It's less than two months since the Heaven Dou City qualifiers started.
At the mouth of the valley at Chapel of Light's Hope, the morning fog has faded, and the sun has slowly climbed up.
The bluestone city wall has been completely completed, the number of sentry towers has been increased from three to seven, and the arrow towers are lined up on the ridge, and you can still smell something when the wind blows.
There are several more rows of wooden houses in the valley and they are full of people.
Chen Jieqi stood on the sentry tower, holding a letter in his hand, which was sent by Xue Qinghe. The schedule and grouping of the qualifiers have been decided.
Everything is going according to plan, and Imperial Fighting Team's condition has stabilized. He is level 53, Dugu Yan 51, Yu Tianheng 45, Shi Mo Shi Mo 43, Osler Yu Feng 42 level, Ye Lingling 41 level.
He turned around and walked down the guard tower, the letter folded one way and then another in his hands.
When passing by the medicine garden, he stopped and saw that Yang Wudi was changing soil for a Seven-Star Begonia plant without raising his head.
"Those kids are making trouble at the Awakening Stage again today. Your little follower is that Blue Silver Grass boy. Soul Power has increased a little."
Chen Jieqi smiled slightly, "I'll go take a look."
Beside the awakening stage, old man Dawnlight Village's grandson was squatting on the ground, drawing something on the ground with the small wooden stick.
Seeing Chen Jieqi coming, the child jumped up, threw the wooden stick, and rubbed his hands on his trouser legs before stretching them out.
"Chen, Master Chen!"
"Soul Power has risen again?"
Chen Jieqi squatted down and touched his head, "Innate level 3, my foundation is better than I thought."
The child's eyes were astonishingly bright, "Can I enter Huangdou Academy? Like you?"
Chen Jieqi looked at him, remembering the way Dugu Bo patted his shoulder and said, "I've covered this kid" when he was six years old.
"Yes." He said.
"But you have to protect your grandfather and this village first. We'll talk about the rest later."
The child nodded vigorously and held his sleeves with his little hands, exactly the same as two months ago.
Chen Jieqi paused and did not pull away.
At the same time, the sound of the waterfall was deafening.
Tang San was standing in the pool with his bare upper body, Clear Sky Hammer on his shoulders.
Underfoot, one purple, three black and four Soul Ring slowly rotated, the purple light was blurred by the water mist, and the black light sank like ink.
Tang Hao was sitting on the rock on the shore, holding a grass stem in his mouth and half-squinting his eyes.
"Come down."
Tang San put away the hammer, walked to the shore, and sat down.
"How old is Soul Power?" Tang Hao asked.
"Level 49." Tang San said, "It's been stuck for a month."
Tang Hao was silent for a while, took out a wine bag from his arms and took a sip.
"It's strange that it's not stuck. In the past year and a half, you have rushed from 33 to 49, adding four Soul Ring. Your body has not caught up. If you rush higher, your meridians will not be able to hold it."
Tang San clenched his fists, veins popping out.
"What about the competition?"
"The competition is the same." Tang Hao glanced at him,
"Level 49 Soul Ancestor, one purple and three black, is enough. How do you think that kid got his level?
He worked his way up steadily, while you worked your way up hard. His foundation is stronger than yours."
Tang San said nothing.
He thought of Chen Jieqi, of that person's light, and of that person standing on the stage with everyone in the audience looking up to him.
The lines on the hammer's handle dug into the palm of his hand. He looked down and said nothing.
Tang Hao threw the wine bag to him.
"Drink. Go back."
Tang San was stunned, "Go back?"
"Return to Shrek." Tang Hao stood up, patted the skirt of his clothes, and paused at his waist for a moment, as if he wanted to hold on to something, and then put it down.
"If you keep practicing, your body won't be able to handle it. It's more useful to stabilize your condition before the competition than to rush hard."
Tang San was silent for a while and drank the liquor in the wine bag in one gulp.
"Okay."
Heaven Dou City, Shrek Academy.
Tang San When I pushed open the courtyard door, there was still a gold edge on the horizon, like unburned paper.
Dai Mubai leaned against the pillar, arms folded across his chest, and Bai Hu's breath became much calmer than before.
Tang San glanced around and noticed the fluctuation of his level 43 Soul Power. Apart from himself, Shrek was the highest among them.
Xiao Wu is sitting under the eaves, his talent is fully revealed, level 41 Soul Ancestor, his figure is slender than a year ago.
Hearing the door knock, she raised her head, her eyes stopped on Tang San's face for a moment, and then fell back to his shoulder.
There was still the cold air from the waterfall pool, and there was a faint dampness in the dusk.
"Come back?" she said, her tone as calm as asking about the weather.
"Hmm."
It wasn't like this before. In the past, she would run over, hold his wet arm, and chatter non-stop.
Now she was just sitting, unable to see clearly through the twilight three feet away.
Tang San opened his mouth, Clear Sky Hammer's Soul Ring surged silently inside his body, one purple and three black, sinking like four drowning stars.
"I'll go in first." Xiao Wu stood up, twisted the hair rope in a circle between his fingers, and left without looking at him.
Tang San stood in the yard, watching her back disappear at the door of the wing,
He slowly clenched his fists and found that his right hand was shaking.
"Everyone is here?"
Flender stood on the steps of the conference room, with several pieces of parchment spread out in his hands.
Zhao Wuji leaned on the back of the chair, Grandmaster walked out of the shadows, and his eyes paused on Tang San's face for a moment longer - level 49, Soul Power was as buoyant as a rising tide bubble, and could burst at any time.
He didn't say anything, just nodded.
"Huangdou Academy," Flender's finger tapped the parchment,
"Chen Jieqi 53 level Soul King, Dugu Yan 51 level, Yu Tianheng 45 level, and the remaining few are between 41 and 43. All members are Soul Ancestor."
Zhao Wuji frowned, "That Chen Jieqi, it's only been a year and a half..."
"Level 53." Flender took over the conversation,
"Steady and steady, the foundation is solid. It is said that he still has a group of Dawnlight Village survivors under his command."
Tang San's fingertips paused on the edge of the table.
"Godwind Academy," Flender continued,
"Feng Xiaotian is level 46. He was beaten to the point of losing his temper by Huangdou a year and a half ago. After he returned, he gave up polishing the half-assed Self-Created Soul Skill.
Concentrate on leveling up and rush from 41 to 46."
Grandmaster opened his mouth, his voice hoarse,
"His foundation was already good, but he went astray before. Now he has returned to the right path. His strength cannot be underestimated."
"Thunder Academy," Flender Turn to the next page,
"Yu Tianxin, level 45, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, is wilder than his cousin Yu Tianheng."
He paused,
"There are also Elephant Armor and Tianshui. Each has his own trump card. There are only five qualifying places. Every game is a tough battle."
Zhao Wuji glanced at Tang San, "Are you so confident in this kid?"
He thought of the thin boy with Blue Silver Grass wrapped all over his body, and the burning in his eyes when he held Clear Sky Hammer for the first time.
The thing is still burning now, but it's burning so hard that it's almost burning through itself.
Flender did not answer.
"Let's break up," Flender put away the parchment, "Before the competition, stabilize your condition and stop rushing."
Everyone got up and left.
Tang San was last, Grandmaster stood in the shadow without moving, the parchment was still spread out on the table, and Huangdou Academy's list was facing up.
"Teacher." Tang San stopped.
Yu Xiaogang did not raise his head, but pressed his finger on the three words "Chen Jieqi", his knuckles turned white. After a long while, he said,
"He mentioned Blue Silver Grass, what do you think?"
Tang San was stunned.
Martial Soul of Chen Jieqi has the attribute of Holy Light and has nothing to do with Blue Silver Grass, but that is not what Grandmaster is asking about.
"I..." Tang San clenched his fists, "I think Clear Sky Hammer is more suitable for me."
"More suitable." Yu Xiaogang repeated it, as if chewing on these three words.
Then he raised his head, his eyes were calm, even a little empty,
"Go and rest. Don't think about it before the big game."
After Tang San left, Yu Xiaogang stood alone for a long time.
On the parchment, his handwriting "There is no waste Martial Soul, only waste Soul Master" was illuminated yellow by the candlelight.
He looked at the line of words and suddenly turned it over, with the back side facing up.
Didn't tear it, just turned it over.
It's late at night.
Tang San is sitting in the yard, alone.
He heard footsteps, very light, they were Grandmaster's cloth shoes, but he didn't look back, not knowing how to face it.
Yu Xiaogang sat down next to him without saying anything. The bitter smell of herbs came from the night wind.
Grandmaster always has this smell on her body. Tang San has smelled it for many years, but suddenly she can't remember what it smells like.
"Do you hate me?" Yu Xiaogang suddenly asked.
Tang San Open your eyes.
"Teacher?"
"Blue Silver Grass." Yu Xiaogang looked at his hands, which were pale and thin.
"I made you take a detour. If Blue Silver Grass didn't add a new poisonous ring at the beginning, you would now..."
"What am I now?" Tang San's voice was a little hoarse, "Now I am level 53? Like Chen Jieqi?"
Yu Xiaogang's shoulders trembled.
"He is also taking detours." Tang San said, looking down at his right hand,
"His Holy Light attribute, his Heart of the Naaru, his villagers, he is carrying a lot of things on his back. Me too."
He paused and said, "It's just my detour, and you walked with me."
Yu Xiaogang said nothing.
After a long time, he stretched out his hand and patted it. The pat was crooked and hit Tang San on the back, making a muffled sound.
Yu Xiaogang was stunned for a moment, "The clothes are wrinkled."
Then he stood up and left.
"In the competition," he said, his voice was lighter than Tang San, "Use Clear Sky Hammer to win."
"Then your theory..."
"Theory is dead." Yu Xiaogang didn't look back,
"People are alive. You live and you win, that's my theory."
He walked into the shadows, his steps a little chaotic.
Tang San Looking at his back, he suddenly found that the teacher's back was a little more bent than it was a year ago.
In the distance, Dai Mubai and Oscar were talking and laughing, as well as the crackling sound of Ma Hongjun Evil Fire. It was so far away that it was difficult to hear what they were laughing at.
He closed his eyes.
"In the competition, I will not..."
In an instant, the wind in the yard blew away the words behind it.