Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, the academy boasted beautiful scenery.
As the foremost institution in the Heaven Dou Empire, it was also the venue for the exchange matches with the Divine Realm Empire's students.
The status of the guests who had come to watch was staggering.
The Heaven Dou Empire's Emperor Xue Ye, First Prince Xue Qinghe, and Prince Xue Xing; Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop Salas; Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo Gu Rong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; Huyan Zhen of the Elephant Armor Sect... It was fair to say that half the Douluo Continent's soul master world had been stirred.
The reason was simple. The Divine Realm Empire People were visiting the Douluo Continent on friendly terms. Aside from official exchange matches like this, there were practically no opportunities to see them in action and gauge the caliber of their soul masters.
Yet their strength was precisely what the people of the Douluo Continent cared about most.
Blood-Weeping Douluo had already set a dazzling precedent. His nine soul rings-four purple and five black-had shaken the people of the Douluo Continent.
What they wanted to assess now was the caliber of the Divine Realm Empire's younger generation, especially since Long Yue claimed to be its foremost young talent.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy students in their goose-yellow uniforms watched the Divine Realm Empire People enter the academy grounds.
These noble scions reined in their usual claw-brandishing swagger and peacock-like displays, merely standing by the road and whispering among themselves.
Long Yue could barely resist throwing back his head and bursting into song to draw every eye to himself. "Everyone, eyes on..."
Sima Lanxiao raised his hand as if to strike him. Only when Long Yue fell silent did he suppress his anger and grumble, "Do what you're supposed to do. I don't want another incident like the one at the Seven Treasure ball."
Long Yue had injured Feng Xiaotian at the Seven Treasure ball. Naturally, Sima Lanxiao had been too embarrassed to stay and had no choice but to leave-Long Yue, on the other hand, had felt no shame about continuing to freeload on the food and drink.
Only after giving Feng Xiaotian healing pills and compensating Godwind Academy had Sima Lanxiao managed to preserve the Divine Realm Empire's image as a powerful, courteous "civilized nation," rather than an empire steeped in violence and expansionism.
Sima Lanxiao truly did not want Long Yue causing any more trouble. Every mess Long Yue made was left to him to clean up.
In an ordinary workplace, who could stand having a colleague like Long Yue? It was utterly exhausting.
"You're not allowed to use battle armor in this match. Understood? You can use soul spirits. That will help lay the groundwork for supplying them to Spirit Hall. But under no circumstances are you to reveal battle armor. You can lose, but battle armor absolutely must not appear. Understand?"
Unable to trust Long Yue, Sima Lanxiao emphasized the point repeatedly.
"I know, I know."
Long Yue restrained himself a little.
"Isn't it just because the empire is afraid of battle armor technology leaking? Soul guidance mecha raise the ceiling for ordinary people, but battle armor raises the ceiling of a Titled Douluo's combat power."
A Three-Word Battle Armor Master was guaranteed to possess the combat power of a Titled Douluo.
With the enhancement of Two-Word Battle Armor's domain aura, even a Seven-Ring Soul Sage could attain a Titled Douluo's combat power.
It was precisely because of battle armor technology that the Divine Realm Empire could claim its top combatants overwhelmingly outclassed those of the Douluo Continent.
"The empire lacks a divine smith capable of forging four-word battle armor. Three-Word Battle Armor is the best we have. If the people of the Douluo Continent discover and master battle armor technology..."
A deep fear gripped Sima Lanxiao.
"When that happens,
another Sun Moon Federation will emerge."
"Foreign Minister." Long Yue suddenly remembered something. "There are divine smiths on the Douluo Continent right now."
"What?" Sima Lanxiao's first reaction was disbelief.
Divine smiths, which even the Divine Realm Empire lacked, actually existed on the Douluo Continent in this era?
"Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao and Tai Tan of the Strength Clan are both divine smiths." Long Yue recalled the information in his mind. "There's also Lou Gao in Gengxin City, in the Star Luo Empire."
"Tang Hao is Tang San's father, and the Strength Clan will become the Tang Sect's Strength Hall. Who is Lou Gao?" Sima Lanxiao had never heard of this divine smith.
"He's someone we can recruit. Showing him a soul tool's core array would have the same effect as showing Feng Xiaotian glamour photos of Huo Wu. Crook a finger, and he'll come running."
What kind of comparison is that...? Sima Lanxiao inwardly criticized Long Yue while beginning to seriously consider the possibility.
"If the empire could truly recruit a divine smith from the Douluo Continent... Even if we fail to recruit him, we can't leave him to the people of the Douluo Continent!"
They climbed the white jade steps to the main campus halfway up the mountain, where the three members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Education Committee were already waiting for the Divine Realm Empire's diplomatic mission.
The three elders treated the Divine Realm diplomatic mission with great solemnity. They wore custom Soul Douluo ceremonial robes obtained from Spirit Hall, expensive, luxurious black robes threaded with gold.
After exchanging pleasantries with Sima Lanxiao, Education Committee Chairman Meng Shenji addressed Long Yue. "What a fine young man indeed. You have a truly distinguished bearing."
"You flatter me." For once, Long Yue became modest instead of acting wildly and inappropriately and disgracing the Divine Realm Empire.
Stroking his beard, Meng Shenji said, "For this match, in accordance with the principles of fairness and impartiality, Heaven Dou Royal Academy has joined with several other institutions to select the seven most outstanding students to spar with you."
Where's the fairness in that? Long Yue grumbled inwardly.
"This will minimize the amount of soul power you expend."
Meng Shenji spoke with lofty righteousness. "Our Heaven Dou Empire is a land blessed with gifted people. If every outstanding student wished to spar with you, even you might find it too much, Long Yue. We could only select the best of the best."
There was an interesting implication to those words. Meng Shenji believed that the Heaven Dou Empire had plenty of outstanding young people. No matter how strong Long Yue was on his own, they could wear him down to death through sheer numbers.
"Committee Member Meng." Long Yue stopped holding his temper in check and asked bluntly, "Who are they?"
Sima Lanxiao sighed softly. Long Yue's tone already proved that he intended to give today's opponents an unforgettable memory.
Meng Shenji introduced them one by one. "Gu Tianming from Godwind Academy, Xue Wu from Skywater Academy, Huo Wushuang from Blazing Fire Academy, Huyan Li from Elephant Armor Academy, Yu Tianxin from Thunder Academy, and Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan from Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Long Yue had injured Feng Xiaotian with a single punch, leaving him unable to bring his strength to bear, so Gu Tianming had to take his place.
Gu Tianming was Feng Xiaotian's senior and a Soul Ancestor. At nineteen, he was the youngest member of the team Godwind Academy was preparing to send to the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Meng Shenji looked rather embarrassed when he reached this point. "After Feng Xiaotian was injured, Godwind Academy had no choice but to send Gu Tianming. Although he is seven years older than you..."
"No need to explain. I understand." Long Yue had no interest in listening to this nonsense. "I'll take him out first."
"..." Meng Shenji was speechless.
After a flurry of preparations, the guests finally took their seats, and the students stepped onto the stage.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy held the match in a square more than a hundred meters long and wide. The master of ceremonies on the stage introduced the contestants and the rules.
Dressed in gold-and-red robes and wearing the Golden Diamond Radiant Crown, Emperor Xue Ye solemnly announced the start of the exchange match.
"All of you, come up."
Seeing Gu Tianming standing before him in a Godwind Academy uniform, Long Yue only then realized that, for some reason, Heaven Dou Royal Academy had chosen a gauntlet format.
"I want to fight ten!"
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