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

Are you ready?"

Xu Cheng gazed at Bai Ye, who stood like an iron turtle across from him, and smiled faintly.

"Please!"

Bai Ye took a deep breath.

"..."

"Alright then…"

Xu Cheng's smile slowly faded.

Five soul rings rose beneath his feet.

Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black.

The pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul rings intertwined with the purple ones, intricate patterns rippling across them, emitting a low hum…

"How… how is this possible?!"

The Dean of Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy shot to his feet, his face filled with disbelief.

"How can anyone have such a soul ring configuration? How did his body withstand a thousand-year soul ring for his first ring? And his third soul ring is already ten-thousand years? How is this even possible?!"

At the same time, countless students in the audience widened their eyes in shock.

"Purple, purple, black, black, black? Am I seeing this right?"

"So this is what it means to be the number one genius? No wonder all the top talents rushed over the moment Xu Cheng appeared."

"Holy crap, this is a visual feast!"

"I want to have Xu Cheng's babies!"

"Get real—do you think just anyone can become a royal consort?"

"…"

Bai Ye, standing opposite Xu Cheng, was so stunned that he couldn't even speak.

Xu Cheng shook his head.

"We haven't even started yet…"

He slowly raised both hands.

And in the next moment—

Under the watchful eyes of nearly ten thousand spectators—

The fifth black soul ring briefly flared with light.

Then…

"Look at the sky!" a sharp-eyed student shouted first, his voice trembling with shock.

"It's the sun! The sun is moving!"

"..."

As more gasps and shouts echoed through the crowd, Xu Cheng's figure slowly rose into the air.

Above him—

A blazing sun emerged.

It was at least a hundred times more intense than the one he had revealed during his match with Xu Tianzhen.

Even the original sun hanging in the sky seemed to be forcibly pulled down—vanishing all of a sudden.

"This technique is called… Borrowing the Sun."

Xu Cheng's voice echoed throughout the arena, resonating with a distant yet powerful tone.

The sun in the sky—the one he had "borrowed"—began to descend, inching closer and closer.

Countless people tilted their heads back, their faces frozen in awe.

The immense, oppressive sun loomed overhead, and as it drew near, everyone could truly feel how small they were in its presence.

"Ah?" Xu Tianzhen's eyes went wide. It took her a long moment to squeeze out a single word.

So all that earlier… was just him playing around with me?

The students of Mingdu Soul Engineering Academy swallowed hard, their faces pale.

Even though they weren't the ones standing in the center of the arena, the sheer pressure made it hard to breathe.

To stand where Bai Ye was—to face this head-on—was unimaginable.

Xiao Hongchen's jaw dropped.

"Forget holding back… this wasn't just holding back—he was practically creating an ocean of mercy…"

He wasn't just talking about Xu Tianzhen—he was talking about himself too, from their match six months ago.

Meng Hongchen cupped her face with both hands, eyes glowing with admiration.

"So handsome."

Xiao Hongchen: "..."

Tang Ya gazed at Xu Cheng—his figure, radiant as a god standing in the sky.

Her lips pressed together.

"So this is his true strength?"

"No."

Beside her, Ji Juechen shook his head, his sharp eyes never leaving Xu Cheng.

"This is just his martial soul's power. His true strength lies… in his soul tools."

Everyone: "..."

Xiao Hongchen covered his face.

"I swear, I'm never challenging him to a duel again. It's just asking to be humiliated."

Ji Juechen glanced at him.

"How about…"

In the sky, Xu Cheng stood firm—his hand raised as if supporting the blazing sun.

At the same time—

The arena floor began to change.

Molten lava seeped up from beneath the ground, spreading slowly at Bai Ye's feet. The terrifying heat radiating from the sun above melted the soul tools surrounding Bai Ye in an instant!

The once-solid metal cannons drooped and warped, liquefying before his very eyes and forming pools of molten metal.

Behind him, the phantom of the Horned Dragon martial soul let out a sorrowful cry, its body seemingly set aflame.

With a final agonized roar, it collapsed.

The crowd watched in stunned silence.

This wasn't a battle—it was a divine judgment.

"…I surrender."

Bai Ye's body gave out as he fell to one knee, his face dark with despair.

He had expected Xu Cheng to be strong—but never this strong.

He realized now… that as a peer of the same generation, he would only ever be able to see Xu Cheng's back.

Xu Cheng stood so far above them, like an untouchable god.

It was both their fortune—and their misfortune…

The Demon King, Xu Cheng.

"You lied to me! Hmph! Stupid brother!"

Xu Tianzhen stormed over, furious, seemingly ready to punch Xu Cheng—but before she could move, a large hand rested gently on her head, keeping her from advancing even an inch.

"How is this my fault? It just means you're really strong." Xu Cheng shrugged.

"Liar! Hmph!"

Xu Tianzhen pouted and turned her head away, refusing to look at her brother.

"Not bad," Xu Cheng said, turning to Bai Ye, who still looked dejected. "After you graduate, join the Royal Soul Engineering Corps—Second Battalion. Tell Xu Jin I sent you."

"I…"

Bai Ye was stunned.

Xu Cheng, seeing the hesitation in his eyes, smiled.

"This technique… not even a seventh-rank Soul Engineer from Mingde Hall could withstand it. It's only natural that you couldn't either. The strength I revealed today wasn't aimed at you personally."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of hope flashed in Bai Ye's eyes.

Without hesitation, he cupped his fists and knelt again, his voice firm:

"I, Bai Ye, swear to follow Your Highness to the death!"

If, at first, his loyalty was driven by Xu Cheng's royal status—

Now, it was out of genuine respect.

Xu Cheng's overwhelming strength had shattered Bai Ye's pride. Only someone like this was worthy of his allegiance.

Seeing this, Xu Cheng waved his hand—gently lifting Bai Ye with a thread of soul power.

A warm smile graced his face.

"No need for such formality inside the academy."

After all—

Xu Cheng didn't just value Bai Ye's strength.

He valued the power behind him.

According to Juzi's investigation—

Bai Ye hailed from the Heavenly Dragon Sect—a core member of the main bloodline.

Yet he had been secretly sent to the Sun-Moon Empire by the sect leader himself…

The meaning behind this move was obvious.

Perhaps this was an opportunity—

A chance to pull the Heavenly Dragon Sect into his orbit…

Gazing into the distance, Xu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

If his memory served him right—

According to the current timeline—

The main story was about to begin.

It was time.

To head to the Star Dou Forest.

Tianmeng… and Electrolux…

I've been waiting for you both for a long time.

White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

This massive estate, spanning over 3,000 acres, didn't belong to any city.

It stood alone—fifty miles northwest of Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire.

At high noon, golden sunlight bathed the glazed roof tiles, casting a dazzling radiance over the entire mansion.

Even from the walls of Star Luo City, the Duke's mansion could be seen shimmering in the distance.

From the mansion's northern back gate, a young boy—around eleven or twelve years old—slipped out quietly.

He was slender, his face resolute.

After taking a few steps, he turned back to look at the mansion, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Mother… please watch from the heavens above."

"No matter how much I have to endure—one day, I'll return… and trample everything here beneath my feet."

"From now on, I will take your surname…"

"Huo Yuhao."

With those words, the boy gave the mansion one last, long look.

Then, he turned and set off—

Towards the Star Dou Forest.