The Opening

The five strange gazes cast from not far away made Ning Huan look up toward the stands without thinking.

As luck would have it, his eyes met those of the middle-aged man standing in the seat of honor.

His appearance and bearing aside,

the faintly calculating smile in Ning Hao's eyes alone gave Ning Huan a chill.

At a single glance, the latter knew for certain:

he stood no chance of outfoxing this old fox!

This is a bit stressful. I really did underestimate the minds of these people in power...

But then again, if Tianluo City hadn't been so remote, and the sect's register so strictly managed,

only a fool would have chosen this method to run straight under the noses of the higher-ups.

At the thought, Ning Huan abruptly sank into his thoughts and emptied his mind.

As he took care not to reveal too many tells, he also secretly congratulated himself.

He had worked hard, and luck had been on his side—he had unearthed a Sword Bone that had lain buried for ten thousand years without being completely destroyed.

Otherwise, if he ruled out the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, he would have few options left.

He knew little about ordinary academies, the three empires imposed too many restrictions, and the other sects were far too xenophobic.

As for Shrek...

He would definitely have to make a trip there in the future.

He simply didn't yet have the guts to go alone.

"Since I'm here, I'll make the best of it!"

"I refuse to believe Ning Hao lacks the nerve to turn me away over a few suspicions!"

Up on the high platform, Ning Hao looked down and likewise noticed Ning Huan's shift from nervousness to composure.

"Judging by his performance so far, Tian'er's guess is probably right," Wind Douluo said quietly to Shield Defense Douluo, his tone somewhat odd.

He truly couldn't understand what gave Ning Huan the confidence to do something so contrary to common sense.

After all, there were only a few sect elders stationed outside, and none of them had any connection to him.

His deceased parents had only been minor stewards; even if they'd been greedy, they couldn't have saved up a million.

Besides, plenty of things simply couldn't be bought with money.

Where had he found the connections and the knowledge?

Upon hearing this, Ning Hao merely smiled and shook his head.

As he gestured for the disciples to rise and take their seats so the tournament could continue, he turned to Wind Douluo and said:

"Uncle Feng, don't worry. The answer will reveal itself in time."

While the others chatted, however, Sword Douluo had remained silent from beginning to end, his gaze fixed on Ning Huan with a deeply complicated expression.

Why... does this child give me the feeling of a senior?

Is it an illusion...?

Meanwhile, looking at the thirty-odd young men and women before him, their spirits soaring as if they'd been injected with chicken blood, Ning Huan felt a headache coming on.

With the age limit and other restrictions relaxed, the sect disciples who'd made it into the top thirty-two were at least high-ranked Soul Grandmasters.

Perhaps such talent wouldn't attract much attention at Shrek.

But to the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, they were vital pillars of strength for the future.

Should he win through sheer strength?

With his total Soul Power, his recovery speed, and more than a dozen powerful Soul Beast spirits, he could definitely win.

But that wouldn't achieve the effect he wanted at all.

Yet if he summoned Sword Douluo outright, Ning Huan feared it would crush the spirits of these youngsters and cause a whole lot of unnecessary trouble.

He couldn't help it. Most of the disciples before him were from the sect itself.

The favoritism ran deep!

Even with Ning Hao backing him, the sect elders would jump in and complain, making a real nuisance of themselves.

But things had come to this, and his own interests were at stake. Ning Huan had no other choice.

Besides, the sect master had decided on the melee format with a single word.

If something went wrong, Hao would bear the blame, not Huan!

"Sigh, I'd planned to save the big show for the final match, but you lot are giving me the chance to shine early."

Ning Huan let out a long, half-smiling sigh.

Then Soul Power surged around him, and he turned his gaze to the referee, who still hadn't moved.

"Referee, I'm ready."

The sudden signal left the referee stunned, his words filled with shock and doubt.

"Are you sure?"

"A forty-third-level Soul Ancestor against twenty-eight Soul Grandmasters and three Soul Elders? That's a first in ten thousand years."

"If you make one wrong move, I might not be able to save you in time."

Unfortunately, the well-intentioned warning didn't make Ning Huan feel the slightest bit nervous. His voice remained calm.

"Since it's never happened before, doesn't that make you one of the most important witnesses to today's Soul Fighting?"

Referee: ...

Those words were music to his ears!

Far better than those sect brats who thought the sky was beneath them!

"Fine. Since you insist on fighting, I won't say anything more."

"Kid, just don't die."

Despite what he'd said, the middle-aged referee wasted no time releasing his Soul Rings.

Two yellow, three purple, and two black rings shimmered in turn as the aura of a Soul Saint instantly engulfed the arena.

Judging by his serious expression and the way he kept glancing at Ning Huan, he clearly intended to save him in an emergency.

"Both sides, prepare. The Soul Fighting begins in one minute!"

At his words, the thirty-one people other than Ning Huan immediately formed three teams.

Power Attack System Soul Masters moved to the front, Control System Soul Masters held their positions, and Agility Attack System Soul Masters took up positions on either side...

The orderly formation made the spectators around the arena exclaim in shock.

Only Ning Huan's expression darkened at the sight. He was utterly speechless at Ning Hao's outrageous move.

"So I've been 'isolated' since yesterday, then."

As he spoke, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

Then he looked up at the high platform again and silently mouthed the words, each one clear.

"If you want to play, don't blame me for not going easy on you."

At the sight, Ning Hao's heart gave a sudden jolt. He had an unexpected premonition that his clever plan might backfire.

The distance was too great, and the crowd too noisy, for him to hear what Ning Huan was saying.

But he was certain it wouldn't be good news for him!

"Uncle Feng, you're the fastest. If anything goes wrong, you have to step in right away!"

"Uh... all right."

A minute passed in the blink of an eye. The two sides stood in stark contrast.

The larger group had a clear formation and an imposing presence.

Ning Huan, isolated at the edge of the arena, simply raised his left hand to his chest. The Soul Power emanating from him was astonishingly dense.

Seeing both sides ready, the referee finally moved. He retreated three steps to the edge of the arena and called out loudly:

"Both sides, prepare. The Soul Fighting..."

"Begins!"

At the command, all thirty-one Soul Masters completed their Martial Soul Possession in an instant.

Then more than sixty Soul Rings began flashing one after another.

Those with enhancing Soul Skills activated them to power themselves up. Those without them unleashed their Soul Skills at full force and charged straight ahead, not showing the slightest hesitation.

In the blink of an eye, the fastest Agility Attack System Soul Masters had already reached the center of the arena.

In a few more seconds, the first wave of attacks would land on Ning Huan.

"Sigh, I hope you won't suffer a shattered Dao Heart..."

"Otherwise, I'll be in for a lot of trouble."

Having said that, Ning Huan stopped suppressing himself. Soul Power comparable in total volume to that of a mid-ranked Soul King erupted with a roar.

Waves of surging air swept wildly across the arena, forcing the fastest Agility Attack System Soul Masters to halt.

They stood frozen, faces full of fear, staring at him.

The other contestants also grew solemn, raising their arms in front of their chests. Their earlier ease and confidence were gone.

"What kind of joke is this?! Is this damn thing really a Soul Ancestor?"

"Where the hell did this guy come from?!"

"We can't beat him at all!"

In an instant, the crowd erupted in outrage.