Chapter 168: The Promotion Tournament Begins
After absorbing two high-aged spirit rings, Luo Ling's spirit power rose to level 62—an increase that wasn't particularly large.
This was due to the limitation of his extreme attributes and the restrictions of his own martial spirit.
He could clearly feel it now.
Much of the spirit power he gained—whether from cultivation, spirit ring absorption, or sacrifices made by Yu Xiaogang—was being absorbed by his martial spirit itself.
In the weeks leading to the promotion tournament, several cities around Heaven Dou City experienced jailbreaks.
Whether it was city prisons or those belonging to the Spirit Hall, all had been attacked in similar fashion.
Each incident mirrored the jailbreak that had occurred in the imperial capital.
Under the joint efforts of both the Heaven Dou royal family and the Spirit Hall to arrest those responsible, a mysterious organization surfaced—the Primordial Church.
They practiced ritual sacrifices of flesh and blood to strengthen themselves in service to their so‑called god. It was an atrocity even worse than that of evil spirit masters who merely devoured flesh to cultivate.
Because the power gained through sacrifice was pure and without side effects—the only requirement was faith in the Primordial God.
When Emperor Xue Ye learned of this, he immediately ordered a total news lockdown. Platinum Bishop Salas likewise sent an urgent letter to Spirit City.
After all, this wasn't merely heresy—they were dealing with a god. A god who truly accepted sacrifices and bestowed blessings.
It was just that the method of worship was… unspeakably dark.
If the existence of such a deity became public knowledge, it would shake the entire continent to its core.
Faith alone, combined with blood sacrifice, could bring side‑effect‑free power.
Through captured cultists, authorities discovered three prominent figures behind the Primordial Church—the Envoy of God, and two Saints called the Demon Eagle and the Giant Bear.
Emperor Xue Ye immediately dispatched investigators to the cities where the cult had appeared, with Salas commanding Spirit Hall disciples to assist.
While the empire and Spirit Hall were mobilizing, two familiar figures quietly returned to Heaven Dou City—Flender and Zhao Wuji.
The recent jailbreak spree had been their doing.
They hadn't even informed Yu Xiaogang.
Through the rituals of sacrifice, both their spirit powers had increased by one full level—an unbelievable feat for Spirit Saints, as normally it would take years to achieve that.
At Blue Tyrant Academy, Yu Xiaogang's face darkened the moment he saw them. "Why did you act on your own and raid other cities' prisons? What if you were caught?"
Off to the side, Tang San's expression was equally grim. Not because they had acted without permission, but because all those bodies had been sacrificed without him.
So much potential energy wasted—if he had absorbed it, he might have broken through to the Soul King realm already. Then he'd finally stand a chance against Luo Ling!
"Don't be angry, Xiaogang," Flender said casually, waving his hand. "We did it for Xiao San."
"For Tang San? Then why didn't you take him with you?" Yu Xiaogang demanded coldly.
Flender adjusted his glasses awkwardly. "He had to prepare for the tournament. Besides, with the royal family and Spirit Hall chasing cult members all over, the city's defenses have thinned out—meaning Heaven Dou City's own prisons will soon be vulnerable. They'd never expect us to attack again so soon!"
He spoke with such fake seriousness that even Yu Xiaogang was momentarily taken aback before realizing the obvious excuse.
Still, even he couldn't deny there was some logic behind it.
Sighing in frustration, he asked, "I heard the royal guards captured some of our followers. Are you sure your identities weren't compromised?"
"Of course not!" Flender said confidently. "Those useless believers only know there are two Saints and one Envoy in the Primordial Church. Nothing else."
"And we never taught them the actual sacrificial rites. There's no danger."
Reassured, Yu Xiaogang exhaled slowly, though the furrow in his brow remained.
…
The investigation into the Primordial Church continued in secret, even as the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament's promotion round officially began.
Unlike the preliminaries held at the Great Spirit Arena, the promotion stage took place on the Royal Knights' Grand Parade Ground.
The enormous field had been remodeled, with a circular battleground one hundred meters in diameter at its center—far broader than the previous arena platforms, allowing competitors to display their full power.
To the north stood the VIP dais, less crowded than before. The first row was occupied by Emperor Xue Ye, Bishop Salas, and Ning Fengzhi.
There were no civilian spectators this time—only ten thousand Royal Knights standing around the perimeter, serving as both audience and guard.
Sixteen teams had advanced to the promotion round. It would follow a round‑robin format across sixteen days, with eight matches per day.
Amid the thunder of ceremonial fireworks, the promotion tournament officially commenced.
Luo Ling, representing Heaven Dou Royal Academy, arrived under heavy escort from the Royal Knights.
His appearance drew every pair of eyes in the field.
After his one‑against‑seven victory in the preliminaries, his reputation had become legendary. Even teams who hadn't competed in Heaven Dou's division knew his name.
A one‑versus‑seven feat was unthinkable, and the fact that a mere Soul King had achieved it made him a figure none of the other academies dared to underestimate.
Following speeches from Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi, Platinum Bishop Salas began the drawing of lots for the first match.
Unlike the original arrangement of fifteen teams—where one team would have a free pass each round—this lineup of sixteen left no byes.
And fate, perhaps by design, drew a curious result. The first match: Shrek Academy versus Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Even Luo Ling seemed momentarily surprised. But when he caught the faintly ingratiating look in Bishop Salas's eyes, he understood immediately.
It seemed Salas had received new orders from Bibi Dong herself, likely the result of the recent cult situation.
Luo Ling sighed inwardly, a touch exasperated.
On Shrek's side, the announcement dealt a crushing blow. Their confidence evaporated instantly.
Luo Ling's strength was beyond question—they had seen it with their own eyes.
Tang San clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He knew full well he wasn't Luo Ling's match. Perhaps if he had already reached the Soul King level, he would have stood a chance—but that opportunity had passed.
Bitterness welled in his chest. If only Flender and Zhao Wuji had taken him along during their raids, he might now be ready to face Luo Ling head‑on.
"Xiao San," Yu Xiaogang's voice cut through his thoughts, "our first match is against Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Luo Ling will likely take the stage. What's your plan?"
Tang San looked grim but composed himself after a long moment.
"Teacher," he said finally, "since the promotion battles are one‑on‑one, we'll use a relay. The others will wear him down first. I'll fight last—if his spirit power is low by then, our chances will improve."
(END CHAPTER)
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