At this moment, as he looked at the Sixth-Rank Soul Engineer on the stage...
Liu Yuan instantly guessed his identity.
In the original work, he was the captain of the Sun Moon Royal Team—Ma Rulong.
After all, in Liu Yuan's memory, during this period, Ma Rulong was the only student in the entire Sun Moon Royal Academy who had reached the level of a Sixth-Rank Soul Engineer.
Liu Yuan quickly recalled all the information about Ma Rulong.
Ma Rulong's Martial Soul was mediocre, and his spirit power rank wasn't top-tier among his peers. However, his talent and dedication to spirit tools had allowed him to stand at the very pinnacle of the academy.
Liu Yuan remembered that in the original story, Ma Rulong once had a fierce battle with Ma Xiaotao of the Shrek Team.
Although he was still inferior to her in terms of raw strength, he was the only member of the Sun Moon Team who could truly exchange blows with her.
Therefore, to Liu Yuan, Ma Rulong was a perfect benchmark.
Thinking of this, Liu Yuan's gaze toward Ma Rulong gained a hint of scrutiny.
---
On the stage, the battle had already reached its climax.
Ma Rulong's opponent was an Assault System Spirit Emperor with spirit power above Rank 60—no weak opponent by any means.
However, under Ma Rulong's storm-like artillery barrage, he was completely suppressed.
His Sixth Soul Skill defensive barrier was visibly dimming under the continuous bombardment, cracks spreading across its surface as it teetered on the verge of collapse.
"It's over."
Three cold words escaped Ma Rulong's lips.
His fifth spirit ring lit up brilliantly as a massive surge of spirit power poured into his soul tool cannon.
All six barrels glowed at the same time, merging into a terrifying beam of destructive energy.
"Boom—!"
The defensive barrier shattered instantly.
The remaining force blasted the Spirit Emperor off the stage, sending him crashing heavily onto the ground, completely losing his ability to fight.
The entire arena erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Ma Rulong! Ma Rulong!"
---
Liu Yuan and the others remained in the audience.
During this time, Xiao Hongchen enthusiastically took on the role of a guide, constantly explaining the situation to Liu Yuan.
"See that, Brother Liu Yuan? That's Ma Rulong!"
His tone carried both seriousness and strong battle intent.
"He's the acknowledged strongest in the academy, nicknamed the 'Mobile Fortress'!"
"He's a complete battle maniac. Other than eating and sleeping, he's either in the lab or the training grounds. A true monster."
Meng Hongchen added calmly from the side:
"His defense is also extremely strong."
"He's equipped with a full set of linked fifth-rank defensive spirit tools—enough to withstand a full-power attack from a Soul Emperor."
"Breaking his defense is very difficult."
---
Liu Yuan listened quietly, combining their words with the knowledge in his memory.
After watching Ma Rulong's match, they didn't leave immediately.
Instead, Xiao Hongchen pointed toward other stages.
"Look over there—Stage Three. That's Mi Jia, a fifth-year Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer. He's extremely fast and specializes in hit-and-run tactics. Very troublesome."
"And over there on Stage Seven—that big guy is Xiao Xia, also a sixth-year. He's a Defense System Spirit Master and a Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer. He specializes in trap-type spirit tools. If you're not careful, you'll fall right into his setup."
The siblings took turns introducing notable seniors worth paying attention to.
Liu Yuan listened attentively, committing every detail to memory.
These were all potential opponents on his path to the championship.
---
They stayed until all the high-grade matches concluded and the list of qualified participants was finalized before finally leaving.
On the way back, Xiao Hongchen continued discussing things excitedly.
Meng Hongchen remained thoughtful, already planning strategies.
As for Liu Yuan—
He remained calm throughout.
His biggest takeaway today was simple:
They were strong.
But not stronger than him.
---
The next day.
As the first rays of sunlight entered the dormitory, the bell for the next round of matches rang across the academy.
After yesterday's brutal selection rounds, the number of participants had been greatly reduced.
But everyone who remained was an elite.
---
At the central plaza, all qualified students gathered.
The Chief Referee stood on a high platform, his voice amplified across the entire area.
"First, congratulations to all of you for advancing."
"Starting today, we enter the academy-wide knockout stage!"
"To ensure fairness and test adaptability, all matches will be determined through random selection!"
"Now—look at the screen!"
---
The massive spirit tool display lit up instantly.
Countless names began scrolling rapidly.
Everyone held their breath.
Eyes locked onto the screen.
The tension was palpable.
---
Then—
The names stopped.
---
Liu Yuan vs Lin Xi
---
A brief silence fell over the plaza.
Then came a wave of murmurs—many filled with sympathy.
Ju Zi and Ke Ke looked worried.
"Can Liu Yuan win?"
---
The referee's voice rang out:
"First match! Second-year student Liu Yuan versus third-year student Lin Xi!"
"Both contestants, proceed to Stage One immediately!"
---
Liu Yuan stepped forward calmly.
But when he heard the name "Lin Xi," his steps paused ever so slightly.
He recognized it.
Lin Xi.
In the original story, he was one of the official members of the Sun Moon Team.
Although Liu Yuan remembered him mainly because he was later killed by Ma Xiaotao during the tournament...
That didn't change the fact that he was strong.
Being selected as an official member already proved his ability.
---
Liu Yuan's lips curled slightly.
This match…
Wouldn't be boring.
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