Chapter 190: Moment of Silence

Early the next morning, the sun rose over a clear day in Star Luo Plaza.

"Good morning and welcome everyone back to the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament!" the announcer's voice boomed across the arena, igniting the crowd into a wave of cheers and excitement.

The atmosphere was electric, with banners from various academies fluttering in the wind and spectators eagerly anticipating the battles ahead.

There was a brief pause as the announcer continued, in a solemn voice, "As most of you have already known, a grave incident occurred in Star Luo City a few days."

"What was supposed to be a festive night for citizens and tourists alike—turned into a nightmare, as an army of undead wreaked havoc within the city."

The crowd fell silent, the weight of the announcer's words settling over the arena.

Many had heard rumors, but hearing the official acknowledgment brought the gravity of the event to the forefront of everyone's minds.

"Due to such a grave incident, we had no choice but to postpone the tournament for a short while in order to lead an investigation and ensure the safety everyone," the announcer continued, his voice heavy with the weight of recent events.

The announcer closed their eyes and said, "Everyone, Your Majesty, the Emperor has something to say to you all."

The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire rose from his seat, his usual radiant and commanding presence noticeably dimmed by the weight of the recent tragedy.

His eyes, once filled with confidence and authority, now held a somber glint as he stepped forward to address the gathered crowd.

"Citizens of Star Luo, esteemed guests, and competitors of the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament," he began, his voice steady yet grave. "We have all suffered a great loss. What should have been a time of celebration and unity was marred by an unprecedented tragedy. The undead attack that ravaged our beloved city left a scar on all of us."

The Emperor paused, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of faces in the crowd. "But we are not a people who falter in the face of adversity. We are strong, resilient, and united. Together, we will heal, we will rebuild, and we will ensure that such an atrocity never happens again."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "I want to assure everyone that we have taken the necessary steps to investigate this incident thoroughly. Measures have been put in place to guarantee the safety of all citizens and visitors. I also extend my deepest condolences to the families of those we have lost. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten."

There was a brief moment of silence as the crowd absorbed the Emperor's words, their quiet resolve palpable.

The Emperor raised his hands and said, "Out of respect for those who have passed and their grieving families, we will now hold a moment of silence."

The entire arena fell into a hush. Thousands of spectators, competitors, and officials alike bowed their heads in a somber tribute to those who had fallen during the tragic event.

The usually bustling and energetic atmosphere was replaced with a heavy silence, only the soft rustle of banners in the wind could be heard.

The Emperor opened his eyes and swiped his right hand, his majestic robe fluttering. "Now, as a testament to our resilience, the tournament will continue. Let these matches remind us that, even in our darkest moments, we have the strength to rise again."

"To all competitors, fight with honor and integrity. You are not just representing your academies—you are representing the unbreakable spirit of Star Luo and the rest of the Douluo Continent!"

The Emperor stepped back, his expression still somber but his posture proud. The crowd erupted into applause, a show of unity and determination reverberating through the arena.

'Amazing,' Huo Yuhao thought as he clapped his hands. 'That was an incredible speech; to twist the narrative in order to garner the sympathy from all three nations and make the Sun Moon Empire an outcast in the eyes of the masses without even mentioning them. Truly a master of politics.'

Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered with admiration and caution as he watched the Emperor take his seat. While the speech had moved the crowd, he couldn't help but feel the subtle manipulation behind it—an effort to unite the other empires against a common perceived enemy, the Sun Moon Empire.

The paper thin truce the Star Luo Empire and the others had towards the Sun Moon was quickly crumbling down.

A war is soon to engulf the four empires, and Huo Yuhao was just but a small spark to an already lit fuse.

Although, that didn't make him any less guilty or frustrated.

Beside him, Wang Dong'er leaned closer and whispered, "The Emperor's good at rallying people, isn't he?"

"He's the Emperor for a reason," Huo Yuhao replied quietly, his gaze fixed on the regal figure sitting on the platform. "He knows exactly what strings to pull."

Wang Dong'er nodded, her brows furrowing in thought. "It's almost frightening, how easily he can steer an entire nation's emotions with just a few words. Is this how the other monarchs from other empires are like?"

"More or less," Wang Yan said,walking up to Huo Yuhao's side with a deep look in his eyes. "To be the leader of a nation, one has to have the support of their people."

"For what is a King or an Emperor, without the love of their people? They would simply be tyrants."

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and the rest who were listening in nodded attentively.

Wang Yan softly smiled at his students. "Well, you guys don't have to worry about the current situation of the continent. You guys are young, you all should just focus on getting stronger and getting the championship, you think you guys could do that?"

"Yes, we will!"

Just as they were feeling excited, Huo Yuhao used his Spiritual Detection to spy on a certain team.

"Brother..."

"Hongchen, please...just...shut up for now..."

The Sun Moon Empire's representative team was looking much gloomier and and tense than usual.

After Huo Yuhao's spiritual power had advanced to the Spirit Abyss Realm, his Spiritual Detection and other skills had gotten stronger.

Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection was not only much wider that it could enveloped the whole Star Luo City and a couple miles beyond—it could also now pick up on the voices of others, outspoken or their surface thoughts, it was quite a surprise and challenge to master it once more.

And right now, he was listening in on the quiet yet strained conversation between Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, two of the most talented members of their team.

"Brother, we can't just let this slide! They're trying to pin everything on us!" Meng Hongchen's voice was trembling with frustration, her usually confident tone cracking under the pressure. "We have done nothing!"

Xiao Hongchen, however, was not his usual composed self either.

He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I know, but there's nothing we can do right now. The Empire already decided how to handle this. Fighting back publicly will only make things worse for us."

He furrowed his brows and glanced to the former team leader of the main team.

"To think some mysterious third party would not only robbed us and severely injure Teacher Ma, leaving him still bedridden, but to also used us as a scapegoat..."

He grinded his teeth and slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it to pieces.

"Damn it all! How dare they, how dare this...this...Uchiha Clan used us this way!"

Meng Hongchen clenched her fists, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "This isn't fair! We had nothing to do with the attack, yet not only did our people get hurt, but now everyone looks at us like we're the enemy!"

Xiao Hongchen's face darkened. "We are the enemy, Meng. Whether we like it or not, the other empires see us as a threat, no matter what excuse we give them—and the Emperor's speech just cemented that."

"Brother....what should we do now?" Meng Hongchen's voice quivered, her eyes searching Xiao Hongchen's for a solution, any hope that he had an answer to the situation they found themselves in.

Xiao Hongchen remained silent for a moment, the weight of their predicament evident in his furrowed brow and clenched jaw.

"For now, we stick to the plan. We fight our battles, stay focused, and win this tournament." His voice was steady, though there was an underlying bitterness. "It's all we can do. Losing now will only make things worse for us and for the Empire."

Meng Hongchen bit her lip but nodded, her determination slowly returning. "You're right. We need to show them our strength, not let this situation break us."

As Huo Yuhao continued to listen through his Spiritual Detection, he could feel their despair and frustration. The Sun Moon team had been placed in an impossible position, and while Huo Yuhao had no love for the Sun Moon Empire, hearing their vulnerability gave him pause.

He could sense the raw emotions coming from both Xiao and Meng Hongchen—their anger, their helplessness.

'How sad.'

Well, he could only offer them a silent prayer.

The elimination rounds would be held across 2 days, and today was the team competition. The victor of the team competition could be said to be one foot into the quarterfinals of the tournament. The individual elimination rounds would be held the next day.

Both Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy would feature in today's 4 rounds, but the Sun Moon Imperial SE Academy's match was in the afternoon, and they did not have to come in the morning.

However, they still came to watch how Shrek Academy would perform against the 5 Soul Kings of the Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy.

To put it simply, they wanted to know just how fucked they were.

Wang Yan was serious as he stood in front of everyone. "Act according to our strategy. The Dou Ling Imperial Soul Academy must have their reasons for intentionally losing first place in the qualifier round, or they must have some special preparations."

His face slowly became more intense as he said, "This round is critical to both parties. Hence, we must not give them any shred of opportunity."

"Do not give them any mercy!"

"Yeah!"

....

AN: Heyo! I'm back! I hope everyone was doing well and I appreciate everyone's support. Now, I am back to writing!

....I seriously don't know what to say, you guys don't want to read what I've been doing for the last couple of weeks right? There's really nothing much to say, considering it's been raining for a while, which meant staying at home.

So, yeah. I just lazed around at home, staring at the ceiling and contemplated about my purpose of existing and what anime to see next.

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