The sky gradually darkened. It was unknown if it was because of the upcoming Sea God's Fate Blind Date Convention, but a faint, amorous atmosphere emanated from the venue surrounded by the moat.
From the main gate of Shrek Academy, Shrek students in dark green uniforms began to gather in twos and threes towards the place where the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Convention was to be held.
Because Shrek Academy's soul tool department had only developed in recent years, and with the academy having suffered a great disaster, the soul tool department was in a slump. Therefore, the new students were still mainly from the martial soul department. Everyone showed off their skills and quickly gathered by the lake.
All who had gathered were male students; not a single female student was to be seen. The lake was pitch black, and amidst the lingering water mist, it was difficult to see what was there.
At the same time, hearing the news, the young prodigies who had rushed from all corners of the continent each displayed their lifelong ultimate skills, rushing over from all directions of Rising Sun City.
The talented individuals from numerous sects and academies, who were usually only heard of but never seen, all gathered in one place. The various martial souls almost lit up the sky above the moat. This scene could be said to be extremely spectacular.
In addition, in the stands that had been built high in advance, there were also many young people who had come to watch the convention. Although their talent or desire to perform was not as strong as those who were officially participating in the convention, they were also not to be underestimated.
It could be said that on this night, Rising Sun City had gathered almost the entire younger generation of the continent's soul master world, the indispensable fresh blood for the future development of soul masters.
These outstanding young people were the apple of the eye of their respective academies and sects. Although their entourages were not allowed to enter the blind date venue, they were all spread out along the banks of the moat. Under the deterrence of those powerful auras, no riffraff would dare to come here and cause trouble.
There was also a most important point: they were all here to guard against the Demon King Huo Yuhao. They couldn't interfere with Huo Yuhao's dealings with Shrek Academy, but they had to ensure the safety of their own academy and sect disciples.
Huo Yuhao's strength was not in the same dimension as the younger generation. If he made a move, it would result in death or injury. Even the aftershocks of his battles were by no means something this group of Soul Kings and Soul Emperors could withstand.
At this moment, a large ship came from a distance, its lights brightly lit. The students of Shrek of course recognized it. It was the largest ferry on the moat. At this time, the ship was already full of people.
Some soul masters with spiritual-type martial souls had extremely good eyesight. They all looked far into the distance. On this ship, they saw at least six or seven members of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family, including the current old emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
The old emperor of the Sun Moon Empire had actually come to observe this grand event in person?
The vast majority of the young prodigies present were not native soul masters of the Sun Moon Empire. When they saw the old emperor in his dragon robe, their minds began to stir.
Of course, this was the territory of the Sun Moon Empire. No matter what the Sun Moon Empire was like to the outside world, they still had to give some face to His Majesty the Emperor.
At the position closest to the old emperor's side stood an old man with calm eyes. He was very tall, with a head of gray-white short hair standing on end. He was actually wearing a bright yellow long robe. This was a color of clothing that only members of the imperial family could wear.
He had been standing next to the old emperor, his face as calm as water, as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him. But if one observed carefully, one would find that an invisible layer of power was emanating from his body, enveloping the old emperor, just like the emperor's guardian.
Only the members of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family present knew this person's identity.
Kong Deming.
The Master of the Sun Moon Empire's Consecrated Hall, with a quarter of the imperial bloodline, loyal only to the imperial family. He himself was the number one soul engineer of the Sun Moon Empire.
He was also the one closest to being a Class 10 soul engineer.
That's right, the most powerful soul engineer in the Sun Moon Empire was not the Death God Douluo, Ye Xishui, but this powerful existence who was ranked second on the surface, but was actually number one.
Kong Deming was already over one hundred and fifty years old. He was the head of the Sun Moon Empire's many Class 9 soul engineers, and also a level ninety-four Titled Douluo. Few people knew that this level ninety-four Titled Douluo possessed twin martial souls. He was not only a powerful soul engineer but also a powerful soul master.
If not for the fact that he had dedicated most of his energy to researching soul tools, his achievements in the martial soul aspect would not necessarily have been inferior to Ultimate Douluo like Ye Xishui and Mu En.
Ye Xishui's research on soul tools was not deep; she was ultimately still a soul master. Many of the important components of her Death God soul tool were made by Kong Deming. Therefore, Ye Xishui had always been wary of Kong Deming. She knew very well how powerful this soul engineer who was closest to Class 10 was.
If Ye Xishui were to evaluate Kong Deming, she would use the four words "unfathomably deep." Because for at least fifty years, no one had seen Kong Deming make a move. No one knew how strong he really was. But whether it was the former Long Xiaoyao or Ye Xishui, when facing him, neither had the certainty of victory. From this point alone, his strength could not be underestimated.
Originally, Kong Deming did not appear in the Consecrated Hall. He had dedicated all his energy to the research of soul tools. It wasn't until he had recently successfully developed a humanoid soul tool that he reappeared in the public eye.
With Kong Deming by Xu Tianran's side, no Ultimate Douluo had the ability to threaten the life of this emperor.
As soon as Kong Deming stood out, the other soul engineers naturally released their own auras to coordinate with him. This was status! He was the true number one soul engineer of the Sun Moon Empire. Even the Dean of Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen, and Ye Yulin had to treat him with the etiquette of a disciple.
...
At the same time, from a distance, a procession of carriages had already arrived at a tall building of the new Shrek Academy. Escorted by a well-equipped soul engineer legion, they came before the railing. This procession of carriages was entirely golden. At the very front was a dragon chariot like a small palace, pulled by thirty-two horned scale horses. Following behind were guards and a large number of gorgeously dressed Sun Moon Empire officials in their official robes.
The dragon chariot stopped in front of the tall building's railing. The two maids standing on it lifted the curtain embroidered with a silver lotus pattern. Immediately after, a wheelchair was pushed out, on which sat a handsome young man.
This person was shockingly the current Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Tianran.
A dragon chariot was something only an emperor could ride! What Xu Tianran's public use of a dragon chariot meant was already obvious.
And the one pushing his wheelchair was, naturally, Gou Luanshi.
They looked down on all of this from the distant tall building, not appearing in the public eye—
...
"Paying respects to His Majesty the Emperor."
Below, apart from the royal soul engineer legion that was on duty, all the officials present knelt down and paid their respects to the current emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
Just as everyone was lost in thought, His Majesty the old emperor had already disembarked from the ferry with several white-haired old men and boarded the prepared elevator. As the elevator ascended, the young soul engineers of the Sun Moon Empire in the distance could see their old but vigorous emperor. Cheers immediately rose one after another. This emperor seemed to be very popular.
The ministers, naturally, did not have the privilege of an elevator. They ascended the high platform along the steps on one side of the venue.
The arrival of His Majesty the Emperor also meant that this grand blind date event was about to begin.
"Silence." A low voice suddenly sounded, and a powerful pressure instantly spread throughout the entire venue. The moment this voice appeared, everyone felt a darkness before their eyes, as if dark clouds were pressing down, and even their breathing became rapid. All the sounds of discussion instantly disappeared in this low voice. The several thousand prodigies in the entire venue and the viewing area instantly became completely silent. One could hear a pin drop.
What kind of strength was this? To be able to produce such a terrifying pressure! With his own power, he made tens of thousands of people tremble. Was this level of strength really something a soul master could achieve?
On the tall building, Gou Luanshi suddenly smiled, "Teacher Mu's strength has improved again."
"Lord Dragon God Douluo, has he really almost taken that step?" Xu Tianran's eyes became fiery. It was already a done deal that he would become the next emperor of the Sun Moon Empire. If he could obtain the blessing of a deity, what an honor that would be!
Ten thousand years ago, the Heaven Dou Empire's monarch of a generation, Xue Beng, wasn't it with the support of the Sea God Tang San that he had defeated the then-mighty Spirit Empire?
"Your Highness can offer your congratulations in advance." Gou Luanshi bowed slightly to him. The current Mu En was far stronger than the Sea God Tang San was before he became a god. He was just waiting for a god's seat to become vacant in the Divine Realm, and then Mu En could officially become a deity.
"Good, good, good!" Xu Tianran said "good" three times in a row, his face filled with excitement. He knew very well what a living deity meant for an empire.
At this time, the host of the blind date event, Xixi, cleared her throat. Her pleasant voice was transmitted outwards through an amplifying soul tool, reaching everyone's ears. If Mu En's voice was a display of ultimate strength, then Xixi's voice was a display of the high technology of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools.
"To all the young prodigies of the Sun Moon Empire and the continental prodigies who have come from afar, on behalf of the new Shrek Academy, I welcome you. At the same time, as a representative of the Sea God's Pavilion, I announce to you all: the grandest Sea God's Fate Blind Date Convention in history officially begins!"
A very simple opening speech, without any extra nonsense or grandiloquent official rhetoric. This was Shrek's traditional style: strength speaks for itself. In the eyes of the many young talents who were already eager to try, any more nonsense at this point would just be a waste of time.
"Long live Shrek, long live, long long live." The students of the new Shrek Academy cheered collectively. Although the academy had once suffered a great disaster, the fire of its legacy had never been extinguished!
On the tall building, Xu Tianran sat in his wheelchair, still with a smile on his face. But Gou Luanshi beside him understood that the Shrek students' cheers of "long live" should not be for the academy, especially not in front of the old emperor of the Sun Moon Empire and him, the future great emperor of Sun Moon.
This was a great taboo!
The newly built Shrek Academy was now heavily invested in by the Sun Moon Empire, making it an affiliated academy of the Sun Moon Empire. Such a slogan was truly a taboo.
"Your Highness, in the future, this humble servant will let these students know who they should be cheering 'long live' for." Gou Luanshi quickly knelt on the ground and pleaded guilty to Xu Tianran.
"No matter. Didn't that great monarch from ten thousand years ago also cheer for the Sea God Tang San, 'Long live the Blue Hao King'?" Xu Tianran waved his hand, his expression unchanged.
However, Gou Luanshi knew very well how cruel this Crown Prince's personality was. His words had already expressed a very clear meaning: if Mu En could not truly become a god, then Shrek would no longer have the qualification to be on equal footing with the Sun Moon Emperor. It would naturally lose its value and could only choose to submit.
Many people will ask where the protagonist has gone, and whether he will come to participate in the blind date. The author can only tell you that if he were here, it would pretty much be a concubine selection event. So I will make some arrangements for these supporting characters, because there are many people in this arc, and the protagonist might be offline for a while.