"Who'll support you? Me, of course!" Huo Yuhao joked when he heard the girl's clear voice. In this life, he earned money outside the academy not by selling grilled fish, but by repairing and assembling portable soul tools.
"Hmph..." Ye Guyi rolled her eyes at Huo Yuhao, stamped her foot, and turned to leave.
"Hey... hey, Miss Ye, you haven't cleaned room 411 today yet..."
After watching Ye Guyi leave, Huo Yuhao began tidying the messy room himself.
Meanwhile, as Ye Guyi hurried away, her little heart thumped like a rabbit.
He said he'd support me... All along the way, Huo Yuhao's words kept replaying in Ye Guyi's mind.
She did not know why Huo Yuhao always made her feel so safe. But with all his gifts, would being involved with a Spirit Hall remnant like her offend the Divine Realm and ruin his future...? At that thought, a trace of sorrow crossed Ye Guyi's face.
After finishing the cleaning, Huo Yuhao lay on his bed and carefully sensed the fluctuations of energy throughout Mingdu. A little while later, Snow Girl came in carrying a lunch box.
"Here, this is yours."
Hearing her voice and taking the lunch box she offered, Huo Yuhao told Snow Girl, "During the tournament, if you encounter anyone from those families descended from the gods who won the battle at Jialing Pass ten thousand years ago, forfeit immediately."
Snow Girl was thoroughly speechless at his repeated reminders.
Snow Girl had insisted on entering the Soul Fighting Tournament with a little agenda of her own: she wanted to teach the Dai Family a lesson and vent some anger on Yuhao's behalf over his previous life. But after Huo Yuhao had broadly explained many things to her that day, she understood the stakes and had no desire to create complications.
"All right already. I'm not someone who acts willfully."
By the time he had made arrangements for matters great and small, it was late into the night, and only then did Huo Yuhao go to sleep.
The next day, since he had no matches scheduled, Huo Yuhao slept until the sun was high and did not attend the Soul Fighting Tournament's opening ceremony.
Snow Girl, who loved excitement, got up early and headed to the opening ceremony.
Mingdu's architecture was very plain, unlike the extravagant capitals of the other countries of Douluo. Yet the Soul Fighting Tournament Mingdu hosted this year was exceptionally grand. On the opening day of the tournament for the continent's advanced soul master academies, the city's streets and alleys were packed with seas of people.
Early that morning, Xu Tianran, crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, heard an urgent voice.
A guard rushed into the hall and dropped to one knee. "Reporting to Your Highness, the Clear Sky Sect's Pegasus procession will arrive shortly. A divine envoy has already come to notify us and requests that you welcome them."
A Pegasus procession represented the highest standard of procession the Clear Sky Sect could field! Even as crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Tianran dared not slight it.
Xu Tianran said solemnly, "Pass on my command. Everyone in the palace shall accompany me to welcome the Pegasus procession."
A red carpet was laid out. Having changed into splendid robes, Xu Tianran waited at the welcoming avenue, accompanied by the princes, princesses, and ministers.
Before long, Xu Tianran's gaze fixed on the east: flying carriages had appeared in everyone's sight. Most striking of all was the enormous gilded Divine Carriage at their center. Not only was it broad and towering, but it was also a divine artifact in its own right-the divine vehicle the Sea God had ridden ten thousand years ago during his decisive battle in the mortal world against the [evil Angel God].
The six powerful Pegasi pulling the Divine Carriage all exuded formidable auras. The Goddess's Six-Horse Carriage!
Beating their wings, the Pegasi trod through the air before descending from the heavens and coming to a steady halt in front of Xu Tianran and the others.
The flying carriages in front of and behind the Divine Carriage opened their doors first. Twenty-four figures with powerful auras emerged. Their soul rings lit up: every one of them was a Titled Douluo with the standard soul ring configuration of two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red.
"The Goddess has arrived! All present, welcome her!"
Next, the door of the Divine Carriage slowly opened. A blue-haired young woman emerged. She appeared to be only in her teens, with a touch of heroic spirit, and her soul power fluctuations were the weakest among those who had stepped out of the flying carriages. Yet all the powerful figures who had disembarked before her bowed in greeting and moved aside of their own accord.
"May Her Highness the Goddess enjoy immortal blessings forever, and may her sacred life know no bounds!" Xu Tianran approached with his civil and military officials to offer their flattery.
Nearby, Xuan Zi, who had brought the current Shrek Seven Devils to compete, also approached. Like a loyal hound, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head. "Her Highness the Goddess was born endowed with sacred virtue. This old servant brings the new generation of warriors of my lord Tang San to pay their respects to Her Highness the Goddess."
Behind him, Dai Huabin and the rest of the current Shrek Seven Devils likewise fell to their knees and bowed their heads.
After accepting everyone's bows and prostrations, the Goddess smiled and said, "Then let us begin!" Her expression quickly returned to indifference. She merely glanced at Xuan Zi without another word. Everything lay in that unspoken exchange.
This Goddess was none other than Xiao Qi of the Tang family, Tang Wutong-the daughter of that man who united the dual divine positions of [Sea God] and [Asura God], that upright and incorruptible [God Realm Enforcer], [Leader of the Gods of the Divine Realm], and legendary [Thousand-Hand Asura]!
"Tang San's daughter." Those simple words already eclipsed all of Tang Wutong's achievements! They also said everything there was to say about her!
Of course, Huo Yuhao sensed the extravagant display of power Tang Wutong had staged in Mingdu when he woke with the sun already high.
But he did not leave his lodgings that day to catch a glimpse of the Goddess's beauty. He stayed busy in room 411 of the Mingyue Hotel, making Milk Bottles for Snow Girl to restore her soul power.
That day, the first match was between the Shrek Academy Team and the Heaven Dou Empire's team.
Dai Huabin unleashed just seven claw strikes with his evil-eyed white tiger martial soul, and Hu Yan Yu of Elephant Armor Academy, who led the Heaven Dou Empire's team, along with the other six members, were each torn in half.
After a burst of soul power dispersed the blood splashed over him, Dai Huabin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes filled with arrogance.
Dai Huabin slowly turned toward the Heaven Dou Empire's spectator stands and shouted, "You beaten dogs, remember this: I come from Shrek Academy, and I come from the Star Luo Empire!"
"You... you used this match to slaughter the students of our Heaven Soul Academy..." A female teacher from Heaven Soul Academy spoke helplessly through her grief. "Referee, this is unfair..." Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
"So what if I did?" Dai Huabin said arrogantly. "For their worthless lives to end at the hands of a current Shrek student like me is an honor."
Arrogant though he was, Dai Huabin walked behind Xuan Zi as he spoke. "Or does someone want to stand up for that girl from Elephant Armor Academy? It seems you've forgotten that her martial soul was inherited from the Elephant Armor Sect, the Spirit Hall's lapdogs ten thousand years ago. Does someone intend to bring about the Restoration of the Evil Spirit Hall?"
"Victory goes to the Shrek Academy Team!" Jing Hongchen's voice came from the referees' seats.
Dai Huabin's swaggering display that day had, of course, been meticulously prepared.
Accompanying Dai Huabin to Mingdu for the tournament was the current Empress of the Western Star Luo Empire-the former Duchess. After the Western Star Luo Empire was established, Dai Hao and the Duchess had received a divine decree delivered through dreams by their divine ancestors, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing: "The Supreme God's daughter will descend to the mortal world to select the child of destiny. You must not neglect her."
Before they departed, the former Duchess, now Empress of the Western Star Luo Empire, had repeatedly exhorted her two sons, "The divine ancestors have spoken. His Majesty the God King will send his princess to choose someone in the mortal world and guide them to ascension. My sons, you must perform well on this journey and contend for that chance to rise to the heavens..."
After the day's match ended, Dai Huabin returned to the lounge and asked his mother with a face full of confidence, "Mother, what did you think of my performance today?"
The former Duchess curled her lips in satisfaction. "Mm. You swiftly exterminated remnants of the Spirit Hall and commanded the entire arena with the imposing aura of a conquering king. My son truly has a hero's spirit. Did you see that Goddess? Build a good relationship with her. Better still, win her over!"
Dai Huabin was puzzled. "What do you mean, Mother?"
The former Duchess stroked her son's head, her gaze full of affection. "My son has the Aptitude for Godhood. If you can win that Goddess's heart, why should you fear being unable to ascend to the Divine Realm and live forever?"
Before you continue