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

he news of Shrek Academy's defeat spread rapidly.

The entire Star Luo Imperial Capital erupted in an uproar.

That god-like academy had lost.

The unshakable number one for ten thousand years was finally about to fall. Countless people were shocked, astonished, and in utter disbelief. But the truth was right in front of them, and they had no choice but to accept it.

The Round of 16 was structured with both team battles and individual matches.

The team that lost the team battle could only send three members to the individual matches, while the winning team could send seven. For Shrek, this was almost a guaranteed loss.

Xu Cheng was like an immovable mountain, blocking their path to victory.

Unshakable.

Few still held out hope for the upcoming individual matches.

That night, bodies started appearing in Star Luo Empire's moat.

As they were retrieved one by one, many fell into silence.

These were familiar faces from the gambling houses. How they died was no mystery, but people merely sighed—life had to go on.

The reactions varied—where there was sorrow, there was also joy.

Some smirked in disdain."What, does the Sun Moon team owe you money? You knew Shrek was in trouble and still bet on them? That's not faith—it's just plain stupidity. If it were truly about faith, they wouldn't be floating in the river now."

Others were desperate."No! There's still a chance! There's still the individual matches tomorrow! Shrek will win!"

Inside the Hotel

Nana was ecstatic."Brother, if we win tomorrow, our bets will at least double! Over four billion gold soul coins! We're rich!"

"But… what if Star Luo Empire refuses to pay up?" she asked worriedly.

Xu Cheng chuckled."They won't dare."

Everyone knew who ran the betting pools. It was the Emperor's own reputation that had attracted so many gamblers. Trust was a valuable thing—once lost, it was hard to rebuild.

Besides, the four billion payout mostly came from those who bet on Shrek. He had wagered less than one billion himself.

Lying lazily on the sofa, Xiao Hongchen sighed in boredom."This is too easy… Winning the championship just like that, without any challenge. Life feels so… empty."

"I feel like I've lost my purpose."

"Well, let me give you a new one." Xu Cheng grinned."Star Luo Empire isn't going to let us leave. Once the tournament is over, we'll likely face detention, imprisonment—who knows, we might not return to Sun Moon Empire for decades…"

Xiao Hongchen: "???"

His lazy demeanor vanished in an instant."WHAT?! Star Luo's royal family is really that shameless?!"

"Your political instincts are terrible." Meng Hongchen sighed."Before coming here, Cheng gave a series of speeches to the Sun Moon Empire's military and government. One of the most attention-grabbing points was his promise to invade the three great empires within three years of taking the throne. You think Star Luo won't panic over that?"

"Holy—!"

Xiao Hongchen turned to Xu Cheng, who remained unfazed."Are you crazy?! At least pretend to be cautious! You're alone in the heart of Star Luo Empire—aren't you even a little scared?!"

"Of course I am. What makes you think I'm not?" Xu Cheng yawned.

Xiao Hongchen: "…"

Yeah, right. I don't believe you.

"Alright, both Dou Ling Academy and Star Luo Royal Academy have matches today. Want to go watch?" Ma Rulong suggested.

"Sounds good. We can study our opponents for later rounds." Lin Xi agreed. "Staying cooped up in the hotel is boring."

As the group bickered and left, Xiao Hongchen remained skeptical, glancing at them suspiciously.

Was there really a way to escape Star Luo's grasp?

"Relax, Xiao. I've got everything under control." Xu Cheng patted his shoulder with a reassuring smile."Just think of this as a… memorable experience."

"Heh—" Xiao Hongchen immediately brightened. "I knew you had a plan."

"In fact, I've got a perfect solution." Xu Cheng grinned."You stay here and marry into Star Luo's royal family. That way, Sun Moon and Star Luo become one big family, and they won't dare harm us. The Star Luo princess, Xu Jiujing, is quite pretty, you know? She was in the audience earlier."

Xiao Hongchen: "???"

Meanwhile, Inside the Hotel Room

Once the group had left, Xu Cheng cleared his throat.

Glancing toward the window, he spoke in an indifferent tone.

"Alright, come out now. A dignified Title Douluo of Star Luo Empire, sneaking around like a thief? Rather unbecoming."

"Hahaha! It's not every day I find a Hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast in human form. I'm in a good mood, so I'll overlook your disrespect."

The room darkened.

A towering figure slowly emerged.

The atmosphere in the room grew suffocating, and an invisible barrier sealed the doors and windows.

It was Cheng Gang.

After yesterday's match, he had made his judgment—Xu Cheng was most likely a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast in human form. The aura didn't lie. That was unquestionably the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.

Even though the Star Luo Emperor had repeatedly warned him not to harm Xu Cheng, the temptation of a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast was simply too great—soul bones, soul rings… all invaluable treasures.

And this wasn't just any soul beast—it was one of the three great kings of the Extreme North, the Ice Emperor.

"Semi-sweet and unsweetened are fine. But you, you're the worst—half-sweet."

Xu Cheng sighed in exasperation.

A true expert, like Xuan Zi, would have quickly realized that his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion was merely a martial soul—not an actual soul beast in human form.

Weaker individuals wouldn't even be able to sense its power.

But Cheng Gang? A freshly ascended Title Douluo? He was stuck in an awkward middle ground.

"Half-sweet?" Cheng Gang frowned.

He didn't quite understand the phrase, but Xu Cheng's expression made it clear—it wasn't a compliment.

"Heh. No matter what you are, you're just a Soul King. Trying to escape a Title Douluo is nothing but a pipe dream. Be a good boy and hand over your soul bone and soul ring."

Cheng Gang's face twisted into a grin as he reached toward Xu Cheng.

But the next moment, Xu Cheng's expression turned furious.

He slapped Cheng Gang hard across the face.

Then, his figure shimmered.

And transformed—

Into the regal and imposing form of the Star Luo Emperor.

"You—"

Cheng Gang was stunned.

"You dare impersonate His Majesty? I'll—"

But then, he froze.

The space around him rippled—like shattered glass reforming into a new reality.

He slowly looked down.

Somehow, at some point, he was now outside the hotel. His soul power was fully released, causing a massive disturbance.

Onlookers from various battle teams peered out, their eyes wide with shock. Through the hotel's shattered wall, they could clearly see Xu Cheng, smiling at him from inside.

Like a cunning fox.

And standing directly across from him…

Was the real Star Luo Emperor—Xu Jiawei.

The emperor's face was filled with fury.

Cheng Gang felt both rage and terror.

When…?

When did this happen?!

(End of Chapter)