Incident on the Way to Spirit City (Includes some words from the author at the end, the main text is over 2000 characters)

The intense competition of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament's preliminary round was drawing to a close, and the name of Tianshui Academy, that dark horse, had resounded across every major arena with an indisputable presence.

With Yang Teng's bizarre and unpredictable spatial abilities, Tianshui Academy not only secured first place in the preliminaries with an undefeated record, but also repeatedly staged dominant performances in the individual matches where Yang Teng or Gu Yena would sweep all seven opponents.

However, this had already become a "hardly surprising" routine.

As the preliminaries concluded, all the elite teams that qualified were about to set off for Spirit City, the holy land of the spirit master world, to compete in the final tournament.

The prestige of Tianshui Academy naturally reached the ears of the three individuals known as the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall, carried by each of their shocking victories.

Within the Pope's Palace of Spirit Hall.

In the vast and solemn hall, Bibi Dong sat high upon the Pope's throne atop the dais, her exquisite face bearing its customary majesty and indifference.

She gripped her scepter, her gaze calmly sweeping over the three young spirit masters standing in a row below: Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan.

These three were the future pillars that Spirit Hall had cultivated with all its might, and they were the greatest reliance for the Spirit Hall team to win the championship in this tournament.

"Regarding Tianshui Academy, and regarding that Yang Teng and Gu Yena."

Bibi Dong's cold, clear voice echoed through the hall, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, yet it seemed to make the very air solidify.

"I presume you are all aware."

Her gaze slowly swept across the three of them:

"Then, tell This Seat, if you were to meet them on the stage of the finals, how much confidence do you have... that you could defeat them?"

After a brief silence.

Xie Yue, the captain of the Golden Generation, frowned slightly and spoke first, his voice carrying a rare sense of caution and gravity:

"Reporting to Your Holiness the Pope, according to all the intelligence analyzed so far, although Gu Yena of Tianshui Academy is a Spirit King like us, the combat awareness she has displayed, the exquisite level of her Element Control, and her instantaneous judgment of the battlefield... are all far above our own."

He paused, glanced at his sister Hu Liena beside him, and continued:

"If it were just me alone, or Yan alone, I fear there would be little chance of victory. Only if Nana and I join forces to execute the Martial Soul Fusion Skill 'Demon Charm' might we be able to rely on the special domain formed by the fusion skill to restrict her and find an opportunity to defeat Gu Yena."

At this point, Xie Yue changed the subject, the gravity in his tone deepening:

"However, that Yang Teng... is the greatest variable and trouble. His spirit ring configuration defies common sense, and his abilities are even more bizarre and unpredictable, seemingly involving the spatial dimension."

"He is impossible to guard against. In the preliminaries, no one could force him to reveal his full strength. If Yan were to face him alone..."

Xie Yue did not finish his sentence, but the implication was very clear.

Although Yan's defense and offense were formidable, he would likely be extremely passive when facing Yang Teng's unreasonable spatial abilities.

Standing to the side, Yan felt his face flush red upon hearing Xie Yue's assessment; his chest heaved, revealing his inner defiance.

He was arrogant and had immense confidence in his own strength, but reason told him that Xie Yue's analysis was not unfounded, so he ultimately suppressed his defiance and did not speak out to refute it.

However, his tightly clenched fists betrayed his dissatisfaction.

Hu Liena stepped forward. Unlike her brother Xie Yue's calm analysis, her exquisite face was filled with an incomparably firm expression, and her moving eyes burned with fervent conviction.

She looked at Bibi Dong on the high platform, her voice crisp and powerful:

"Teacher, please rest assured!"

Hu Liena's tone was full of confidence.

"No matter how powerful the opponents are, my brother, Yan, and I will do our utmost to win the championship of this tournament for Spirit Hall! This is our mission and glory as disciples of Spirit Hall!"

She lifted her chin slightly and continued:

"Yang Teng and Gu Yena are indeed powerful, perhaps even monsters, but the Spirit Master Tournament is a contest of seven-person teams! No matter how strong those two are, the strength of the remaining five members of Tianshui Academy is far from comparable to our Spirit Hall team!"

These words not only demonstrated Hu Liena's determination but also pointed out the key to the team competition: overall strength and coordination.

Tianshui Academy was strong in two points, while the Spirit Hall team was a perfect combination of seven top-tier geniuses.

Listening to Hu Liena's words, a faint but genuine smile finally appeared on Bibi Dong's otherwise expressionless face.

She looked at this most outstanding disciple of hers, a flash of approval crossing her eyes. Hu Liena not only possessed peerless talent, but more importantly, she had this clear head, firm conviction, and a sense of belonging that took pride in Spirit Hall.

"Very good."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, her voice still cold and clear, yet it carried a touch of encouragement.

"Nana, remember your words today. Xie Yue, Yan, you must also keep them in mind."

Bibi Dong's gaze became profound, as if she could already see the stage of the finals:

"Those three spirit bones, which serve as the championship reward, were intended for the three of you, for the Golden Generation of my Spirit Hall. Whether for the dignity of Spirit Hall or for your own futures, in the finals... you must win, and you are not permitted to fail!"

"Yes! Your Holiness the Pope! Teacher!"

Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan bowed in unison, responding in one voice, their tones filled with resolve.

Deep within a treacherous canyon.

The Tianshui Academy team was in the middle section. While Shui Bing'er and the others were whispering about tactics, Yang Teng seemed somewhat distracted.

His gaze swept over the towering cliffs on both sides, and certain images from his memories surfaced clearly.

He remembered very well that Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo of Spirit Hall would lead men to set an ambush in this very canyon, with the primary goal of intercepting and killing Tang San.

"However..."

Yang Teng pondered inwardly.

Will I end up on Spirit Hall's hit list? After all, it seems quite logical to eliminate an unexpected variable that might threaten the Golden Generation's championship victory ahead of time.

Thinking this, he subconsciously glanced at Gu Yena beside him, who remained indifferent to everything around them.

"But... there's no need to worry about that."

A subtle curve tugged at the corner of Yang Teng's mouth, and the lingering doubts in his heart vanished in an instant.

"With this Silver Dragon King as my bodyguard, let alone those two Super Titled Douluo, Ju and Gui, even if Qian Daoliu, Poseidon, and Tang Chen—those three veteran Limit Douluo—came to corner me with their weapons in hand... tsk, they would only meet their end right here!"

Just as Yang Teng's thoughts drifted, a sudden change occurred!

From both ends of the canyon and the cliffs above, a large number of men in black emerged without warning!

They moved with the swiftness of ghosts, well-trained and disciplined, instantly cutting through the marching formation and separating the groups!

The teachers and students from various academies were forcibly torn apart by these men in black, falling into a chaotic situation where they had to fight on their own!

Cries of alarm, angry shouts, and the clashing of soul power erupted suddenly, shattering the silence of the canyon.

"So, it's here?"

Yang Teng's eyes narrowed, his spiritual power spreading out instantly. He keenly captured the aura of the experts among the men in black, especially the unique soul power fluctuations belonging to the Titled Douluo level.

"Hm?"

A moment later, Yang Teng raised an eyebrow, a flash of realization crossing his eyes, followed by a hint of amusement.

He muttered in a low voice, so quiet that only Gu Yena beside him could vaguely hear:

"Ju and Gui, those two old geezers... they didn't come for me? It seems their primary target really is that guy Tang San after all..."

PS: Below are some complaints from the author. This book hasn't performed very well, but I promised you all that I would finish it. I really like the concept of this book, and I haven't hit any writer's block while writing it; it's been quite smooth.

I've seen everyone's comments, all five-star reviews. It's a pity this book doesn't have a large audience. I originally planned for it to be around 300,000 words, but since the performance is poor, I've started another fanfic about Martial Artist Cui Cheng, and I'm writing nearly 10,000 words a day.

Because I promised you all, I will finish this one. It should be around 100,000 words total. It's not a long length, but the story will definitely reach its conclusion and have integrity; it won't be abandoned.

From now on, this book will be one chapter a day. If I kept up two chapters, the daily word count would truly be too much for me to handle.

Well, to the readers still following, thank you for your support. The story will reach its end.

If you like this book, you can save up a few days' worth of chapters to read at once. The total length is planned to be around 100,000 words. As for the female lead, it will likely just be the little Silver Dragon.

Because the performance is poor and the word count is low, I can't support the plotlines for Qian Renxue and Shui Bing'er.

Sigh, enough said!

There will definitely be an ending; I owe that much to the readers who have been following along.

I apologize to you all!