Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament

After the two of them agreed, Qi Ji began making arrangements for the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament.

Sure enough, once they learned they would be participating in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament, Tang Wuling and Gu Yuena almost simultaneously signed up for every event they were eligible for—singles, doubles, and secondary profession competitions, not missing a single one.

Though neither of them said it aloud, both were holding back a competitive fire, determined to surpass the other in this tournament and prove that she was the strongest one by Qi Ji's side.

Qi Ji, on the other hand, was different.

He signed up for mecha repair, singles, doubles, trios, and seven-man battles, practically wanting to sweep up every event available.

As for possible scheduling conflicts?

Oh, please. Who cared about so many rules? Qi Ji's rules were the rules.

As the Federation's crown prince, Qi Ji was entering so many competitions. Shouldn't the schedule know better than to make the timings clash?

Did the organizers know how to behave or not? Naturally, they would coordinate such trivial matters for him. He did not need to worry about them at all.

Of course, Qi Ji did not tell Tang Wuling and Gu Yuena about that.

As long as he was there, the two of them were destined to compete only for second place.

Still, there was no point saying it now. They would settle it in the arena.

As for which team Qi Ji belonged to—he had grown up in an orphanage in Eastsea City, and his household registration was naturally registered there as well. Therefore, he would be representing Eastsea City.

Tang Wuling was from Aolai City, and Aolai City fell under Eastsea City's jurisdiction, so she naturally became part of Eastsea City's delegation as well.

Gu Yuena was the troublesome one. She had nothing whatsoever to do with Eastsea City, or even the entire Skysea Alliance. But in order to keep the three-person group from being split up, they could only force a connection into existence.

By pulling a few strings, she was easily granted the status of an honorary citizen of Eastsea City and would represent Eastsea City in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament.

Thus, when the news reached Eastsea City, the officials there practically went mad with joy.

Could anyone imagine that feeling? What had originally been nothing more than a routine local competition held once every three years suddenly had the Federation's number one genius volunteering to represent Eastsea City—and not just one. He was also bringing along the seventh and eighth ranked prodigies on the Young Genius Rankings.

No... ever since that battle, Yu Xiaogang, who had originally been ranked second, had been crippled by Qi Ji and developed a heart demon. He could no longer even fuse with his martial soul, and he suddenly looked decades older.

He was beginning to look more and more like that master who had broken through to Rank 29 at the tender age of fifty.

Thus, the Young Genius Rankings removed Yu Xiaogang from the list, and Tang Wuling and Gu Yuena's positions each moved up by one.

The Eastsea City officials were so excited that they nearly popped champagne right in their offices.

In previous years, Eastsea City had always ranked in the lower-middle tier at the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament. This year, they had suddenly gained three top-tier outside reinforcements. The championship was practically guaranteed.

They contacted Qi Ji that very day, showering him with enthusiastic greetings and making meticulous arrangements, practically wanting to worship him like their father.

On the day they set off, Qi Ji did not choose to take a soul-guided train. Instead, he got into a low-profile black soul-guided car.

The car traveled steadily along the Federation highway. Endless fields and scattered villages lined both sides of the road, while soul-guided trains occasionally roared past on the tracks beside them, their whistles trailing into the distance.

Tang Wuling sat by the window in the backseat. Watching a soul-guided train speed past beside them, she could not help complaining.

"Qi Ji... why aren't we taking a soul-guided train? We have to drive ourselves when the train would be much faster."

Qi Ji sat between the two girls. He turned to glance at Tang Wuling and silently rolled his eyes.

Why do you think I don't dare take a soul-guided train? Isn't it because I'm afraid of your constitution as a 'soul-guided train killer'?

Although Tang Wuling was now Tang Wuling rather than Tang Wulin, she might not actually possess that "train killer" trait of causing trouble wherever she went. Still, it was best to avoid it if possible.

If so-called fate decided to act up and they ran into opponents on the level of the Holy Spirit Cult's Four Heavenly Kings aboard the train, that would be no laughing matter.

Qi Ji's current strength barely allowed him to deal with opponents at the Soul Douluo level, but against a Super Douluo above Rank 98, he would be finished with a single slap.

Still... Di Tian should be secretly protecting Gu Yuena now. In this world, aside from Chen Xinjie using the Sea God Helmet to enhance himself while burning his Demigod position, no one should be stronger than Di Tian.

With this beast god at the Demigod level secretly accompanying them, there was no need to worry too much about their safety.

But fewer problems were always better.

What Qi Ji was truly worried about was not whether they could survive if danger struck on the train—with the three of them plus Di Tian, they could crush the vast majority of threats—but the innocent hostages taken by Evil Soul Masters.

If something happened to the train, the Evil Soul Masters could casually seize a handful of ordinary people as hostages. With them unable to act freely, the situation would become extremely troublesome.

As for the logic that other trains might still meet with disaster even if they did not board a soul-guided train, Qi Ji felt that it was not important.

Out of sight, out of mind. Even if he saw news one day that everyone on a train had been killed, at most he would mourn for them in silence before swearing to slaughter every Evil Soul Master in the Holy Spirit Cult once he became stronger.

But for now, he would stay as far away as possible.

Still, he needed to find an excuse to brush off Tang Wuling's question.

"Because we're all public figures." Qi Ji gave an official explanation without changing expression, one that no one could find fault with.

"Taking public transportation so casually would cause trouble for a lot of people. If we were recognized, no one on the entire train would get any peace."

"I see... that makes sense." Tang Wuling scratched her head and nodded thoughtfully.

She recalled the spectacle whenever Qi Ji went out in Mingdu—wearing a mask, wearing a hat, leaving through side entrances. He really did draw crowds wherever he went. If they boarded a soul-guided train, the entire carriage would probably crowd around them for autographs. Just imagining it made her scalp tingle.

"Idiot." Sitting on the other side, Gu Yuena calmly spat out two words, her tone carrying an aloof sneer.

"What did you say?! You bitch!" Tang Wuling instantly bristled and turned to glare at Gu Yuena.

"Alright, alright, settle down." Qi Ji stretched out both hands and pressed them onto the girls' shoulders, applying just enough force to push them back into their seats. "We'll talk when we get there."

Leaning against his seat, he watched the scenery rapidly retreat outside the window and could not help feeling exhausted.

It was pretty satisfying to watch the two girls fight over him, but they were both a little too forceful. Wasn't there a girl who was less domineering, the delicate and clingy type?

(P.S. Keep reading with confidence. The protagonist will openly CCB. He'll be emperor in the future, so what's wrong with CCB? Dragons are inherently lustful; he should CCB.)