Douluo Dalu: The Legend of The Spider Emperor

"What a sharp and eloquent tongue!" Emperor Xue Ye couldn't help but look at Ye Hao in a new light. In all his years, this was the first time he had ever seen someone scold another person so hard they coughed up blood.

Prince Xue Xing chuckled, "Royal Brother, do you still remember the Shrek Academy I mentioned to you over half a year ago?"

Emperor Xue Ye furrowed his brows in thought before his expression darkened.

"Now I remember. Half a year ago, that so-called Shrek Academy tried to join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but you threw them out. I had almost forgotten about them."

"Fraudulent dealings, abusing the name of Spirit Hall to deceive others, and even their headmaster inflating prices in secret... How did such a place ever qualify as an advanced soul master academy?"

The more Emperor Xue Ye spoke, the angrier he became.

Soul masters were supposed to be a noble profession, yet he saw nothing noble about Shrek Academy.

At that moment, Ning Fengzhi spoke up in agreement.

"Your Majesty, according to my investigations, Shrek Academy was formerly known as Blue Tyrant Academy. Their former headmaster, Liu Erlong—now the vice headmaster—was once a member of the Golden Iron Triangle. As for their current headmaster, Flender, and the so-called 'Grandmaster' that Ye Hao just humiliated into unconsciousness, Yu Xiaogang, the three of them once formed this so-called Golden Iron Triangle."

"Golden Iron Triangle?" Emperor Xue Ye nodded slightly. "I seem to recall hearing of them in the past. But how did they end up like this?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head indifferently. "People change, Your Majesty. Shrek Academy has declined due to its own failings. Now that they've been thoroughly defeated by Ye Hao's team, I doubt they'll make much of an impact in future battles."

"Hmm."

Emperor Xue Ye nodded.

"I certainly hope so."

With that, he tapped his golden scepter on the ground and left.

As the others rose to see him off, Ning Fengzhi exchanged glances with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, and the three of them quietly left the arena.

As for Xue Qinghe, he had already vanished from his seat—leaving without a trace.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Xue Beng clenched his fists weakly, his eyes filled with a mix of hatred and killing intent.

Ye Hao, having secured victory in the first battle and thoroughly humiliating Yu Xiaogang, felt immensely satisfied.

Dealing with shameless people like Yu Xiaogang? The best way was to scold them mercilessly!

Perhaps I should've added—"I have never seen someone so shameless in my life."

That might have had an even stronger effect. Next time, Ye Hao would give it a try.

As he stepped out of the Heaven Dou Grand Soul Arena, he spotted a familiar figure and bid farewell to the Emperor Team.

The next match was in two days.

"Big Sis…"

Wait—no, better to address him properly in public.

"Brother Xue, what brings you here?" Ye Hao greeted Xue Qinghe with a smile. Zhuer followed closely behind.

Xue Qinghe studied Zhuer for a moment. Up close, he realized she was indeed a beauty, and he silently congratulated Ye Hao. This kid sure had good taste.

"You're acting rather strangely today," Xue Qinghe remarked. "You had already secured your spot in the elimination rounds, so why interfere? You should be focusing on preparing for the real tournament. These preliminary matches shouldn't even concern you."

Ye Hao shrugged, offering his own perspective.

"We're all from the same academy. Helping each other is only natural. Brother Xue, let me introduce someone—"

Before he could finish, Xue Qinghe interrupted.

"You're quite lucky, little brother. This must be your future wife. I am his elder brother. You may call me Brother Xue in private. In the future, we're all family, so no need to be so formal."

Zhuer's expression turned subtly complicated.

Clearly, this cross-dressing elder sister had misunderstood the situation.

But it didn't matter. Xue Qinghe had seen Zhuer before—back when she was still in her Soul Devouring Spider Emperor form.

Now that she had taken human shape, it wasn't surprising that Xue Qinghe failed to recognize her.

However, that wasn't what surprised Zhuer the most.

She smiled coldly.

"Sister Xue, I am Zhuer—the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, Zhuer."

"…Huh?"

Xue Qinghe froze.

He turned to Ye Hao with an odd expression.

Ye Hao didn't say a word—just gave a bitter smile and nodded.

For a moment, an awkward silence fell over the group.

Xue Qinghe cleared his throat uncomfortably, trying to break the tension.

"…We'll talk about this at home."

Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy. Their first battle of the tournament had ended in total defeat.

Everyone returned to the academy with dark faces, unable to accept what had happened.

And at the center of it all—one had been beaten unconscious, while the other had been humiliated into fainting from sheer anger.

It was clear who had suffered the most—Yu Xiaogang.

Tang San's injuries were physical. He just needed a few days to recover.

But Yu Xiaogang? His wounds were psychological.

Ye Hao's every word had stabbed straight into his heart, exposing all his weaknesses in front of tens of thousands of spectators. He had been utterly disgraced.

As someone who prided himself on being a teacher and a scholar, how could he endure such humiliation?

When Yu Xiaogang finally woke up, he completely shut himself off from the world, locking himself in his room and refusing to speak or see anyone.

Seeing his teacher in such despair, Tang San burned with fury. When he later learned of Ye Hao's actions in the Grand Soul Arena, his rage exploded.

He clenched his fists and swore to himself—one day, Ye Hao would pay with his life!

Outside Yu Xiaogang's room, Liu Erlong sighed deeply, holding a tray of untouched food.

"Xiaogang hasn't eaten all day… If this continues, what should we do?"

Her heart ached. Seeing the man she loved in such a pitiful state was like having a knife carved into her soul.

"Damn that Ye Hao!" Flender roared, punching the wall. Cracks spread across it like a spiderweb.

"Ye Hao…!"

Liu Erlong's body trembled with rage at the mere mention of that name.

"Flender, how's Tang San and the others?" she asked.

Flender sighed.

"They're fine. Just some minor injuries. Aside from Xiao Wu's face still being swollen, there's no serious damage. They'll be able to compete again in two days."

"Don't worry. They'll be fine."

"Right now, our biggest concern is Xiaogang."

Flender looked toward Yu Xiaogang's room with a mixture of sympathy and helplessness.

Inside, the once-proud "Grandmaster" sat motionless, his spirit utterly shattered.