Chapter 119 The Road to Hegemony.
The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament concluded, and Star Luo City gradually returned to peace. The runner-up, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, left Star Luo City on the second day of the competition, returning to the Sun Moon Empire.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Mingde Hall.
The spacious hall was decorated in a metallic style, predominantly in light gold tones. A plaque hung high above the entrance, bearing three large, dark gold characters in bold, iron-like strokes.
Old Ma knelt on the ground, recounting the details and final outcome of the Soul Master Tournament. The more he spoke, the lower his head drooped, almost touching the ground.
In the center of the hall, a man sat upright in a chair. He appeared to be only in his forties, not tall, but very broad. In the simplest terms, he was short and stout.
His short and stout physique was undoubtedly unsuitable for long hair, yet he had long, reddish-brown hair cascading down his back, making his short, thick neck even more difficult to see.
"Master, the above is the entire account of this competition. I led the team poorly, and despite the students' best efforts, we still couldn't defeat Shrek Academy and win the Soul Master Competition championship. Please punish me."
"Get up. You didn't do anything wrong. Losing is losing. It's not your fault." Jing Hongchen said calmly.
Old Ma stood up as if he had been granted a pardon. The magistrate's leniency shocked Old Ma. In his memory, this magistrate's temper was not like this!
"Twin martial souls, naturally restraining our ranged attack soul tools' ultimate wind? I never thought that such a hero would appear in the original Douluo Three Kingdoms. Truly, his luck is long-lasting. But so what? No matter how powerful he is, he is still just one person. He can't affect the overall situation." Jing Hongchen said with a gloomy look in his eyes.
Looking at Jing Hongchen with such eyes, Old Ma, an eighth-level soul master, began to sweat on his forehead and said tremblingly, "What the magistrate says is true! I don't know, have you come to your senses?"
Jing Hongchen stood up and patted Elder Ma on the shoulder, saying, "He's awake now. After treatment, he's mostly recovered, but his mental strength is damaged. It will probably take at least a month to fully heal." "Damn Shrek Academy! They used such a heavy hand!" Elder Ma cursed through gritted teeth. Jing Hongchen shook his head slightly, saying, "This defeat might be a good thing. This competition made Xiao and Meng feel the pressure, sweeping away their arrogance and prompting them to volunteer for the exchange program with Shrek Academy. I'm very pleased."
"Congratulations, Hall Master! Shame has spurred them on; Xiao and Meng's future is limitless!" Elder Ma immediately flattered.
"Yes! You can go now and get some rest. This exchange program concerns those two little ones, Xiao and Meng. I'll personally go to Shrek Academy in a few days to discuss the details; otherwise, I won't be at ease."
"Thank you, Hall Master!" Elder Ma left Mingde Hall, tears streaming down his face.
Watching Elder Ma leave, Jing Hongchen sat in the main seat, his gaze fixed ahead.
Soon after, a crisp footstep rang out from afar, sounding particularly clear and abrupt in the empty hall.
Meng Hongchen, with long, wine-red hair and wearing the white-gold uniform of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, walked towards them. "Grandpa, you wanted to see me?"
Meng Hongchen slowly stood up. "Meng, tell me about Wu Xuan from Shrek Academy. Those two matches between you and Xiao, from beginning to end, don't miss a single detail."
Although Elder Ma had recounted the whole story earlier, Meng Hongchen didn't completely believe him. Elder Ma, to avoid responsibility, might have embellished the events, distorting the truth.
Although somewhat surprised, Meng Hongchen still recounted the entire incident to Meng Hongchen.
At the end, Meng Hongchen's eyes blazed with anger: "Grandpa! My brother and I's defeat is only temporary. We will avenge this humiliation sooner or later. Wu Xuan's arrogance and conceit surpass even my brother's; he will pay the price for his conceit sooner or later."
Jing Hongchen looked at his granddaughter with a half-smile, surprised, and said, "You know so much about Wu Xuan after just one loss? And didn't you always say that no one your age on the entire continent is worthy of comparing to your brother? Meng! This isn't like you."
Meng Hongchen stomped her foot angrily, "Who knows him? Grandpa, you're really getting senile. Humph! I'm ignoring you."
With that, Meng Hongchen sprinted out of Mingde Hall at top speed.
Watching his granddaughter leave, a strange smile appeared on Jing Hongchen's lips. If Meng could bring Wu Xuan to the Sun Moon Empire, it would be a great joy for the entire country and family.
After a casual thought, Jing Hongchen turned and walked towards the back hall. He stopped in front of a wall with metal carvings after passing through the hall. A flash of light appeared on his chest, and a strange golden rune seemed to fly out from his chest and imprinted itself on the wall in front of him.
The wall split open to form a large door, behind which lay a quiet room. The ceiling and floor were covered in metal carvings.
Instantly, the entire wall seemed to come alive. With a slight mechanical sound, cracks appeared on both sides, and faintly, several terrifying energy fluctuations seemed to flash by as the wall split. Jing Hongchen, however, remained unmoved.
He strode in, stepping into the crack, and the wall closed naturally.
Ten minutes later, Jing Hongchen arrived at a quiet room without any windows.
This quiet room was also entirely made of metal.
The ceiling, floor, and walls were all covered in metal carvings.
If a Soul Master were here, they would recognize that these metal carvings were actually similar to core magic arrays, not only extremely complex but also possessing a magnificent quality.
In the center of the quiet room stood a square metal pillar. The pillar was about 1.5 meters high, and on it rested an object: a wooden tray inlaid with at least a hundred gemstones of various colors. On this small wooden tray, a wisp of air gently rippled.
This mass of air was white, a soft white like the air itself, yet it possessed a subtle, elusive shape, making it difficult to perceive its magic through sight alone.
This mass of air was condensed and did not disperse, subtly shifting left and right, as if trying to break free. The wooden support beneath it continuously emitted a pale golden light that enveloped it during its struggle, preventing it from breaking through.
Indeed, this wooden support was the final, most coveted item at the Starlight Auction House's top-tier auction: the Conferred God Platform. And sealed within it was a 100,000-year-old soul beast embryo.
"I won't have the chance to use such a treasure, but I can laugh. My Sun Moon Empire has finally produced a Title Douluo with a 100,000-year-old soul ring."
Standing quietly before the Conferred God Platform, Jing Hongchen's eyes narrowed slightly; he actually spoke directly to the 100,000-year-old soul beast embryo sealed within the platform.
"So what if it's the ultimate wind? So what if it's a natural counter to my Soul Master? If we're not on the same side, then don't blame us for using underhanded tactics. After all, the threat of death is no longer a threat. Moreover, the unification of the four kingdoms is an inevitable trend. Such a benevolent and hegemonic undertaking, if there truly is such a thing as destiny, should surely be blessed by the sun and moon."
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