Watching Yu Xiaogang and his group hurry away, Qin Ming stepped out to stabilize the situation.
"It seems Teacher Yu Xiaogang is feeling a bit unwell. I hope he takes care of his health."
The crowd, who had already laughed their fill, burst into another round of laughter upon hearing Qin Ming's words, which sounded earnest yet carried a hint of insinuation. Qin Ming felt a bit awkward, but once the laughter subsided, he immediately announced the next segment.
"Next, I would like to invite the first Dean of the Empire Academy and the first captain of the Empire Team to the stage to speak."
The crowd below was momentarily confused upon hearing the unfamiliar name "Empire Academy"—it was a title they had never heard, and it sounded far too grand! However, when they saw Xue Qinghe and Yun Ming rise from the front row, they seemed to understand. An academy founded by the Crown Prince?!
After taking the stage, Xue Qinghe looked out at the representatives of the various academies in Heaven Dou and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Hello everyone, I am Xue Qinghe."
"However, I do not stand here today in the capacity of the Crown Prince, but as a peer among you, and as the Dean of the Empire Academy, to meet with you all."
"I hope that in the future, the Empire Academy can coexist peacefully and prosper alongside the other academies in Heaven Dou City!"
As soon as Xue Qinghe finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Once the applause died down slightly, Xue Qinghe continued.
"The academy has not yet been officially established; today is merely a greeting. However, the Empire Academy will be participating in the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."
"Below, I invite our Empire Team captain, Yun Ming, to say a few words."
Another wave of applause swept through the hall. Yun Ming pressed his hands down slightly and spoke in a calm tone.
"I am the captain of the Empire Team, Yun Ming."
"After the farce that just occurred, I imagine you all have some impression of me."
"As the captain of the Empire Team, there isn't much else to say. I can only tell you one thing."
At this point, Yun Ming's tone became slightly more serious.
"The goal of the Empire Team is nothing but the championship."
The crowd below felt Yun Ming's iron-willed determination to win and was moved. After a brief silence, thunderous applause broke out once more.
Meanwhile, outside the auditorium.
No sooner had Liu Erlong left the auditorium than she felt a surge of peculiar energy wash over her, pulling her directly into an illusion.
Liu Erlong immediately sensed something was wrong and was about to resist when she heard a voice.
"Dean Liu, please don't be anxious. I mean no harm."
"I invited you here because I have something to discuss."
At the same time, an old man in white soul master robes appeared before Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong's brows furrowed, and she said with some impatience.
"Who are you, and what do you want with me?"
The old man introduced himself and explained his purpose.
"I am Shi Nian, Vice Dean of the Blue Sunshine Academy."
"I have come specifically to offer Dean Liu some assistance."
Liu Erlong's eyes narrowed, and she spoke with a hint of vigilance.
"What could I possibly need your help with?"
Shi Nian said in a deep voice.
"I can kill Yun Ming, but I need you to contribute a little effort."
Before coming here, Shi Nian and his group had already finalized the general plan, but the specific execution depended on the situation on the ground. Now that he had planned everything out, he only lacked a little leverage. And here, the leverage had arrived.
Liu Erlong was surprised to hear that the other party had come to kill Yun Ming, as the occasion today was highly inappropriate. However, after hearing the plan and seeing how confident he was of success, she didn't mind playing along with his act.
Inside the auditorium, the soul master teaching seminar had reached its conclusion, and Qin Ming began his closing remarks.
"Today's soul master teaching seminar has come to a successful end. Thank you all."
"Please exit the hall in an orderly fashion and head to the banquet hall to enjoy the exquisite lunch prepared for you by the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Afterward, Xue Qinghe, Yun Ming, and the others in the front row stood up and headed out first, with everyone else following behind.
But as soon as Yun Ming and Xue Qinghe reached the outside of the auditorium, they heard a gloomy, mocking voice ring out.
"What a pity! You're a beautiful woman with decent strength, so why are your eyes so blind at such a young age? Treating such a useless man like a treasure—have you never seen a man before?"
Hearing Shi Nian mock her and her Xiaogang to her face, Liu Erlong was instantly incensed. She suddenly felt she might have been deceived; Shi Nian didn't want to deal with Yun Ming—he just wanted to insult her and her Xiaogang in front of her without offending her. But she had no proof, so she could only harden her heart, hoping he wasn't lying to her, or else she would make him pay.
If Shi Nian could hear Liu Erlong's inner thoughts, he would give her a negative answer. An old man doesn't make choices; he wants both. His primary goal was indeed to kill Yun Ming, but his insults toward Liu Erlong were also genuinely felt.
Only to hear Liu Erlong let out a roar of genuine fury.
"You old scoundrel, how dare you insult Xiaogang!"
Yun Ming, Qian Renxue, and the other onlookers behind them: "..."
Even Shi Nian, who was acting with Liu Erlong, was a bit stunned. Wasn't he the primary target of his insults? How did she only hear him insulting Yu Xiaogang? Had she become so foolish from being in love?
Fortunately, everyone else had similar expressions of shock, so Shi Nian's momentary astonishment didn't seem out of place. Soon, Shi Nian reacted and added with a face full of sincerity.
"I seem to have misjudged you. You and that incompetent man really are a perfect match. Brainless paired with incompetent—it's just right!"
Seeing the expression on Shi Nian's face, Liu Erlong felt her fists tighten. She was now certain that the old geezer across from her was genuinely cursing her and insulting her feelings from the bottom of his heart. She exploded.
With a furious roar, Liu Erlong activated her Fire Dragon Martial Soul Avatar, and seven Spirit Rings appeared beneath her feet one by one. She stomped hard against the ground, causing the earth to crack, and launched herself toward Shi Nian like a flaming meteor.
"Go to hell, you old bastard!"
Seeing that this foolish woman was actually getting serious, Shi Nian cursed under his breath about how "unreliable" this was, but it was fine—it gave him the perfect excuse to go all out.
Seven Spirit Rings appeared beneath Shi Nian's feet as well, and a transparent, blurry phantom manifested above his head.
Shi Nian's Martial Soul was the Remaining Dream, a special, intangible Martial Soul. It could generate various illusions, causing people to lose themselves within their own minds.
Shi Nian's seventh Spirit Ring lit up, and an invisible ripple emanated from him, enveloping everyone present.
Shi Nian's seventh spirit skill was Nightmare. Its effect was to manifest the thing a person feared most in their heart, torturing their consciousness until they suffered a mental breakdown. In the original timeline, Tang God King had been hit by Nightmare and suffered a brutal ordeal.
The remaining two teachers from Canghui Academy, seeing the battle erupt, immediately activated their Martial Souls to support their Vice Dean. The two committee members from Heaven Dou Royal Academy prepared to intervene and stop the fighting, while Yang Wudi, who was protecting Yun Ming and Xue Qinghe from the shadows, and the Soul Douluo powerhouses within the palace also summoned their Martial Souls to guard against any unforeseen events.
But just as they summoned their Martial Souls, the entire scene was affected by Nightmare, and everyone fell into a brief trance.
Meng Shenji was not present today. Since Tang Yuehua wanted Shi Nian's help, Meng Shenji naturally could not be allowed to stay.
Meng Shenji had been lured away by Tang Yuehua and Shi Nian using a "luring the tiger from the mountain" strategy. As for the specific method, Shi Nian had driven a high-ranking noble insane yesterday, and Tang Yuehua had helped report the news to the royal family more quickly, so the task of investigation naturally fell to the specialized Meng Shenji.
It didn't take long—only a breath or two—before those Soul Douluo powerhouses regained their senses. The first to wake were Zhi Lin and Yang Wudi. Once Zhi Lin came to, he immediately channeled his Soul Power and shouted at Xue Qinghe and Yun Ming.
"Wake up!"
Qian Renxue, Yun Ming, and the others awakened. Yang Wudi and the palace powerhouses immediately appeared to check on the condition of Xue Qinghe and Yun Ming. The members of Canghui Academy continued to head toward their Vice Dean.
After the two committee members received confirmation from the palace guards that Xue Qinghe was unharmed, Bai Baoshan flew into a rage. He bellowed at Shi Nian and Liu Erlong.
"How bold!!!"
"To dare disturb the Crown Prince!"
With a Soul Douluo intervening, Liu Erlong and Shi Nian naturally could not continue their fight. Liu Erlong had been snapped out of it by that shout, and Shi Nian, appearing to have just realized what he had done, hurriedly bowed to Xue Qinghe to apologize.
"I was impatient and acted recklessly in the presence of the Crown Prince. I beg for your punishment!"
His attitude was sincere, his etiquette was perfect, and he even revealed a slight flaw—Shi Nian had clearly rehearsed this.
Qian Renxue had only been dazed for a moment, and seeing that everyone else seemed to be in the same boat with no real losses, she had no reason to severely punish a Soul Saint powerhouse. She could only speak up and let the matter slide.
"Enough. Considering no damage was done, this matter ends here. However, if there is a next time..."
"I will not show mercy!"
Only Yun Ming glanced at Shi Nian and the others without changing his expression. So, the target of this play was him after all.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader