The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

The old emperor of the Sun Moon Empire saw through all this, and knowing that his days were numbered, he ultimately had no choice but to make this decision.

Xu Tianran has now been appointed Crown Prince and is acting as regent, fully responsible for the affairs of the empire.

Xu Tianran smiled and continued, "Is the preparation for the competition almost complete?"

Looking at Xu Tianran's warm and welcoming smile, Ju Zi felt a chill run down her spine and her delicate body trembled.

"Everything is ready and everything is proceeding according to plan."

Xu Tianran chuckled softly, "I remember in the last competition, the exceptionally talented grandson of the Red Dust Hall Master was defeated by a genius Soul Master from Shrek Academy named Yu Tianhuang. If the information is correct, the person representing Shrek Academy this year should be the same person who won the championship last year. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of exciting sparks will fly when our people and the people from Shrek Academy meet in the competition."

Upon hearing Xu Tianran mention Yu Tianhuang, Ju Zi's heart instinctively skipped a beat. Pushing Xu Tianran's wheelchair from behind, a chilling glint appeared deep in her eyes.

She knew she was nothing more than a tool to Xu Tianran, yet she was also using him. Everything she did was for the person she truly desired.

Xu Tianran, who was completely unaware of all this, seemed to have thought of something and closed his eyes again.

"By the way, go and invite Mr. Zhongli over. Tell him I have something important to discuss with him."

"Yes," Orange replied respectfully and hurried off.

The sound of Ju Zi's footsteps gradually faded away. Xu Tianran remained with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. He was immersed in this fragrant garden, surrounded by nature.

Fifty kilometers away from Mingdu, the Azure Jade Bird, under Xu Zihuang's control, circled high in the sky.

Mingdu has a complete urban soul-guided defense system. If you enter Mingdu from the air, you will instantly become a target for various long-range soul-guided devices.

The group had no choice but to fall down and continue on foot.

Another sharp bird cry rang out, and the Jade Bird transformed into specks of light and vanished into the air.

Although Xu Zihuang's fourth soul skill can imprint Zhou Sichen's martial soul ability, it also has a limitation: it can only be used once.

Zhang Lexuan addressed the crowd, saying, "Let's register first, then rest. Tianhuang, you studied at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy for a period of time, so you should be quite familiar with Mingdu, right?"

"Mm." Xu Zihuang nodded and led everyone into Mingdu.

"Everyone, follow me."

Compared to the overcrowded Xingluo City of the past, although the number of people on the streets of Mingdu has increased significantly due to the approaching competition, it doesn't feel crowded at all. This is one of the advantages of a large enough city.

The registration place is called Mingyue Hotel.

This is a large hotel with eight floors, located in the heart of Mingdu. The entirely silver-white building can be seen from afar. Each floor is very tall, making it one of the tallest and most iconic buildings in Mingdu, even with only eight floors.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, a metallic feel immediately greets you. The interior decoration is entirely the same as the exterior, presented in silver-white. The various streamlined designs make it look like a beautifully crafted soul tool, giving one an irresistible urge to touch it.

A considerable number of people had already gathered in the spacious hall, which spanned several thousand square meters. As soon as Xu Zihuang and his group entered, a girl in a silver dress immediately came to greet them.

Zhang Lexuan directly revealed her identity.

"Distinguished guests are from Shrek Academy?" The girl's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly recovered and gestured for them to enter.

"As the champion of the previous competition, Shrek Academy has set up a special passage for our distinguished guests as a sign of our respect. Please follow me."

As she spoke, she gestured to the other welcoming girls. Soon, a dozen or so girls gathered, standing neatly in two rows to lead the way. They instantly became the focus of the entire hall. The other participating teams looked at the Shrek team with awe.

After all, Shrek Academy's reputation on the continent is simply too great.

Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit smug. They walked with their heads held high and chests puffed out, practically flying.

Just then, Xu Zihuang, Ye Guyi, and Zhang Lexuan, who were walking in front, stopped and looked back at the same time.

Another team entered the hall. However, their attire was quite unusual and eye-catching; they were all dressed in black and had a cold, sinister aura.

Especially the elderly man in black walking at the very front. The old man had two distinctive eyebrows, one higher and one lower, and he was also quite thin.

Xu Zihuang and the other two exchanged glances, then tacitly resumed their steps.

“They are all evil soul masters.” Ye Guyi’s expression hardened slightly, and he used his soul power to transmit a message to the two of them, “The old man leading them probably has the cultivation level of a titled Douluo.”

Possessing the Holy Angel Martial Soul, she has an extraordinary sensitivity to the cultivation and abilities of evil soul masters.

"A Title Douluo-level evil soul master?" Zhang Lexuan's beautiful eyes were filled with solemnity. Combining the evil soul masters Zhongli and his brothers that she had encountered before, as well as Elder Xuan's advice to her, she believed that Ye Guyi's judgment was most likely correct.

Xu Zihuang, however, vaguely guessed the old man's identity.

Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng.

The rest of the Shrek team also noticed Xu Zihuang and his two companions' unusual behavior. However, when they subconsciously followed their gaze, they were being led into a private VIP room by a welcoming girl.

Here they need to fill out some forms. Detailed information for each of the starting and substitute players must be filled out. Afterwards, their appearance will be recorded using a soul-guided image-recording machine, and then printed directly onto the forms.

Finally, a physical examination is required. This is mainly to confirm that the participants are indeed under twenty years old.

The staff were efficient, and the entire process took less than fifteen minutes. Shrek Academy, having won the championship title, certainly had many advantages. Moreover, they were staying in the best suite on the top floor of the Mingyue Hotel.

After assigning rooms to everyone, Zhang Lexuan immediately called Ye Guyi and Xu Zihuang to her room to discuss matters.

Chapter 378 The Terrifying Nine Spirit Rings and Two Princesses

The top floor of Mingyue Hotel.

Unlike the other floors, there are only eight rooms on the top floor. Known as the Sky Villa, it is extremely luxurious.

If you stay at a regular hotel, it will cost a full three thousand gold soul coins for one night, which is an absolutely exorbitant price.

Every detail of the reception provided by the Sun and Moon Empire highlighted the class disparity.

Throughout the Mingyue Hotel, the number of rooms gradually decreases from the ground floor to the top floor. However, the higher the floor, the better the accommodation conditions.

All teams participating in this Continental Youth Soul Master Competition will be assigned accommodations based on the reputation and influence of their respective sects or academies on the continent.

Teams like the Tang Clan's, led by Bei Bei and Tang Ya, could only stay in the most basic single rooms on the ground floor; they weren't even provided with a meeting room. After all, the Tang Clan had long since declined and was no longer well-known on the mainland.

The participating teams that were able to stay in the eight rooftop villas of the Mingyue Grand Hotel were all from top academies and sects on the mainland.

Shrek Academy is staying in Villa Number One. In this respect, the Sun Moon Empire appears quite generous. This villa is not only the most luxurious, but it also reflects their status as the previous champion team.

Entering through the massive, castle-like gate of Villa No. 1, one arrives at a resplendent, golden reception hall. The hall's decor is predominantly gold. Transparent crystal chandeliers hang high from the ceiling, adorned with exquisite murals and various decorations, creating a dazzling spectacle.

To the south of the reception room, there is a spacious semi-circular balcony. From here, one can see almost half of Mingdu. The view is excellent.

The villa features a living room, a large conference room, twenty bedrooms of varying sizes, a gym, a tea room, and a rooftop garden of over 200 square meters. There is even a rooftop swimming pool in the center of the villa, as well as a small training ground.

The training ground is constructed with special materials and a soul tool defense system, capable of defending against most soul skill attacks below the Soul Saint level.

Compared to the Star Emperor Hotel where the Shrek Academy team stayed when they participated in the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament in Star Luo City, the Mingyue Hotel offers even better accommodations.

You can also customize your daily meals, and they will all be provided free of charge by the hotel.

The Shrek team, including their leaders Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi, only had fifteen members. Twenty rooms were certainly enough.

It's worth mentioning that, intentionally, Xu Zihuang, Ning Tian, ​​and Ye Guyi's rooms were arranged to be adjacent. Xu Zihuang lived in the middle room, while Ye Guyi and Ning Tian lived on either side.

Just then, the three of them came out of their respective rooms and gathered together. Zhang Lexuan was sitting on the sofa in the central living room. Seeing the three of them walking towards her, she immediately got up and walked towards her room.

Xu Zihuang and the other two understood each other and followed behind Zhang Lexuan.

To avoid affecting the other participants on the Shrek Academy team, Zhang Lexuan didn't plan to reveal the matter of those evil soul masters for the time being. However, considering the relationship between Ning Tian, ​​Yu Tianhuang, and Ye Guyi, she decided after some thought to let Ning Tian know the truth as well.

Zhang Lexuan's room also had a small balcony. She drew the curtains, checked the room again, and then gestured for everyone to sit down.

Xu Zihuang, Ning Tian, ​​and Ye Guyi sat on the sofa opposite Zhang Lexuan.

"According to the information compiled by the elders of the academy, those evil soul masters who had almost disappeared on the continent have been integrated into an evil soul master sect called the Holy Spirit Cult. The three evil soul masters with Soul Douluo cultivation that we encountered back then were very likely from this Holy Spirit Cult." Zhang Lexuan directly relayed what Elder Xuan had told her to the three of them in its entirety.

"The people we encountered on our way here, dressed in black robes and wearing bamboo hats, were evil soul masters. Moreover, the leader of them probably possesses the cultivation of a Title Douluo. Given their blatant audacity, Elder Xuan's judgment is likely correct. This evil soul master sect called the Holy Spirit Cult may very well be colluding with the Sun Moon Empire. This competition may be about to undergo some changes."

Xu Zihuang and Ye Guyi were not surprised by this. Xu Zihuang possessed memories of his past life, while Ye Guyi learned about the Holy Spirit Cult from Nana.

Only Ning Tian's eyes revealed shock, but she quickly calmed herself and her expression returned to normal. As a disciple of a major sect, remaining composed was a fundamental skill she had learned since childhood.

"Senior Sister, may I convey these matters to the sect?" Ning Tian asked with some concern.

"The ambitions of the Sun Moon Empire towards the three great empires that originally belonged to the Douluo Continent are common knowledge. And with Tianhuang's talent, he will inevitably become an obstacle in the eyes of some people. I am worried that they may be detrimental to Tianhuang."

Although she knew Shrek Academy would definitely prioritize Yu Tianhuang's safety and send elders from the Sea God Pavilion to protect him secretly, this was, after all, the territory of the Sun Moon Empire. Gathering powerful members of the sect here would provide an extra layer of protection.

Xu Zihuang held Ning Tian's jade-like hand, feeling the warmth and smoothness of his palm, and comforted him with a smile: "Don't worry, Elder Xuan and the others have also secretly come to Mingdu. If anything unexpected happens, they can still protect us and leave calmly."

The composure he felt didn't come from Elder Xuan or the elders of the Sea God Pavilion, but from his own strength. He had a premonition that he would be able to break through the bottleneck of level seventy in the near future.

After obtaining the Golden Eye Martial Soul True Body ability, although he was still unable to contend with top experts like Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xishui, and Kong Deming, no one could stop him from leaving if he wanted to.

Hearing Xu Zihuang's words, Ning Tian felt a little relieved, but she was still a little worried.

The Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult were colluding with each other, and combined with the Sun Moon Empire's deliberately altered competition rules, she always felt that a huge conspiracy was brewing.

Zhang Lexuan shared the same concerns and understood Ning Tian's thoughts.

"Ning Tian, ​​if you insist, you can call in the experts from your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, but this news should not be leaked for the time being."

"Yes, Senior Sister." Ning Tian happily replied after receiving Zhang Lexuan's permission.

As Ye Guyi observed Ning Tian's emotional changes from beginning to end, a strange light appeared in her eyes.

Ning Tian's feelings for Xu Zihuang were undoubtedly sincere; he truly put himself in Yu Tianhuang's shoes and thought about things from her perspective.

Ye Guyi pulled Ning Tian into her arms and teased with a smile, "You're already thinking of Tianhuang so much before you're even married? Tianhuang has good taste."

"Sister Gu Yi..." Ning Tian leaned against Ye Gu Yi's full chest, his face flushed with shyness. But what filled his heart more was the sweetness that arose from being recognized by Ye Gu Yi.

Both women were exceptionally beautiful, but their temperaments were quite different. Their fair skin was close together, a sight that would attract the attention of any man.

However, only Xu Zihuang could appreciate the two of them in this pose.

"Senior Sister, I think we should inform the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire about these matters. The Heavenly Soul and Star Luo Empires border the Sun Moon Empire, so if the Sun Moon Empire takes any action, they will be the first to be affected."

Xu Zihuang's thoughtful remark interrupted the playful banter between Ye Guyi and Ning Tian. Even Zhang Lexuan's gaze fell upon Xu Zihuang.

“Tianhuang, what you say makes sense. The Sun Moon Empire is our common enemy, so it's good to let them prepare in advance. The Star Luo Empire is easy to deal with; I remember the leader of the Star Luo National Academy team is Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire. But the Heavenly Soul Empire…”

“I know Princess Vina of the Heavenly Soul Empire. If I’m not mistaken, she should be representing the Snow Demon Sect in this competition,” Xu Zihuang said meaningfully, picking up the conversation at the opportune moment.

"Senior Sister, to be honest, I ran into Vina and Mu Xue, the daughter of the Snow Demon Sect's leader, during my last training trip. They were accompanied by people from the Body Sect."

"Tianhuang, do you mean the Body Sect has already sided with the Heavenly Soul Empire?" Zhang Lexuan's gaze narrowed slightly.

Xu Zihuang nodded slightly and said, "Rather than saying they've pledged allegiance, it's more accurate to say that the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Body Sect are cooperating with each other. They've both keenly sensed the changes in the situation on the continent. I mentioned this when I handed over the Soul Fusion Method to Elder Xuan some time ago."

Zhang Lexuan pondered for a moment and said, "Here's what we'll do. I'll go to the Star Luo Empire. As for Princess Vina of the Heavenly Soul Empire, I'll leave it to you and Ning Tian, ​​Gu Yi. You're both from the Heavenly Soul Empire, so it'll be easier for you to talk to each other. Besides, Ning Tian, ​​you're the sole heir to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School. I think you and Princess Vina must have met before."

“Vina and I are fairly familiar with each other.” Ning Tian nodded slightly, then looked at Xu Zihuang together with Ye Guyi beside him.

Xu Zihuang gave an awkward laugh.