Mu Jin felt a sigh of relief well up within her heart upon seeing her younger brother, Mu Zhan, join the Hall of Souls.
For the longest time, she had harbor a bitter resentment over her brother's expulsion from Shrek Academy by Zhou Yi.
Now that her younger brother had found a far better path, she, as his elder sister, could finally consider it a proper fulfillment of her duty to their late parents.
Shortly after, Mu Jin finished explaining the tournament rules to everyone, and then formulated a counter-strategy based on the Shrek students' martial souls and soul skills.
After receiving unanimous approval from the group, Feng Piaoling instructed the members of the Hall of Souls to wait in Xuan Ziwend's room.
Meanwhile, he made his way to Jing Hongchen's quarters.
Kong Deming was there as well.
Simultaneously appearing in the room was Zhongli Wu, who had just suffered a setback at the Mingdu Mountain Range.
"Feng Piaoling, due to your erroneous intelligence this time, this seat has lost a Title Douluo Elder and over a dozen Soul Saints. Today, you must provide this seat with a satisfactory explanation."
The moment he entered, Zhongli Wu confronted Feng Piaoling to demand accountability.
Feng Piaoling shifted slightly closer to Kong Deming. Seeing the elder straighten his posture—bearing an demeanor that clearly signaled he would back him up—he finally spoke:
"An explanation? What sort of explanation does Sect Master Zhongli want? I clearly provided you with definitive intelligence; you only needed to send men to capture the Phoenix Holy Maiden. Yet look at you all—you went out of your way to lay a hand on that Dai Huabin. Do you even know who he is? He is the inheritor of the Sea God, Tang San, who ascended and left the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago."
What?
The moment these words were uttered, let alone Zhongli Wu, even Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming were profoundly shocked.
Feng Piaoling offered no verbal explanation, merely producing a Recording Pearl.
This was something Feng Piaoling had set up in advance.
As soul power was infused into it, the Recording Pearl automatically projected a light screen. Within the screen, a golden trident imprint spectacularly manifested upon Dai Huabin's forehead, followed by the image of Tang San's divine sense taking the form of a light phantom to obliterate the Masquerade Douluo and over a dozen evil soul masters.
"It truly is the Sea God, Tang San." Jing Hongchen instantly sucked in a breath of cold air.
Kong Deming's expression grew solemn as he muttered, "Could it be that this generation of Shrek Academy is about to produce yet another deity?"
"I don't think that is necessarily the case," Feng Piaoling remarked.
"What do you mean?" Zhongli Wu arched his eyebrow.
Feng Piaoling began spinning a yarn with an utterly serious expression: "I once acted as an underdog spy in Shrek Academy for three months under the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I thoroughly combed through Shrek's archival library and discovered records concerning the so-called divine inheritors."
"Over these past ten thousand years, such inheritors have occasionally emerged a handful of times, but the vast majority concluded in failure. All of this was because they failed to pass the final trials of the deities."
"Based on my understanding of that Dai Huabin, this youth is arrogant by nature. He has committed outrages and every imaginable evil since childhood, and he even harbors a penchant for male beauty. How magnificently grand and righteous is the Sea God Tang San? It is utterly impossible for him to take a fancy to a creature of this caliber. At most, the boy is merely a lucky fellow favored by destiny."
"As long as there is no mortal peril, that Sea God Tang San will not intervene."
"If Sect Master Zhongli could draw him into the Holy Spirit Cult and corrupt his White Tiger martial soul into something like a Scorpion Tiger evil soul, it might not be impossible to augment your cult with a formidable asset."
"Furthermore, if luck favors you, it might even be possible for the Holy Spirit Cult to give rise to a deity."
As the saying went, the authorities are clouded while onlookers see clearly.
By the time Feng Piaoling finished his closing remarks, both Zhongli Wu and Jing Hongchen knew that Feng Piaoling harbored no wholesome intentions. After all, since a divine inheritor could be chosen by a god, he would hardly be so easy to manipulate.
Yet Zhongli Wu found his heart stirred.
His mother, Ye Xishui, had remained at rank ninety-nine for many years.
If they could use this to allow his mother to find the opportunity to break through the hundredth rank, wouldn't the Holy Spirit Cult be able to dominate the entire continent?
At this thought, Zhongli Wu no longer fixated on the previous failure at the Mingdu Mountain Range. Instead, he asked, "What of the Blue Silver Holy Maiden?"
Feng Piaoling stated indifferently, "The Blue Silver Holy Maiden resides right next door. However, she still has a score to settle with Shrek. Furthermore, this matter is tied to the person Elder Kong is searching for. I assume Sect Master Zhongli does not mind waiting for this brief moment."
"Let this be the last time." After casting a wary glance at Kong Deming, Zhongli Wu rose, transformed into a streak of bloody light, and vanished from the room.
"That Zhongli Wu... surely he won't truly go through with plotting against the inheritor of the Sea God Tang San?" Jing Hongchen clicked his tongue.
"Who knows. It's best if they turn on Shrek like dog eating dog. No matter which side suffers losses, it remains an advantage for our Sun Moon Empire."
Feng Piaoling adopted a righteous demeanor, appearing entirely devoted to the interests of the Sun Moon Empire.
"That is true." Jing Hongchen nodded, noncommittally.
Kong Deming cast a glance at Feng Piaoling and said, "There won't be any issues on your end, correct?"
Feng Piaoling replied, "Rest assured, Elder Kong. Once the tournament commences, Shrek will bound to recognize me. When that time comes, I will use the pretext that if they wish for us to return to Shrek, they must first produce Elder Kong's clansmen. As long as Shrek is unwilling to let go of us—the so-called geniuses who walked out of Shrek Academy—Zhang Lexuan will inevitably show up. At that point, it will all depend on Elder Kong. However..."
"Rest assured, during this interval, this old man shall guarantee your safety," Kong Deming stated expressionlessly.
"As for that, this junior naturally possesses full confidence. It is only that prior to this, this junior wishes for Elder Kong to first fulfill a condition well within your capabilities."
Regarding Kong Deming's promise, Feng Piaoling did not believe a single word of it. This fellow was a thousand-year-old tortoise; before becoming a Class 10 soul engineer, he would never make a move and expose his strength unless the Sun Moon Empire faced total annihilation.
"Speak." Kong Deming spoke as though discussing a matter entirely unrelated to himself.
"No rush. It won't be too late to speak of it when the Soul Fighting Tournament is drawing to a close." Feng Piaoling smiled.
"Hmph, notify this old man once the person arrives." Seeing Feng Piaoling playing mysterious, Kong Deming could not be bothered to press further. With a cold snort, he departed from Jing Hongchen's room.
Watching Kong Deming leave in a huff, Jing Hongchen turned to Feng Piaoling with a helpless smile. "I must admit, you kid truly possess immense audacity. First Zhongli Wu, and now Elder Kong—there is truly no one whose tiger whiskers you dare not stroke."
"Why, is Principal Hongchen perhaps not curious about the condition within his capabilities that I intend to propose?" Feng Piaoling narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What condition?" Jing Hongchen blanked for a moment.
Feng Piaoling beckoned with his hand, "Lend me your ear."
Spurred by curiosity, Jing Hongchen leaned his ear closer.
Subsequently, Jing Hongchen's pupils contracted violently, "Could it be that Elder Kong has already succeeded?"
"Why, do you want it?" Feng Piaoling countered with a question rather than an answer.
"Yes, absolutely." Jing Hongchen nodded emphatically. At this moment, where was there any trace of the Principal of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy or the Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall?
Instead, he looked exactly like a student brimming with a thirst for knowledge.
"Then I shall have to trouble Principal Hongchen for the upcoming affairs," Feng Piaoling said with a smile.
Jing Hongchen patted his shoulder, "Rest assured, as the Principal of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, protecting the participating students is inherently my obligation."
The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words.
....
The following morning, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament commenced precisely as scheduled.
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