Tighnari also patted Collei on the head to encourage her. Dugu Yan was quite envious. She wanted to visit the Akademiya's main campus too and get on good terms with everyone there.
As Nilou's battle vanished from the Sky Screen, new text appeared.
[Congratulations to Nilou. Reward granted: two levels of Soul Power and one God-given Soul Ring.]
This reward had pushed Nilou straight into the ranks of the Titled Douluo. Naturally, many people could see that.
"A Titled Douluo at twenty-one. The Douluo Continent is getting harder and harder to understand."
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi sighed. Sword Douluo said gravely, "This Akademiya is surely no ordinary place. Fengzhi, you should make plans soon."
"Mm, I will. I've already sent people to investigate."
"Fengzhi, Old Sword, could this Akademiya sweep the whole list of the ten strongest young people on the Sky Screen?
"I've never heard of any other faction having a Titled Douluo under fifty."
"No, there is actually one. It's just that her identity makes people overlook her strength."
"Uncle Jian, you mean Pope Bibi Dong of Spirit Hall, right? She's indeed not yet fifty. She should have a place on the list; we just don't know what rank she'll get."
"She should be in the top five at least. We don't know Pope Bibi Dong's true strength, but it's certainly not low."
Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo agreed.
At Pope's Palace in Spirit City, Bibi Dong fell into thought as she watched the reward announced by the Sky Screen.
She was the successor to the Rakshasa God and was undergoing the divine trials. Completing them would earn her rewards as well.
Two levels of Soul Power and a God-given Soul Ring already struck her as a very fine reward.
What's more, she inferred that the Sky Screen's rewards were probably best suited to each person on the list. If so, that would be wonderful.
Bibi Dong could figure that out, and so could Qian Daoliu. He was now regretting his decision. If he hadn't sent Qian Renxue to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Empire and had instead let her focus on cultivating, she would surely have had a chance to make the list of the ten strongest young people.
At the Akademiya, after the Sky Screen's reward descended, Nilou indeed fused with the God-given Soul Ring at once, becoming a nine-ring Titled Douluo.
The characters summoned by Ouyang Kong all adapted to the Douluo system, and their Martial Souls varied. Some had constellations, others signature weapons; Nilou's Martial Soul was her constellation.
They had also arrived with the optimal Soul Ring configurations. Nilou's Soul Rings were now yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red.
Nilou wasn't particularly concerned with becoming stronger. What she wanted more was to create a new dance.
The Sky Screen shifted again.
[Rank 9: Sethos]
The name was just as unfamiliar. Then the Sky Screen showed a handsome young man with wheat-colored skin.
Such a refined young man was a favorite among the aunties. Of course, it wasn't just them; plenty of young girls were infatuated with his type too, including Shui Yue'er of Skywater Academy.
"What a handsome young man! And he looks so young! I wish he could be my boyfriend."
"He may look young, but he's probably a little older than us. And he might already be a Titled Douluo. Stop dreaming."
"Big sister, you're so mean! Can't I at least imagine it?"
[Affiliation: Akademiya] [Age: 22] [Martial Soul: Scion of the Blazing Sun] [Soul Power Level: 92]
Once Sethos's details appeared, another lively discussion broke out.
"Another person from the Akademiya. What kind of place is it, anyway? How have we never heard of it before?"
"Exactly, we've never heard of it. If they're recruiting, I'm definitely applying. They can teach a Titled Douluo at twenty-two!"
"We don't even know if the Akademiya is a school. And you want to apply? With your talent, do you really have the nerve?"
Discussions sprang up everywhere. Nilou and Sethos both belonged to the Akademiya, and the Akademiya had already been thrust into the spotlight.
Sethos himself was nearing Heaven Dou City. Ouyang Kong had sent him out to scout ahead.
Sethos was an optimistic, outgoing sort, with a strong sense of responsibility. Combined with his considerable strength, he was well suited to the task.
Now, gazing at Heaven Dou City, already close before him, Sethos couldn't help grumbling.
"The Sky Screen exposed me, so getting into the city is going to be a hassle. Forget it, no point overthinking it. As the Grand Sage always says, soldiers will block the enemy, and water will cover the earth."
With that, Sethos continued toward Heaven Dou City.
At the Worship Hall in Spirit City, Qian Daoliu's expression grew even more serious.
"This Akademiya may be even more troublesome than we imagined. There could be a god behind this faction."
"Big brother, that... seems unlikely."
"It's only a guess, but I think it's very possible."
"If that's true, the Akademiya could become a formidable enemy of Spirit Hall."
"We can't yet say whether they're friend or foe. Let's keep watching."
The Sky Screen then showed Sethos fighting. He gripped the Scion of the Blazing Sun and fired arrow after arrow of lightning.
Every lightning arrow was immensely powerful, able to pierce straight through an enemy.
Sethos looked every bit as dashing and graceful in battle, making plenty of young girls' eyes sparkle.
At Blue Tyrant Academy, Ning Rongrong was one of them. Oscar was consumed by jealousy.
"Rongrong, look at Oscar."
Xiao Wu reminded Ning Rongrong, but she didn't care at all.
"Why should I look at him? He isn't handsome! The guy on the Sky Screen is both handsome and strong. I wish I could see him in person."
Oscar felt his heart shatter. Ma Hongjun patted his shoulder to comfort him.
Tang Hao, hidden nearby, gave a wry smile, wondering if all young people these days were this monstrous.
He hadn't become a Titled Douluo until he was in his forties, and that had only been thanks to Ah Yin's sacrifice.
As the youngest Titled Douluo known to the world at the time, he had considered his talent top-notch.
But compared with the people on the Sky Screen's list, he wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes.
The Sky Screen shifted again. Sethos's battle vanished, and new text appeared.
[He was once the inheritor of Hermanubis's power. Though he has now entrusted it to someone more suited to wield it, he still walks the path of carrying out Hermanubis's will.] [He is the current leader of the Temple of Silence, the true Son of the Sand Plains. He is measuring out his life, one step at a time.]
Looking at the Sky Screen's description of him, even Sethos felt embarrassed.
"The next time I see Cyno, he'll string together a whole chain of terrible jokes about this. I'd better keep out of his way for a while."
The further revelations on the Sky Screen left the major factions across the Douluo Continent sunk in even deeper thought and wariness.
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