Outside the royal hunting grounds, a speeding carriage gradually approached.
The guarding soldiers took one glance and, upon recognizing the prince's carriage, hurriedly signaled to the soldiers atop the city walls.
"His Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived! Open the gates immediately!"
As soon as the words fell, the heavy city gates swung open, allowing the carriage to enter.
Inside the carriage, Ye Hao and Xue Qinghe sat, observing the neatly arranged rows of tents and the unfamiliar students constantly coming and going. This would be their residence for the time being.
"Xiao Hao, we've arrived," Xue Qinghe said with a slight smile as he opened the door and stepped out, with Ye Hao following closely behind.
Near the tents, Grandmaster was strolling alongside Tang San.
"Xiao San, at this point, there's no turning back. You must prepare for the upcoming battles and not let Ye Hao distract you. This tournament is extremely important for you," Grandmaster advised earnestly before continuing, "The prize for this competition is soul bones—three of them, to be precise. With your Clear Sky Hammer already having four soul rings and your Blue Silver Grass possessing five, winning the tournament should not be a problem."
Grandmaster was full of confidence. Although Twin Martial Souls were no longer an option, it did not prevent Tang San from becoming a Title Douluo. His soul ring allocation might be a bit constrained, but he could still manage, even if his second martial soul no longer had an all-ten-thousand-year configuration.
As for Ye Hao, Grandmaster was certain that he had not added any soul rings to his second martial soul. This meant that Tang San, possessing four soul rings on his Clear Sky Hammer, had a significant advantage.
After all, the Clear Sky Hammer was the number one tool martial soul in the world!
This was Grandmaster's biggest belief in this tournament: to defeat Ye Hao, defeat Spirit Hall, and win the championship of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, along with the crucial three soul bones.
Tang San was growing stronger, and soon, the day would come when he could prove himself to the world.
He, Yu Xiaogang, was not a failure!
"A failure of a Grandmaster?"
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
His face instantly darkened, and his expression became extremely grim.
Hearing this, Tang San was furious. How dare someone insult his teacher in front of him? This person had a death wish!
Following the voice, they saw a group of students dressed in red robes, wearing disdainful expressions as they studied Grandmaster with amusement.
"Who are you? How dare you insult my teacher?" Tang San took a step forward, prepared to argue, ready to fight at any moment.
However, Grandmaster quickly grabbed him.
The qualifying matches were being held here, and the tents were placed close together. If Tang San clashed with them, word would inevitably spread, possibly leading to disqualification.
It wasn't worth it.
The red-robed student leading the group chuckled, "We're from Barak Kingdom, students of the Barak Advanced Soul Master Academy. You must be from Shrek Academy, right?"
"That's right," Tang San answered in a low voice, unsure of their intentions, but insulting his teacher was unacceptable.
"Unbelievable. What qualifications does Shrek Academy have to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament? We even visited Soto City last time, only to find that you had moved and somehow managed to establish an advanced soul master academy. What kind of dumb luck is that?" the leading student sneered.
At that moment, Grandmaster suddenly recalled something. He leaned in and whispered to Tang San.
"Xiao San, I've heard Flander mention Barak Academy before. Back when Shrek Academy was in Soto City, it was under their jurisdiction. Barak Academy once tried to recruit Flander and his group, but he refused. After that, Shrek Academy declined and was frequently targeted by Barak Academy. If Flander had accepted their recruitment back then, there wouldn't even be a Shrek Academy now."
With Grandmaster's explanation, Tang San finally understood.
So, Shrek Academy and Barak Academy had a longstanding grudge, and now they were clearly looking for trouble.
Moreover, the first match tomorrow was Barak Academy vs. Shrek Academy. Their provocation was simply a way to test Shrek Academy's strength—nothing wrong with that.
"I will personally crush you into the ground and make you pay for your words today," Tang San growled, his eyes filled with bloodlust.
The Barak Academy student leading the group paused for a moment before sneering, "A toad will always be a toad. Trash is still trash."
"And as for your so-called 'Grandmaster of Trash,' we heard about him long before we arrived in Heaven Dou City. You're called Tang San, right? A Soul King who worships a useless level-29 teacher—what a joke."
"Hahaha—"
The group burst into laughter before striding away, but not without glancing at Tang San and Grandmaster with undisguised contempt.
Grandmaster remained silent, while Tang San seethed with anger.
Even so, they could only endure it. With so many eyes on them, they couldn't afford to retaliate.
Otherwise, Tang San would face immediate disqualification.
"Teacher, I will make them pay," Tang San said coldly, watching the retreating figures of the Barak Academy students, his gaze tinged with a murderous aura.
Grandmaster was already used to it. After years of ridicule and humiliation, he had developed an "indestructible heart."
"Forget it. Let them laugh. What they said... is the truth."
With that, the two continued walking.
Whether by coincidence or not, the atmosphere suddenly froze. Tang San and Grandmaster were momentarily stunned before their anger reignited as they turned their gaze toward the newly arrived Ye Hao.
Ye Hao: "..."
It had only been a month—why did Tang San and Grandmaster seem to have regressed?
"What, were you born in the Year of the Dog? Why do you love baring your teeth so much?" Ye Hao quipped, speechless.
"Ye Hao! This time, you won't be so lucky. I will make you pay!" Tang San roared, drawing the attention of the students inside the tents, who peeked out curiously, unsure of what was happening.
Ye Hao, however, remained unfazed. He didn't take Tang San's warning seriously at all.
"You should worry about making it to Spirit City alive first," Ye Hao said with a sinister smile.
Hearing this, Grandmaster felt an ominous chill creep into his heart and immediately demanded, "Ye Hao, what do you mean by that?"
At this moment, Xue Qinghe was displeased. He was being treated like air while Tang San and his master joined forces against Hao.
"Yu Xiaogang, don't go too far." Xue Qinghe clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke.
"I'm talking to Ye Hao. Who gave you the right to interrupt?"
As soon as the Grandmaster said this, the surrounding students watching the scene froze in shock. They weakly looked at the Grandmaster, as if silently asking—who gave you the courage?
Did he eat a bear's heart and a leopard's gall?
Ye Hao's expression darkened. If not for the presence of others and the tournament rules in place, he would have personally taught this useless Grandmaster a lesson.
Suddenly, Xue Qinghe's face turned cold. Yu Xiaogang was getting too arrogant, daring to speak to him in such a tone.
No, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan must be destroyed!
Seeing the crowd gathered, the patrolling soldiers marched forward in an orderly manner.
"Make way! Make way!"
The leader of the Royal Knights stepped forward. "Why are you all gathering here? Are you looking for trouble?"
The captain scanned the area with a commanding presence. But the moment his gaze landed on the person standing opposite him—His Highness, the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe—he was instantly stunned. His arrogant demeanor vanished, and he quickly signaled his soldiers to kneel on one knee.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The soldiers kneeled in unison, their voices loud and full of respect.
This single shout instantly woke the Grandmaster up to reality. He involuntarily stepped back a few paces, his heart pounding with fear, not daring to meet Xue Qinghe's gaze.
There had never been much interaction between Xue Qinghe and Shrek Academy. Every time he attended the tournament, he would sit in the VIP section above, and aside from those who had known him previously, few actually paid attention to the Crown Prince.
"Guards, seize the one who dared to speak against me," Xue Qinghe ordered without hesitation.
The leader of the Royal Knights personally stepped forward, grabbing the Grandmaster with one hand as if lifting a chick.
At this moment, the crowd felt a surge of satisfaction. This so-called "Grandmaster" of Shrek Academy had actually dared to openly disrespect the Crown Prince of a nation. If this were under normal circumstances, the punishment would have been far more severe.
"Teacher, you…" Tang San hesitated, clenching his teeth in frustration. The man before him was the Crown Prince of a nation—an existence he had no way of resisting.
Seeing this, Tang San shifted his attention to Ye Hao, staring at him intensely.
"Ye Hao, you—"
Before Tang San could finish, Xue Qinghe interrupted.
"So, you're Tang San?"
Faced with the Crown Prince's question, Tang San nodded before quickly adding, "Your Highness, my teacher did not mean to offend you. He was speaking to Ye Hao, not intentionally targeting you."
The moment these words left his mouth, the crowd burst into laughter. If he wanted to make an excuse, he could have at least made a better one. So many people witnessed it firsthand—how could he argue otherwise?
Seeing the Grandmaster's ashen face, Ye Hao couldn't help but chuckle. "Tang San, do you realize that publicly offending the Crown Prince is a serious crime? More than that, the Grandmaster's words just now were an act of defiance against the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family, even the entire Heaven Dou Empire."
"Everyone, am I right?" Ye Hao asked, looking around at the spectators.
"That's right!"
"That useless Grandmaster has no idea how high the heavens are, daring to openly disrespect the Crown Prince."
"He's doomed. A prison sentence is the least of his worries."
Hearing the words "prison sentence," Yu Xiaogang couldn't stop himself from trembling. His mind flashed back to the torment he suffered in the Martial Soul Hall, his darkest memories replaying in vivid detail.
Seeing this, Xue Qinghe immediately made a decision.
"The tournament is currently ongoing, and I do not wish to create unnecessary trouble. Death will be spared, but punishment is inevitable."
"Guards, drag Yu Xiaogang out and give him a hundred strikes with the rod!"
The moment the order was given, two soldiers grabbed the pale-faced Grandmaster and dragged him to an open space nearby. They found a bench and a rod thicker than Yu Xiaogang himself.
They forced the Grandmaster onto the bench, and surprisingly, the captain of the knights personally volunteered to administer the punishment.
A rare opportunity to prove himself—he wouldn't let it slip away.
The captain took the rod, lifted it high above his head, and as Yu Xiaogang's eyes filled with terror, he swung it down.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A series of dull, rhythmic sounds echoed through the air, leaving no chance for the Grandmaster to catch his breath. As one strike landed, the next immediately followed.
The rhythm was… oddly steady.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
The Grandmaster screamed in agony, his eyes bloodshot, his entire face turning purple. He clung tightly to the bench legs, the searing pain on his backside making him feel as if he were ascending straight to heaven.
Watching the scene, Ye Hao felt most of his pent-up frustration dissipate. He glanced at Xue Qinghe, who remained expressionless.
With the Crown Prince himself overseeing the punishment, the knight captain and soldiers dared not slack off.
They put their full strength into each strike, the captain even channeling some soul power into the rod. The moment the rod landed—
"!!!"
Yu Xiaogang's bloodshot eyes widened to the point of nearly popping out of their sockets. He let out an ear-piercing scream.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Then, he fainted on the spot.
His entire backside was completely ruined—bloodied beyond recognition. The sight alone made bystanders shudder.
By the time Flender, Liu Erlong, and the rest of Shrek Academy arrived, they were first stunned by the gruesome sight of Yu Xiaogang. Then, their anger boiled over.
Their Grandmaster had been beaten to such a miserable state! But when they learned that the order had come from none other than the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe…
Oh. Never mind, then.
Flender hurried forward. "Your Highness, please show some mercy. Xiaogang spoke out of turn, but he meant no harm. Please forgive him just this once."
A hundred strikes of the rod were no trivial matter. This was enough to indirectly take Yu Xiaogang's life—far worse than Salas' whip punishment.
Xue Qinghe remained stern and cold. "Headmaster Flender, you are quite self-aware. You recognize that Yu Xiaogang is nothing more than a vile and contemptible person. I am pleased to see this level of understanding."
Upon hearing these words, Tang San gritted his teeth in silence, his hatred for Ye Hao rising to an entirely new level.
If Ye Hao hadn't suddenly appeared, his teacher would never have provoked the crown prince and ended up beaten like this. Everything was Ye Hao's fault—yes, that was it!
"Stop! Please stop!" Liu Erlong pleaded, her voice choked with sobs as she rushed to block the executioners from striking again.
The Shrek group was filled with anger but dared not speak out. Their opponent was the crown prince of a nation, while they were insignificant in comparison.
As for Dai Mubai, who was also a prince, he was powerless in this situation. This was the Heaven Dou Empire, not Star Luo Empire. As a prince of Star Luo, he had no right to intervene here.
At that moment, Xiao Wu locked eyes with Ye Hao, her gaze filled with hatred as intense as a beast ready to devour its prey. Her mother's death had always been a deep wound in her heart.
Since she couldn't kill Ye Hao's mother, she would make him, her son, take her place instead.
Seeing this, Ye Hao raised his middle finger at Xiao Wu, his expression full of disdain.
This only fueled Xiao Wu's fury even more, igniting an uncontrollable rage within her. However, with so many people watching, she couldn't act impulsively.
Despite Flender's desperate pleas, Xue Qinghe remained unmoved. Against these people, he would use nothing but ruthless means.
When things benefited them, they would throw their weight around. But when they suffered, they played the victim.
How despicable.
Xue Qinghe's expression remained stern. What had happened earlier with the Grandmaster and Tang San had undoubtedly struck a nerve.
Ye Hao was his younger brother—his blood brother. Any harm toward Ye Hao was an offense against him. Now that he finally had an opportunity, he had to vent his anger and set an example!
"You don't need to persuade me anymore. Continue the beating—don't hold back for anyone."
With that, two soldiers stepped forward, dragging the pleading Liu Erlong away. The thick wooden staff was raised high once again before slamming down.
As soon as it struck Yu Xiaogang's backside, he jumped up in agony, the pain overwhelming him. He wanted to struggle, but he quickly realized he was held down tightly, unable to move at all.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang was surrounded by a crowd, being publicly punished!
"Your Highness, Xiaogang is from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Is this really appropriate?" Flender's eyes were red, clearly anxious.
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe frowned. "Yu Xiaogang was expelled from the clan long ago. He's nothing more than trash. I doubt the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would concern themselves with the life or death of a worthless man."
"But… Your Highness, a hundred strikes… it could kill him!" Flender pleaded.
On the other side, Yu Tianheng saw his uncle suffering this cruel punishment for offending the crown prince.
Instinctively, he turned to Ye Hao, hoping he could intervene.
However, Ye Hao simply shook his head. He was powerless in this matter. Xue Qinghe wasn't just avenging him—this was also about reinforcing the authority of the Heaven Dou royal family. Killing two birds with one stone.
"No matter how useless he is, Yu Xiaogang is still a soul master. Don't worry—he won't die from this."
Xue Qinghe then gave another order, "Make sure you control the force. Don't let him die too quickly."
The executioners understood his intent and carefully adjusted their strength.
By now, Yu Xiaogang was completely broken. His backside was a bloody mess, blood trickled from his mouth, and he had even bitten down so hard that he lost two teeth.
He couldn't help but wonder—why was he so unlucky?
"Your Highness!" Flender refused to give up.
But Xue Qinghe snapped, "I am the crown prince of this empire—the future ruler of Heaven Dou! That trash Yu Xiaogang publicly disrespected me, making me lose face. How do you expect me to face my people after this?"
"If I don't punish him today, more people like him will appear tomorrow, and the day after that!"
"Flender, I advise you to hold your tongue. You're no saint either. Do you need me to list the 'good deeds' you've done over the years?"
At those words, Flender fell silent, unable to argue further.
"I wouldn't mind sending you to join Yu Xiaogang. Shrek Academy… what a filthy place."
With that, Xue Qinghe and Ye Hao turned and left, unwilling to waste another moment there.
Flender stood frozen, his gaze filled with resentment as he watched the two leave. But all he could do was clench his fists in frustration—he was powerless.
Since the founding of Shrek Academy, this was only the second time Flender had felt so helpless.
The first time was during the incident at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"Ahh! Ahh! Ahhh!"
Yu Xiaogang continued to wail in agony. Liu Erlong stood nearby, tears streaming down her face. All she could do was watch, unable to take away his pain.
Once Ye Hao and Xue Qinghe were gone…
The crowd erupted into whispers, pointing fingers at Shrek Academy.
Their words were filled with insults, and the judgmental gazes of the onlookers bore down on them.
It was an unbearable feeling to become the target of public scorn.
Some of them wanted to argue back, but reality quickly crushed their spirit.
"Brother Xue, you really helped me get my revenge today." Ye Hao thought back to Yu Xiaogang's suffering and felt a secret joy in his heart.
This was long overdue!
Xue Qinghe smiled faintly. "We're brothers. Yu Xiaogang was nothing but an arrogant fraud, looking down on others just because of his little knowledge. And now, that teacher and student dared to target you? How could I let that slide?"
"Fortunately, he didn't recognize me as the empire's crown prince, which played right into my hands."
"As for Tang San…" Xue Qinghe trailed off meaningfully.
Ye Hao understood and nodded. "Leave Tang San to me. Even though he's reached the Soul King level, I'm sure he'll reveal his Clear Sky Hammer during the tournament."
"But I still have the confidence to crush him beneath my feet."
Seeing this, Xue Qinghe said no more. Once they arrived at the designated lodgings, the two separated.
The crown prince's accommodations were far different from those of the contestants. Although Ye Hao had a close relationship with Xue Qinghe, at this early stage of the tournament, the political landscape was complicated. To avoid unnecessary attention, they had to keep their distance.
…
"Punishment complete."
At last, the hundred lashes were over.
The two executioners wiped the sweat from their brows and tossed aside their bloodstained clubs. The soldiers then resumed their duty of standing guard.
As soon as they left, Liu Erlong rushed to Yu Xiaogang's unconscious form, tears falling like broken pearls. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop crying.
Seeing this, Flender sighed. "Mubai, take Xiaogang back to the tent. Be careful—he can't handle any more suffering."
"And Jiang Zhu, use your martial soul to treat him. I'll have to trouble you with this."
The Shrek students dared not delay. They carefully lifted Yu Xiaogang and carried him away.
Watching them leave, Flender turned back toward his tent—only to notice something strange about Tang San.
His eyes were blood-red, his entire body radiating a chilling killing intent that made Flender hesitate.
"Xiao San, don't do anything reckless." Flender forced himself to step forward.
But Tang San ignored his warning, his crimson eyes staring directly at him.
At that moment, Flender felt a shiver run down his spine, a cold wind brushing against his back. Before he knew it, sweat had soaked through his clothes.
It was as if he was facing a terrifying enemy.
Tang San was undeniably dangerous right now…
Flender swallowed hard and decided to say no more.
Before leaving, he paused for a moment. "This time, Xiaogang was at fault first. Xiao San, don't forget what your father told you. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament is not over yet. Think carefully."
"Xiaogang… has changed."
With that, Flender sighed heavily and walked away, his heart weighed down with regret.