Skysea Aftermath

Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, 99th floor.

"Mm, I understand."

Qian Gu Dongfeng set down the soul communicator in his hand and turned to the secretary behind him. "Send out the notice. Add Zhou Mingyu (sword) of the Tianhai Spirit Pagoda to the Spirit Pagoda's genius cultivation roster.

"As for his priority ranking... mm, put him sixth for now. Otherwise, those old foxes in the council will start making a fuss again."

With that, he returned to his seat and resumed his work.

"Yes, Pagoda Master." After hearing Qian Gu Dongfeng's instructions, the secretary did not leave. He seemed to have something he wanted to say. "But, Clan Head, should we really not..."

"You mean take this opportunity to suppress him?" Qian Gu Dongfeng replied without even raising his head. "It was only one competition. Am I supposed to hold it against a child because of that?

"Do you all see me as someone so lacking in tolerance?"

"This subordinate would not dare." The secretary immediately answered in alarm.

"Go take care of it."

"Yes."

After the secretary withdrew, Qian Gu Dongfeng looked at the files on Zhou Mingyu (sword) and the other youth on his desk and murmured, "Was a great age truly about to arrive?"

The subsequent developments in the finals surprised everyone. Citing the injuries he had sustained in his previous match, Zhou Mingyu (sword) forfeited.

The Tianhai Alliance could only directly announce that Zuo Qiu Lun had won the youth division championship. As for the young adult division, its champion had also been decided—a six-ringed Soul Emperor from the Spirit Pagoda. Those spectators who had been eagerly awaiting a clash between two equally powerful opponents could only cry out in disappointment.

This was the result reached after discussion between the clones and the main body.

Li Ziming's eight-star shock to the world had already earned him a certain degree of influence on this continent.

Zuo Qiu Lun had taken Mu Ye as his master and entered the Body Sect as he wished.

Zhou Mingyu (sword) had revealed his edge and gained the upper echelons' attention, which would better serve his future development in the Spirit Pagoda.

The Skysea Grand Tournament's objectives had all been achieved. There was no need to let several clones continue acting and expose their trump cards.

On the main body's side, Liu Tianran had already led Eastsea Academy's team of seven to win the team competition championship. However, there seemed to be few people paying attention to that.

Because some turmoil had broken out in the youth division's three-person competition...

Skysea Stadium

Boom, boom, boom... Nine successive explosions rang out in the air. Zhou Mingyu (sword) turned his gaze toward the arena. Wu Changkong was fighting two people from Hailu Academy.

A fierce chill instantly swept across the center of the arena, making people shiver uncontrollably. All kinds of radiance surged into the sky, and for a time, intense elemental fluctuations filled the entire stadium.

At the same time, a piercing alarm sounded throughout Skysea Stadium.

Three Soul Emperors were continuously colliding in the air above the arena. Accompanied by a powerful clash of soul power, light and shadows flashed. Wu Changkong still stood proudly where he was, elemental currents stirring his flowing white robes as though not a trace of worldly dust could touch him.

Long Huan Tian and Zhang Zhenpeng, meanwhile, had each been forced back more than ten meters, their expressions utterly grim. Long Huan Tian was in slightly better condition, merely pale-faced, but a thread of blood had already seeped from the corner of Zhang Zhenpeng's mouth.

Long Huan Tian flew into a rage. "Where did you come from? How dare you cause trouble at the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament?"

Wu Changkong merely looked at him coldly without saying a word. The sword light of the Heavenfrost Sword in his hand flickered and surged, while his aura continued to rise madly. The six soul rings around him seemed to have all lit up at this moment.

Both sides had six rings. Yet even in a two-on-one battle, Long Huan Tian and Zhang Zhenpeng were still suppressed until their bodies became somewhat stiff and the circulation of their soul power was impeded.

Fortunately, Wu Changkong did not launch another attack. Instead, he arrived above Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. Looking down at where his two disciples were, he could not help frowning.

The golden cocoon of light radiated intense life force. Although he could not see what was happening within, Wu Changkong could clearly sense two distinct life fluctuations inside. At the very least, that proved both of them were still alive.

The Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament had been held for so many years, yet few people dared cause trouble during it. After all, that was tantamount to opposing the entire Tianhai Alliance!

However, seeing that their own master had no intention of acting, the old fellows seated in the VIP rooms were even less likely to intervene. Judging by the way each of them looked delighted to watch the commotion grow, hoping for them to step in would be harder than climbing the sky.

Some even began egging things on.

"Hey, yes, that sword swing was good! That's how you should chop him!"

"I've watched these rookies peck at each other for days. I was about to fall asleep. Now this is finally getting interesting."

"Which family does this kid belong to? He's got some spirit!"

"I heard he's old Red Dragon's disciple! The one dating that what's-her-name!"

"Ooh, so it's him! No wonder he's got such guts!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about that too. Let me tell you..."

Meanwhile, in Shrek Academy's viewing room, several senior figures were discussing things with great gusto, their voices utterly undisguised.

Shen Yi looked at her master, whose anger was steadily shooting through the roof, then at her senior brother fighting in the sky. She could not help pressing a hand to her forehead.

Ah, just destroy it all! I'm exhausted!

Just then, howls suddenly rang out from the sky, and enormous figures appeared above Skysea Stadium.

Gigantic mechas more than ten meters tall descended from the sky, more than forty of them in total.

The leading mech was entirely purple, radiating a domineering aura. Behind it were another three purple mechas, followed by ten yellow mechas, and finally twenty-six white mechas.

These mechas appeared roughly the same size, but the energy fluctuations they emitted were completely different. All the mechas behind them combined did not possess energy auras as powerful as those radiating from the first four purple mechas.

Mecha classifications were the same as soul ring and soul spirit classifications.

White soul-guided mechas were basic mechas, generally used for instruction. They could perform basic movement controls, install basic energy units, and engage in short-term combat. They could not integrate soul power control or cooperate with soul spirits.

They were controlled entirely by hand and were also used as basic urban security mechas to maintain public order. Even ordinary people could operate them.

Yellow soul-guided mechas were standardized mechas. Standard military mechas were generally of this level. They had stronger controllability, ordinary energy installations, and could be driven by both energy and soul power. They could cooperate simply with soul spirits and were controlled entirely by hand.

Purple soul-guided mechas were advanced mechas, also known as exclusive mechas, designed mechas, customized mechas, or private mechas. Customized according to the characteristics of one's martial soul, they possessed stronger controllability and better compatibility with their user's martial soul. They were generally exclusive mechas and could coordinate seamlessly with soul spirits. They were controlled entirely by hand.

The moment twenty mechas appeared, they surrounded Wu Changkong. Every white mech held a three-meter-long soul-guided cannon aimed at him, while the purple mechas flew at the forefront.

One had to know that purple soul-guided mechas possessed at least combat strength equivalent to six-ringed Soul Masters, along with greater energy reserves. They were enough to suppress a six-ringed Soul Emperor.

Not to mention that there were four purple mechas here. The Skysea Grand Tournament normally would not be equipped with guards of this level, but with so many senior figures present, they could not look shabby. Thus, these mechas had been dispatched to put on a show.

Watching the situation in the arena, Li Ziming thought that it was about time.

Sure enough, Wu Changkong suddenly raised his head and looked at the Heavenfrost Sword in his hand. Then, he slowly uttered two words.

"Heaven—Ice—"

Wu Changkong's body suddenly lit up. The Heavenfrost Sword flashed before abruptly merging into his body and vanishing. Every mech pilot who had locked onto him felt their vision blur. The man who had been targeted by their soul-guided cannons had simply disappeared into thin air.

"He's over there!" someone shouted.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

At some unknown moment, Wu Changkong had already reached midair. Yet unlike his previous image in fluttering white robes, white points of light had appeared over his body—on his forehead, shoulders, chest, elbows, wrists, palms, waist, abdomen, hips, knees, and soles.

Starting from these white points, rays of light like silver threads instantly stretched out and converged into gorgeous silver patterns. Wu Changkong's aura began erupting at an incomparably terrifying speed.

The silver pattern on his forehead formed first. At its center appeared a faint blue, teardrop-shaped crystal. As the silver light patterns took shape, a white headband first emerged. At the front of that white headband stood five ridges, as though formed from piled snow. The silver patterns on it had become solid and substantial, appearing exceptionally magnificent. Two pieces of white metal hung from either side of the headband, fitting against the areas between Wu Changkong's cheeks and ears, extending downward like an extension of his own icy current.

Streamlined armor began to emerge from the neck guard. White armor, silver patterns, magnificently cascading downward—when every silver pattern became distinct, Wu Changkong's body had been completely encased within that white armor.

Silver light flowed. His eyes had completely turned into radiant blue. The six soul rings that had originally surrounded his body were drawn inward, merging with the armor. At once, his aura soared in a straight line. In his hand appeared a greatsword one-third longer than the Heavenfrost Sword.

The hilt and crossguard were both white, with a snow-like white protrusion at the very end of the hilt. Yet the blade was crystalline blue. It was more than four feet long, and compared to the original Heavenfrost Sword, its blade now looked distinctly more solid.

In the sky, the silver halo around Wu Changkong gradually drew in. Immediately afterward, a black soul ring, dark as thick ink, appeared beneath his feet. The soul ring expanded and floated upward, then slowly merged into the Heavenice Battle Armor.

Seven-ringed Soul Sage!

Wu Changkong had already been handsome to begin with. Once that full suit of white armor covered him, he became the very embodiment of the word magnificent.

"Battle armor!" Long Huan Tian and Zhang Zhenpeng exclaimed almost in unison.

"You injured my disciple. If anything happens to him, you will pay with your lives." Wu Changkong's icy voice fell from the sky, his chilling gaze fixed directly upon Zhang Zhenpeng.

His target was not the sisters Zhou Hanyou and Zhou Tian'er. They were merely children. If a child was not taught, it was the father's fault; if teaching was lax, it was the teacher's negligence. He had come for their teacher. That was why, the moment he saw Zhang Zhenpeng and was questioned by him, he had attacked without hesitation.

Zhang Zhenpeng's face went pale. A two-word battle armor master—this man was actually a two-word battle armor master! Not just him; even all of Hailu City would never be willing to offend such a person.

Just as the two of them did not know how to bring this matter to a close, an angry roar suddenly came from Shrek Academy's viewing room.

"Pay with your lives? They're not even dead! Pay with what fucking lives? Get the hell down here!

"Standing up in the sky like a post—do you think you're handsome?!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Wu Changkong's body, which had been gathering momentum, trembled. He actually obediently withdrew his soul rings and battle armor, carried Tang Wulin away to find someone to treat his injuries.

"And you lot! Do you think I'm deaf?! You've got so much to say—come out later and spar!"

The group's discussion came to an abrupt halt as well.

And so, that farce ended in a blaze of thunder and a drizzle of rain.