Chapter 208: I Have a Great Power
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A Rank 79 Soul Saint battling a Rank 97 Super Douluo—Long Xiaoyao was truly looking forward to this fight.
From the very first clash, it was evident that Su Yu had not fallen into a disadvantage.
"Incredible!"
Long Xiaoyao marveled, deeply shaken by Su Yu's performance.
Su Yu had already demonstrated countless astonishing feats before. His achievements were overwhelming—he was the one who introduced battle armor, pioneered the concept of soul spirits, and even created the soul spirit system. He had even developed a cultivation method that could potentially enhance a soul ring's lifespan.
These groundbreaking innovations had long since numbed those who witnessed them.
And now, beyond that numbness, Su Yu was shocking them once again—but this time, with his sheer power.
So strong!
Above the arena, Su Yu had transformed into the Sky-Piercing Blue Silver Emperor, connecting with the endless thunderclouds above and the earth below.
Boom!
As the battle raged on, Long Xiaoyao's astonishment grew more intense.
"This is… an Intent Realm!"
Just like Xue Di's Three Absolutes, Su Yu had begun fusing his spiritual power with his soul power, simultaneously integrating the surrounding heaven and earth energy, making the forces of space itself his own.
Under the Blue Silver Domain, the surrounding space was already deeply influenced by him. Now, as he guided it with his own enlightenment, it was as if an invisible force was empowering every one of his attacks.
This was the power of heaven and earth.
Or rather, at this moment, Su Yu had stepped into the state of unity between man and nature.
Long Xiaoyao watched as Su Yu continuously displayed techniques far beyond what a Soul Saint should be capable of, unable to help but admire him.
Little did he know, the one fighting Su Yu—Yan Shaozhe—was actually his great-grandson.
Yet even Yan Shaozhe himself was utterly shaken.
Su Yu's displayed combat prowess far exceeded expectations.
Not only had his soul power fluctuations reached the level of a Rank 97 Titled Douluo, but his actual strength had risen to match. He could fully unleash the power granted by various amplifications!
No, he could wield it even better!
Yan Shaozhe, in his Bright Phoenix form, let out a piercing cry as his ninth soul ring shone.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Phoenix Descent!"
The Bright Phoenix's body expanded in an instant, surrounded by blazing crimson-gold flames. Within each flame, tiny phoenix shadows flickered, as if countless miniature phoenixes danced within the fire.
Under Yan Shaozhe's control, countless phoenix fireballs rained down toward Su Yu.
The flames of the Bright attribute should have had a strong suppressive effect on Blue Silver Grass.
But Yan Shaozhe knew that his flames would not have the expected overwhelming advantage against Su Yu. The fact that he had nearly been forced into a disadvantage earlier was proof enough.
Absurd!
Faced with a sea of fire, Su Yu remained unfazed. Thunderous energy surged around him as the towering Blue Silver Grass rapidly extended, intertwining into the form of a massive dragon.
The Blue Silver Dragon's entire body crackled with lightning imbued with a destructive aura, sweeping through the barrage of phoenix fireballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted as phoenix fireballs detonated, causing the entire Great Soul Arena's temperature to soar.
Amidst the crimson-gold flames, a bolt of lightning streaked through.
The Blue Silver Dragon remained largely unscathed, breaking through the fiery inferno and charging straight toward Yan Shaozhe.
Huo Yuhao watched the battle in the sky, utterly shaken.
Compared to this clash between Su Yu and Yan Shaozhe, the previous Soul Master Tournament battles felt like mere child's play.
This was the sentiment of every spectator present.
Though the battle above had a tremendous impact, the Great Soul Arena was vast. The audience stands were a fair distance from the combat zone, and multiple layers of soul tool barriers further protected them.
Even though it couldn't completely withstand a Super Douluo's attacks, the protective barriers were still capable of neutralizing the residual shockwaves.
Because of this, what was originally just an audience gathered to watch the Soul Master Tournament now had the rare fortune of witnessing an epic battle between Super Douluo.
Xuan Zi observed the battlefield with growing urgency.
Yan Shaozhe was, after all, the head of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department. If he were to be defeated in front of such a massive audience by Su Yu—a mere Soul Saint—it would be an unprecedented humiliation for Shrek.
However, so far, this battle had remained completely fair.
Neither the Soul Engineer Legion under Zhongli Wu and Xu Tianran nor Long Xiaoyao or the hidden Poison Undying of the Body Sect had made any moves.
Each of them harbored their own thoughts.
Regardless of the outcome, Shrek's damaged reputation would be beneficial to them all. Thus, they merely observed in silence, waiting for the right moment.
A deafening roar erupted from the massive Taotie Divine Ox.
"Shaozhe, don't drag this battle on!"
Outside, the Sun-Moon Empire's Royal Soul Engineer Legion was still setting up, having already surrounded the Great Soul Arena.
Beyond them, an ordinary army was also mobilizing, gathering into formation. Rows of soul cannons were being set up.
The longer they delayed, the harder it would be to escape.
Xuan Zi's warning wasn't just meant for Yan Shaozhe—it was also a signal to the various major factions of the Douluo Continent.
If you don't act now, none of you will be able to leave!
With a resounding shout, a mass of earth-yellow energy coalesced before Xuan Zi.
Su Yu snorted coldly. "Outnumbering the opponent? As expected of Shrek!"
His towering Blue Silver Emperor body underwent a transformation.
It was still the same immense Blue Silver Grass, but unlike before, golden patterns now gleamed across its surface.
Lightning still surged through the Blue Silver Emperor, but unlike earlier, it no longer seemed perfectly integrated.
From fusion—to coordination.
"Yan Shaozhe is yours to handle!" Su Yu instructed his two soul spirits.
The sixth soul skill of the Blue Silver Emperor, Ocean's Embrace, was already an incredible tool for soul power recovery. Under the Blue Silver Emperor's direct control, its effects were even more pronounced.
As long as Su Yu activated a portion of his soul power, the Blue Silver Emperor could continuously sustain itself through its domain and soul skill.
Meanwhile, the Thunderclap Hell Vine controlled the power of lightning, working in tandem with the Blue Silver Emperor to command the Blue Silver Dragon in its battle against Yan Shaozhe.
Su Yu himself withdrew from the fight.
Before the massive Taotie Divine Ox, his figure seemed insignificant.
Yet, despite the stark contrast in size, he exuded an aura of equal standing.
"That's… blood essence power!" Poison Undying gasped in shock.
The blood essence energy surrounding Su Yu was incredibly dense.
His seven multicolored soul rings had vanished, replaced by four strange yet powerful rings emanating an overwhelming presence.
Blood Essence Soul Rings.
Crimson-gold, blue-gold, crimson-gold, rose-gold!
The sight of four differently hued golden soul rings was astonishing.
"He has twin martial souls?"
Su Yu has twin martial souls?!
Even Kong Deming, hidden in the shadows, was dumbfounded.
He had once compared Su Yu to Huo Yuhao and concluded that his disciple's only shortcoming was possessing just a single martial soul.
But now, seeing Su Yu manifest four Blood Essence Soul Rings, he was utterly stunned.
Could Su Yu really have twin martial souls?
If even Kong Deming was this shocked, there was no need to mention the others.
For a brief moment, Poison Undying even considered recruiting Su Yu into his sect. Even if Su Yu was a disciple of Sun-Moon Hall, it wouldn't matter.
Su Yu's second martial soul was, without a doubt, a Body Martial Soul!
And likely, an extremely high-quality one.
The sheer oppressive force radiating from those golden soul rings was even more terrifying than the pressure exerted by his previous hundred-thousand-year soul rings and beast soul rings.
Many had a possible explanation in mind, but none dared to believe it—because four god-level soul rings were simply too absurd.
Su Yu, however, paid no heed to the uproar caused by his Blood Essence Soul Rings.
The first and second Blood Essence Soul Rings glowed.
Extreme ice and fire energy merged into his blood essence.
With the power of the Ice-Fire Dragon Kings enhancing him, Su Yu's body expanded to over three meters in height—still far smaller than the true form of the Taotie Divine Ox, but now considerably more imposing.
Ice-Fire Dragon King's Protection!
The third crimson-gold soul ring flared as an overwhelming surge of fire energy erupted from within Su Yu's body.
His blood essence transformed into blazing flames, coalescing around him to form a towering Blood Essence Giant.
Like a martial soul avatar, the Blood Essence Giant swung its fist forward.
Condensed blood essence clashed against the Taotie Divine Ox's gathered earth-yellow energy sphere.
BOOM!
Su Yu faced two opponents alone.
Although Su Yu showed signs of being at a disadvantage against Xuan Zi, it was hardly surprising. After all, Xuan Zi was a rank 98 Super Douluo who had spent decades consolidating his strength at this level. He could break through to rank 99 at any moment.
"So this is the power of soul spirits?"
With the combined efforts of his two soul spirits—the Blue Silver Emperor and the Thunderclap Hell Vine—Su Yu was able to split his focus. His soul spirits coordinated to battle Yan Shaozhe, allowing Su Yu himself to concentrate on facing Xuan Zi.
Seeing this, many who had previously looked down on soul spirits immediately changed their minds.
Acquiring a soul spirit was difficult. One had to exhaust countless resources, test their luck, and even then, only a rare few could find a soul beast willing to become their soul spirit.
However, after witnessing Su Yu's two soul spirits in action, every soul master present began to think—it was worth it.
Before, they had doubted whether soul spirits were cost-effective.
But now, their opinions had completely shifted.
"Brother Yu is insanely strong!"
Huo Yuhao had made his own estimations of Su Yu's strength before, even asking him about it from time to time.
Each time, Su Yu would conservatively state that he could contend with a rank 97 opponent for a short while.
But reality had proven otherwise—Su Yu's strength exceeded even his own cautious predictions.
"You actually believed Su Yu's estimations?"
If Xiao Hongchen or Meng Hongchen had heard Huo Yuhao's thoughts, they would have scoffed at him.
Su Yu wasn't the type to exaggerate, but he was extremely cautious. When calculating combat strength, he always made the most conservative estimates.
If an opponent had a hidden trump card? He factored that in.
If they had accumulated soul bones over the years? He considered that too.
So when Su Yu said he could "barely contend" with a rank 97, he meant a deeply experienced rank 97—one with powerful soul bones, refined soul power, and masterful technique.
Yan Shaozhe, despite being the head of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, had only recently broken through to rank 97. His foundation was far from solid.
Did he have secret techniques for explosive power?
Yes, but this was not the right moment to use them.
"We can't wait any longer!"
Su Yu and Xuan Zi had been clashing for only ten seconds, but they had already exchanged three powerful blows.
By now, some in the crowd had snapped out of their daze.
If they delayed any further, they truly wouldn't be able to leave.
Qian Duoduo released his martial soul, unleashing his full rank 94 soul power without reservation.
The Fanfeather Martial Soul enveloped his body, and two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings floated around him. However, instead of joining the battle, he positioned himself to defend both Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect team.
After a brief moment of hesitation, other hidden experts accompanying the major factions stepped forward as well.
By now, this wasn't just about Snow Empress anymore.
It had become evident that even if they dealt with Snow Empress, they themselves wouldn't be able to escape easily.
Of course, some chose to remain on the sidelines, believing that the military encirclement outside the Great Soul Arena was solely targeting Snow Empress. They doubted that the Sun-Moon Empire would go so far as to attack every team participating in the tournament.
BOOM!
Su Yu's blood essence surged violently as he engaged in a fierce battle against Xuan Zi, his entire being immersed in combat.
The Body Sect's fighting style was exhilarating.
Although Su Yu's martial soul wasn't a true Body Martial Soul, his blood essence training and the cultivation of his Blood Essence Soul Rings essentially allowed him to treat his own body as a martial soul.
The sensation of using raw blood essence power to shatter all obstacles was nothing short of exhilarating.
"A fist like a dragon's roar!"
Su Yu's Blood Essence Giant raised its right arm, where red and blue dragon auras spiraled and intertwined. Alongside the dragon aura, a faint phoenix shadow flickered.
The absolute extremes of fire and ice.
The pinnacle of light.
The unmatched power of a true dragon.
The blessing of a sacred beast.
This punch ignited the full power of all four Blood Essence Soul Rings!
BOOM!
As the punch struck, the red and blue dragon shadows wrapped around the fiery-gold phoenix, their combined power distorting the surrounding space.
Xuan Zi's expression grew heavy. Without hesitation, he channeled his full soul power, suppressing the turbulence in his mental sea with a branch from the ancient Yellow-Grade Tree.
At the same time, he gathered his spiritual power, condensing an earthen-yellow energy sphere that pulsed with mysterious waves of force.
Inside the sphere, the illusionary form of a Taotie emerged.
ROAR!
Two devastating forces collided, shaking the heavens and earth.
"Do it!"
As the many Titled Douluo prepared to make their move, Zhongli Wu and the other evil soul masters finally erupted into action.
Jing Hongchen reacted swiftly, transforming into a human soul cannon turret.
Ten ninth-level soul cannons activated simultaneously.
His battle armor and these ten ninth-level soul cannons were linked, amplifying each other's power.
Domain activated.
Earth Domain!
A dense, overwhelming force surged through the air.
With his feet planted firmly on the ground, it was as if an infinite wellspring of power was pouring into his body.
Jing Hongchen funneled this overwhelming earth energy into his soul cannons.
BOOM!
Zhongli Wu's expression shifted slightly. He immediately activated his Martial Soul True Body.
Of the six black and three red soul rings circling him, three soul rings flickered in succession—including the red ninth soul ring.
Ninth Soul Skill—Death God's Aegis!
BOOM!
The ten ninth-level soul cannons fired simultaneously, their beams converging into a single, devastating blast.
The sheer destructive force was comparable to a Limit Douluo's full-powered strike.
Even with a hundred-thousand-year soul skill layered atop two additional defensive techniques, Zhongli Wu's defenses were obliterated on impact.
A skeletal dragon king's phantom manifested before him.
Wind and fire elements coalesced into a flaming storm, reducing part of the beam's destructive power.
Yet, the remainder of the attack crashed straight into the beast spirit's body.
Even though the Bone Dragon King, personally blessed by the Silver Dragon King, boasted near-unbreakable defenses, cracks appeared across its body.
However, within moments, the cracks mended themselves.
---
"Hall Master Hongchen, what are you doing?"
Xu Tiannan finally spoke, attempting to halt Jing Hongchen from continuing his assault.
"Your Majesty, evil soul masters are a plague. If we don't eradicate them now, the empire will never be free of them."
Jing Hongchen's tone was indifferent, yet his words rang with undeniable truth.
Xu Tiannan knew this.
He knew Jing Hongchen was absolutely right.
But now was not the time to say so.
All he could do was try to dissuade him without taking a hard stance.
"Hmph! If His Majesty refuses to act, then this old man will!"
Xu Tiannan sighed, shaking his head.
---
Meanwhile, Juzi's soul power fluctuated.
Two sixth-level Invincible Shields appeared in each of her hands.
At the same time, she locked onto another seventh-level Invincible Shield tucked within her arms, ensuring both her own safety and that of Xu Tiannan.
Yet, her gaze wasn't on the battlefield.
She was watching Huo Yuhao.
---
The moment Zhongli Wu took the direct hit, the hidden Titled Douluo from the Douluo Federation's three nations finally made their move.
Huo Yuhao went all out.
His Spirit Eyes Martial Soul entered its second awakening state, and his Extreme Ice Battle Armor operated at maximum output as he engaged in battle with Qian Duoduo.
However, he was completely overpowered.
---
Laughter rang through the battlefield.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen joined the fray.
Two yellow, two purple, two black, one red!
Though their soul ring compositions weren't as monstrous as some of the heavyweights present, it was still shockingly impressive.
Many powerful figures momentarily turned their attention to the siblings.
And what they saw was truly astonishing.
"Seven?"
A hundred-thousand-year soul ring… but only seven rings in total?
Their faces were unmistakable.
The fourth and fifth Soul Saints of this year's Continental Soul Master Tournament had appeared.
And both Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's seventh rings were red—a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!
Terrifying.
At this moment, no one was hopeful about the tournament's outcome anymore.
If there were just one or two, perhaps clever strategies and dirty tricks could be enough to win.
But four?
How could they possibly fight against four?
---
"Red Dust Yearning!"
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, joining forces with Huo Yuhao.
Together, they finally managed to hold off Qian Duoduo.
---
This day would surely go down in history.
As if the Great Soul Arena had anticipated this chaotic situation, the defensive soul tool shields covering the spectator stands and main platform remained fully active throughout the battle.
Long Xiaoyao stood watching, his eyes shifting toward one particular corner of the arena.
Poison Immortal was there.
Poison Immortal stared back at Long Xiaoyao, not making a move just yet.
At the same time, his gaze flickered toward the Body Sect team resting area.
This year's competitors from the Body Sect represented the future of the sect.
If something happened to them here, the entire sect would suffer irreparable damage.
The battlefield seemed chaotic, but in reality, it was clear upon careful analysis.
The Sun-Moon Hall was fighting both the Douluo Federation's three nations and the Holy Spirit Cult at the same time.
And yet, they were holding their ground.
Of course, part of that was because Xue Di had joined the fray.
Zhang Peng and the other scheming Titled Douluo from the Douluo Federation were all being held back by Xue Di alone.
But even she was reaching her limit.
Without fully unsealing her power, this was as much as she could manage.
---
The battle raged on.
The Sun-Moon Hall members wanted to end it quickly.
After all, this was their home turf.
Outside, countless soul tools had already locked onto the battlefield.
But the Douluo Federation's forces refused to back down.
As long as they kept fighting, they could at least avoid being wiped out in a massive soul cannon bombardment.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed from somewhere within Sun-Moon.
Su Yu's heart clenched.
But after a brief moment, he realized—
It wasn't the military arsenal.
The explosion's intensity was equivalent to a ninth-level soul cannon blast—about the same as three Hyper Douluo unleashing full-power attacks.
That was still bad, but not catastrophic.
He exhaled in relief and refocused on his fight.
However—
Xuanzai seized this opportunity.
With a sudden burst of power, he crashed into Su Yu, sending him flying.
At the same time, a dense, earth-colored energy orb formed in Xuanzai's mouth—
And then he launched it straight at the Blue Silver Emperor, which was locked in battle with Yan Shaozhe.
---
"Retreat!"
If they continued to tangle in this fight, they would suffer even more losses.
At this point, the tournament itself no longer mattered.
Su Yu, Huo Yuhao, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen had already demonstrated overwhelming strength.
Shrek Academy had no chance of victory.
There was no point in staying.
If not now, then when?
---
The explosion in Sun-Moon had also drawn Xu Tiannan's attention.
His eyes flickered toward the direction of the blast.
Fortunately, the affected area wasn't large.
But then—
"No… something's wrong!"
Xu Tiannan's face darkened.
"That's the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce's branch!"
---
The Wanjin Chamber of Commerce was one of the largest merchant guilds in the Sun-Moon Empire.
Its primary business?
Rare metal trade.
Many Douluo Federation merchants who came to the Sun-Moon Empire to purchase rare metals had to go through Wanjin, only to be heavily taxed before receiving their shipments.
The Wanjin Chamber of Commerce acquired its rare metals through both legal and underground channels.
The three major black markets each specialized in different businesses, but all of them trafficked rare metals to some extent.
In fact, the three major black markets had each secured at least one or two rare metal mining sites.
And the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce was responsible for laundering and distributing these materials.
The location of the explosion, combined with the shockwaves it produced, suggested that the blast had occurred at one of Wanjin Chamber of Commerce's branches.
Although it was only a branch, it still stored a significant amount of rare metals and soul tools.
At the same time as the battle raged on here, a group of Star Luo and Heavenly Soul Empire worshipers, who had been lying in wait at the Sun-Moon Royal Hotel, finally made their move.
Led by Medical Immortal Douluo Wang Xian'er, they raided a Wanjin Chamber branch and immediately fled toward the outskirts of Sun-Moon.
The explosion they triggered also gave Xuanzai the perfect opportunity.
For a moment, Su Yu nearly panicked, thinking that the military arsenal had been discovered and destroyed.
That brief distraction was all Xuanzai needed to fully seize the advantage.
---
"But this works just as well."
Su Yu slowly landed, his two soul spirits merging back into his body.
The Douluo Federation's Titled Douluo, including Xuanzai, had all retreated.
The pursuit of these enemies would be left to the Royal Soul Engineer Legion waiting outside.
Now, Sun-Moon Hall could fully turn its attention to the Evil Soul Masters present.
With their hands freed, Sun-Moon Hall had just gained an overwhelming advantage—
- Su Yu alone possessed the strength of two Hyper Douluo.
- Huo Yuhao held the power of a Titled Douluo.
- Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's Martial Soul Fusion Skill rivaled a peak Titled Douluo.
---
"Before dealing with external threats, one must first resolve internal strife!"
The Evil Soul Masters had to be dealt with first before considering external conflicts.
At that moment, Long Xiaoyao's gaze shifted toward the battlefield.
He saw Holy Spirit Cult Master Zhongli Wu and Zhang Peng being surrounded.
No longer content to sit back and watch, he finally stepped forward.
But—
Kong Deming blocked his path.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and another full-scale battle could break out at any moment.
However, the Evil Soul Masters were inherently ruthless.
If they were truly pushed to the brink, they wouldn't hesitate to slaughter everyone present—tens of thousands of spectators would die with them.
---
"It seems there has been a misunderstanding."
At that moment, a voice rang out.
"The National Preceptor was personally appointed by Us. How could he possibly be an Evil Soul Master?"
The speaker was none other than His Majesty, Emperor Xu Tiannan.
As the battle raged on, Zhongli Wu's black robe had long since been shredded, revealing his true appearance beneath.
And his appearance… was completely different from what people expected.
He had short, silvery hair, each strand fine yet sharp, resembling steel needles.
His eyebrows were like stars, and his eyes were a deep violet, exuding an aura of mystery.
His nose was straight, his lips were well-defined, and his features were exceptionally handsome.
By appearance alone, he didn't exude the slightest hint of an Evil Soul Master's aura.
---
Xu Tiannan was well aware—
No one here would believe him.
Not the Titled Douluo, nor the ten thousand spectators in the stands.
But so what?
He was the Emperor.
The ruler of the Sun-Moon Empire.
His word was law.
As long as he remained on the throne, his decrees carried absolute authority.
If he declared that the Holy Spirit Cult was not an Evil Soul Master sect, then it wasn't.
After all, the seven Holy Spirit Sect members who had participated in the tournament were already dead.
And they were from the Holy Spirit Sect, not the Holy Spirit Cult.
It was the Holy Spirit Sect who was slandering them.
As for Zhang Peng?
"We have spoken—The Holy Spirit Cult is not an evil sect!"
---
Jing Hongchen stared intently at Xu Tiannan for a long while.
Finally, he withdrew his Martial Soul possession state.
The previously explosive tension slowly dissipated.
Xu Tiannan stepped back, giving the situation a chance to cool down. The Evil Soul Masters would be dealt with, but for now, the time wasn't right.
The Soul Arena was filled with too many people, and the outside crowd was just as packed. The Douluo Three Kingdoms forces were cautious about the potential fallout, and they weren't willing to be too reckless. However, if they were to eradicate the Evil Soul Masters, thousands of innocent lives would be lost in the process.
For now, the Xi Shui Alliance had not yet made its move, so there was a bit of breathing room.
Kong Deming glanced at Xu Tiannan, his disappointment clear as day. Xu Tiannan understood the feeling, as he was aware that working with the Holy Spirit Cult had been a massive mistake.
He was now stuck in a precarious situation, where continuing his plan to eliminate the Holy Spirit Cult's two top Douluo was the only way to avoid the Sun-Moon Empire's complete downfall. But had he not allied with the Holy Spirit Cult, it was likely he wouldn't have been able to hold the position he was in now.
Every choice had its consequences, and Xu Tiannan had long since accepted that. He didn't regret it.
"I will not fail," he said firmly, his words laced with determination.
Xu Tiannan managed to conceal his murderous intent towards Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui—a fact that Long Xiaoyao keenly sensed. However, it didn't escape Long Xiaoyao's attention that something about Xu Tiannan left him uncomfortable.
---
The atmosphere gradually eased as the immediate threat calmed. But Su Yu's plan was far from over.
He turned his gaze toward the Douluo Three Kingdoms' Titled Douluo, noting their escape route, and then towards the resting area where the contestants were.
"Even if they escape, they can run, but the monastery remains."
The foundations of the soul sects and academies were irreplaceable, and they would never abandon them.
Meanwhile, Poison Immortal, who had not yet fled, continued to observe the situation. His non-action was partly because of Long Xiaoyao and Kong Deming, who had been the only ones to notice his presence, and Zhongli Wu, who had no intention of directly confronting the Main Body Sect.
---
Poison Immortal spoke up, his body radiating a toxic aura.
"Gentlemen, with the Soul Arena in this state, my Main Body Sect can no longer trust the protection of your country. We intend to withdraw from the competition. You won't stop our disciples from leaving, will you?"
Xu Tiannan, in a calm tone, replied, "The Main Body Sect is free to leave, but some teams of troublemaking individuals will need to stay until the disruptive elements are caught."
His words specifically referred to Shrek Academy, Tangmen, and other forces such as Aojian Sect and Tianlongmen, whose leaders had already engaged in combat.
---
Some of the smaller sects and academies would be allowed to leave. Xu Tiannan had originally planned to detain everyone, but after some thought, he realized it might be better to let the smaller factions leave.
This would prevent Shrek and other large factions from gathering support for a rescue mission in the future, and it would be a way to show that Shrek's influence was waning, especially after two consecutive failures in the tournament.
It would allow him to further expose their decline, making everyone aware of their weakened state.
---
"Wait!"
Just as the Main Body Sect and others were about to leave, Su Yu spoke up, drawing the attention of everyone.
"Does Sun-Moon Hall not intend to let them go?"
Poison Immortal was unconcerned about Sun-Moon Hall's refusal to let anyone go. Instead, he used this moment to irk Xu Tiannan.
Though today's events seemed to have shown the Sun-Moon Empire as the dominant power, and there was a temporary calm between previous factions, in reality, the Empire's internal strife was only intensifying.
In the deeper layers of the conflict, it wasn't just the Sun-Moon Hall and the Holy Spirit Cult that were at odds. There were also serious tensions between Sun-Moon Hall as an organization and Xu Tiannan as the emperor.
Sun-Moon Hall had, in a very public way, challenged Xu Tiannan. His face darkened upon hearing Poison Immortal's words, and his mind was already working on strategies to weaken Sun-Moon Hall's influence.
---
Xu Tiannan's thoughts were sharp as he considered the necessary actions:
"The armor technology must be handed over, their armed forces need to be reduced, and some of the Soul Engineers in Sun-Moon Hall are stuck at a bottleneck. We'll draft them into the army. Moreover, since Sun-Moon Hall and the Holy Spirit Cult are in conflict, let them wear each other down for a while."
But Su Yu wasn't concerned with these political games. Instead, he flashed a small smile. His eyes scanned the area where the Shrek and Tangmen teams were located.
Fanyu's expression changed as Su Yu's gaze passed over their direction. A sense of unease washed over him. Something felt off.
Poison Immortal, noticing that Su Yu had intentionally kept Shrek and Tangmen behind, and observing his cryptic behavior, became curious about Su Yu's true intentions.
"I don't mean anything special," Su Yu casually said, breaking the tension.
"I just happen to have a big secret!"
This made Fanyu even more uneasy. He had no idea what this "big secret" could be, but the foreboding feeling in his heart grew. He couldn't help but wish that Su Yu would just be quiet, but there was nothing he could do to stop him.
Poison Immortal, now genuinely intrigued, leaned in, his expression mildly amused.
"Oh? A secret? What's this about?"
"Oh, don't worry. I just want to share my big secret with all of you right now, while there are so many people around."
Fanyu was at his wit's end, trying to figure out what was going on, but he could feel that something big was coming.
Poison Immortal, amused by the drama, thought, "Is there a story behind this? I suppose I should listen and see where this goes."
With that, the tension remained, and the intrigue around Su Yu's secret only grew.
(End of Chapter)