Naturally, Li Chang'an had not manipulated Shi Nian into smashing his own head for nothing. More importantly than simply ending his life, he had done it for the Illusion Wisdom Head Soul Bone.
With Soul Bone Fruit in his possession, he could easily elevate this Soul bone to beyond the hundred-thousand-year level. When the time came, it would serve as a generous gift to Rongrong—or, more broadly, as a gift to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan itself.
Helping Rongrong upgrade her martial soul and presenting her with a hundred-thousand-year Soul bone… Li Chang'an didn't believe that Ning Fengzhi would still have the face to oppose him—or oppose Spirit Hall.
Sure enough, at the very spot where Shi Nian had fallen, right where his skull had cracked open, a radiant object quietly lay in wait.
It was a piece of bone, about seven inches long, slightly curved at the front, with three knuckle-like protrusions jutting out. Judging by its form, it was a miniature section of a left arm bone.
Without hesitation, Li Chang'an waved his hand, and the soul bone flew into his palm. While others might treat martial souls as their very life, Li Chang'an was not particularly lacking in such treasures. Besides, this time his gains were far from meager.
After stowing the Soul bone into his storage soul tool, Li Chang'an flipped his hand, summoning a flame. Under his control, that flame of ultimate fire effortlessly reduced Shi Nian to ashes, scattering them without leaving a trace.
Having finished the task, he hummed a tune and strolled leisurely back toward Crimson Rose Academy, as though nothing had ever happened.
Upon returning to the academy, he indulged in a comfortable bath to wash away the lingering stench of blood. Only then did he slip into a sound, refreshing sleep.
---
The preliminary rounds continued. By the end of the tenth match, the gap between the competing teams in Heaven Dou City had become clear.
Crimson Rose Academy stood firmly at the top with a flawless record of ten victories, earning both fame and admiration. Among them, Li Chang'an became the object of envy for every man, while Crimson Rose's female members proved beyond doubt that they were not mere "vases," but formidable Spirit Masters in their own right.
Sharing the same undefeated record were four of the Five Elemental Academies—excluding Elephant Armored Clan's academy—as well as Shrek Academy.
Worth noting was how, under Flender's opportunistic business sense, Shrek's green uniforms had become a craze. Nearly a quarter of the spectators could be seen wearing them.
In contrast, Crimson Rose Academy's uniforms were far harder to imitate—the craftsmanship was refined, the colors changed daily, and the materials were exquisite. More importantly, there had never been any intent to commercialize them.
By this point, aside from the four Elemental Academies, it was Crimson Rose and Shrek—the two rising stars—that had taken center stage.
Yet something curious stood out: aside from their early clash with Elephant Armored Clan, Crimson Rose Academy had not faced any of the other four Elemental Academies, nor had they gone up against Shrek.
Elephant Armored Academy, however, had been repeatedly matched against the other four Elemental Academies—and without exception, they lost every time. Their vaunted defenses seemed utterly useless.
As a result, Crimson Rose Academy, Shrek Academy, and the four remaining Elemental Academies occupied the top six positions in the preliminaries, all with perfect records.
By contrast, Elephant Armored Academy fared miserably: five wins, five losses, languishing in the middle ranks. Neither the academy itself nor the tournament organizers had expected such results. Coupled with the recent humiliating scandal involving Elephant Armored Sect, they had lost even more of their few remaining supporters.
Thus, the gap between the top contenders and the rest was clear. Six academies formed the leading group, far ahead of the others.
But the next matches would no longer be easy. Crimson Rose Academy's eleventh opponent was none other than Blazing Academy—an academy composed entirely of fire-attribute Spirit Masters.
This clash between two undefeated teams was destined to be the highlight of the round, scheduled for the central arena to maximize attention.
Even before the match began, the stands were alive with excitement. Many spectators were already placing bets, eager to gamble on which academy would prevail.
Inside the resting chamber, Liu Erlong studied the files on Blazing Academy, her expression turning slightly solemn.
"Ahem. Before we begin the strategy meeting, I need to give you all a little background on the two major schools of thought in the Spirit Master world: the Limit Stream and the Balanced Stream." Sitting down with a light cough, she drew everyone's attention.
Everyone except Miao Ling and Ye Lingling obediently took their seats—not so much by choice, but because Li Chang'an's sixfold amplification of their strength in recent days had left them all rather worn out. After those… intense "sessions," the girls could barely withstand the physical and spiritual impact. Every clash left their souls both floating and trembling, torn between love and resentment.
Aside from Li Chang'an, Hu Liena, and Mu Xi, the others all perked up with curiosity, looking like attentive students.
"Before that, let me explain what the Five Elemental Academies are," Liu Erlong continued.
"Excluding Elephant Armored Academy, the other four that can pose a real threat to you are Thunderclap Academy, Godwind Academy, Skywater Academy, and Blazing Academy. From their very names, you can already guess their specialties."
"Lightning, wind, water, and fire. Alongside Elephant Armored Academy's defensive earth element, these five are collectively known as the Five Elemental Academies of the Heaven Dou Empire. Each one has powerful backing."
"Elephant Armored Academy's backing is the most straightforward—it was founded directly by Elephant Armored Sect. As for the other four, each has significant influence behind it as well. For instance, Thunderclap Academy is secretly supported by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"Their support may not be obvious, but many of the academy's students come from the clan's branch families. The direct bloodline disciples are trained within the clan itself. Only my nephew, Yu Tianheng, entered Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Though he is a branch descendant, the branches of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan are formidable in their own right. That is why Thunderclap Academy cannot be underestimated."
Liu Erlong sighed with mixed emotions. She, too, was of that clan, yet here she was, revealing its secrets to outsiders. But then, her ties to the clan had long since faded.
Accepting the cup of water shyly handed to her by Mu Xi, she took a long drink before continuing:
"As for Godwind, Skywater, and Blazing, I don't know their exact backgrounds. But I can feel that each is supported by powerful forces. They all have unique strengths. For you, unless Chang'an himself takes the field, facing any one of them will be a real challenge."
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T/N:
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