Because of the cold poison problem with Meng Hongchen, Huo Yuhao was delayed for a night. According to the intelligence obtained from Nana about Shangguan Weier, the leader of the Ordinary Alliance, she had already moved to a new location with her trusted aides. After all, these kings of the underground world attached great importance to personal safety, and frequently changing bases was common practice.
Huo Yuhao could only temporarily give up the idea of breaking into the Ordinary Alliance and capturing Ye Guyi. For these two days, he sent Nana and that group of Holy Servants to continue inquiring about Ye Guyi's news first.
Meng Hongchen lived in the same room with Die Qiu. Since both had confirmed their relationship with Huo Yuhao, he naturally had no scruples and simply stayed in their room to take care of Meng Hongchen conveniently.
Although the cold poison was successfully removed, judging from Meng Hongchen's physical condition, she still needed a day or two of recuperation.
For these two days, Huo Yuhao's meticulous care for Meng Hongchen really stunned Xiao Hongchen. Except for necessary cultivation and intelligence gathering, Huo Yuhao could almost stay by Meng Hongchen's bedside all day long. Although this brother-in-law was relentless with his words, deep down he completely acknowledged Huo Yuhao, this invincible brother-in-law.
This day was the official opening of the competition. Huo Yuhao only let Zhongli Yu and Zhang Lexuan lead the team there, while he himself shrouded the entire Mingdu with God King realm spiritual power. Once the situation was wrong, he could teleport directly through the spatial marks on them.
As for whether they would encounter people from the Tang Sect in the first match, this question was an insult to Die Qiu who possessed auspicious fortune.
When the first ray of sunlight lit up in the east, two columns of soldiers shrouded in silver armor had already appeared on the streets of Mingdu, extending all the way out from the gate of Mingyue Hotel. At a glance, one couldn't see the end.
The passage formed by them was completely under martial law. Civilians were required to retreat thirty meters away and were absolutely not allowed to approach.
Compared with the competition hosted by the Star Luo Empire last time, as the number one city on the continent, Mingdu naturally could accommodate a much larger number of people. It was inevitable for the Sun Moon Empire to mobilize a large army to maintain order.
Just this passage formed by a human wall extending to the outside of the city used as many as twenty thousand soldiers. Therefore, on the street, an invisible肃killing aura was added.
The Tang Sect crowd had packed up early in the morning and entered the contestant rest area in an orderly manner.
With the help of Tang Wutong, Xu Sanshi and Beibei had both simply put on makeup. At first glance, there wasn't much change. But if observed carefully, one would find that there were some subtle changes in everyone's facial details.
Plus their respective growth in the past five years, even people who had seen them in the last competition would find it difficult to recognize that they were the nominal Shrek Seven Devils. Of course, this was on the premise that they didn't display their abilities in the competition respectively. Martial souls couldn't put on makeup.
The Tang Sect crowd all changed into uniform劲outfits. The clothes were naturally specially designed. The white劲outfits had patterns embroidered with silver silk threads. These patterns finally gathered on the back, forming two ancient characters "Tang Sect", just like in the original timeline.
On both sides of the street, even though civilians were restricted to thirty meters away, many people still gathered, watching those participating teams constantly walking out of Mingyue Hotel.
In this life, among the Tang Sect participating members, there was no Huo Gua sitting in a wheelchair. Plus their劲outfits were quite standard, and discerning people could tell at a glance that it was a configuration to promote the sect, so naturally, they didn't attract much attention.
Under the protection of the soldiers' neat formation, more than a hundred participating teams, totaling nearly two thousand people, each deployed their formation and left Mingdu. The competition venue was in the suburbs east of Mingdu. As long as one left the complex of buildings in Mingdu, one could see it from afar.
The open suburbs were already crowded with people. At least more than thirty thousand soldiers were maintaining order.
The crowd area was divided into sections, isolated from the competition venue.
On the north side of the competition venue, there was also a high platform, all constructed by splicing metals, looking capable of accommodating as many as a thousand people.
The competition venue looked even more imposing—the competition stage was ten meters high, with a diameter of over a hundred meters. The wide platform itself actually emitted a silver-white metallic luster, looking like it was built of metal. Even if just covered with a layer of rare metal plates, it could be considered a quite huge project, let alone the whole thing looked seamlessly spliced together.
What surprised major sects and academies was that around this competition venue, a circle of grooves seemed to be arranged. In those grooves, transparent light screens with a slightly pale yellow tint rose high into the sky. Looking up into the sky, one actually couldn't see the end. This reflected the advanced soul tool technology of the Sun Moon Empire. Just from this light screen close to the competition stage, one could see the difference from the last competition. At least no one could use the rule that knocking the opponent off the ring counted as winning. Any participating team must thoroughly defeat the opponent.
Extending outward with the competition stage as the center, every hundred meters, a huge circle of soul guide screens was held in the air by high racks. The size of each screen exceeded twenty square meters. Currently, only the Sun Moon Empire on the continent could achieve such soul tool technology. What was terrifying was that around the competition stage, the total number of such screens exceeded one hundred, making it easy for all civilians coming to watch the competition to see the live situation.
The contestant rest area was on the east side of the competition stage, mainly divided into two areas.
Close to the competition stage was a pergola area, seemingly capable of accommodating about twenty participating teams. The rest were just some open-air chairs, arranged in rows behind the sides of the pergola.
Judging from the reception of the Sun Moon Empire this time, all details highlighted class distinctions. Those pergola rest areas were undoubtedly reserved for famous academies and clans.
The obscure Tang Sect crowd was undoubtedly led to the bench area, and it was in a very remote corner. Regarding such treatment, even the Tang Sect crowd who didn't care much about these things themselves didn't look too good. Tang Wutong's face even showed indignation.
"Who do they think they are looking down on..." Tang Wutong said indignantly.
Xu Sanshi patted her shoulder comfortingly, chuckled, but said nothing.
A grim smile appeared on Beibei's pale face: "Don't mind it. We just need to use our strength to tell them they are wrong, right?"
At this time, it was already broad daylight. The morning sun rising from the east shone on everyone, as if plating a layer of gold on all contestants.
There were simply too many teams coming to participate. Just seating them one by one took nearly half an hour to complete. And the noisy waves of the civilians in the distance kept coming.
What no one knew was that Huo Yuhao's spiritual power had already covered the whole venue. From high in the sky, he could overlook the appearance of members of all participating teams.
Next, Huo Yuhao also saw some acquaintances. The Star Luo National Academy representative team led by Princess Jiujiu, and the Body Sect representative team with Mu Xue and Wei Na together.
Besides these few teams with acquaintances, there were more completely unfamiliar small fries. Especially those sects rushing from various countries on the continent were completely disregarded by Huo Yuhao. He could see through the cultivation of these people just through his Spiritual Insight.
It wasn't that he was arrogant, because on the Douluo Continent, it was impossible to have strange soul masters that even God King realm spiritual power couldn't spy on.
When your strength is completely in a different dimension from others, this mentality naturally arises.
Below the rostrum on the north, the Royal Soul Engineer Legion was coming at high speed. They were dressed in golden劲outfits all over, looking without any weapons and equipment. These people looked at least over thirty years old, each with introverted spirit and obvious soul power fluctuations on their bodies. The entire team of about five hundred people didn't make a single sound during the advance. The morning sun shone on them, glittering with gold, very dazzling.
After arriving below the rostrum, they immediately scattered and surrounded the rostrum.
About fifty of them stood still on the spot. Amidst clanging sounds, they turned into soul guide cannon turrets, with gloomy and intimidating muzzles pointing outward uniformly. Other golden-clothed guards also released different soul tools respectively, forming somewhat strange formations. Among them, about ten heavy cannons attracted the most attention. Many high-level soul engineers from other empires could barely distinguish that these heavy cannons were at least at the level of Grade 7 soul tools or above.
The Royal Soul Engineer Legion only had one thousand people, all composed of soul engineers above Level 5, equipped with the most excellent soul tools. The legion commander was a Level 9 Soul Engineer. These people only accepted orders from the Emperor of the Empire and were the ace among aces. Their importance to the Sun Moon Empire royal family was second only to the Royal Consecration Hall.
Huo Yuhao didn't have much interest in this group of cats and dogs. Of course, this force placed in the secular world could indeed be considered an invincible army.
At this time, a team of people and horses was coming from afar, escorted by the Royal Soul Engineer Legion, arriving below the rostrum.
The carriages and horses were completely golden. At the very front was a dragon carriage pulled by thirty-two horned scale horses, looking like a small palace. Behind followed guards and a large number of gorgeously dressed Sun Moon Empire officials wearing official robes.
"The new emperor of the Sun Moon Empire?" Huo Yuhao became slightly interested. He also wanted to know what ability Xu Tianhe, who was supported by the Sun Moon royal family after the timeline change, actually had.
Huo Yuhao remembered that in the genealogy of the Sun Moon royal clan, Prince Tianhe was an heir ranked in the top few. It was acceptable for him to inherit the throne. It was just, what means did he actually have to make the huge Star Luo Empire submit in a short time?
The dragon carriage stopped in front of the rostrum. Two maids standing on it lifted the curtain embroidered with silver lotus patterns. Immediately after, a handsome young man walked out.
It was the first time Huo Yuhao saw this new emperor of the Sun Moon Empire with his own eyes, but he always had a feeling as if he had seen him somewhere.
It was just a pity that his main body was not here, otherwise he would definitely use the spiritual link to dig into this guy's background thoroughly.
Just as Huo Yuhao was thinking wildly, Xu Tianhe had already walked into a soul tool elevator. Ye Yulin and four other old men followed onto the elevator together. With the rise of the elevator, the civilians in the distance could all see their young Emperor Majesty.
Cheers immediately rose one after another. This young Emperor Majesty seemed to be very popular.
The arrival of Xu Tianhe also meant that this session of the Continental Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition was about to begin.
"Silence." A deep voice sounded abruptly. A powerful pressure instantly spread throughout the venue. At the moment this voice appeared, everyone felt their qi and blood surge all over their bodies, as if stepping onto a battlefield, and even their breathing became rapid.
All discussion sounds disappeared instantly in this deep voice. The entire competition venue and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the spectator area actually became completely quiet in an instant. A pin drop could be heard.
Huo Yuhao turned his spiritual vision to look. At this time, he could completely see that person's appearance clearly. That person was currently facing the Sun Moon soldiers and civilians squarely. A head of golden hair fluttered in the air. He was shirtless, revealing strong bronze muscles. His tall figure was probably close to two meters. From the side front, one could see his face as if carved by a knife and axe was so resolute.
His seemingly somewhat slow movements had a smooth flow like moving clouds and flowing water. Every step taken would definitely be accompanied by a dull sound of air explosion. That vigorous qi and blood fluctuation powerful to the peak made all soldiers and civilians feel their own qi and blood surging slightly under focused gaze.
How is it him? Under the shock, Huo Yuhao had mixed feelings in his heart.
This originated from the memory of the original owner Huo Yuhao. He never expected that the second meeting would be under such circumstances. That man whom Huo Yun'er never forgot and had no regrets until death?
Dai Hao looked still just over thirty years old. His features were regular, eye sockets deep, and double pupils shone in each of his azure blue eyes. His face looked slightly thin, but his whole person had a metallic texture.
Especially his eyes, when just sweeping over, flashed like a giant blade, making the contestants stop involuntarily.
Handsome, resolute, tall and straight, and even possessing an iron-blooded temperament. Seeing him, even the favored sons of heaven from major sects and academies had a feeling of wanting to submit.
Huo Yuhao remembered that in the original timeline, this kind of steely man was exactly the type Ma Xiaotao liked most.
Undoubtedly, this tall man in front of him was exactly the Iron-Blooded God of War, White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, who was below one person and above ten thousand people in the current Star Luo Empire. He was also the father of the brothers Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, and at the same time, the original owner Huo Yuhao's...
It was him, it was him who ruined Huo Yun'er's life, yet she never forgot. He was also the father Huo Yuhao had never seen.
His mother's voice and smile instantly filled every corner of Huo Yuhao's memory, and tears almost burst out of his eyes.
"Yuhao, what's wrong with you?" Meng Hongchen suddenly saw his appearance, felt sour in her heart for no reason, held his hand, and asked softly.
It seemed that the original Huo Yuhao's memory still had a certain emotional impact on him. Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly became grim. It seemed that the relationship between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire was far more than just on the surface. They actually invited Dai Hao over to hold the fort.
It wasn't that the Star Luo Empire didn't have other Titled Douluos or even Super Douluos with higher cultivation. First of all, Dai Hao was an iron-blooded commander famous on the continent. The pressure he brought to the whole audience was not just on soul power cultivation.
Xu Tianhe cleared his throat at this time. His voice spread outward through the amplification soul tool, entering everyone's ears. If Dai Hao's voice was a display of soul power cultivation, then Xu Tianhe's voice was a display of the high technology of Sun Moon Empire soul tools.
"Subjects of the Sun Moon Empire and guests from afar, I am here to welcome your arrival. At the same time, I announce: The Continental Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition officially begins now!"
A very simple opening remark, without superfluous nonsense and high-sounding official rhetoric. This was the consistent style of the Sun Moon Empire, speaking with strength in everything. In the view of the Sun Moon Empire government, talking nonsense was just a waste of time.
"Long live the Emperor, long live, long long live." The civilians of the Sun Moon Empire knelt down collectively, saluting this young Emperor Majesty with outstanding political achievements.
"My dear subjects, take your seats." Xu Tianhe smiled lightly. Only then did the ministers of the Sun Moon Empire dare to sit down in order. Each seat had a corresponding identity plate in front of it. One couldn't sit in the wrong seat, as it corresponded to the status of the ministers.
"Next, reading the competition rules." A loud voice sounded. Then it was the reading of the rules of this competition, same as the instructions obtained by each battle team.
After the rules were read, an old man walked to the amplifier in front of the rostrum and said loudly: "Preliminary stage elimination match first round—Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy versus Dragon Slayer Sect. Both sides select seven members to enter the waiting area."
According to the rules of previous competitions, the first match should involve the champion team of the last session. In this competition, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had a bye in the first round. Shrek Academy, the runner-up of the last session, should have taken the challenge, but Shrek Academy had been destroyed by Huo Yuhao.
The Sun Moon officials let the Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy appear first, showing that they wanted to show off to the major empire sect academies on the continent. Of course, this was no longer important in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
As long as the Tang Sect could reach the finals... then everything would be considered perfect.
If Xie Huanyue were here, he would see an old acquaintance—Princess Tianzhen.
Xu Tianzhen walked at the very front, followed by several young soul engineers, entering directly into the waiting area.
Actually, after this competition allowed sects to participate, in the eyes of the vast majority of sects, they looked down on academies a bit. Academies teaching students had time limits after all. Except for very few special existences, the way academies cultivated students was still quite different from sects.
And joining a sect meant being in the sect for a lifetime in the vast majority of times. Many sects with long historical inheritance had their unique features.
In the initial Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition, sects were included. Later, because the Shrek Academy representative team almost suffered casualties in a match, it was cancelled under the pressure of that generation's Sea God Pavilion Master.
The Sun Moon Empire wouldn't spoil them. Whether in this life or the original timeline, they insisted on letting sects participate against all dissenting views.
For the so-called honor, Shrek Academy would send people to participate no matter what.
This cannon fodder, uh, Dragon Slayer Sect was a sect with a inheritance of more than a thousand years, coming from the Dou Ling Empire. It was also a traditional soul master sect and had always had a deep-rooted rejection of soul tools. Facing the Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy representative team, they were more disdainful, not feeling at all that this was a match they would lose.
"Referees enter. The first contestants of both sides for the individual elimination match enter." The voice of the old man responsible for hosting on the rostrum came out.
The referee was an old man in his fifties. His cultivation couldn't be seen before releasing his martial soul. The first one to appear on behalf of the Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy was surprisingly Xu Tianzhen. She actually appeared first in the first match. It could be seen that the Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy was determined to win this first match. This was not just a matter of victory or defeat, but also related to the face of the Sun Moon Empire.
Huo Yuhao didn't have much interest in the subsequent battles. In his eyes, the battles of these people were like playing house, with no fun at all.
Of course, the Tang Sect crowd naturally wouldn't think so. To ensure the final championship and revitalize the glory of the Tang Sect, they must carefully analyze the actual situation of each participating team so as not to have accidents.
After all, among peers, not everyone was an existence like Demon King Huo Yuhao who could instant-kill everything just by spiritual power.
Demon King Huo Yuhao didn't participate. This was a great happy event for any participating team.
But they had to admit that Huo Yuhao disdained participating in such low-level peer competitions anymore.
As early as a year ago, he was invincible on the continent. Even the Sun Moon Hands of Protecting the Country fell into his hands one after another, almost ushering in the end of destruction.
Of course, there were inevitable accidents, that was Huo Yuhao's partner members.
The Sun Moon Empire also specially conducted a study on Huo Yuhao's team members, such as which member had roughly reached what level of strength, cultivation, and soul ring configuration now.
Take the most famous Xie Huanyue for example. As long as he didn't face Xu Sanshi and Tang Wutong's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he alone could sweep the whole audience.
This was also why Huo Yuhao didn't plan to let those initial partners participate in the competition. If they really came, they would probably be ambushed by the Sun Moon Empire military before getting the qualification to participate.
Meng Hongchen linked to Huo Yuhao's shared vision and could naturally see the grand occasion of the competition. At this moment, she finally personally experienced Huo Yuhao's mood.
That is, after a soul master becomes truly powerful to a certain extent, they disdain competing with peers. Now with a cultivation as high as a level 78 Soul Sage, she could knock down team after team just by using poison.
"Little Meng'er, still watching?" Sensing her change in mentality, Huo Yuhao couldn't help smiling and hugged her into his arms.
"Tch, indeed not interesting." Meng Hongchen mumbled in a low voice, then hugged Huo Yuhao's neck coquettishly.
"Why don't we do something interesting?" Huo Yuhao smiled wickedly.
"Bad guy..." Meng Hongchen immediately rubbed against his chest shyly.
Huo Yuhao chuckled, gently brushed away the green silk on her forehead, and then slowly kissed down...