Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

The storm has passed.

Under a clear, bright blue sky, a ray of sunshine shone on the competition stage, as well as the rest area and the spectator area.

That golden brilliance, carrying the warmth unique to sunlight, brought touching smiles to countless faces.

This moment, which is truly far more than just the focus of everyone's attention, is the moment when Shrek's millennia of accumulated knowledge is trampled underfoot and built into a high platform, and is the prelude to this event that has been meticulously prepared for years.

Kong Tianxu raised the Sky-Piercing Spear and shouted:

"Holy Spirit—!"

The thunderous response shook the heavens!

"Holy Emperor—!"

Xiao Hongchen stood in the waiting area of ​​the Sun and Moon team and closed his eyes.

The cheers of the Sun and Moon Cult members filled his ears, along with the clinking of glasses. They cheered for the victory of the Holy Spirit Cult and celebrated their inevitable triumph in the final.

Will we win against Mingyuzong this afternoon?

We will win!

The Holy Spirit Cult and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy have successfully joined forces!

The final will be held the day after tomorrow.

……

Mingdu, inside an inconspicuous inn.

Zhang Lexuan withdrew her gaze from the celebrating crowd outside the window, turned around, and looked at the people inside the room.

Having been eliminated, they naturally had no large hotel rooms to stay in and could only make do for a while in the expensive city of Mingdu.

Huo Yuhao sat in the corner, his eyes closed, his face terribly gloomy.

Xuanzi had just told him that he was powerless to help Wang Dong'er with her coma. There was originally a seal in Wang Dong'er's spiritual sea, and now that seal had been touched by some force, splitting her consciousness into two parts.

As for when he will wake up, or even if he will wake up at all, nobody knows.

Beibei sat leaning against the wall, using crutches. He was pale, but his condition was alright. After all, his injuries weren't serious; he was just overexerted.

Xiao Xiao huddled in the corner, not saying a word.

Wang Qiu'er stood by the window, looking at the cheering crowd outside.

Xu Sanshi lay unconscious on a makeshift bed. His penetrating wound hadn't hit any vital organs, and because it had been frozen by Kong Tianxu's ice-attribute shot, it unexpectedly had a preservative effect, putting him into a strange state of hibernation and saving his life.

However, his martial soul, the Xuanming Turtle, was completely shattered, causing him great damage. Even if he woke up, his cultivation would be severely diminished.

He Caitou's condition was even worse than Xu Sanshi's. He lay on another bed, his breath so weak it was almost imperceptible. He had unleashed his potential, but Long Xiaoyao had suppressed it at the most crucial moment, preventing him from dying on the spot.

As for Jiang Nannan, well, she's still a mess right now.

Chapter 314 The Curtain Rises (Part 2)

Xuanzi stood in the center of the room, his face full of guilt, his lips trembling, finally managing to utter only a dry utterance:

"You are all good children. It is my incompetence."

A resolute glint flashed in his eyes:

"Although we suffered a defeat in this competition, assassinating Xu Tianran is still imperative. You all should get some rest."

After saying that, Xuanzi turned and left the room as if he were ashamed. Zhang Lexuan glanced at everyone and followed him out.

The room fell silent the moment the door closed.

Quiet silence, painful silence, numb silence.

Only the faint cheers coming from outside the window reminded them that the person who caused all this was now surrounded by countless people, enjoying the glory of victory.

"Are we just going to let it go like this?"

Someone sighed softly.

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. His once bright eyes were now extremely dim, and his eye sockets were sunken.

He was truly exhausted, so exhausted that even opening his eyes felt like a struggle.

However, a cold smile crept across his lips.

Slowly shaking his head, Huo Yuhao's bloodshot eyes flashed with an extremely dangerous light:

"This is just the beginning."

"Losing this major battle is just the prelude to another. I will expose the true nature of the Holy Spirit Cult and make them pay the price."

He reached out and gently stroked He Caitou's spiky black head, which was covered in metal shards, his voice growing colder:

"Second Senior Brother, I've figured it out. The people of the Sun Moon Empire are not worthy. This time, they must accept the gift you mentioned, whether they like it or not."

He Caitou's body twitched slightly, as if he had heard what he said, or perhaps it was just an unconscious reaction.

The mental fluctuations gradually intensified, filling the room.

Huo Yuhao's voice disappeared, only his swollen lips began to tremble...

Madness is the harbinger of self-destruction.

……

"Shadow, how's the setup going?"

Xu Tianran leaned against the soft couch, his eyes slightly narrowed, but his gaze was sharp as he stared at a man shrouded in black who was kneeling not far in front of the couch.

The man had his head down, so his face was obscured; only a pair of cold eyes were visible.

"Your Highness, everything has been arranged."

The shadow's voice was deep and respectful:

“We have heavy troops guarding the east, south, and north directions. Each direction is guarded by the Guardian Soul Master Corps, and each direction has no fewer than five fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells. With our deliberate leak, they should already know about this situation.”

Xu Tianran sneered:

"What about the west side? How are the preparations going?"

"The west side is also ready. All those people from before are in the west side. We are still giving them one last chance."

Xu Tianran nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes:

"You've done a good job. Distribute the orders. For the next two days, maintain a high level of alert. The palace security must be especially tight; be prepared at any time. Go now."

"Yes," the shadow replied respectfully.

He stood up without making a sound, as if he were just a shadow, and quickly retreated into the darkness and disappeared.

Xu Tianran's eyes gleamed with undisguised fervor, as if he were engrossed in a magnificent work nearing completion, and he murmured to himself in a poetic tone:

"After tomorrow, the glory of the sun and moon will shine on the earth again."

"Submit to me! Or embrace what is inevitable—"

"die!"

The sound echoed in the empty palace, lingering for a long time.

……

The Star Luo Empire, Imperial Palace.

Xu Jiawei sat on the throne, expressionless, staring at the soul-guided screen in the hall. The screen was replaying the thrilling match from earlier that day.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, producing a monotonous rhythm.

"Your Majesty," the attendant beside him began cautiously, "what about Shrek Academy..."

“I know,” Xu Jiawei interrupted him, his gaze still fixed on the screen.

His eyes held a complex expression.

The Star Luo Empire and Shrek Academy have a close relationship. Countless royal children have studied there, and many important officials in the court have graduated from that academy.

Shrek Academy has always been their pride and the spiritual pillar that helps them fight against the Sun Moon Empire.

But now...

"Issue my decree," Xu Jiawei said slowly, "All cooperative projects with Shrek Academy shall continue as before."

The attendant was taken aback: "Your Majesty, this... they were just at the competition..."

"Do as instructed." Xu Jiawei's voice left no room for argument.

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to everyone.

"Some people are so naive. Do they really think that I want to cooperate with Shrek Academy because of Shrek's reputation?"

The moonlight shone down, illuminating his slightly tired face.

"In this world, strength comes first."

……

The night was deep.

Inside the main hall, a laboratory was brightly lit.

Unlike the festive atmosphere outside, this place was as quiet as another world. Only the occasional sound of a carving knife scraping against metal was particularly clear in the stillness.

Kong Deming sat in the main seat, holding a piece of rare metal in his hand, and was carefully carving something.

His movements were slow and steady, each cut precise to the millimeter.

Meanwhile, Ye Yulin, Luanfeng, Wang Yiheng, Liao Mengkai, Xu Tianyuan, Kong Tangyu, and Jing Hongchen, among other big names in the Soul Master world, sat obediently in a row.

Like the youngest students, observing the teacher's first lesson on carving soul tools.

No one speaks.

No one dared to speak.

These big shots who usually wield great influence in the world of Soul Masters are now sitting upright, their composure from long-held positions completely gone.

"Xiao Ye," Kong Deming asked casually without looking up, "I remember you were hesitant to use a flying soul tool at first, weren't you?"