Word Count: 2,969 Words
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"What thoughts could I possibly have?"
The red-robed old woman's figure rippled and transformed into a tall, wickedly handsome young man. His deep black eyes swept down from above, a strange, half-mocking, half-amused gleam flickering within them.
"Nothing more than wanting to drag the Star Luo Empire into resisting the Holy Spirit Cult, and while they're at it, sell off a few of the Tang Sect's specialty goods."
Ling Bai walked over at an unhurried pace. The real Star Cloud Douluo Yi Man's body instantly went taut, her Titled Douluo-level spirit power leaking uncontrollably into the air around her.
The first time they had met, the Death Abyss Bone Dragon's claw strike had left her bedridden for an entire year, planting the seed of fear deep in her heart.
In recent years, Death Abyss Douluo's name had only grown more terrifying. It had reached its peak when he rampaged through Illustrious Virtue Hall alone, slaughtered dozens of Body Sect Spirit Masters, and departed as he pleased. Yi Man's fear had fermented endlessly ever since. But she was Xu Jiujiu's guardian. No matter how afraid she was, she still had to stand in front of the princess.
Compared to Star Cloud Douluo's loss of composure, Xu Jiujiu displayed the poise befitting an imperial princess and said calmly:
"So you're also with the Holy Spirit Cult."
"Mm. You can call me Deputy Leader Death Abyss."
"Then, Deputy Leader Death Abyss, Jiujiu would like to ask: has your Holy Spirit Cult truly formed an alliance with the Sun Moon Empire?"
"Crown Prince Xu Tianran has already acknowledged our Cult Leader as Imperial Preceptor and recognized our Supreme Leader as his adoptive mother. Once he ascends the throne, the Holy Spirit Cult will naturally be named Guardian Sect."
Ling Bai reached out to the fruit platter on the tea table, picked up a piece of fruit, and bit into it. Juice burst across his tongue. "Xu Tianran is a hardline war advocate. When the time comes, Evil Spirit Masters will all serve as part of the Sun Moon Empire's regular army."
Xu Jiujiu's expression shifted at once. Evil Spirit Masters possessed far greater destructive power than ordinary Spirit Masters. If the Holy Spirit Cult fielded someone with a corpse-explosion-type spirit skill like the Death God Envoy's, the blow dealt to the three great empires on the battlefield would be nothing short of catastrophic.
"This continental war will be far more severe than we anticipated..." Xu Jiujiu's tone dropped. "Star Luo should start stockpiling war-type Spirit Guidance Devices. What do you think of the Tang Sect's Godly Zhuge Crossbow Cannon?"
"Isn't it a bit strange for you to be asking me that?"
Ling Bai looked at her, genuinely surprised. "I'm the Holy Spirit Cult's Deputy Leader, and you're the Star Luo Princess. Don't forget we stand on opposite sides."
"Besides our positions, we're also friends."
A smile curved Xu Jiujiu's lips. "Tell me. Just treat it as old friends chatting."
"They're using Class 4 materials and selling at Class 6 prices, treating you like fat sheep waiting to be fleeced. But one side is willing to swing the knife and the other is willing to take the blow. Who can you blame but yourselves for lacking Spirit Guidance technology? You can't even produce a reliable Class 6 Stationary Spirit Cannon."
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Xu Jiujiu's mouth. "We've started taking Spirit Guidance Devices seriously, but the Sun Moon Empire's technology leads Star Luo by at least a hundred years. With war imminent and the Tang Sect looking to profit from it, all we can do is hand over our spirit gold coins with both hands.
If only you could join Star Luo... Our spies found out that year you walked off with a large batch of high-level Spirit Guidance blueprints, and even some top-secret item from Illustrious Virtue Hall. You forced Jing Hongchen to throw in with Crown Prince Xu Tianran just to save his own skin.
Can we negotiate? If you sell us a few blueprints, Star Luo will give you anything you desire."
Those star-bright eyes shimmered as she gazed at Ling Bai. Compared to merely buying Godly Zhuge Crossbow Cannons, what Ling Bai possessed was the true foundation of a nation's strength.
After a moment's consideration, Ling Bai pulled out a set of blueprints from his Storage Spirit Guidance Device and handed them over.
"It's called Scarlet Soul. Like the Godly Zhuge Crossbow Cannon, it's a Stationary Spirit Cannon. These are the blueprints for the cannon and for Scarlet Soul's exclusive shells.
The Godly Zhuge Crossbow Cannon's advantage is that a Class 4 device has the range of a Class 6. Scarlet Soul's advantages are immense firepower and low manufacturing cost. A Class 6 Scarlet Soul can match the destructive power of a Class 7 Stationary Spirit Cannon."
"Mm-hmm!"
Xu Jiujiu cradled the blueprints like some priceless treasure. The two cannons each had their strengths, but the crucial difference was that the Godly Zhuge Crossbow Cannon belonged to the Tang Sect. Future use would depend on their good graces, while Scarlet Soul would belong to the Star Luo Empire. They could build as many as they wished, whenever they wished.
Ling Bai watched her beam with such unrestrained joy and couldn't help sighing inwardly at how crucial technology was to a nation. What Lin Jiaran dismissed as a first-generation, obsolete model capped at matching a Class 7, Star Luo regarded as a national treasure. It was difficult to imagine how the three original empires were supposed to stand against the Sun Moon Empire's high-precision Spirit Guidance Devices.
"You've helped us enormously! Name your price. Anything we can provide, we will!"
"There's no need."
Ling Bai shook his head lightly. The Sun Moon Empire was a destined enemy. The Heavenly Soul Empire had quietly leaned toward the Body Sect. He wasn't very familiar with the Dou Spirit Empire. Star Luo, comparatively speaking, was the easiest to win over. He couldn't afford to oppose all four great empires at once and turn the entire world into his enemy.
"Free of charge? You're that good to me!"
Benefit moved the human heart. A flush climbed into Xu Jiujiu's cheeks. With Scarlet Soul, Star Luo's national defense would take a large step forward, and her own political standing would rise along with it. Star Cloud Douluo Yi Man, who had remained on guard this entire time, also visibly relaxed.
She had always opposed Xu Jiujiu maintaining contact with Death Abyss Douluo, seeing it as nothing different from dancing atop a blade. But Xu Jiujiu had firmly believed that keeping in touch with him would bring greater benefit to the empire, and now she finally had her proof.
Xu Jiujiu's gaze on Ling Bai now resembled that of someone staring at a mountain of treasure. She licked her red lips, her tone turning languid and seductive. "Ning Bai, I want more."
"Greedy."
"Rare metals, Spirit Guidance blueprints, the heads of Class 9 Spirit Guidance Masters... Whatever you're willing to give us. I've said it before: I can marry you. With me at your side, my imperial brother won't cross the river and tear down the bridge."
She made no attempt to hide her burning ambition. Over the years, Xu Jiujiu had grown into a thoroughly qualified imperial princess. She didn't care about the danger of bargaining with a tiger; her eyes were fixed solely on the glittering treasure within its den.
Brave explorers would risk even their lives for treasure. Xu Jiujiu was willing to offer herself to this Super Evil Douluo who had once saved her if it meant securing a powerful aid for her empire.
Ling Bai did not answer. His figure wavered and dissolved into shadow, vanishing on the spot.
One monkey, one post. The leash had to be held tight. If he agreed too readily, Xu Jiujiu would absolutely push the advantage and drag concessions out of him inch by inch. Only by feeding her bait one piece at a time could he keep her always anticipating the next meeting, always hoping to wring more benefit from Death Abyss Douluo the next time they crossed paths.
On his way back to his room, Ling Bai noticed a crowd gathered in the hotel corridor. A closer look revealed the Shrek team, clearly there to visit Bei Bei after hearing of his serious injuries.
Angelic Sanctuary and the Tang Sect had registered one after the other. Both were obscure, minor sects, so the organizers had arranged their rooms adjacent to each other. Less than half a second after Ling Bai appeared, someone in the Shrek group locked onto him with a single glance.
Recognizing the familiar face, Ling Bai felt a mix of surprise and quiet pleasure:
"Elder Sister, you came."
"Mm. Lexuan and I are Shrek's supervising teachers."
Han Ruoruo's starry black eyes brimmed with smiles. Zhang Lexuan was the teacher Shrek Academy had officially appointed to lead the team. She herself had volunteered to come to Mingdu. There was no complicated reason; she simply missed Ling Bai after two months apart.
No words were needed. Ling Bai understood her feelings perfectly. He stepped forward and took her smooth, jade-white hand. Surrounded as they were by members of both the Shrek team and the Tang Sect, Han Ruoruo's cheeks immediately bloomed with a vivid flush as she whispered:
"So many people are watching. Let me go check on Bei Bei."
The lower-tier rooms weren't large. Bei Bei's room already held Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong Er. Big Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan sat by the bedside, fingers lightly pressed to Bei Bei's wrist as she checked his condition.
Bei Bei's cultivation was quite deep. His injuries had already stabilized; all that remained was to rest and recuperate. He forced a small smile upon seeing Zhang Lexuan's rippling emotions:
"Big Senior Sister, I'm fine. You should head back and focus on preparing for the tournament."
Zhang Lexuan's eyes were tinged red. "You're not the reckless sort. What possessed you this time?!
Tang Ya's state was clearly abnormal. You should have thought twice before acting. At the very least, you should have discussed it with me... with us first!"
"Yes, yes, Big Senior Sister, I was in the wrong. Just don't scold me in front of everyone."
Catching his hint, Zhang Lexuan finally realized how her concern had made her lose composure. She hurriedly reined in her emotions and cleared her throat softly:
"Just focus on recovering. Don't worry about Tang Ya's situation, and absolutely don't act rashly. The Holy Spirit Cult is no trivial matter. We'll wait for the academy's upper echelons to decide how to handle it."
"Understood, Big Senior Sister."
"Ruoruo, let's go."
Zhang Lexuan rose and left. In the corridor, she exchanged a small nod with Ling Bai. Han Ruoruo shot him a look, clearly saying: I'll go back and coax Lexuan out of her mood; we'll talk later.
…
Night. The top floor of the Bright Moon Hotel.
Zhang Lexuan stood quietly on the broad, semicircular balcony, gazing out into the distance. From this vantage point, one could see nearly half of Mingdu.
Shrek Academy had dominated every Continental Youth Elite Spirit Master Grand Tournament for ten thousand years and occupied the most luxurious sky villa. Reception hall, living quarters, grand conference room, tea lounge... everything one could want was there, including a sky pool at the villa's center.
Above the azure water arched a glass dome. Soft blue light glowed around the pool's edges. Looking up revealed a boundless star-studded sky, beautiful enough to leave anyone spellbound.
Splash—
A graceful figure broke through the water's surface. The crown of water droplets that burst outward reflected that lush, curvaceous body. Under the gentle light, delicate black lace at her chest framed a deep, snow-white valley, dazzling to the eye.
"Lexuan, aren't you going to come down for a swim?" Han Ruoruo called up.
"Not interested."
Han Ruoruo shook her head helplessly. Zhang Lexuan had been wearing that cold expression ever since they returned to their room. She lifted two thin wine glasses filled with amber-colored liquid.
"Have a drink?"
A faint fragrance lingered at the rims. Zhang Lexuan took the offered glass and drained it in one gulp. The slightly tart wine was full of rich fruit aroma, with a long, mellow aftertaste.
Han Ruoruo took a small sip and said softly, "Lexuan, we've known each other for twenty years. We've been teammates in two Spirit Master Tournaments. I'd like to think I understand you a little."
Zhang Lexuan said nothing, but her hands unconsciously tightened around the empty glass.
"I probably haven't been a very good close friend. I never even noticed your feelings for Bei Bei before. If you don't want to tell me your true thoughts, I can't blame you."
"Ruoruo, I suddenly find myself a little envious of you."
Zhang Lexuan tipped her head back to look up at the night sky. Deep in her beautiful eyes, a hint of moisture shimmered. "Even though the man you love splits his heart among many, there's always a place in it for you. He spends himself for you, takes your feelings into account, acknowledges your position, and lets you stand at his side."
Han Ruoruo flicked the water droplets from her hair. "We each have our own mix of sweetness and bitterness. Anyway, my lifelong matters are settled. But you, are you really planning to wait for Bei Bei for the rest of your life?"
"I don't know."
Zhang Lexuan lowered her head in confusion. "Whether to guard him silently for a lifetime, or marry someone casually and cut these feelings off... I don't have an answer in my heart."
"Marrying randomly would just be torturing yourself. Don't you dare do something that stupid. In the future, just be my baby's godmother. The two of us sisters will raise her together."
"Hmm... that might be worth considering..."
"Stop overthinking it. Go change and swim a couple of laps with me. Let me see if this godmother has a generous enough... heart for the job."
"You really are... Good thing I'm the only one here. If your little man saw you like this, he'd devour you in one bite."
"Hmph, as if you don't fancy younger men yourself..."
...
Held once every five years and rotating among the four nations, the Continental Youth Elite Spirit Master Grand Tournament had long since become as grand as any festival.
This year's venue had been constructed in the outskirts of Mingdu. As the first ray of morning light brightened the eastern sky, the city's streets were already abuzz with activity.
Soldiers clad head to toe in silver armor stood in two long lines stretching from the Bright Moon Hotel's entrance far into the distance. The one hundred sixty-seven participating teams each unfurled their movement techniques, shooting out of Mingdu like arrows loosed from a bow.
The open countryside beyond the city teemed with people. Soldiers maintained order, partitioning the masses into sections separate from the competition grounds. On the northern side of the arena stood a raised area—the main viewing platform, constructed from metal plates joined together. The arena itself exuded an imposing presence. A pale yellow light curtain rose into the sky, its upper edge lost to sight.
The sky brightened bit by bit as the morning sun spilled over the crowd, as if gilding every participating Spirit Master in gold. With so many teams, even just seating all the competitors took half an hour. The distant spectators' chatter merged into a continuous roar.
A dragon carriage like a small palace drew near from afar, followed by imperial guards and a large number of Sun Moon Empire officials in formal robes.
The carriage halted before the main platform. Two palace maids lifted curtains embroidered with silver lotus patterns, and a wheelchair was pushed out, carrying a handsome young man.
Crown Prince Xu Tianran.
With the Sun Moon Emperor gravely ill, Crown Prince Xu Tianran, as Prince Regent, presided over the tournament's opening ceremony. Beside his wheelchair stood a beautiful woman.
Crown Princess Ju Zi.
Ju Zi's appearance drew many glances, including Ling Bai's. When he had entered the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, Ju Zi had already withdrawn to enlist in the army, so he had never seen this empress-to-be, famed for her outstanding military talent and dubbed a Goddess of War. Curiosity made him look a little longer.
Huo Yuhao's eyes trembled faintly. His feelings toward Ju Zi were far more complicated.
However beautiful Ju Zi might be, she could only serve as a foil today. Xu Tianran was the true protagonist of the opening ceremony. He lifted his hand slightly.
"Silence."
A deep voice boomed out, and a tyrannical pressure swept across the entire venue. The instant that voice sounded, everyone felt their vision darken, as though an oppressive layer of storm clouds had suddenly descended, pressing down on their chests and turning their breathing labored.
The churning noise of hundreds of thousands of throats died away at once beneath that low, resonant command. Soldiers and civilians packed into the viewing areas fell utterly silent; even a pin drop would have been audible.
Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao stood proudly in the sky. He was lending his presence to the Sun Moon Empire and at the same time announcing to the world that the Holy Spirit Cult and the Sun Moon Empire had formed an alliance.
Xu Tianran was extremely pleased with Long Xiaoyao's display. He raised his voice, clear and strong:
"Citizens of the Sun Moon Empire and honored guests from afar, I, Prince Regent Xu Tianran, welcome you all.
I hereby declare that this Continental Youth Elite Spirit Master Grand Tournament officially begins!"