A week later, the qualifying rounds concluded.
Of the fifteen teams, Seven Star Academy ranked first, achieving the best result in the Heaven Dou Empire's division. This time, Seven Star Academy proved to all the academies who the strongest dark horse of this competition truly was.
After the competition, Emperor Xue Ye delivered another impassioned speech. As emperor, he couldn't leave Heaven Dou City without permission, so he appointed Crown Prince Xue Qinghe as the Heaven Dou Empire's envoy to the Spirit Hall to participate in the judging process.
Following the qualifying rounds, the academies were given three days of rest. Three days later, the fifteen teams, along with their teachers and five hundred Royal Knights escorting them, a group of a thousand, departed for Spirit City, the venue for the finals.
During those three days, Cheng Xiao did nothing but quietly cultivate in his room. During this time, Dugu Bo came once, placed a yellowed map in the room, and left.
He didn't disturb Cheng Xiao's cultivation, choosing to talk on the way to Spirit City; after all, a little time wouldn't make a difference.
Three days later, the journey from Heaven Dou City to Spirit City would take approximately twenty days. The finals competition wasn't very long; thirteen teams had entered the knockout stage, and the winner would be decided in less than ten days.
A group of over a thousand people set off from Heaven Dou City. Although each academy was fighting against its own rivals, they were all representing the Heaven Dou Empire, so the tension between the academies had noticeably lessened.
Seven Star Academy received the most attention. To further win over Cheng Xiao, Emperor Xue Ye had specially arranged several luxurious giant carriages for them to ride and rest in. Immediately
across the plains, a grand convoy kicked up a cloud of yellow dust, finally disappearing into the sunset.
Inside the slightly bumpy carriage, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo sat opposite Cheng Xiao, with a small table between them, on which lay a yellowed map.
Dugu Bo pointed to a red dot on the map and said calmly, "This is our destination, Spirit City. At our current speed, we should arrive in about a week."
"When your teacher secretly met with me last time, he mentioned that Pope Bibi Dong had arranged for a considerable number of assassins to carry out the mission on our way to Spirit City. He didn't tell me who they were targeting, but I think it's probably the son of Haotian Douluo."
Hearing this, Cheng Xiao nodded slightly. He was currently an insider at the Spirit Hall, with Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan protecting him, so the target of this assassination attempt was definitely not him. He just didn't know how Bibi Dong would treat him after entering Spirit City.
"By the way, Old Poison, this should be the Pope's Palace, right?" Cheng Xiao pointed to an angel symbol within Spirit City on the map and asked.
"Yes, this is the Pope's Palace of the Spirit Hall." Dugu Bo nodded and said, "The terrain where we are now is treacherous. I just don't know if the Spirit Hall will hurt us when they take action." "
It seems I need to prepare in advance. If our academy's students are injured, wouldn't I be too unqualified as the dean?"
"You will definitely be a good dean, Old Poison." Cheng Xiao chuckled.
On the other side.
Feng Xiaotian called out to the carriage of Blazing Fire Academy, "Sister Huo Wu, it's me, Feng Xiaotian. Can I come in?"
Ever since he was beaten up by Cheng Xiao last time, Feng Xiaotian knew that he and Cheng Xiao were not on the same level, which is why he chose to forfeit. But in his heart, he still liked Huo Wu very much.
So, since he had nothing better to do, he came to find Huo Wu again.
"Brother Xiaotian, my sister said she is not feeling well. Please go back." The curtain of the carriage was slightly lifted, revealing Huo Wushuang's helpless face.
"Uh...is she not feeling well? Should I find a healing-type Soul Master to check her out?" Feng Xiaotian asked with some concern.
Suddenly, Huo Wu's beautiful face appeared from the carriage window. Huo Wushuang was about to speak when a sharp pain shot through his instep, silencing him. Just then
, Huo Wu said, "Feng Xiaotian, get in the carriage." Feng Xiaotian was slightly taken aback. He knew Huo Wu's personality; if she didn't like something, she wouldn't waste any effort. But she actually let him get in? Could it be that she was giving him a chance?
Overjoyed, Feng Xiaotian jumped off the carriage and boarded the Blazing Fire Academy's carriage.
"Feng Xiaotian, I know you've always liked me," Huo Wu said as soon as Feng Xiaotian sat down in the carriage.
Feng Xiaotian stared at her blankly, his heart pounding. He cautiously asked, "Sister Huowu, you're not going to say next, 'You're a good person, but we're not a good match,' are you?"
"No," Huowu waved her hand, her voice deep. "I want to form an alliance with your Shenfeng Academy to face the finals together. That way, even if we can't defeat Seven Star Academy and Spirit Hall Academy, getting into the top three shouldn't be a problem." "
Then we won't be completely overshadowed by Shrek Academy and Tianshui Academy."
"This…" Hearing Huowu's words, Feng Xiaotian hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I agree. Our Shenfeng Academy will forfeit the competition and merge into your Blazing Fire Academy."
…
Meanwhile, in Spirit City.
The Grandmaster, dressed in simple clothes, entered the city after being checked by the city guards. Given his strength and age, he didn't attract anyone's attention.
Having rushed from Heaven Dou City to Spirit City, without a moment's delay, the Grandmaster took the Papal Decree and headed straight for the Papal Palace.
Thanks to the papal decree, the Grandmaster's journey was unimpeded, and he quickly entered the papal council hall. He then sat down, sipping fragrant tea, and awaited Bibi Dong's arrival.
Soon, the doors of the papal palace were pushed open, and Bibi Dong walked in.
The master sat in his chair. When the woman entered the hall, their eyes met briefly. Then, the master stood up, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Dong'er, long time no see."
"Dong'er? It's been a long time since I've heard those words. But now, you should address me as Your Holiness the Pope." Hearing this, Bibi Dong's lips curled into a mocking smile, then she said indifferently, "What brings you here?"
The master took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, and pondered, "Your Holiness, I have indeed come to ask for your help."
"Oh?" Bibi Dong was slightly surprised, and said sarcastically, "Yu Xiaogang, with your personality, you actually come to ask me for help? This isn't like the arrogant you."
"However, considering our past relationship, I'm willing to hear how you intend to ask me."
The master didn't hesitate, saying, "Your Holiness, I want to know how you overcame the difficulty of possessing twin martial souls."
"Why should I tell you?" Bibi Dong's pupils contracted slightly, and she sneered, "Aren't you supposed to be a theoretical master in the martial spirit world? What, do you need me to tell you this kind of thing?"
"Your Holiness, I have taken on a disciple. Fortunately, he, like you, possesses twin martial souls. As his teacher, I must be responsible for him." Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's emotions surged, his voice choked with emotion. "Dong'er, for the sake of our past relationship, please help me. I can assure you, this disciple of mine will never oppose the Spirit Hall."
"Yu Xiaogang, you are still as naive as ever." Bibi Dong's voice suddenly turned cold. "Do you really think I'm still the same foolish, naive Bibi Dong I was back then? Don't think you can fool me by hiding your second martial soul. This disciple of yours is Tang Hao's son."
"Don't worry, I've already found a way to solve his twin martial soul problem for you. I've sent men to intercept him on his way from the Heaven Dou Empire to Spirit City. Once he's dead, the problem will be solved."
Hearing this, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's body trembled violently. He clenched his fists, glared at Bibi Dong, his chest heaving, panting heavily, and roared, "Bibi Dong, how could you be so heartless? He's still a child, my disciple!"
"Do you know that he is my only hope for proving the theory of Martial Souls? Even if you hate me, hate Tang Hao, you shouldn't have killed a child with twin Martial Souls!"
"Hahaha, Yu Xiaogang, so you've finally become impatient?" Bibi Dong's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Get lost, I don't want to see you in the Martial Soul Hall."
"Yu Xiaogang, you truly disgust me."
...
The Heaven Dou Empire's participating team progressed smoothly, and more than ten days passed quickly, covering most of their journey to Martial Soul City.
But in the last three days, an unexpected event occurred.
Cheng Xiao was cultivating when suddenly, a chilling aura emanated from nearby.
The participating teams usually traveled on the official roads, only choosing secluded paths where shortcuts were possible. At this moment, they were still on the official road, but now they were traversing a canyon.
Although the canyon path was narrower, it was relatively flat, and the carriage could pass through without any problem.
A chilling aura emanated from the mountains on both sides of the canyon. Cheng Xiao wasn't the only one who sensed it; Dugu Bo, sitting in the same carriage, also felt it.
Sensing something amiss, the captain of the Royal Knights shouted, "Everyone on alert! There seems to be trouble around us! Protect the team!"
With that shout, the Royal Knights members surrounding the students immediately raised their lances. However, a hint of relief crossed their faces. With so many talented Soul Masters here, they had nothing to worry about.
Besides, while the Royal Knights were numerous, they were merely ordinary people, no match for these Soul Masters.
Moreover, among the instructors from various academies, there were many powerful figures. Titled Douluos and Soul Douluos were rare, but Soul Saints and Soul Emperors were not uncommon. And with Dugu Bo accompanying Seven Star Academy, what kind of foolish organization would dare to cause trouble?
Just as no one paid any attention, countless rocks began to fall like raindrops from the hills on both sides. These rocks not only appeared very abruptly, but were also unusually neat, clearly indicating that someone had laid an ambush beforehand, and they rushed down rapidly.
The terrain was extremely unfavorable for the entire team. The captain of the Royal Knights quickly issued a defensive order, entrusting the task of deploying the five hundred members of the Royal Knights.
At this moment, they demonstrated the overall quality of the Royal Knights. Although many of them were not Soul Masters, their overall strength was by no means weak.
The members of the Royal Knights used their spears and shields to deflect all the boulders rolling down from the mountaintops on both sides of the canyon, preventing any boulder from hitting any of the academy's carriages for a short period of time.
"It seems they've arrived." Hearing the sounds outside, Dugu Bo frowned slightly and said, "Cheng Xiao, you stay here. I'll go out and take a look, lest some fools come looking for trouble."
Cheng Xiao nodded.
Dugu Bo lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down. Looking up, he found that the previously clear sky was now obscured by an eerie black mist. Just then, a whistle sounded from somewhere.
Suddenly, thousands of men in black appeared on the mountaintops on both sides of the canyon.
The fifteen academies combined had only a little over two hundred Soul Masters, while the black-clad figures appearing on the mountainsides on both sides
of the canyon numbered approximately fifteen hundred, with dazzling lights of various colors emanating from their bodies. With the release of their Martial Souls and the flashing of their Soul Rings, these men swiftly charged down the mountainsides.
The moment the Heaven Dou Royal Knights made contact with these black-clad men, the latter displayed astonishing teamwork, with three or four men typically surrounding a dozen or so Heaven Dou Royal Knights, quickly overwhelming them.
There was a vast difference between Soul Masters and ordinary people; while the latter possessed strong combat experience, they were still considerably inferior to true Soul Masters.
Moreover, these men were not only well-coordinated but also extremely cunning, quickly breaking through the Royal Knights' defenses with their impressive speed and teamwork, heading straight for Shrek Academy.
Cheng Xiao made no move in the face of these black-clad men; instead, Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and others ran out of the carriage to support the other students.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with a cold glint, and he followed.
He knew who these Soul Masters were targeting, but he would never allow his granddaughter to be harmed.
Following behind Dugu Yan, many foolish black-clad Soul Masters attacked Dugu Bo, but with a casual move, they were all reduced to puddles of pus.
Although he had no intention of being enemies with the Spirit Hall, it was only because of Cheng Xiao. Now, his identity was simply that of a grandfather protecting his granddaughter. If anyone dared to come near, they would be sent to hell.
Soon, the canyon was filled with a lush green glow. At this moment, not only the Soul Masters of the Spirit Hall, but even the members of the Royal Knights not far away were horrified and dared not take a step forward.
At this moment, the black-clad men who had attacked the academy's soul masters realized that the green-clad elder before them was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse, and that only one person was skilled in poison. Immediately, many of the black-clad soul masters' expressions changed. One of the higher-ranking men shouted, "Sir, if you don't act now, we'll all be wiped out!"
As his voice fell, a soft, feminine voice came from the sky, "Lordiala, take your men to Shrek Academy. Leave this to me."
When Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan called Lordiala's name, it seemed he was still far away, but as soon as he finished speaking, his figure descended from the sky, appearing before everyone. His nine soul rings shone brightly, radiating a suffocating pressure.
Yue Guan's skin looked as delicate as a baby's, and his alluring appearance gave him a unique aura. His voice made it impossible to discern his age; if it weren't for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would believe he was a man.
"Old poisoner, it seems your strength has improved considerably in just a few days," Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan said meaningfully to Dugu Bo.
"Chrysanthemum Douluo, as the dean of Seven Star Academy, I must protect my students," Dugu Bo said in a deep voice.
"Hmph, you killed so many of my people, how could I let you off?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's words fell, and his figure transformed into a golden light and disappeared from the spot. Then he and Dugu Bo began to fight, and the two left the canyon and ran up the mountain to fight.
"Cheng Xiao, will my grandfather be alright?" Looking at the two who disappeared into the horizon, Dugu Yan looked at Cheng Xiao, who was getting out of the carriage, and asked with some worry.
She knew the relationship between Cheng Xiao and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, but now, she still couldn't help but worry about her grandfather.
Cheng Xiao patted Dugu Yan's shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, Sister Yan, they'll be fine."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan felt a little better.
At the same time, at Shrek Academy.
Three men in black lunged at Tang San, showing no mercy as he unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons aimed at their vital points.
The instant Tang San threw his weapons, the three men released their own spirits, unleashing an incredibly powerful surge of spirit energy that sent Tang San's weapons flying. Tang San
was startled by this sight.
The three men in black rapidly closed in on Tang San. Flander and Liu Erlong's expressions changed drastically. They clearly couldn't withstand a lineup of one Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints; they could at most hold off two Soul Saints, and the Soul Douluo was doomed.
But at this point, they couldn't back down.
Gritting their teeth, Flander and Liu Erlong each attacked two Soul Masters. Although Flander was also a Soul Saint, his spirit power had reached level seventy-nine, just one step away from becoming a Soul Douluo. His opponent's spirit power level was also not low; he was also a Soul Saint with a flying spirit.
The battle between the two unfolded in mid-air, a fierce and evenly matched contest.
Liu Erlong's opponent was an armored ghost master; the two fought a stalemate, one attacking and the other defending.
Meanwhile, this Soul Douluo-level powerhouse had already locked his gaze on Tang San. His eyes turned sinister, and with a long howl, his eight soul rings shone brightly as he soared into the air, directly attacking Tang San's location.
Upon seeing this, Tang San's expression changed drastically. The immense pressure of the Soul Douluo was pushing him to the brink of collapse. At this point, he had lost all hope of survival; his only option was a desperate counterattack.
But could he truly overcome the vast difference in soul power levels?
"Seeking death!" A deep voice suddenly rang out in mid-air, followed by a powerful aura enveloping the Shrek Seven Devils, instantly dispelling the pressure from the Soul Douluo.
Tang San looked towards the direction of the sound with a sigh of relief. He saw a black figure silently appear in mid-air and then hover there quietly, as if it belonged there all along.
It was a middle-aged man wielding a giant hammer. He looked to be in his fifties, tall, and wearing a tattered black robe. His originally handsome features seemed to be covered with a layer of wax.
"Dad!" Tang San was overjoyed to see Tang Hao suddenly appear. His father was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse; who among them could kill him?
With Tang Hao's appearance, the black-clad Soul Douluo who was lunging at Tang San in mid-air contracted his pupils in terror, exclaiming, "Clear Sky Hammer! Title Douluo!"
Knowing this, the black-clad Soul Douluo already considered retreating, abandoning his attack and turning to flee.
"A bunch of worthless fish, daring to harm my son?" With a furious roar, Tang Hao's soul rings shone brightly, and the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand suddenly unleashed its power. A powerful black light surged and rippled, and the Clear Sky Hammer suddenly grew larger.
Then, before the Shrek Academy members' eyes, it smashed down on the surrounding black-clad men. With a deafening roar, dozens of black-clad men perished, all smashed into a bloody pulp.
Just as Tang Hao finished off the black-clad Soul Masters, a chilling voice suddenly echoed throughout the area.
"Tang Hao, your strength seems to have declined considerably." A dark shadow twisted and transformed into a black figure, hovering in mid-air, its body shrouded in ghostly energy, yet devoid of any spirit rings.
"Another Title Douluo!" the Shrek Academy members exclaimed in surprise. Xiao Wu instinctively retreated behind them, trying to prevent Ghost Douluo from sensing her aura.
"A mere brat dares to appear before me?" Tang Hao said in a deep voice.
Suddenly, two long howls echoed from not far away.
These two howls were distant and powerful, as captivating as rolling heat waves.
Upon hearing these sounds, Tang Hao, wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, immediately changed his expression. Others might not recognize these howls, but he knew perfectly well that the owner of these auras possessed a spirit power level of over ninety-five!
It was an elder of the Spirit Hall!
In an instant, two powerful auras enveloped the entire canyon. This terrifying aura even caused the surrounding black-clad figures to bow respectfully.
"Oh? I didn't expect them to come too." Ghost Douluo looked up at the sky, feeling somewhat incredulous.
Could it be that His Holiness the Pope had already guessed that Tang Hao would make a move, and thus invited the elders of the Hall of Worship to intervene?
Just as Ghost Douluo was pondering this, the two powerful auras emanating from not far away grew increasingly intense. Finally, two clear whistles soared into the sky, and under the gaze of countless eyes, two figures suddenly appeared in the air.
They wore red robes of elders. The one on the left had a black bun hairstyle and blue-gray eyes, with a scar on his right eye. He was handsome, burly, and wielded a golden dragon-patterned staff.
The one on the right looked very similar to the one on the left, and their martial souls were exactly the same. Both of them wielded staffs twelve feet long, emblazoned with golden dragons.
"Ghosts? What are you doing here?"
...
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(End of Chapter)