Chapter 50 – The True Martial Soul, Shocking the Entire Arena
Teacher Lin began introducing the members of the Imperial Academy's Second Team to Gui Mei.
Every one of them was a Soul Elder with three soul rings, their martial souls mostly beasts such as lions, tigers, wolves, and leopards.
To Gui Mei, however, all of that was irrelevant—none of them would have much of a chance to perform anyway.
Meanwhile, the tournament staff were busy organizing the participating teams, guiding them to enter the arena in order.
All around the arena, not a single seat was empty. Eighty thousand spectators had gathered to witness this grand event.
At the center lay a vast, perfectly leveled battleground where the participants would soon clash.
Directly ahead stood a solemn, imposing rostrum.
Behind it stretched the elegantly designed VIP section—magnificently decorated, radiating luxury and prestige.
As the stirring ceremonial music began, the grand entrance ceremony officially commenced.
Each team's entry was accompanied by an enthusiastic introduction from the announcer.
First to appear was the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's main team.
The seven core members of the Imperial Battle Team had once left behind countless glorious records in this very arena. Their reputation was known far and wide.
When they entered, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.
Next came the Imperial Academy's Second Team.
The moment Gui Mei and his teammates stepped out, the crowd once again broke into waves of astonishment.
It was because of him—the boy dressed entirely in black, standing out sharply among his teammates in their pale gold, embroidered uniforms.
Even though he stood at the very end of the formation, he was impossible to overlook—a dark figure completely out of place, yet irresistibly eye-catching.
Whispers rippled through the stands.
"That's the Imperial Academy's Second Team, right? Why is there a black-robed boy among them? Is he actually competing?"
"Probably. Maybe he arrived late and didn't have time to change into the uniform."
"I heard the Imperial Academy's Second Team isn't that strong—just a bunch of spoiled nobles. If not for the word 'Imperial,' they'd never make it onto the field."
"Exactly! If they had real strength, they'd be on the main team instead."
The other teams waiting to enter also noticed Gui Mei's presence, though from their position, they could only see his back.
The announcer, maintaining his usual lively tone, continued his introduction:
"Now entering the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy Second Team! This team consists of fifteen contestants! They are... Lion-type Soul Master... and finally, the Body Martial Soul Master—Wuming!"
At the mention of the last name, the announcer froze for a brief second, thinking he'd misread the list. But upon checking again, he quickly composed himself and read it aloud as written.
The audience immediately buzzed with excitement.
"Body Martial Soul? What's that supposed to mean—his own body?"
"That black-clad boy's name is Wuming? Weird name, weird martial soul... he's definitely an odd one."
In the VIP area, Emperor Xue Ye sat in the front row alongside Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Platinum Bishop Salas from the Spirit Hall's Heaven Dou branch.
In the second row sat the three education committee members of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Prince Xue Xing, and Qian Renxue—currently disguised as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
When the words "Body Martial Soul" echoed through the arena, Emperor Xue Ye's expression froze in surprise.
Turning to Ning Fengzhi, he asked softly,
"Sect Master Ning, do martial souls like that still exist in this world?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly.
"Your Majesty, this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing as well."
At the side, Bishop Salas, who had been half-dozing, suddenly opened his eyes wide at the words Body Martial Soul.
Qian Renxue's gaze locked onto Gui Mei. Her thoughts stirred quietly:
'That boy... There's something unusual about him. A Body Martial Soul? Does that mean his own body is his martial soul? What a strange ability…'
Meanwhile, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others—waiting for their turn to enter—had also overheard it.
Dai Mubai frowned slightly and asked,
"Xiao San, have you ever heard of a Body Martial Soul before?"
Tang San shook his head slightly.
"It's my first time hearing of something called a Body Martial Soul. Perhaps the teacher, who's spent years researching martial souls, might know more about it."
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang and Flender were watching from the stands.
Yu Xiaogang frowned faintly, deep in thought.
Flender leaned over curiously.
"Xiaogang, what exactly is a Body Martial Soul?"
Yu Xiaogang replied slowly,
"This type of martial soul is something I've never encountered before, either. I guess that it's his own body—or perhaps his shadow. They have a demonstration match today, right? Once he takes the stage, the answer should reveal itself naturally."
The entrance ceremony continued.
Under the announcer's lively introductions, the remaining twenty-seven participating teams entered one after another.
But since Gui Mei's appearance, he had already become the center of everyone's attention.
Aside from the all-female Sky Water Academy, none of the teams that followed managed to stir up such a commotion.
The last to enter was the Shrek Academy team.
Their team uniforms were… eccentric, to say the least. The odd combination of colors made them look nothing like students from a prestigious advanced academy.
The stage lights didn't even focus on them. The announcer couldn't be bothered to read out their names—his perfunctory tone made the neglect obvious.
Such blatant discrimination was, without a doubt, an insult.
The Shrek team consisted of ten members in total.
Though they looked rather mismatched and scrappy on the surface, their actual strength was anything but weak.
After three months of intense training, Tang San's soul power had advanced another level, reaching Rank 52.
Half a month ago, Dai Mubai had broken through the bottleneck at Rank 40, obtaining a new soul ring to reach Rank 41.
Tai Long stood at Rank 37.
Oscar, Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu were all at Rank 35.
Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing were each at Rank 33.
Ma Hongjun clenched his fists angrily.
"A bunch of arrogant snobs! They really look down on us like we're nothing. Acting as if Shrek Academy doesn't even exist!"
Oscar grinned.
"Just wait till our Brother San steps onto the stage and releases that ten-thousand-year soul ring—let's see whose eyes pop out first!"
"And don't forget the evolved Blue Silver Grass! The strongest Blue Silver Grass in the entire world!"
"That face-slapping moment is coming soon. I can't wait to see their expressions, hahaha~"
The Shrek members were brimming with confidence in Tang San.
In the three previous tournaments, no team from the Heaven Dou Division had ever had a student who reached the Soul King level.
Tang San's appearance would mark a historic first.
Fourteen years old. Five rings. One of them is a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
Such a monstrous talent was unprecedented across the entire Douluo Continent.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would undoubtedly be the most dazzling star of the tournament.
Yet, for now, one figure stood apart from everyone else—Gui Mei.
That black-clad youth was like a shadow that drew every gaze. The words Body Martial Soul had shaken the hearts of everyone present.
By the end of the ceremony, every spectator had already remembered his name—Wuming.
When the entrance procession concluded, Emperor Xue Ye rose and delivered his opening speech, his majestic voice echoing across the arena.
As the guest of honor, Ning Fengzhi also stepped forward to deliver his remarks.
The announcer then smiled and asked,
"Sect Master Ning, on behalf of all the spectators, may I ask—among the twenty-eight teams participating in the Heaven Dou Division preliminaries this year, which one do you favor most?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly, his tone calm yet confident.
"Aside from the Imperial Academy's main team, which already holds a direct qualification for the finals, there's another team I'm quite optimistic about. Not only do they have the potential to reach the grand finals—they might even seize the championship."
"But... allow me to keep that team's name a secret for now."
"What I can say for certain is this—this year's Soul Master Tournament champion will, without a doubt, belong to the Heaven Dou Empire."
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End of Chapter