The next day, everyone gathered.
Arthur stared at Gu Yue with a strange look, only to find her perfectly calm. She even gave him a puzzled glance back.
Woman, you have caught my interest.
Arthur admitted it. That contrast was exciting.
Na'er watched the two of them, who in her eyes were making eyes at each other, with suspicion. She had a bad feeling.
Wu Changkong saw that everyone was there and warned them, "Do not go too wild these next two days. Star Luo City is holding the Continental Young Senior Soul Master Elite Tournament."
"The academy has already signed you up. There is an individual event, a team event, mecha events, and more. Which ones you enter is up to you."
"One reminder. The final champion of the individual event gets a soul bone. For team events, the seven person team winners each get a piece of soul-forged metal. The two-on-two winners get a ten-thousand-year spirit item. The mecha champion gets a black-level mecha, and second and third place get purple-level mecha."
"Also, if any of you wins the individual championship, the academy will reward you with another soul bone."
The reaction was flat.
Xie Xie curled his lip and spoke for everyone. "A soul bone, huh."
"Good stuff, but useless. It will end up as Arthur's anyway. No one can beat him."
At the mention of soul bones, Xu Xiaoyan touched the back of her hand and giggled. Hidden underneath was the Darkgold Dreadclaw Arthur had given her.
On the third day, the Star Luo emperor would personally receive the delegation.
The formal reception was in the evening, followed by a grand state banquet. Everyone had to attend in formal dress.
Since this was state level business, Arthur gave them face. He did not show up in slippers and short sleeves like before. He wore casual pants instead.
Near evening, ornate courtesy cars lined up outside the Star Luo Hotel to take the Douluo Continent delegation.
For Shrek Academy, Zhuo Shi was without question the honored guest, and Arthur went with him.
The other students followed Wu Changkong and joined the rest of the delegation, boarding cars in groups for the palace.
The Star Luo Imperial Palace stood at the very center of Star Luo City, rebuilt to match the old Star Luo palace from the Douluo Continent.
The royal family name was Dai. Its most famous figure through the ages was Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao.
In this era, the name Dai made people think of Huo Yuhao, since he was born into the Dai family.
And Huo Yuhao had later changed his name back to Dai Yuhao. Sigh.
Before the palace, horns sounded long and the grand state ritual began.
A red carpet ran from the palace gate to the center of the square.
The Douluo Continent delegation was led by a Federation vice-chairman, with several senior councilors and important figures like Zhuo Shi alongside him.
Oh, and Arthur was in there too.
"Boom!"
Salute cannons fired one after another, pushing the ceremony to its peak.
A middle aged man in a rich robe and golden crown handed the state letter to the Federation vice-chairman. The two sides were exchanging letters of credence.
That was the Star Luo emperor, Dai Tianling.
Arthur stood right behind the vice-chairman. He had even gotten Gu Yue to help style him, which made him look more charming still.
Among all the old men, he was the best looking one there.
Style wise, at least.
The old men traded empty pleasantries. Dai Tianling shook hands with the Douluo delegation leaders one by one.
When he got to Arthur, Dai Tianling froze for a beat.
Arthur was too young. He looked even younger than Dai Tianling's daughter.
Yet this boy had been placed right behind the Federation vice-chairman, standing shoulder to shoulder with Federation councilors and Shrek leaders.
"And this is?" Dai Tianling looked at the Federation vice-chairman.
The vice-chairman introduced him at once. "Your Majesty, this is Arthur, a student of Shrek Academy."
"A student?" Dai Tianling was even more confused.
Arthur saluted. "More precisely, I am the dean of Shrek's outer court."
Dai Tianling was thrown. He could not help looking at Zhuo Shi.
Was this Red Dragon Douluo not the dean?
Zhuo Shi felt awkward under that stare.
The last dean had shamelessly attacked Arthur and been soundly beaten. To save her life, Ya Li had given Arthur her position and resources as compensation. That was not easy to explain.
He gave a light cough. "Cough. More or less."
"So young and accomplished." Dai Tianling looked at Arthur with new weight.
"You flatter me." Arthur said modestly, "I just have good connections at home."
The air went still for half a second.
Zhuo Shi nearly choked on his own spit.
The Federation vice-chairman's mouth twitched.
Dai Tianling paused, then laughed. "Dean Arthur is certainly honest."
He studied Arthur, though his look grew more complicated. To talk like that on an occasion like this, the boy either had real backing or no brains at all.
And the boy before him was clearly not the second kind.
Just then, a commotion broke out below the platform.
Everyone looked over together.
Tang Wulin was erupting with soul power. Blue Silver Grass vines burst out of the ground and spread wildly in every direction.
The next moment, dozens of figures shot in from all sides. One of them moved extremely fast and appeared before Tang Wulin in the blink of an eye.
Tang Wulin still had no idea what was happening, and more Blue Silver Grass vines surged out.
"Wait!" Wu Changkong flashed forward as team leader and planted himself between Tang Wulin and that figure.
Two waves of soul power crashed together. Wu Changkong was forced back two steps, while the other person flipped in midair and hovered.
At the same time, countless soul-guided devices locked on to Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin finally woke up fully. He looked around blankly and asked on instinct, "Did someone not just yell about a killing?"
Wu Changkong's temple throbbed. He shot Tang Wulin a hard glare. "What killing? Are you dreaming yourself stupid?"
As team leader, Wu Changkong had noticed Tang Wulin dozing off, but he had let it go. He never thought it would cause this.
His bad friend Xie Xie could not hold back a laugh and gloated. "You get jumpy from a dream on an occasion like this? You are done for."
By now the Star Luo royal guards had surrounded them.
A steady older man barked, "What happened?"
Even with Wu Changkong's calm, he had a headache now.
He could hardly say their own student had sleepwalked through a state ritual and mistaken the salute cannons and shouting for an assassination.
But if he did not explain it clearly, and they were taken for trying to assassinate the emperor, the trouble would be enormous.
"Damn it! It must be evil soul masters at work!" Arthur's voice rang out across the restless square, angry and certain.
In that moment, Tang Wulin and Wu Changkong heard it like heavenly music.
Dai Tianling frowned and shifted his gaze from Tang Wulin to Arthur. "Evil soul masters?"
Arthur knew the truth perfectly well. His gaze swept past Dai Tianling to the girl standing composed behind him in palace dress, graceful and quiet.
The daughter of Dai Tianling, Dai Yun'er.
Right now she was holding back a laugh.