So what if this was a trap? He would just have to smash their trap into smithereens! He wasn't going to allow anyone aside from himself to be the final victor of this joust for a spouse. Even if it were only a nominal title, he wasn't going to allow any other man to be known as her boyfriend.

"But Boss, you'll be falling into their trap if you participate in this!"

Yuanen Yehui also hurriedly urged, "Wulin, calm down and we'll discuss this together."

Tang Wulin turned to them with a smile, and said, "Don't worry, I'm very calm right now. I'm going to participate in this joust for a spouse, but I won't do anything reckless. For the sake of the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy, I'm going to keep myself safe and also ensure that the Spirit Pagoda regrets ever coming up with this ploy."

......

"Goddess, goddess, goddess!"

The same word was being chanted everywhere across the federation. At the very least, the chants could be heard on many of the streets of Bright City after those two videos were released.

With the support of the federal parliament, the Spirit Pagoda had launched an extremely extensive promotional campaign that had reached every corner of the continent.

In contrast with Tang Wulin's Trial of Five Gods, this promotional campaign was far more effective.

The Trial of Five Gods had only begun to gain popularity after it had begun, but the joust for a spouse event had already gained an enormous amount of traction well before its commencement. The Douluo Continent also had a far greater population than that of the Star Luo Continent, and Gu Yuena had become a household name.

The promotional campaign concluded there, and the Spirit Pagoda made a very smart decision to allow the joust for a spouse to continue to gain traction without any further input.

All of the other information regarding Gu Yuena had been made strictly confidential, but it was already enough for the public to know that she was extremely beautiful and possessed power in equal measure.

Many young Soul Masters were already filled with motivation, particularly those who fit the criteria for participation. Those who possessed insufficient cultivation ranks could only lament their own laziness and cultivate harder than ever.

The ones who were most motivated were those who were on the cusp of reaching rank 60 in soul power. They were cultivating like madmen every single day, hoping to claim a late qualification spot.

There was only going to be one final victor in the joust for a spouse, but everyone was hoping to be able to dip into the mouthwatering prize pool. As such, everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the event, and many people were impatiently calling for the event to be held earlier than its announced date.

The news of the Shrek Academy rebuild was completely drowned out, and in no more than a month, the basic foundation was complete.

There were many aspects of construction that required a lot of time. For example, concrete required time to set, and maintenance was also very important to ensure the longevity of the buildings. As such, some steps simply couldn't be skipped or curtailed.

With sufficient skilled workers working day and night, the academy was beginning to look like an academy.

According to the decision made by the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy, the future Shrek Academy was going to be constructed around the Sea God's Lake.

The original Shrek Academy had also included the Sea God's Lake, but on this occasion, the Sea God's Lake was far larger than it had been in the past. Once the radiation problem could be resolved, the new Shrek Academy would definitely be a spectacular sight to behold.

The three school buildings were quickly being constructed, and all types of soul tools were being set up even more quickly. Many of the soul tools were ready-made, and the Tang Sect's incredible ability to produce soul tools also shone through brilliantly at a time like this. Soul tools were arriving through all types of different avenues before quickly being installed, and only the true core members of the academy knew exactly how many soul tools there were.

Without any interference from the outside world, the Shrek Academy rebuild was progressing very smoothly. It was at a time like this that a piece of news arrived, stating that the federal fleet would return in 10 days.

It couldn't be said that it had scurried back with its tails between its legs, but it was undeniable that the voyage had been a complete failure.

A massive amount of resources was expended during such a long voyage, and the federal fleet's imminent return was not good news for the Tang Sect. This was because it would be carrying many powerful beings back to the continent, all of whom harbored resentment toward the Tang Sect, including the Battle God Hall Master, Boundless Ocean Douluo Chen Xinjie.

His return made many people wonder if the federation would take further steps against the Tang Sect. After all, a treasonous organization was bound to be destroyed.

On the surface, the Spirit Pagoda's joust for a spouse had attracted widespread attention, but behind the scenes, all of the powers were more interested to see how the federation was going to target the Tang Sect.

......

"Looks like idiots aren't always useless, after all," a coldly raspy voice rang out, "who could've predicted that Qiangu Dongfeng would come up with something like this?"

The voice belonged to a figure that was entirely enshrouded in green light to obscure his features, but he was giving off a very menacing aura.

Seated across from him was none other than Infernal King Douluo Harosha, who had attacked Tang Wulin not long ago.

"This is a good thing for us. The general public and even the federation have become completely engrossed in this joust for a spouse or in targeting the Tang Sect, so there's no one who's going to affect our plan. How are the preparations coming along?"

Ghost Emperor replied, "Everything's almost ready. The idiocy of the federation has given us more opportunities; if we succeed, then we'll be even closer to our ultimate goal."

Harosha cautioned, "Don't get complacent; we squandered all of our previous opportunities through complacency. If this war can commence smoothly, then it would attract more attention and benefit us even further. How is Demon Sovereign's current condition?"

Ghost Emperor cackled, "He's great! He's already close to fit for battle."

Harosha rose to his feet with a cold light in his eyes. "Good! I've been waiting for this day for a very long time; we have to succeed no matter what. From now, isolate all of the people participating in this operation; make sure no news of this gets leaked, and also begin preparations on that end as well."

Ghost Emperor also stood up and strode over to Harosha. "You'll definitely be thankful for the decision you've made."

......

As the joust for a spouse drew closer, the prices of hotels in Bright City began to rapidly climb. Even the most ordinary small hotels were charging prices that were catching up to those of luxurious hotels, and there were competitors and spectators flooding in from everywhere in anticipation for the commencement of this grand event.

As a result, the federation was reaping enormous profits from the tourism sector. The federation also wanted to support this event in order to distract the general public from the recent failure in the attempt to instigate a war.

The event was due to commence in 10 days, and just a day ago, the federal fleet had returned. As for when another attack was going to be unleashed against the two empires, that was still being discussed by the military.

At the very least, there was currently no concrete plan.

At the same time, there were some aggressive parties in the Eagle Faction calling for complete eradication of the Tang Sect, and this topic had already been presented to the parliament's supreme assembly.

Due to stern opposition from the Dove Faction and neutral faction, as well as the subtle changes brought on by the Shrek Academy rebuild, the proposal was turned down in the end.