"As of today's battle, Sister Xi'er has made quite a name for herself in the Soul World. There's a bar in Shrek City that's pretty great—how about we go hang out there to celebrate? I heard they've recently added an axe dance to the usual pole dancing," Xia Yi said with a grin as he exited the Star Dou Battle Network with Gu Yue and Mu Xi, only to run into Leng Yulai. She giggled when she saw him.
"If you don't speak, no one will mistake you for a mute," Xia Yi shot her a dark look at her teasing expression. Anyone else would be fine, but even Leng Yulai was making fun of him?
Clearly, she was mocking him for his past pole and axe dance performances.
"I actually think it's necessary. After today, Sister Mu Xi's odds will definitely shoot up—she's bound to become one of the highest-ranked. That's worth celebrating," Gu Yue chimed in immediately, not caring about Xia Yi's reaction.
"No, no, that's not necessary!" Mu Xi shook her head vigorously as Gu Yue and Leng Yulai started hyping it up together.
She knew Xia Yi's personality too well.
What he couldn't resist most was a gentle, persuasive tone. If they really went, and the mood got festive, with Gu Yue and Leng Yulai coaxing him like that, Mu Xi worried he might actually agree to anything… except, maybe, moonlit bird-watching. Anything else, he might just go along with.
Mu Xi didn't want Xia Yi getting pushed around by these two women working together.
"No wonder I like my Xier—celebrating is fine, but we're decent people. No going to shady bars," Xia Yi quickly agreed with Mu Xi, seeing through Leng Yulai and Gu Yue's little schemes instantly.
Once is enough—no need for a repeat performance.
"If bars are off the table, why don't we find Yali and go sightseeing together?" Leng Yulai said with a sly smile.
"You've really got it out for Yali, huh? Always thinking about her," Xia Yi gave her a glare, exasperated. This woman could be kind to anyone else, but whenever Yali was mentioned, she was always scheming something.
Every time Yali's name came up, Leng Yulai showed her true colors.
He didn't need to guess—she was definitely plotting to mess with Yali again.
"I just can't stand that holier-than-thou look she always has," Leng Yulai said with a snort.
"Can't you all just get along like one big happy family?" Xia Yi forced a smile.
Gu Yue and Leng Yaozhu had their secret rivalry.
But Leng Yulai? She was out in the open—directly targeting Yali.
Luckily, Yali usually avoided her intentionally.
She didn't dare provoke Leng Yulai—she didn't have the same "shamelessness."
Going head-to-head with her would only end in total defeat.
So she simply stayed out of the way.
"Alright, let's set the celebrations aside for now. Once the Star Dou Battle Network tournament ends, we can celebrate properly," Xia Yi rubbed his temples. Even though he knew Leng Yulai had boundaries and wouldn't go too far, he still felt a headache coming on.
"Ugh, no sense of fun at all," Leng Yulai pouted. "Anyway, there's something else—your matches in the Star Dou Battle Network might not go so smoothly from here on out."
"Not smoothly? What do you mean?" Mu Xi asked curiously.
She'd just beaten Aruheng—who else could possibly threaten her?
"Don't tell me the Sun Moon Federation is pulling strings behind the scenes to match me against Xia Yi, so we eliminate each other?" Gu Yue said coldly.
Mu Xi might not understand, but Gu Yue knew exactly what was going on.
With her and Xia Yi's strength, placing well was practically guaranteed.
Everyone knew it the moment they signed up.
That's why whenever they competed, the betting system shut down—no wagers allowed.
The Federation had poured a fortune into researching the Star Dou Battle Network system.
This tournament was, in part, a way for them to recoup some of that cost.
Ordinary people could watch the matches online through the Battle Network, and even place bets on who would win.
Even though the system masked competitors' identities—including appearance—every soul master was unique. Their martial souls and soul skills couldn't be hidden.
Once the matches started, specialized organizations began analyzing combat styles to figure out who each competitor was—then sold that information for profit.
Unless someone took deliberate steps to conceal their identity, there were plenty of ways to expose them.
Xia Yi, Gu Yue, and Mu Xi had already been exposed.
Because of that—
Mu Xi's match against Aruheng had made the Federation a lot of money.
On the side of the Body Sect, many elders had gone all in, betting everything they had on Aruheng.
Some even borrowed money from the Blacksmiths' Association to place their bets.
Which dragged a bunch of rich blacksmiths into the mix too.
But because they trusted the Body Sect, they lost everything—down to their underwear.
They couldn't understand it. Wasn't Mu Xi the daughter of Mu Chen? Didn't she inherit his martial soul? Even if she had broken through to Soul Douluo, her strength should've been about the same, right?
How had she become this strong?
Xia Yi and Gu Yue were a different matter—they had long been famous.
Their matches had betting disabled from the start.
While Xia Yi had been in the spotlight online lately, no one ever doubted his or Gu Yue's strength.
If their matches had been bettable, everyone would've bet on them to win—and the Federation would've lost big.
But losing money wasn't the real reason the Federation wanted to suppress them.
The core issue was their identities.
Xia Yi and Gu Yue were already enough trouble. Now there was also Mu Xi—no wonder the Federation was getting antsy.
At this rate, the top three spots could all go to Xia Yi's group.
But this wasn't Xia Yi's Federation. The Sun Moon Federation didn't want dominance by a single group—they wanted competition and diversity.
They absolutely didn't want the first ever Star Dou Battle Network Inter-Federation Tournament turning into a one-family show.
Still, even if they were unhappy with Xia Yi, with Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai's power and status, the Federation wouldn't dare manipulate the results without permission.
The Federation owed much of its success to the sisters' support.
Given that, they had no choice but to approach the sisters, hoping they could persuade Xia Yi to step aside.
After all, the Federation was in the wrong here.
And the consequences of angering Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai weren't something they could afford.
"The Federation's request is simple: out of the three of you, two need to be eliminated. Since it's an internal elimination, you'd all save face," Leng Yulai sneered. "They want the top ranks to come from as many different factions as possible. That way, young cultivators across the Federation will feel inspired, and it'll look like the Federation's youth scene is thriving."
"Is this a negotiation or a notice?" Even Mu Xi let out a cold laugh.
The Federation organized the tournament. They didn't cheat. Why should they be the ones to compromise?
"It's a negotiation," Leng Yulai nodded. "The Federation's being pretty respectful. Any behind-the-scenes changes would only happen with our consent. If we don't agree, they wouldn't dare try anything."
"As compensation, once you all reach Title Douluo, the Federation is willing to commission a Divine Craftsman to forge a set of four-word battle armor for each of you," Leng Yulai's gaze shifted between Xia Yi and Mu Xi, a sly smile on her lips.
"Well damn… all I can say is, well damn." Xia Yi had the urge to laugh but couldn't quite bring himself to.
He wanted to laugh at the sheer audacity of the Federation. But he couldn't, because what they were doing was treating him like a clown.
Given the current circumstances, it was a sure thing that the next Divine Craftsman would be either him or Mu Xi.
The Federation was shamelessly trying to get something for nothing.
No—this was worse than that.
Even more shameless than daylight robbery.
"This is the only bargaining chip the Federation has left," Leng Yulai shrugged. With Xia Yi's current status, it wasn't easy for the Federation to offer something he'd actually want.
She turned to Xia Yi with a smile and said, "Big sis wants you to decide for yourself."
That was the real reason Leng Yulai had come.
Even though Xia Yi and Gu Yue didn't care much about the championship—joining the tournament was just to accompany Mu Xi—Leng Yaozhu knew Xia Yi wouldn't be mad if she made the decision for him.
He probably wouldn't even take it seriously.
But still, she didn't want to make that call for him.
"So, Yulai… do you think I should agree?" Xia Yi looked at her and gave her a dazzling smile.
"If it were me, not in a million years," Leng Yulai's eyes sparkled, her lips pouting. "You may not care about the championship, but since you're here, it should be decided by strength. I'm not like Big Sis—always worrying about the greater good."
"Alright, alright. No need to hint that Yaozhu wants me to agree," Xia Yi rolled his eyes and shook his head with a sigh. "Can't you think more about yourself for once instead of always putting her first?"
Leng Yulai wasn't embarrassed about having her intentions exposed. Instead, she smiled sweetly and said, "I'm already very satisfied with how life is now—what more do I need to consider?"