Chapter 201 Tang Xiaosan's Changes
For example, in the original work, Xiao Wu's fourth Spirit Ability, Paragon Golden Body, was merely a thousand-year Spirit Ability.
However, the effect of that Spirit Ability, compared to the Soul Bone Skill: Paragon Golden Body from her ten-thousand-year Soft Bones Rabbit Right Leg Bone, which she left behind after her sacrifice, seemed to be even stronger.
Xiao Wu's fourth Spirit Ability, Paragon Golden Body, had the effect of providing absolute defense against anything below the divine level for three seconds, while also doubling her strength. Furthermore, for every ten levels her spirit power increased, the duration would extend by one second, with the invincibility and strength-enhancement durations being the same.
On the other hand, the Soul Bone Skill: Paragon Golden Body, not only had a duration of only three seconds for immunity to damage below the divine level, but it also did not increase strength attributes.
Comparing the two, it seemed that the ten-thousand-year Soul Bone Skill: Paragon Golden Body, was not as good as the thousand-year third Spirit Ability, Paragon Golden Body?
Of course, in certain situations, the Spirit Ability Paragon Golden Body might be ineffective, while the Soul Bone Skill: Paragon Golden Body would still be effective.
After all, there are some special Spirit Abilities that can ignore defense.
For instance, when facing Bibi Dong's Soul Eating Spider Emperor Spirit's sixth Spirit Ability, Eternal Creation, absolute defense below the divine level would be ineffective, but immunity to damage below the divine level would be effective.
Immunity to damage and absolute defense cannot be equated; absolute defense implies a high defense cap, while immunity to damage involves the level of laws.
Suddenly, Ye Chen, whose thoughts were wandering, thought of a very serious question.
Since his Da Mao Mi had clones, could he call them all out when the two of them made love in the future, for multiple times the pleasure? What kind of situation would that be?
Thinking of this, Ye Chen was very excited.
Ye Chen: I'm sorry, I'm tainted!
...
Early the next morning.
The purpose of their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest had been successfully achieved, so Ye Chen had no intention of staying longer. He took his three girls and headed out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As for the direction?
Well, Ye Chen had long forgotten the way they came, so he could only roughly determine the direction by looking at the position of the sun in the sky.
...
In an unknown forest where Blue Silver Grass grew exceptionally lush, the protagonist Little San was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in front of an enormous Blue Silver Grass.
Its slender vines climbed upwards, intertwining until they reached about ten meters in the air, looking like a special plant formed by countless entangled vines. Its entire body was a clear blue, and its skin shimmered with a unique crystalline glow.
Around it, the Blue Silver Grass grew exceptionally lush, each vine as thick as a normal person's waist, with a diameter exceeding a foot.
This Blue Silver Grass was absolutely the undisputed Blue Silver King, the king among grasses!
Hmm, even though it was still grass.
Under the selfless dedication of the Blue Silver King and the countless Blue Silver Grasses in the forest, Little San was currently undergoing the bloodline awakening of the Blue Silver Emperor.
As the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline awakened, Little San's appearance transformed. His originally dark short hair gradually turned into dark blue long hair, and within that dark blue, there were faint golden streaks of light.
And his Spirit in his hand, at this moment, also underwent an earth-shattering change, just like his appearance, transforming from an unremarkable Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver Emperor.
If an ordinary Blue Silver Grass Spirit could only be considered a Waste Spirit, then the Blue Silver Emperor Spirit at this moment was definitely a top-tier plant-type Spirit.
After awakening the Blue Silver Emperor Spirit, awakening the Blue Silver Domain, and condensing his innate spirit ring, Little San bid farewell to the Blue Silver King and left this forest.
Outside the forest, Tang Da Chui, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground waiting, sensed his son's aura and slowly opened his eyes.
"Ah Yin.... Little San...."
Although Little San had undergone a profound transformation, an effect even more significant than cosmetic surgery, Tang Da Chui still recognized him at first glance.
"Good! Little San, you finally succeeded!"
Seeing his son's earth-shattering changes, Tang Da Chui was exceptionally pleased.
His son, Tang San, was not only very sensible at a young age, but also possessed talent far beyond ordinary people. He was not only one of the few with innate full spirit power on the continent, but also the owner of twin spirits.
This couldn't help but give Tang Da Chui the confidence to seek revenge against Spirit Hall.
Fortunately, Little San lived up to his expectations, cultivating to a 51st-level Spirit King at the age of 14, setting a new record on the continent.
That's right, at this moment, Little San had become a Five-Ring Soul King.
Unlike the original work, in which Little San was not taken by Tang Da Chui for guidance after his Spirit awakening, and due to his impoverished family, Little San also needed to do odd jobs to earn money.
But because of Ye Chen, everything changed.
After leaving Saint Spirit Village that year, Tang Da Chui went to the Star Luo Empire.
Before the Clear Sky Sect sealed itself off from the world, it had supported the Star Luo Empire, and the two powers were close. Even though Tang Da Chui was ostensibly expelled from the Clear Sky Sect, he was still warmly received by Emperor Dai Yutian of the Star Luo Empire.
Besides, even excluding the Clear Sky Sect factor, Tang Da Chui himself was a powerful Titled Douluo, worth winning over.
As for Spirit Hall's wanted order? Dai Yutian expressed, what does that have to do with his Star Luo Empire?
Thus, Little San enrolled in the Star Luo Royal Academy, which was the best Spirit Master academy within the Star Luo Empire. Naturally, it had simulated training grounds and the like.
Coupled with not needing to work odd jobs to make a living, having plenty of time to cultivate, and with the unlimited supply of resources (spirit power food produced by Food-type Soul Masters) from the Star Luo Empire, Little San's cultivation speed was naturally very fast.
Seeing his son's genius, Tang Da Chui then gave Little San the ten-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone left by his wife, ahead of time.
All these factors combined allowed Little San to cultivate early to a 51st-level Spirit King, and his fifth spirit ring was also an innate spirit ring of the Blue Silver Emperor, capable of increasing its age as his body's endurance limit improved.
After refining the ten-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, Little San, relying on the Soul Bone Skill: Unending Wildfire, Ever-Renewing Spring Breeze, combined with the Tang Sect's ultimate technique: Mysterious Heaven Skill, actually cured Tang Da Chui's severe hidden injuries.
After his hidden injuries were healed, Tang Da Chui swept away years of gloom, and his spirit power level even broke through one level, reaching 96th-level Titled Douluo.
At this moment, Tang Da Chui was full of confidence. After Ring Explosion, he dared to even contend with Qian Daoliu.
Moreover, his son Tang San possessed a ten-thousand-year healing-type Soul Bone Skill, so he wasn't afraid of not being cured after Ring Explosion; he could go all out!
"Little San, in this Soul Master Competition, your father wants you to thoroughly trample Spirit Hall's so-called Golden Generation underfoot."
The hatred for his wife's murder was irreconcilable. Even though Qian Xunji, the culprit, was dead, Tang Da Chui had not forgotten.
Furthermore, his grievances with Spirit Hall were not just as simple as the murder of his wife. Before the Clear Sky Sect announced its seclusion, Tang Da Chui had many relatives, such as aunts and uncles, who died at the hands of Spirit Hall. The hatred was immense.
Chapter 202: Flanders
Although with his strength, he was still far from being able to utterly defeat Spirit Hall.
However, at the Soul Master Competition, having his son, Little San, trample the Spirit Hall Team underfoot was not difficult to achieve. It would just dampen Spirit Hall's arrogance, serving as a small prelude to the future establishment of a pan-Continent anti-Spirit Hall alliance.
"Golden Generation?"
Little San was a bit puzzled, listening to this title. It sounded interesting, but he just didn't know how strong they were.
"Little San, in this Soul Master Competition, the Spirit Hall Team has three Five-Ring Soul Kings, whom Spirit Hall has hyped up as the Golden Generation.
Hmph~, Five-Ring Soul Kings in their twenties, and only at the fifty-first or fifty-second rank of a Soul King, yet Spirit Hall dares to boast like that? When there's no tiger in the mountains, a monkey becomes king!"
Tang Da Chui was very disdainful of the title 'Golden Generation'. His son, Tang San, a 14-year-old Five-Ring Soul King, couldn't he be called the 'Diamond Generation'?
"Yes, Father!"
Although somewhat confused, as the vice-captain of the Star Luo Royal Academy's main team, Little San felt that defeating the Spirit Hall Team was his inescapable duty!
The reason Little San was the vice-captain and not the captain was because the captain of the Star Luo team was Dai Weisi.
Dai Weisi and his fiancée, Zhu Zhuyun, could activate the Spirit Fusion Skill: Hell White Tiger, and their individual strength was also good, with their spirit power level reaching rank 49 Spirit Ancestor. This was enough to qualify for the captain's position.
Moreover, Dai Weisi was, after all, the First Prince of the Star Luo Empire. If Little San wanted to get by in the Star Luo Royal Academy and in the Star Luo Empire, he had to show some respect, right?
As for those three Soul Kings from Spirit Hall? Little San didn't take them seriously.
Before his Spirit transformed, relying on Tang Sect's unique skills, he could challenge opponents beyond his rank and was unrivaled among Spirit Masters of the same level. Not to mention that now his Spirit had transformed, and his strength had improved even further.
It was just that Hidden Weapons couldn't be used in the Soul Master Competition, otherwise, even if a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor or a Soul Sage (7 Rings) came, Little San wouldn't necessarily back down!
...
With three days left until the Advanced Tournament, Ye Chen and the other three returned to Shrek Academy.
"Good, good, good, you finally made it back before the Advanced Tournament started. I thought you wouldn't make it!"
Inside the dean's office, Flender said happily.
"Dean Flender, there won't be any eliminations in the Advanced Tournament, so it wouldn't have much impact if we didn't make it, right?"
"What are you saying? How could it not have an impact? This is a crucial moment for our Shrek Academy to make a name for itself. Don't you dare mess up!"
"Don't worry, don't worry, the first place in the Tian Dou Competition Zone's Advanced Tournament is ours, Shrek Academy's. I said so!"
Ye Chen patted his chest and assured Flender.
"Hmm, that's good! Oh, right, Zhuqing, Rongrong, have you advanced to Five-Ring Soul Kings?"
Flender didn't have the ability to see through the disguise of the necklaces they wore, but since they were back, it was almost certain they had advanced.
"Mm-hmm."
The two nodded.
"Haha, good! In this Soul Master Competition, our Shrek Academy's participating team has two Six-Ring Spirit Emperors and two Five-Ring Soul Kings.
What Spirit Hall Team, what Royal Fight Team, they'll all just be background!"
At this moment, Flender was filled with pride.
After all, during the awards ceremony for the preliminaries, Emperor Xue Ye had said that if any academy could win the championship of this Soul Master Competition, they would receive financial support from the Heaven Dou Empire.
Coupled with the fame of the champion team's academy, Shrek Academy would definitely develop even more prosperously in the future.
...
The Advanced Tournament of the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament was not as lively as the preliminaries. To protect the personal privacy of the Spirit Masters and for safety considerations, spectators were not allowed to watch the Advanced Tournament. Therefore, the competition venue was not kept at the Great Spirit Arena.
The Advanced Tournament was still divided by the Two Great Empires. The thirty teams that passed the preliminaries competed in their respective Empires.
As for the main teams of the Royal Academies of the Two Great Empires and the Spirit Hall Team, they were directly promoted to the finals.
This was not due to any shady dealings in the competition; on the contrary, with the strength of these three teams, they were definitely among the top contenders. Direct promotion to the finals was to provide a better stage for other teams to showcase themselves.
After all, the biggest goal of the Two Great Empires and Spirit Hall jointly organizing the Soul Master Competition was not just to simply compete for first place, but to recruit more excellent genius Spirit Masters.
...
The Royal Hunting Grounds, located fifty kilometers southwest of Heaven Dou City, had varied terrain and a vast area. It was a place for royal personnel to hunt and train.
The Royal Knights could be considered the strongest legion controlled by the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family.
To avoid unnecessary trouble and conflicts, and to prevent the strength of each academy entering the Advanced Tournament from being observed by other academies, the fifteen advanced Spirit Master academy teams entering the Advanced Tournament would be arranged to rest in different places.
The Heaven Dou Empire's royal family had clearly prepared for the Advanced Tournament. When the Shrek Academy members arrived early in the morning, the first thing they saw was the massive Royal Knights.
The Heaven Dou Empire Royal Knights were uniformly dressed in bright silver full plate armor. This thick plate armor provided extremely strong defense.
Even their mounts were carefully selected Heavenly Spirit Horses with a certain Spirit Beast bloodline. These horses themselves had no offensive capabilities, but they were incredibly fast, had immense carrying capacity, and outstanding endurance, making them always the best choice for cavalry.
The horses were also covered in armor, and even with the weight of the knights and their full plate armor, it did not affect the speed of these steeds in the slightest. Once such a cavalry unit charged, its power would undoubtedly be astonishing.
The Royal Knights had always been an elite force that the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family was committed to building, totaling fifty thousand members. Among them, captains at or above the hundred-person level were all composed of Spirit Masters.
This was also an extremely expensive army, but its deterrent power was equally immense. At least, the several kingdoms and duchies nominally under the Heaven Dou Empire would never dare to act rashly under its threat.
Of course, in Ye Chen's eyes, the deterrent power of such a fifty-thousand-strong Tian Dou Royal Knights on a large-scale battlefield was not even as strong as Dugu Bo alone.
Although in terms of one-on-one combat, Dugu Bo and Snake Lance Douluo She Long were like elder brother and second elder brother.
But when it came to group combat, if Dugu Bo claimed second, almost no one would dare to claim first.
Don't let the Tian Dou Royal Knights' fifty thousand members fool you; the number of Spirit Masters among them was not large, and the number of high-level Spirit Masters was even smaller. Facing a master of group combat like Dugu Bo, without top-tier combat power, they could easily be completely annihilated.
He remembered that in the original work, during the Jialing Pass battle, Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison seemed to have crippled tens of thousands of Spirit Hall's Spirit Master legions? His achievements were even more glorious than the Heaven Dou Empire's million-strong army.
Chapter 203 Goodbye 'Good Brother'
Dugu Bo: I can't beat a Titled Douluo, but I can clear a battlefield until only Titled Douluo remain!
So, in Ye Chen's eyes, raising a Royal Knights was not as good as raising a few more Dugu Bos. If they were deployed on the battlefield, they could definitely stop an army of a million.
Moreover, Titled Douluo are powerful and basically won't suffer casualties, but if the Royal Knights were sent to the battlefield, after a major battle, the troops would definitely need to be replaced.
Unfortunately, Titled Douluo are rare and generally won't accept an invitation from the Heaven Dou Empire, let alone a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo who excels in group combat.
"Please present your credentials."
Upon arriving at the Heaven Dou Royal Hunting Ground, the Shrek Academy group was stopped by the perimeter personnel of the Royal Knights.
The so-called credentials were the certificates of qualification for advancement issued after the preliminary rounds.
Flender handed over the certificate to the other party, and the knight, dressed in silver armor with a red plume on his helmet, immediately saluted everyone: "Welcome, Spirit Masters from Shrek Academy. I am Rocson, captain of the Third Brigade of the Tian Dou Royal Knights. Please follow me."
After speaking, Rocson did not mount his horse. The Shrek Academy group of more than ten people, escorted by fifty fully armed Royal Knights, walked towards the interior of the hunting ground.
After crossing a small hill, a vast expanse opened before everyone's eyes. What appeared before them was a wide grassland, and as their vision broadened, their mood also lightened, feeling indescribably comfortable.
On the grassland, large military camps formed a circle, and the advancement competition would be held within these camps.
Subsequently, the Shrek Academy group was led into the large military camps, and the place allocated for their rest was a courtyard with five barracks.
This was a military camp, so the barracks naturally weren't luxurious, but they were very clean.
Until the end of the advancement competition, the Shrek Academy, including the three teachers Flender, Liu Erlong, and Zhao Wuji, and ten students, a total of thirteen people, would all reside here.
The advancement competition also followed a round-robin system, but because the number of teams had significantly decreased, the duration of the competition was reduced from one month in the preliminaries to half a month, followed by another half-month break, with the final grand finale held at the border between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Two Great Empires.
Of course, in the original work, the venue for the final of this Soul Master Competition was set at the Spirit Hall's headquarters: Spirit City.
It seemed this was a temporary decision by Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong, but Heaven Dou and Star Luo had no choice but to agree, as Spirit Hall had invested heavily, offering three precious Spirit Bones as a reward for the champion team.
They could refuse to hold the final in Spirit City, provided the Two Great Empires could offer prizes comparable to these three Spirit Bones.
Rocson gave Flender a standard military salute: "Your Excellency Dean, please rest early. The advancement competition will officially begin tomorrow.
At that time, a dedicated person will lead you to the competition venue. The advancement competition will have no opening ceremony and will begin directly. The outcome of the matches will be jointly judged by dedicated personnel from the Empire and Spirit Hall to ensure fairness."
"Thank you, General Rocson."
Flender returned the smile and salute.
"You're too kind. I'll take my leave now."
Although Rocson was the captain of the Third Brigade of the Royal Knights, he was only a Level 44 Spirit Ancestor. Flender, on the other hand, was the dean of a high-level Spirit Master academy, so Rocson naturally dared not be negligent.
The five barracks were in an independent courtyard. Flender and Zhao Wuji shared one, Liu Erlong and Jiang Zhu shared one, Ma Hongjun and Oscar shared one, Tai Long, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan shared one, and the last remaining one was for Ye Chen, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong.
Hmm, although it might be a bit cramped, it was exactly what Ye Chen wanted.
With three girls arranging their belongings in the room, Ye Chen, the rough man, naturally didn't need to worry about it.
Just as Ye Chen was sitting at the bluestone table in the courtyard, feeling a bit idle, he suddenly saw two people walking towards the courtyard from a distance.
These two were none other than his father-in-law, Ning Fengzhi, and Ye Chen's 'good brother,' Qian Renxue.
"Uncle Ning, Brother Qinghe!"
Seeing Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue arrive, Ye Chen's eyes lit up, and he immediately went out to greet them.
"Brother Qinghe, why do you have time to come here?"
Ye Chen wasn't surprised by Ning Fengzhi's arrival, as their relationship was evident. However, Qian Renxue's presence was a bit unexpected, as they hadn't had much contact since he got her drunk last time.
"My dear brother, this time I had the honor of accompanying Father Emperor to watch the advancement competition, and I also came to see you. How is it? Are you comfortable here?
If it's not comfortable, I'll have someone arrange another place for you. It will definitely be properly taken care of!"
Qian Renxue said, patting her flat chest, looking like a good brother.
"There's no need to trouble Brother Qinghe, this place is very good, no need to change!"
How could it not be good?! For the next half-month of the advancement competition, Ye Chen could say he would be sleeping in the same bed every night, how delightful~.
"Oh, right, Uncle Ning, Brother Qinghe, please come in and sit!"
Subsequently, Ye Chen ushered the two to sit on the bluestone benches in the courtyard.
"Fatty, Fatty, come out and work!"
Ye Chen called out to Ma Hongjun, who was inside the barrack, arranging his belongings.
"Brother Chen, what's up?"
Ma Hongjun poked his head out of the barrack window.
"Go boil some water, quick~!"
Ma Hongjun: "..."
With guests arriving, Ye Chen naturally wanted to brew a good pot of tea, but there was no pre-boiled water in the barrack, so he had to boil it now.
While Spirit Masters aren't omnipotent, for a Fire-attribute Spirit Master, boiling water is very simple.
Among the Shrek group, the only Fire-attribute Spirit Masters were Ma Hongjun and Liu Erlong.
However, Ye Chen wouldn't dare order around the 'mother tigress' Liu Erlong; asking her to boil water was out of the question. But Ma Hongjun, his subordinate, was someone Ye Chen could command.
"Uncle Ning, Brother Qinghe, please wait a moment. I apologize for the inadequate hospitality!"
Ye Chen said, somewhat embarrassed.
Of course, all that embarrassment was feigned. His, Xiao Chen's, skin was definitely not thinner than the city walls of Heaven Dou City!
"My dear brother, you jest."
Qian Renxue waved her hand. After all, as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, the Heaven Dou Royal Hunting Ground was her home turf!
"You rascal~, how is Rongrong doing lately?"
Ning Fengzhi gave Ye Chen a speechless look, then asked about Ning Rongrong.
Ning Fengzhi naturally knew that Ye Chen and the three others had traveled far recently, but he wasn't clear about where they went or what exactly they did.
"Don't worry, Rongrong is doing very well."
How could she not be?! She had already advanced to a Five-Ring Soul King! A fourteen-year-old Five-Ring Soul King, it must be unprecedented in the history of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, right?
Chapter 204: Confident Ning Fengzhi
"Brother Chen, our room is ready. Xiao Wu and Zhuqing both like it. Come in and see!" Just then, Ning Rongrong's voice came from the barracks where Ye Chen and the other three were staying.
Ye Chen: "..."
Ning Fengzhi: "..."
Qian Renxue: "..."
Instantly, Ning Fengzhi's face darkened, while Qian Renxue looked at Ye Chen with a playful gaze.
"Ahem, well, Uncle Ning, listen to my explanation. We just sleep together at night, we didn't do anything~"
Ye Chen immediately began to explain.
It would have been better if he hadn't explained. With Ye Chen's explanation, Ning Fengzhi's face grew even darker.
Ning Fengzhi never expected that Ye Chen, who looked so respectable on the surface, was actually so beastly inside. Damn him!
And that wasn't even the main point. The main point was that other girls were involved.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi wished he could smash Ye Chen's dog head!
"Huh? Uh~, Father? Brother Qinghe, why are you here?"
Hearing that Ye Chen in the courtyard didn't respond to her, Ning Rongrong immediately came out to see what was going on. She instantly spotted her black-faced father and Xue Qinghe, who was enjoying the show.
"Hmph~"
Ning Fengzhi snorted coldly, his face dark, and said nothing.
"Rongrong, my teacher and I just happened to have some free time, so we came to visit."
The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so Qian Renxue, who was watching the show, said something.
Just then, Ma Hongjun, who had gone to boil water, returned.
Immediately, Ye Chen shifted his attention and began to brew tea.
"Uncle Ning, Brother Qinghe, have some tea~! Have some tea!"
Nodding, Xue Qinghe picked up a cup of tea and sipped it.
Ning Fengzhi did the same, selectively forgetting the previous unpleasantness. After all, he had already agreed to his precious daughter being with Ye Chen, so it was too late to say anything else now.
Besides, when it came to being a playboy, Ning Fengzhi had been far more flamboyant in his youth than Ye Chen.
Afterward, the three of them sipped tea and changed the subject.
"My virtuous brother, the venue for the final round of this year's Soul Master Competition has changed."
Qian Renxue said slowly.
"Oh? What's the situation?"
Ye Chen asked, feigning ignorance.
"Spirit Hall proposed it temporarily, moving the original final venue to Spirit City.
Initially, the Two Great Empires disagreed, but Spirit Hall offered three Spirit Bones as a reward for the championship team, which is why the Empire agreed to the proposal."
"Hiss~, they invested so much?! Or do they think they're guaranteed to win?"
Ye Chen looked at Qian Renxue in surprise.
It seemed Qian Renxue hadn't informed Bibi Dong of her strength?
After all, if Bibi Dong knew that she could defeat Qian Renxue, who was a Soul Sage (7 Rings), she definitely wouldn't have offered those three Spirit Bones as the championship prize.
Although Spirit Hall was a powerful and wealthy organization, it wouldn't disregard three Spirit Bones of considerable age.
The other two Spirit Bones were one thing, but the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, which was fifty thousand years old, was no less valuable than an ordinary hundred-thousand-year-old limb Spirit Bone. If Bibi Dong knew she would lose, she would absolutely be reluctant to offer it.
Moreover, this Spirit Bone was prepared for her beloved disciple, Hu Liena. In Bibi Dong's eyes, Hu Liena was far dearer than her biological daughter, Qian Renxue.
It's just a pity that Hu Liena really put her teacher, Bibi Dong, in a difficult position.
"I don't know about that, but my virtuous brother must be careful. Perhaps Spirit Hall has already set their sights on you all."
When Qian Renxue said "you all," she was referring to Ye Chen and Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu, at such a young age, was already a Five-Ring Soul King, showing her immense talent. Although Ye Chen hadn't revealed his spirit power level, as the captain of the Shrek Team, outsiders would certainly consider his strength to be not weak, quite possibly also a Five-Ring Soul King.
It was only natural for two individuals with such great talent to be targeted by Spirit Hall.
"Spirit Hall is targeting me?"
Ye Chen blinked. Haven't I been targeted by you for a long time? What's there to be afraid of!
At worst, this young master will learn from Goujian, enduring hardship to achieve his ambition? Temporarily submit to the might of Angel Miss?
"Mm, Brother Qinghe is right, Xiao Chen, you must be careful. But there's no need to worry too much. With Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu here, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is not to be trifled with. I believe Spirit Hall won't act recklessly."
Ever since Chen Xin and Gu Rong had advanced to 97th and 96th level Titled Douluo respectively, and he himself had advanced to Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, Ning Fengzhi's self-confidence had also increased significantly.
In Ning Fengzhi's eyes, with his powerful assistance, Chen Xin and Gu Rong, working together, could surely contend even with Qian Daoliu, who was known as the invincible in the sky, right?
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was not an opponent for Spirit Hall, if it was just for self-preservation, it should still be no problem.
Evidently, Ning Fengzhi was not aware of Spirit Hall's true strength.
"Uncle Ning, Spirit Hall is powerful. It's best for us to prioritize peace and avoid conflict."
Hearing Ning Fengzhi say "not to be trifled with," Ye Chen's eyelids twitched. Compared to Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School truly was to be trifled with.
Regardless of the number of Spirit Masters or top-tier combat power, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was still far behind Spirit Hall.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's top-tier combat power was just Chen Xin and Gu Rong. There was no need for the big bosses Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong to personally take action. Just a few Elder Enshriners leading a team, and Spirit Hall could wipe out the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School in one go.
In the original work, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School survived because Spirit Hall did not send Elder Enshriners, and the Titled Douluo who came were not particularly strong. Otherwise, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's losses would have been far more than just severe.
"Mm."
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly.
As a wealthy man, he naturally didn't want to be fighting and killing all day. Quietly making money was the best outcome for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Afterward, after chatting for a while, Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe prepared to leave.
"Uncle Ning, during the preliminaries, thanks to the help of Uncle Yu and the others, I'm giving you this. I believe you'll definitely like it. Hmm, open it when you get back!"
Saying that, Ye Chen handed Ning Fengzhi the jade box containing the Immortal Herb: Qiluo Tulip.
Actually, Ye Chen had already bought it after the preliminaries, but he later went to the Star Dou Great Forest to find spirit rings for Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong and hadn't encountered Ning Fengzhi, so he hadn't had a chance to give it to him.
"Oh?"
Ning Fengzhi raised his eyebrows, feeling a familiar scent.
As the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, a top-tier magnate on the continent, things that could catch his eye were absolutely few and far between.
Coupled with the fact that it was contained in a jade box, Ning Fengzhi immediately thought of the three jade boxes containing Immortal Herbs that Ning Rongrong had brought back earlier.
Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi's gaze became fervent, and he immediately put the jade box into his spirit tool.
Chapter 205 Qian Renxue's Troubles
This made Qian Renxue, who was standing by, a little bewildered. She secretly wondered what it was that made her 'old fox' of a teacher so eager.
However, before she could ponder further, Ye Chen once again pulled out a jade box and gave it to her.
"Brother Qinghe, we hit it off immediately. This is for you!"
"My dear brother, what is this?"
Looking at the not-so-ornate jade box in her hand, Qian Renxue was a little confused and immediately wanted to open it to see.
"Wait, Brother Qinghe, open it after you go back! I hope you like it!"
Ye Chen stopped Qian Renxue's movements and said meaningfully.
"Alright, I'll listen to my dear brother!"
Hearing Ye Chen say this, Qian Renxue nodded, temporarily suppressing her curiosity.
Ning Fengzhi gave Ye Chen a meaningful look. It seemed like Ye Chen and Xue Qinghe were good brothers, but in the eyes of the'shrewd' Ning Fengzhi, he had naturally already noticed something was amiss.
Whether it was Xue Qinghe or Ye Chen, when the two befriended each other, it seemed like they both had ulterior motives.
If the jade box Ye Chen gave to Xue Qinghe contained an Immortal Herb, then Ning Fengzhi would need to consider Ye Chen's motives.
Although the two knew each other, it wasn't to the extent of giving such a grand gift, was it? Could there be some unknown trick?
However, Ning Fengzhi, unable to figure it out, stopped thinking about it. After all, one was a future son-in-law and the other was his own disciple. Both were considered his own people, so no matter what their purpose, befriending each other was not a bad thing.
After leaving Shrek Academy's temporary residence, Ning Fengzhi suppressed his inner excitement, greeted Xue Qinghe, and immediately returned to his residence in the Royal Hunting Ground.
"!!! What on earth is it that makes my usually calm teacher so excited?"
Looking at the hurriedly departing Ning Fengzhi, Qian Renxue was a little puzzled.
...
Back at his residence, Ning Fengzhi immediately opened the jade box Ye Chen had given him.
However, to Ning Fengzhi's surprise, this Immortal Herb was not the Star Luo Spirit Plant he had previously consumed, but an Immortal Herb named Qiluo Tulip.
The name of the Immortal Herb, along with the method of consumption, Ye Chen had written on a small note and placed it in the jade box, so that Ning Fengzhi wouldn't be unaware of how to consume the Immortal Herb and waste its medicinal effects.
"Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda..."
Looking at the Qiluo Tulip in his hand, Ning Fengzhi muttered to himself.
...
On the other side, Qian Renxue, who had returned to her residence, also opened the jade box.
Inside the jade box, there was an ordinary-looking white flower, palm-sized and shaped like a peony, without leaves. Below its stem was a completely black stone.
On that white flower were a few striking red patches, as vivid as blood, giving it a breathtaking appearance.
"This is? I seem to have seen it somewhere?"
Looking at the flower in the jade box, Qian Renxue felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen it somewhere, but couldn't recall where.
Then, Qian Renxue shifted her attention from the flower and saw a small note.
— Yearning Heartbroken Red. It has a legendary story: A long time ago, there was a young man...
That's right, it was the Immortal Herb: Yearning Heartbroken Red. Ever since Ye Chen obtained this Yearning Heartbroken Red from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, due to the conflicting medicinal effects of different Immortal Herbs, Ye Chen had kept it unused. Now, it was just right to give to the Angel Miss.
"Yearning Heartbroken Red? Yearning Heartbroken Red!!!"
Instantly, Qian Renxue's eyes widened. Isn't this the legendary Immortal Herb?
When Qian Renxue had Snake Spear Douluo She Long investigate Ye Chen's background, she found that Ye Chen's spirit power cultivation speed was very abnormal, so she specifically investigated heavenly treasures that could cause Spirit to transform and increase spirit power.
Spirit Hall happened to have a lot of data records on Immortal Herbs, so Sha Long suspected Ye Chen had consumed an Immortal Herb and reported this conjecture to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue was very interested in the powerful Immortal Herbs and had specifically learned about them.
And the Yearning Heartbroken Red, hailed as the king of flowers, naturally entered Qian Renxue's sight.
Unfortunately, after spending a lot of manpower, not a single strand of the Immortal Herb was found, which made Qian Renxue give up the idea of searching for Immortal Herbs.
But she never expected that Ye Chen would just give her such a precious Immortal Herb?
You know, although the two called each other 'big brother' and 'dear brother', they hadn't known each other for long, had they? Is this Ye Chen so generous?
"Wait, could it be that this little scoundrel knows my true identity?"
Suddenly, this thought popped into Qian Renxue's mind.
"No, no, my disguise, even a Titled Douluo can't see through it. How could that little scoundrel see through it?"
Qian Renxue was full of confidence in her Angel Head Spirit Bone's disguise Soul Bone Skill, believing that no one would ever see through it. Otherwise, she would have been exposed long ago after lurking in the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years.
However, even though she said that, Qian Renxue increasingly felt that Ye Chen most likely knew her true identity.
"Damn it, what does this little scoundrel mean?!"
At this moment, Qian Renxue felt a little troubled.
When she was in the Star Dou Great Forest, she wanted to recruit Ye Chen because she saw his powerful talent and planned to use him as a subordinate in the future.
But Ye Chen gave her the Yearning Heartbroken Red. From the looks of it, he wanted to pursue her?
At this time, Ye Chen was unaware that his small gift had caused the Angel Miss to fall into distress.
...
Early the next morning, the promotion rounds officially began.
The rules for the promotion rounds were simple: each academy would send out seven team members to participate in individual battles.
Each participating member could fight until defeated, and the winner could face the next opponent until all seven members of one side were defeated.
If a participant was strong enough, they could completely'shave' their opponents, achieving the feat of a one-on-seven sweep.
Unlike the preliminary rounds which had multiple arenas running simultaneously, the promotion rounds had only one competition venue, which was the Royal Knights' grand training ground.
A total of fifteen teams participating in the promotion rounds would undergo fourteen rounds of a round-robin tournament, one round per day, with one team having a bye each day, and seven matches taking place, all on this same venue.
The grand training ground had been re-purposed, with a circular area with a diameter of one hundred meters marked out in the center as the competition venue. Compared to the Spirit Fighting arenas of the preliminary rounds, this space was much wider, and naturally easier to fully display one's strength.
On the north side of the grand training ground, facing south, a temporary VIP stand was erected, which also served as the referee stand.
The number of VIPs attending to watch this time was not as many as in the preliminary rounds, with many nobles absent.
Looking around, besides Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Platinum Bishop Salas, and a few others in the first row of the VIP stand, the seats behind were occupied by high-ranking Heaven Dou military officials in martial attire and some high-level members of the Heaven Dou Spirit Hall.