Douluo Continent: Huo Yuhao obtains the Flame Emperor template

Chapter 171 Xuanzi Brings Back Good News from the Sea God Pavilion

After discussing with everyone, Jing Hongchen felt that using Xuanzi to lead the team would increase their bargaining power in future negotiations, which was a pretty good approach. So he began writing a reply to the Sea God Pavilion.

His reply was also very serious:

We heard that Xuanzi led a team to eliminate evil soul masters a few days ago. Due to inadequate soul-guiding equipment, three students were killed in battle, resulting in heavy casualties, which is heartbreaking! We deeply appreciate the difficulties Xuanzi faced in leading the team... We have also given your school's suggestion a comprehensive consideration.

Dedicated to breaking through the technological barriers of humanoid soul tools as soon as possible, and through cooperation, mutual benefit, and technological innovation, we have decided to launch Project Experiment One and invite Shrek Academy to participate.

[Considering the limitations of your university's soul guidance technology, we are willing to provide technical expertise and research personnel. However, we require your university to establish a Sun and Moon Branch Campus to facilitate long-term and positive cooperation. As a token of our sincerity, we are enclosing half a blueprint of a level-nine soul guidance component from Experimental Subject No. 1.]

With a gentle smile on her face, Jing Hongchen finished writing her reply to the Sea God Pavilion.

"Haha, once the round-robin tournament begins, we can just hand it over to Xuanzi and have him take it back to the Sea God Pavilion."

Jing Hongchen chuckled contentedly twice, then put the reply he had written into the invitation letter sent to him by the Sea God Pavilion.

Immediately, he took out a technical drawing from his storage soul tool.

It is a blueprint for one of the parts of Experiment 1.

Of course, this part is just a peripheral component of Experiment 1, far inferior to the core technology blueprints, but it's still enough to confuse Shrek Academy.

You should know that their Sun Moon Empire had all the level nine soul masters working together for countless years to get the half-finished result we have today. With the level of Shrek Academy's soul masters, they probably wouldn't understand it even after hundreds of years.

Although Jing Hongchen has started researching mechs and battle armor, he has become somewhat dismissive of humanoid soul tools.

His research focus shifted from humanoid soul tools to battle armor.

However, the blueprints for even a small component of Experiment Subject No. 1 still demonstrate a level of scientific and technological sophistication that Shrek Academy's level eight Soul Masters could hardly match.

"Sizzle..."

Jing Hongchen casually tore the drawing in half and put one half into the invitation.

He said cheerfully, "Elder Ye, is there anything else you need to add? If not, we'll just hand it over to Xuanzi when we participate in the round-robin tournament."

Ye Yulin pondered for a moment, then shook her head with a smile: "That's fine, Master Hongchen, you handled it very well."

They've already taken a significant lead, starting research on mechs and battle armor. As for this humanoid soul tool, let Shrek Academy handle that for now.

Jing Hongchen laughed and said, "Yuhao's idea is the best. If Shrek Academy wants to develop soul tools, this is the only solution."

……

Three days have passed since the elimination rounds ended, and the round-robin stage of this Soul Master Tournament is about to begin.

Under the official operation of the Star Luo Competition, the academy teams that ranked at the bottom in overall strength in the previous Soul Master Competition were all eliminated.

Jing Hongchen led a group of students to Xingluo Square, the preparation area.

After the knockout stage, the 67 teams that advanced each had their own designated rest area in the preparation zone.

Shrek Academy, as the champion of the previous Soul Master Competition, naturally had the most luxurious rest area, with two rows of luxurious chairs and sofas, as well as dedicated waiters who treated them like VIPs.

Xuanzi remained as carefree as ever, leisurely drinking wine and eating chicken legs, occasionally glancing at the area of ​​the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

After all, Elder Mu personally brought the envelope and invitation to Xingluo City, so this matter deserves our attention.

Wang Yan sat on the sofa and arranged the round-robin tournament for his disciples: "In the following round-robin tournaments, we can no longer focus solely on visual spectacle like we did in the opening match."

"The round-robin format is flexible and varied. We must go all out, adapt as quickly as possible, and win every round-robin match. Do you understand?"

Hearing his disciples confidently reply, "Understood!", Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction.

"That's good. Let's arrange the tactics for the round-robin tournament next."

Wang Yan gathered together the starting players Ling Luochen and Dai Yueheng, as well as the reserve players, and began to explain his tactical arrangements.

"After the first round of elimination, 67 teams have advanced, including many outstanding ones."

"All teams will be divided into eight groups, with five groups having eight teams each and the other three groups having nine teams each. A points system will be used, with two points awarded for each win, no points for a loss, and one point for a draw."

Wang Yan explained the requirements for qualifying from the round-robin tournament to everyone: within the same group, the final accumulated points must reach the top two in the group to advance.

He stated that Shrek Academy, as the champion of the previous Soul Master Competition, would typically be grouped into one of the nine teams to demonstrate its dominance as the number one academy on the continent.

However, after Xuan Lao and Xu Jiawei optimized the matchmaking mechanism for the Shrek team this time, they will be assigned to a group of eight teams with one less member.

Wang Yan's expression relaxed slightly: "In the round-robin stage, there will be three battle modes: team battles, individual matches, and 2-2-3 formations. The mode for each team's match will be determined by drawing lots on-site."

He briefly explained the three modes. Team battles, needless to say, are similar to a seven-on-seven elimination tournament.

A one-on-one elimination tournament is essentially sending out one student to fight one-on-one.

If you win, you continue to challenge the other members of the opposing team; if you lose, you are replaced, until one side concedes defeat or all seven members of the team are eliminated.

Wang Yan mainly talked about the third mode: "The 2-2-3 mode sounds very flexible. In reality, it is two 2-on-2 matches and one 3-on-3 match, with a best-of-three format, so the lineup can be matched more cleverly."

Although their Shrek team suffered heavy losses this year, two Soul Kings, Ling Luochen and Dai Yueheng, are able to participate.

The official Star Luo team tried to match them with equally matched opponents, based on the level of the reserve team, and even assigned the seeded team to Sun and Moon, so they were sure to win.

What Wang Yan needs to do is to create the most reasonable lineup to give the audience a visual effect of "no less impressive than in previous years".

"Elder Xuan, do you have anything else to say regarding the arrangements for the round-robin tournament?"

Wang Yan asked politely, but did not want Elder Xuan to offer any suggestions.

Xuanzi, as he wished, shook his wine gourd and said in a deep voice, "Little Wang, with the matching mechanism optimized by me and Jiawei, you can rest assured to let the children show their martial spirit abilities on the field."

Shrek's eternal glory was greatly enhanced by the astonishing wisdom he displayed during his discussions with Xu Jiawei.

This even gave Xuanzi a sense of pride in saving a collapsing edifice and preventing a catastrophic disaster.

When Wang Yan saw Elder Xuan's expression, his lips twitched. But since it was best that Xuanzi didn't offer any suggestions, he couldn't say anything. He could only say, "Elder Xuan has exceptional foresight."

At this moment, a subtle fluctuation came from the space of Shrek Academy's preparation area.

With his hands behind his back, Jing Hongchen slowly walked towards Xuanzi and sighed, "It's really putting the Sea God Pavilion in a difficult position to let you handle this matter."

He is now certain that the highest decision-maker at Shrek Academy is not Xuanzi, but someone else, whose strength is likely much greater than his, and who is able to suppress the trigger-type level nine soul-guided cannon to a certain extent.

Xuanzi snorted softly, not understanding what Jing Hongchen meant, and remained noncommittal.

"You don't need to worry about how I handle things. You should focus more on the students' competitions. Don't let this year's students not even get second place."

Wang Yan immediately became alert upon seeing Jing Hongchen arrive.

Xuanzi waved his hand, telling everyone not to panic. Elder Mu's arrangements for the Soul Guidance Department were related to Jing Hongchen, and the two sides still needed to discuss it further.

He tossed aside the chicken leg he had just finished sucking on and looked Jing Hongchen up and down.

A few days ago, Xuanzi gave the envelope and invitation to the other party, presumably he had already read them. Now that he has come to him, he must have made a decision in his heart.

Xuanzi maintained his arrogant demeanor. After all, in his view, the invitation to exchange and learn from the Martial Soul Department of the number one academy on the continent was an opportunity that many academies longed for but could not obtain. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy would never refuse.

They possess a martial spirit cultivation method with ten thousand years of history, all of which is the essence, something the other party must have long yearned for.

Xuanzi, with an arrogant expression, casually inquired, "How was it, Master of the Red Dust Hall?"

"Our Sea God Pavilion's proposal will greatly benefit the development of your Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and the field of Martial Soul. After the competition, how many exchange students have you decided to send?"

Xuanzi gave off an attitude that said, "You should cherish this cooperation. If you send too many, we won't be able to teach them all."

Jing Hongchen flipped his right hand and took out an invitation from his storage soul tool: "Cooperation is possible."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzi couldn't help but let out another arrogant snort. Jing Hongchen had indeed fallen for Shrek Academy's advanced teaching methods.

Jing Hongchen changed the subject, not directly telling Xuanzi that he wanted to establish a Sun Moon branch campus at Shrek Academy, since Xuanzi wasn't the ultimate decision-maker. He calmly said, "It's just in a different form. I believe the Sea God Pavilion will be satisfied."

Xuanzi was taken aback: "What form? Exchanging studies with our Shrek Academy is already an immense stroke of luck, and you actually have your own ideas?"

He felt that this was something Jing Hongchen shouldn't have done.

If the student exchange between the two sides proceeds smoothly, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy will benefit greatly. Jing Hongchen has even made some demands.

Jing Hongchen smiled mysteriously and said casually, "Actually, I don't have any big ideas. It's just about having another school."

He handed out the invitation: "Xuanzi, I have already written a reply. Take it back, and the Sea God Pavilion will understand."

"What do you mean, one more school...?"

Xuanzi muttered to himself, took the invitation, narrowed his eyes, and said seriously:

"Master of the Red Dust Hall, you wouldn't be thinking of getting other academies in your Sun Moon Empire to join forces with Shrek Academy for this student exchange program, would you?"

Xuanzi sneered: "Heh, don't even think about it. The other academies of Sun Moon Academy don't even have that qualification."

"This collaboration with your Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is also because I think you are quite good in the field of soul guidance. In the process of exchanging ideas, I am giving you an opportunity to strengthen your martial soul domain."

If it weren't for the incident where the team was blown up by the Grim Reaper, he wouldn't have bothered to give the Sun and Moon Team a second glance.

Only if Elder Mu had said that he had been to Sun Moon and sensed a large war machine that could threaten his life, otherwise, where would the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy have the opportunity to offer exchange students?

Jing Hongchen smiled nonchalantly and said calmly, "Alright, Xuanzi, there's no point in saying anything more to you."

"Take this letter back with you. After the people of the Sea God Pavilion read it, they should give my proposal a comprehensive consideration."

Xuanzi disdained to talk to Jing Hongchen, who had taken advantage of their Martial Soul System and was still putting on a brave face.

Xuan Lao naturally wouldn't peek at Jing Hongchen's reply to Elder Mu.

He flicked his dirty sleeves, took the invitation letter that Jing Hongchen had returned to him, strode out of Xingluo Square, then concealed his aura, transformed into a streak of earth-yellow light, and flew towards Shrek Academy.

Jing Hongchen's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked at Xuanzi. If the other party was the highest decision-maker of Shrek Academy, then his move to establish the Sun and Moon branch campus was quite significant.

Perhaps with Xuanzi's vigorous development of Shrek Academy, he could actually cause the academy to split up.

Jing Hongchen put his hands behind his back again, adopting an air of superiority, and ignored Wang Yan and the others, returning directly to the Sun and Moon's preparation area.

Xiao Hongchen was still lamenting, "Tell me, the Shrek Academy team had three members killed by that fifth-ring evil soul master. What face do they have to ask us for exchange and learning?"

"I just can't figure it out!" Ma Rulong shook his head, sounding somewhat annoyed at his son's lack of ambition.

Xiao Hongchen said with great interest: "Yuhao, it's time for you to use your mental detection to help me unleash a wave of Soul Guidance Cannon attacks in the 2-2-3 format of the round-robin tournament."

Di Ruiqiu and Meng Hongchen each tossed their blonde and silver hair, saying happily, "Let us handle the individual elimination rounds, so Wang Dong can clearly see the difference in strength."

Huo Yuhao readily agreed: "You two can take turns in one-on-one fights, I can support Brother Xiao in 2-2-3 mode, and I'll practice the Flame Dividing Wave Ruler in team battles."

Jing Hongchen was quite satisfied with the arrangement and waved his hand, "Haha, good! You guys can give it your all in this Soul Master Competition. The Shrek Academy team is no longer at its peak. It's time for our generation to usher in the era of Sun and Moon Glory."

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

Xuanzi's earth-yellow light slowly descended. He tidied his appearance outside the Sea God Pavilion, then entered the pavilion clutching the invitation.

Although he appeared disdainful in front of Jing Hongchen, Xuanzi was still a little excited after completing the task assigned by Elder Mu.

"Elder Mu, good news! Judging from Jing Hongchen's expression, he seems to have agreed to cooperate."

Old Master Mu sat in a wheelchair woven from rattan, his eyes slightly open, radiating a few rays of light. His voice was unreadable, his tone calm: "Xuanzi, are the Sun and Moon side willing to exchange and learn from each other?"

"Hmm, Jing Hongchen really couldn't resist Shrek Academy's ability to cultivate martial souls. Everything's going smoothly!"

Xuanzi was in high spirits and handed the invitation to Elder Mu.

(End of this chapter)