Chapter 247: Eerie Laughter
Of course, only Gu Tong and the other two could hear what Du Qianjue said. The shock of seeing a 100,000-year soul beast was something only the three of them could appreciate in awe. Oh, and there was another one.
Lang Ya, who had been secretly observing, was also dumbstruck, his face full of questions as he looked at Qian Yue. When he became a Titled Douluo, the soul ring he absorbed was only from an 85,000-year Evil Eye Tyrant. He couldn't even dream of a 100,000-year soul ring. At this moment, the admiration these four had for Du Qianjue flowed endlessly like a mighty river...
Since Du Qianjue had appeared, Lang Ya no longer hid in the shadows but came to sit in the lounge, where Du Qianjue asked him if anything significant had happened recently. Knowing that Du Qianjue had left for a week to hunt souls, Lang Ya naturally told him everything that had happened recently.
There wasn't much to report on the Sun Moon Empire's side. The Soul Master Competition was progressing smoothly, except the casualty rate during the elimination rounds confirmed Du Qianjue 's earlier speculation. In the previous competition, there hadn't been a single fatality among all the teams during the elimination phase. The worst outcome had been severe injuries that resulted in combat incapacity.
However, in this edition, by this afternoon, the number of competitors who had died had already reached double digits. Most were students from various academies. Sect disciples fought ruthlessly, striking deadly blows almost as if they were automatic, and those from the academies faced overwhelming defeats when matched against such ferocity.
Of course, this was when the disparity in cultivation wasn't significant. Where there was a large disparity, the sect disciples still fought desperately, and there were numerous instances of academy students panicking and causing severe injuries or deaths. This had led to this year's competition having more casualties during the elimination rounds than all the injuries and deaths of the previous competitions combined.
"It's just a competition, yet it's turned into this," Du Qianjue said disapprovingly.
"Fighting is like this; nobody wants to lose, and accidents are normal," Lang Ya said with a slight smile, seemingly unconcerned.
"But the incompetence of the referees from the Sun Moon Empire really is something else. Not only are their cultivations weak, but their reaction times are also extremely slow. Many of the casualties could have been avoided, but they occurred precisely because of the referees' sluggishness."
Incompetent referees? It wasn't necessarily so...
Du Qianjue hinted darkly, "Perhaps it's not because the referees are weak, but because... they intentionally want more people from the Douluo Continent to die?"
"I've considered that possibility too," Lang Ya said. "Like deliberately assigning an incompetent referee to avoid blaming the Sun Moon Empire directly. It would just seem like the referee was incompetent."
"The referees might also be scapegoats, ready to be sacrificed at any moment to vent anger."
"Whatever the case, our Body Sect people can't be the ones to suffer," Du Qianjue said nonchalantly. Whether others live or die didn't concern him; he had no connections or dealings with them. But if someone from the Body Sect died because of the referees' actions, Du Qianjue would certainly erupt in anger.
Being accidentally killed in a fair fight was one thing, but a death resulting from deliberate mischief by the referee was another. If that happened, Xu Tianran wouldn't live to see another sunrise.
That evening, Du Qianjue would drag him to the netherworld plane to be used as experimental material for electrolux.
"Don't worry, Young Sect Master. Don't forget what type of soul master I am," Lang Ya said with a proud smile.
"Besides you, even if a Super Douluo came at us, I dare say I can suppress them mentally. My reaction capability is very strong; protecting our Body Sect kids is absolutely no problem!"
"That's good then," Du Qianjue nodded. Attacking might require breaking through the soul-guided shields to reach the stage, but psychic power didn't need to, which was why Du Qianjue brought Lang Ya along. With him there, the arena's shields were like spider webs—full of flaws. Psychic power could easily enter the stage, and with his powerful psychic power, protecting their own was simple.
The competition drew to a close as the sun was setting. After the last match of the elimination round ended, Du Qianjue and Lang Ya returned to the hotel together.
Those who had been out for the day also returned to the hotel at this time. Seeing Du Qianjue, Xiao Xiao and Tang Ya approached him with surprised joy. Even with fellow sect members around, Xiao Xiao always felt a bit uneasy being in a foreign land. Fortunately, she had Tang Ya; otherwise, she might have felt even lonelier.
Seeing Du Qianjue return was a delightful surprise for Xiao Xiao; it seemed that as long as he was there, she could feel safe anywhere.
For Tang Ya, it was simpler. Under Du Qianjue's comprehensive influence, she had already accepted him as her master. A day without serving Du Qianjue felt like a betrayal of the new life he had given her.
Speaking of Tang Ya, Du Qianjue glanced at the pretty girl clinging to his arm, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
In the Sun Moon Empire, if Du Qianjue remembered correctly, there was a valley near Tianhai City with a 190,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor. That Blue Silver Emperor could be sacrificed to Tang Ya. Having already undergone one spirit evolution, Tang Ya had a good chance of her spirit becoming a Blue Silver Emperor after accepting the sacrifice.
This plan could be moved up the agenda.
He was a bit frustrated with Tang Ya's soul ring configuration. She had to follow that fool Tang San, using a poison attribute Blue Silver Grass. Tang Ya's fifth soul ring hadn't been found yet, but there might be a chance to get her Blue Silver Grass back on track, restoring its powerful life force and regenerative properties.
Her spirit's poison attribute also needed to be stripped away. That wouldn't be difficult; Du Qianjue's chaos attribute could help Tang Ya achieve this.
Du Qianjue was looking forward to the day he would ascend to the Divine Realm, where Tang Ya, the last sect master of Tang Sect, would use the Blue Silver Grass to slap Tang San, the first sect master. She needed to get stronger for that.
Thinking of Tang Ya using the authentic Blue Silver Grass to slap Tang San's face excited Du Qianjue, and he couldn't help but let out an eerie laugh.
"Hehehe..."
In the Divine Realm, Tang San shuddered violently, and the tap water he was controlling accidentally splashed on Xiao Wu's face.
"San Ge... why did you shrink again..." Xing Wu looked at Tang San with a mournful face.
"It's only been three minutes..." (End of Chapter)