Welcome our new Patron: Majorence! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to 'Chapter 328: Asura Exorcism, Entering the Abyssal Cavern' on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
------------------------------------------------------
Ning Tianchen wasn't surprised. He had already suspected as much in his heart.
Without Tang Hao's guidance, Tang San wouldn't have been able to perform so heroically and would likely have been defeated early on. Afterward, if Ning Tianchen wanted to achieve a 7-0 sweep, it would have been far easier than it was now.
However, he hadn't come away empty-handed. Through this match with Tang San, he had come to understand the importance of finding an opponent's weaknesses. Simply improving oneself wasn't enough to become strong.
---
The next day
With the conclusion of the final matches, the promotion round officially came to an end.
The Seven Treasures Academy team finished first in the Tiandou Empire division's promotion round with a perfect record of fourteen wins in fourteen matches. The Shrek Academy team, having lost only one match, ranked second.
However, many teams didn't recognize their second-place finish.
After all, the Shrek team had been utterly humiliated by being swept 7-0 by the Seven Treasures team.
Feeling the gazes of those around him, Dai Mubai's expression darkened. "These guys all lost to us—what right do they have to lecture us?!"
After last night's pep talk, the members of Shrek Academy had gradually emerged from the shadow of their defeat.
In the earlier final match, they had cleanly defeated the Godwind Academy team, showcasing the true spirit of Shrek Academy.
Tang San sneered, "Don't pay attention to their stares. In the finals, they're just there to accompany Shrek Academy on its journey. There's no need to let the words of weaker opponents disrupt our mindset."
"Everyone, remember—the finals are where we'll truly shine."
Yu Tianheng smiled, "No matter what, we're still in second place, which is better than these other teams."
The third-place team in the promotion round was the Beast Academy team, whose performance had earned them respect from many teams.
In previous tournaments, teams from various kingdoms and duchies had never made it into the top three of the promotion rounds. This year's tournament broke that trend.
The representative of the Häagen-Dazs Royal Family was overjoyed to tears upon seeing their ranking.
Once the rankings were announced, as the emperor of the Tiandou Empire, Xue Ye naturally delivered the closing remarks.
During his speech, he extended the same conditions promised to the five teams of the Tiandou Empire to the participants from the various kingdoms and duchies.
He also added a new promise: the Tiandou Empire would assist all participating soul masters in hunting for advancement rings, with spirit rings not exceeding thirty thousand years in age.
For large sects like the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, hunting for spirit rings was an easy task. But for ordinary soul masters, this promise was highly tempting.
Of course, all of this came with the prerequisite of serving the Tiandou Imperial Family to earn such rewards.
After announcing the rewards, Xue Ye declared that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe would represent the imperial family and lead the teams to the finals venue.
The schedule was tight. Xue Ye gave each team three days to rest before gathering outside Tiandou City to head to Spirit City for the competition.
After the closing ceremony, the teams were escorted back to Tiandou City by the Imperial Knights.
On the way, Feng Xiaotian couldn't help but comment, "In previous Soul Master Tournaments, the finals weren't held in Spirit City. I wonder why the Spirit Hall suddenly changed the venue this year."
In past tournaments, the finals arena was a temporary stage built by the Spirit Hall at the border between the two empires.
This year, for some reason, the venue had been moved to Spirit City.
Feng Xiaotian had even heard that the Spirit Hall had already constructed a temporary stage but had suddenly abandoned it, which seemed rather abrupt.
Ning Tianchen smiled, "Spirit City is one of the three major cities on the continent, with complete facilities. Living conditions there are much better than at a temporary venue. Are you unhappy about that?"
Before the promotion round began, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had already received news. At that time, Tang San hadn't yet revealed his Hao Tian Hammer martial soul.
The speculation that Bibi Dong had temporarily moved the finals to Spirit City because of Tang San's revealed talent didn't hold water.
As for why the venue had been changed, perhaps only Bibi Dong herself knew.
Oscar said wistfully, "I've heard that Spirit City is the holy land of soul masters. I wonder how it compares to Tiandou City?"
"Xiao Ao, you're acting like a country bumpkin who's never seen the world," Chen Huayu teased, throwing an arm around Oscar's shoulder.
Oscar retorted, "Have you been to Spirit City?"
Chen Huayu shook his head.
Oscar's lips twitched. "You haven't even been there yourself, and you still have the nerve to mock me? You fatty, take this!"
Watching the two of them playfully bicker, everyone chuckled.
Ke Jie added, "This trip will involve traveling with the main group, and it'll take more than twenty days to reach Spirit City. Since the promotion round is over, everyone should rest well. We'll be traveling in rough conditions for a while."
Huang Wu and Bao Zhen submitted their resignations to the group. "Captain Tianchen, and everyone else, we were always substitutes on the team. Now that the preliminaries and promotion round are over, our duties are complete."
"We've already graduated from the academy and will join the sect next. Everyone, take care on this journey, and we'll wait for your triumphant return at the sect!"
After bidding farewell, the two substitutes officially left the team.
Now, the Seven Treasures Academy team was left with only eight core members.
Ke Jie didn't assign any training tasks and gave everyone a three-day break.
Since the Beast Academy wasn't a local academy, they would spend the next three days in a hotel. At Ning Tianchen's suggestion, Ke Jie readily agreed to let them stay temporarily at Seven Treasures Academy.
This gesture laid the groundwork for future exchanges between the two sects.
Additionally, Ning Tianchen arranged for Dugu Bo to investigate Yu Xiaogang's whereabouts.
According to the original timeline, Yu Xiaogang would set off for Spirit City at this time, riding fast horses.
Once Ning Tianchen confirmed Yu Xiaogang's movements, he intended to throw some obstacles in his path.
After all, Master Yu had repeatedly targeted the Seven Treasures Academy team during the preliminaries and promotion rounds—it was time to repay him in kind.
---
The next day, inside Shrek Academy
During the preliminaries and promotion rounds, they had witnessed the gap between themselves and the Seven Treasures Academy. Even though they only had three days before departure, Tang San and the others still gathered on the training grounds for a three-day intensive training session.
Notably, the instructor leading this special training wasn't Yu Xiaogang but Flender.
"Xiao San, I haven't seen Master Yu since early this morning. Where did he go?" Dai Mubai couldn't help but ask.
Tang San didn't say much.
Last night, after giving some instructions, Yu Xiaogang had boarded a carriage alone and set off ahead of everyone else for Spirit City.
Tang San naturally knew his destination. However, to conceal the fact that twin martial souls' soul power could clash, he brushed off the topic with a few casual words.
Flender spoke up, "Little monsters, recognizing the gap is how we catch up. Starting today, we old-timers will serve as your sparring partners. Especially Tianxin—you joined the team late, so coordination with your teammates is crucial."
Although Ma Hongjun had been included in the team, Tang San and the others had subtly distanced themselves from him.
After all, in the finals, every match was critical.
With only the strength of a Soul Honored, Ma Hongjun likely wouldn't get a chance to step onto the stage.
---
Later that evening, Ning Tianchen saw Dugu Bo return to the academy and couldn't help but ask, "Old man, how did your investigation go? Did you find any trace of Yu Xiaogang?"
Dugu Bo smiled faintly, sitting down on a nearby bench. "Young man, you guessed correctly. Yu Xiaogang left the city last night, riding alone."
"At first, I wasn't sure of his destination. I followed him until dawn, when he entered the official road leading to Spirit City. That's when I confirmed his destination."
Ning Tianchen shrugged. "Old man, you probably already know what happened when the first twin martial soul master tried to attach a spirit ring to their second spirit ring. Tang San likely encountered the same issue when he hastily attached a spirit ring to his Hao Tian Hammer."
"It makes sense for Yu Xiaogang to head to Spirit City to seek a solution."
Dugu Bo was puzzled. "Twin martial soul masters are exceedingly rare throughout history. Even the Spirit Hall might not have records on this. Wouldn't Yu Xiaogang's trip to Spirit City be a futile effort?"
Ning Tianchen suddenly smiled. "You might not know this, but Pope Bibi Dong is the second twin martial soul master on the continent. And Yu Xiaogang once had a history with her. The story I told during the preliminaries is exactly what happened between Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong."
Dugu Bo realized. "So that's how it is. But Bibi Dong isn't someone who clings to old feelings. Yu Xiaogang's journey is destined to end in failure."
Afterward, the two exchanged pleasantries for a while.
Dugu Bo used the excuse of visiting his granddaughter to head to the Tiandou Royal Academy.
After sparring with Tian Chao at the academy, Ning Tianchen quickly made his way to the Crown Prince's residence.
At this moment, the only person capable of throwing obstacles in Yu Xiaogang's path was this young master of the Spirit Hall.
---
Ning Tianchen, holding a token, entered the Crown Prince's residence without hindrance.
Qingluan Douluo, who had been conversing with Xue Qinghe, said, "Young Master, Ning Tianchen has arrived."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure disappeared.
Xue Qinghe straightened his robes and sat beside his desk, handling official matters.
Seeing Ning Tianchen's arrival, he feigned surprise. "Brother Tianchen, what brings you here? Please, come in."
"If Your Highness is busy with official duties, I can return later," Ning Tianchen said, bowing politely.
Xue Qinghe waved dismissively. "It's fine. Speak your mind freely."
Ning Tianchen didn't beat around the bush and informed Xue Qinghe about Yu Xiaogang's trip to Spirit City and his suspicions regarding Tang San.
After listening, Xue Qinghe stroked his chin, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I haven't heard of any successful cases of twin martial soul cultivation on the continent. It's unlikely that Yu Xiaogang will find what he's looking for at the Spirit Hall."
Ning Tianchen didn't mention Bibi Dong directly but instead said, "Your Highness, I'm worried that Yu Xiaogang's actions may involve selling intelligence about the Tiandou Empire's participating teams."
"Although Bishop Salas observed every match from the high seats, he couldn't fully grasp the situation of each team. Yu Xiaogang's recent actions have undoubtedly offended Your Highness and the Tiandou Imperial Family. If he seeks the protection of the Spirit Hall and sells detailed information about the academies to them, it's not impossible."
"In the finals, this would put us at a disadvantage. We can't rule out the possibility of the Spirit Hall team and the Star Luo Empire team ganging up on us."
Yu Xiaogang harbored no goodwill toward the Spirit Hall and was unlikely to curry favor with Bibi Dong. These were merely excuses concocted by Ning Tianchen.
He knew that Xue Qinghe and Bibi Dong were at odds. The failure of the Spirit Hall team was something the former would gladly see.
Since their interests aligned, cooperation wasn't out of the question.
Outwardly, Xue Qinghe appeared shocked and incredulous. "If that's the case, it would indeed be unfavorable for us. Dispatching someone to chase him now would be too late."
"Very well. When the main group heads to Spirit City, I'll send people to investigate Yu Xiaogang's activities there. If he's selling intelligence, I'll deal with him personally."
After concluding the serious matters, Xue Qinghe pulled Ning Tianchen into handling imperial affairs.
It wasn't until evening that Ning Tianchen finally left the Crown Prince's residence.
Qingluan Douluo reported, "Young Master, the letter has been sent. Next, the Grand Elder will handle everything."
Xue Qinghe clenched his fists. "In this final match, we must embarrass that woman. As for Yu Xiaogang, it's unlikely he's seeking the Spirit Hall's protection. Tang San is his disciple and Tang Hao's son—the Spirit Hall won't accept them under any circumstances."
"Yu Xiaogang wouldn't dare send Tang San into that woman's clutches. Most likely, he's seeking her methods for cultivating twin martial souls."
Qingluan Douluo thought for a moment and proposed a possibility. "Ning Tianchen coming to see the Young Master proves that he knows the Young Master can interfere and throw obstacles in Yu Xiaogang's path. Even if he hasn't guessed the Young Master's true identity, once we reach Spirit City—or rather, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect must have spies in Spirit City."
"By confirming Yu Xiaogang's situation, we can ascertain whether the Young Master is secretly colluding with the Spirit Hall."
Xue Qinghe showed no signs of tension and calmly asked, "Are you using Yu Xiaogang as bait to force me to reveal my hand?"
Qingluan Douluo forced a bitter smile. "I don't think so. After several encounters, he might have already guessed that the Young Master is collaborating with the Spirit Hall. This visit is genuine in making life difficult for Yu Xiaogang, but it's also a way to confront the Young Master openly."
"I believe that after the Soul Master Tournament ends, the interactions between the Young Master and him will determine whether the plan proceeds smoothly."
Xue Qinghe dismissed the idea. "Based solely on speculation, how can he overthrow me? Would Xue Ye believe his one-sided claims?"
Qingluan Douluo reminded him, "Young Master, don't forget your gender. Appearance can be disguised, but gender cannot. If Ning Fengzhi invites the Young Master to bathe together, how will you respond?"
"If you refuse, wouldn't that arouse suspicion?"
Xue Qinghe raised an eyebrow.
The Tiandou Empire did have a tradition of masters and disciples bathing together. If his identity were questioned, refusing to bathe would only confirm guilt.
Changing the subject, Qingluan Douluo continued, "Young Master, there's no need to worry. Currently, there are no spies from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect around the Crown Prince's residence. Even if Ning Tianchen suspects something, it's not yet beyond repair."
---
Three days passed quietly.
Early that morning, the Tiandou Empire prepared luxurious carriages and a one-thousand-person escort for each participating team.
Led by Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, this massive group of over a thousand people departed grandly from Tiandou City.
The Seven Treasures Academy team, considered the empire's most promising team to win the championship, had their carriage positioned in the middle of the convoy. Even if they encountered an ambush, their central position allowed ample time to respond.
Notably, Huang Wu and Bao Zhen, the two substitutes, also accompanied the team to Spirit City.
After the promotion round ended, they had reported to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
After becoming sect disciples, Ning Fengzhi granted them a long vacation and allowed them to follow the main group to the finals venue to watch the matches.
"Haha, Old Huang, just wait and watch us dominate on the stage," Chen Huayu said, throwing an arm around Huang Wu's shoulder and laughing.
Having spent so much time with the group, Huang Wu was no longer as reserved as before and laughed loudly, "If you're talking about the captain and the others dominating, I believe it. But you, Fatty? Forget it."
"That's right, Stinky Fatty, stop trying to steal glory. If I assisted Sword and Bone Douluo, rounding up, I could even defeat a Title Douluo," Oscar mocked.
"These guys," Ning Tianchen shook his head helplessly.
This journey to Spirit City would take more than twenty days. With Chen Huayu and the others cracking jokes along the way, the trip wouldn't be too dull.
Unconsciously, Ning Tianchen's gaze drifted to the window.
Riding fast horses to Spirit City would only take seven days. By now, Yu Xiaogang's journey was likely halfway done, and he wasn't far from Spirit City.
With Xue Qinghe meddling in the mix, this trip to the Spirit Hall was destined to be anything but ordinary for Yu Xiaogang.
Shifting his thoughts away from Yu Xiaogang, Ning Tianchen reflected, "There must be strategists sent by the Spirit Hall accompanying Xue Qinghe. He should be able to tell that I suspect his true identity."
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
To protect the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect during Bibi Dong's Soul Hunting Operation, contacting Xue Qinghe was only the first step. The most important part was the second step—speaking with Xue Qinghe's true identity!
Qian Renxue had no faction of her own within the Spirit Hall. She would definitely try to recruit talented individuals to strengthen herself.
In the original timeline, she had even set aside her father's murder to recruit Tang San. Who's to say she wouldn't try to recruit him?
There were still more than five years before the Soul Hunting Operation. During this time, Ning Tianchen had to make some preparations.
---
Several days later.
After a long and dusty journey, Yu Xiaogang finally arrived at the gates of Spirit City.
As the holy land of soul masters, the conditions for entering Spirit City were quite strict—only soul masters were allowed entry.
"Halt! Show your soul master booklet or reveal your spirit rings to enter the city," the city guards stopped him.
Yu Xiaogang dismounted and took out his soul master booklet from his pocket, handing it over.
While it was being inspected, he unconsciously placed his hands behind his back, raised his head, and looked at the three large characters on the city wall, letting out a sigh.
"Spirit City—it's been a long time."
Seeing his demeanor, the guards assumed he was a powerful soul master and treated him with greater respect as they examined his booklet.
"Hmm?"
Upon seeing that the booklet recorded Yu Xiaogang as only having twenty-nine levels of soul power, the guard doubted his eyes, thinking he had misread ninety-two levels as twenty-nine.
After rubbing his eyes and looking again, he confirmed that Yu Xiaogang indeed only had twenty-nine levels.
Moreover, the booklet noted that Yu Xiaogang had recently received a soul master subsidy from the Spirit Hall this month.
"At this age, still collecting soul master subsidies—how shameless," the guard sneered, tossing the booklet back carelessly.
"A snobbish bunch!" Yu Xiaogang flicked his sleeve, leading his horse into the city.
"A twenty-nine-level Soul Grandmaster daring to act arrogantly in Spirit City? Hmph, someone will teach you a lesson." Watching his retreating figure, the guard coldly laughed.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow