Spirit Academy Advancement Tournament

After Ghost Charm left, he headed for the Papal Palace. Bibi Dong was already waiting for his arrival with a dark expression, holding most of Yu Xiaogang's personal files that Ghost Charm had investigated.

The moment Ghost Charm pushed open the doors to the Papal Palace, Bibi Dong's Soul Power locked onto him. As cold sweat broke out across his back, the Pope's Scepter smashed straight into his abdomen.

Ghost Charm did not dare dodge, afraid Bibi Dong would hit him with a Soul Skill. He stood where he was and took the blow head-on. After being struck in the abdomen by the Pope's Scepter, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Bibi Dong said coldly, "Who gave you permission to help Xiaotian investigate Yu Xiaogang?"

Ghost Charm replied with difficulty, "Reporting to His Holiness the Pope! The Holy Son ordered this subordinate to do it!"

Hearing that, Bibi Dong struck Ghost Charm in the abdomen again with the Pope's Scepter and said furiously, "He told you to go, so you went? Do you think I am no longer the Pope?"

"This subordinate would not dare!"

"You had better not! If there is a next time, just go die!"

After cupping his hands in salute, Ghost Charm dragged his battered body out of the Papal Palace. Upon returning to his quarters, he lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "This mother and son are truly too hard to deal with!"

Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now Zhao Xiaotian's graduation day. Every graduation season, Spirit Academy held an advancement tournament.

Whether one could win the advancement tournament determined whether one had the foundation to join Spirit Hall Advanced Soul Master Academy. Zhao Xiaotian's Soul Power Level had now reached level forty-four.

He was already invincible among those his age. Since the advancement tournament required teams of three, Yan, who had always wanted to pursue Hu Liena, found an opportunity.

Yan shamelessly sidled up to Hu Liena and said, "Nana! Can I team up with you and Brother Xie Yue?"

Hu Liena glanced at him disdainfully. "You? Yan, don't think your current cultivation will make you worthy in Senior Brother's eyes. Don't forget, I am the Pope's disciple. Naturally, I will be teaming up with Senior Brother."

After learning from his sister Hu Liena over the past three years that Zhao Xiaotian was the Pope's son, Xie Yue had also wanted to curry favor with the Pope's son.

After three years together, Xie Yue and Zhao Xiaotian had become good friends. Since Hu Liena was Bibi Dong's disciple, Zhao Xiaotian had no reason not to bring her along.

Thus, under Zhao Xiaotian's intense pressure, Xie Yue and Hu Liena's Soul Power Levels had reached around level thirty-five. Although Yan had reached level thirty-six before them—

—it was obvious to everyone that he had used drugs that forced rapid growth to increase his Soul Power. Even though Yan had taken a red-robed archbishop, a Soul Douluo of Spirit Hall, as his master, in Zhao Xiaotian's eyes, he was merely a dog that knew only how to circle around Hu Liena.

Zhao Xiaotian, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena formed a team known as the Taiji Moon Fox Team. After seeing that he had no chance to team up with his goddess Hu Liena, Yan sought out his lackeys, Huyan Ting and Tuo Ba Hong.

Huyan Ting and Tuo Ba Hong were both direct descendants of the Lower Four Sects. With their sects' help, their Soul Power Levels had also reached the level-thirty Soul Elder realm before the advancement tournament began.

Zhao Xiaotian did not take such a watered-down team seriously at all. Soon, the time for forming teams ended. Now, they only needed to familiarize themselves with the traits and attributes of their teammates' Martial Souls.

"My Martial Soul is the Bloodthirsty Moon Blade. It has the berserk attribute of bloodthirst; after striking someone, it can absorb a portion of the victim's strength. My Soul Ring configuration is yellow, yellow, purple."

"My Martial Soul is the Demon Fox. It possesses a control attribute that can charm others, along with a trace of the fire attribute. My Soul Ring configuration is yellow, yellow, purple."

Zhao Xiaotian nodded. "My Martial Soul is the Tai Chi Yin Yang Fish. As you know, it possesses dual attributes of cold and heat. If I am enraged, it can easily lose control. Its special trait is using softness to overcome hardness—in other words, no matter how powerful an opponent's punch is, I can redirect its force. My Soul Ring configuration is purple, black, black, black!"

An hour later...

Liu Baibin entered from outside the classroom and said, "All right, now that everyone understands one another, go gather in your assigned class areas in the Soul Fighting Area and watch the matches. Your first advancement tournament match will begin shortly."

At that, the thirty-odd students in the classroom all rose and hurried toward the Soul Fighting Area. Several lower-year students nearby also headed there.

These lower-year students had never seen a Soul Fighting match before, so they curiously followed along, wanting to watch a real Soul Fighting match.

Soon, all eight sixth-year classes had gathered in the Soul Fighting Area. With the announcement from Principal Ross Luo Blinde, the sixth-year advancement tournament officially began.

The first match was Class One against Class Three—the first battle for Zhao Xiaotian's Taiji Moon Fox Team.

Before long, Zhao Xiaotian's group of three met Class One's team. In the middle of the Soul Fighting platform, the host stepped forward in high heels and announced, "First battle of the first match in the advancement tournament! Qian Gu Yunpeng's team of Class One versus Zhao Xiaotian's team of Class Three!"

The six immediately spread apart. Qian Gu Yunpeng, the captain of Class One's team, activated his Martial Soul. Two yellow Soul Rings lit up around him, and a Coiling Dragon Staff appeared in his hand.

On the other side, Qian Gu Yanfeng also summoned his flame-wreathed Coiling Dragon Staff. His Soul Ring configuration was the same as Qian Gu Yunpeng's—two yellow Soul Rings.

The last member was a Healing System Soul Master holding a Healing Scepter. Her Soul Ring configuration was the same as the Qian Gu brothers': two yellow Soul Rings.

Zhao Xiaotian said, "The grandsons of the Sixth Enshrined Elder and Seventh Enshrined Elder? Today, I can finally experience the power of the Coiling Dragon Staff."

Xie Yue and Hu Liena asked, "Captain! Do we charge in, or what?"

"No! I will make the first move myself. You two stay where you are and do not move!"

With that, Zhao Xiaotian activated his terrifying Soul Rings—purple, black, black, black. The aura radiating from the four Soul Rings sent a chill down the spines of the Qian Gu brothers standing on the arena.

Yet neither of them gave up on the match. They quickly pulled themselves together, and Qian Gu Yunpeng attacked first, raising his Coiling Dragon Staff above his head and smashing it toward Zhao Xiaotian.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Zhao Xiaotian instantly unleashed his second Soul Skill, Spirit Tool Transformation, turning it into a long spear as he traded blows with Qian Gu Yunpeng. Seeing his elder brother being suppressed, Qian Gu Yanfeng could no longer hold back. He rushed forward as well and joined the fight against Zhao Xiaotian.

The instant the two top-tier Martial Souls collided, their Soul Power resonated. Zhao Xiaotian frowned at the sight. "Martial Soul Resonance?"

After sensing that their Martial Souls had resonated with each other, Qian Gu Yunpeng and Qian Gu Yanfeng immediately retreated to their support-type Soul Master. The support-type Soul Master was also quick to begin releasing a healing Soul Skill.