Advancement Round Begins

"What do you mean, can't beat them? Who can't beat whom?" The dormitory door was pushed open, and Dean Flender walked in with a pipe clenched between his teeth, his usual shrewd smile on his face. "Stop huddling around. Food's ready in the cafeteria, hurry up... Hmm?"

He keenly sensed that something was off. The children all looked terrible.

"Dean!" Ma Junhong sprang to her feet as though she had found someone to rely on.

"You don't know this, but after you left today, a team showed up. They were complete monsters.

Four people, just four people. They ground Skywater Academy's seven elite members into the dirt. It was a completely one-sided crushing!"

"Oh?" Flender raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"What team was that strong? What were they called? How did they fight?" He wanted to see which academy had hidden such a trump card.

"They were terrifyingly fast, especially Zhu Zhuqing," Oscar hurriedly added. "What's even more outrageous is that they had so many Self-Created Soul Skills, and every one of them was powerful."

Ma Junhong nodded hard. "The scariest one was the guy named Duanmu Ci. He just stood there, but that presence..."

"Wait!" The smile on Flender's face instantly froze, and his pipe nearly fell from his mouth.

His eyes flew wide open as he stared fixedly at Ma Hongjun. "What did you say his name was?"

Oscar was startled by the dean's suddenly raised voice and repeated blankly, "D-Duanmu Ci... Dean, what's wrong?"

Flender's face visibly turned pale as he urgently asked:

"Was he... a young-looking boy with a very unusual aura?

Was there always a black-haired girl with a cold temperament beside him?

And another girl with a particularly sharp tongue? Plus a young man in his early twenties?"

"Yes, yes, yes! You got every one of them right, Dean. You know them?" Oscar and Ma Hongjun cried out in unison, while Xiao Wu also looked at Flender in surprise.

Flender did not answer. Instead, he solemnly recalled that afternoon from more than a year ago.

That finger strike flashing with lightning, that pressure that had left him unable to resist.

That monster... had actually come to participate in the Spirit Master Competition?

No! He had to tell Xiaogang immediately!

That boy... was simply not someone the Shrek group could possibly contend with.

Flender no longer cared about eating, nor did he have time to explain. He abruptly turned and rushed out of the dormitory, leaving only Xiao Wu, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun staring at one another.

The next day, Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena was packed with people, with nobles gathered in abundance.

Duanmu Ci's Shadow Clone sat alone in the spectator seats. His main body had already returned to Sea God Island for the next divine trial.

At this moment, Qian Renxue was no longer seated beside him.

His gaze casually swept over the most prestigious main viewing platform opposite him.

There, Crown Prince "Xue Qinghe" stood respectfully at Xue Ye's side.

At this moment, a layer of poorly concealed gloom hung over the Crown Prince's handsome, gentle face, while unwillingness simmered deep in her eyes.

Clearly, she had not gotten through Xue Ye's questioning so easily yesterday.

As though sensing Duanmu Ci's gaze, Qian Renxue immediately looked over as well.

Their eyes met, and the muscles on Qian Renxue's face twitched ever so slightly.

Then, she forcibly squeezed out a flawless, textbook-perfect "Crown Prince-style" smile and gave Duanmu Ci a slight nod.

Duanmu Ci merely lifted his chin casually in response.

With interest, he turned his gaze toward the old man in dragon robes at the center of the main platform—Xue Ye.

By coincidence, Xue Ye was also looking at him. The expression on the face of this ruler who controlled a vast empire shifted instantly.

He offered Duanmu Ci a warm smile tinged with appreciation and even gave a faint nod.

Duanmu Ci immediately piled on a smile in return and nodded back toward Xue Ye.

He just wondered what Xue Ye would do if he learned that Duanmu Ci had taken the ring passed down through the imperial family for a thousand years.

He turned his attention back to the arena, where fierce battles were taking place one after another.

During the Heaven Dou Empire preliminaries, fighting raged without pause every day, with battles continuously unfolding across several stages.

According to yesterday's draw, Imperial Dou Team 3's opponent today was merely an obscure, ordinary team.

There was no suspense in the match.

Zhu Zhuqing alone moved through the arena as though no one else was there.

The seven opponents were sent flying out of bounds one after another with ease, unable even to form an effective encirclement.

The entire process was so fast it left people dumbfounded.

When the referee announced Imperial Dou Team 3's victory, an even more frenzied cheer erupted from the stands.

"Today's opponents weren't even as strong as the ones they faced yesterday!"

"It was too fast—I didn't even see how she attacked."

"Imperial Dou Team 3 is truly unfathomable!"

Duanmu Ci sat listlessly in his private spectator box, propping up his chin with one hand, too lazy even to lift his eyelids.

Such a one-sided crushing victory did not even interest him enough to comment on it.

His gaze drifted aimlessly, as though the victory that had drawn countless eyes below was less interesting than a cloud floating across the sky.

Just as the day's matches were nearing their end and the clamor was beginning to fade, a gentle, jade-like figure appeared before Duanmu Ci—the Crown Prince, "Xue Qinghe."

Qian Renxue had already perfectly reined in all her emotions. A smile once again graced her face, and her voice rang clear as spring water, carrying just the right degree of warmth.

"Brother Ci, Imperial Dou Team 3 displayed even greater brilliance today than yesterday. Miss Zhu Zhuqing in particular is truly a peerless talent. Congratulations, Brother Ci, on another victory!"

She paused slightly, looking at Duanmu Ci with sincere eyes, her bearing lowered to precisely the right degree.

"Father was delighted by the many young talents emerging from this tournament, so he has arranged a private banquet in the palace tonight. First, to reward all of you outstanding young prodigies, and second, because he wishes to see with his own eyes the future pillars of Heaven Dou."

"I came on Father's orders to sincerely invite Brother Ci, as well as several of Imperial Dou Team 3's core members. I hope you will honor us with your presence."

She deliberately emphasized her next words.

"Additionally, my teacher, Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, has long heard of Brother Ci. He also happens to be in the palace today and wishes to take this opportunity to meet you. Would Brother Ci be willing to honor us?"

However, Duanmu Ci merely lazily lifted his eyelids. His hand still supported his chin, and he did not change his posture in the slightest.

"Oh? A banquet..." He paused, then asked a question that nearly froze Qian Renxue's smile in place.

"If I don't attend... will Imperial Dou Team 3 be disqualified from the tournament?"

"Th-That... of course not!"

Qian Renxue's expression stiffened. Even with her deep composure, this completely unexpected question left her momentarily speechless.

Xue Ye was, after all, the ruler of a nation, while Ning Fengzhi was the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, whose wealth could rival that of a country.

He was also the continent's number one support-type Spirit Master and had two Super Douluo at his side.

Yet from Duanmu Ci's expression, it seemed he had no desire to deal with them at all?

Qian Renxue gave him a deep look, as though trying to discern his true thoughts.

As for Duanmu Ci, he only acted for his own comfort.

These so-called "important figures" were not important enough for him to sacrifice his precious personal time to endure a false and tedious social engagement.

A brief silence spread between them. But Qian Renxue was still Qian Renxue; she swiftly suppressed her churning emotions, and a smile reappeared on her face.

It even carried a few more traces of tolerance and understanding.

"Hehe, Brother Ci, you truly know how to joke. Tournament eligibility is an ironclad rule. How could it be changed based on whether one attends a banquet? You are worrying too much."

She dipped slightly at the waist, her tone remaining gentle.

"Since Brother Ci is not in the mood today, then I shall boldly decline Father's and my teacher's kind invitation on your behalf. Please rest well, Brother Ci. I look forward to Imperial Dou Team 3 putting on an even more spectacular performance tomorrow."

Only then did Duanmu Ci nod indifferently.

He understood perfectly well that although Qian Renxue appeared magnanimous in taking responsibility, this was exactly what she wanted.

By refusing the banquet, he was effectively taking the initiative to distance himself from the core circles of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. This was precisely the outcome Qian Renxue had dreamed of.

It would keep him, an uncontrollable variable, outside the scope of both factions' attempts to recruit him.

Thus, he refused with a clear conscience and without the slightest burden. Let Qian Renxue deal with it.

Qian Renxue smilingly took her leave. The moment she turned around, a surge of wild joy shot through her heart beneath that graceful, flawless mask.

That's it!

It would be even better if he developed even greater conflicts with Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi.

Unfortunately, she could not fan the flames and directly paint Duanmu Ci as someone who disrespected imperial authority. That did not fit his character.

Instead, she had to help Duanmu Ci find a graceful way out, so as to stabilize the situation for the time being.

As Duanmu Ci watched Qian Renxue depart, he found himself wondering when exactly he should lay everything bare with her.

He was already getting tired of all this pretending.

With his current strength, it seemed he was nearly at the point where he could flip the table.