Chapter 170 - 170: [DD2]: 170

Credits: terrance smith Shrek Academy's willingness to abandon all principles meant it was only fair for them to pay a price. After all, in the original storyline, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team suffered severe losses, with Lin Xi, Chen Fei, and Chen An sacrificing themselves one after another. If Shrek Academy dared to brazenly kill during the competition, there was no reason for Su Yu to show mercy or pity them. Crippling a few of their members was already letting them off easy. Seeing that Su Yu didn't object, Mi Jia and Xiao Hongchen exchanged glances, a flicker of cold determination flashing in their eyes. "Shrek Academy, is it? Let's see how this plays out," they thought with a snort of disdain. The group then continued to discuss the details of their strategy before dispersing. The next day was the final match, unlike the semifinals, where events were spread out. The finals were completed in one go, testing not only strength but also stamina. Thus, conserving energy was critical. Only by being well-rested could the team perform at their best during the competition. After the meeting, Su Yu took the opportunity to slip away. With the finalists now decided, public opinion was divided on which team would claim the championship. Betting booths, set up by the Star Luo Empire, were abuzz with activity. Wagers on Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy had reached a fever pitch. Surprisingly, the odds for Shrek Academy to win were 1:1.8, while the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's odds were 1:1.1. Public sentiment appeared to favor the Sun Moon team over Shrek Academy, an unexpected outcome. seaʀᴄh thё nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Yu couldn't tell whether this disparity was due to genuine belief in the Sun Moon team's victory or if the Star Luo Empire had deliberately skewed the odds. Logically, Shrek Academy's fame should have garnered more support. However, he didn't overthink it. Without hesitation, Su Yu placed a billion gold soul coins on the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy to win. After spending nearly fifty million gold soul coins at the Starlight Auction House, he needed to recover his funds. His goal was simple: earn a billion first. The Star Luo Empire had recently made a fortune, so they could afford it. But what Su Yu didn't know was that shortly after he left, news of his billion-gold-soul-coin bet reached Xu Jiawei's ears. Xu Jiawei immediately spat out his tea. "What did you say? Su Yu placed a billion gold soul coins on the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy to win?" Xu Jiawei's eyes widened in disbelief. Was Su Yu out of his mind? Betting a billion? He had deliberately lowered the odds for the Sun Moon team to reduce the number of bets on them, as their analysis showed the Sun Moon team had a higher chance of winning. To maximize profits, he also raised Shrek Academy's odds. As expected, more people bet on Shrek Academy. And now, you're telling me Su Yu bet a billion on the Sun Moon team to win? A billion gold soul coins! Was this guy insane? What was initially a guaranteed profit might now result in a loss because of Su Yu's outrageous bet. Xu Jiawei opened his mouth to curse but swallowed his words when he remembered Su Yu's background. He didn't want trouble knocking at his door again. "What's the current total bet amount for both sides?" Xu Jiawei asked. "Your Majesty, the total amount bet on Shrek Academy to win is approximately seventy-eight million gold soul coins," his subordinate reported. "As for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the total is about 123 million gold soul coins, with Su Yu's billion making up the majority." Hearing this, Xu Jiawei nearly blacked out. Great. If the Sun Moon team won, he'd lose nearly fifty million gold soul coins. What was the point of running this betting operation now? "Brother, should we lower the odds for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy even further?" Xu Jiujiu suggested. Xu Jiawei took a deep breath and said, "No need. Once odds are set, they cannot be arbitrarily changed." "It's just fifty million gold soul coins—I can afford it." Though his heart ached, he knew it was unwise to make such an obvious move after Su Yu's bet. Doing so would signal shady practices and alienate bettors. For fifty million, offending Su Yu wasn't worth it. From a technical perspective, Su Yu had done nothing wrong. All he did was place a bet. "This Su Yu is too much. Why bet so much? A few million would've been enough! This guy is just trying to milk us for all we're worth," Xu Jiujiu grumbled. He had no mercy during battles, and now he was even bullying her financially—it was outrageous! "Forget it. Consider it a gift. Fifty million gold soul coins are nothing," Xu Jiawei said, waving his hand with a forced smile. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought he didn't care at all. Then, Xu Jiawei smiled meaningfully at Xu Jiujiu. "Jiujiu, what do you think of Su Yu?" Xu Jiujiu's cheeks flushed slightly as she retorted, "He's just annoying." "Haha, a man like him is one of a kind. If you're interested, don't let him slip away," Xu Jiawei said teasingly. "Brother, what are you talking about? How could I possibly like him?" Xu Jiujiu quickly denied it, though her eyes held a trace of an unspoken emotion. "Haha~" Xu Jiawei chuckled and casually added, "Don't forget, Su Yu is from the Ice God Palace." "The Ice God Palace…" Xu Jiujiu's expression shifted as she put away her embarrassment. Yes, Su Yu was from the Ice God Palace. If they could form ties with the Ice God Palace, it would undoubtedly be a great boon for Star Luo. Xu Jiujiu pondered silently. ... The Next Morning The weather was not favorable. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and a light mist shrouded Star Luo City. Occasionally, fine drizzle fell, bringing a chill to the majestic city. But no amount of cold could extinguish the public's enthusiasm. Some had even lined up in the square overnight after the semifinals, just to witness the highly anticipated final match. To ensure the event proceeded smoothly, the Star Luo Empire deployed an additional ten thousand soldiers to maintain order. The massive Star Luo Square was packed with people, a sea of heads as far as the eye could see. Around 8:00 a.m., sudden cheers erupted across the square. On the guarded road, two teams emerged slowly. One side wore dark green uniforms, led by a curvaceous Ma Xiaotao—this was the Shrek Academy team. The other side wore pale white uniforms, led by a tall, imposing youth—none other than Ma Rulong of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. At this moment, the Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Academy teams walked nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, the palpable tension between them hinting at an impending clash. Su Yu trailed behind Ma Rulong, his hand casually tucked in his pocket. He could sense the hostile gazes coming from members of the other team. Xu Sanshi, Dai Huabin, and even Dai Yueheng glared at him with visible animosity, while the hatred in Xu Sanshi and Dai Huabin's eyes was barely concealed. In the lead, Ma Xiaotao also glanced at him occasionally, her pink eyes filled with battle intent. Su Yu's eyes glinted subtly as he cast an indifferent glance at the Shrek team, his expression inscrutable. Soon, both teams arrived at their respective resting areas. On the imperial platform, Xu Jiawei and his entourage made their appearance. Su Yu directed his gaze at the platform and immediately noticed Xu Jiawei and the others. The emperor smiled warmly and even nodded at Su Yu, a rare gesture from someone of his status. Su Yu blinked in mild surprise before returning the gesture with a faint smile. Standing beside Xu Jiawei was Xu Jiujiu, as radiant as ever, exuding a noble and elegant air. She was dressed in a pale yellow palace gown, her demeanor serene and composed. When she noticed Su Yu's gaze, her cheeks puffed slightly as she shot him an annoyed glare. Su Yu withdrew his gaze indifferently, unwilling to engage with her. Seeing his dismissive action, Xu Jiujiu's expression turned sour as she stomped her foot lightly in frustration. "Silence! The match is about to begin. His Majesty will now deliver a speech," announced a Titled Douluo, his voice imbued with pressure that quickly silenced the buzzing crowd. Xu Jiawei stepped forward with a gentle smile and began his address. After a brief speech, the crowd erupted in a chorus of "Long live the Emperor!" "Well then, let us now witness a battle that will surely go down in history," Xu Jiawei proclaimed, his voice filled with anticipation. As his words fell, the figure of the Skyfiend Douluo appeared in the center of the arena. His gaze swept toward the resting areas, where Yan Shaozhe had appeared at some point. It seemed the Bright Phoenix Douluo couldn't rest easy for this final match. Elder Ma glanced cautiously at Yan Shaozhe. Even the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had long heard of the Bright Phoenix Douluo's formidable reputation. This was a true Super Douluo, and even Elder Ma felt immense pressure in his presence. Su Yu also glanced at Yan Shaozhe but didn't linger. If the Bright Phoenix Douluo dared to cause trouble, plenty of people would deal with him. On the platform, the Skyfiend Douluo gave Yan Shaozhe a brief look before withdrawing his gaze. He then spoke in a deep voice: "The finals of this Martial Soul Duel Tournament are about to begin. I will now explain the rules." The Skyfiend Douluo briefly outlined the three competition formats before adding, "After the team battle, each team will have one opportunity to substitute players. However, this can only be done once." "For the subsequent individual matches and 2-2-3 team format, both sides must stick to a fixed roster and cannot change participants again." "The competition consists of three rounds. The team that wins two rounds will be crowned the champion." "Finally, during the matches, if any participant faces a life-threatening situation, I will intervene to save them. However, the rescued participant will be disqualified." "Additionally, since the battle situation changes rapidly, it may not always be possible for me to save everyone in time. Therefore, all participants must exercise restraint during the match." "Now, both teams, prepare yourselves. You have one minute before taking the stage." As the Skyfiend Douluo's voice echoed across the square, silence fell. The tension between the two teams in the resting area grew even more intense. Ma Xiaotao shouted, "Dai Yueheng, Ling Luocheng, Chu He, Chen Yun, Zhang Tu, Xu Sanshi, step forward!" At her command, six figures emerged. Unexpectedly, one Soul King was left out in favor of Xu Sanshi. "Shrek will win!" Ma Xiaotao declared loudly. "Shrek will win!" the others echoed in unison, their battle spirits surging. On the Sun Moon Academy side, Ma Rulong stood up. "Mi Jia, Lin Xi, Xiao Xiafeng, step forward!" Su Yu also stood, followed by Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. The seven-member team advanced, their presence already clashing with the opposing team. In the blink of an eye, the minute passed. "Participants, take the stage!" Skyfiend Douluo's voice reverberated, prompting Ma Xiaotao to cast a provocative look at Su Yu as she led her team forward. Su Yu's gaze narrowed slightly as he observed Xu Sanshi at the rear of the opposing formation. Not bringing out a Soul King and choosing Xu Sanshi instead was a tactical move to leverage his Mysterious Underworld Substitution skill. If someone intended to harm their opponents deliberately, that skill could be a deadly advantage. "In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are nothing but child's play," Su Yu muttered, his lips curling into a disdainful smile. He exchanged a glance with Ma Rulong. "Let's go!" Ma Rulong nodded and led their team to follow. As the Sun Moon Academy team stepped onto the stage, the sight of three substitute members left many spectators stunned. Even Wang Yan, observing from the resting area, frowned. He realized he knew almost nothing about these three reserve members from the Sun Moon Academy team. Even Su Yu, the most notable of the trio, had revealed very little of his true abilities. A foreboding sense of unease crept into Wang Yan's heart. Under the watchful eyes of the audience, both teams took their positions on the stage. The Shrek Academy team, led by Ma Xiaotao, faced the Sun Moon Academy team, with Su Yu at its core. The two sides stood a short distance apart, locked in a silent standoff. "Teams, prepare! Retreat to your positions. The match is about to begin," Skyfiend Douluo instructed. Both sides began retreating while adjusting their formations. On Shrek's side, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng stood at the front, with Xu Sanshi positioned behind them. Zhang Tu and Chen Yun took the flanks, while Chu He and Ling Luocheng anchored the rear. For Sun Moon Academy, Ma Rulong and Xiao Hongchen stood at the forefront, with Su Yu at the center. Mi Jia and Meng Hongchen flanked Su Yu, while Lin Xi and Xiao Xiafeng guarded the rear. The Sun Moon Academy's strategy revolved entirely around Su Yu, with every formation designed to support him. Once both teams were in position at the edge of the stage, Skyfiend Douluo's voice rang out: "The match begins!" At that instant, both teams sprang into action. On Shrek's side, a surge of powerful energy erupted, marking the start of the clash.