The Imperial Fighting Team defeated the Godwind Academy Team and advanced to the grand final.
For the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, this was tremendous news.
At the very least, the result proved they were no weaker than Star Luo Royal Academy. If they could defeat the Star Luo Royal Academy Team in the final, wouldn't that prove the talent nurtured by the Heaven Dou Empire surpassed that of the Star Luo Empire?
The Heaven Dou Empire had suffered under Star Luo for far too long. It desperately needed a victory to prove its strength.
After the match, the spectators gradually filed out. The three Battle Teams that had reached the grand final remained, waiting for the referee's instructions.
Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian came to the Imperial Fighting Team's rest area to ask Qin Yuan for advice on training his Self-Created Soul Skill.
Qin Yuan shook his head. "I don't know enough about your Self-Created Soul Skill to give you useful advice. You simply lack the proper teachings, so you've wasted time training it."
"I won't judge whether your approach is right or wrong, but I believe you'll find a balance someday."
Feng Xiaotian nodded, half understanding. After greeting Lei Meng, he left.
Seeing Qin Yuan's attitude, Lei Meng realized what it meant, and his shoulders slumped.
The rumors were true. His teacher had joined Spirit Hall Academy and, barring an accident, would not return to Heaven Dou City for a long time.
Lei Meng had not formally become his disciple or learned everything he had to teach about combat. He did not want to part from his teacher so soon.
Noticing his expression, Qin Yuan patted his shoulder. "Don't just stand there. Go ask the referee about the schedule."
Lei Meng's performance in the match had surprised him.
In a single battle, Lei Meng's Virtual Reality Saber Technique had leaped past the beginner stage and reached advanced mastery.
Qin Yuan had never trained this technique from scratch, so he did not know what that process was like. Still, Lei Meng's talent could not be underestimated if he had come this far.
The final of the next Soul Master Tournament would be held before the Papal Palace, with Pope Bibi Dong attending in person.
But Bibi Dong had no plans to attend this year's tournament. The final would not be held before the Papal Palace either. Instead, it had been scheduled for the central arena of Spirit City's Great Soul Arena, where more spectators could watch.
The final would begin in two days. The three Battle Teams would first compete in one-on-one arena matches. The winning Battle Team would advance directly to the Winners' Bracket Finals, while the two losing teams would face each other in the losers' bracket final. The victor of that match would then enter the Winners' Bracket Finals to contest the championship.
Once the schedule had been set and the teams informed of the rules, the three Battle Teams were finally allowed to leave.
At the hotel.
Qin Yuan noticed Lei Meng's mood and worried it might affect his performance in the final. He spoke gently. "I've taught you everything I can for now. If you stay by my side, you won't make much more progress in the long run."
"No feast lasts forever. Once the Soul Master Tournament ends, you'll have your own life, and I'll have the life I want. Combat experience comes from what you've lived through yourself, not what someone else tells you."
"Since ancient times, no two battles have ever been the same. I hope you understand that."
"If we have the chance to meet again and you're willing, you can come back and train by my side."
"Teacher, I..." What worried Lei Meng was that, once they parted, they might never have the chance to meet again.
The Heaven Dou Empire had tightened the rules for inheriting noble titles. Unless descendants distinguished themselves, they would find it difficult to inherit their ancestors' titles.
And the battlefield at the border was no game. One careless moment could cost a man his life.
Lei Meng did not know what his future held. The next few days might be the last he spent with Qin Yuan.
Seeing that he still had something to say, Qin Yuan patted his shoulder and smiled. "A man doesn't shed tears lightly."
As he spoke, he took a brocade pouch from his Soul Tool.
The pouch was also a Soul Tool that could store goods. Qin Yuan had picked it up in Spirit City.
He placed it in Lei Meng's hand. "If you ever find yourself with no way out, open this pouch. What's inside can save your life. This is all I can do. I hope you complete your trials and return safe and sound."
"When you do, I'll hold a welcome-home feast for you in Heaven Dou City. And don't open the pouch for no reason. What's inside mustn't be exposed to sunlight, or it'll lose its effect."
Lei Meng stared at the pouch in his hand. It felt heavy.
He stepped back, knelt, and bowed deeply to Qin Yuan.
Though they had never formally called themselves master and disciple, they had long been so in all but name.
If Lei Meng had not been tied to the Duke's Mansion, perhaps Qin Yuan would have taken him as a disciple long ago.
Before long, the teacher leading Star Luo Royal Academy knocked on the door of the Imperial Fighting Team's rest room.
Qin Yuan opened it and looked at him in puzzlement. "Oh? What does Star Luo Royal Academy need?"
The final would pit three teams against one another. If their two teams joined forces, they stood a good chance of beating the Spirit Hall Academy Team in the arena matches.
But too many interests were tangled up in that plan. It would not be easy to arrange, and Qin Yuan had no wish to waste energy on it.
He invited the man in and poured him a cup of tea.
The visitor cupped his hands politely. "Please, just call me Teacher Xu."
Without beating around the bush, he got straight to the point. "I've come to discuss the upcoming final with you."
"We both know neither of our Battle Teams can defeat the Spirit Hall Academy Team alone. Even if we rig the opening arena matches to beat the Spirit Hall Team, they'll still fight their way into the Winners' Bracket Finals."
"Rather than go in circles, why don't our teams enter the losers' bracket and settle it in a real fight?"
If Spirit Hall entered the losers' bracket, one of their two Battle Teams would end up there as well.
Both teams were confident they could beat the other. If the Spirit Hall Team eliminated them both, one side was bound to be unhappy with its final placing.
Better to fight each other for second place in the tournament. Then both sides could accept the result.
Qin Yuan feigned understanding. "I see. Teacher Xu must be very confident in his Battle Team."
Teacher Xu smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip. "Aren't you just as confident, Teacher Qin? What do you think of my proposal? If you agree, neither of us needs to rack our brains arranging who fights whom in the arena matches. We can simply choose tactics suited to our Battle Teams."
"It'll save us both time and effort. Everyone wins."
The system's task only required Qin Yuan to lead the Imperial Fighting Team to a top-three finish.
He had already secured that much.
But Qin Yuan had his principles. Since he had accepted the assignment, he would see it through. He would not deliberately stop at the bare minimum.
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