Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

"Alright, everyone, disperse. Caitou, come with me."

After Wang Yan spoke, he hurriedly left.

The rest of the group exchanged glances.

"How about... we go up to the rooftop for a bit? Even though Teacher Wang Yan doesn't allow us to spectate openly in the resting area, there's no harm in watching the battles. Knowing the enemy is the key to winning a hundred battles," Xu Sanshi suggested.

"That works, but the distance is a bit far…" Bei Bei hesitated.

The hotel was at least a kilometer away from the competition arena. Standing at a high vantage point might help, but watching a bunch of small dots fighting wasn't exactly insightful.

"I have a long-range soul tool. Forget just one kilometer—this thing can adjust for up to three kilometers, making it feel like you're right there in the action. The technology behind it is simple, but I didn't think we'd need it, so I only brought two with me..."

As he spoke, He Caitou, who had been about to leave, pulled out two cylindrical soul tools. He handed them over before heading off.

"This is great!" Xu Sanshi was ecstatic.

"Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao, Senior Dai Yueheng, are you coming?" he asked.

"We won't go. It's better to recover as soon as possible. Plus, Xiaotao needs to take care of Luochen," Dai Yueheng replied with a gentle smile.

On the Rooftop

Nearly all the reserve team members had gathered.

Bei Bei held the soul tool up to his eyes, his expression serious. "They have a Soul King! A Soul King has appeared this early in the competition."

Dai Huabin was also stunned. "Judging by their uniforms, this seems to be the Sun Moon Empire team."

"Let me see!" Xu Sanshi couldn't wait, and Bei Bei handed over the device while his face remained tense.

"Holy crap! The entire team is Soul Kings? If we go up against them, we'd be done for in an instant!" Xu Sanshi gawked in disbelief.

"The group stage is decided by points, so even if we do get placed in their group, we have at least one chance to make a mistake. Let's just hope we can hold out until Senior Xiaotao and Senior Dai Yueheng recover," Xiao Xiao said helplessly.

"Sigh, that guy named Xu Cheng is also here!" When the telescope reached Wang Dong, she exclaimed in surprise.

In the Arena

Xu Cheng slowly stepped onto the stage.

Behind him were six reserve members.

Their opponents were the Bai Ling Academy team—one of the top three academies in the Dou Ling Empire.

Logically, their strength might not be enough to make it into the top sixteen, but they were definitely strong contenders for the top thirty. Unfortunately, their luck was terrible. In the first round, they had drawn Shrek Academy, and now in the second round, they were up against the Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy.

This long-time second-place team was second in threat level only to Shrek.

In the spectator area, Bai Ling Academy's lead teacher sighed helplessly. The Dou Ling Empire had truly rotten luck. The first match against Shrek, and now the second against the Sun Moon Empire…

But they couldn't blame anyone else.

The draw had been conducted fairly, and the teachers present—most of whom were Soul Saints and Soul Douluos—weren't blind enough to accuse the Star Luo Empire of cheating.

On the Star Luo Empire's Walls

Xu Jiawei, the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, straightened slightly.

His sharp gaze landed on the figure leading the Sun Moon Empire team—a young man walking forward with a calm demeanor.

"It really is him…"

Though he had already seen Xu Cheng's name on the participant list, he had still harbored some doubts.

But now, at this very moment, the boy's face overlapped perfectly with the images brought back by his spies.

It was truly him.

"Ha…" Xu Jiawei's eyes narrowed slightly, and he sighed, his tone tinged with emotion. "He actually came, alone…"

"Indeed, Your Majesty," White Tiger Duke Dai Hao said grimly. "According to the latest reports from the White Tiger Guard, there hasn't been any movement from the Sun Moon Empire. No army mobilization, no border skirmishes—he really did come alone."

The Sun Moon Empire's Royal Battle Team was undoubtedly talented, but in Dai Hao's eyes, even with their instructor Ma Lao included, they were only as strong as a small elite squad.

This was the Star Luo Empire's capital! A place guarded by multiple Title Douluo.

Xu Cheng coming here alone truly was akin to charging in solo.

Despite being an enemy, there was a flicker of respect in Dai Hao's gaze. Such boldness was rare in the world.

"Hmph, daring to step into my Star Luo Empire like this—whether it's sheer arrogance or if he has some hidden cards up his sleeve, that remains to be seen," Xu Jiawei scoffed.

"So, Your Majesty means…" Dai Hao asked in a low voice.

"This is a rare opportunity; we can't let it go to waste," Xu Jiawei's eyes flashed as he tapped his fingers rhythmically on his cane, deep in thought. "If we can capture him, the entire Sun Moon Empire would be thrown into chaos. If it leads to war, at the very least, it would give the Star Luo Empire a buffer of several hundred years. Therefore…"

The attendants were dismissed.

Several minutes later, Dai Hao looked up, casting a regretful glance toward the arena.

Although he found it somewhat dishonorable, as a soldier, he was bound to obey orders.

Especially as the commander of the Star Luo Empire's border forces, he understood better than anyone how quickly the Sun Moon Empire's technology was advancing. If a second continental war broke out…

"What a pity—he was far too arrogant…"

Shrek Academy – Sea God's Pavilion

Mu En remained seated calmly at the head of the table.

To his side, all the elders of the Sea God's Pavilion were present. Some had their eyes closed, quietly waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Alright, Shaozhe, speak. What urgent matter prompted another Sea God's Pavilion meeting?" Mu En finally asked.

At his words, Elder Song, Elder Lin, and several others opened their eyes to look at Yan Shaozhe.

The Sea God's Pavilion rarely convened—even once a year was uncommon.

But this was already the second meeting in a single month…

"Teacher, esteemed elders, this is indeed a matter of great importance," Yan Shaozhe said solemnly. "The incident that left our inner court students severely injured may not have been as simple as it seemed."

His words sent a shockwave through the room.

"Shaozhe, explain," Mu En's eyes narrowed slightly. For once, he focused his full attention.

"Just now, we received news from Wang Yan, who is overseeing our team in the Star Luo Empire. In the first match, Luochen stepped onto the stage and immediately unleashed her fifth soul skill, yet their opponents were completely unharmed. And what's even more absurd is that their team consisted of five Soul Ancestors and two Soul Elders," Yan Shaozhe explained.

"What? That's impossible!" Xuan Zi widened his eyes in disbelief.

"I personally supervised these kids during training. When used in battle, Luochen's fifth soul skill is a powerful area-control ability. Even Soul Kings—like Chen Zifeng and the others—could be frozen into ice statues if they weren't careful. How could this be…"

"Exactly as you said," Yan Shaozhe nodded. "Wang Yan also noticed something unusual. It was He Caitou, our only soul engineer in the reserve team, who explained that their opponents were all equipped with specialized Grade Five soul tools—modified from basic heating devices into powerful anti-freezing gear. That's the only reason they were able to withstand Luochen's attack."

"But the problem is, that team was just a low-tier academy. They couldn't possibly afford such luxury just to counter Luochen. Even if they could—how did they manage to do it so quickly?!"

(End of Chapter)