Spirit Hall's Competing Team

The square before Pope Hall was surrounded by a ring of a thousand seats, all of which were filled today.

The High-Level Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, held once every five years, had its most thrilling finals watched by everyone, whether they were from Spirit Hall or nobles of the two great empires.

A general of the Heaven Dou Empire arrived and took his designated seat. Before long, someone sat beside him.

"General Tianshu, on such a grand occasion, has Xue Ye not come in person?"

General Tianshu turned his head, a perfectly measured warmth appearing on his face. "Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo. The prince will be born in the coming days. His Majesty has remained in the palace and cannot spare his attention."

"Ah, then when we return, I'll have to trouble you to deliver my gift of congratulations." Ning Fengzhi spoke with a look of sudden realization, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

General Tianshu did not refuse.

Everyone knew that the wealthiest faction on Douluo Continent was neither Spirit Hall nor the two great empires, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, famed for its support martial souls.

"General, how strong is your empire's competing team this time?"

"This year's championship will belong only to an academy from our Heaven Dou Empire!"

Thinking of the genius among the competing team, General Tianshu's tone was filled with certainty.

"Haha, then I look forward to seeing the imperial team's brilliance shortly!"

Ning Fengzhi spoke with General Tianshu a while longer, then used the excuse of going to the restroom to reach a quiet place. He took out paper and a pen and swiftly wrote down several names.

They were all geniuses of Heaven Dou Empire's younger generation and had no deep ties to other factions.

A disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect approached Ning Fengzhi and respectfully accepted the sheet of paper filled with names.

Ning Fengzhi gave an instruction. "From now on, gather intelligence on these people. Move immediately on anyone who can be recruited. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has not taken in fresh blood for years."

"This disciple understands!"

After the disciple left, Ning Fengzhi returned to his seat and gazed over the square, a surge of ambition rising in his heart.

All the outstanding talents under heaven should enter my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Under his leadership, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would not merely be the richest in the world. Its strength would soon surpass the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall, making it the undisputed number one!

The time for the competition arrived. A host stepped onto the arena and began introducing the teams that would soon battle with martial souls on the stage.

"Blazing Academy! Their competing lineup consists of three level forty-three Soul Ancestors and four level thirty-eight Soul Elders. At such young ages, some have already broken through to the Soul Ancestor realm. Let us cheer for these geniuses!"

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy! Their captain and six team members have all reached the Soul Ancestor realm!"

Hearing the host's voice, Ning Fengzhi examined the members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy with great interest. The few people he had his eye on were all at least level forty-two, and only twenty years old. Such youths had extremely promising futures.

After the host introduced all thirty teams from the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire, only the final team remained.

"Spirit Hall's competing team consists of three Soul Ancestors and four Soul Elders!"

Even the host froze after reading it out. He flipped through the information in his hands, suspecting that he had read the name wrong.

After all, in every previous High-Level Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, Spirit Hall's competing team had always been an absolute powerhouse, assured of at least second place and competing for first.

How had this year's team become so weak all of a sudden? A team with only three Soul Ancestors—if they had not been granted direct entry, the host suspected any random team could overturn them.

When Spirit Hall's team appeared, not only the host, but the spectators and even the other teams onstage began whispering about them.

The contempt in the eyes of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's members was completely undisguised. Some even deliberately raised their voices, afraid that Spirit Hall's team would fail to hear them.

"Captain, against a weak team like this, you won't need to make a move at all!"

"Yeah, Captain. I never expected first place this year to come so easily."

Heaven Dou Royal Academy's captain did not even glance at the other teams, as though none of them deserved his attention. He merely reminded his teammates casually.

"I don't care what you say, but if any of you dare let me down in the match later, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

"Don't worry, Captain!"

"Hehe, them? We can suppress them with a wave of our hands!"

Faced with the grating voices around them, Spirit Hall's competing team showed no reaction whatsoever. As soon as they stepped onto the stage, they closed their eyes. Seeing that they could not affect their mental state, the mocking gradually died down.

"Next, please welcome His Holiness the Pope!"

At the host's loud shout, the tightly closed doors of Pope Hall opened. Qian Xunji, dressed in magnificent outer robes, strode forth with a group of elders wearing the same red elder robes.

At that moment, everyone's gaze focused on Qian Xunji as he approached slowly.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

The people in the stands rose to salute him. Around the square, Spirit Hall's guards dropped directly to one knee, their eyes filled with fervor.

On the arena, Qian Xunji's calm gaze fell upon the competing teams. The steadily increasing pressure on their shoulders made these geniuses' expressions turn ugly in an instant. Only after every one of them had fallen to their knees did the terrifying pressure abruptly vanish.

Qian Xunji began speaking, but Ning Fengzhi's attention in the stands was fixed on the ten elders standing in a row behind him.

The red robes worn by those elders were robes that only Titled Douluo were qualified to wear.

In other words, Spirit Hall's forces in Spirit City alone possessed at least ten Titled Douluo.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, meanwhile, had only two. Even counting Ning Fengzhi's support abilities and the other members of the sect, they could barely be considered equivalent to one Titled Douluo.

But the gap between three and ten was more than threefold.

Ning Fengzhi's expression began to darken. Sword Douluo beside him guessed the reason, and a transmitted voice entered Ning Fengzhi's ear, immediately easing his expression.

"Fengzhi, the strongest of these ten Titled Douluo is only level ninety-three. Most of them have only just broken through to the Titled Douluo realm."

"I alone can deal with all ten of them."

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could not compare to Spirit Hall in numbers, but in terms of quality, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was the winner.

Sect Master Ning regained his confidence and once again put on that gentle, spring-breeze smile.

In the stands, Qian Mochen and Bibi Dong had somehow blended into the ordinary spectators. Even Bibi Dong's face, capable of enchanting all living beings, went unnoticed at this moment.

After looking over the competing teams on the arena, Qian Mochen stretched lazily and called Bibi Dong back to rest.

"You personally trained that team. Aren't you going to watch until the end?"

Qian Mochen shook his head, his tone calm. "Among the teams from the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, no one is a full major realm stronger than them."

"If they still lose under those circumstances, then they do not deserve the resources I gave them."