Douluo: I have too many clones

Chapter 747 Publicity for the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage

"The Temple of War Gods!"

When those three words came out of Fors's mouth, the air around Qian Gu Dong Feng suddenly froze.

He instinctively gripped the armrest of the seat, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his scrutinizing gaze, like that of a hawk, fell on Fors's face: "You can contact the people of the Temple of War?"

Fors tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his tone calm yet undeniably firm: "The divine craftsman Lufa and I have some old friendship. He is currently in the Temple of War. If I personally go to invite him, he should not refuse."

Upon hearing this, a barely audible gasp filled the council chamber.

Logically speaking, for one of the four Spirit Transmission Envoys of the Spirit Transmission Tower to maintain close ties with people from other organizations is undoubtedly a bad omen.

However, if it's the Blacksmiths' Guild or the Master Craftsmen, then that's a different story.

The secret to forging four-word battle armor is held by the divine craftsman. Even if a Limit Douluo can nurture a three-word battle armor into a four-word battle armor, it will take at least several decades, and its power will be inferior to that of a true four-word battle armor.

The Temple of War is an organization belonging to the Federation, and maintaining good relations with them is undoubtedly more beneficial than harmful. Therefore, Qian Gu Dongfeng didn't say much and instead strongly supported Fors's approach.

After all, even he himself had an ambiguous relationship with the Western Legion, such as donating souls to the military and providing free access to the Spirit Ascension Platform of the Spirit Transmission Tower. All of this was to curry favor with the Federation so that they could provide convenience at critical moments.

Qian Gu Dongfeng couldn't help but ask, "You just said you could summon two quasi-gods and two demigods? Could it be that you could summon Chen Xinjie, Yu Guanzhi, Guan Yue, and Aquia from the East Sea Fleet?"

Chen Xinjie and Yu Guanzhi are both quasi-god level experts, while Guan Yue is considered by most people to be a demigod level expert because he has never competed or fought for anything.

As for Aquaria, the breakthrough she made on the East Coast back then was quite a commotion, and with Qian Gu Dong Feng having informants within the military, it wouldn't be difficult for her to find out about this.

Besides, there shouldn't be any other Limit Douluo in the War God Temple. The First War God and the Second War God have been stuck at level 98 for a long time.

But getting them to take action won't be so easy.

Chen Xinjie and Yu Guanzhi are well-known old-fashioned people. Even if Qian Gu Dongfeng personally intervened, he would still have to speak to them politely. Getting them to agree to something would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Given Guan Yue's calm personality, she shouldn't be involved in such a thing.

Fors shook her head and said, "I can't invite Chen Xinjie and Guan Yue, but my husband has some connections with Senior Yu Guanzhi, so it shouldn't be difficult to get him to come."

Fors' husband? That federal congressman named Nan Fusheng? He actually has connections with Yu Guanzhi.

Qian Gu Dongfeng was somewhat surprised, and instantly realized that things were not so simple.

He knew Nan Fusheng, but because the other party was practically invisible in the Federal Parliament and came from a commoner background, he wouldn't go out of his way to befriend such a "small person." Instead, his subordinates would handle the arrangements.

However, now that Fors brought it up, he was shocked to realize that, according to the latest intelligence records, that man had become the vice chairman of the Federal Council.

It's almost unbelievable that an ordinary person could reach this level. But if Yu Guanzhi is standing behind them, then it's not surprising at all.

Qian Gu Dong Feng continued, "Then who is the other quasi-god, and who are the two demigods?"

Unexpectedly, Fors smiled mysteriously and said, "The other quasi-god is also from the Temple of War. As for who it is, I cannot say. The other two demigods are Ao Rui from the Temple of War and Captain Aquia of the East Sea Legion."

Has the Temple of War acquired a new quasi-god? And has the First God of War, Ao Rui, already become a demigod?

Although Fors only said a few words, Qian Gu Dongfeng gleaned a great deal of information from them.

For example, besides the main hall master and two deputy hall masters, the War God Hall actually had hidden quasi-gods; for example, the First War God had actually become a Limit Douluo, etc. These were all pieces of information that he was unaware of.

But Fors was able to know that in just that instant, Qian Gu Dong Feng realized that he might have underestimated this Spirit Transmission Envoy.

Putting aside everything else, the penetration and influence of the other side's intelligence network are something he can't compare to.

As for whether it's a lie?

Qian Gu Dongfeng thought it was impossible. After all, if he agreed to this, Fors would definitely bring those people over, and then it would be easy to tell whether they were real or fake.

The ancient east wind asked, "And what is the price?"

It's one thing to be able to get the people from the Temple of War to help, but they won't do it for free; they'll have to pay something in return.

Human relationships and social connections are fleeting; only shared interests can truly bind two parties together.

Fors extended two slender fingers. "I've already asked about the price. The Temple of War can help, but they have two conditions."

"First, they can forgo Di Tian's soul rings and soul bones. However, the Spirit Pagoda must provide them with the soul rings and soul bones of two ferocious beasts, with the specific types to be chosen by them. As for the allocation of the other ferocious beasts, that will be determined based on the contributions of both parties at that time."

"Secondly, after all the ferocious beasts are wiped out, the resources obtained by the Spirit Pagoda from developing the Star Dou Great Forest should be distributed to them by a factor of 30."

Qian Gu Dongfeng was greatly surprised: "Is that all?"

He didn't think the Temple of War was asking for too much; on the contrary, he thought they were asking for too little!

Putting everything else aside, the value of just one Beast God Di Tian is enough to be equal to the total value of all the other ferocious beasts combined.

As for the 30% of resources to be developed in the Star Dou Great Forest, that's nothing. Even if it were 50%, Qian Gu Dong Feng would agree.

Resources are secondary; the most important thing is to firmly bind the Spirit Pagoda and the Temple of War together through shared interests.

Fors nodded: "That's all."

Qian Gu Dongfeng was tempted. He quickly weighed the pros and cons: if what Fors said was true, the Spirit Pagoda could gather two quasi-gods (Qian Gu Die Ting and Qian Gu Qing Feng) + Yu Guanzhi + a mysterious quasi-god, for a total of four quasi-god combat forces.

With the assistance of two demigods, Ao Rui and Aquia, and several super Douluo, the initial force configuration for besieging the Star Dou Great Forest was formed.

What a wonderful thing it would be to be able to capture the soul of the Beast God Di Tian!
In fact, the Spirit Pagoda had long ago developed a way to allow spirits to exist for a long time, which they called the "Spirit of the Pagoda".

If Di Tian could be incorporated into this system, the deterrent power of the Spirit Pagoda would increase by several orders of magnitude.

Not to mention the ferocious beasts like Biji and Xiongjun under Emperor Tian. Once they lose Emperor Tian's control and deterrence, even if they are ferocious beasts, they are only slightly stronger prey in front of quasi-god level powerhouses.

"We'll discuss this later." Qian Gu Dongfeng took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions.

His gaze toward Fors was no longer scrutinizing, but rather more serious: "For now, let's focus on the martial arts tournament for marriage. We can discuss this matter again after the tournament is over."

Qian Gu Dongfeng still wanted to play it safe. Although he couldn't wait to bring the Beast God Di Tian into his fold, he was a shrewd and ambitious man who knew that haste makes waste.

Anyway, the Beast God Di Tian is in the Star Dou Great Forest, so how could he possibly run away?

"That's all for today's discussion. Dismissed." Qian Gu Dongfeng waved his hand, dismissing the meeting, and then began instructing his staff to carry out propaganda work.

A smile flashed in Fors' eyes. She didn't care that her proposal had been suppressed. The seed had already been planted, and she didn't believe that Qian Gu Dong Feng wouldn't be tempted.

In contrast, Gu Yuena was not in a good mood.

"That despicable woman (◣д◢)"

Gu Yue was furious; she really didn't get along with Fors. If she could, she would immediately unleash the power of the Silver Dragon King to drag that woman into a small space and beat her up. Yes, just beat her up, not kill her.

It's not that Gu Yue didn't want to do that, but...

"If you dare to lay a hand on Sister Fors, then I'll never forgive you." Na'er's voice echoed once again from within the sea of ​​consciousness.

Gu Yue was extremely troubled by this. Whenever she had any ill intentions towards Fors, Na'er, the "traitorous dragon," would come out and cause trouble.

Otherwise, with her abilities, she wouldn't need to be so timid and hesitant.

With Na'er, the biggest traitor, around, if she wanted to harm Fors, let alone god-level power, even with her current level 96 soul power, she would be lucky to unleash half of her combat strength.

……

"Beep-beep-"

A sharp alarm sounded simultaneously on all soul-guided communicators across the continent, and the official Spirit Pagoda channel switched to the public signal with the highest priority:

"The following is a breaking news report. At 10:00 AM today, the Spirit Pagoda headquarters announced to the entire continent via 3D projection that it will be holding an unprecedented 'Spirit Pagoda Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage'."

The announcer's voice trembled slightly with excitement, while in the background was a holographic image of the Spirit Tower headquarters shining in the morning light.

The announcement states that any young Soul Master under the age of 35 with a Soul Ring cultivation level of no less than six rings, regardless of whether they are Battle Armor Masters, Mech Masters, or traditional Soul Masters, can register at any branch of the Spirit Pagoda.

The registration details and competition schedule will be announced successively through the Soul Master Times and the Spirit Tower official website. This news was like ice water thrown into lava, instantly stirring up heated discussions across the mainland.

As the announcement gained traction, the Spirit Pagoda simultaneously released Gu Yuena's brief resume: a newly appointed Spirit Pagoda user under the age of 24, a graduate of Shrek Academy's Inner Court, and hailed as "the Spirit Pagoda's number one genius in a thousand years."

Official records deliberately obscure her growth trajectory, only mentioning that after graduation she chose to pursue further studies at the Spirit Pagoda.

"We tried to retrieve publicly available footage of Ms. Gu Yuena," the news anchor said helplessly, pointing to a blank holographic projection as the broadcast switched to the studio.

"The Spirit Pagoda stated that she has been keeping a low profile, and all video footage will be gradually released as the competition progresses. The only confirmed information is that her soul power level has reached at least Soul Douluo."

……

People were talking about this unprecedented event in the streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? The Spirit Pagoda is actually holding a matchmaking event! This is truly unprecedented!" A Soul Master exclaimed to his companion, his face full of surprise.

“Yes, and it was held for a young Spirit Master named Gu Yuena. It’s unbelievable that someone so young can become a Spirit Master,” another Soul Master chimed in.

"Could it be that the Spirit Pagoda is deliberately hyping things up to deceive everyone?" some people questioned.

"It shouldn't be that serious. The Spirit Pagoda would never joke about something like this. But I bet this Gu Yuena isn't very good-looking and is only resorting to this because she can't get married, haha." A Soul Master joked.

"Don't jump to conclusions yet. Let's wait for the Spirit Pagoda to release the photos and specific rules. Maybe she's a stunning beauty," some responded with anticipation.

In just one day, news of the Spirit Pagoda's martial arts contest to find a husband spread like wildfire to every corner of the continent.

The high-level structure of the Spirit Pagoda is well-known: the Pagoda Master, two Deputy Pagoda Masters, and four Spirit Transmission Envoys. This is its core strength.

At least that's how it appears on the surface. The Spirit Pagoda has a deep foundation, and no one knows how many powerful figures it truly possesses, but reaching the high position of Spirit Envoy is no easy feat.

Moreover, in the modern history of the Spirit Pagoda, almost every Pagoda Master has served as a Spirit Messenger. Gu Yuena, at such a young age, already holds an important position, making her undoubtedly a strong contender for the future Pagoda Master.

Just as the Spirit Pagoda had anticipated, the news of the martial arts tournament successfully attracted everyone's attention, instantly overshadowing the numerous negative news stories about the Spirit Pagoda.

For ordinary people, novelty and interest are always the most attractive.

Regardless of one's attitude towards the Spirit Pagoda, people have to admit that as the largest organization on the continent, it occupies a pivotal position in the world of Soul Masters and even the entire continent.

This unprecedented martial arts contest to find a husband has unsurprisingly become the focus of everyone's attention.

After the news spread, reactions varied. Some factions expressed their support, believing it to be an excellent opportunity to promote exchanges among Soul Masters and enhance the cultivation enthusiasm of the younger generation;

Some forces opposed the move, questioning the true purpose behind the Spirit Pagoda's actions; but many more were filled with doubt and curiosity about the martial arts tournament, eager to find out what was going on.

After receiving official approval, the Spirit Pagoda began releasing relevant information in an orderly manner.

The Spirit Pagoda went to great lengths to ensure the success of this martial arts contest for marriage. Each announcement was subtle yet perfectly timed to pique the curiosity of the crowd and attract even more attention.

Through this gradual approach, the popularity of the martial arts contest for marriage continued to rise, while the negative public opinion pressure previously suffered by the Spirit Pagoda gradually diminished.

When the Spirit Pagoda decided to hold its martial arts tournament in Mingdu, the capital of the Federation, a new wave of discussion swept through the Soul Master community. This decision broke the conventional understanding that "the event should be held at the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda."

The Spirit Pagoda claimed that "Mingdu has a more suitable venue, and the geographical attributes of the capital city can better highlight the scale of the event," but observers who are well-versed in the situation on the mainland could smell the flavor of political games.

After Shrek's fall, Mingdu rose rapidly, becoming the undisputed number one city on the continent thanks to its status as the federal administrative center and the military support of the Temple of War.

The primary consideration for choosing this location was geographical isolation—the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda is only a few hundred miles away from the Shrek Academy, which is under reconstruction. If the event is held at the headquarters, the participating Soul Masters are very likely to visit Shrek Academy along the way, thus indirectly building momentum for its reconstruction.

This is something Qian Gu Dongfeng did not want to see; he absolutely did not want Shrek Academy to gain the influence it had before its destruction.

As the core stronghold of the hawkish forces, Mingdu not only gathers the staunch allies of the Spirit Pagoda, but also forms a power triangle with the Temple of War.

Holding the conference here would allow them to leverage their geographical advantage to mobilize resources and package the event as a "grand event supported by the mainstream federal forces," thus completely severing any potential connection with Shrek.

Holding the event in Mingdu would also attract more young and powerful individuals to participate, thus increasing the event's influence.

Three days after the site selection announcement, the Spirit Pagoda offered an even more enticing lure—one hundred Black-level Soul Spirits as the basic prize.

This figure sent chills down the spines of the entire Soul Master community: even with the widespread adoption of artificial Soul Spirit technology, the market price for a Black-grade Soul Spirit remains above 30 million Federal Credits. The total value of one hundred Black-grade Soul Spirits exceeds 3 billion, making this an unprecedentedly lavish reward.

The Spirit Pagoda further announced its reward system: all participants who make it into the top 100 will receive a Black-grade Soul Spirit. The higher the ranking, the richer the rewards, with rare resources such as custom battle armor and ancient rare materials being distributed in tiers.

This extravagant move completely reversed public opinion. Soul Masters who initially scoffed at the event changed their minds, and even older Soul Masters lamented that they "wished they were born ten years later."

The Spirit Pagoda understands the weaknesses of human nature well—when resources like Black-level Soul Spirits, which are usually out of reach, appear in the form of "a chance to obtain them by participating in the competition," even the most rational Soul Master will inevitably be tempted.

According to calculations by Soul Guide Finance media, the investment in prizes by the Spirit Pagoda this time is equivalent to half a year's sales revenue of its spirits, but in return, it has gained monopolistic coverage of attention across the entire continent, and the heat of negative news has been quickly diluted.

Three days later, the Spirit Pagoda's "flexible rules for participation over age" once again sparked discussion: based on level 60, for every major advancement (ten levels of soul power) a Soul Master makes, the upper age limit for participation can be relaxed by five years.

This means that a seven-ring Soul Saint can participate in the competition up to forty years old, an eight-ring Soul Douluo up to forty-five years old, and a nine-ring Title Douluo up to fifty years old.

On the surface, this rule is "respect for the strong," but in reality, it is a clever move by the Spirit Pagoda to expand the number of participants. The display of combat power by high-level Soul Masters can enhance the event's entertainment value, and the sects and families behind them will also be deeply involved, transforming the martial arts contest for marriage from a "son-in-law selection event" into a power struggle among Soul Master forces across the entire continent.

Whether it was the news of Shrek Academy's reconstruction or the negative news about Tang Sect and Spirit Pagoda, they were temporarily forgotten by people under the Spirit Pagoda's aggressive publicity campaign for its martial arts tournament to find a husband.

In no time, this martial arts contest to find a husband had become the most watched event in the entire Federation.

(End of this chapter)