The elders' discussion continued—but whatever changes were made to the plan remained unknown to outsiders.
Two hours later, right on schedule, Chen Junting stepped outside the inner gate of Residence No. 007. A spatial portal shimmered open as expected.
"All done?" Gu Tianchen poked his head out and asked.
"Finished," Chen Junting nodded, then turned to Zhang Lexuan and Xu Jiujiu, who had followed him out. With a warm smile, he offered, "Senior Sister, Princess Jiujiu—would you like a ride back?"
Zhang Lexuan accepted without hesitation, smiling gently.
Xu Jiujiu's eyes flickered slightly as she studied Gu Tianchen—as if he were some rare treasure—lost in thought.
Still, she readily agreed.
Back at the hotel, after bidding farewell to Zhang Lexuan and Xu Jiujiu, Chen Junting teased Gu Tianchen: "Quite popular, aren't you?"
"I don't like that princess," Gu Tianchen grumbled, clearly displeased. "Too calculating."
The entire way back, she'd been subtly trying to recruit him.
Chen Junting merely smiled but said nothing.
With such convenient spatial abilities, Gu Tianchen was undeniably a strategic asset for any nation. It was only natural for a princess to court him.
"Alright, I'm off to find Xiao Tian," Chen Junting said, heading toward Ning Tian's room.
But just as he turned, Gu Tianchen stopped him—she wasn't there.
Moments earlier, the tournament draw ceremony had begun. As team captain, Ning Tian had gone to draw their lot.
Apparently, luck was on her side. Among 167 teams, she'd drawn the rare bye—meaning their first match would be automatically forfeited in their favor.
The moment the draw concluded, Ning Tian rushed straight to Chen Junting's room to deliver the news.
Now, she nestled comfortably in his arms.
"Our first match is a bye," she murmured.
"Lucky girl," Chen Junting chuckled, affectionately pinching her nose. "Seems the Goddess of Fortune in the Divine Realm is smiling on my Xiao Tian today."
"Who's yours?"
Ning Tian no longer blushed at such remarks—she'd grown used to them. She lightly tapped his chest and whispered, "It's… not time yet…"
---
The next morning, the new tournament began.
Though the rule changes had caused an uproar, that was all they amounted to. No matter how fiercely Sun Moon's officials and participating factions negotiated, nothing was altered in the end.
Unlike previous years, this tournament would be held on the vast plains outside Mingdu. Thus commenced a grand spectacle capable of hosting tens of thousands—a true feast for the senses.
No one wanted to miss this once-in-a-millennium event!
At dawn, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect team donned their unified combat attire. Designed by top-tier fashion masters and tailored from ultra-premium materials, the outfits exuded understated luxury—undoubtedly among the finest in aesthetic quality.
More importantly, the fabric came exclusively from soul beasts over ten thousand years old. The resulting uniforms weren't just supremely comfortable—they were also resistant to fire, water, blades, and blunt force.
Even Ji Juechen, attending as team mentor, wore the sect's official uniform—though with subtle design differences to distinguish his role from the competitors'.
Under heavy military escort, all 167 teams—over two thousand participants—marched out of Mingdu in orderly procession.
Outside the city, the venue was already packed beyond capacity.
Without over thirty thousand soldiers maintaining strict crowd control—dividing spectators into segregated zones and isolating them from the arena—not only would teams struggle to enter, but catastrophic stampedes could erupt.
To the north of the arena stood a massive viewing platform, constructed entirely of interlocking metal panels. It could easily seat over a thousand people. And the arena itself radiated overwhelming grandeur.
The competition platform rose ten meters high, with a diameter of roughly 120 meters, gleaming with a silvery metallic luster. Clearly forged from reinforced alloys, it promised unshakable durability.
Encircling the platform was a deep groove.
From this trench, a translucent barrier—tinged faintly yellow—rose skyward, vanishing into the clouds. This completely eliminated any possibility of underhanded tactics.
Xu Sanshi: …Are they calling me out by name?!
This is outright targeted discrimination!
I demand a lawyer!
Beyond that, centered on the arena, enormous soul-engineered screens hovered every hundred meters, mounted on towering frames. Each screen spanned over twenty square meters—and there were more than a hundred of them in total.
Every detail screamed the might of the Sun Moon Empire.
"An empire like this… its strength is terrifying," Ning Tian murmured, gazing at the rising sun. Yet despite the warmth, a chill ran down her spine. The more she witnessed, the more dread she felt.
Sun Moon seemed capable of dimensional suppression.
Because even their weakest link had been filled.
No—not just filled.
Surpassed.
And though their allies each harbored hidden agendas, they all shared one goal: the utter destruction of the Three Great Empires.
"So if we can't delay this war—if we can't buy time until the Spirit Soul method matures and our generation fully comes of age…" Chen Junting sighed, "then the Three Great Empires may truly be finished."
He let the thought hang, then deliberately dropped the subject.
After all—it was nearly time for their entrance.
Thanks to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's renown, their team received prime treatment: seated under a shaded pavilion.
At first, all was well.
But soon, their mood soured—plummeting into outright disgust.
For one simple reason…
"Ugh, what bad luck! Why are we stuck next to the Holy Spirit Cult?!" Wu Feng muttered furiously, her expression ten times darker than when Wang Dong'er had bested her in an argument.
Having been scolded by Ning Tian before, Wu Feng instinctively kept her voice low.
But even whispers couldn't escape notice.
And so—trouble found her.
The moment "Holy Spirit Cult" left her lips, the group of evil soul masters beside them snapped to attention.
Yan Feng's gaze turned glacial—like a wind from the deepest abyss—slicing straight into Wu Feng. Instead of cowering, Wu Feng's temper flared.
Catching Ning Tian's nearly imperceptible nod—followed by a slight shake of her head—
Wu Feng: …I get it!
"What're you staring at?!" she shot back—restrained yet dripping with provocation.
Before Yan Feng could retaliate, Gu Tianchen silently stepped in front of Wu Feng. Chen Junting simply locked eyes with Yan Feng… and did nothing more.
Yet that alone made Yan Feng withdraw his killing glare.
A flash of bloodlust—and exhilaration—flickered across his face.
This tournament just got interesting.
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