Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, the situation across the continent grew increasingly tense. The Holy Spirit Cult's activities became even more rampant, with several horrifying massacres taking place. Friction along the borders of the Two Great Empires never ceased, and small-scale clashes broke out from time to time. A suffocating sense of an impending storm hung over the entire soul master world.
Against this backdrop, the Spirit Hall's "Soul Hunting Competition" arrived as scheduled.
The competition was held in Spirit City, where Spirit Hall's headquarters stood. It was a magnificent city completely controlled by Spirit Hall, located within the Spirit Mountain Range at the border between the Two Great Empires. Easy to defend and difficult to attack, it symbolized Spirit Hall's transcendent status.
The competition had invited every prominent sect, academy, and renowned Rogue Cultivator soul master on the continent. On the surface, it was for sparring, exchange, and selecting talent, but everyone knew full well that it was a feast with hidden daggers—a chance for Spirit Hall to flex its muscles, test the attitudes of every faction, and even redraw the boundaries of influence.
On the Heaven Dou Empire's side, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect took the lead. The Lower Four Sects—the Elephant Armor Sect, White Tiger Sect, Wind Sword Sect, and Fire Leopard Sect—along with the major advanced Soul Master Academies, all dispatched elite teams. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, disguised Qian Renxue, personally led the vast procession toward Spirit City. On the Star Luo Empire's side, the Star Luo Imperial Family took the lead and joined forces with the major domestic sects, fielding an equally formidable lineup.
That day, Spirit City was packed with people, its banners fluttering in the wind. Soul master factions from all over the continent gathered