Finals Begin

Finals Begin

"Hiss!" The area beneath the arena instantly fell silent.

The reversal had come far too quickly. Just moments ago, the two had seemed evenly matched, yet in the blink of an eye, Qin Yuan had been brutally defeated and was now lying beneath the arena, unable to get back up.

Lu Yuan's punch had been too powerful. Apart from both arms being fractured, several of Qin Yuan's ribs had likely been broken as well.

Don't blame Lu Yuan for hitting too hard. As the saying went, if people did not offend him, he would not offend them; but if they did, he would repay them tenfold. He was no saint, and he could not repay resentment with kindness.

Qin Yuan had long been notorious within the Training Camp. Seeing him beaten so badly by Lu Yuan, the other students not only did not blame Lu Yuan, but secretly rejoiced.

With injuries like these, Qin Yuan could basically forget about the selection tournament.

And with Qin Yuan defeated by Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan undoubtedly became a strong contender for the final top three. At the same time, his reputation within the Training Camp grew even greater.

With Lu Yuan's victory, the quarterfinal matches came to an end as well. All that remained was the final championship tournament.

Three days later!

Three of the four arenas in the training grounds had been dismantled, leaving only one.

After round after round of selection matches, sixteen students had successfully advanced into the final championship tournament.

By the time the finals arrived, the number of spectators had dwindled considerably. After all, the students who had lost the earlier matches had already been sent away from the Training Camp. Aside from the sixteen participants, only the younger students remained.

Once again, the cruelty of the Training Camp lay bare before everyone's eyes.

Chris was hosting the finals. Standing atop the platform, he looked around and said, "After a rigorous selection tournament, we have finally reached the final championship tournament. A total of sixteen students will be participating this time."

"These sixteen students are all outstanding among the Training Camp's students. However, our rule is that only the top ten qualify to graduate from the Training Camp and leave it. So you must all continue to work hard."

"This championship tournament will last three days and determine the final champion. On the first day, sixteen will become eight. There will be eight groups, with contestants facing each other in pairs. The winners will advance to the top eight, while the losers will compete for the final two slots, ninth and tenth place!"

"On the second day, eight will become four. The winners will advance to the top four, while the losers will compete again to determine their rankings!"

"The final day will be the battle for the championship. This time, the format has changed. It will no longer be one-on-one combat, but a free-for-all. Whoever remains standing on the arena at the end will be the champion!"

"Your Holiness has issued an order: this year's champion may join Papal Hall and freely choose an elder as their master. The reward is generous, so I hope you all strive your hardest!"

"Finally, I wish each of you a satisfactory result. Now, let the final championship tournament begin!"

As Chris's words fell, the breathing of the students who had reached the finals grew hurried. Normally, the top three of the Training Camp were qualified to join Papal Hall, but only to join it. They had no right to take a master unless an elder took a liking to them.

Yet this year's champion could choose any elder to become their master. It truly was an immense reward. With an elder backing them, their status within Spirit Hall would instantly become completely different.

Among the sixteen students, only Lin Feng, Yan Xiang, Feng Yuyan, and Lu Yuan had the greatest chance of winning the championship, so all the other students focused their gazes on those four.

After all, their strength was far inferior to the four of them.

It would be best if they faced each other first! This was the shared thought of the other students.

Under everyone's scrutiny, the four wore different expressions.

Yan Xiang wore a smile, but his gaze was firm. Whenever he looked at Lu Yuan and Lin Feng, his eyes carried vigilance and gravity.

Feng Yuyan carefully examined Lu Yuan, her eyes gleaming.

Lin Feng remained impassive, still looking calm and composed, but his usually steady breathing had grown somewhat heavier.

Lu Yuan merely glanced at the three of them, looking utterly at ease, though his thoughts were turning rapidly.

He had always felt that this tournament format change was ill-intentioned—or rather, that it had been designed specifically for him. Others might not know, but Chris, who was responsible for training him, understood most of his strength. In a one-on-one battle, he would almost certainly take the championship.

But now that the rules had changed, winning the championship might ultimately mean facing three opponents alone. At that point, victory would not be so simple. Against three Soul Grandmaster-level opponents, he would have to go all out.

This change in orders was definitely not Chris's idea. More likely, it had come from someone higher up. And there was only one person with the authority to issue orders to Heaven's Pride Training Camp: her, the supreme ruler of Papal Hall.

"So this is to test the full extent of my strength?" Lu Yuan murmured, his gaze shifting as determination filled his eyes.

"The first match of the championship tournament officially begins! The first match will be student Li Tian versus student Zhang San!"

The championship tournament had begun.

The other students' hopes did not come true. Lu Yuan, Lin Feng, Yan Xiang, and Feng Yuyan did not face one another, but were instead placed in separate matchups.

This was hardly surprising. The four of them were the strongest, and the Training Camp administrators were not fools. Naturally, they would not have them meet too early. If nothing unexpected happened, the final top four would be those four.

Lu Yuan's opponent was named Xiong Meng. His Martial Soul was the Vajra Bear, the same Martial Soul as Zhao Wuji in the original story. He was ten years old and a level nineteen Soul Grandmaster.

He was from Nether Gate and one of Yan Xiang's subordinates. His strength was fairly good within the Training Camp, but unfortunately, he had encountered Lu Yuan.

The Vajra Bear was considered a top-tier Martial Soul and possessed immense strength, but it had met the Golden Dragon, the ancestor of strength. From beginning to end, it was utterly suppressed. After only a few moves, Lu Yuan defeated him.

Lin Feng and Feng Yuyan's opponents were not particularly strong either, and both were easily defeated.

Yan Xiang's match, however, surprised Lu Yuan somewhat. His opponent was actually Yuan Xin.

This was effectively a battle between members of the same faction.

Yan Xiang's Martial Soul was the Azure Lightning Divine Elephant, a top-tier beast Martial Soul. It possessed tremendous strength and could control the power of lightning. Yuan Xin's Martial Soul, on the other hand, was merely Purple Jade Bamboo, a high-tier Martial Soul. Combined with the difference in Soul Power, even though control-type Soul Masters had some advantage over assault-type Soul Masters, that advantage was truly insignificant before absolute strength.

The final result was naturally Yuan Xin's defeat, while Yan Xiang advanced smoothly.

Yuan Xin could only compete in the losers' bracket for the two remaining spots, ninth and tenth place.

Lu Yuan could do nothing but sigh at this outcome. After all, the Training Camp ultimately respected strength above all else. Still, after a fierce contest in the losers' bracket, Yuan Xin paid the price of severe injuries to claim tenth place, which was an unexpected consolation.