To avoid unnecessary conflicts during this Elite Tournament, Spirit Hall had specifically arranged the soul master academies from the Tian Dou and Star Luo divisions in the northern and southern areas of Spirit City respectively.
Of course!
Spirit Hall had also done this to prevent Tian Dou and Star Luo soul masters from forming some kind of alliance.
At this moment...
Qian Renxue was sitting on the ninth floor of the northern hotel where Blazing Academy was staying.
"Brother Yang Fan!"
"Before this Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament began, I had already heard your name. I originally thought I could meet you before coming to Spirit City for the finals, but I didn't expect you to arrive early."
Inside the room...
Besides Qian Renxue, there were also Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin who had escorted the Tian Dou division, the explosive-tempered Dean Huo Bao of Blazing Academy, and Dugu Bo.
It had to be said!
Qian Renxue did have some skills.
Being able to remain calm and composed in front of so many people, and having maintained her disguise for so many years without being discovered.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince!"
"I wonder what brings you here to find me today?"
Qian Renxue smiled slightly.
She vaguely sensed an inexplicable hostility from Yang Fan deep within her heart.
"My main purpose this time is to represent the Tian Dou Empire!"
"Brother Yang Fan's performance in this Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament is obvious to all. According to Tian Dou Empire's regulations, all soul masters who enter the finals will receive noble title rewards."
"A genius soul master like you is truly a once-in-a-century encounter for the entire empire."
"Tian Dou Empire has decided to grant you the title of Earl in advance, and you will have your own fief within Tian Dou Empire."
Earl!
When these two words came from Qian Renxue's mouth, the people beside her—Huo Bao, Ning Fengzhi, and others—couldn't help but be surprised.
Tian Dou Empire did indeed grant noble titles to soul masters after each championship tournament.
But...
Previously, participating soul masters were granted the title of Baron, and only champion students had the opportunity to become Viscounts. Although the Tian Dou division had never won a championship.
The title of Earl!
This had far exceeded everyone's expectations.
It could be said...
Yang Fan's starting point was already a height that many people could never reach in their entire lives.
However, thinking about it, one could understand why Tian Dou Empire...
"My apologies!"
"I temporarily have no plans to prepare for serving the empire."
Not now!
Not in the future either!
Actually, every year there were quite a few soul masters who joined the Tian Dou Empire for money, status, and women.
But...
Many soul masters who joined the Tian Dou Empire found their strength difficult to advance afterward.
Not only because these soul masters had lives of paper-thin luxury, but also because they had to accept missions assigned by Tian Dou Empire.
"Understood!"
"I was too eager to see a genius soul master like you."
"May I ask what plans Brother Yang Fan has after this Elite Tournament ends?"
Yang Fan's brows raised slightly, as if he had already seen through the purpose of Qian Renxue's visit.
"We'll see!"
"Currently, I'm only thinking about the upcoming matches. I temporarily have no plans for the future."
"Perhaps I'll just stay in Tian Dou City making Blood Coagulation Powder for the family."
Everyone wasn't surprised by Yang Fan's refusal of the noble title.
Because the vast majority of soul masters were unwilling to choose to join the Tian Dou Empire.
Huo Bao had no choice!
Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to let Huo Wushuang and his sister accept the noble title rewards from the Tian Dou Empire after returning.
"Brother Yang Fan."
"May I rudely ask what level your soul power is at now?"
Qian Renxue knew that asking this question was too rash.
But she was too curious!
She wanted to know if Yang Fan was now already stronger than her, a Six-Winged Angel soul master with innate Level 20 soul power.
Qian Renxue's rash behavior caused even Ning Fengzhi beside her to frown slightly.
The Crown Prince's questions today were indeed too presumptuous!
But thinking about it...
The secret on Yang Fan's body had indeed aroused the curiosity of many people.
How could he not want to know Yang Fan's true strength?
"Your Highness will see."
Since Qian Renxue was representing the Tian Dou Empire to recruit Yang Fan, after being rejected by Yang Fan, she had no reason to stay.
After a few pleasantries... she left helplessly!
"Crown Prince?"
"This is clearly a young girl."
After everyone left, Yao Lao's soul floated out from Yang Fan's body.
Strange!
Too strange!
This was the first time Yao Lao had encountered such a difficult person to figure out.
From soul power to the flow of internal energy to soul strength, nothing seemed like what a normal person should have.
"Master."
"You can even use soul strength to detect whether someone is male or female?"
Incredible!
This one point made Yang Fan recognize the gap between him and Yao Lao.
"Listen to the heartbeat!"
"A woman's heartbeat is often slightly faster than a man's, and this Crown Prince's energy also indicates she is a young girl."
Yang Fan nodded thoughtfully.
Another strange and seemingly useless piece of knowledge gained.
"What Master said is absolutely correct."
"This Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire is indeed a female, and also a spy sent by Spirit Hall to the Tian Dou Empire. She used something to change her martial soul and level."
It was said that Qian Renxue infiltrated the Tian Dou Empire at the age of nine, disguised as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Just from this point, one could see how big of a game Spirit Hall was playing.
"No wonder!"
"I was wondering why this girl's soul power fluctuated high and low, and even her mental strength was fluctuating back and forth."
Yao Lao pondered thoughtfully.
The doubts in his heart just now were all resolved at this moment.
"Eh...?"
"How did you know?"
Being a spy wasn't trivial!
This kind of matter should theoretically be Spirit Hall's highest secret.
"I can calculate and predict."
Yang Fan was now thinking...
If Chen Xin could see through the secret on Qian Renxue's body like Yao Lao did.
But he couldn't say this now!
If Qian Renxue's identity was exposed, it might cause Spirit Hall to become furious and lead to war arriving early.
At that time, things would likely spiral out of control!
...
The news of Dai Weisi's death eventually spread back to Star Luo Kingdom.
There was no way!
With the future crown prince dead, it was impossible to keep it hidden.
The Star Luo Empire ultimately suffered greatly because of its proud brutal competition mechanism.
Because the Star Luo Empire no longer had any princes!
Many people had criticized this cruel competition mechanism.
Leaving no room!
Truly having absolute trust in the future crown prince, believing they could be invulnerable, live to be a hundred, and not be infertile.
Because of Dai Weisi's sudden death, the relationships between various royal families in the Star Luo Empire became subtle.
Undercurrents surged!
The atmosphere between Star Luo Empire and Spirit Hall also became suddenly tense.
It was said...
The Star Luo Empire had activated an emergency plan: searching for the third prince Dai Mubai who had been missing for many years.
If Dai Mubai knew in the afterlife, he would probably laugh himself awake!
...
Meanwhile!
On the other side, in the Great Star Dou Forest.
"What did I tell you?"
"Star Luo Empire's brutal competition method—one moment of carelessness, and the emperor's succession comes to an abrupt halt."
"Just like now!"
"Doesn't the Star Luo Empire still have the third prince Dai Mubai?"
"Dai Mubai?"
"That waste?"
"Who knows if he's already died in some remote corner. Even if he's still alive, what ability could he have?"
"His strength is probably not even as good as us brothers."
"..."
At this moment!
Zhu Zhuqing was sitting nearby listening to these temporary teammates' discussions about Dai Weisi.
Dai Weisi was dead!
Zhu Zhuyun was also dead!
Although the entire Douluo Continent was speculating who did it, she knew very clearly in her heart.
Yang Fan had actually really done it!
Previously, she had thought Yang Fan was just trying to give her a belief and courage to live on.
Unexpectedly...
Zhu Zhuqing knew there were two paths before her now.
One was to continue remaining silent!
Continue staying in the Great Star Dou Forest as a cold-blooded soul master helping others hunt spirit beasts.
The second path was to go back!
Now that Zhu Zhuyun was dead, she had become the most talented one in the entire Star Luo Zhu Family.
No matter how much the family had looked down on her before, they had no choice now.
"Hey—"
"Flower Cat!"
"Where are you going?"
Flower Cat!
This was the nickname Zhu Zhuqing had given herself to survive in the Great Star Dou Forest.
"This job, I'm not doing."
She was going back!
Not because she had any attachment to that family where she had to sleep with one eye open at night, but to take back everything she had lost before.
"Crazy!"
"You really think the team can't function without you."
Amidst a stream of cursing, Zhu Zhuqing's black figure gradually disappeared into the spirit beast forest.
...
Investigation into the cause of Dai Weisi's death continued...
Meanwhile, the most unprecedented spectacle of the Douluo Continent was also taking place—the five-yearly Elite Tournament.
After the previous round of competition, only three teams remained in this tournament.
Spirit Hall Academy, God Wind Academy, and Blazing Academy!
Tian Dou Empire hadn't expected that a division which had always been a runner-up in soul master tournaments would this time occupy two spots in the top three.
This was also the best result in the history of the Tian Dou division.
Unprecedented!
And likely never to be repeated!
The method of competition among the top three was very simple.
It was still the wheel battle commonly used in elimination rounds. Each team would send out seven opponents for one-on-one spirit duels. The winning team would directly advance to the finals three days later.
The remaining two teams would compete for the final spot in the finals through a team battle the next day.
At that time!
The ownership of the three soul bones would also be settled.
An interesting scene appeared in the top three competition...
Spirit Hall's investigation revealed that the relationship between God Wind Academy and Blazing Academy was extraordinary.
To prevent Feng Xiaotian, that simping dog, from becoming the biggest variable in the top three elimination rounds, Spirit Hall actively abandoned the wheel battle and chose to compete for the final spot through team battles.
When Feng Xiaotian heard that Spirit Hall had given up, he also very sensibly chose to participate in tomorrow's team battle.
"Feng Xiaotian, this guy is sensible."
"He knows he can't beat our Blazing Academy, so he actively avoids physical suffering."
"We're in the finals!"
"..."
Huo Wushuang sighed in his heart.
This was the best result that Blazing Academy and even the entire Tian Dou division had never achieved before.
The ancestral graves of their Huo Family were all smoking with green smoke!
...
That afternoon.
Two groups of people arrived at the northern hotel of the Tian Dou division.
The Speed Clan and the Defense Clan!
"Old White Bird, Old Rhino, why have you two old fellows come?"
Yang Wudi was extremely shocked.
Because they hadn't seen each other since the four clans' gathering a year and a half ago.
"Hmph—"
"Why would we come?"
"You old thing have a grandson with extraordinary talent and didn't tell us."
"Really something else!"
If not for the Breaking Clan, they might never have set foot in Spirit City in their entire lives.
"Haha—"
"I didn't not want to tell you about Little Fan's matters, but because they were too special."
Niu Gao and Bai He both understood.
Especially Bai He!
Actually, when Yang Fan was nine years old, he had already guessed this kid was unusual, but he hadn't expected him to be this heaven-defying.
Good heavens!
In the current stage of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, he had never revealed his soul rings.
This was at least a Soul King!
"Little Fan."
"Fight well the day after tomorrow, and help your Grandpa Niu gain some face too."
The three clan leaders who had just reunited had endless topics to talk about.
From Yang Fan to the sect, from the sect to themselves. When they talked about Tai Tan, the joyful atmosphere instantly felt like it had been doused with a basin of cold water.
Niu Gao and Bai He didn't understand why Tai Tan hadn't come.
The four attribute clans shared a common enemy!
Now that a genius soul master who could finally shit on Spirit Hall's head had emerged from the younger generation, this was the time when they should all be together in solidarity.
Yang Wudi actually knew why Tai Tan hadn't come.
Because he had no face!
Back then, Tai Tan had wanted him to assist Tang San in establishing a separate faction, which ended in an unhappy separation.
Afterward...
Tang San had been beaten badly by Yang Fan in the Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. How could Tai Tan still have the face to appear before him now?
"Forget it!"
"Let's not talk about Old Orangutan."
"We three old fellows haven't seen each other for over a year. The first thing we need to do now is go drink."
The three gradually eliminated their regret over Tai Tan's absence with the help of alcohol.
...
"Big Brother Yang."
"How exactly do you cultivate?"
Several years had passed...
Bai Chenxiang was now also twelve years old, no longer that little girl following behind them wiping her nose.
"Cultivation...?"
Images from after his martial soul awakening to the present emerged in Yang Fan's mind.
It was fucking hard!
From the initial pressure of the Heavy Xuan Ruler, blood-burning body forging, to later devouring beast flames, Heavenly Flames...
All the way!
If not for Yao Lao's protection, even nine lives wouldn't be enough for him to die.
"Just normal cultivation."
"As long as you don't play around, you will become powerful one day too."
People often like to hear encouragement from their idols.
Bai Chenxiang was naturally no exception!
"Big Brother Yang."
"Then will I have a chance to become a combat soul master with offensive power in the future?"
This had always been Bai Chenxiang's dream!
Originally, she wanted to learn from Yang Fan and go out to explore, but she couldn't bear to part with the Dragon Zhi Leaves her grandfather had obtained from Yang Fan.
"Big Brother Yang."
"After this Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament ends, can you take me to cultivate together?"
Bai Chenxiang had an inexplicable closeness to this brother she had only met a few times.
She herself couldn't say why.
"Take you with me?"
"What a joke!"
After this Elite Tournament ended, he would become the object of Spirit Hall's special attention.
A little girl with no offensive power following him?
Wasn't that seeking death!
Even if he wanted to take her, Bai He wouldn't agree.
"Listen to your brother's advice."
"After the Spirit Master Elite Tournament ends, go back to the sect with Grandpa and cultivate honestly."
Yang Fan had just walked two steps out when he suddenly turned back...
"If there's ever a method that allows Needle-Tailed Swift soul masters to cultivate into combat system soul masters, I'll find a way to tell you."
"You can give up on the idea of following me on adventures."
"I can't take care of you."
What a joke!
He would be going through fire and water in the future.
Absorbing a Heavenly Flame might take a year and a half.
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