Douluo's ice devil Yuhao

Chapter 634 The Semifinals Begin

Heavenly Spirit Empire, Heavenly Spirit Square.

Today's event is the semi-final of the Youth Soul Master Competition. Even before the teams and referees have entered the venue, the area is already packed with spectators.

The morning's competition was between Shrek Academy and Mingdou Academy, while the afternoon's competition was between the host team, Douling Team.

The rising sun did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd; the stands were already buzzing with anticipation. The Douling team's opponent had a better chance of advancing, and the morning's matches would determine Douling's opponent in the finals.

Will the winner be Shrek, whose glory has been passed down for thousands of years, or Ming Dou, a newcomer who was just established?

Anxiety gradually spread through the audience, but the guards maintained order and prevented any disturbance.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the distant imperial city: "Silence!"

The stands fell silent, and Tianyang Douluo's majestic voice once again resounded through the amplified soul tool.

"Both teams, please settle down and prepare for the match. The match will officially begin in 15 minutes."

Both Shrek and Mingdou team members have entered their respective preparation areas, making final pre-match arrangements.

Shrek's preparation area.

Xianliner gave the seven main players some tactical advice and gave them encouraging and trusting looks: "Kids, don't underestimate your opponents, but don't lose your confidence either. You are all the pride of Shrek Academy."

"Don't forget the details I emphasized, and you will be able to easily defeat your opponents."

Qian Duoduo also said with a smile, "If we lose this game, we'll all have to go and accept the punishment from Dean Lin'er and work a year of hard labor in the Soul Guidance Department for free."

Although he was talking about the punishment for not winning, Qian Duoduo's tone was humorous, and there was not a trace of blame in his voice.

The key players all nodded and smiled simultaneously: "Yes!"

Only Captain Lin Xiaofeng hesitated, staring at Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something.

Yan Shaozhe suddenly interjected, "That's it. Prepare according to the tactics we've already decided. If you can defeat Riyue, you can definitely defeat Mingdou too."

Lin Xiaofeng nodded and discussed it one last time with his teammates.

Yan Shaozhe looked helplessly at Qian Duoduo: "Old Qian, the Inner Academy has never had a rule to let the children work in the Soul Guidance Department."

Xian Lin'er interrupted coldly, "Yan Shaozhe, our Soul Guidance Department has sent so many Soul Guidance Devices. If we still can't win the competition, it can only prove that the Martial Soul Department is incompetent. What's wrong with letting them go to the Soul Guidance Department to gain some experience?"

Yan Shaozhe was unwilling to argue with Xian Lin'er and said nothing more, only showing a slightly ashamed expression.

Elder Xuan did not appear in the preparation area. At this moment, he was on the imperial city wall, watching the match with His Majesty Xue Lingzhao.

Tianyang Douluo is also there; he will be going down to preside over the competition soon.

Elder Xuan frowned slightly, as if he had some concerns.

Tianyang Douluo noticed Xuan Lao's expression and asked, "Taotie, the younger generation of Shrek Academy are all outstanding talents on the continent, so there is no need to worry too much."

Elder Xuan shook his head: "Tianyang, to be honest, some of the non-main players in the Shrek Academy team are old friends with the members of the Mingdou Academy. I'm worried that our tactics have been leaked to Mingdou Academy." Tianyang Douluo raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"

You can guard against anything, but it's hard to guard against a traitor within your own ranks. Tactical leaks, these kinds of underhanded tactics, can completely impact a match. For two teams of similar strength, the leaked team can find itself in a tough fight, or even at a disadvantage.

Moreover, since the tactics have been leaked, information about the undisplayed soul skills and soul tools—these secret weapons—could also be leaked.

Tianyang Douluo merely expressed his surprise without making any further comments. Although he was the head referee, he couldn't easily judge such underhanded tactics.

Emperor Xue Lingzhao said slowly, "Your Majesty Taotie, there is no need to worry. The Douling Empire will definitely uphold the fairness of the competition and will never allow anything to undermine it."

The seemingly righteous sentences actually revealed a gesture of goodwill towards Shrek Academy.

Elder Xuan cupped his hands in greeting and said nonchalantly, "Your Majesty need not worry. Such tricks are not enough to defeat Shrek Academy."

Time was almost up. Tianyang Douluo stood up, bowed to the two of them, and then flew down from the imperial city towards the arena.

Elder Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the Shrek Academy's training area, filled with deep doubt.

Family scandals should not be aired in public. The person he just mentioned who might have leaked the tactics was not a reserve team member, but the two deans of the Soul Guidance Department, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo.

When Yan Shaozhe told Elder Xuan about their unauthorized contact with Ming Dou, Elder Xuan was also very shocked.

After careful consideration, Elder Xuan made a cautious decision.

They overturned Xianlin'er's steady defensive counter-attack tactics and continued to adopt the aggressive, piecemeal approach used in the battle against Sun and Moon.

After discussing the matter, Elder Xuan and Yan Shaozhe informed Captain Lin Xiaofeng of the tactical arrangements. This was the reason why Lin Xiaofeng hesitated to speak when facing Xian Lin'er's pre-battle instructions.

In the end, Lin Xiaofeng chose to follow the arrangements of Elder Xuan and Yan Shaozhe, without informing Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo.

In fact, Elder Xuan was unwilling to doubt Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo. What drove him to overturn Xian Lin'er's tactical plan, besides this caution, was more of an arrogance and stubbornness.
Elder Xuan had indeed long acknowledged the value and power of soul tools, but deep down, he still held onto his obsession with being the best on the Shrek Continent.

This is a subconscious thought that has been deeply rooted in his heart for more than a hundred years of his life, and it cannot be easily changed by the setbacks of recent years.

It is very difficult to change the minds of many elderly people. Even if they keep telling themselves and blaming themselves, their thinking has been shaped by their long life experiences.

Both Shrek and Elder Xuan were eager to announce their triumphant return to the world with a glorious victory.

The tactics had already changed, but Xianlin'er and Qian Duoduo were completely unaware of this, only remaining confident in their team members.

Mingdou Academy's preparation area.

Huo Yuhao appeared casual and didn't put too much pressure on his team members: "Go for it. If you beat Shrek Academy, you'll make history for the academy."

"Hmm." All the team members, not just the seven participating members, but also those who hadn't yet taken the stage, formed a large circle. Each person extended their right hand towards the center, stacked it together, pressed it down forcefully, and shouted in unison, "Ming Dou will win!"

Qianfeng, who has never liked to shout, joined the team's pre-match demonstration.

The youngest, yet most impressive, player was about to take the stage. But none of his teammates looked at him with envy or doubt; instead, they all showed deep trust.

Ming Dou, this rising star, is finally about to formally challenge Shrek Academy, the ancient king.