Inside the Duke's Mansion in Bright Capital.
Night had fully settled over the manor. Soft light from soul-guided lamps spilled across the bluestone paths of the courtyard.
Liu Yuan sat opposite the Snow Empress, thin wisps of steam rising from the teacups on the table between them.
The tranquility did not last long.
A guard wearing the Duke's Mansion's distinctive armor entered the pavilion at a brisk pace and respectfully presented a perfectly wax-sealed letter with both hands.
Liu Yuan accepted it, motioned for the guard to withdraw, and casually flicked his finger to open the envelope.
As he read, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted, and he let out a quiet chuckle.
The Snow Empress took a sip of tea. Seeing his expression, she asked with mild curiosity,
"What's written in that letter? It's rare to see you laugh like that."
Liu Yuan placed the letter on the table and pushed it toward her.
Leaning back in his chair, he replied in a relaxed tone,
"Intelligence from the scouts monitoring Shrek and the other major teams. The contents are rather amusing."
He paused briefly, then continued,
"It says that Xuan Zi, who's leading Shrek this time, has become much more restrained compared to five years ago in Star Luo City."
"He was extremely low-key during registration, submitting only the most basic list of participants. He didn't dare publicize their martial spirits and cultivation ranks like last time. Looks like he's genuinely scared now."
The Snow Empress wasn't particularly interested in Xuan Zi's behavior. She skimmed the letter once, then her gaze paused on a specific section.
"There's something else mentioned here," Liu Yuan said, lifting his teacup as his smile deepened.
"This afternoon, Tang Ya ran into Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei on the streets of Bright Capital."
"While catching up, she exaggerated my current strength right in front of them—going so far as to claim I could sweep the entire tournament on my own. Wang Donger got upset on the spot."
"In the end, they were caught by Xuan Zi when they returned to the hotel. Because of Tang Ya, Bei Bei even argued directly with Xuan Zi. Shrek's internal atmosphere is already in turmoil over such a trivial matter."
Liu Yuan set his teacup down and shook his head lightly.
"It's quite funny. The competition hasn't even begun, and they're already fighting among themselves."
Hearing this, the Snow Empress's expression turned more serious.
She put down her teacup and looked directly at Liu Yuan, her azure eyes cold and sharp.
"Did Tang Ya betray you? Did she reveal information about your Soul Core or specific spirit abilities to Shrek?"
To her, betrayal against Liu Yuan was absolutely intolerable.
Liu Yuan waved his hand casually, signaling her to relax.
"Not at all. Tang Ya knows her limits. She understands where the line is."
"She only told them that I've become much stronger. She didn't mention a single concrete detail."
"This wasn't betrayal—it was more like using old friendships to apply psychological pressure on Shrek. And the effect was excellent. Xuan Zi is already losing his mind over there."
The Snow Empress said nothing more and lowered her head to continue drinking her tea.
Liu Yuan looked out into the moonlit courtyard, a faint sense of pleasure rising in his heart.
Although many years had passed since he left Shrek, every time he saw Xuan Zi suffer setbacks—or saw Shrek's people growing anxious and uneasy because of his existence—his mood improved noticeably.
"I wonder what kind of expression Xuan Zi will make this time," Liu Yuan murmured, his gaze deep,
"when they believe they've made tremendous progress, only to be crushed by me once again."
The Snow Empress looked up at him and said bluntly,
"Your malicious sense of humor really hasn't changed."
"Something you could resolve with one hand, yet you insist on watching them struggle—only to plunge them into despair at the end."
Liu Yuan smiled, offering no rebuttal.
"That's what makes it interesting."
…
Time quickly advanced to the next morning.
At Mingdu Plaza, the vast open space had been transformed into an enormous competition venue.
A massive circular arena—over a hundred meters in diameter—stood at the center. Its surface was covered in special alloy armor, with multiple layers of high-level soul-guided defensive barriers erected around it.
Morning sunlight poured down as the participating teams gathered in their designated areas.
Hundreds of flags fluttered in the breeze, representing nearly all the top spirit master forces on the continent.
On the main viewing platform, the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire took his seat, accompanied by numerous high-ranking officials.
Though he did not deliberately release any powerful aura, the natural authority of someone long accustomed to ruling caused the venue to fall silent almost instantly.
The Emperor gave no lengthy speech—only a few brief opening remarks welcoming the teams from afar—before handing proceedings over to the Chief Referee.
The Chief Referee, an elderly man dressed in ornate robes, stepped forward. His voice echoed throughout the arena through a soul-guided amplifier.
"The All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament officially begins."
"Before the matches start, I will first announce this year's new competition rules."
All eyes focused on him.
Pointing to the massive soul-guided display behind him, the Chief Referee continued,
"The first stage remains the Elimination Round. However, unlike previous tournaments, to increase competitiveness and shorten the schedule, this year's Elimination Round will implement division partitioning from the very start."
"The entire competition will be divided into four zones: East, South, West, and North."
"From today's Elimination Round onward, teams assigned to the same zone will compete exclusively within that zone—whether in the round-robin stage, quarterfinals, or semifinals—until a single champion emerges from each zone."
"Finally, the four zone champions will face off at the peak of Mingdu to determine the ultimate champion."
This meant the drawing of lots would directly decide each team's future path.
"Therefore," the Chief Referee continued, "today's first procedure is the live drawing of lots."
"Due to the large number of participating academies and sects this year, four teams will draw their zone assignments simultaneously to improve efficiency."
As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur spread through the previously quiet crowd.
This new partitioning system greatly reduced randomness, making the draw exceptionally important.
Below the arena, leaders and students from countless academies silently prayed.
Their gazes frequently drifted toward the area occupied by the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy—more precisely, toward the black-clad figure standing at the very front: Liu Yuan.
"Please don't let us end up in the same zone as the Sun Moon Royal Team."
"Even Shrek or the Body Sect would be fine—just not Liu Yuan."
This sentiment quietly spread among the ordinary teams.
In everyone's eyes, as long as they avoided the Sun Moon Royal Team, they wouldn't have to face the man acknowledged as the most terrifying existence of this tournament—at least not until the final stage.
Liu Yuan stood at the head of his team, indifferent to the reverent and pleading gazes directed at him from all sides.
At that moment, the referee's voice rang out once more:
"Sun Moon Royal Team, Shrek Team, Snow Demon Team, and Star Luo Team—please come forward to draw lots!"
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