Chapter 111: Du Busi Draws the Sun Moon Team? Elder Xuan's Wild Laughter
The atmosphere within Star Luo Plaza reached a fever pitch.
As the chief referee's magically amplified voice boomed across every corner of the massive arena, the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators erupted like a rolling thunderstorm. The top sixteen teams had finally been locked in. Now, the impending draw ceremony would directly dictate their survival in the brutal crucible of the knockout stage.
In the sprawling audience stands, a restless sea of whispers and heated debates rose and fell. Everyone understood the harsh reality of this tournament: while no team in the top sixteen was truly weak, the disparity in raw power was an objective, obvious fact.
At this critical juncture, luck carried just as much weight as strength. If two championship-caliber titans collided in the very first round, one was destined to pack their bags early, their dreams crushed in the dirt. This ruthless elimination format meant every single movement of the referee's hand tugged at the frayed nerves of countless onlookers.
Following the referee's sharp gesture, the draw officially commenced.
The first group to ascend the stage was a high-level Soul Master academy hailing from the Star Luo Empire. Despite clawing their way into the top sixteen, anyone with half a brain could see the truth: they had merely coasted on a miraculous streak of good fortune during the round-robin group stage, heavily relying on defensive stalling tactics and tacit cooperation. In terms of individual cultivation and Martial Soul quality, they were universally recognized as the absolute bottom feeders of the remaining roster.
Down in the Shrek Academy preparation area, Elder Xuan sat hunched forward. His bloodshot, aged eyes bore holes into the opposing captain on the stage. When he watched the nervous youth pull a dark golden sphere engraved with the characters 'C-1' from the massive, metallic Soul Tool draw barrel, Elder Xuan's heart skipped a violent beat.
Group C... the first position. Elder Xuan gripped his greasy wine gourd so tightly his knuckles turned white, frantically praying in the darkest corners of his mind. Ancestors of the Sea God Pavilion, bless us. Keep the monsters away from Group C. Leave that empty slot for Shrek. As long as we draw this trash team, our victory is guaranteed.
Perhaps the heavens truly took pity on the old man's desperate psychological pleading. Over the next agonizing minutes, the heavy hitters—including the Douling Imperial Academy and Justitia Academy—miraculously avoided Group C entirely. Some were thrown into the meat grinder of Group A, while others found themselves locked into Groups B and D.
Watching the bracket for Group C remain completely devoid of predators, leaving only that single, fragile Star Luo team, Elder Xuan's wrinkled face flushed a deep, unhealthy crimson. The hand clutching his wine flask trembled visibly from sheer, intoxicating excitement.
Finally, the call came for Shrek Academy.
Elder Xuan shot to his feet. He didn't even bother to brush the food crumbs off his messy robes before striding toward the platform with a renewed, arrogant swagger. Standing before the towering metal barrel, he sucked in a deep breath and plunged his right hand into the dark opening. His calloused fingertips brushed against a cold, smooth sphere. That icy sensation sent an inexplicable jolt of euphoria straight up his spine.
With a sudden, dramatic flourish, Elder Xuan yanked the ball out and hoisted it high into the air. Sunlight glinted off the polished surface, illuminating the crisp, obvious engraving for the entire world to see.
C-2.
"Shrek Academy draws the second position in Group C!" The chief referee glanced down at the official registration parchment, his voice echoing like a war horn. "Facing—Star Luo Advanced Soul Master Academy!"
In that split second, Elder Xuan felt his heart slam against the back of his throat. Unable to suppress the tidal wave of ecstasy crashing over him, a breathless, unhinged laugh escaped his lips right there on the stage.
It's set! It is completely set!
In Elder Xuan's twisted chain of logic, this was the ultimate lifeline granted by the heavens. The Star Luo academy was the universally recognized soft target on the board. Even with Shrek's main roster crippled, and even with Huo Yuhao's current bizarre, unstable condition, they still had Bei Bei and Wang Dong. Crushing this pathetic excuse for a team would require barely any effort.
More, securing this effortless victory and advancing to the top eight would buy Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng several crucial days to recover. Once those two Soul Emperor-level powerhouses returned to their peak condition, Shrek would reclaim its rightful throne, sweeping the floor with the rest of the continent.
Vivid, intoxicating fantasies began to play out behind Elder Xuan's eyes. He saw Shrek crushing their final enemies, hoisting the championship trophy. He saw himself returning to the academy as the triumphant leading elder, basking in the reverent praise of the Sea God Pavilion.
And Liu Yuan? That ungrateful traitor would inevitably run into a brick wall in the upcoming matches, eliminated early, his face twisted in regret and despair. Du Busi would lose all face, forced to fulfill his humiliating bet by kowtowing and admitting defeat before the entire world.
The mere thought of it sent a shiver of pure satisfaction down Elder Xuan's spine. As he descended the stairs, he walked with such exaggerated vigor that his robes billowed around him, his former insufferable arrogance fully restored.
Right as Elder Xuan stepped down, a towering, mountain-like figure took his place. It was Du Busi's turn.
The Master of the Body Sect wore an expression of absolute, dismissive arrogance. He clearly didn't give a single damn about this so-called draw. Without a moment's hesitation, he shoved his massive hand into the barrel and casually fished out the number plate assigned to the Heavenly Soul Imperial Academy.
However, the moment the chief referee laid eyes on the engraving in Du Busi's palm, the official's expression stiffened. He raised his amplification Soul Tool, his tone dropping into one of extreme, heavy solemnity.
"Heavenly Soul Imperial Academy draws the first position in Group A! Facing—the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy!"
The instant those words echoed across the plaza, the entire audience erupted into a deafening uproar.
Down in the competitor's area, Elder Xuan froze. He blinked once, twice, processing the announcement. Then, as if he had just heard the greatest punchline in human history, he threw his head back and burst into manic, hysterical laughter. He laughed so hard he doubled over, clutching his stomach, tears of pure mirth leaking from the corners of his eyes. He was completely trapped in a state of deranged glee.
"Hahahaha! Du Busi, oh, Du Busi! It seems the heavens themselves are helping me!" Elder Xuan howled, his voice dripping with venomous pleasure as he mocked the towering man stepping off the stage.
"The Sun Moon Team! The undisputed strongest contenders of this tournament! Led by Captain Ma Rulong, backed by those two monstrous prodigies, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen! Didn't you strut around thinking your precious Liu Yuan was invincible? Now let's see how you drag yourselves out of this grave!"
Du Busi stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned to look at Elder Xuan, whose face was contorted in an ugly, mocking sneer. The temperature around the Body Sect Master plummeted, his expression darkening until it looked ready to drip freezing water.
He truly hadn't expected the draw to be this unlucky—colliding with the tournament's most terrifying juggernaut in the very first round of the knockouts. But fear? That was an emotion Du Busi had discarded decades ago.
"Elder Xuan, you are laughing far too early," Du Busi rumbled, his voice a low, dangerous growl that cut through the old man's cackling. A ruthless, bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes.
"Whether we end up in a grave or not is none of your concern. Since we've drawn them, we will simply crush them. You, on the other hand..." Du Busi's lips curled into a mocking sneer of his own. "...better make sure you don't capsize in the gutter. If you lose to a bunch of nobodies, you won't even have a grave to cry in."
"Still stubbornly running your mouth, Du Busi!" Elder Xuan spat back, his chest puffed out with absolute confidence. Believing he already held the ultimate victory in his grasp, his tone grew even more acidic. "Then let's wait and see! This old man wants to see exactly how many seconds your precious disciple can last against a sky full of Fixed Soul Tools!"
The verbal crossfire between the two powerhouses saturated the surrounding air with the heavy, suffocating stench of gunpowder.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the plaza, within the sleek, metallic confines of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's preparation area, two distinct figures cast their gazes toward the commotion.
"Heavenly Soul Imperial Academy?" Xiao Hongchen murmured, a haughty, dismissive smirk playing on his lips as he leaned back in his chair.
"Hmph... nothing to worry about," Meng Hongchen chimed in, her eyes narrowing with cold, analytical precision. "There are only two on their roster who can actually put up a fight. As long as we lock them down, taking the win will be child's play..."
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]