"It's here…"
Xu Jiujiu's slender finger brushed over her ring. Her other fair jade-like hand clenched slightly, revealing a mysterious expression.
"Guess what it is?"
"Secret copper?"
Xu Cheng smiled.
"Boring!"
Xu Jiujiu opened her palm and said with a bored look, "In the southern region of the Paluo Province of the Star Luo Empire, an underground river was discovered. The entire riverbed is made of secret copper. According to experts, there's at least ten tons of it."
"Ten tons?!"
Xu Cheng was stunned.
Secret copper was an even tougher and more malleable material than secret silver. Over the past three years, it had been widely used in the manufacture of soul tools in outer space—such as the protective cabins of interstellar warships, which heavily relied on this material.
Moreover, it had exceptional corrosion resistance.
Even Title Douluo with corrosive attributes had tested it and found that it was nearly impossible to corrode.
Wang Dong'er had also mentioned that once spirit-forged, secret copper became extremely moldable, and its potential was still being explored.
Previously, the entire Sun-Moon Empire had been practically dug up in search of it, but they had only managed to extract about two or three tons. The interstellar warship project had been stuck precisely because of this shortage...
But now, with ten tons of secret copper, the path ahead was wide open!
"Not bad, not bad!"
Xu Cheng raised an eyebrow.
"What reward do you want?"
"Hehe… one more time." Xu Jiujiu had long thrown her older brother's warnings out the window. Her soft, fair arms hooked around Xu Cheng's neck, and she whispered into his ear.
Xu Cheng: "…"
Fine. As you wish.
He leaned in and took her.
From within the hotel, soft and sultry sounds echoed once again…
"Did anyone see where A-Cheng went?"
A group of women gathered together, whispering.
"Seems like Xu Jiujiu lured him into her room…"
"What are you saying!"
"He went to the hotel."
"The tournament is tomorrow, and he's indulging himself with the princess's body!"
"He's not even participating this time…"
"…"
Listening to the wild words of the older girls, the substitute team member Ye Wanwan's pale earlobes flushed red. Clearly, she was still a bit green compared to these experienced ladies.
Whether in age or experience.
The other substitutes had gone to the cafeteria for food, leaving her alone with the main team members.
Of course, calling them "main members" wasn't exactly fair—even some academy deans or sect leaders might not match their strength—because they were all Title Douluo!
Their level of power was simply unbeatable. Ye Wanwan couldn't even imagine how they might lose.
She had just advanced to Soul Sage, and originally was to join Yu Tianlong and the others on the field, but now she could only sit among the substitutes. The once cool and aloof goddess of the Royal Academy of the Sun-Moon Empire now sat like a shy lamb, trembling slightly.
"The tournament starts tomorrow. When do we draw for opponents?"
Tang Ya flicked her ponytail.
"Not sure. Probably by tonight. Should we plan tactics? That Tang San is no pushover—at least, I sense danger from him…" Nana murmured.
"After all, he's a Title Douluo, and most likely carries divine items. Definitely not easy to deal with. Just leave him to my brother. He loves the spotlight. Let him take care of it—it suits him best." Meng Hongchen said with a smile.
"Let me go first…"
Sitting silently in the corner, Ji Juechen opened his eyes, revealing a sharp gaze.
"I want to test myself against an opponent like that."
Jing Ziyan, worried, tugged at his sleeve, but his large hand gently covered hers, face softening.
"With Xu Cheng here, I won't die."
"To raise my sword against the strong—that's my life's goal."
"..."
"Tsk tsk tsk, can you two lovebirds go flirt somewhere else? You're making me jealous!" Meng Hongchen glared at the couple with beautiful eyes.
Ji Juechen scratched his head awkwardly.
Jing Ziyan, though slightly bolder, still held his hand—and her ears were blushing red.
"DRAWING LOTS!!!"
A loud broadcast echoed through the hotel.
Countless teams surged down the stairs like a tidal wave, gathering at the nearby Sun-Moon Empire Plaza.
Skipping this event was tantamount to not showing up at all.
Naturally, no team would miss it.
Most teams even brought their entire roster.
"Yo, isn't this the Sun-Moon Empire team?"
The Sun-Moon Empire squad was on the top floor, while Shrek Academy was on the eighteenth. No one knew how the two teams crossed paths, but by some coincidence, they met again on the same staircase, five years since their last encounter.
Dai Huabin couldn't resist speaking up first.
He and Tang San had suffered greatly in the Sun-Moon Empire three years ago… though Tang San had since vanished, Dai Huabin still held a deep grudge.
More importantly, he bore the hatred of parental murder—a vendetta between him and the Sun-Moon Empire.
He knew well the relationship between Juzi and the rest of them.
It was Juzi who caused the rift between his father—the late Duke—and the Star Luo Emperor, and it was she who forced his mother to locate the ancestral tomb of the Dai family, and then blew it up!
He had searched for Juzi's whereabouts countless times.
And he knew now—she held high office in the Sun-Moon Empire.
Now with the support of Tang San, the god of the Shrek Academy, even if they were bound to face each other during the tournament, he couldn't resist a little verbal jab in the meantime… He truly couldn't hold it in anymore.
"..."
Nana glanced at Dai Huabin indifferently.
With just one look, she saw through his Soul Douluo-level strength. A trace of surprise flickered in her beautiful eyes, but mostly, she looked disdainful.
Xu Cheng had explained.
Tang San had intervened.
And not in some ordinary way—like granting permission to take divine trials or rapid power-up methods.
But rather, a kind of forced acceleration—almost like artificially overgrowing seedlings.
Otherwise, how could they have reached such strength in mere months?
"Anyone can talk big. See you on the battlefield."
Nana said no more and led the team toward the drawing area.
Dai Huabin clenched his teeth, disappointment flashing in his eyes.
He remembered clearly that that woman was still within the tournament's age bracket—but too bad. He couldn't exact his revenge personally...
"Tomorrow's first elimination match: Shrek Academy vs—Rhinoceros Armor Sect!"
"…"
"Match 7: Clear Sky Sect vs—Mingyu Sect!"
"…"
"Match 27: Sun-Moon Empire Royal Academy vs—Tianling Sect!"
"Match 127: Snow Demon Sect vs—Star Luo Sect!"
As the results of the draw were announced,
most people breathed a sigh of relief.
Against the Clear Sky Sect, this sudden dark horse, and old titans like Shrek Academy and the Sun-Moon Empire, no one wanted to face them in the first round.
Even if Shrek had declined, the Sun-Moon Empire—as the current hegemony—might not be as terrifying as the Clear Sky Sect, but they were still not to be trifled with.
Plus, the Star Luo Sect was up against the Snow Demon Sect right away.
That was going to be a spectacular battle.
One of the only two top-tier sect clashes in the elimination round.
"Looks like… there's no rigging going on."
"I thought the Sun-Moon Empire might pull some strings, it being their turf…"
"How do we fight the Clear Sky Sect now? They're beasts!"
"The Sun-Moon Empire must have their own strategies—don't panic."
"Heh, do you trust them or trust me, Tang San?" (End of Chapter)