Chapter 216: First Place in the Promotional Round
"Ye Chen, Spirit: Qingjing Bamboo Staff Martial Soul. As for spirit power level, well, a 51st-rank control system Spirit King!"
Since others were being polite, Ye Chen, being a civilized person, naturally didn't want to be rude. Anyway, you think I'm on the second floor, but I'm actually in the atmosphere! Revealing a little bit of his strength wouldn't hurt.
As he spoke, the Qingjing Bamboo Staff Spirit, glowing with a pure white jade luster, materialized in Ye Chen's hand. Five spirit rings, disguised as yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black, shone forth from his body.
"Gulp—"
Yan Hu swallowed hard, watching the five spirit rings bloom from Ye Chen's body.
His previous premonition had come true; this Ye Chen was indeed a Five-Ring Soul King!
"Haha~, Brother Ye, please go easy on me!"
Yan Hu bit the bullet and said to Ye Chen.
He was only a Three-Ring Spirit Elder, and his opponent was a Five-Ring Soul King. Winning was out of the question; the most he could do was perhaps consume a bit of Ye Chen's spirit power.
"Don't worry, I'll be quick. I guarantee you won't feel much pain!"
Ye Chen said with a slight smile.
Painless, no residue – that was the effect of Ye Chen's Spirit Ability.
Yan Hu: "..."
One minute passed quickly, and the match officially began.
"Third Spirit Ability, Wind's Agil..."
"First Spirit Ability, Imprisonment!"
Before Yan Hu of the Shenfeng Team could make his move, Ye Chen struck first.
His first spirit ring flickered slightly, and a phantom of a Bamboo Staff instantly flew out, crossing half the arena in a flash, descending upon Yan Hu's head.
"Thump—"
The phantom Bamboo Staff struck Yan Hu squarely on the forehead, emitting a dull thud.
Ye Chen's mental force was strong, and his thought-response speed and Spirit Ability release speed were both faster than his opponent's. So, after the referee announced the official start of the match, Yan Hu's third Spirit Ability hadn't even fully released before he fell victim to Ye Chen, being Imprisoned in place.
"Next!"
After making his move, Ye Chen propped the Qingjing Bamboo Staff on the ground with his right hand, his left hand behind his back, and turned to the referee, speaking indifferently.
At this moment, the audience present felt a strong aura of 'B' (swagger) permeate the air.
"This is...?"
The referee was a bit confused. What was happening? Hadn't it just started? It was over in the blink of an eye?
"He's in an unresisting state for a short time. I don't need to make another move, do I?"
Ye Chen showed some deference to Shenfeng Academy and directly knocked his opponent out of the arena.
"Ahem~, Shenfeng Team contestant, if you don't move, that means you're eliminated!"
The referee didn't immediately follow Ye Chen's words and began to question Yan Hu.
Unfortunately, having been hit by Ye Chen's first Spirit Ability, Imprisonment, Yan Hu's body was unable to move, making even blinking difficult, let alone moving a muscle.
Yan Hu: Young man, you lack virtue, actually launching a sneak attack!
Seeing no reaction from Yan Hu, the referee understood.
"Shenfeng Team's first contestant is eliminated. Please welcome the second contestant."
Subsequently, Shenfeng Team's second contestant entered the arena, and an additional person also came on to carry off the immobile Yan Hu.
...
"Second Spirit Ability, Fixed Awareness."
His thoughts temporarily sealed, his body uncontrollable, Shenfeng Team's second member was eliminated!
"Next!"
...
"Fourth Spirit Ability, Blindness."
Having lost his vision, unable to display his full combat power, and his Spirit Abilities unable to hit the already agile Ye Chen, he was eliminated by Ye Chen with a single normal attack.
"Next."
...
Six members of the Shenfeng Team entered the arena one after another, suffering consecutive defeats. Without exception, none of them managed to carry out Feng Xiaotian's original plan of continuously depleting Ye Chen's spirit power.
In fact, even if Ye Chen's true rank wasn't a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor, but still a Five-Ring Soul King, his spirit power reserves would have been sufficient.
It could be said that Feng Xiaotian's plan had already gone bankrupt before it even began to be implemented.
When using the first Spirit Ability, Imprisonment, and the second Spirit Ability, Fixed Awareness, opponents were automatically eliminated. When using the fourth Spirit Ability, Blindness, and the fifth Spirit Ability, Silence, both involved one Spirit Ability plus a single normal attack.
Don't just see it as a normal attack; it also depends on who is delivering it.
These six members of the Shenfeng Team were already at least twenty ranks below Ye Chen in spirit power. Coupled with Ye Chen's extremely high-grade spirit rings and Spirit Bones, his physical constitution completely overwhelmed his opponents. Even a normal attack was something they couldn't withstand.
Even excluding the advantage of physical constitution, Ye Chen, with his powerful mental force, could easily spot the flaws in his opponents' moves and attack their weak points. Therefore, all six of these matches were crushing victories.
"Ye Chen, I didn't expect your strength to have reached this level!"
After the last match began, Feng Xiaotian didn't immediately make a move; instead, he praised Ye Chen.
At this moment, Feng Xiaotian was somewhat melancholic, probably realizing that today he truly couldn't escape the fate of being completely defeated.
"Just so-so, third in the world."
Ye Chen waved his hand, indicating that he was still a bit lacking.
Feng Xiaotian: "..."
You're already fat and still panting!
"Although your strength is great, I will not give up! For the honor of Shenfeng Academy, for my partners who have trained tirelessly, I must..."
"Thump—"
Before Feng Xiaotian could finish his inspiring words, he received a solid blow to the forehead, being Imprisoned in place by Ye Chen's first Spirit Ability, unable to move.
Ye Chen curled his lips: 'Just fight, why so much nonsense? Makes me look like some evil supervillain.'
"Promotion Tournament, Fourteenth Round, Shrek Academy versus Shenfeng Academy, Shrek Academy wins!"
Seeing Feng Xiaotian in the arena, unable to break free from Ye Chen's control Spirit Ability and having lost the power to resist, the referee directly announced the match result.
"Congratulations to Shrek Academy for winning first place in this year's Soul Master Competition Promotion Tournament! Let's cheer for Shrek Academy!"
As soon as the match result was announced, the host immediately got into character.
However, it was a bit regrettable. Since the audience present consisted either of high-ranking military officials and various bishops from Spirit Hall in the VIP section, or the defeated opponents of Shrek, cheering was out of the question. Therefore, the atmosphere on site was somewhat cold, with only the Shrek members cheering.
As for the Tian Dou Royal Knights, who stood outside, unsmiling? They certainly wouldn't cheer.
Fortunately, seeing the somewhat awkward Silence, Emperor Xue Ye timely delivered a passionate speech, warming up the atmosphere.
The Promotion Tournament was over. Next, the Finals would soon begin, which would be the true battle to determine who was the strongest academy on the continent.
The Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall were full of contradictions, and old man Xue Ye, being the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, naturally couldn't go to Spirit Hall's stronghold just for the Soul Master Competition.
Therefore, after the speech, Emperor Xue Ye announced that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe would represent him as the Heaven Dou Empire's envoy to participate in the judging work for this competition.
Chapter 217: Brothers on the Surface
In Ye Chen's opinion, if the old man Xue Ye dared to appear on Spirit Hall's territory, Bibi Dong would most likely send a Titled Douluo-level Elder as an assassin to eliminate him in advance.
After eliminating the old man Xue Ye, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, disguised by Qian Renxue, would naturally succeed as the Heaven Dou Great Emperor, and Spirit Hall would be able to dismantle the Heaven Dou Empire without shedding a drop of blood. It would be perfect!
The Soul Master Competition finals were about to begin. The fifteen teams from the Heaven Dou Empire would be personally accompanied by Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, under the escort of five hundred Tian Dou Royal Knights soldiers, to Spirit City, located at the border of the Two Great Empires, for the final competition.
The journey from Heaven Dou City to Spirit City took approximately twenty days. The teams had only three days to adjust. Three days later, a grand procession of over a thousand people, including fifteen teams, their teachers, and soldiers from the Tian Dou Royal Knights, set off for Spirit City.
Because the final competition adopted a knockout format, the competition period was not very long. The thirty teams that advanced from the Two Great Empires' qualifiers, plus two pre-seeded teams, and the Spirit Hall Team, making a total of thirty-three teams, would determine the winner in less than ten days.
Spirit Hall attached great importance to these finals. During the qualifiers, Spirit City had already specially designated an area as the venue for this All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament finals.
At the same time, Spirit City announced a decree that during the competition, non-Spirit Masters were strictly forbidden from entering to watch the matches. Not even nobles were allowed, which added an air of mystery to these final competitions.
Hmm, in Ye Chen's understanding, fewer spectators made it easier for Spirit Hall to pull off their schemes.
To ensure the participating members had better rest, the Heaven Dou Empire specially arranged giant luxury carriages for them.
These carriages even incorporated some basic spirit tool technology, providing excellent shock absorption and a very stable ride, allowing the participants to maintain sufficient energy upon reaching Spirit City.
Otherwise, twenty days of bumpy travel would certainly lead to exhaustion.
Ye Chen had to admit that these giant carriages were no worse than the luxury buses of his previous life, except one was pulled by horses and the other ran on fuel or electricity.
Not long after setting off, as the Shrek group chatted inside their carriage, a voice suddenly came from outside: "Excuse me, is student Ye Chen from Shrek Academy here?"
'Hmm?'
Ye Chen lifted the carriage curtain and poked his head out, seeing a knight from the Royal Knights outside the carriage.
"Something wrong?"
Ye Chen raised his eyebrows. It was a member of the Royal Knights. Could it be that Angel Miss wanted to see him?
The knight cupped his fist at Ye Chen: "Greetings, Young Master Ye. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence!"
It was indeed Angel Miss!
"Alright, I'll be right there!"
Since Angel Miss requested his presence, Ye Chen naturally had to give her face. After greeting his companions, Ye Chen got out of the carriage and followed the Royal Knights knight to Qian Renxue's carriage.
"My dear brother has arrived, quickly, have a seat!"
Seeing Ye Chen, Qian Renxue immediately invited him to sit.
"Brother Qinghe, it's been a while. How have you been recently?"
After sitting down, Ye Chen looked at Qian Renxue with a smile, noticing that her spirits seemed a bit low. Had she encountered some troubling matter?
'I'm not doing well at all!'
Qian Renxue internally grumbled.
Ever since Ye Chen gave her the Yearning Heartbroken Red last time, Qian Renxue hadn't been able to sleep well at night for the past half month.
She kept wondering what Ye Chen's intentions were, and whether her true identity had been exposed or not.
Qian Renxue knew that despite their calls of 'dear brother' and 'Elder brother,' they were merely'surface brothers.' Their friendship hadn't reached the point of exchanging treasures like Immortal Herbs.
But if Ye Chen truly knew her identity, what should she do? Should she pretend nothing happened, or secretly eliminate Ye Chen?
With such a critical weakness in someone else's hands, Qian Renxue was naturally displeased. However, secretly moving against Ye Chen also seemed unfeasible.
Qian Renxue was aware of Ye Chen's strength. Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, she was a Soul Sage (7 Rings) yet wasn't his match. Therefore, any assassins sent would definitely need to be at the Eight-Ring Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo level, otherwise, they would likely be offering themselves up.
Moreover, if something went wrong and they failed, they wouldn't even be'surface brothers' anymore.
Additionally, Ye Chen was also Ning Fengzhi's future son-in-law. If any accident occurred, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would certainly conduct a thorough investigation.
If it were traced back to her, then the more than ten years of effort she had invested would be wasted, which Qian Renxue could not allow.
"My dear brother, that Yearning Heartbroken Red you gave me last time, such a rare treasure... I've thought about it, and I still feel unworthy of it. Please give it to your sisters-in-law! After all, I don't even have a Crown Princess yet!"
With that, Qian Renxue took out the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
Although Qian Renxue's talent was excellent, a peerless genius with innate level 20 spirit power, she was still very envious of Immortal Herbs.
But unfortunately, she truly couldn't use this Yearning Heartbroken Red.
The prerequisite for consuming the Yearning Heartbroken Red was to possess true love, but Qian Renxue had never been in love in her entire life! Where would she find true love?
The treasure was good, but she was not blessed to enjoy it!
If it were any other Immortal Herb, as long as its attributes didn't conflict, it would have been consumed long ago.
"Brother Qinghe, that's where you're wrong. I gave that to you. If you don't want it, just throw it away. I, Ye Chen, never take back what I've given."
Ye Chen's face was stern, his expression very serious.
"This~..."
"Brother Qinghe, don't be so hesitant. Even if you don't have a beloved now, you'll surely have one in the future, won't you?"
Ye Chen said to Qian Renxue with a playful look.
"My dear brother, do you know something?"
Hearing Ye Chen say this, Qian Renxue couldn't help but probe.
"What's what?"
Ye Chen feigned a bewildered expression.
'Is this little scoundrel pretending to be foolish, or does he really not know?'
Qian Renxue carefully observed Ye Chen but couldn't find anything suspicious.
"Never mind, let's not talk about this. My dear brother, in this Soul Master Competition, are you confident in winning the championship and getting the three Spirit Bones awarded to the champion team?"
Unable to discover anything from Ye Chen, and to avoid alerting him, Qian Renxue changed the subject.
Before the qualifiers began, Spirit Hall temporarily changed the location of the finals, which naturally came at a cost. The high-ranking officials of the Two Great Empires all knew that Spirit Hall would offer three Spirit Bones this time.
Chapter 218 I want to be on top!
At this moment, Qian Renxue was greatly looking forward to the Shrek Team winning the championship and snatching the three Spirit Bones Bibi Dong had prepared for the Golden Generation. She imagined that bad woman, Bibi Dong, would surely have a very interesting expression, wouldn't she?
In Qian Renxue's opinion, Bibi Dong was almost certain to suffer a setback this time.
During the qualifiers, the Shrek Team only revealed Xiao Wu as a Five-Ring Soul King, while the Spirit Hall Team had three Soul Kings, so on the surface, they were naturally guaranteed to win.
However, in the promotion rounds, the Shrek Team revealed three more Soul Kings, which was a bit beyond expectations.
Moreover, Shrek only appeared to have four Soul Kings on the surface, but Qian Renxue knew clearly that Ye Chen's true spirit power level was a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor, and he was even a Spirit Emperor capable of defeating her across ranks.
With Ye Chen's strength, what could the Spirit Hall Team use to block him? Their heads?
"Brother Qinghe, rest assured, I am determined to get those three Spirit Bones the Spirit Hall is offering this time!"
"Hmm, that's good. Speaking of the Spirit Hall, my dear brother, what are your thoughts on the Spirit Hall?"
Qian Renxue nodded and asked Ye Chen.
"Thoughts? What kind of thoughts?"
Ye Chen was a bit puzzled. What did this little girl mean by asking this?
"My dear brother, in recent years, the Continent has appeared calm on the surface, but in my opinion, this is merely the calm before the storm.
With the Star Luo Empire eyeing us covetously in front, and the Spirit Hall growing increasingly powerful behind, do you have any good strategies, my dear brother?"
Qian Renxue spoke to Ye Chen with a worried expression, appearing concerned about the nation and its people.
"Brother Qinghe, are you serious?"
Ye Chen gave Qian Renxue a speechless look. You, the Young Master of the Spirit Hall, whose goal is to dismantle the Heaven Dou Empire, are saying this to me? Is that really appropriate?
"Naturally!"
"I am just a small figure. The general trend is irreversible unless one possesses absolute strength."
Ye Chen shrugged. The Spirit Hall had won the hearts of the people, and their fists were powerful. In the original work, if Tang San hadn't become a God, the Douluo Continent would have belonged to the Spirit Hall sooner or later.
"My dear brother is too modest. With your talent and that of your younger sisters, your future achievements will undoubtedly be extraordinary. How can you say you are a small figure?"
"Brother Qinghe, you flatter me. There are always people stronger than you, and mountains beyond mountains. I am just a small Soul King. There are many stronger than me, so I dare not speak too much."
Ye Chen was very humble. If it weren't for the help of his own son, he might still be idling in Nuoding City!
"My dear brother, please speak freely!"
Qian Renxue waved her hand, signaling Ye Chen to express his views.
"Well then~, I don't have much insight into the current situation on the Continent. However, Brother Qinghe and I hit it off immediately, and with our relationship, I will definitely stand on Brother Qinghe's side!"
Immediately, Ye Chen patted his chest and promised.
Qian Renxue blinked, a little suspicious. Aren't we just superficial brothers? When did we become so close?
Seeing Qian Renxue's suspicious look, Ye Chen quickly added, "Brother Qinghe, you are Rongrong's senior brother, and we hit it off immediately, so we are naturally family. Since we are all family, I will definitely help!"
"Then I thank you, my dear brother!"
Qian Renxue nodded. This reason was indeed plausible.
If Ye Chen did not know her true identity, then with this layer of connection, Ye Chen would naturally belong to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's faction.
If Ye Chen knew her identity, then it wouldn't be so incredible for this benevolent rogue to choose to help her.
After all, according to the intelligence, Ye Chen had no relation to the Heaven Dou Royal Family and had not received any favors from the Heaven Dou Empire.
As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, although there were some conflicts with the Spirit Hall, currently there was no deep-seated hatred that could not be resolved between the two sides. Even if her identity was exposed in the end, under immense benefits, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would likely not defect.
In fact, the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School were not entirely incompatible. After all, there were quite a few Sect forces under the Spirit Hall's command.
"By the way, my dear brother, you are already a Five-Ring Soul King. What are your plans after graduation?"
Although Ye Chen was not old, his strength was indeed very strong. She thought he probably didn't need to stay at Shrek Academy anymore, did he?
Actually, Qian Renxue was mistaken. Although Ye Chen had been at Shrek Academy for two years, he had never formally attended a single class, so graduating or not made no difference at all.
"I haven't thought about it yet, but I should settle down in Heaven Dou City, then cultivate diligently and become a Titled Douluo as soon as possible!"
This all depended on whether the Spirit Hall would make a move against him in the finals. If the Spirit Hall had no designs on him, he would probably settle down in Heaven Dou City. But if he received the same treatment as Tang San in the original work, then it would be hard to say.
However, in Ye Chen's opinion, such a situation would basically not occur.
He did not possess twin spirits. Although his current cultivation speed appeared relatively fast, it shouldn't be enough to catch Bibi Dong's attention.
After all, Bibi Dong's spirit power cultivation had already reached its peak, and she was at a critical moment in the Rakshasa God Test, only about ten years away from becoming a God. She could afford to wait ten years.
Once she inherited the Rakshasa God Position, even if Ye Chen cultivated to the Titled Douluo stage by then, he would only be an insignificant small figure, not affecting the overall situation.
Moreover, he, Xiao Chen, had no enmity with the Spirit Hall, and coupled with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's connection, Bibi Dong might not necessarily make a move against him.
Besides, if you can't beat them, join them. It doesn't seem entirely unacceptable, does it?
As long as Bibi Dong was unaware of her blood feud with Xiao Wu, she probably wouldn't refuse Ye Chen the chance to surrender, right?
"Since my dear brother will settle down in Heaven Dou City in the future, then after the Soul Master Competition ends, I will find a large mansion for you."
Hearing that Ye Chen would not leave Heaven Dou City, Qian Renxue nodded with satisfaction.
'As long as you are still in Heaven Dou City, I don't believe I can't conquer you!'
Ye Chen was one of her potential targets to win over, so Qian Renxue naturally tried her best to do so.
Moreover, Qian Renxue was very confident in her charm. As long as she crooked her finger, wouldn't this rogue, Ye Chen, obediently surrender?
If Ye Chen knew what Qian Renxue was thinking at this moment, he would definitely say righteously, "I want to be on top!"
"In that case, thank you, Brother Qinghe!"
"No need to be so polite. I imagine if the Emperor knew my dear brother was settling in Heaven Dou City, he would certainly do the same."
There was nothing wrong with that statement. The Heaven Dou Empire was very enthusiastic about recruiting powerful individuals.
Although Ye Chen couldn't be considered truly powerful yet, with his talent, it was only a matter of time. Moreover, winning over Ye Chen also meant winning over Xiao Wu and the other two, making this a very profitable deal.
Chapter 219 Davis is happy
When Ye Chen left Qian Renxue's carriage, preparing to return, he saw Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin through the window of an adjacent carriage.
After a moment's thought, Ye Chen went over to greet them.
"Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword!"
Ning Rongrong hadn't officially married into the family yet, so Ye Chen didn't directly call Ning Fengzhi his father-in-law. However, Chen Xin was two generations older than him, so calling him Grandpa Sword was appropriate. Calling him Sword Douluo would have been too formal.
"Mm."
Ning Fengzhi nodded.
"Tsk tsk~, I heard that in the advanced rounds, you guys completely wiped out all the other teams? You're quite ruthless, young man!"
Chen Xin said with a smile.
Although the advanced rounds were a stage to showcase individual strength, it wasn't unheard of for exceptionally strong individuals to completely wipe out other teams in previous years.
But that was only an occasional occurrence; it was absolutely impossible for a team like Shrek Academy to have four members capable of completely wiping out other teams.
"Haha, Grandpa Sword is too kind."
"It's not me being too kind. You three are fine, but as for Rongrong, I really didn't expect her to become so powerful."
When he first heard his old friend Gu Rong say that their precious granddaughter Ning Rongrong had displayed her might in the advanced rounds, completely wiping out several Spirit Master Academy Teams, Chen Xin nearly dropped his jaw, looking utterly incredulous.
"This is all the result of Rongrong's hard work! By the way, Uncle Ning, there might be some unforeseen changes in the finals this time. You should be prepared."
Just in case, Ye Chen reminded Ning Fengzhi.
"Changes? Don't worry, young man! Although Spirit Hall acts domineeringly, they wouldn't openly suppress the talents of other forces, especially in a public event like the Soul Master Competition."
Ning Fengzhi didn't pay much attention, waving his hand dismissively.
"Mm."
Ye Chen nodded. Ning Fengzhi's words were not wrong. In the original story, although Bibi Dong had sent people to assassinate Tang San, after that attempt failed, Spirit Hall took no further action.
The next time they made a move was after the finals, when Xiao Wu's identity as a Spirit Beast in human form was exposed. This gave Bibi Dong another excuse, and the order was not to capture Tang San, but Xiao Wu, which then drew out Tang Hao, who had been hiding in the shadows.
From this, it could be seen that on the surface, Spirit Hall still adhered to rules. As for underhanded tactics in secret, that was another matter entirely.
....
On the other side, as the many teams participating in the finals from the Tian Dou Competition Zone set off, the many participating teams from the Star Luo Empire also departed for Spirit City.
On a luxurious carriage sat the members of the Star Luo Royal Academy Team, including Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuyun, and Tang San.
"Tang San, according to intelligence, there's a team called Shrek from the Heaven Dou Empire that has four students with spirit power levels above fifty. And the Spirit Hall Team also has three Spirit Kings. The situation is not optimistic."
Inside the carriage, looking at the intelligence report that had just arrived from the Heaven Dou Empire's hidden agents, Captain Dai Weisi said to Vice-Captain Tang San with a solemn expression.
Although the advanced rounds of the Tian Dou Competition Zone were held in the Royal Hunting Grounds, inaccessible to ordinary people, that didn't mean other forces couldn't gather intelligence.
Don't forget, besides the many generals of the Heaven Dou Empire's military and the various bishops of the Heaven Dou Spirit Hall, there were also many participating team members present.
So, it was naturally not difficult for the Star Luo Empire to obtain public information about the Shrek Team.
"Four Spirit Kings?"
Tang San raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. He had originally thought that the biggest opponent in this Soul Master Competition would be the Spirit Hall Team. He didn't expect another formidable challenger to appear out of nowhere?
"That's right, four Spirit Kings. I don't know what's going on this year, the standard is exceptionally high. According to previous Soul Master Competitions, having one or two Spirit Kings would be good, but I didn't expect that this year, including you, there would be eight Spirit Kings."
Dai Weisi was also a bit depressed. When did the continent have so many geniuses?
It wasn't a problem to have many Spirit Kings, but the key was that he wasn't a Spirit King! He was currently only a level 49 Spirit Ancestor!
"No matter. You and Zhu Zhuyun can unleash the Spirit Fusion Skill: Hell White Tiger. Ordinary Five-Ring Soul Kings are no match for you. We may not be without a chance of winning."
Ever since his Blue Silver Grass Spirit evolved into the Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San was full of confidence. What if Hidden Weapons couldn't be used in the Soul Master Competition? He, Little San, was still a great genius!
He figured those Spirit Kings' spirit power levels couldn't be too high. After all, as long as they were participants, their age wouldn't exceed twenty-five, so they were probably all newly advanced.
Besides, as a Five-Ring Soul King himself, Tang San was confident that he was absolutely not inferior to anyone.
"Mm."
Dai Weisi nodded, feeling a little reassured. He was right, their Star Luo Royal Team was not without a chance of winning.
"By the way, Zhu Zhuyun, your sister Zhu Zhuqing is in that Shrek Team, and she's one of the four Spirit Kings."
Dai Weisi turned to his fiancée, Zhu Zhuyun, and said.
"Zhuqing? Could there be a mistake? When Zhuqing left Star Luo two years ago, wasn't she only a level 27 Spirit Grandmaster? How could she become a Spirit King after two years?"
Zhu Zhuyun was quite shocked. Was he sure he wasn't joking?
"When I first received the intelligence, I also couldn't believe it, but the hidden agents have confirmed it's Zhuqing. However, things are a bit beyond my expectation."
As he spoke, a smile appeared on Dai Weisi's face.
"Zhuqing has already become a Spirit King, and you can still smile?"
Zhu Zhuyun was a bit angry. Despite all her precautions, her sister had still grown strong. If Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing defeated her and Dai Weisi in the Soul Master Competition, it would be over for them.
Recalling the consequences of failing in the struggle for the throne, Zhu Zhuyun couldn't help but shiver.
"Don't rush, I haven't finished yet! Although Zhuqing has become a Spirit King, she isn't with Dai Mubai. Moreover, Dai Mubai isn't on the list of Shrek Academy students participating in the Soul Master Competition. It seems Zhuqing has fallen for someone else."
At this point, Dai Weisi was overjoyed.
Falling for someone else was great! Without Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai would absolutely have no chance of becoming the Star Luo Crown Prince, unless Dai Mubai miraculously turned the tables and became a Titled Douluo.
Similarly, without Dai Mubai, no matter what Zhu Zhuqing's future achievements were, she would pose no threat to him in terms of the imperial succession.
Besides, fundamentally, his opposition to Zhu Zhuqing was not irreconcilable.
On the contrary, Zhu Zhuqing was his sister-in-law, a relative. If his sister-in-law became a Titled Douluo in the future, perhaps she could even lend a hand?
Clearly, at this moment, Dai Weisi selectively forgot that he had once sent assassins to intercept and kill his own sister-in-law.
Chapter 220 Arrival at Wuhun City
"Zhuqing isn't with Dai Mubai?" Zhu Zhuyun's expression was a little complex. If the situation was truly as Dai Weisi said, wouldn't she be able to reconcile with her sister?
Unfortunately, Zhu Zhuyun also knew in her heart that she had previously sent assassins to intercept and kill Zhu Zhuqing, which had already soured her relationship with her sister. Even if Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai had broken up now, it would be impossible for them to return to the close relationship they had in childhood.
However, what pleased her was that her sister was finally no longer her enemy, and Dai Mubai was now completely out of the running for the throne.
As for whether Zhu Zhuqing had fallen for someone else, that was none of her business. How to maintain the dignity of the Star Luo Royal Family was something Emperor Dai Yutian needed to consider.
...
Time flew by. After more than twenty days of travel, the teams from the Tian Dou Competition Zone finally arrived at Spirit City.
What somewhat relieved Ye Chen was that the journey had been peaceful. Bibi Dong hadn't made any small moves, so Ye Chen hadn't experienced the 'treatment' of the two Titled Douluo, Ju and Gui, trying to take his life.
Because of this, Ye Chen even once doubted whether he was truly the protagonist.
The journey was boring, and the Shrek members basically spent it diligently cultivating.
Ye Chen and Xiao Wu, due to their high spirit power levels, found the difficulty of increasing their spirit power much greater than before, so they didn't manage to advance again.
However, Ma Hongjun and Oscar both advanced one spirit power level, reaching Spirit Ancestor rank 43 one after another. Even Tai Long, who was just there to make up the numbers, reached Spirit Elder rank 39.
Upon arriving at Spirit City, due to the special regulations of Spirit City, the soldiers of the Royal Knights were stationed outside the city. Qian Renxue, as the representative of the Heaven Dou Empire, led the team into Spirit City.
Compared to large cities like Heaven Dou City and Soto City, Spirit City was clearly much smaller, not even one-tenth the size of Heaven Dou City. However, the shock it brought to Spirit Masters was still considerable.
Although Spirit City was not large, its city walls were definitely built according to the standards of a capital city's main city. The eighty-meter-high city walls looked extremely majestic from the outside, and their thickness exceeded thirty meters. They were entirely constructed from granite. Apart from Titled Douluo and flying-type Spirit Masters, it was practically impossible to cross such majestic city walls.
Furthermore, Spirit City was entirely funded and built by Spirit Hall, which shows that Spirit Hall truly had money in its coffers.
A Cardinal from Spirit Hall came to welcome the Heaven Dou participating teams. Under his lead, the group of over two hundred people was quickly settled in a hotel on the west side of Spirit City.
Since Star Luo City was closer to Spirit City, the Star Luo Empire's participating teams had arrived yesterday and were arranged to rest in a hotel on the east side of Spirit City.
Unbeknownst to them, Spirit Hall had already divided the participating teams of the Two Great Empires into two camps.
However, Spirit Hall didn't really need to make special arrangements; Heaven Dou and Star Luo were already in opposition to each other.
If it weren't for Spirit Hall watching menacingly from the sidelines, the Two Great Empires would have already been fighting to the death.
According to the news from Spirit Hall, the competition would officially begin three days later. After the tiring journey, these three days of rest would be enough for each academy to adjust.
After settling into the hotel, Flender instructed the Shrek members: "Let me tell you about the schedule and rules of the finals. The finals will only have five rounds in total, which will be shorter than the preliminary and advancement rounds. Between each round and the next, there will be one day of rest and adjustment. Before the final fifth round, there will be three days of adjustment."
"In the first round, the three seeded teams from the Two Great Empires and Spirit Hall, who received byes, will sit out. The remaining thirty teams will compete for fifteen advancement spots. Losers will be directly eliminated. This cruel elimination round will surely make each Spirit Master team fight even harder, so you must not be careless in the slightest."
"In the second round, the first-place teams from the advancement rounds of the Two Great Empires competition zones will receive a bye.
This means that our Shrek Team will not need to participate in the second round. In the second round, a total of sixteen teams will compete to select eight teams to enter the third round."
"In the third round, the second-place teams from the advancement rounds of the Two Great Empires competition zones will receive a bye.
Including our two teams that received byes in the second round, a total of eight teams will compete for four spots, which will then join these two teams to enter the fourth round."
"The fourth round will have no byes. The format is six into three."
"The fifth round, also the final round, will only have three teams participating. The three teams will first use the advancement round format, with seven members from each team participating in a round-robin elimination to determine the team with the strongest individual strength.
Then, the two losing teams will have a team battle, and the winner will challenge the winner of the individual competition to decide the final champion. Do you all understand?"
After speaking, Flender pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.
"Understood!"
Everyone said in unison, well, except for Ye Chen.
"Headmaster Flender, I have a question!"
Ye Chen asked Flender.
"Hmm? What question?"
Flender was a little puzzled.
"If the teams with bye qualifications in the second and third rounds are eliminated in the first round, then what happens to the subsequent competition format? Did Spirit Hall consider this?"
Although the strength differences between the various teams had basically become apparent in the advancement rounds, Spirit Hall would not let strong teams face each other at the very beginning.
However, it was also possible for teams to deliberately hide their strength in the advancement rounds, perform unremarkably, and then explode in the finals, pulling down the teams with bye qualifications, right?
"Uh, well, I don't know! Alright, that's not the point. Anyway, it's impossible for us to be eliminated!"
Flender was stumped by this question. Fortunately, such a situation couldn't happen to his own team, so he quickly moved on.
Ye Chen: "..."
...
Three days later, the finals officially began.
For this Soul Master Competition, Spirit City specifically opened up a dedicated competition venue.
This venue was located in the center of Spirit City. The huge competition arena had a diameter of a hundred meters and was entirely constructed from granite.
Furthermore, this massive competition stage was reinforced with spirit tools to prevent damage. According to information provided by Spirit Hall, this fighting arena was strong enough to withstand attacks from Spirit Masters below Spirit Emperor rank 6 without breaking.
And directly in front of this competition stage was the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
From here, it was less than a thousand meters to the hill where the Supreme Pontiff Palace was located. Spirit Hall had already announced in its posted notices that the final three-team competition would take place in the plaza in front of the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
At that time, Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong would personally appear and crown the final champion, which would be an unparalleled honor for most Spirit Masters.