LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 121: [DD2]: 120
Xiao Hongchen chuckled slyly, his tone carrying a hint of mischief as he speculated. His intuition told him that the relationship between the Dai family and the Xu family was not as harmonious as it appeared. Could they truly bear no resentment after having the throne taken away? Impossible. No matter how peaceful they seemed now, it was just an act. The Dai family surely had deeper plans.
"Brother Xiao, let's not say things that could harm unity. If someone from the Star Luo Empire hears this, they'll accuse us of slandering them and trying to sow discord between the royal family and the Duke's household," Su Yu remarked with a mysterious smile as if hinting at something. A good relationship between the Dai family and the royal family? What a joke. The Dai family controlled the military, and Dai Hao commanded the Star Luo Empire's elite troops. It would be surprising if the royal family didn't feel threatened. Not to mention, the Star Luo Empire used to be ruled by the Dai family. Could the royal family truly have no grudges about this? Could the Dai family have no lingering ambitions? After all, even by the time of Soul Land III, the Star Luo Empire's royal family still carried the surname Dai. What does that tell you? Those in the know would understand. The apparent camaraderie now was nothing more than a united front against the external threat of the Sun Moon Empire. As long as the Sun Moon Empire remained a danger, the Star Luo royal family needed Dai Hao's strength to fend them off, so naturally, they maintained a close relationship. But once the Sun Moon Empire's threat was gone, what would happen next was all too predictable.
"Haha, Su Yu, you're right. If we keep talking, they'll accuse us of stirring up trouble," Xiao Hongchen laughed, his smug expression making his delight evident. He had suspected that the relationship between the Dai family and the royal family couldn't be as good as it appeared, and Su Yu's words had confirmed his suspicions.
"Alright, enough of this talk. Let's go register and find our lodging," Elder Ma interjected. The group stopped their chatter. After registering with the organizers of the Star Luo Empire tournament, they were arranged to stay on the top floor of the grandest hotel in the empire, the Star Emperor Hotel. Each person had a room, and there was even a dedicated meeting room for their use. The top floor of the Star Emperor Hotel, the most luxurious in the entire empire, was nothing short of exceptional. The Star Luo Empire's hospitality was undeniably thorough.
In the meeting room, the fifteen members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team gathered for a meeting. Elder Ma sat in the seat of honor, smiling at the young men and women seated on the sofas across from him.
"Everyone found their rooms, right? How do you feel about them?" he asked.
"Not bad. The Star Luo Empire does seem to know how to show respect," Xiao Hongchen replied casually, arms crossed. Coming from Xiao Hongchen, this was high praise, showing that the accommodations were indeed impressive.
"This is the most luxurious floor of the entire Star Emperor Hotel. If I'm not mistaken, the only ones staying here are us, the other three imperial Academy teams, and... the Shrek Academy team," Su Yu remarked, seated on a sofa beside Meng Hongchen and Wang Dong'er. His hands were clasped together as he spoke with a calm tone. The Star Emperor Hotel had seven floors, with the top floor being the most opulent. Not every participating team qualified to stay there. Only the strongest teams had this privilege: the three imperial academies, the Sun Moon Empire team, and the Shrek Academy team. Ultimately, it would come down to these five teams competing for the championship. The stakes and backgrounds represented by these teams were vastly different, and their treatment reflected this disparity. Hierarchies existed everywhere.
"Su Yu is correct. This floor likely houses only the five elite teams," Elder Ma agreed.
"During registration, I casually inquired. The other three teams have already registered; only the Shrek Academy team has yet to arrive."
"A champion team indeed—they're even arriving later than everyone else," Elder Ma remarked with a peculiar tone. With fewer than two days left before the registration deadline, was Shrek Academy planning to arrive at the last moment? They certainly had a flair for dramatics.
"Hmph. Their championship reign ends here. This time, the championship belongs to our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy," Xiao Hongchen snorted, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. For thousands of years, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy had always been overshadowed by Shrek Academy, repeatedly taking second place. Anyone in their position would feel frustrated. But Xiao Hongchen wasn't one to back down. On the contrary, he was brimming with confidence. With their current lineup, he was certain they would take the championship. Shrek Academy would finally taste defeat.
"Brother Xiao is right. Shrek Academy is not invincible; they're human too. And humans have weaknesses. Everyone, just keep a level head," Su Yu said with a light smile. Though Shrek Academy hadn't shown up to register yet, Su Yu had his theories. Perhaps they had encountered the evil soul master Soul King. However, with Xuan Zi's arm injured, he probably wouldn't be leading the team again. Could Mu En truly trust Xuan Zi to lead despite his injuries, or had someone else taken over? Or had things gone awry because a new leader was in charge? Su Yu wasn't certain. He didn't know everything; he had only recently arrived from the Sun Moon Empire. Little did Su Yu know, this time that the team was being led by Yan Shaozhe. And when Yan Shaozhe stepped onto the stage, it would be far more intense than anything Xuan Zi had faced. Xuan Zi had only lost one student while Hu Yuhao defeated the evil soul master Soul King in the original. But Yan Shaozhe's leadership had seen four casualties, with the evil soul master escaping.
If the outcome of this battle gets out, the prestige of Bright Phoenix Douluo will surely become a household joke. Many people might laugh until their jaws drop.
Meanwhile, after hearing Su Yu and Xiao Hongchen's words, several official representatives voiced their determination to secure the championship.
"Looks like everyone is confident, hahaha," Elder Ma chuckled, clearly pleased.
"That's the spirit. If you want to win, confidence is essential."
After laughing, Elder Ma shifted his tone.
"Alright, enough chatter. Let me first explain the rules for the first round of the preliminary stage."
"By sharing the rules in advance, everyone can better prepare." Clearing his throat, Elder Ma continued seriously, "The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Competition is the ultimate contest between academies from various nations. Adhering to principles of fairness and impartiality, the competition tests the comprehensive strength of each academy, with a variety of flexible formats. According to my investigation, a total of 133 academies, including Shrek Academy, have come to participate in this competition. All these academies are accommodated in this hotel."
"The first round of the preliminaries is a direct elimination match. The losing side will be immediately disqualified. The format for this round is a team battle—seven versus seven. The drawing for matchups will take place the day after tomorrow, and the first round is expected to take three days to complete."
"In this first elimination match, we don't need to display our full strength but must show enough to ensure we don't get eliminated. Therefore, I'll be arranging the lineup. Su Yu, Ma Rulong, you two are not participating."
Elder Ma's gaze fell directly on Su Yu and Ma Rulong, the strongest members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team. It was unwise to reveal their abilities too early in the competition. Su Yu shrugged indifferently, while Ma Rulong nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing no objections from the two, Elder Ma nodded in satisfaction.
"For the first elimination match, I plan to send four main team members and three reserve members. This lineup is more than secure."
Four main members meant four Soul Kings. With such a lineup, even taking three reserve members along would easily suffice for this round.
"As for who will participate, I'll let Su Yu and Ma Rulong decide."
Ma Rulong pointed out names casually, "Chen An, Chen Fei, Lin Xi, Li Yan—I'll leave it to you."
The order in which other team members appear isn't critical, as long as the key players like Su Yu, Ma Rulong, Meng Hongchen, and Xiao Hongchen aren't exposed too early. After naming the main members, the reserve members turned their attention to Su Yu. Rubbing his temples, Su Yu started naming, "Yang Xu."
"Here!"
"Guan Bo!"
"Here!"
Su Yu noticed a few eager gazes directed at him—one from Zhou Qin, another from Wang Dong'er, and yet another from Xiao Hongchen, who clearly couldn't sit still. Ignoring Xiao Hongchen, Su Yu hesitated briefly before saying, "Zhou Qin!"
"Present!"
Zhou Qin paused in surprise before cheering loudly.
"It's up to you now," Su Yu said casually.
"Why didn't you pick me?"
Wang Dong'er pouted, giving Su Yu a playful punch on the arm.
"Zhou Qin is more suitable. For the first elimination match, I want the audience to witness true firepower."
"Your style doesn't quite fit," Su Yu explained.
"Why emphasize powerful firepower?"
Wang Dong'er asked, puzzled.
"Winning is winning, isn't it?"
"First, intimidation. A display of overwhelming power sets the tone for the competition and establishes our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team's reputation. Second, it reinforces preconceived notions. Soul engineers are known for their explosive power. By highlighting this trait, we deepen their assumptions, steering their tactics toward countering this strength while neglecting others. When we deploy strategies involving precise control or other unique traits, we can catch them off guard."
"Competitions aren't just about raw strength; pre-match strategy is crucial too," Su Yu said, tapping Wang Dong'er lightly on the forehead with a smile.
"Understand?"
"Not really," Wang Dong'er shook her head, frowning in thought.
"Think it over," Su Yu replied, amused.
"Okay!"
Wang Dong'er agreed, struggling to make sense of it all, resembling a perplexed little deer.
"Su Yu makes a valid point. Competitions aren't just about hard power; strategy plays a significant role too," Elder Ma chimed in approvingly, clearly satisfied with Su Yu as the reserve team captain. Despite his young age, Su Yu's composed demeanor and strategic thinking set him apart.
"Since Su Yu and Ma Rulong have made their choices, the elimination match is in your hands now. The seven of you can discuss how to make your victory even more impressive. That concludes today's meeting. Go and rest," Elder Ma said with a smile, dismissing the group.
Su Yu stood and left first, followed silently by Meng Hongchen. Wang Dong'er wanted to follow, but upon spotting Meng Hongchen, she froze, pouting indignantly before heading back to her room.
"Makes no sense to cling to him like that—haven't you seen a man before?" she muttered angrily.
Meanwhile, in Su Yu's room, the pair stood by the balcony overlooking the massive Star Luo Plaza. Standing atop the Star Lou Hotel, the view from above carried an imposing sense of dominance. Su Yu leaned on the railing, his ice-blue eyes gazing into the distance with a thoughtful gleam. Meng Hongchen approached softly, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his back. Since their relationship began, Meng Hongchen had become increasingly affectionate, like a young girl deeply in love.
Feeling the warmth behind him, Su Yu turned, gently pulling Meng Hongchen into his arms. Snuggling closer, Meng Hongchen felt a wave of happiness wash over her. As long as she was near Su Yu, she couldn't help but feel an indescribable sweetness, an intoxicating sensation she couldn't get enough of. Breathing in her delicate fragrance, Su Yu wrapped an arm around her waist and toyed with a strand of her crimson hair in his fingers.
"Meng'er, do you want to explore Star Luo City?"
Su Yu asked, his tone soft and warm.
"Can we? Is it safe?"
Meng Hongchen asked hesitantly. Being in Star Luo City instead of Radiant City made her feel uneasy.
"Don't worry. Wherever I am, safety is guaranteed," Su Yu replied with a reassuring smile.