"Hu Yanzhen has won."
In truth, this prediction was not difficult. As the party on the defensive, Hu Yanzhen had only taken half a step back after the initial clash, while the attacker, Huo Bao, had been forced back three steps. Furthermore, Hu Yanzhen's elephant trunk had not sustained any significant injury. How could one win if their attacks could not break through the defense?
The result of this clash between Hu Yanzhen and Huo Bao was partly due to the difference in their cultivation levels, but it was more a reflection of the gap between their spirits.
Do not be fooled by the fact that the Huyan Family is only one of the Lower Four Sects; their ancestral spirit, the Diamond Mammoth, is among the strongest of the top-tier spirits, not at all inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Its power and defense both reach the level of the Strength Clan and the Defense Clan respectively. To reach the level of two extreme-style clans simultaneously shows just how powerful this spirit is.
The subsequent outcome was also within Yun Ming's expectations. The battle between the two was like a clash between a spear and a shield; when the spear cannot break the shield, how can one win? They cannot.
After Huo Bao unleashed several wild attacks against Hu Yanzhen to no avail, he even tried to circle around and increase his speed, pushing his velocity and impact to the absolute limit he could control to launch a final strike. Yet, even then, he could not exceed the limits of Hu Yanzhen's defense. Not only did he fail to break through, but Huo Bao also injured himself from the recoil.
Seeing this infuriating result again, even though Huo Bao was filled with resentment, he eventually conceded. His Fire Leopard Sect still needed him to continue fighting.
Once the match concluded, the Earth-Type Soul Masters of Martial Soul Hall immediately stepped in to quickly clear the ground, leveling the arena so the next battle could proceed.
Soon, the first round of the clan-internal matches concluded. Having watched the entire round, Yun Ming had a rough idea of which clans would be selected.
First, two clans were basically confirmed, both having won all their matches in the first round. One was the Elephant Armor Sect, as no one in their group could break through the Diamond Mammoth's defense, and it was unlikely anyone in the other groups could either. The other was the sect called the Saint Dragon Sect.
Both were undefeated, but the difference was that the Elephant Armor Sect relied on comprehensive strength. In their three matches, they fielded three Soul Douluo, emphasizing deep foundations. The Saint Dragon Sect, however, was different; they relied on one man acting as an army, with their Clan Leader winning every match single-handedly.
The inherited spirit of this Saint Dragon Sect is called the White Armor Earth Dragon, a type of earth-dragon spirit with relatively high defense. Compared to a True Dragon Spirit like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, it is still far behind—perhaps its strength is on par with the Fire Leopard, or even slightly weaker in comprehensive terms. However, the reason this clan was rated so highly by Yun Ming was because they possessed a Clan Leader with extraordinary talent: Tuoba Xi.
It was not just Yun Ming who noticed Tuoba Xi; the other two Dragon-Type Douluo present also took note.
Dugu Bo, who had come specifically to watch the excitement, let out a soft sound of surprise.
"This Tuoba Xi's aura is a bit off! It feels strange."
Gu Rong also nodded in agreement.
"It is indeed a bit off."
However, neither of them was quite sure what was wrong, as most people do not have a clear perception of their own past auras.
Regarding their question, Yun Ming revealed the answer directly.
"Because this Tuoba Xi's spirit is about to advance?"
Dugu Bo was somewhat shocked and asked in confusion.
"Spirit advancement? Could it be that he (consumed an Immortal Herb)?"
In the public eye, Dugu Bo did not speak clearly, but Yun Ming and Gu Rong understood what he meant.
Yun Ming denied it.
"Advancement is not evolution; it is the result of cultivation. Just like the Jade Scale Serpent becoming the Jade Scale Serpent Emperor."
The outward appearance of a Soul Master's cultivation is Soul Power, but in essence, they are cultivating their spirit; the spirit is the origin.
Regardless of the initial quality of a spirit, with the increase in cultivation and the addition of every Spirit Ring, an individual's spirit is actually slowly growing stronger. This is true even for most powerful spirits; releasing the potential of the spirit itself is also a way to become stronger. It might not be as fast or as obvious as taking an Immortal Herb, but it is a real phenomenon.
There are far more powerful individuals in later generations than there are now. Aside from the refinement of cultivation methods, the strength of spirits is a key factor. The variety of powerful spirits in later generations is far greater than it is now. Excluding the intrusion of certain Soul Beast bloodlines, most of it is the result of the accumulation of predecessors—spirits that might not have been strong at first were optimized and iterated through generations of cultivation and bloodline inheritance.
This was the case for Dugu Bo's Jade Scale Serpent becoming the Jade Scale Serpent Emperor, and it is the same for Tuoba Xi now.
Every Soul Master has this experience. Once Yun Ming brought it up, Gu Rong and Dugu Bo understood what he meant. But if that were the case, then wouldn't this Tuoba Xi...!!
A thought appeared in the minds of everyone around at the same time. Yun Ming nodded, confirming their thoughts. Yes, Tuoba Xi was about to break through to the Title Douluo realm; that was his judgment, and it should be within a few years.
With this, the way Ning Fengzhi and the others looked at Tuoba Xi changed; a Title Douluo is different.
Beyond these two, Yun Ming felt the final two spots would likely come from the Black Tiger Sect, Wind Sword Sect, Fire Leopard Sect, Rock Antelope Sect, and Sparrow Bee Sect. Two veteran Lower Four Sects and three dark-horse newcomers.
The first round ended, and the sixteen participating sects gained an understanding of their respective opponents, which had a significant impact on the second round.
In groups where the advancement was relatively clear—such as the group with the Elephant Armor and Fire Leopard—the other two clans knew they had no chance and decisively gave up. Since there was no opportunity, why fight to the death? Fighting with all one's might would only annoy others without securing advancement, and it would only bring trouble upon themselves later. The Soul Master World is not just about killing and fighting; it is about human relationships and worldly wisdom!
With this, the advancement results for that group were no surprise: Elephant Armor Sect first, Fire Leopard Sect second.
However, in groups where advancement was not as clear—such as the group with the Wind Sword Sect, Rock Antelope Sect, and Sparrow Bee Sect—the strength of the three sects, excluding the obvious bottom-dweller, was quite close. These three sects fought like crazy in the second round. Aside from the "point-delivery baby" that lost all six matches, the other three fought until they were battered and bruised.
In the end, the Wind Sword Sect, which was slightly stronger, and the Sparrow Bee Sect, which had a spirit advantage, narrowly advanced, placing first and second respectively. The Rock Antelope Sect, one of the New Seven Great Sects in the original timeline, was eliminated early.
As for the other two groups, the Saint Dragon Sect and the Black Tiger Sect each took first place in their respective groups to advance. The remaining second-place finishers were significantly weaker than the other six sects; their only chance of success was to draw the Wind Sword Sect, which had fought four bloody battles, and hope for a lucky upset.
With this, the first day of competition concluded.
On the second day, the eight sects drew lots and paired off to fight.
The two "point-delivery" sects were unlucky; they did not draw the Wind Sword Sect, but instead drew the two strongest sects, the Saint Dragon Sect and the Elephant Armor Sect, and were naturally eliminated. However, the Wind Sword Sect was equally unlucky, drawing the strongest Fire Leopard Sect in the second round and being finished off. As for the Sparrow Bee Sect, their fate had been sealed at the end of the first round; their top expert was heavily injured, they could not beat the other three first-place finishers, and upon meeting the Black Tiger Sect, they were eliminated without surprise.
The Wind Sword Sect and the Sparrow Bee Sect, which were part of the New Seven Great Sects in the original timeline, were also eliminated from this selection.
The preliminary selection ended, and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan appeared to announce the results.
"First, congratulations to the Soul Break Sect (Breaking Clan), Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Elephant Armor Sect, Saint Dragon Sect, Black Tiger Sect, and Fire Leopard Sect for being selected as the Seven Sects."
"Those who failed need not be discouraged. As long as you do not give up, there will always be a chance to make a comeback in the future."
After delivering a long string of official rhetoric, Chrysanthemum Douluo announced the matters regarding the final ranking of the seven sects.
"Three days from now, in front of the Pope Palace, the Seven Sects Ranking Tournament will officially begin. The specific rules will be announced by Pope Your Majesty in person at that time."
"Finally, I wish you all great success in your martial endeavors!"
As his words fell, everyone departed.
Yun Ming turned to Yang Wudi and Yang Wutian beside him.
"Grandfathers, have you thought it over? My proposal from the day before yesterday."
After entering Martial Soul City that day, Yun Ming had made a suggestion based on the reactions of the two men, and now it was time for them to make a decision.
The two old men exchanged a glance, feeling quite intrigued; although they didn't know what the outcome would be, they decided to go for it. Yang Wutian gritted his teeth and said.
"Fine, let's do it! We'll risk it."
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader