2025-07-15 Author: Even If You Treat Me Too Well, I'll Still Punch You
Chapter 296 Another Soul Master Competition
These were policies targeting commoners and slaves. Although such policies harmed the interests of many nobles, with the empire's powerful Soul Master strength, no one dared to resist.
Moreover, Qian Renxue had just conducted an intimidating military parade.
These policies were certain to be implemented according to Qian Renxue's plans.
What she was most cautious about were the policies concerning Soul Masters.
First was expansion of enrollment.
All Spirit Master Academies, starting from Elementary Soul Master Academies, would expand their student intake.
Within the jurisdiction, all six-year-old children who possessed Soul Power after Spirit Awakening would be enrolled.
The empire would cover accommodation and food expenses, and assist in hunting for their First Soul Ring and Second Soul Ring.
Even children with very poor Innate Soul Power and useless Martial Souls, Qian Renxue was still willing to give these children an opportunity to cultivate.
Because the existence of Martial Souls is inherited through bloodlines.
The stronger the Soul Power and Martial Soul of a Soul Master, the higher the possibility of their descendants having talented Soul Masters.
Qian Renxue wanted to expand the base number of Soul Masters.
Then for intermediate and advanced Spirit Master Academies, admission standards would be significantly lowered, with full expansion of enrollment.
Finally, Qian Renxue required all regions to establish Soul Master Legions, using each city as a unit to create corresponding proportions of Soul Master Legions. The first batch of members would be selected from current students of intermediate and advanced Spirit Master Academies.
During the last two years of academy, they would simultaneously be members of the Soul Master Legion.
Soul Master Legions from various regions would be responsible for Spirit Awakening, recruiting students for Spirit Master Academies, suppressing Evil Soul Masters, and obeying deployments from the Royal Soul Master Legion in Heaven Dou City.
She wanted to establish a top-down Soul Master system, fundamentally incorporating newly emerged Soul Masters into the empire's system.
To prevent these Soul Masters from being recruited by the Spirit Hall.
Publicly, it was announced to prevent recruitment by the Spirit Hall, but in reality, Qian Renxue also didn't want these Soul Masters to be recruited by Soul Master families or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
But simultaneously, she issued decrees encouraging major Soul Master families, sects, and academies to cultivate Soul Masters.
For cultivating Soul Masters at various stages, the empire would reward these forces with land, nobility titles, and Gold Soul Coins.
Though Qian Renxue appeared contradictory, this was actually her art of governance - balancing tension and relaxation.
Qian Renxue worked tirelessly and intensively, issuing decrees daily for several consecutive days, allowing everyone to see the new emperor's ambition.
She truly intended to completely transform the Heaven Dou Empire!
Such changes overshadowed the news of the upcoming Soul Master Competition.
In Heaven Dou City, right under the emperor's nose, whenever people met, they would discuss the reforms and the Qinghe Emperor's great talents and bold vision.
Amidst this fervent atmosphere, the preliminary rounds of the Soul Master Competition had already begun several days ago.
The preliminary rounds in Heaven Dou City were still held at the Great Soul Arena.
"Five years have passed, time flies so quickly!" Ning Rongrong held onto Dugu Feng's arm as they entered the Great Soul Arena.
Dugu Feng hadn't planned to come watch - to him, the Soul Master Competition was completely meaningless.
But Ning Rongrong loved watching excitement, so Dugu Feng simply accompanied her to watch for a day.
The situation at the Great Soul Arena was no different from five years ago - still packed to capacity and exceptionally noisy.
Moreover, today's battle was a focal match - Ultimate Academy versus Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy had become the star academy of Heaven Dou City.
Although Tang San wasn't participating, the team surprisingly featured three Soul Emperors: Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu.
These were Soul Emperors!
In the previous Soul Master Competition, the strongest member of the Golden Generation had only been level 53.
This edition directly produced three Soul Emperors, all in the same team.
It was truly earth-shattering and awe-inspiring.
This gave rise to a new problem: Ning Rongrong had won the championship for Gem Academy in the previous Soul Master Competition.
Now she was actually competing for Shrek Academy in this edition.
Was this allowed?
After reviewing all the rules of the Soul Master Competition, the organizing committee discovered this was actually a loophole.
The Soul Master Competition had no regulations limiting how many times a student could participate.
Theoretically, anyone under twenty-five years old could compete.
In past competitions, most students couldn't reach Soul Ancestor level until after twenty, making a second participation impossible.
But Shrek Academy's team members were all too young.
The problem now wasn't just participating twice - they might even compete three times.
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu were all nineteen years old. In five more years, they'd only be twenty-four, still eligible for another competition.
What if they cultivated to Soul Saint level? Would they let three Soul Saints participate in the Soul Master Competition?
Too insane!
Everyone felt it was utterly insane!
Soul Emperors under twenty years old, and three young women at that - this sensational news surpassed any previous Soul Master Competition.
Besides the three Soul Emperors, Shrek Academy also had two Soul Kings: Oscar and Ma Hongjun.
This fully demonstrated Shrek's strength.
Moreover, through deliberate spreading of information, everyone knew that in the previous competition, Shrek had another core figure - Tang San.
Tang San was the captain of Shrek Academy Team, possessing Twin Soul Spirits.
Although he wasn't competing this time, Tang San's strength definitely surpassed all participating team members.
People suddenly realized: so Shrek was supported by Clear Sky Sect. That made sense.
After all, each generation of Clear Sky produces stronger experts, generation after generation wielding the Clear Sky Hammer against the Pope!
Last edition, Spirit Hall had the Golden Generation, three Soul Kings that shocked the world.
This edition, Clear Sky Sect directly produced three Soul Emperors, rubbing Spirit Hall's face in the dirt.
Well, that tracked!
Dugu Feng sat in the spectator stands, clearly perceiving the discussions among the surrounding audience.
Everyone had turned into gossip kings.
Vividly discussing the grudges between Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall.
But ultimately, in people's hearts, Clear Sky Sect lived up to its reputation as the world's number one sect.
"Brother Feng, I don't think Ultimate Academy stands a chance against Shrek. Ultimate Academy's representatives are the Wind Attribute Team. Although they have Soul Skill Fusion Technique, the gap between the sides is still too large!"
Ning Rongrong said cheerfully.
She wasn't participating in this match - she wouldn't appear until at least the elimination rounds.
"Losing is fine. The Soul Master Competition is mainly for experience. This edition doesn't even have Soul Bones as rewards anymore!"
Dugu Feng said with a light smile.
He was more than happy for Clear Sky Sect to steal the spotlight and attract Spirit Hall's attention.
He presumed Bibi Dong must know by now that Tang San had successfully absorbed the External Soul Bone. What would she think?
And Qian Renxue too!
Sooner or later, this mother-daughter pair would target Clear Sky Sect. He, Dugu Feng, could just quietly watch the show.
The battle on the competition ground ended swiftly. The highest cultivation among the wind-attribute team's students was only at the Soul Ancestor level.
They earnestly executed the Tornado Hurricane Soul Skill Fusion Technique, yet still failed to secure victory.
Their opponents had Oscar at the Soul King level, whose sustained combat capability was overwhelmingly strong, coupled with Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu at the Soul Emperor level, who far surpassed them in agility.
This highly anticipated match concluded with Shrek Academy's victory, leaving little room for suspense.
(End of Chapter)