At the same time—
On the high platform.
"Your daughter has been performing exceptionally well lately. Her martial soul is the Rouge Dragon, and she possesses outstanding talent. To have reached Level 35 Soul Elder by the age of thirteen... she might very well become a Super Douluo in the future." Jing Hongchen said with a pleasant smile.
"Is that so? Hahaha, Headmaster, don't spoil her. My little girl is just..." Nan Shuishui smiled, clearly pleased.
Their compliments were part of the usual social niceties, but the smile on Nan Shuishui's face was clearly sincere. Praise for her daughter—especially from one of the most authoritative figures in the Sun Moon Empire—naturally made her heart bloom with joy.
"Nan Qiuqiu…" Xu Cheng looked at the excited girl hopping down from the stage, occasionally sneaking glances at him. A slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Your Highness sure is many people's youthful dream~" a teasing voice came from beside him.
"Nana, what's the situation with the Holy Spirit Church?" Xu Cheng ignored her teasing and asked calmly.
"Our enshrined elders are all eager and waiting. Also, Mingyu Sect has come this time as well—when they heard that Your Highness was in trouble, they didn't hesitate to come…"
"Your Highness~"
Before she could finish her words—
Several black-robed figures quietly appeared.
The one in the lead spoke in a deep voice.
"Hehe, Kaidu, no need for formalities. We're all family here." Xu Cheng waved his hand with a warm smile.
Behind the black-robed group was a tall figure who said with a sigh, "Cain, you're here too, huh…"
"Your Highness hasn't returned to Mingyu Sect since that last time," came a hoarse but distinctly female voice.
"Silence! How dare you judge His Highness the Holy Son!" the tall man in the lead barked angrily.
But Gai Yin remained silent, her eyes stubbornly locked onto Xu Cheng, as if he were some scumbag who had abandoned his wife and daughter.
"No matter…"
Xu Cheng coughed lightly. This girl was just as stubborn as ever.
Ever since he had crushed and defeated her three years ago at Mingyu Sect, this Darkgold Three-Headed Bat King had latched onto him like a leech—with complete confidence and no shame.
Yu Yanlong quietly glanced at Cain and Kaidu, a heavy look flashing in his eyes.
Another Super Douluo—this prince's background was truly deep. And the girl's talent… seemed downright monstrous.
He looked down at his son, who had just stepped onto the stage and was fiercely battling a royal disciple from the Xu Clan. His eyes filled with emotion.
He had once thought that his son—who had inherited the pure-blooded Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—would easily rank in the top ten among the geniuses of this generation, if not the top five.
But first Xu Cheng had shaken the entire continent a year ago, and then geniuses like Ji Juechen and Xiao Hongchen had emerged one after another.
Even those the same age as his son could probably crush him with ease…
"So many heroes, like fish swimming across the river," he sighed softly.
"Hehe, the great Heaven Dragon Gate master feels the talent gap too?" Nan Shuishui chuckled softly.
One was from the Heaven Dragon Gate, the other from the Earth Dragon Gate.
Though they were often rivals, they actually had a decent private relationship—after all, they shared the same origins.
Heaven Dragon always suppressed Earth Dragon, not just in disciple strength—Yu Yanlong had already become a Super Douluo, while Nan Shuishui had only recently become a Titled Douluo.
"Indeed. With the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools, even traditional soul masters can fight at a higher tier. After this, the continent will surely become a world of soul tools. But of course, they must be custom-made…" Yu Yanlong chuckled.
Following his gaze, on the stage, Yu Tianlong moved like he was fused with armor. Thunder roared around him, and the light-blue soul tool armor on his body amplified it like a thunder amplifier.
"This armor was custom-made by a level-nine soul tool master whom I personally visited. It's designed to adapt to the soul master's strength, able to be worn even by Soul Sages with ease."
"Embracing soul tools is the future."
"Hmph, acting like you're so visionary. You went to find a master to build it, but didn't have one made for yourself?" Nan Shuishui raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed.
"Haha, naturally. You'll see in a moment."
But Yu Yanlong didn't look the least bit embarrassed—instead, he beamed with delight.
Nan Shuishui: ???
Behind my back, huh?
If I had known, I would've—
Damn it! Earth Dragon Gate falls behind again.
Her face twitched slightly as she glanced down at the stage, where Nan Qiuqiu looked completely stunned by Yu Tianlong's soul armor. Nan Shuishui bit her silver teeth in frustration. She really wanted to punch Yu Yanlong's smug face.
"No group matches?" Xu Cheng yawned as he watched the "plain and unvarnished" fights below.
"No need," Jing Hongchen shook his head.
"Individual matches are better. Group matches are troublesome. If they were allowed to team up on their own, most likely all the top geniuses from the former continent would team up and sweep through the current Sun Moon Empire contestants. After all, this year's Royal Academy cohort is relatively weak. But if we force them into mixed teams, it might cause backlash, so…"
Xu Cheng's mouth twitched. He gave Elder Jing a sidelong glance.
So cautious?
"Ahem, well, it's a different era. Back in your day, you just had to survive. But these kids… well, they're newcomers. We have to protect them a bit more." Jing Hongchen's old face flushed a little.
Indeed, the older one gets, the more fondness they seem to have for children.
That part was true.
"Xu Cheng?"
On the high platform, Wang Qiu'er appeared without anyone noticing. She glanced at the tall girl in the black robe who clung close to Xu Cheng, her brows furrowed.
Who is this unfamiliar girl? Where did she come from?
"Gai Yin, from Mingyu Sect."
The black-robed girl slowly stood up, staring directly at Wang Qiu'er, who refused to back down.
Battle intent surged between the two.
"Wang Qiu'er, Star Dou Forest."
Wang Qiu'er spoke plainly.
"These skirmishes below are just child's play. Why don't… we give it a try?" Wang Qiu'er smiled faintly, her dimples showing.
"Hehe, I was thinking the same." Gai Yin's voice was low and cold.
"Sister~" a black-robed boy behind her called.
"Ah De, shut up!"
Gai Yin turned her head, her voice cold.
"Okay, okay…" Ah De shrank back, hiding behind Xu Cheng. "Brother-in-law, how'd you even fall for my sister… she's terrifying…"
Then he immediately covered his mouth under Gai Yin's killing glare.
"Please!"
Wang Qiu'er gestured downward.
"Please~"
Gai Yin removed her black robe, revealing a pale purple gothic-style long dress underneath. Her skin was a bit pale, and her eyes were accentuated with a dark gothic makeup style. Her nails were long and slender, adding to her seductive air. Her body was tall and slim.
She curled her red lips into a smile, revealing two sharp little tiger fangs.
Like an elegant black swan.
"Level 61 Soul Emperor, Gai Yin—please give me your guidance…"
(End of Chapter)