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"Blood is red, and shared joy comes from it?"
Tang San's eyes grew dark, his fists clenching as if he had just grasped some new, terrible knowledge. Compared to that phrase, his own words—"already on the path to death"—seemed utterly feeble. So this was another way to speak of killing.
Bone Douluo narrowed his eyes, gaining a new understanding of Lan Minghua's power. It was the first time he had witnessed Lan Minghua in action, and he was deeply shaken.
So this is the kind of enemy Old Sword was facing. No wonder he couldn't protect Fengzhi.
Bone Douluo's strength was primarily defensive, and he respected Hu Yanzhen's fortitude. Putting himself in Hu Yanzhen's position, he couldn't guarantee he would have escaped unscathed.
Seeing his friend's expression, Sword Douluo said in a low voice, "Announce the start of the banquet. Our only chance is to control his disciples."
Bone Douluo nodded and stepped forward to declare the banquet open.
After the preceding events, the start of the feast felt flat and tasteless. Mountains of delicacies were brought out, but everyone ate with a mechanical fervor. After the banquet came the Soul Master Exchange Tournament, and the top three prizes were high-quality soul bones—treasures that even Soul Douluo-level experts would covet.
Lan Minghua looked at the sizzling roasted deer leg, dripping with juices, and tore into it without hesitation. Oscar and the other three also focused on replenishing their energy for the tournament ahead. As Lan Minghua's disciples, they refused to bring him shame.
Watching them eat with such relish, Tang San clenched his fists in regret. Damn it, I never thought Lan Minghua would let them eat without checking the food. If I'd known, I would have poisoned them and killed them on the spot.
But why hadn't he dared? Hu Yanzhen was a perfect example. Though Tang San was confident in his poisons, he was wary of Lan Minghua's strength and unwilling to gamble. If he truly pushed Lan Minghua too far, he, Tang San, would likely be the first to die.
However, this was all within his expectations. The real opportunity to strike would be during the tournament. After all, they were the organizers; they made the rules.
Tang San touched the new soul tool on his belt, a confident smirk spreading across his face. Just you wait, Lan Minghua. If your disciples can't even defeat me, a mere Soul Grandmaster, let's see if you can maintain that calm facade.
No one dared cause trouble during the banquet. Most of the factions present were there for the tournament's rewards and knew nothing of the plans of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the other Upper Sects.
By the end of the feast, night had fallen. But within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's grounds, brilliant lights illuminated everything as if it were day.
Once the disciples had cleared away the tables, the Soul Master Exchange Tournament was ready to begin.
Seeing that all was prepared, Sword Douluo, dressed in white robes, slowly rose and flew to hover above the vast arena. The crowd grew restless, rubbing their hands in anticipation.
With a placating gesture, Sword Douluo silenced the burgeoning commotion. His powerful voice then boomed across the venue, "I, Chen Xin, an elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, on behalf of the organizers, hereby announce that the Soul Master Exchange Tournament now begins!"
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.
Sword Douluo did not draw out the suspense, immediately announcing the rules. "Due to the large number of participants, we will begin with a seat-grabbing competition. The arena is divided into an upper and lower half, each with sixty-four seats. Only those who secure a seat will advance to the individual elimination tournament."
"There are no rules in the seat-grabbing round. Alliances are permitted, and weapons other than martial souls may be used. This competition will be fierce, and unavoidable casualties may occur. After all, seeing blood is a joyous occasion. I urge you all to consider carefully whether you wish to participate."
"The rewards for this tournament are also exceptionally generous. The champion will receive a fifty-thousand-year soul bone, the runner-up will receive a forty-thousand-year soul bone, and third place will receive a thirty-thousand-year soul bone."
As he spoke, three soul bones materialized around him, shimmering under the bright lights.
Upon hearing of potential death, some of the weaker factions had already begun to reconsider. This was Sword Douluo's intent—to cull the weaker participants. With the Upper Sects' disciples targeting Lan Minghua's group, the fewer people in the arena, the better, to avoid collateral damage. But upon seeing the soul bones, many steeled themselves to compete regardless.
Just as the crowd murmured in acceptance, Lan Minghua moved. Instantly, every eye in the arena turned to him.
Tang San's heart leaped into his throat, assuming Lan Minghua was about to object to the rules. Yu Yuanzhen and the others narrowed their eyes; this was the most critical part of their plan, and nothing could go wrong.
To their surprise, Lan Minghua simply stood up and began patting himself down. "I remember… I put it around here somewhere, right?"
The audience watched in bewilderment, having no idea what he was doing. Just as their confusion peaked, Lan Minghua produced a soul bone of vastly superior quality from his clothes.
Finally, he spoke. "These prizes are a bit lackluster. Allow me to sponsor the event."
With that, he tossed the Azure Bull Python's right arm bone toward Sword Douluo. With a resounding crack, it collided with the thirty-thousand-year soul bone, shattering it into dust.
"This hundred-thousand-year Azure Bull Python right arm bone can serve as the new prize for the champion."
Lan Minghua sat back down as if he had done something utterly trivial.
A stunned silence fell over the arena, followed by an explosive uproar.
"W-what! A hundred-thousand-year Azure Bull Python right arm bone!"
"A hundred-thousand-year soul bone! That's a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!"
"He's insane! To offer a hundred-thousand-year soul bone as a prize… The world has gone mad!"
It wasn't just the smaller factions; even the members of the Upper Sects and Spirit Hall were left gaping in astonishment. Even Titled Douluo like Yu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiao were shocked by Lan Minghua's extravagance.
"That's truly a hundred-thousand-year soul bone… Has Lan Minghua lost his mind?!"
Although Tang Xiao was a Titled Douluo with several soul bones of his own, none of them were from a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast. As a Titled Douluo, he could feel the immense power radiating from the bone and knew it was authentic.
A flicker of greed appeared in Yu Yuanzhen's eyes. If not for his fear of Lan Minghua, he would have already tried to seize it.
In the Spirit Hall section, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were equally stunned, to say nothing of Hu Liena and her teammates.
"I can't believe a hundred-thousand-year soul bone is the prize. It seems we have to give this our all." The speaker was Yan, a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation and now a forty-eighth-level Soul King. Hu Liena was also level forty-eight, and Xie Yue was level forty-nine.
Hu Liena nodded, her voice grave. "Teacher only intended for us to put the Upper Sects' disciples in their place. But now, we have a reason we cannot afford to lose."
"In that case," Xie Yue stepped forward, "let's show them the true meaning of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation." As the team captain and Hu Liena's older brother, he could not accept defeat. If that soul bone fell into the hands of the Upper Sects, their power would increase dramatically.
Sword Douluo stared at the hundred-thousand-year soul bone now floating before him. It would be a lie to say he felt nothing. But the man who offered it was Lan Minghua, and he dared not entertain any ideas. After all, his arms still faintly ached from their last encounter.
Taking a deep breath, Sword Douluo's voice boomed once more. "I declare the seat-grabbing competition of the Soul Master Exchange Tournament… begins now!"
(End of Chapter)