Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

The shock in Mr. Ma's heart gradually faded, replaced by an overwhelming excitement.

This year's Sun Moon Team has the strongest lineup in recent years. Not only are all the participants under the age of 20 and above level 50, but there is also a rare sixth-ring genius under the age of 20, Ma Rulong, who is no less than Shrek Academy's regular lineup.

In addition, there are Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen as trump cards, as well as Kong Tianxu, a prodigy whose strength at the fourth ring is equivalent to that of a Soul Emperor.

Even if Shrek Academy had a talent explosion this year, with a rare two Soul Emperors, he couldn't imagine that with such a lineup, there was still a chance of losing in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament.

Hehehe...

While everyone was still stunned, Old Ma had already prepared his acceptance speech for the competition. He cleared his throat:

"Alright, it seems I underestimated Tianxu. In that case, the decision made by the hall master is not so abrupt."

In their shock, everyone forgot to ask Kong Tianxu about his Soul Master level. Only when they heard Elder Ma's voice did they come back to their senses.

"The command of this competition will not be directly assumed by the captain of the main team. You can decide what method to use. Today is just for mobilization and getting to know each other. Tomorrow at the same time, we will start the pre-competition training. Alright, I won't get in your way anymore. Just don't make too much of a fuss."

He spoke the last sentence while staring at Kong Tianxu, clearly with a hidden meaning.

Kong Tianxu looked at Xiao Hongchen, who awkwardly turned his head and said in a deep voice:

"You're the captain, you make the decisions."

It seems this kid keeps his word. Kong Tianxu nodded to himself, then turned to Ma Rulong, who also looked back intently. He was quite curious about this junior who could defeat Ji Juechen.

"Senior, please. I don't plan to participate in the rest of the training."

Before Ma Rulong could speak, Xiao Hongchen jumped up:

"You're the captain, how can you be so irresponsible? No matter how strong you are, can you take on seven opponents at once in a team battle?"

"Why not?"

Kong Tianxu spoke calmly, yet his tone exuded undeniable confidence and domineering presence.

"Ma Rulong, after you guys are done fighting, add me and Meng Hongchen to the list!"

Xiao Hongchen pulled his reluctant sister over and led the way to the Soul Guidance Trial Grounds.

He refused to believe that even with the combined strength of himself and Meng Hongchen, they couldn't be a match for Kong Tianxu. After all, they possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.

Ma Rulong gave Kong Tianxu a deep look and followed Xiao Hongchen's steps. He believed that Kong Tianxu must have some reason for daring to make such outrageous remarks, but he, Old Ma, was not one to be trifled with.

Kong Tianxu smiled, greeted everyone, gave the two women a reassuring look, and then followed them into the training ground.

Xiao Hongchen seemed to remember something and suddenly said:

"Close the door."

"Huh? What's gotten into you this time?"

Ma Rulong looked at him with a strange expression.

"Trust me," Xiao Hongchen said firmly. He was far more experienced than Ma Rulong in handling such matters.

"boom--"

The gate was tightly shut.

A series of loud collisions erupted within the arena, accompanied by waves of soul energy fluctuations. A short while later, the gate reopened.

Kong Tianxu, with a calm expression and without even the slightest wrinkle in his clothes, strode out leisurely.

Ma Rulong walked out with him in a daze, the shock still etched on his face. Compared to Kong Tianxu, he looked much more disheveled, his clothes tattered, his short hair sticking up, and he smelled slightly burnt.

Is that all?

Everyone craned their necks and looked at each other in disbelief. They could accept that Ma Rulong had lost, but so quickly? What about Xiao Hongchen and his sister? They had a secret weapon!

Xiao Hongchen followed closely behind. He seemed to be in good condition, but his soul power was quite depleted, and his eyes revealed a sense of detachment from worldly affairs.

Meng Hongchen's rosy lips were wide open, her eyes fixed on Kong Tianxu, her face flushed with an unnatural blush.

"Captain, what exactly are you doing...?" one of the trainees finally couldn't help but ask.

"Alright, Senior Ma, let's announce the results." Kong Tianxu smiled as he looked at the crowd gathered in a circle.

Ma Rulong took a deep breath and said, feeling extremely aggrieved, "Don't call me captain anymore."

He looked at Kong Tianxu, his voice filled with grief and indignation: "Whether you are a regular player or a reserve player, you will all be under Kong Tianxu's command."

He couldn't help but feel indignant; he had never seen anything like this before. Just as he got into position, Kong Tianxu rushed in front of him with several acceleration-propelling soul tools and invincible shields, then, with a milk bottle in one hand and a thunder cannon in the other, he forcefully broke through all of his defensive measures.

The key point is that his counterattack was completely ineffective, so of course he was not convinced, and then he was hit by a bomb.

However, compared to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, his loss was relatively normal.

Thinking of this, Ma Rulong finally calmed down a bit.

"Does anyone have any objections?" Kong Tianxu still had a smile on his lips.

A series of head shakes, like a rattle drum.

"Then let's dismiss everyone. Remember to come to training on time tomorrow." He waved, and Xu Tianzhen and Cain accompanied him as he left, one on each side.

As the three figures gradually disappeared into the distance, Xu Tianzhen quietly asked:

"Tianxu, how did you defeat Xiao Hongchen and the others? I heard they have a Martial Soul Fusion Technique, but there didn't seem to be any powerful clashes outside?"

"My fifth spirit ring is of the metal element."

Kong Tianxu recalled Xiao Hongchen's bewildered expression and laughed.

Metal attribute? Isn't that the attribute of the Three-Legged Golden Toad? Plus, it completely counters the Ice and Fire attributes of the Zhu Qing Ice Toad...

Xu Tianzhen turned to look at Xiao Hongchen, her eyes filled with pity. It was too tragic; it was utterly humiliating.

Fortunately, she had already surrendered; taking this pervert as an opponent was simply asking for trouble. The young girl couldn't help but admire her own wisdom and foresight. She shook Kong Tianxu's hand and said mysteriously:

"Tianxu, I recently discovered a Pipi elephant that can do backflips. Shall we go to the palace to take a look?"

"First, cultivate."

"Oh~"

"Then... can I also skip training?"

"You can win if you beat me."

"Humph!"

That big bad guy doesn't give me any leeway at all!

Xu Tianzhen stomped her foot angrily.

I'm not going to like him all day!

"What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and catch up." Kong Tianxu hadn't gone far when he noticed someone had fallen behind and called out from afar.

He found out pretty quickly, so it seems he still cares about me.

Then... let's shorten the time we dislike him to one second.

Xu Tianzhen was quite pleased with his clear system of rewards and punishments, but when he came to his senses, he found that Kong Tianxu and Cain had already gone far away, so he quickly ran after them.

"Wait for me!"

Master Ma said the competition wouldn't start for a while, but it wasn't that long, at least that's how Kong Tianxu saw it. As his soul power level steadily advanced towards level fifty-three, the day of departure finally arrived.

Mingdu, western suburbs.

The long convoy wound its way along Dinghou Street, slowly heading further west. Though called a street, it was really just a narrow alley. This was where the lowest-class commoners of Mingdu lived, with few tall buildings, only large areas of low-rise houses.

The simply dressed residents on the street watched the magnificent carriage procession leave the capital with a sense of novelty but little surprise, as if they were already used to it. Only when they recognized the lead carriage, the one reserved for the direct descendants of the royal family with thirty-two horned and scaled horses, did they whisper among themselves and make a few comments.

"Forget about the sacrificial rites, does it really have to be this complicated?"

Inside the carriage, Xu Tianzhen, sitting next to Kong Tianxu, disdainfully lifted her heavy and elaborate gorgeous clothes, rolled her eyes, and pretended to fall into Kong Tianxu's arms.

"That's because you're royalty. People like Cain and I don't need to. It's perfect to ride in your carriage today."

Kong Tianxu gently poked her wonderfully soft cheek, shook his loose sleeves, and felt completely relaxed.

The Sun Moon Empire has a long-standing tradition of sacrificial rites. The annual continent-wide advanced soul master academy battle tournament has a tradition of going to the Sun Moon Mountains west of Mingdu for sacrificial rites, a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years. Even Kong Tianxu is not exempt from this custom.

As a member of the royal family, Xu Tianzhen was expected to wear ancient and elaborate costumes on such occasions, which explains her displeasure.

Amidst the laughter and merriment, Xie Lixin's calm voice came from outside the carriage:

"Son."

"What's wrong, Master Xie?" Kong Tianxu straightened Xu Tianzhen, who had been nudging him, and lifted the curtain to look at him.

"We have met up with the Mingde Hall's caravan, and the palace caravan will take over for the rest of the journey. My daughter suddenly fell ill yesterday, and I am very worried about her, so I am asking for leave, young master. May I go home for a while?"

Chapter 80 The Holy Spirit's Killing Game: Questioning Love and Destiny

"At this hour?" Kong Tianxu looked up at the sky. It was still early morning, pitch black. The sacrificial ceremony had to be held at sunrise, so they had made a special trip early today.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the coachman, whom he had always had a good impression of, and remained silent for a long time.

The other person looked at him sincerely and with a hint of expectation; his heartbeat, blood flow, and even mental fluctuations were all normal.

Kong Tianxu suddenly laughed and patted the other man's shoulder hard. Cain, who had been watching him closely, noticed that when Kong Tianxu completely withdrew his hand, his face paled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"Go ahead, I hope your daughter is safe and sound."

"Thank you, young master! Thank you, young master!"

Xie Lixin was overjoyed upon hearing this, and thanked them profusely before finally leaving in the opposite direction of the convoy and disappearing into the darkness.

Was he being too suspicious? Looking at the other person's back, which seemed perfectly normal, Kong Tianxu shook his head with a wry smile, his mind gradually sinking into recovery and cultivation.

Ever since the assassination attempt on Xu Tianran, he had become highly sensitive to such matters. Even though it was a perfectly ordinary little thing, it still made him somewhat suspicious.

But this time it's different; the real stabilizing force lies ahead—

"It has to be the old guard. If it weren't for Brother Xie pointing out a new route for me, I would have missed today's ceremony if I had taken the old route and gone around in circles. I don't know how much trouble I would have had to suffer."

The royal coachman, steadily steering the carriage, muttered to himself, unaware that a hazy, dim moon had fallen into the front carriage.

Kong Tangyu withdrew his martial spirit, unfolded the map in his hand, confirmed the location of the exploration, and then casually put the map with a few strokes aside.

Even before Xie Lixin and the other party agreed on the route change, he had already gone to scout the area. Based on his considerable experience in the military, the route change was indeed a very appropriate choice.

"Hmm, no problem." He reviewed the route in his mind again, nodded, and sent something to the silver bracelet on his wrist.