Bibi Dong was extremely excited.
Her emotions were at their peak, and even the gaze that should have been calm at a moment like this had grown feverish.
Ever since Qian Renyu had seized her position, she had been waiting for a chance to turn things around.
Now, the final match was her chance!
In the vast open space directly in front of the Pope's Palace,
Hu Liena stood proudly at the front of the Martial Soul Team.
As if sensing her teacher's excitement, she felt Bibi Dong's emotions surging wildly.
Her steady breathing grew heavier despite herself.
"There's only one match left. As long as we win this one, Teacher will have the chance she needs to turn things around!"
"At the same time, I can reclaim the status that belongs to me. Even if Qian Renyu refuses to acknowledge my achievements, everyone else will have to!"
"But I never expected Shrek Academy to make it all the way to the final. Qian Renyu thinks I can't handle them, so he's been giving Yan special training these past few days."
"Then I'll do what I did to the Heaven Dou Royal Team yesterday and crush everyone from Shrek Academy!"
Hu Liena thought to herself.
As she considered all this, she brought herself into peak condition.
Before long, Hu Liena had brought herself to her absolute best. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Yan, who had only appeared for this match.
Yan still wore his usual outfit, but compared to before his special training, he seemed much steadier.
He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his build exceptionally solid. His fiery red hair gave him a sharp, capable look, flame-like patterns covered his body, and his dark red eyes gleamed.
Hu Liena studied Yan for a while, her brows drawing together slightly. She felt that something about him had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.
"Phew..."
Hu Liena let out a long breath and pushed aside her tangled thoughts. Her expression remained cold as she said, "Yan, you didn't compete before, but for this match, we'll stick to the strategy we agreed on from the start!"
"Once the match begins, my brother and I will take the lead. You'll provide support, while Zhang Ping, Sun Chuantao, Li Kai, and Xu Yu will create openings for us!"
"The final championship must belong to the Martial Soul Team. Don't let your absence from the earlier matches throw off our teamwork and make us lose!"
Xie Yue was somewhat taken aback.
He listened to what his younger sister had said.
Despite their blood ties, he found her tone rather hard to get used to.
He, Hu Liena, and Yan were all part of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation.
The three of them should have equal standing within the Martial Soul Team.
Yet Hu Liena's tone now sounded more like an order from a superior to a subordinate, as if she had completely forgotten that Yan had been secretly in love with her all this time.
"Yan, don't take it to heart!"
"That's just Nana's personality. She doesn't mean any harm!"
Xie Yue patted Yan on the shoulder and sighed as he offered some reassurance.
Yan smiled faintly, still standing with his arms crossed. His expression was utterly calm.
Whatever Hu Liena said, it didn't affect him in the slightest.
"Yan, are you okay?" Seeing that Yan didn't react, Xie Yue pressed him for an answer, still concerned.
Yan replied calmly, "It doesn't matter. I've woken from my dream. Now, all I care about is the championship!"
???
Xie Yue stared at Yan as if he were a monster.
Those ordinary words sounded like a thunderclap to him.
Hu Liena was just as astonished. She stopped watching him from the corner of her eye and turned to stare at him in surprise.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as a series of thoughtful expressions flickered across her face.
Had Yan really changed?
Yan didn't look Hu Liena in the eye. He no longer devoted his entire heart to her as he once had.
At that moment, all he cared about was improving his strength.
Only someone who had experienced the Throne's pressure training firsthand could understand how beneficial it was.
He hadn't deliberately meditated to improve his Soul Power, yet it had still increased by one level during those days of training.
His Soul Power Level had risen by one, and his power was far more solid and vigorous than before.
At the same level, he could now unleash much greater strength.
Yan didn't dwell on the joy of gaining a level. His greatest excitement came from the true trump card he had acquired.
Compared with gaining a level of Soul Power, Yan knew that mastering the Throne Projection was the real trump card.
Only after truly mastering the Throne Projection could one understand just how terrifying its power was.
Winning the final match of the Spirit Master Tournament would be a piece of cake!
As Yan considered how much stronger he had become, he looked toward Shrek Academy and, just as Hu Liena had done moments earlier, watched her from the corner of his eye.
There was no trace of his former crush, only boundless coldness.
"Unless I'm mistaken, Hu Liena wants to stand out even more in this final match, so that person can bask in the glory!"
"She wants to seize complete control of this match and win it for that person's sake. I can't afford to slack off!"
"After all, I'm now His Excellency's nominal disciple. Even with his countless responsibilities, he still made time to help me master the Throne Projection!"
"I have to repay that kindness!"
Yan thought to himself.
He had already had a Titled Douluo as his teacher.
But only after becoming Qian Renyu's nominal disciple did Yan truly realize just how great the differences between Titled Douluo could be.
During this period of special training with Qian Renyu, he had felt his strength improve by leaps and bounds.
He wasn't putting down his former teacher. It was just that during this time with Qian Renyu, he had truly understood one thing.
Having powerful backing could save you a great deal of time that would otherwise be spent struggling.
And the Soul Master World was a place where the strong preyed on the weak. Without enough strength, there was no way to establish oneself in the Soul Master World.
He was already part of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, and was destined to become one of Spirit Hall's leaders.
There were plenty of leaders. Whether he could become one of the very best still depended on his strength.
Yan understood that perfectly. After his thoughts drifted for a while, he resolved to repay Qian Renyu through this match—and to make everyone recognize him as a core member of the Golden Generation!
In an instant, Yan's gaze became utterly resolute.
Your Excellency, I won't let you down this time!
Hu Liena truly wasn't worth continuing to chase after like a lovesick fool!
I'll win this final match in a crushing fashion!
I'll shatter every scheme that woman, Hu Liena, has concocted!
PS: I had something to take care of during the day, so this update is late. Sorry about that. The second chapter will be up soon.
Before you continue