Chapter 49: The Soul Master Tournament Begins, Meeting the Annoying Trio Again
When Tang San emerged from the City of Slaughter, his soul power had already broken through the fiftieth rank.
At that time, Tang Hao had considered taking him to the Blue Silver Forest — a sacred place where countless Blue Silver Grass thrived, and where a Blue Silver King with eighty-five thousand years of cultivation resided.
That Blue Silver King could help Tang San undergo a second awakening of his martial soul, for within his veins flowed the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor.
However, Tang San had just walked out of the City of Slaughter then. His entire being was shrouded in killing intent, and his mental strength was still insufficient to control it.
Tang Hao decided to wait until Tang San learned to suppress his murderous aura, obtained the Head Soul Bone awarded to the Soul Master Tournament champion, and reached the point of needing his sixth soul ring. Then, he would take him to the Blue Silver Forest.
But how could he have known… that opportunity would never come?
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At this moment, Heaven Dou City was brimming with excitement and anticipation.
The opening ceremony of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament – Heaven Dou Empire Division was being held today, marking the grand beginning of this once-every-five-years spectacle.
Besides the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, which automatically held a seeded position, twenty-eight other academies had entered the competition.
Only five of these twenty-eight teams would earn the right to advance to the continental finals.
To prepare for this massive event, the Great Soul Arena of Heaven Dou Empire had been completely renovated — merging the main and subsidiary arenas into a single colossal structure.
The newly remodeled arena was magnificent and awe-inspiring, large enough to accommodate eighty thousand spectators, all eager to witness the dazzling duels of young soul masters.
The Soul Master Tournament wasn't just a battleground for soul master elites — it was a grand celebration that captivated the entire populace.
On the day of the opening ceremony, the Great Soul Arena was packed to the brim, a sea of cheering faces filling every seat.
Today's main events were the introduction of all participating teams, followed by the opening speech from Emperor Xue Ye himself.
After the ceremony, there would be only one match — a special exhibition between the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's Second Team and a randomly selected opponent.
This match was meant as a warm-up performance, designed to ignite the audience's enthusiasm for the battles to come.
Gui Mei, watching from the sidelines, already had a faint premonition. If nothing unexpected happened, the randomly selected opponent… would very likely be Shrek Academy.
As the opening ceremony reached its climax, the various teams began their grand entrance.
Gui Mei and Yue Guan walked side by side through the passageway.
Gui Mei wore a black robe, his long black hair cascading freely down his back. A light breeze brushed past his sharp features, adding a trace of unruly charm to his otherwise cold and stern expression.
Yue Guan, in contrast, was dressed in pristine white, a light veil covering his face. His graceful steps and elegant demeanor made him look almost like a refined noblewoman (disguise).
"Old Chrysanthemum, go take your seat in the stands. I'll go find them — I haven't met them in person yet."
"Alright. I'll be waiting to see your performance later."
Just as they were talking, a wave of mocking laughter erupted behind them.
"Hey, would you look at these clowns? Are they really from an advanced soul master academy? What's with that disgusting greenish-brown color — it looks like something that came out of a latrine!"
"Seriously! And they think they're worthy of entering the Soul Master Tournament? What a disgrace to the entire soul master world!"
The spectators' ridicule was, of course, aimed at none other than the Shrek Academy team.
Their uniforms… were indeed rather unique.
The color was an indescribable shade somewhere between bright yellow and vivid green — a hue that could only be described as revoltingly poop-green.
To make matters worse, the front of each uniform bore a gigantic emblem of a snarling Shrek monster, so large that it nearly covered the entire chest.
And if that wasn't enough, embroidered across the back in glaring red silk thread were six big characters that read:
"Sponsorships Welcome — Inquire Within."
The bizarre combination of colors and shameless design made the team look utterly ridiculous — so much so that it was hard for anyone to believe they were elite students of an advanced academy.
Right now, they looked less like proud soul masters and more like a troupe of street performers, surrounded by a crowd of jeering onlookers.
"Damn it! What the hell are these dogs barking about?!"
Ma Hongjun's temper instantly exploded.
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge into the stands and give those loudmouths a piece of his mind.
Dai Mubai reacted swiftly, grabbing Ma Hongjun by the arm before he could charge forward.
"Fatty, calm down! Don't make a scene — haven't we embarrassed ourselves enough already? Just cover your face and keep walking!"
Hearing that, everyone quickly reached into their robes, pulled out masks, and hurriedly covered their faces before striding forward as fast as they could.
At that moment, Yue Guan's steps suddenly slowed. His gaze fell on a familiar figure ahead of them.
"Old Ghost… isn't that— little brat Tang San?"
"Mm. That's him."
"Heh, what a coincidence. So the little brat actually dares to participate in the Soul Master Tournament? Looks like the heavens are giving us a chance to teach him a lesson."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Gui Mei's lips.
"If we're lucky, we might even meet them on the stage today."
"Now that's interesting. Hahaha…"
The two shared a knowing look before parting ways.
Yue Guan turned toward the spectator stands, while Gui Mei made his way to the contestant waiting area.
The tournament had arranged resting areas for all participating teams.
Before the opening ceremony, the contestants gathered there, waiting for their turn to enter the arena.
However, as the official representative of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy enjoyed special privileges — their students waited in a luxurious, private lounge.
As Gui Mei approached the entrance to that lounge, a familiar figure caught his eye — Dugu Yan.
The Royal Academy's main team didn't need to participate in the preliminary matches, but they were required to appear at today's ceremony.
When she saw him, Dugu Yan smiled and walked up gracefully.
"Wuming, you're here. Grandfather said you haven't met the Second Team's teacher or members yet. Come on, I'll introduce you."
"Alright. Thanks."
Gui Mei — currently going by the alias Wuming — followed behind Dugu Yan as she led him toward the Second Team's area. Along the way, they passed by Yu Tianheng and his group.
One of Yu Tianheng's teammates leaned over and whispered with a grin:
"Boss, you don't think Dugu Yan broke up with you because of that guy, do you?"
"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense! You really know how to hit a man where it hurts. Dugu Yan is just mad at me — she'll come around in a few days, right boss?"
Yu Tianheng's face turned an ugly shade of blue. He said nothing.
Instead, he watched coldly as Gui Mei's black-clad figure disappeared into the distance.
"That kid managed to get close to the Poison Douluo… he's no ordinary person. They've got a match today, don't they? Let's see what he can really do."
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan led Gui Mei into the Royal Academy Second Team's rest area and introduced him to their instructor.
"Teacher Lin, this is Wuming."
Teacher Lin appeared to be around fifty years old, of average build, neither fat nor thin. His face carried a calm, gentle expression that gave off an approachable air.
But when he looked at Gui Mei, his eyes couldn't hide a flicker of surprise.
This youth exuded a quiet confidence and presence unlike anyone else in the Second Team.
"Wuming," Lin said with a warm smile, "I've heard from the three Education Committee Elders that your strength is quite impressive. Welcome back to the team."
Gui Mei merely smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.
The other team members, however, couldn't help but turn their eyes toward the black-haired newcomer. They scrutinized him from head to toe, trying to size him up.
Though none of them could compare to the Royal Academy's main team, they were still the pampered heirs of noble families — proud and arrogant by nature.
Hearing that this mysterious boy had been granted special privileges and personally brought in by Dugu Bo himself, they felt a faint sting of resentment.
Still, since his entry was personally approved by the three Education Committee Elders, no one dared to voice their discontent aloud.
They could only wonder quietly in their hearts — what kind of strength does this newcomer really possess?
Perhaps, once they took the stage, the answer would soon be revealed.
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End of Chapter