Chapter 270: The Fall of Huo Yuhao
When Princess Vina was about to finalize the purchase of the Zhuge Divine Nu Cannon at the price Huo Yuhao demanded, Xu Jiujiu suddenly arrived—her expression furious—and forced Huo Yuhao to swear an oath.
Seeing Princess Jiujiu return in such a state, Huo Yuhao put on a gentle smile. "Princess Jiujiu, even if the deal falls through, we are still allies. Why are you so angry?"
"Righteousness? I'm talking to you about righteousness, and you're throwing that word back at me?!" Princess Jiujiu snapped, then took out two Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannons—the one made by the Tang Sect and the one Xiao Qiang had temporarily forged.
"Two Zhuge Divine Crossbows?" Princess Vina blinked in surprise, confused at first, until she noticed something off. "Wait, these two… are made from different materials?"
Though not a soul engineer herself, even Vina could tell the difference in quality between the metals. One clearly gleamed with the luster of rare metals, while the other looked comparatively mundane. It was like comparing gold to iron.
"Zhuge Divine Crossbow? Where did you get this one?" Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed, zeroing in on the second crossbow. He instantly recognized the problem. He had only given one sample to Princess Jiujiu. The appearance of another meant either someone had forged a convincing copy—or replicated the design entirely.
"Heh. I want to ask you, Huo Yuhao—where exactly did you get this Zhuge Divine Crossbow design from?" Princess Jiujiu sneered coldly.
"Xu Jiujiu! I'm not in the mood to—umph!"
Before Huo Yuhao could finish his outburst, the Titled Douluo beside Princess Jiujiu struck without lifting a finger, sending him crashing back into the wall.
"Boy, is this how you speak to Her Royal Highness? Do the Protector Douluo of the Star Luo Empire look like they're just here for decoration?" the elderly Douluo said coldly.
The Super Douluo of the Body Sect twitched but ultimately didn't intervene—Vina had silently stopped him.
"Huo Yuhao, you've really gone too far," Princess Vina said icily. "She's a princess, and you think threatening her is a wise move? Don't make that face like you're about to devour someone. You look pathetic."
With Vina distancing herself, Xu Jiujiu's rage cooled somewhat. She sat down calmly, glaring at Huo Yuhao.
"Now tell me—why did you make us spend so much money on soul guides that have already been eliminated by the Sun Moon Empire?!"
The bomb dropped. Vina's expression twisted in shock. "Sister Jiujiu, what did you just say? Eliminated by the Sun Moon Empire? Are you saying the Zhuge Divine Crossbow is outdated?!"
"Absolutely. And they sell it at just 30% higher than a standard fourth-level soul guide. Yet Huo Yuhao demanded 30% higher than a fifth-level one! That bastard is nothing but a cheat!"
Beibei hurried over to help Huo Yuhao up. "Princess Jiujiu, there has to be a misunderstanding. The Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon was designed by my junior brother, based on the Tang Sect's own Zhuge Crossbow. It's a new model, utilizing core Tang Sect technology. It's impossible that it's outdated."
Princess Jiujiu smirked and pulled out the soul guide Xiao Qiang made. "Then how do you explain this? He made it on the spot. The blueprint is clearly one that already exists in the Sun Moon Empire. If you didn't steal the design from them, then are you saying the Sun Moon Empire stole from you?"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. "He… made it on the spot?"
"That's right," Princess Jiujiu affirmed coldly.
"…I knew it! This is a conspiracy! The Sun Moon Empire must've plagiarized our design! They're shameless! Absolutely shameless!" Huo Yuhao shouted in rage.
Beibei's brow twitched.
It might have sounded convincing coming from someone else, but hearing this from Huo Yuhao—a man sent to the Sun Moon Empire specifically to steal their blueprints—it felt hypocritical beyond belief.
"Junior brother, you shouldn't say such things…"
"Why not?! They copied us!"
"But what you did in the Sun Moon Empire…"
"That was different! That was for Shrek! For the Tang Sect!"
Princess Jiujiu scoffed. She didn't need more clarification. As royalty, she could read between the lines. "So, you went to the Sun Moon Empire to steal their designs. Now I understand where this weapon really came from."
Princess Vina's face turned dark. "Huo Yuhao… Mu Xue must've been blind to care for someone like you! Our previous agreement is null and void. The Heavenly Soul Empire refuses to buy outdated trash like your so-called soul guides!"
She wasn't done. "I'll report this to Elder Gan myself. Since you insist on clinging to the Tang Sect, the Body Sect has no place for a parasite like you!"
And just like that, Huo Yuhao was blacklisted.
He was removed from the Body Sect and—after the competition—was also expelled from Shrek Academy.
As for the Tang Sect? After exhausting Beibei's remaining funds, and causing their reputation to suffer due to this failed sale, Huo Yuhao was no longer viewed as a hero. He had become a liability, a disgrace.
Yet even with Huo Yuhao cast aside, the worst wasn't over.
Because as the round-robin tournament continued, fate played another cruel hand.
The Tang Sect and Shrek's team had drawn their next opponent: a joint team formed by the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
The true reckoning had only just begun.
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