Chapter 269: The Shattered Dao Hearts of the Juniors

"Xu Shi?" Xu Cheng's gaze swept across the arena. He didn't expect to see him again. This kid had decent talent. Last time at the palace banquet, he caused trouble and got caught by Xu Cheng, who then gave him a good beating—likely traumatized him a bit.

But after all, he was the biological grandson of Xu Jiangnian. When he saw Le Xuan, he still had to call her 'Grand-Aunt'. Then wouldn't that make him...

Xu Cheng's mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't think much of it.

Rumor had it that after the incident, the usually doting Xu Jiangnian locked him up and gave him a harsh beating, followed by a brutal combo from both parents. A truly miserable experience.

"When I got back to the royal mansion, he was still kneeling in the ancestral hall. Big Brother really came down hard on him." Zhang Lexuan chuckled behind her hand.

"There are quite a few like that in the royal family. He's actually considered restrained," Xu Cheng commented with rare generosity.

"Mm. Big Brother always says you're someone who can't tolerate a nail in your eye. He's been reminding the entire family to keep a low profile and avoid trouble, not to make things harder for you. That kid was just used as a lesson." Zhang Lexuan nodded slightly.

"…"

Xu Cheng paused for a moment.

Then a smile crept onto his face. Leading by example—that was the result he had wanted. It seemed… quite effective.

On the empty battle platform stood the top five students from each grade, a total of thirty people.

In the second-year group stood Xue Ling'er, Yu Tianlong, Xu Shi, and a few others.

The rewards were personally presented by Jing Hongchen. The top three received Level 8 Adaptive Soul Tools, while fourth and fifth places received Level 7 ones. When it was Yu Tianlong's turn, he was awarded a Thunderblast Blade, a custom-built Level 8 Adaptive Soul Tool—a weapon that would serve him for half his life.

Hu Yannan received a shield-type soul tool, which made his already formidable defense even more terrifying.

Of course, there was a clear intention of currying favor.

But it worked.

Yu Yanlong was so delighted in the stands he couldn't stop clapping with joy.

This was what mutual effort looked like.

As for the other sect masters like Hu Yanxiao, though a bit disappointed, they were still quite pleased overall.

The Hu Yan clan had existed for over ten thousand years and was affiliated with the Spirit Hall. Their strength hovered around the peak Soul Douluo level—unchanged for millennia. They were the type stuck in the middle—too strong to be weak, too weak to rise.

Now that they could align with the Sun Moon Empire, perhaps there was hope of reclaiming the glory of ages past…

The most awkward situation belonged to the Nine-Star Begonia Clan.

Calling it a clan was generous—it was more like a single bloodline, as each generation produced only one successor.

Their martial soul, the Nine-Star Begonia, had only one function regardless of how many soul rings it had: healing. So even though the current heir, Ye Wanwan, was incredibly gifted, she couldn't participate in the tournament. After all, Elder Jing hadn't set up a team competition.

Level 7 and Level 8 may only differ by one level, but the gap was astronomical.

As for Level 9… such soul tools were treasures even in the Sun Moon Empire—no one dared to even dream of owning one.

"Elder Ye, the lack of a team competition was an oversight on the Empire's part. The fact that Wanwan didn't get a chance to stand on that stage is my responsibility. This Level 8 defensive soul tool was crafted by me personally. Once filled with energy, it can withstand a full-power strike from a regular Title Douluo. Please, pass it on to her."

Xu Cheng smiled and clapped his hands.

In Ye Jue's palm appeared a thin, pale red plate.

"This—this is too much, Your Highness…"

Ye Jue had felt a bit disappointed before, but now his heart surged with joy. He couldn't hide the upward curl of his lips, even though he tried to suppress it.

After a bit of polite refusal, he finally tucked it into his pocket.

The tool wasn't the point—who gave it was. And it was crafted personally by His Highness. If that girl found out, she'd probably be overjoyed…

The old man stroked his beard and glanced at the slightly forlorn girl down below, his heart chuckling with delight.

"Next, we begin the Mingde Hall's Academy Tournament!"

Lin Jiayi took a deep breath.

"There are only eleven students from Mingde Hall who passed the preliminary rounds! Among them, Soul Kings are the baseline—there are even Soul Emperors who can fight across ranks! Some have even participated in the last Continental Soul Master Tournament, putting the Royal Academy's name into the annals of history! They are your senior brothers and sisters—people you should respect and admire!"

"And now, our Dean, Jing Hongchen, will preside over the matches!"

Finishing the script, he let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness the Dean was hosting. Just the two Soul Emperor girls glaring at him were enough to make his knees weak—never mind the final participant waiting to come out.

"Whaa~!"

The arena first fell silent, then erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.

What they had seen earlier were top talents within each grade. But even the sixth-years were mostly Soul Elders, Level 4 Soul Engineers.

Only Mingde Hall was where the real monsters of the Royal Academy gathered.

And the biggest highlight was still sitting calmly on the high platform…

Many had only heard the name—his deeds had become legendary, even godlike—but today was the first time seeing him in action.

"Buzz!"

Jing Hongchen gently pushed off his chair and rose into the sky, stepping lightly through the air, ripples of wind spiraling beneath his feet.

Instantly, the crowd was stunned into silence.

"Well then, let's not waste time. First match: Wang Qiu'er vs. Gai Yin!"

On the platform—

Wang Qiu'er slowly stood, gave her spear a light swing, and slung it behind her back. "Please."

Gai Yin responded in a low tone, "Please."

No nonsense. With a light tap of her toes, Wang Qiu'er sent out a shockwave strong enough to crack the arena floor in intricate patterns.

She rocketed out like a cannonball and landed with a loud boom.

Everyone held their breath.

The younger students stared wide-eyed, stunned.

As the dust settled, a lithe girl stood revealed—clad in golden armor, like a holy warrior, her fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.

"Buzz!"

Seeing this, Gai Yin's expression turned serious.

She also floated down onto the arena.

A pair of dark wings unfurled behind her. With a flap, she glided down gracefully, landing across from Wang Qiu'er.

"Begin!"

At Jing Hongchen's call—

Both released their martial souls at nearly the same moment.

Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black—

Identical soul ring configurations appeared beneath both girls.

"Golden Dragon!"

"Dark-Gold Three-Headed Bat King!"

Golden and dark-purple energies clashed, each girl's presence carving out their own space on the battlefield. The roaring dragon faced off against a three-headed bat apparition, just like the girls themselves—locked in a fierce stare-down.

"She's… that young—and already a Soul Emperor?!!"

Yu Tianlong and the others were stunned.

"Tianlong, if I gave you three years, could you reach Soul Emperor?" Hu Yannan swallowed hard.

"…" Yu Tianlong's face was full of shock. He slowly shook his head.

Forget three years—he was thirteen now. Even in five years, just barely reaching Soul Emperor would already be considered extremely lucky.

"Mingde Hall is full of these kinds of monsters?" Nan Qiuqiu felt her heart crack a little.

Those who had just placed in the top five and were riding a high, suddenly felt a dark cloud descend over their heads.

Xue Ling'er glanced at the suddenly downcast group.

Then looked back toward the high platform—

The scariest monster of all was still sitting there…