"Heh, this just keeps getting more interesting." Shangguan Wei'er's red lips curved into a knowing smile. "Even Her Highness the Princess has deigned to enter my little competition that cannot bear the light of day. It seems the prizes are even more enticing than I imagined."
She toyed with a badge that signified qualification for the next round. The Ordinary Alliance had three qualifying spots this time, and she had already reserved one for Ye Guyi, her secret weapon against the Xishui Alliance's Evil Soul Masters.
As for the other two spots-this princess, who possessed one of the Ranked Carving Knives and whose skill as a Soul Engineer was clearly at least Level 5, seemed an excellent choice.
Even without any behind-the-scenes manipulation, the ability she had displayed would easily carry her through the preliminaries.
Before long, the allotted time for the preliminaries ended. All the contestants submitted their creations for assessment by the Ordinary Alliance's veteran Soul Engineers.
In the end, around sixteen contestants passed. Xu Jiujiu's Starlight Barrier, with its outstanding defensive capabilities and intricate construction, stood among the finest Level 3 Soul Tools and took first place without question. Ye Guyi's Light Short Sword, its radiance contained within, also earned an impressive fourth place.
Just as Dai Youheng and his companions were about to follow the crowd out of the arena, the woman who had guided them earlier appeared again and respectfully stepped into their path.
"Honored guests, please wait. Our boss would like to invite you for a chat. We hope you will do her the honor."
"Your boss?" Dai Youheng raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You mean Alliance Leader Shangguan Wei'er? That's quite a down-to-earth way of
"addressing her. Jiujiu, what do you think?"
Xu Jiujiu remained composed. After a moment's consideration, she said calmly,