Di Tian's Soul Spirit gave a satisfied snort.
On the ground, Zi JI and Bi Ji's pretty faces flushed even redder as they murmured the name of the Soul Guidance Cannon.
The grievance they had felt over being reduced to human maids was utterly drowned out by boundless pride.
"Enough. Stop standing around in a daze!"
Luo Feng snapped his fingers and recalled Di Tian into his body.
Then he turned around and, with casual ease, slipped an arm around Zi JI and Bi Ji's slender waists, each narrow enough to fit in one hand, drawing them into his embrace.
"My three top-tier workers, get your asses back to the Vanguard Titan's rear cabin and rest. You're going to have your hands full soon!"
"Clang!"
As the Vanguard Titan's heavy steel hatch clamped shut amid a violent rush of steam,
the entire mech, powered by Soul Power at the 99th-rank Limit Demigod level, suddenly tore open a massive black rift in space.
"Master of the Tang Sect, everyone from Shrek, I'm heading out first!"
Luo Feng's arrogant laughter rang out above the ruins of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Coordinates: East Sea Spirit Pagoda Headquarters! Today I'm going to set off a super firework for Qiangu Dongfeng!"
"Rumble!"
Thirty thousand meters above the ground, the gale winds cut like knives.
But in the stratosphere, where even Super Douluos had to tread carefully,
a colossal stream of dark-golden light cleaved through the sea of clouds like a blade ripping open a painting!
The Vanguard Titan had activated its Space Curvature Folding Engine, hurtling forward at a terrifying speed that nearly amounted to teleportation.
It raced toward the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters in the eastern part of the continent.
Inside the cockpit, Luo Feng lounged comfortably in his leather seat.
Beneath his feet lay the vast cultivation he had just attained at the 99th-rank Limit Demigod level.
In the mech's weapons bay rested the [Truth: Underworld Dragon Life-Death God-Slaying Cannon], hand-crafted by three peerless Ferocious Beasts.
And in the spacious rear cabin of the mech,
sat Zi JI and Bi Ji, the two most renowned beauties among the Ferocious Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, ready to await his commands.
"Now this is the life! This is the kind of treatment a transmigrator deserves!"
Luo Feng hummed a tune, lightly tapping his fingers on the control panel.
His original plan had been brutally simple: fly straight above the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters,
then, without a word, fire a Level 12 God-Slaying Cannon at the top of that old schemer Qiangu Dongfeng's head.
After blasting the whole Spirit Pagoda into the sky, he would slowly sift through the ruins for spoils.
Reasoning, forming alliances—what good were those? In the face of overwhelming firepower, it was all bullshit!
However, just as the Vanguard Titan was less than a thousand kilometers from the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, and Luo Feng was about to order the main cannon to warm up,
[Beep!]
[Warning! Ironclad, a high-frequency, encrypted electromagnetic broadcast covering the entire continent has been intercepted!]
[Signal source locked: Spirit Pagoda Headquarters' main broadcast tower. Force-decrypt and play?]
The Vanguard Titan's cold mechanical voice abruptly sounded in the cockpit, interrupting Luo Feng's thoughts.
"A continent-wide broadcast? That old bastard Qiangu Dongfeng's on death's doorstep, and he's still holding a lecture for the whole continent?"
Luo Feng raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.
"BT, decrypt it! I want to hear what kind of bullshit that old fox plans to spout before he dies!"
[Command confirmed. Forcibly decrypting... Decryption complete. Audio connected to cockpit speaker system.]
The next moment, an extremely grand—and even somewhat arrogant—official announcement rang through the Vanguard Titan.
"Citizens across the continent, members of the various sects, and federal councilors, greetings!"
"This is the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters!"
"To promote communication among the continent's promising young talents,
and also to find a suitable husband for the Spirit Pagoda's most honored Spirit Envoy, a peerless genius of a young woman,
Tower Master Lord Qiangu Dongfeng has personally decreed that, three days from now,
an epic event open to the entire continent will be held at the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters' plaza—the [Martial Arts Marriage Tournament]!"
"The ultimate winner of this tournament will not only receive the title of Lifetime Honorary Elder of the Spirit Pagoda and the right to a custom-made set of four-word Battle Armor...
"He will also marry the one and only supreme prize of this tournament, the Spirit Pagoda's precious pearl, a peerless beauty—Gu Yuena!!!"
The voice in the broadcast brimmed with manipulation and utter arrogance.
It was as if all the promising young talents across the Douluo Continent were fit only to fight like dogs over a bone tossed out by the Spirit Pagoda.
"Crackle!"
The broadcast ended.
But an exceedingly strange silence fell over the Vanguard Titan's cockpit.
"A martial arts matchmaking tournament? And the prize is... Gu Yuena?"
Luo Feng froze. A flicker of bewilderment crossed his eyes, which had been full of killing intent only moments before.
Then, in an instant, that bewilderment turned into feverish excitement!
As a transmigrator, he knew this part of the story all too well!
In the original story, Qiangu Dongfeng had ostensibly held this martial arts matchmaking tournament to find Gu Yuena a husband.
In truth, it was nothing but a pretext to draw all the continent's geniuses in and make an example of them.
At the same time, it was meant to pave the way for his grandson, Qiangu Zhangting.
It would let Qiangu Zhangting marry Gu Yuena "fair and square" in front of everyone, thereby gaining complete control over this Silver Dragon King, who possessed peerless talent!
"Damn it, I almost forgot about this classic quest!"
Luo Feng slapped his thigh and couldn't help swearing.
"Qiangu Dongfeng really is a master of finding new ways to get himself killed! He actually dares to use Gu Yuena as the prize in a tournament?"
"And Qiangu Zhangting's already been blown to ashes by me! Hahaha!"
Just as Luo Feng rubbed his hands together, preparing to change his plans and "crash the party,"
a terrifying surge of violent spiritual energy suddenly erupted inside the mech's core reactor, shaking the entire machine so violently that it lurched!
"Roar!!!"
A dragon's howl, so anguished and furious that it bordered on madness, exploded in Luo Feng's mind!
It was Di Tian!
The old black dragon, usually so aloof and proud that he had clung to his dignity even when forced to become a Soul Spirit, had completely lost his mind!
Di Tian was not alone. In the rear cabin, Zi JI and Bi Ji had gone deathly pale and were trembling violently.
Their eyes blazed with a fury so overwhelming that not even all the waters of three rivers and five lakes could quench it!
"Damn them! Damn humans! How dare they!!!"
Di Tian's Soul Spirit apparition burst straight out of the [Gate of Truth].
His golden, vertical pupils were now webbed with bloodshot veins, and every one of his dragon whiskers stood on end.
"That is our Lord! The avatar of the great Dragon God, the supreme Silver Dragon King of our Soul Beast Clan!!!"
"How dare those vile, filthy ants of the Spirit Pagoda treat our great Lord like an object?
Like a prize in a martial arts matchmaking tournament?!"
"Unforgivable! This is absolutely unforgivable!!!"
Di Tian roared furiously. If he still had a physical body, he would have been willing to risk the destruction of both body and spirit
to transform into a ten-thousand-zhang black dragon and devour that old bastard Qiangu Dongfeng on the spot!
Zi JI also stumbled out of the rear cabin.
Her beautiful face twisted with fury, and violet-black demonic flames flickered wildly in her eyes.
"Master! I beg you! Our Lord is the last faith left to the Star Dou Great Forest. We absolutely cannot let those despicable wretches profane her!"