To be on the safe side, Su Yu had to give him a warning in advance, lest this guy become overconfident and careless again.
Being intimidated like this by Su Yu, Xiao Hongchen sobered up a lot.
He patted his chest and promised, "Brother-in-law, just rest assured. I definitely won't let Meng get hurt, not even a hair."
"You'd better."
Su Yu glanced at Xiao Hongchen and replied indifferently.
Su Yu looked at Meng Hongchen again and reminded her, "Meng, you also need to take care of yourself."
"The match is not the most important thing, there's no need to go all out."
"If you realize you really can't win, just surrender right away."
"Anyway, those guys from the Holy Spirit Sect have no chance of winning the championship, so you don't need to feel too much pressure."
Meng Hongchen nodded gently—whatever Su Yu said, she would do as he said.
"But… how can we just surrender, I—"
"Shut up."
Su Yu shot Xiao Hongchen a glare and rebuked him lightly.
Xiao Hongchen's tone immediately softened, and he muttered, "I was just saying…"
Everyone has their match. When facing Su Yu, Xiao Hongchen had no temper at all.
After a while, Xiao Hongchen spoke, a little unwilling, "Brother-in-law, do you not believe we can do it?"
From the start, Su Yu had shown a lack of confidence in them.
Is the Holy Spirit Sect really that strong?
Do they have no chance against the Holy Spirit Sect?
"It's not that I don't believe in you, but the Holy Spirit Sect is rather strange."
"In terms of raw strength, you're not much weaker than them, but when it comes to ruthlessness, you're far behind."
"I know what you're thinking, but what's the point of fighting for second place?"
"You can't win the championship anyway."
Even though he knew it was true, hearing it still hurt.
With Su Yu's team in the competition, he naturally understood he couldn't win the championship.
But if not champion, at least being runner-up was acceptable.
That's what he always aimed for.
Yet now Su Yu told him that even the runner-up spot was unlikely.
Xiao Hongchen couldn't quite accept that.
"Fine."
Xiao Hongchen slumped on the sofa like a fish out of water, looking utterly defeated.
Seeing this, Su Yu couldn't help but find it amusing, shaking his head.
Actually, by his estimation, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the Holy Spirit Sect probably wouldn't go all out in a life-or-death fight.
Even if Xiao Hongchen was unwilling, he'd likely have to do things against his wishes in the end.
After all, certain people wouldn't want the Holy Slayer Palace to win the championship easily.
Especially with personal grudges involved.
But Su Yu didn't care about all that—absolute strength could suppress any dissent.
…
…
Two days passed quickly.
At dawn, the eastern sky was tinged with faint purple.
Radiant City, meanwhile, was bustling with excitement.
Today was the day of the semifinals, and countless residents had already headed for the outskirts before sunrise, eager to witness this spectacular semifinal firsthand.
Su Yu and his group were up early and had already prepared everything.
Following the path lined with a wall of soldiers, Su Yu and his companions made their way to the outskirts of the city.
The crowd outside was vast and densely packed as far as the eye could see.
The number of spectators reached a new peak—hundreds of thousands surrounded the area, with the farthest people more than two kilometers away.
To see the match, many had to use binoculars.
Such an overwhelming crowd showed just how popular today's semifinal was.
At the center of the field, the competition stage had already been set up.
The newly rebuilt stage was higher and larger, gleaming with cold metallic luster.
Su Yu's group followed the arranged route and entered the rest area.
The large rest area was empty. By now, countless teams had already been eliminated.
Su Yu's group was the last to arrive—when they entered, the other three teams were already present.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Snow Demon Sect, and Holy Spirit Sect each kept their distance.
Between the teams under the canopy, sparks seemed to fly.
Su Yu led his team past the Holy Spirit Sect. The Holy Spirit Sect had eight people.
Every one of their members was completely wrapped in black cloaks.
The leading black-robed woman gave Su Yu a sense of déjà vu. With just one glance, he recognized her as Tang Ya.
The Holy Spirit Sect members gave Su Yu's group cold, sinister looks as they passed by.
It was a gaze like that of venomous snakes, making one's skin crawl.
Su Yu snorted internally and led his team to a spot under the canopy.
The canopy was very spacious now; with only four teams, it felt almost empty.
The arrival of Holy Slayer Palace undoubtedly broke the original tense atmosphere.
Over at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Xiao Hongchen made faces, while Meng Hongchen gave Su Yu a sweet smile and nodded in greeting.
Su Yu nodded back and smiled.
In the Snow Demon Sect team—
Long Aotian stared intently at Su Yu, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
According to reliable sources, he knew Su Yu was no longer part of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
The suddenly-appearing Holy Slayer Palace team was the real team led by Su Yu.
He wouldn't forget what his sect master had told him: to dampen Su Yu's arrogance at the tournament.
The Ice God Palace had suppressed their sect for so many years; now it was time for some payback.
Su Yu naturally noticed Aotian's gaze but didn't care.
Whatever needed to be settled could be done on the battlefield.
Time passed, and the sun rose.
At that moment, a carriage approached from the distance, surrounded by elite guards.
The carriage stopped by the main stage, and a wheelchair was brought out.
Xu Tiannan sat in the wheelchair and used a lift to ascend to the stage.
Juzi silently pushed the wheelchair to the designated spot.
Soon after, Jing Hongchen and Zhongli Wu arrived, sitting to Xu Tiannan's left and right.
By now, it was nearly eight o'clock. Golden sunlight poured over the vast crowd, cloaking everyone in a golden glow.
Xu Tiannan smiled, seemingly in a good mood, and said cheerfully, "Today's semifinal should be quite exciting. What do you two think—who will win the morning match?"
There were two semifinals, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The first match was Holy Slayer Palace vs. Body Sect.
To Xu Tiannan, both Holy Slayer Palace and Body Sect were thorns their his side.
Seeing the two teams fight to the death made him happy.
Zhongli Wu gave a wicked smile and said, "Both teams are strong. In my opinion, this will be a battle where both sides suffer."
Xu Tiannan chuckled. That was exactly the outcome he wanted—
Even if one side barely won, they'd be severely weakened and have little hope of performing well in the final.
That way, the championship would likely remain in the Sun Moon Empire.
As the crown prince and host of the tournament, Xu Tiannan didn't want the championship slipping away to another team.
Otherwise, it would be a huge blow to the empire's reputation.
"Hall Master, what do you think?"
Xu Tiannan looked at Jing Hongchen and asked with a smile.
Jing Hongchen's eyes flickered. "Both teams have their strengths, but in my view, Holy Slayer Palace has a better chance of winning."
"Oh?"
"So the Hall Master is as confident in Young Master Su Yu as ever."
"That's understandable, considering Su Yu is your prized student—it's only natural to have faith in him."
"Now I'm interested to see what kind of performance Young Master Su Yu will deliver."
Xu Tiannan stroked his chin, looking genuinely intrigued.
But his eyes, as calm as a still pool, betrayed his true thoughts.
"If Your Highness is interested, just watch closely. I believe that kid won't disappoint you," Jing Hongchen replied coolly.
He was confident in Su Yu.
The Body Sect was no real obstacle.
"Is that so? Then I'll wait and see. But I do have a question—if Holy Slayer Palace does win and makes it to the final, do you think the Royal Academy can defeat them?"
Jing Hongchen's face darkened at this pointed question.
Xu Tiannan was prodding him.
"Heh, just making conversation, Hall Master. The match hasn't even started yet," Xu Tiannan laughed.
Jing Hongchen took a deep breath, regaining his usual composure—though his eyes occasionally flashed coldly.
Half an hour passed, and finally, it was time for the match.
On the stage, the figure of Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan appeared.
"The first semifinal match: Holy Slayer Palace versus Snow Demon Sect. Both teams, please enter the waiting area."
His voice was amplified by a soul device, spreading in all directions.
In the rest area, Su Yu and Long Aotian stood up almost simultaneously.
Both teams followed them out.
A wave of noise surged through the audience.
For the first time, Holy Slayer Palace was sending out their full lineup.
In the audience, people from Shrek Academy and Star Luo National Academy were present.
Seeing Holy Slayer Palace finally fielding their entire team, the two academies' members had mixed feelings.
"They're sending everyone. Su Yu must care about this match," Wu Ming muttered.
In previous matches, Holy Slayer Palace had never gone all out—now even Su Yu and Xue Di were entering.
That showed how seriously Su Yu was taking it.
"After all, it's the Body Sect—not to be underestimated. Su Yu is right to be cautious," Han Ruoruo said.
Their Shrek Academy had lost to Body Sect in the quarterfinals.
They wouldn't miss today's semifinal for anything.
If they could see Body Sect lose, it would be a relief.
Zhang Lexuan didn't speak, just quietly watched the stage.
She understood Su Yu best—whatever he did, he always had his reasons.
"Body Sect, Weina, you're going to suffer a major defeat this time," Xu Jiujiu thought to herself.
She knew Su Yu was far stronger than most people their age.
Long Aotian was impressive, but compared to Su Yu, he was still lacking.
After all, Su Yu was a man who could even make Xu Jiujiu lose her composure—a true dragon among men.
"Weina, the man you chose isn't as amazing as the one I like," Xu Jiujiu thought, her eyes distant as she watched the stage.
In the waiting area—
Su Yu led his team and met Body Sect's group halfway.
The two sides locked eyes, tension instantly rising.
"You must be Young Master Su Yu. I am Long Aotian," Aotian said calmly, staring at Su Yu.
Su Yu glanced over, sizing him up.
Long Aotian was tall and strong, over two meters high, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles.
His chestnut-red hair was parted in the middle, with smooth strands falling on either side. His eyes were narrow and cold, nose straight, and mouth firm—not especially handsome, but with a hint of wicked charm.
Strangely, his skin was extremely pale and jade-like, with a faint glow beneath it. His every movement seemed perfectly fluid.
This guy's physique was exceptionally strong—his body's strength had reached a level few peers could match.
Su Yu's expression didn't change. "So you're Body Sect's top disciple. No wonder you have such presence."
"But as Body Sect's top disciple, why are you hiding in the so-called Snow Demon Sect?"
"Are you afraid of being seen?"
Long Aotian's face was cold. "Right back at you—didn't you also not represent the Ice God Palace?"
"If my Body Sect represents the Snow Demon Sect, what's the problem?"
"That's different."
Su Yu sneered. "I established Holy Slayer Palace openly, known to all—unlike your sect, hiding in the Snow Demon Sect, pretending to be something else."
"What did you say?!"
The people behind Long Aotian glared at Su Yu.
The implication was clear—he was calling them cowards who only hid.
"Who are you calling a coward? You wanna die?"
Di Mingli's expression grew cold, eyes flashing with killing intent.
"Enough."
Long Aotian stopped his people, looking at Su Yu with chilly eyes.
"You're quite sharp-tongued, Young Master Su. But how much of Ice God Palace's secret skills have you mastered?"
Su Yu laughed lightly, "Ice God Palace's secret techniques are vast and endless. I've only learned a little so far."
"But dealing with this match should be more than enough."
"You're confident, Young Master Su. See you on the field."
Long Aotian's face darkened as he led his group away.
Su Yu glanced at them indifferently and led his team to the other side.
The teams sat down. The match hadn't even started, but the tension was already palpable.
Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan stood on stage and announced, "The match is about to begin. Contestants for the elimination match, please enter the stage promptly."