Qingtian entered the hall and saw Huo Yuhao at the head of the table. He immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Your subordinate greets Your Majesty!"
"No need for formalities!"
Huo Yuhao gently raised his hand and said, "You will accompany the team to this Soul Master Competition. Don't let any old fogies bully these youngsters, understand?"
Le Qingtian felt strange, thinking, "You're not any older than these youngsters," but he respectfully replied, "Your subordinate understands!"
"Very good. The Angel Family should stand openly before the world now."
Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Zhou Qi at the front of the team and said, "Alright, let's go."
"Your subordinate will not fail Your Majesty's trust!"
Watching the team depart, Huo Yuhao's gaze deepened, and he began to anticipate the grand spectacle to come.
Outside the eastern city of Mingdu in the Sun Moon Empire, squads of soldiers in gleaming armor marched in orderly steps, clearing the way.
Even a royal guard followed behind.
The common people, seeing the soldiers lay out a red carpet on the road, watched with curiosity. Were they welcoming some important figure?
Soon, their doubts were answered.
A black dot appeared on the distant horizon, growing larger with time.
After a few breaths, people could finally see clearly that the black dot was actually a flying soul tool, shaped like a fishing boat with a metallic surface.
The flying boat stopped outside the city and slowly descended. Then, a group of more than ten people came into view.
The seven-member Body Team—Zhou Qi, Le Qingtian, Jin Peng—along with the instructor from Body Academy, a total of eleven people, formed the Body Academy's representative.
As the group disembarked from the flying boat, the honor guard opposite began to beat drums and gongs.
This gesture impressed the Body Academy representative, who remarked on the simple and hospitable nature of the Sun Moon Empire.
Zhou Qi went forward to inquire and learned that these people were a welcoming party sent by the Sun Moon Royal Family.
Actually, this was unnecessary; nothing like this had happened before. However, the members of the Body Academy's representative group were of extraordinary status.
Not only did it include members of the Heavenly Court, but Ye Lingling also had a close relationship with Huo Yuhao. This forced the Sun Moon Empire to take it seriously.
Furthermore, the Abyss Plane was still relying on the Heavenly Court to handle things, so the old emperor's overtures were not surprising.
Zhou Qi chatted warmly with the eunuch representing the welcoming party as they headed into the city.
The others curiously looked around; Mingdu was very different from other cities they had seen.
First, there were no city walls. Mingdu, as the continent's premier city, was undefended—something no one had expected.
In the event of war, wouldn't it be completely defenseless?
But on the other hand, wasn't this a sign of confidence? Moreover, if someone were to attack the capital of a nation, that nation's fate would be sealed.
Beyond the city walls, the towering buildings shocked everyone again. Mingdu's prosperity and power contrasted sharply with the original Douluo Three Kingdoms; no wonder it could withstand three kingdoms with one.
After a brief registration upon entering the city, the group was led by an eunuch to the Mingyue Grand Hotel.
As the defending champions, the Body Academy delegation naturally received the highest level of hospitality.
That evening, Zhou Qi summoned the head of the Heavenly Court's branch in Mingdu to learn about the rules of the Soul Master Competition in detail.
There wasn't much pressure; none of the participating academies had any truly outstanding players. Shrek Academy, once the most threatening, was now demoralized and largely forgotten.
Meng Hongchen was a minor obstacle for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team, but not a major concern.
As for her brother, Xiao Hongchen, he didn't participate, also because he was too lazy to participate in this childish game.
Therefore, Zhou Qi remained calm and collected, confident that the team jointly formed by the Heavenly Court and the Body Sect had the advantage.
And the subsequent competition progressed exactly as he predicted; the Body Sect team advanced triumphantly, without a single defeat.
This momentum was just like five years ago, unstoppable, and it looked like another crushing victory.
In the blink of an eye, amidst the eager anticipation and the intense competition, the sixtieth day of the tournament had arrived.
Before dawn, the people of Mingdu went out early, heading towards the arena used for the competition.
Those with tickets entered directly, while those without tickets went to the designated Soul Guidance screen to watch the live broadcast.
Just like the previous year, the teams entering the finals were still the Body Sect team and the Sun and Moon Royal team.
After the two teams took to the field, the Sun and Moon Emperor and Zhou Qi, the representative of the Heavenly Court, gave their speeches on the high platform.
The thrilling competition was drawing to a close, and the spectators cheered with joy, completely unaware that a conspiracy against Mingdu was about to unfold.
The Mingde Warehouse, belonging to the Mingde Hall, housed a vast array of soul tools, many of which were powerful strategic weapons.
It was no exaggeration to say that this was currently the continent's top-tier arsenal.
These weapons, if unleashed, would overwhelm any of the three great empires opposing the Sun Moon Empire.
This was the culmination of nearly a thousand years of accumulation by the Mingde Hall. Such an important warehouse naturally possessed extremely high secrecy; very few knew its location.
The Mingde Warehouse was located near the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, its entrance a discreet courtyard, well-hidden.
However, nothing stays hidden forever. After two months of painstaking effort, the Mingde Warehouse was still discovered by the sharp-nosed Yan Shaozhe.
The Mingde Warehouse's defenses were excellent, but nothing is impossible for a willing heart.
There's no such thing as a thousand days of guarding against a thief.
After two months of investigation, coupled with Yan Shaozhe's various underhanded tactics of bribery, coercion, and enticement, the Mingde Warehouse finally fell silently.
At this moment, Yan Shaozhe, filled with excitement, led his men away from the inconspicuous courtyard.
The Mingde Warehouse contained far too many soul tools; their sheer quantity was staggering.
Yan Shaozhe couldn't loot everything, but he wasn't disappointed. His storage soul tool container was currently overflowing with soul tools, including a considerable number of fixed-position soul-guided cannonballs.
As for the remaining items he couldn't take, Yan Shaozhe didn't intend to leave them to the Sun Moon Empire; he had already planted timed soul-guided bombs, which, once detonated, would reduce everything to ashes.
Yan Shaozhe had already made his escape, and the people of Mingdu remained completely unaware.
Inside the hunting grounds, the atmosphere was electric, the cheers of the spectators deafening.
The final match was over, and the main body team, standing tall and proud, raised their hands in response to the cheers from the audience, appearing utterly triumphant.
In the stands, the elderly emperor and Zhou Qi both rose to applaud the young soul masters.
Just as the crowd was immersed in the aftermath of the exciting match, Mingdu was struck by the most devastating disaster in its history.
Boom boom boom boom…
...
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