Gu La gave a shy smile, like an awkward youth. "I've heard of the Crown Prince's virtuous reputation, and my hearing is rather sharp."
Xue Qinghe nodded in understanding. It was unavoidable—playing the role of the "gentle and virtuous" crown prince meant he couldn't drive away pedestrians with fanfare during public outings.
The small stall served up fragrant dishes. Midway through, the attendants took over, placing the food before Xue Qinghe.
Gu La pretended to be tongue-tied, focusing on his meal.
Xiao Wu, indifferent to outsiders, glanced curiously at them before happily digging into her carrot fried rice.
Xue Qinghe's slender fingers rested on the edge of a celadon teacup. The amber tea inside rippled faintly.
His gaze lingered briefly on Gu La's wrist, where faint traces of golden-red soul power flowed.
"Meeting by chance is fate. There's no need to address me as 'Your Highness.' If you're willing, you can call me 'Brother Qinghe."
Xue Qinghe couldn't bear the awkward silence. Seeing Gu La pretend to play dumb, he had no choice but to follow suit—it wouldn't do to outright say, "I've already investigated you thoroughly."
Gu La inwardly chuckled while his mind raced, pondering how to approach Xue Qinghe.
Hostility was out of the question—he still needed to operate within the Tian Dou Empire.
But friendship wasn't ideal either. Whether intentional or not, it would inevitably drag him into palace politics or the tug-of-war between noble factions, wasting time and emotional energy.
After a brief pause, Gu La smiled and replied, "Your Highness jests. I'm but a commoner—I wouldn't dare associate too closely with Imperialty."
With that, under Xue Qinghe's astonished gaze, Gu La displayed his now-empty bowl, which he had somehow cleaned without notice, and pulled Xiao Wu onto the street.
As Xue Qinghe watched Gu La leave, he reflected inwardly. He realized he had been too hasty—an uncharacteristic move for someone who prided herself on being cautious.
Sighing internally, he maintained a calm exterior, though deep down, he was acutely aware of Gu La—a second ultimate martial soul besides his own.
It was as if his loneliness had found a companion—or perhaps a useful tool?
Lost in thought, Xue Qinghe calmly finished his meal, inspected the guard post at the end of the street with his attendants, and returned to the palace that night.
In the days that followed, Gu La immersed himself in training at what was once Lanba Academy and was now Shrek Academy. Occasionally, he ventured out to enjoy the unique cuisine of this world.
Apart from the occasional surveillance that mildly soured his mood, Gu La fully adapted to life in the new city.
A week after arriving in Tian Dou City, the opening ceremony of the Young Soul Masters Tournament was held at the Great Spirit Arena. Amidst the sea of people at the entrance, Gu La's surroundings were automatically cleared by psychic energy, giving him enough space to comfortably squeeze into the stands.
Flender muttered under his breath, visibly pained: "The tickets for the opening ceremony are three times more expensive than usual. What a bunch of profiteers!"
Yu Xiaogang, recently freed from Liu Erlong's constant attention, finally catching a breather, casually retorted, "You don't have to come if you don't want to. It's mainly for the kids to experience the spirit battles. I can narrate everything for them myself."
The two bickered all the way, Flender delighted to see his friend emerging from his slump, intentionally provoking his emotions here and there.
Gu La listened for a moment, failing to catch any juicy gossip, and refocused his attention on the tournament stage.
The opening exhibition match began with Emperor Xue Ye's speech. Platinum Bishop Salas drew specially made lots to determine the lineup for the first exhibition match.
Tian Dou Imperial Academy's Second Team versus Shadow Academy.
Much like the future iteration of Tian Dou's Second Team, this year's squad consisted of spoiled noble youths whose soul power levels were artificially inflated with drugs. Their soul power was unstable, their combat experience lacking, and reaching Soul Emperor rank would likely be their limit. They participated merely to add some prestige to their names.
As expected, this team of pampered nobles performed poorly. Despite their dazzling soul rings bolstered by drugs, their actual combat skills were riddled with gaps and flaws in executing soul techniques.
In contrast, the gloomy-faced students of Shadow Academy showed great restraint. They deliberately slowed the pace amidst the clash of blades and spells, ultimately securing a narrow victory that allowed the imperial family to save face.
On the seventh day of the preliminary rounds, after days of lackluster matches, the tournament finally saw a turning point.
The audience's yawns turned into deafening cheers the moment the electronic screen lit up with the matchup—Elephant Armor Sect versus Thunderclap Academy. This was a fated clash between strength and speed.
The Elephant Armor Sect was renowned for its impenetrable defenses and formidable strength, but speed had always been their fatal weakness.
The seven members of the Thunderclap Team darted across the arena like streaks of lightning, their snake-like lightning soul skills dancing across the diamond mammoth's hardened surface. Despite seemingly dominating with their attrition tactics, Huyan Shan's lips curled into a cold smirk.
The captain of the Elephant Armor Sect suddenly tore open his sweat-soaked black battle robe, revealing a metallic, glowing collar around his neck.
When his fingertips pressed the core of the device embedded with the Mammoth King soul bone, the roar of an ancient elephant shook the entire arena.
"Answer the ancient call, Mega Evolution—Diamond Mammoth King!"
Custom-made Mega Evolution devices allowed for personalized voice modules.
Setting a voice module wasn't mandatory, but Gu La's mischievous side ensured they were integrated into the soul circuits. Without setting a voice, users would lose 20% of their power boost.
Alternatively, the voice module could emit an irritating buzzing sound of soul power flow, making it difficult for soul masters to focus and resonate with their bloodline.
Let the chaos begin!
Gu La's spirits soared—it felt like watching an anime.
Huyan Shan's Mega Evolution device utilized treasures from the Elephant Armor Sect—the soul bone of a fallen Mammoth King, crafted after its demise.
Using such a soul bone to create a Mega Evolution device might seem wasteful.
In reality, the Diamond Mammoth King soul bone was only a thousand years old, a product of bloodline mutation and post-mortem transformation, resulting in this somewhat underwhelming soul bone.
The Elephant Armor Sect, one of the lower four sects, wouldn't squander a thousand-year-old soul bone lightly—especially since this one was a fragment of a left leg bone.
However, with the advent of Mega Evolution technology, the value of the Diamond Mammoth King soul bone skyrocketed a hundredfold. Its pure bloodline became a treasure trove, aiding the sect's soul masters in unlocking their potential.
For instance, Huyan Zhen, the current head of the Elephant Armor Sect, had reached peak level 89. Just a step away, he could break through the final barrier to become a Title Douluo, earning the title "Sky Shaker."
With a resounding, earth-shattering roar, Huyan Shan's fusion with his martial soul caused his already towering three-meter frame to swell further, transforming him into a colossal four-and-a-half-meter giant.
Even from a distance, the spectators' hearts seemed crushed by the weight of an ancient mammoth—not to mention the Thunderclap Team facing him directly.
The Thunderclap Team's captain, Lei Yu, hailed from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect after its seclusion. Naturally, he didn't possess a Mega Evolution device. His expression grew solemn, his face etched with seriousness.
"Everyone, scatter and buy time. After Mega Evolution, his soul power won't last long."
Lei Yu's martial soul was the Lightning Phoenix, a flying-type soul possessing both attack and speed. With those words, he immediately soared into the sky.
The rest of the Thunderclap Team dispersed.
But Huyan Shan wasn't foolish—he wouldn't let them scatter so easily.
"Third Soul Skill—Ancient Elephant Roar!"
The massive elephant-man swung his diamond trunk, emitting a soundwave that dizzied everyone momentarily, piercing their eardrums and slowing their movements.
Lei Yu's electric wings vibrated furiously as he ascended, but the soundwave skill jolted his body, causing him to stumble mid-air.
Amidst the thunderous shaking of the ground, the diamond mammoth shattered the floor with its leap. Its crystallized trunk, extending over three meters, lashed out like a whip of judgment, brutally flinging the Lightning Phoenix toward the edge of the arena.
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