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"The Spirit Hall really is full of talent," Xue Beng remarked with a hint of jealousy. "It seems the Spirit Hall has found its successor. With Tang San's talent, he's likely to be the next Pope of the Spirit Hall, isn't he?"
Bibi Dong glanced at Xue Beng, who, driven by her daughter, had been forced into playing the fool—so much so that he actually looked a bit like one. She calmly replied, "Let's focus on drafting the rules for this tournament. As for Tang San... he's already returned."
As soon as she finished speaking, there was an almost imperceptible fluctuation in the space near the Pope's Palace doors. Tang San's figure appeared quietly, and he bowed slightly to the four present, saying, "Greetings, Your Holiness, Emperor of Tian Dou, Emperor of Star Luo, and Lord of the Federation."
Of the four, only Bibi Dong sensed the spatial disturbance. The others, including Xue Qinghe, had no idea when Tang San had arrived. It was as if he had been standing there the whole time, unnoticed.
Xue Qinghe's eyes flashed with shock. What level has Tang San reached?
Dai Luo Gao was equally stunned but kept his composure, simply nodding in acknowledgment of Tang San's greeting.
Xue Beng, on the other hand, was a little upset. After all, Tang San had addressed Xue Qinghe and Dai Luo Gao with their imperial titles, but when it came to him, he was referred to by name, with the title "Lord of the Federation." He, too, was an emperor!
Bibi Dong interrupted, "Since you're here, join us in discussing the rules for the new Continental Elite Tournament. You can continue your research afterward."
"This is precisely why I came," Tang San responded as he made his way to the seat prepared for him. To his left sat Xue Qinghe, to his right Dai Luo Gao, and next to Dai Luo Gao was Xue Beng.
Xue Qinghe's gaze lingered on Tang San, which made Bibi Dong keenly aware that her daughter's interest in Tang San went beyond admiration for his talent; it bordered on personal affection.
There was no mistaking it—her expression mirrored Bibi Dong's own when she had first fallen in love.
This realization brought a wave of concern to Bibi Dong...
"Since you're here, why don't you offer some suggestions on how the tournament should be organized?" Xue Beng asked, throwing the question to Tang San in hopes of hearing a plan.
Everyone present was keenly interested in the tournament, even though research into soul tools had already begun. However, the way soul masters used them was entirely different from how ordinary people did.
When soul masters used soul tools, they could unleash far greater power!
Some soul tools, captured from the Sun and Moon Empire's army, required high-level soul masters to operate. Otherwise, they could harm the user.
Take soul-guided firearms, for example. These were standard issue for the Sun and Moon Empire's army, and when firing soul energy bullets, the recoil was not something an ordinary person could handle.
Soul tools still primarily served soul masters!
That said, life-related soul tools could greatly improve daily living and give ordinary people a means to defend against low-level soul masters.
But for at least the next century, ordinary people wouldn't be able to truly challenge soul masters.
This was the consensus among the major powers on the continent.
"The tournament rules will largely follow the usual format," Tang San began, already having thought through his proposal. "However, the preliminary rounds will need adjustments. With the relaxed entry requirements, the number of participants has surged, and even some of the larger sects will be sending disciples to compete."
Tang San continued, "In the finals of the last tournament, multiple teams competed in the same arena. We can adopt a similar approach for the preliminaries this time. For example, each group of seven participating teams can compete in the same arena, with the winning team advancing, while the others are eliminated."
Dai Luo Gao nodded. "That's a solid idea, but won't it be too costly and labor-intensive to rebuild the arenas? Three months should be enough time, but won't it be too much of a strain on resources?"
"There's no need to build new arenas," Tang San explained. "We can use existing locations. The Sun and Moon Empire's recent invasion highlighted one thing: our coastal defenses are severely lacking. If it hadn't been for the development of soul-guided devices like soul-guided cameras and telephones, which sped up the transmission of information, the Sun and Moon Empire might have captured four or five coastal cities before we even received any intel."
His reminder sent a chill through everyone present.
Indeed!
If the advancement of communication through soul-guided phones hadn't occurred, by the time they learned of the Sun and Moon Empire's invasion and prepared a counterattack, much of their land could have already been seized by the enemy.
Coastal defense…
In the past, they had paid little attention to this. Even with the revelation of the value of whale glue and the training of sea soul masters, the main focus had always been on land.
But now, with the emergence of the Sun and Moon Empire, ignoring the sea could lead to more than just losing face as emperors—they could lose their nations' dignity.
"So, I have an idea," Tang San continued. "Why not hold the preliminary rounds on the islands along the continent's coastline?"
"These islands have diverse environments, meeting the needs for varied competition venues. Furthermore, we can avoid the cost of building new arenas and minimize resource expenditure. After the tournament, the exploration by participants would give us valuable insight into these islands, helping us prepare for future defensive measures."
"The only drawback," Tang San added, "is that it might not be ideal for spectators. Most of them would have to rely on footage recorded by soul-guided cameras."
Bibi Dong considered this carefully and found merit in the idea. With the Sun and Moon Empire looming, using this opportunity to gain control over the coastal islands could be beneficial. Larger islands could host defensive cities, while smaller ones could serve as outposts or coastal defenses.
Besides, the Spirit Hall could establish new branch halls in these cities, making it a win-win situation.
"That's not a problem," Xue Qinghe, the Emperor of Tian Dou, was the first to speak. "The main goal of the tournament is to select talented soul masters, not to make a profit. Holding the competition on islands with varied environments will better showcase the versatility of soul masters."
Bibi Dong shot a glance at Xue Qinghe, thinking to herself: She probably has no idea how much revenue the Spirit Hall generated from the last tournament, between ticket sales and concessions.
Of course, Qian Daoliu, who never dealt with such matters, wouldn't have shared the financial details with his granddaughter.
But the audience was just as important as the participants.
Nevertheless, Bibi Dong thought it was acceptable to sacrifice a bit of profit this time. Establishing coastal defenses was crucial, and ultimately, everything would fall under the control of the Spirit Hall. Let the new Tian Dou Federation and Star Luo Empire take the lead in these efforts for now.
"Given the aftermath of the war, it's indeed unwise to undertake major construction projects. Coastal defense is essential, and hosting the preliminary rounds on these islands will allow us to scout their environments," Bibi Dong agreed. She then offered another suggestion. "Once we've selected the islands, we could establish routes and have the participants figure out their own way to reach the competition sites. Teams that fail can be eliminated in advance. We can station rescue boats along the sea routes for safety."
Xue Beng raised a minor concern. Of the four major powers present, the new Tian Dou Federation had the fewest exceptional talents. If they were to follow this standard, many of their teams might be eliminated before even reaching the islands.
However, the majority ruled.
Bibi Dong even bluntly remarked, "The new Tian Dou Federation doesn't have to participate."
Xue Beng: "..."
Weak nations have no diplomacy...
(End of Chapter)