The hot topic of recent conversations in every part of the Douluo Continent was the Federal Star Dou Battle Network Challenge. As the competition progressed into the finals, it was now a grand occasion across the Federation, just as the Federation had intended with all their promotion.

The Blood God Army was no exception to this. After the first match of the final stages ended, there were two contestants from the Blood God Army among the quarter-finalists. Naturally, Tang Wulin was one of them. The other one was the Blood God Army Imperial Guard's commander, Qian Zhe.

Qian Zhe walked slowly into the resting area. He came silently to a coffee shop and ordered a cup of black coffee.

At the time, the coffee shop was packed with customers. Everything supplied to the Blood God Army was of the best quality, and their coffee was no exception. He looked around the shop's interior and saw that all the tables were already taken. He glanced over the seats once more and his gaze finally fell onto a table in the corner.

There was only a single person sitting there while the tables around him were fully occupied. He perched there while looking out the window. There was a faint smile on his face, and Qian Zhe wondered what he was thinking about.

Even though he could only see his face from the side, he could tell he was attractive. He had a handsome face and glistening skin. It was no exaggeration to describe his complexion to be as clear as jade.

With Qian Zhe's eyesight, he could clearly see every single detail. The young man had long eyelashes, long enough to be the envy of most girls. His eyes were big and bright. He had a faint smile on his handsome face which made him look all the more youthful.

However, what truly attracted Qian Zhe's attention was the military rank that adorned his shoulders.

A general's star shone brightly with golden light!

A major general?

'Such a young major general? Could that be him?'

Qian Zhe had heard of him before. Lately, his name had become known by most anyone in the Blood God Army. On the tables around him, at least half of the female officers ranked lieutenant colonel and above were seated. As for the officers with lower rank, he reckoned that it was not that they did not want to come, but that they felt they had no right to sit there.

Qian Zhe squinted his eyes slightly and strode over.

Ever since he came here to have a cup of coffee with Long Yuxue, Tang Wulin discovered that he had taken a liking to the slightly bitter black liquid that had a rich aroma.

He liked the sensation of being enveloped in that fragrance. Outside the building was an icy land covered in snow. He held a cup of boiling hot coffee and sipped it slowly. Lately, this had been his only source of pleasure here.

Wu Zhangkong had reminded him early on that he would easily break if he was too hard on himself. He should not put too much pressure on himself. These days, he felt that he had been maintaining a good balance. This was not only the case for his cultivation, but also for his mental state.

Gu Yuena was the greatest spiritual comfort he had. Whenever he got tired, he would think of her and all his exhaustion would be wiped away. When he could enjoy a hot cup of coffee, her image seemed all the clearer in his heart. He even felt warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Tang Wulin delighted in this sensation very much. However, while he still enjoyed it, he also noticed that the customers patronizing the coffee shop had been growing in number. Even so, everyone seemed to have come to an unusual agreement tacitly. The table by the window at the corner would always be left vacant for him.

"Senior officer, may I sit here?" came an unfamiliar voice.

Tang Wulin raised his head to look. He saw a slender military officer who looked to be in his thirties standing before him. His shoulders were adorned with the rank of a senior colonel. He was not too handsome, and his eyes were slightly long and narrow. However, his cleanly shaven face with its chiseled features left a deep impression in the minds of those who met him.

"Of course." Tang Wulin made a gesture of invitation.

Qian Zhe sat down and instinctively looked at the coffee cup in Tang Wulin's hands. Black coffee? 'He likes the same coffee I do!'

Tang Wulin kept his gaze outside the window. The din of the coffee shop did not seem to affect his good mood in the slightest.

Out of habit, he muted the hubbub of the voices all around him.

"Senior officer," came the voice again.

Tang Wulin turned to look at Qian Zhe, "What's the matter?"

Qian Zhe's black coffee was sent to their table, and he held the cup in his hands. "I'm Number Seventy-nine. I look forward to meeting you in the upcoming matches."

Tang Wulin raised his brows slightly. "The Federal Star Dou Battle Network Challenge?"

"Yes."

"Good luck," Tang Wulin nodded at him. He finished his coffee and smiled at Qian Zhe again. Under the adoring gaze of the female officers, he got to his feet and left the coffee shop.

Qian Zhe was slightly stunned. He had come over on his own initiative because he was intrigued. However, he did not see anything on Tang Wulin's body, nor did he feel anything.

He could not even feel soul power radiating from him. He seemed like an ordinary person no matter how he looked at him. However, his inner instincts told him that this man, the youngest general in the entire army, was very dangerous. Would he be fighting against him in the next match?

Qian Zhe clenched his fists subconsciously.

Qian Zhe did not leave any deep impressions on Tang Wulin's mind. At the moment, his spirits were very focused. The cup of coffee he drank was to relax himself. Similarly, he had wanted to readjust his condition.

Without a doubt, compared to the soul masters' competition, the more difficult challenge lay in the mecha battles. Moreover, he would immediately be fighting the match to qualify for the quarterfinals of the mecha contest.

He entered the Star Dou Cabin and connected to the Battle Network.

Number Thirty-three had turned into Number Sixty-six. As before, the staff within the Battle Network guided him. Similar to the solo competition, his body glowed with golden light.

In the final match of the group contest, he was given the title of Spear King. On the other hand, Ling Wuyue was badly defeated in the final group match. She proceeded into the next stage as the runner-up of her group. Ling Wuyue had proven that she was truly the most outstanding mecha master in the army. They were the only ones who had managed to proceed into the next round.

They were from the same zone division. According to the internal rules, they would not meet each other in the first match of the elimination round. He wondered if Ling Wuyue would be able to win this time.

Compared to him, there was no question that Ling Wuyue's control skills were more powerful, but her martial soul was still slightly weaker.

He picked a mecha, and his weapon of choice was still a spear.

As he looked at the spear in his mecha's hand, Tang Wulin could not help but sigh inwardly. In the end, he was destined to fight in melee battles! He had wanted to pick a long-range weapon as the mecha's main weapon, but after he mastered the Thousand Accusing Fingers, he had lost all interest in long-range attacks.

At this point, he had basically mastered the Thousand Accusing Fingers. He wondered when Old Tang would be willing to teach him another skill.

When he thought about this, he could not help but look forward to it.

Amidst the clanking of mechas, Tang Wulin walked into the competition grounds. Opposite him, his opponent was also guided by an attendant into the arena.

It was a long-range mecha! When he saw his opponent's size, Tang Wulin had immediately determined his opponent's combat style.

It was a handheld soul cannon. It could fire ten consecutive shots. After ten shots it would be too hot and would need some time to cool down.

This weapon was the upgraded version of a soul beam rifle. It was a long-range weapon that could only be chosen in the finals. The reason was that melee mechas had a greater advantage during the earlier stages of the competition. With the combination of a soul master's soul power and a mecha's defensive power, an ordinary standard mecha's long-range weapon could not easily threaten them. That was why the Battle Network had to make some adjustments.

The opponents entered the arena as the cheers from the spectators grew louder and louder.

The commentators began to make their announcements.

"Contestant Number Sixty-six, known as the Spear King. He's said to be the contestant with the most powerful spearing techniques in this year's competition. Contestant Number Two Hundred and Thirty-one, known as the Battery. His long-range attacks are extremely accurate and he has a soul skill to enhance them. This is a battle between melee and long-range. If I have to summarize this match in the simplest of terms, I'd ask if the Battery can defeat the Spear King before he can get close enough to do damage? Alright, let's get ready for the fight that's definitely going to be the most exciting of all matches!"

There was no dedicated referee. The electronic countdown voice started!

"Five, four, three, two, one, the match starts!"

"Boom!" Seemingly as soon as the electronic voice ended, the sound of an explosion came from the opposite direction. Soul ammunition was coming right for him.