Tang Hao's Schemes
Level 70, nine levels short.
At the normal meditation rate, nine levels would take at least two or three years. But Qin Chuan had the Game Hall and Happy Cultivation's passive bonus, so his progress would be much faster.
But leveling up alone was not enough.
Qin Chuan was turning another matter over in his mind.
Three attractions had already opened on the Game Hall's second floor: Object Hide-and-Seek, Blindfolded Tag, and Otherworld Survival. One more remained unopened.
He opened the [System Shop] and looked through the games for sale.
His gaze settled on "Douluo Glory." It was a competitive game, quite suitable.
This world had no concept of esports, but battles between Soul Masters provided fertile ground for competition.
If those battles were turned into a standardized game, complete with rules and rankings, player participation would be much higher.
More importantly, competitive games could be livestreamed.
He could connect Soul Tools in a Martial Soul arena and livestream the games, allowing everyone across the continent to watch.
That would bring another wave of attention and lay a solid foundation for establishing an empire.
Qin Chuan glanced at the unlock requirements.
[Douluo Glory (competitive battle game)] [Unlock requirements: host level 78, 300,000 points.]
Qin Chuan said, "No rush. I'll go play some games first."
That same morning.
Western Heaven Dou City, Heaven Dou Empire.
The old Blue Tyrant Academy sign had long since been replaced. Five large characters reading "Shrek Academy" hung over the entrance.
Tang Hao stood at the academy entrance and glanced at the sign, his expression blank.
Today, he wore a gray cloth robe. He had shaved his beard and tidied his hair, looking considerably more presentable than he had in Slaughter City. But the gloom in his eyes remained, impossible to conceal.
He had left Tang San in Slaughter City.
The boy was not doing very well at present. Qin Chuan had publicly stripped him bare at the Continental Soul Master Tournament, leaving his reputation utterly rotten.
Xiao Wu had run away, the people of Shrek no longer acknowledged him, and even ordinary people on the streets knew he had wanted to trick the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit into sacrificing herself.
Tang Hao recalled the look in his son's eyes the last time he had looked at him. There had been hatred and resentment, but more than anything, fear.
He took a deep breath and stepped into the academy.
There were few people in the corridor. Tang Hao's footsteps rang out against the stone slabs, one after another.
He found Yu Xiaogang's office, stood outside for two seconds, then raised his hand and knocked three times.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of a chair moving came from inside, followed by footsteps.
The door opened.
Yu Xiaogang stood behind it, still holding an old-fashioned thread-bound book. He froze briefly when he saw the visitor's face.
"Your Excellency Haotian?"
Without waiting for him to say more, Tang Hao turned sideways and entered.
Yu Xiaogang stepped back to make way for him. The door closed behind them.
The office was small: one desk, two chairs, and a row of bookshelves against the wall. The shelves were packed with various Martial Soul texts and handwritten manuscripts. A few books had been thumbed to tatters.
Tang Hao glanced at the book lying open on the desk. It contained symbols and diagrams he could not understand.
"Grandmaster," Tang Hao began.
Yu Xiaogang set down the book in his hands and nodded. "Please, sit."
Tang Hao pulled out a chair and sat down. It creaked under his weight.
"No need for formalities," Tang Hao said. "I imagine you know why I've come to see you."
Yu Xiaogang remained silent for two seconds, then walked behind the desk and sat down.
"The God of Drama Martial Soul?"
"That's right." Tang Hao's voice deepened. "I want to find the God of Drama Martial Soul's weaknesses."
Yu Xiaogang did not answer directly.
Looking at Tang Hao's face, he asked, "How is San doing now?"
Tang Hao's breathing stopped for a beat.
He leaned against the back of his chair and sighed, his voice a little quieter than before. "I took him to Slaughter City. His behavior shocked me. I'm just afraid he won't be able to control himself."
Yu Xiaogang said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
Tang Hao added, "I hope you won't take that matter to heart, whether it's true or false."
Yu Xiaogang knew what he meant.
The matter involving Tang San and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit.
Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment, then nodded.
"He's my student. Naturally, I'm on his side. Besides, humans hunting Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings is perfectly natural and right."
Indeed.
Across the entire continent, what Soul Master was not struggling to rise above the crowd? Some would stop at nothing. That was not difficult to understand.
Hearing this, Tang Hao's shoulders relaxed a little.
Yu Xiaogang continued, "I hope San gets better soon. As for that God of Drama Martial Soul you mentioned, I've already been studying it for quite some time."
He pulled a thick notebook from the shelf, turned to a page somewhere in the middle, and laid it open on the desk.
"Based on the latest information I've gathered, I have indeed discovered many characteristics. Settle in. I'll explain them at length."
Tang Hao leaned forward a little.
Yu Xiaogang leafed through his notes and began explaining.
"This God of Drama Martial Soul is a Rule Martial Soul from the Primordial Era. Its special passive is this: Rule Martial Souls are not subject to the usual advancement restrictions involving Soul Beasts. As the Martial Soul's level increases, the corresponding Soul Rings and Soul Skills unlock automatically, without any need to hunt Soul Beasts."
Tang Hao nodded. He already knew all this.
"This type of Martial Soul has a flaw." Yu Xiaogang raised one finger. "The house is also a player. He can lose, and he can be punished too. His odds of winning are merely somewhat higher than his target's. Victory isn't guaranteed."
Tang Hao frowned. "But from what I've seen, none of us who fought him ever won. That day, I took five Titled Douluos with me, and none of us were a match for him."
Yu Xiaogang set down the notebook and tapped the desktop lightly twice.
"Once you enter his Game Domain, the initiative is in his hands. He can choose whichever game he wants to start, so he'll certainly pick the one with the highest odds of winning."
Tang Hao fell silent.
He had experienced that firsthand. That day in Spirit Hall's Council Hall, Qin Chuan had started a game of "One, Two, Three, Red Light." Of the six Titled Douluos, three had turned straight into wood, while the remaining three had not dared to move.
It was not that they could not beat him. The rules would not let them fight.
Watching Tang Hao's expression, Yu Xiaogang knew he was thinking about what had happened that day.
"It's not as though there are no ways to beat him," Yu Xiaogang said.
Tang Hao looked up.
"First, keep your distance and launch ranged attacks. His Game Domain has a limited range. Stay outside it, and you won't be bound by its rules. As long as you stand far enough away and bombard him with ranged Soul Skills, a level sixty-one Soul Emperor like him won't be able to withstand it."
Tang Hao nodded once.
"Second, get close to him and detonate yourself outright. His level isn't high. If someone is willing to trade their life for his and self-destruct at point-blank range, he won't be able to block it."
Tang Hao's eyelid twitched.
"Third, a relay battle. Gamble against him." Yu Xiaogang raised three fingers. "Every one of his Soul Skills has a cooldown, and he can't use them on the same target consecutively. So send people in turns, one after another, to gamble against him. His odds of winning are high, but they aren't one hundred percent. If ten people gamble, someone is bound to win. If twenty people gamble, the chances of winning are even greater."
Tang Hao leaned back in his chair and thought for a while. "Those Soul Skills of his are all very unusual."