Imperial Fighting Team

With his current strength, he was still unable to enter Dragon Valley alone to hunt Soul Beasts. While striving to break through the bottleneck at level thirty Soul Power, he also needed to consider whom he could ask for help.

On his way to the academy cafeteria, information about Yu Tianheng, a character from the original work, surfaced in Xia Liang's mind.

Trying to curry favor with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was definitely out of the question. The elders of that clan were all proud and unruly, extremely difficult to get along with. Yu Xiaogang was a prime example.

Therefore, if he wanted to hunt Soul Beasts like Bone Dragons, it would be better to set his sights on Yu Tianheng, someone of his own generation.

If he could find some way to make Yu Tianheng willingly use the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's power to deliver a Bone Dragon Soul Beast right to him, then he would not need to risk entering Dragon Valley himself.

As for what method to use, Xia Liang had not figured it out yet. After all, it was a somewhat fanciful idea.

Fortunately, half a year ago, Yu Tianheng had joined Heaven Dou Royal Academy under the noble status of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Thanks to his outstanding talent and strength, he had been exceptionally promoted to a Heaven Dou-level student and placed in Heaven Dou Level One Class, taught by the second-youngest Soul Emperor, Qin Ming.

These days, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was filled with talk of him, the genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Twin Stars.

For now, it seemed that approaching Yu Tianheng would be quite easy.

"Hey, have you heard? Teacher Qin Ming took Heaven Dou Level One Class to the Heaven Dou City Great Spirit Arena for training. They've already won twenty consecutive matches in same-level spirit battles. It seems they're preparing to register for higher-level spirit battles. Shall we go watch together when the time comes?"

The sudden conversation caught Xia Liang's attention.

He looked toward the voices and found two female students beside him discussing Heaven Dou Level One Class.

It seemed that the two female students were heading the same way as him, both on their way to the academy cafeteria.

"Hello, Master Xia," one of the female students greeted Xia Liang.

Xia Liang smiled and nodded.

Over the past year and a half, Master Xia, the academy's Special Grade Chef, had earned great respect from the food-loving students.

A few minutes later.

After arriving at the academy cafeteria, the two female students went up to a private room on the second floor.

Xia Liang, meanwhile, entered the kitchen, put on his chef's hat, and began another day of work.

From the two female students' conversation, he learned why Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the other students of Heaven Dou Level One Class had not been seen around the academy these past few days. Qin Ming had taken them to the Heaven Dou City Great Spirit Arena for training.

With the finest Martial Soul talents and their already formidable strength, Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others had become unbeatable in same-level spirit battles at the Great Spirit Arena.

To achieve better training results, Qin Ming, as their teacher, began encouraging them to register for higher-level spirit battles at the Great Spirit Arena.

A higher-level spirit battle meant fighting opponents who had one more Soul Ring or one higher spirit-battle rank than oneself.

Only by winning higher-level spirit battles could they truly live up to the title of monster students.

Qin Ming had graduated from Shrek Academy. This teaching method of participating in higher-level spirit battles was presumably inherited from the Four-Eyed Cat Eagle Flender mentioned in the original work.

Thinking back over the past year and a half, Xia Liang suddenly recalled that several months ago, there had been a spirit-battle spar between Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan at the academy.

At the time, Yu Tianheng defeated Dugu Yan, becoming the leader of Heaven Dou Level One Class as well as the captain of their Imperial Fighting Team.

Judging from both sides' circumstances, Yu Tianheng had been able to defeat Dugu Yan because they were both Soul Elders. With little difference in their Soul Power Levels, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was stronger than the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, so it was perfectly normal for him to win.

Xia Liang thought that if he, as a Two-Ring Great Soul Master, defeated Dugu Yan, a three-ring Soul Elder, across ranks, then the meaning would be entirely different.

Being defeated by an opponent with lower Soul Power and one fewer Soul Ring was a tremendous humiliation for any Soul Master.

In order to wash away that humiliation, someone with Dugu Yan's personality would definitely keep pestering him.

There was currently no news within the academy that Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were a couple. If he could snatch Dugu Yan away, obtaining the opportunity of Immortal Herbs from Dugu Bo would become much easier as well.

What made Xia Liang hesitate was that he still needed to rely on Yu Tianheng regarding sub-dragon Soul Beasts like Bone Dragons. Wouldn't stealing his woman now cut off his path to hunting Soul Beasts?

Furthermore, competing with Yu Tianheng for a woman carried the risk of offending a disciple of a major clan.

Sigh. After finishing the washing of the pots, bowls, and utensils, Xia Liang sighed dejectedly to himself. In the future, if he wanted to hunt super Soul Beasts like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger for Soul Rings, he would surely need to deal with more important figures mentioned in the original work.

With someone powerful backing him, the road ahead would undoubtedly be easier.

If he did not want to join another faction yet still wanted backing, then his only choice was to draw the neutral Dugu Bo over to his side.

With the support of Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo, he could not only rightfully occupy the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and obtain the opportunities of Immortal Herbs, but also solve the immediate problem of whom to ask for help hunting Soul Beasts.

Since that was the case, there was no need to set his sights on Yu Tianheng for the Third Soul Ring. Once his friendship with Dugu Yan was deep enough, he could have her ask Dugu Bo for help.

After all, he was only at level twenty-nine Soul Power and had not truly broken through to the level thirty bottleneck yet. He had plenty of time to deepen his relationship with Dugu Yan.

Several days later.

Heaven Dou City, Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.

VIP Rest Area. VIP Room Three.

Inside the luxurious private room were seven people—five men and two women—who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old.

If a Soul Master who frequently followed the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena entered this private room, they would certainly recognize these seven distinctive individuals at a glance.

All seven came from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. They were the top seven noble geniuses of Heaven Dou Level One Class, as well as the core members of the Imperial Fighting Team, which had recently achieved the longest winning streak in team spirit battles at the Great Spirit Arena.

The man meditating on the sofa was the captain of the Imperial Fighting Team, Yu Tianheng.

The purple-haired, green-eyed woman applying nail polish was the Imperial Fighting Team's vice-captain, Dugu Yan.

The other woman, whose face was covered by a layer of black gauze, was Ye Lingling, the Imperial Fighting Team's Support System Soul Master.

The pair of twins were named Shi Mo and Shi Mo, the Imperial Fighting Team's two Defense System Soul Masters.

The remaining two delicate-looking young men were both Agility Attack System Soul Masters of the Imperial Fighting Team: Yu Feng and Osler.

Not only did they hold the highest winning streak in team spirit fighting, but among the Imperial Fighting Team's seven members, aside from Ye Lingling of the Support System, the other six had each achieved twenty-five consecutive victories in one-on-one spirit fights at their own level.

Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most outstanding Soul Masters at the Soul Elder level in the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena could no longer threaten their winning streaks.

The Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena belonged to the Imperial Capital Great Spirit Arena, a place where hidden talents abounded.

To have no opponents in same-rank spirit fights at the Imperial Capital Great Spirit Arena showed just how exceptional the Imperial Fighting Team's seven members were.

At their team leader Qin Ming's suggestion, the seven members of the Imperial Fighting Team had each signed up for cross-rank spirit fights. They were waiting in this private room for opponents who would challenge them.

Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking from outside the private room interrupted their conversation.

"Pardon the interruption, esteemed Soul Masters of the Imperial Fighting Team. I am Yao Yao, a staff member of the Great Spirit Arena. I have come specifically to report the results of this cross-rank spirit fight registration."

Osler ran over to open the door.

A tall female staff member walked in. After bowing to everyone, she looked at Dugu Yan and said with a smile, "Miss Dugu, someone has already applied to challenge you in the cross-rank spirit fight you registered for."

"The other party is a newcomer calling himself Bone King. He registered for spirit fighting only five days ago and currently has a record of ten wins and zero losses. Because he maintained a ten-match winning streak, he received a reward of one hundred points, bringing his total to one hundred and ten. His spirit fighting rank has advanced from Iron Spirit Fighter to Bronze Spirit Fighter, granting him the qualifications to participate in cross-rank challenges."