Upon investigation, they discovered that Little Snake was actually a member of Dugu Feng's clan.
Everyone was instantly shocked.
If Little Snake was already this powerful, then how strong must Dugu Feng be?
Just how formidable was he?!
A few minutes passed.
Even though the Nether Tiger Team had exerted their full strength, Dai Xing, at level 45, roared furiously but was still poisoned until his face turned blue and purple, forcing him to admit defeat helplessly.
The Nether Tiger Team was eliminated in the first round.
Gem Academy advanced.
Meanwhile, the other matches concluded one after another, marking the end of the first round of the Soul Master Competition finals.
Only eighteen teams remained.
In the second round, Gem Academy received a bye, allowing Dugu Feng and his team to sit back and watch the battle unfold.
For the second round, the Star Luo Royal Team, the Spirit Hall Team, and the Heaven Dou Royal Team would all take the stage.
Perhaps to prove the fairness of Spirit Hall's draw, another intense showdown emerged in this round.
Two of the three seeded teams became opponents—the Spirit Hall Team versus the Heaven Dou Royal Team.
Dugu Feng couldn't bear to watch.
The captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team was Dugu Yan, also the highest-leveled member of her team, currently at level 44.
Her progress was undeniably fast.
After Dugu Bo secured a Soul Bone for her, it not only boosted her Soul Power but also temporarily alleviated her concerns about toxins.
Coupled with the motivation from Dugu Feng, she trained with unparalleled dedication, achieving a solid Soul Power Level and formidable Soul Skill potency.
However, her level 44 strength was still far outmatched by Spirit Hall's lineup.
The moment the Golden Generation—Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue—stepped onto the stage, their overwhelming aura and unshakable confidence in victory made all other teams feel utterly powerless.
These were three Soul Kings.
On the surface, Dugu Yan remained composed.
But inwardly, she was gritting her teeth.
She kept thinking—if it were Dugu Feng facing these three Soul Kings, he'd probably remain calm and composed before defeating them all!
Yet, against these three, she already felt psychologically inferior.
As the captain, she couldn't afford to show weakness.
Once the referee announced the start of the match, Dugu Yan instantly unleashed her Azure Phosphorous Finger Force to buy time for her team.
Her mastery of the technique was impeccable.
But she was up against Xie Yue.
With a flick of his wrists, Xie Yue sent out an equal number of Moon Blades, intercepting all of Dugu Yan's Azure Phosphorous Finger Force at the center of the stage.
"Sky Fox!"
Hu Liena's voice was husky, carrying a peculiar charm.
At her command, the entire Heaven Dou Team froze in place.
Even Dugu Yan's eyes flickered with confusion.
The outcome was inevitable.
"You're far inferior to Dugu Feng. If not for your grandfather's sake, you'd already be lying severely injured!"
Xie Yue clapped his hands lightly, as if savoring the lingering sensation after wielding his Moon Blades.
His indifferent words drifted into Dugu Yan's ears.
Dugu Yan, now covered in blood, staggered back to her team.
Her face was deathly pale.
Upon hearing his words, she spat out another mouthful of blood.
It was utterly demoralizing!
"Yan Yan, are you alright?!"
Healing light enveloped Dugu Yan as Ye Lingling hurriedly supported her.
Dugu Yan shot a fierce glare at her opponents before retreating from the stage in disgrace.
The chasm in strength made threats unnecessary.
"Huh, Xie Yue and Hu Liena actually didn't use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Dugu Feng remembered that in the original plot, the Spirit Hall Team had opened with their ultimate Martial Soul Fusion Skill against the Heaven Dou Royal Team.
At the time, Dugu Feng thought, "Isn't that stupid?"
After all, the Heaven Dou Royal Team didn't have a single Soul King, and the gap between them was enormous.
They could have easily won through normal combat.
Why bother using the Martial Soul Fusion Skill?
Later, from observing the battle with the Shrek Academy Team, Dugu Feng realized that Xie Yue was extremely arrogant.
He didn't take any other teams seriously at all.
And he loved showing off.
Yes, Xie Yue was the biggest show-off.
Just like earlier, even though they had already won, Xie Yue still clapped his hands and threw in another taunt.
He even used Dugu Feng's name to mock him.
Dugu Feng was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
The highlight match of the second round concluded, marking the end of the Heaven Dou Empire's seeded team, the Heaven Dou Royal Team, in the Soul Master Competition.
The Spirit Hall Team crushed their opponents with overwhelming superiority.
Three Soul Kings—other teams couldn't even fathom how strong that was.
With such power, apart from Gem Academy, no other team could muster the will to resist.
Only Shi Nian, Ning Rongrong, and the other six gem-type Soul Masters still looked forward to the finals, determined to shock everyone.
As the second round ended, the third round followed immediately.
Unexpectedly, the third round was another clash of seeded teams—the Spirit Hall Team drew the Star Luo Royal Team.
Even the slowest minds now realized: the Spirit Hall Team was establishing dominance and building momentum!
They intended to intimidate both empires.
If they could first defeat the Heaven Dou Royal Team, then crush the Star Luo Royal Team, and finally claim the championship in one sweep—
For the Spirit Hall, this would be a perfect Soul Master Competition.
Dugu Feng suddenly perked up.
Since you're so arrogant, let me spice things up for you!
On the day of the match, the Soul Duel Arena was packed to the brim. At a glance, Dugu Feng noticed—
Every spectator was a Soul Master.
All affiliated with the Spirit Hall.
This was a true marquee battle.
In the eyes of the Spirit City audience, this was the championship match in advance.
No other duel in the competition could compare.
The main reason was that, apart from the Spirit Hall Team's three Soul Kings, there was a fourth Soul King in this tournament.
Zhu Zhuyun, the Star Luo Empire's top genius—a level 52 Soul King.
In the eyes of ordinary people, she was the only Soul Master capable of threatening the Spirit Hall Team.
Zhu Zhuyun was immensely famous—the future empress of the Star Luo Empire, its top genius, and potentially its Female Douluo.
Moreover, her strength surpassed that of the Star Luo Empire's crown prince, Dai Wei, meaning the empire's future would be female-dominated.
This had sparked much discussion.
The spectators were all curious—just how strong was this female Soul Master?
Dugu Feng and the others watched from their exclusive rest area as the Star Luo Royal Team and the Spirit Hall Team took the stage.
The Star Luo Royal Team was far stronger than the Heaven Dou Royal Team.
Zhu Zhuyun at level 52, Dai Wei at level 49, and four of the other five members being Soul Ancestors—with such strength, they would have been the clear champions if not for the Golden Generation.
Zhu Zhuyun stood at the center of the group. Tall and voluptuous, her skin was as fair as mutton-fat jade, exuding a mature charm. A faint smile played on her lips, as if she didn't regard her opponents as worthy of attention.
Beside her was Dai Wei, whose features bore some resemblance to Dai Mubai's. With his long golden hair, he appeared to be a dignified and intelligent young man.
Yet, a gloomy glint flickered intermittently in his eyes.
As the eldest prince, his strength still fell short of his future fiancée's. Though no one dared to mock him openly, Dai Wei couldn't shake the feeling that the nobles across the Douluo Continent were whispering about him behind his back.
Living under such circumstances had darkened his thoughts considerably.
(End of Chapter)