[First Place: Douluo II Team. Xiao Hongchen received the design plans for Hongchen No. 1 Armor, Ji Juechen received the Divine Artifact Gouchen Sword, and Ye Guyi received a complete set of Angel Soul Bones.]
"Why the hell did he get a Divine Artifact?"
Xiao Hongchen was unconvinced. They had all been beaten up together. In fact, he and Ye Guyi had taken the worst of it. Why did Ji Juechen get a Divine Artifact?
"As if I can even use it."
The Divine Artifact Ji Juechen had held in the Sea of Blood was this very thing. Yet his Soul Power was completely incompatible with it, and he could not even lift it. Otherwise, he would not have ended up hanging on a wall in the Sea of Blood.
"If we're talking practicality, what Ye Guyi got is the best."
Not only could the Divine Artifact in Ji Juechen's hands not protect him, it could easily bring about his death.
Xiao Hongchen could manufacture the armor from its plans. Ye Guyi had received Spirit Bones, a complete set of Angel Soul Bones at that. Her strength had increased by more than double. Which one was not more practical than his?
"Enough. You're both my right-hand men, so there's no need for this. Come to the Crown Prince Mansion tonight. I'll host a banquet, and all of you have to be there."
Xu Feng immediately stepped between them. Xiao Hongchen and Ji Juechen's relationship could be said to be terrible. One believed technology changed life, while the other focused solely on his own swordsmanship.
One saw the other as a rigid old fool who did not know how to adapt, while the other saw him as a flashy performer. They were simply incompatible.
After the rewards were handed out, the Skyscreen sent everyone back to their respective eras.
Douluo I Spacetime
Tang San had already learned where Shrek Academy was. He had inexplicably lost another five levels of Soul Power, and what he lacked most now was room to grow. Besides, he had to find a chance to kill that fat bastard Ma Hongjun.
Meanwhile, Oscar split half of his cultivation time toward improving his cooking skills. He was already preparing to find a way aboard the Celestial Court's great ship.
Dai Mubai had become the most miserable among them. News had arrived from the Star Luo Empire that his eldest brother had become Crown Prince. His Soul Power had dropped five levels, yet he had no way to take revenge. Even his fiancée had run away. He was undoubtedly the most miserable person there.
Within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi did not make a move against Xiao Wu just because Xu Feng had left. The reason was simple: Xu Feng might not remember this little rabbit, but if he did, then she had to stay alive.
Besides, Rongrong could build a relationship with her. Then the two girls could look after each other and avoid being utterly crushed by the people from ten thousand years later.
Douluo II Spacetime
Xu Feng had originally planned to bring Gu Yena back, but her fusion had not yet ended, so she had to remain there for the time being.
With the Soul Master Tournament about to begin, Xu Feng could only turn his attention to it for now. That was when this scene unfolded.
Ma Rulong and the six starting members of the Sun Moon Team behind him all dropped to their knees in unison, despair written across every face.
"Your Highness, please, give us another chance! We... we truly don't know what we did wrong, but please tell us clearly. We'll change, we swear we'll change!"
"Your Highness, we've trained for so many years, all for this Soul Master Tournament... Please don't make us withdraw like this."
Xu Feng's gaze swept across the seven kneeling people one by one. He raised a hand to rub his temple, then turned to Xiao Hongchen standing nearby.
"No, Xiao Hongchen, how exactly did you pass on the message?"
Xu Feng had the distinct feeling that the message these seven had received was completely different from the one he had conveyed. What he said should not have made the six of them feel as though the sky was falling.
Xiao Hongchen shrugged with an innocent expression. "No, you said they didn't need to compete anymore. I passed it on correctly. You said it yourself, they didn't need to compete."
Xu Feng was so furious he nearly failed to catch his breath. He spun around, pointed at Xiao Hongchen, and repeated his exact words without missing a single one.
"What I said was! This time, I'm going to use the Soul Master Tournament as an excuse to start a war. I'm planning to send the reserve team out to taunt the other side, so you won't need to take the field this time! Is that what you passed on? Did you pass it on in full?"
"I said, 'You don't need to take the field this time,' not, 'You'll never need to compete again'! And you just shortened it to 'You don't need to compete anymore.' How could they not misunderstand?"
Xiao Hongchen replayed the conversation in his mind, and his expression instantly became incomparably awkward.
"Oh, then I might have left out two sentences."
"Two sentences? What you left out was the soul of the whole damn speech!"
Xu Feng had never imagined that his brother-in-law could have such an unreliable side. Next time, he had better ask a eunuch to deliver his message. At least a eunuch would imitate his tone while passing it on.
After hearing Xu Feng's words, Ma Rulong and the others' expressions shifted from despair to confusion, then from confusion to an indescribable awkwardness.
As the captain, Ma Rulong slowly raised his head and asked the question on everyone's behalf. "So... Your Highness isn't dismissing us?"
"Of course not! Get up, all of you. What I mean is, for this tournament, I plan to send the reserve team out first and thoroughly taunt those guys on the other side."
"If they win, that will be the perfect reason to start a war. If they lose, then we can ridicule them properly."
Xu Feng intended to taunt the other side mercilessly. Anyone without a problem in their head could tell that sending out the reserve team was a deliberate insult.
For the Sun Moon Empire, this Soul Master Tournament was merely a game. But for the other empires, it was a matter of life and death.
The seven of them looked at one another. The panic on their faces gradually turned to relief, followed by embarrassed, sheepish smiles. After all, the Sun Moon Team could be considered one of Xu Feng's own forces.
If this Crown Prince dismissed them all, it would not only harm the seven of them. Their families would suffer as well. That was why they had been so panicked.
"Then... then we misunderstood." Ma Rulong scratched his head. "We thought Your Highness had grown dissatisfied with us... and was planning to dismiss us all..."
"You're the trump card in my hand. What trump card gets thrown out at the very start? Take good care of yourselves and wait for the real grand stage."
Xu Feng had no intention of letting the academy's painstakingly trained team merely make an appearance at the Soul Master Tournament. He had a better stage prepared for them.
Xiao Hongchen stood to the side and coughed twice. He walked before the Sun Moon Team and, for once, lowered his proud head.
"That... that was my fault. I caused this misunderstanding. Sorry."
Before you continue