Ye Wen naturally noticed Jing Hongchen's gaze but remained indifferent.
A relic of a bygone era, doomed to fade into obscurity—should he dare stand in Huo Yuer's way in the future, it would be nothing short of courting death. There was no need to waste words on a dead man walking.
Jing Hongchen had realized that the soul-guided armor crafted by Ye Wen surpassed this era by an entire generation because he finally noticed that Huo Yuer's armor hadn't been summoned from a storage-type soul tool. Instead, like a soul bone, it had emerged from her body before fusing with her.
None of the original Douluo Three Kingdoms' representatives noticed this detail, and even some Level 8 soul engineers failed to see it. Only Jing Hongchen, the seasoned Level 9 soul engineer and head of Mingde Hall, discerned the anomaly.
While equipping multiple storage-type soul tools and simultaneously triggering them could theoretically achieve a similar effect, Huo Yuer clearly wasn't wearing enough storage-type soul tools to account for such a display. This further confirmed Jing Hongchen's suspicions.
As for misjudgment, it was entirely impossible—Jing Hongchen had absolute confidence in his observational skills.
However, the more he recognized the technological sophistication of this soul-guided armor, the more agitated he became. The Sun Moon Empire's ability to rival the Douluo Three Kingdoms despite controlling less than half the continent's landmass stemmed entirely from their superior soul-guided technology. Yet now, a transcendent entity like this had appeared.
"No—it's imperative that this soul-guided armor technology falls into the hands of the Sun Moon Empire. Otherwise, regardless of the cost, we must eliminate this Tianxing Douluo, Tianxing Academy, and everything related to this soul-guided armor!"
Jing Hongchen erupted with a surge of murderous intent, but upon realizing Ye Wen was nearby, he swiftly suppressed it.
He understood well the principle of patience in achieving greater goals, yet the restlessness in his heart couldn't be fully concealed in his eyes.
Ye Wen glanced at him with amusement before turning his attention back to his prized disciple's solo performance. After all, Ye Wen wasn't like Ye Xishui from the original timeline, who had underestimated soul tools and met his end in an explosion.
On the contrary, Ye Wen knew the true power of those Level 9 soul-guided missiles and was also aware that the Sun Moon Empire harbored a deeply hidden Level 10 soul engineer.
But Ye Wen wasn't merely a newly ascended Level 100 divine official—he was a supremely powerful God King, albeit in avatar form, wielding most of the might of a peak 150-level Ultimate God King.
Should the Sun Moon Empire dare to act aggressively, things would become truly interesting.
At that point, Ye Wen wouldn't resist—instead, he'd simply vanish without a trace, leaving the stage entirely to Huo Yuer.
And once the Sun Moon Empire's true strength was revealed, they would inevitably become the common enemy of the Douluo Three Kingdoms. After all, possessing a Level 10 soul engineer was far beyond acceptable limits.
When that day came, chaos would surely descend upon the land.
And when that happened, it would be Huo Yuer's time to shine as the destined child of fate.
Meanwhile, on the arena stage, Huo Yuer felt a sense of boredom. All her carefully planned battle preparations had gone to waste. Under the overwhelming dominance of Level 70 soul power, her opponents—no stronger than Level 6 soul engineers—were utterly defeated.
Without a doubt, the final victory of this match belonged to Tianxing Academy.
In the stands, the two princesses gazed at Huo Yuer, who had reverted to her youthful appearance, their eyes gleaming with admiration.
Though they had always heard Ye Wen mention that he had prepared trump cards for their senior disciples, the two princesses initially dismissed it, assuming they were merely powerful self-created soul skills or soul bones. But to think it was actually such a formidable soul-guided armor!
Unlike Jiang Nannan and the others, these two princesses had received elite education since childhood. Though they possessed a noble sense of kindness, they also carried the broader perspective of royalty.
They understood what this soul-guided armor meant for their nations.
Faced with a superpowerhouse at Level 99, they knew their limits.
What was rightfully theirs would eventually come; what wasn't, no amount of forcing would achieve—only earning Ye Wen's disdain in the process.
Perhaps Xu Jiujiu's and the other girl's gazes were too intense, for Huo Yuer grew increasingly uncomfortable and tugged lightly at Ye Wen's sleeve for help.
Though Ye Wen had initially wanted to savor Huo Yuer's awkward little expressions, he ultimately relented under her soft, persistent plea.
"Rest assured—as your master, I treat you all equally. However, once you accept this soul-guided armor, you'll be bound to me completely~"
With these words, Ye Wen's eyes took on a profound, meaningful glint.
"Think it over carefully. Before 9 PM on the night we win the championship, come find me if you wish.
But I won't force you to come.
Regardless of the future, since you've acknowledged me as your master, I will protect you."
The two girls stared at Ye Wen's back as he continued watching the match, momentarily stunned. They exchanged glances, feeling as though all their hidden thoughts had been laid bare before him.
Ye Wen's gaze and words carried subtle implications, yet remained frustratingly vague.
Confusion flickered in their eyes as they resolved to return and carefully consider how to respond to this gift from Ye Wen.
They sensed that this decision would mark a pivotal turning point—not only for themselves but also for the royal families behind them.
As expected, Shrek defeated their opponent and advanced alongside Tianxing Academy to the final stage.
This marked the unprecedented occasion where the Sun Moon team could only secure third place.
The members of the Sun Moon team were utterly disheartened. They couldn't fathom how a monstrous entity like Tianxing Academy had suddenly appeared.
If Tianxing Academy continued participating in the Soul Master Tournament in the future, the Sun Moon Empire would likely remain perpetually stuck in third place—a humiliation too great to bear.
However, only the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen noticed that their grandfather had disappeared somewhere.
Fate had intervened—this time, Xuan Zi hadn't come, allowing Jing Hongchen to slip away unnoticed.
After all, the shock brought by Huo Yuer was simply too terrifying.
Ever since Jing Hongchen began pondering Huo Yuer's soul-guided armor, the more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became.
It was common knowledge that none of the Sun Moon Empire's Title Douluo had broken through to Level 95 to become Super Douluo.
Yet, with the aid of Level 9 soul tools, even Jing Hongchen at Level 94 could confidently face Xuan Zi.
The sheer terror of a soul-guided armor capable of forcibly elevating a Soul Elder to Soul Sage levels spoke for itself. But did this also mean that Ye Wen possessed soul-guided armors capable of enhancing Title Douluo-level combatants? That would be absolutely horrifying!
Though the number of Limit Douluo in the Douluo Three Kingdoms was limited, there were plenty of Super Douluo. If these armors enhanced them, where would that leave the Sun Moon Empire?
After all, even a single level increase for a Super Douluo made an astronomical difference.
The Sun Moon Empire needed to act swiftly before this information spread!
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