Academy Turmoil, Battle with the Clear Sky Sect

That year of peace gave Su He a measure of reassurance. Under Pope Qian Xunji's leadership, Spirit Hall was flourishing as well.

With the future All-Continent Elite Spirit Master Academy Tournament in mind, Su He went to his teacher, Golden Crocodile Douluo, to arrange a transfer-student spot at Spirit Hall Junior Spirit Master Academy. During breaks from training, Su He would also attend the academy to experience school life.

At the academy, Su He also encountered members of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation from the Original Work: Xie Yue, Yan, and Bibi Dong's disciple Hu Liena. It was worth mentioning that although Bibi Dong was still the Saintess in this life, she had still taken Hu Liena as her disciple. Perhaps fate itself was silently guiding everything forward.

Because Su He had often visited the library to read before his martial soul awakening, he already knew all the Spirit Knowledge taught at Spirit Hall Junior Spirit Master Academy like the back of his hand. He usually appeared only for practical combat classes, where he sought opponents to spar with and hone his fighting skills.

One afternoon...

"Su He, let's duel!"

A boy with fiery red hair shouted a challenge toward the dormitory. Hearing the voice, Su He shook his head helplessly.

Clearly, the two already knew each other. The red-haired boy was Yan, one of the Golden Generation from the Original Work.

"Yan, you've already lost to me three times. Why can't you learn your lesson...?"

Though Su He said this, he did not refuse Yan's challenge. Yan was one of the few students of the same grade in the academy who could trade blows with him. His soul power had already reached level 15, and his martial soul was the Flame Lord, a top-tier martial soul with both fire and earth attributes—a very powerful ancient martial soul.

"Let's go to the Training Ground." Su He waved a hand.

"Hey, that transfer student and Yan, the Assault Type boss, are dueling again!"

"What? Hurry, let's go watch!"

"Boss Yan has already lost several times, right? Can he win this time..." The students chattered among themselves.

At the Training Ground...

"Yan, martial soul Flame Lord, level 15 Assault Type Battle Spirit Master. Please enlighten me!"

"Su He, martial soul Abyssal Golden Lion, level 17 Assault Type Battle Spirit Master. Please enlighten me!"

After the two exchanged bows, Yan frowned in surprise upon hearing that Su He had reached level 17.

"I didn't expect you to gain another level after just three months without fighting! But I won't admit defeat!"

As Yan spoke, he used Martial Soul Possession. The bright yellow first spirit ring on his body lit up instantly.

"First Spirit Skill, Hell Magma Rush!" A towering pillar of magma suddenly erupted from the ground beneath Su He's feet.

"Three Thousand Lightning Movements!" Su He activated his movement technique, his figure flashing out of Yan's attack range like lightning or a ghost. Then his first spirit ring lit up. "First Spirit Skill, Golden Lion Battle Physique!"

Feeling the explosive power surging through his strengthened body, Su He used Explosive Step and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, throwing a punch at Yan. Before the poor red-haired boy could even see his opponent clearly, he felt an immense force strike him and was sent flying out of the arena.

"So strong!"

"He defeated Yan with just one move!"

The students below were all shocked by Su He's performance. Xie Yue and Hu Liena, who were watching from the side, stood frozen as well. Yan's strength was about equal to theirs. Since Su He could defeat Yan in a single move, he naturally had the ability to defeat them in a single move too.

"This guy is even stronger than last time!" Xie Yue said gravely. "But I won't lose to him!" He then turned and headed for the Mimicry Cultivation grounds to continue training.

Below the Training Ground...

Su He slowly walked over to Yan, who had fallen to the ground, and helped him up.

"When I become stronger, I'll defeat you." Yan stared at Su He seriously, his eyes filled with fierce fighting spirit.

Among spirit masters of the same level at the academy, he had scarcely ever met an opponent. Even Xie Yue could only fight him to a draw at present.

Only Su He could defeat him with overwhelming strength, and that made Yan's fighting spirit blaze more fiercely than ever before.

"I'll be waiting anytime." Su He smiled faintly, patted Yan on the shoulder, and returned to his residence to continue meditating.

Yan was not bad by nature, and he was simple-minded. Winning him over would make for useful support, so Su He intended to cultivate him from childhood. If he wanted to gain a firm foothold in Spirit Hall and possess enough influence in the future, he needed not only tremendous strength of his own, but also a solid group of supporters behind him.

After all, the girl he liked was Spirit Hall's young mistress, and Su He had no intention of being beneath her in this relationship. In short, both his strength and his influence had to be powerful enough!

Not far away, Xie Yue and Hu Liena stared deeply at Su He's departing back, lost in thought.

"Tch, acting so arrogant. Who's he putting on a show for?" Hu Liena pouted and muttered.

"Unfortunately, he really does have the right to be arrogant." Xie Yue shook his head. "Forget about that. We need to work hard and catch up to him."

At that moment, the system's voice suddenly rang out in Su He's mind.

Stage Mission 2 issued: Defeat the combined efforts of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation and make those who refuse to accept it realize who the leading figure of Spirit Hall's generation is.

Mission completion reward: Soul Power Level +1, designated Immortal Herb Gift Box ×1.

It had to be said that the reward was truly tempting, but completing the mission would not be easy. Su He had defeated Yan so effortlessly because of the two-level soul power advantage and the high quality of his first spirit ring. Facing three equally gifted peers at once—opponents encompassing agility attack, assault, and control types—was a little beyond Su He's current strength.

However, defeating Su He would not be easy for the three of them either. Because he had taken the Primordial Body Sculpting Pill, Su He already surpassed them in physical strength.

At this time, the massive force known as Spirit Hall made another major move.

The current Pope, Qian Xunji, led two Titled Douluo elders in declaring war on the Clear Sky Sect! The reason was the suspicion that the Clear Sky Sect was sheltering the wanted criminal Tang Hao. Although Clear Sky Sect Master Tang Xiao strongly declared that Tang Hao had already been expelled from the sect, Qian Xunji seemed not to have listened at all. Three days after the declaration of war, the great battle was about to erupt.

Tang Hao, who had been living in seclusion in Holy Soul Village with the one-year-old Tang San, could no longer suppress his nature as a slave to the sect. After entrusting Tang San to Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village, he resolutely entered the battlefield between the two great forces alone. The Clear Sky Sect, with four Titled Douluo, had been roughly evenly matched against one Super Douluo and two ordinary Douluo, though they had held a slight disadvantage. Yet Tang Hao's arrival caused the situation to tilt completely to one side.

The Clear Sky Douluo's strength truly was formidable. Relying on the Great Sumeru Hammer technique and Ring Detonation, he killed one of the two Titled Douluo elders sent by Spirit Hall and injured the other. Pope Qian Xunji also returned severely wounded once again.