that the series of events back then were not unfounded.

For example, the incident where twelve inner court disciples encountered a 100,000-year-old soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Just a few days ago, he thought it was just a coincidence, subconsciously believing that Huo Yuhao had planned everything because he thought Zhang Lexuan was qualified to inherit the position of the Sea God Pavilion Master after seeing her absorb the 100,000-year soul ring.

But upon closer reflection, he realized that the reality might not be as simple as he thought.

Imagine, why would an evil spirit master be so kind as to help a stranger fight a 100,000-year-old spirit beast?

With this thought in mind, he reviewed the events once more and realized the chilling truth hidden behind them.

Without a doubt, this incident was probably orchestrated by Huo Yuhao as well.

This guy is the culprit who killed six inner court disciples!

After all, before this incident, the mixed zone had not seen any 100,000-year-old soul beasts for hundreds of years.

This is also a major reason why he felt comfortable leaving the team behind to collect bird eggs.

But by sheer coincidence, Zhang Lexuan and his group encountered a 100,000-year-old soul beast just when he was unable to attend to the team!

It was as if someone deliberately seized this time to target the inner court disciples.

Of course, this alone might not be enough to explain anything.

However, according to the reports from the few surviving inner court disciples, they had met Huo Yuhao the night before they encountered the 100,000-year-old soul beast and revealed their Shrek Academy affiliation to him.

Now everything makes sense!

It is highly likely that Huo Yuhao, after learning the identities of Zhang Lexuan and the others, discovered that they were not accompanied by a Title Douluo-level teacher. Therefore, he harbored malicious intentions and deliberately lured the 100,000-year-old soul beast into the mixed zone, intending to use the soul beast to massacre the inner disciples of Shrek Academy.

However, despite the good plan, he seriously underestimated the combat power of the inner court disciples.

As the battle continued, Huo Yuhao discovered that Zhang Lexuan and the others were actually showing signs of defeating the Blood Erosion Dragon Lizard, so he changed his strategy in time, which led to the series of events that followed.

If not, why would he coincidentally appear at such a crucial moment?

If he hadn't been prepared, how could a one-ring Soul Master have helped Zhang Lexuan win the battle against a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast?

Moreover, it would be one thing if such a thing happened only once in a while, but ever since he met Huo Yuhao, almost every time he led a team, it resulted in heavy casualties due to various reasons.

Can someone's luck really be this bad, encountering problems every time they lead a team?

The incident where Tang San encountered the Man-Faced Demon Spider might indeed have been his fault, but ultimately the rescue was timely, preventing a major disaster.

The case with the Grim Reaper was different.

Why does that evil soul master possess the powerful skill Corpse Explosion, and also happen to have a soul skill that allows him to escape from the hands of a level 98 Super Douluo?

Coincidences again and again? How many coincidences are there in the world?

How could he not suspect that someone was behind this?

In retrospect, the deaths of those inner court disciples may have been related to him, but he was simply being used without his knowledge.

Fortunately, he realized it before it was too late.

He learned from his mistakes and, having gone through so much, he will never repeat them.

Just as he said, he had to be prepared for the worst whenever it involved Huo Yuhao!

Returning to Tang San's story, why did the Spirit Pagoda happen to run into the Clear Sky Sect in the quarterfinals?

Perhaps part of the reason is that Tang San is currently seriously injured, which presents a good opportunity to eliminate the Clear Sky Sect at the lowest possible cost.

However, Elder Xuan leans more towards another view: that the Holy Spirit Cult is wary of Tang San's existence.

After all, Huo Yuhao is very powerful, but Tang San is not bad either!

At the seventh ring level, he can launch an attack that threatens a Title Douluo, and he even has more powerful backup plans. This is far beyond the scope of his peers.

If we continue to let him grow, it will only be a matter of time before he catches up with Huo Yuhao.

Most importantly, Huo Yuhao's current strength is entirely due to opportunism and the use of evil soul masters to improve himself. His future potential has been completely locked in, and he is in no way comparable to Tang San.

Imagine that five years ago, Huo Yuhao planned the Death Messenger incident because he was worried that Tang San would threaten his position, but Tang San managed to escape unscathed in the end.

Five years have passed, and Tang San's progress has not slowed down but has become even more exaggerated. How could Huo Yuhao not be anxious when he sees his former rival showing such potential?

Without a doubt, if the two of them were allowed to meet on the arena, Huo Yuhao would definitely do everything in his power to eliminate Tang San, this potential threat!

However, Huo Yuhao was unaware that this action actually exposed his deepest fears and anxieties.

He was scared!

He was afraid of Tang San's potential!

As for why the Holy Spirit Cult wasn't allowed to confront the Clear Sky Sect, the reason is actually quite simple: to further lower Tang San's guard.

Although the Holy Spirit Cult team had almost no casualties on the stage, normal people would inevitably be wary of fighting evil soul masters, which was not conducive to Huo Yuhao's actions.

At the same time, if they were to kill someone in the arena under the name of the Holy Spirit Cult, it would likely deal a huge blow to the reputation that these evil soul masters had painstakingly built, which was unacceptable to them.

Thinking of this, Elder Xuan slammed his hand on the table and suddenly stood up from his seat.

"No! Shao Zhe, we need to go find Tang San right now! We must persuade him to give up the upcoming match against the Spirit Pagoda!"

dong dong dong-

Withdrawing his hand from the door, the young disciple of the Body Sect glanced at the bald old man beside him, and only spoke loudly after receiving instructions.

"Captain, the sect leader has come to see you."

silence.

After a long while, Long Aotian's listless voice came from behind the door.

"Come in."

Having received a reply, the disciple pushed open the door but did not enter.

He respectfully stepped aside to make way for Du Busi, and after Du Busi entered the room, he considerately closed the door for him, then gazed at the scenery outside the window with a somewhat bored expression.

Inside the room, Long Aotian forced himself to stay alert, stood up, bowed to Du Busi, and asked with some curiosity.

"Sect Master, what brings you here?"

"Don't be too nervous, I just came to check on you."

Poison Undying waved his hand, paused briefly, and then brought up the topic: "I've heard about what happened this morning. Don't worry about Vina for now. Focus on your cultivation and rescue her from the Holy Spirit Cult. That's what you should be doing right now."

Long Aotian trembled, a look of pain flashing in his eyes.

"But Vina, she..."

Before he could finish speaking, Poisonous Death interrupted him: "I know what you want to say, but haven't you considered that Vina did all this to protect you?"

"Protect me?"

"right."

Poison Immortal nodded slightly and stated his deduction: "You brat, don't you think before you act? You said you'd save her in front of the Holy Spirit Cult. If she just agrees, what will those evil spirit masters think?"

"Without a doubt, she will likely face severe punishment, and you will once again be targeted by those evil spirit masters."

Long Aotian's eyes brightened slightly: "Sect Master, what do you mean?"

"Judging from your expression, you must have already figured it out?"

Poison Undying patted him on the shoulder, a smile playing on his lips: "That's right, Vina is probably acting so resolutely to prevent you from risking your life to rescue her."

"It's precisely because she still cares about you that she had to harden her heart and sever all ties with you!"

(End of this chapter)