The Incident on the Way to Spirit City (A Few Words from the Author at the End; the Main Text Is Over Two Thousand Words)

The fierce competition in the qualifying rounds of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament was nearing its end. The name of Skywater Academy, the dark horse, had resounded across the various arenas with undeniable force.

With Yang Teng's baffling spatial abilities, Skywater Academy had not only claimed first place in the qualifiers with a perfect record, but had also repeatedly steamrolled its opponents in the individual matches, with Yang Teng or Gu Yuena taking on all seven opponents alone.

By now, though, that was practically routine—not exactly unusual.

With the qualifying rounds over, all the elite teams that had earned a place in the next stage were about to set off for Spirit City, the sacred ground of the Soul Master World, to compete in the final tournament.

Naturally, with each stunning victory, Skywater Academy's reputation had reached the ears of the three young Soul Masters hailed as the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall, Pope's Palace.

In the vast, solemn hall, Bibi Dong sat high above on the papal throne. Her breathtaking face bore its habitual air of authority and indifference.

She held her scepter in one hand and calmly looked down at the three young Soul Masters standing side by side below: Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan.

The three were the future pillars Spirit Hall was pouring its resources into cultivating, and the team's greatest hope of winning this tournament.

"Regarding Skywater Academy—and that Yang Teng and Gu Yuena."

Bibi Dong's cool voice rang through the hall. It held no trace of emotion, yet seemed to make the air grow still.

"I presume you already know about them."

Her gaze slowly swept over the three.

"Then tell me: if you meet them in the finals, how confident are you that you can defeat them?"

After a brief silence,

Xie Yue, the captain of the Golden Generation, furrowed his brow and spoke first. His voice carried a rare note of caution and gravity.

"Your Holiness the Pope, based on all the information we have gathered, although Gu Yuena of Skywater Academy is a Soul King like us, her combat instincts, mastery of Element Control, and split-second judgment of the battlefield are all far beyond ours."

He paused and glanced at his younger sister, Hu Liena, before continuing.

"If I had to face her alone, or Yan had to face her alone, I'm afraid we'd have little chance of winning. Only if Nana and I joined forces and used our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, 'Demon Charm,' might the special domain it creates allow us to restrain Gu Yuena and find an opportunity to defeat her."

At this point, Xie Yue changed tack, his expression growing even more solemn.

"However, that Yang Teng is the biggest wildcard and the greatest problem. His Soul Ring Configuration defies common sense, and his abilities are bizarre and unpredictable. They seem to involve space itself."

"He's impossible to guard against. No one in the qualifiers managed to force him to reveal his full strength. If Yan had to face him alone..."

Xie Yue left the rest unsaid, but his meaning was clear enough.

Yan's defense and attacks were formidable, but against Yang Teng's unreasonable spatial abilities, he would likely be put at a severe disadvantage.

Hearing Xie Yue's assessment, Yan's face flushed. His chest heaved, betraying his indignation.

He was proud and had immense confidence in his own strength, but reason told him Xie Yue's analysis was not baseless. In the end, he swallowed his indignation and said nothing.

But his clenched fists showed how unhappy he was.

Hu Liena stepped forward. Unlike her brother's calm analysis, her beautiful face was filled with unshakable resolve, and a blazing conviction burned in her captivating eyes.

She looked up at Bibi Dong and spoke in a clear, forceful voice.

"Teacher, please rest assured!"

Hu Liena spoke with complete confidence.

"No matter how powerful our opponents are, my brother, Yan, and I will give everything we have to win this tournament for Spirit Hall! It is our duty and our honor as members of Spirit Hall!"

She lifted her chin slightly and continued.

"Yang Teng and Gu Yuena are certainly powerful—monsters, even. But the Soul Master Tournament is a contest between teams of seven! No matter how strong those two are, the other five members of Skywater Academy are nowhere near as strong as our Spirit Hall Team!"

Her words showed not only Hu Liena's determination, but also highlighted the key to the team competition: the strength of the team as a whole and how well its members worked together.

Skywater Academy's strength lay in two individuals, while Spirit Hall's team was a perfect combination of seven top-tier geniuses.

As Bibi Dong listened to Hu Liena, a faint but genuine smile finally appeared on her otherwise expressionless face.

She looked at her most outstanding student, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. Hu Liena had extraordinary talent, but what was even rarer was her clear mind, unwavering conviction, and pride in belonging to Spirit Hall.

"Very good."

Bibi Dong gave a slight nod. Her voice remained cool, but now carried a hint of encouragement.

"Nana, remember what you said today. Xie Yue, Yan, you must remember it as well."

Bibi Dong's gaze grew profound, as if she could already see the finals unfolding before her.

"The three Soul Bones awarded to the champions were prepared for you three—for the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall. Whether for the dignity of Spirit Hall or for your own futures, there is only one acceptable outcome in the finals: victory, never defeat!"

"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope! Teacher!"

Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan bowed together and answered in unison, their voices brimming with resolve.

In a steep, treacherous canyon.

The Skywater Academy team was in the middle of the procession. Shui Bing'er and the others were quietly discussing tactics, while Yang Teng seemed somewhat distracted.

His gaze swept across the towering cliffs on either side, and certain scenes from his memories came clearly to mind.

He remembered distinctly that Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo of Spirit Hall would lead their people in an ambush here in the canyon, with Tang San as their main target.

"But..."

Yang Teng mused to himself.

"Will I end up on Spirit Hall's kill list? After all, it would make sense to eliminate in advance an unexpected threat that might keep the Golden Generation from winning."

As he thought of this, he glanced unconsciously at Gu Yuena, who seemed utterly unconcerned with everything around her.

"But... I don't need to worry about that."

The faintest curve touched Yang Teng's lips, and his doubts vanished in an instant.

"With the Silver Dragon King as my bodyguard, let alone those two super Titled Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost—even if Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi, and Tang Chen, those three veteran Limit Douluo, all came armed to corner me... tsk, they'd only meet their deaths here!"

Just as Yang Teng's thoughts began to wander, something unexpected happened!

A large group of black-clad figures appeared without warning at both ends of the canyon and on the cliffs above!

They moved like specters, swift and well-trained. In an instant, they cut through the moving procession and split it apart!

The teachers and students from the various academies were forcibly separated by the black-clad figures, thrown into chaos and forced to fight on their own!

Shouts, angry cries, and the clashes of Soul Power rang out all at once, shattering the canyon's silence.

"Here they come?"

Yang Teng's eyes narrowed. His spiritual power spread out in an instant as he keenly sensed the auras of the strong among the black-clad figures, especially the distinctive Soul Power fluctuations of Titled Douluo.

"Hmm?"

A moment later, Yang Teng's brows lifted. A knowing glint crossed his eyes, followed by a hint of amusement.

He muttered under his breath, so quietly that only Gu Yuena beside him could barely hear.

"Those two old fellows, Ju and Gui... they actually didn't come after me? Looks like their main target really is Tang San..."

P.S. Here are a few grumbles from the author. This book hasn't done very well, but I promised you guys I'd finish it. I really like the idea behind this book, and I haven't had much trouble writing it. It's been coming along pretty smoothly.

I've seen all of your comments, and they've all been five-star reviews. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have much of an audience. I originally thought it would be around 300,000 words, but the results haven't been good. I've also started another fanfic about Martial Artist Cui Cheng, and I have to write nearly 10,000 words a day.

I promised everyone I'd bring this one to a proper ending. It should be around 100,000 words—not a lot, but the story will definitely reach its conclusion. It won't just stop updating.

From now on, I'll update this book once a day. If I keep up two chapters a day, I really do have to write a lot.

Well, to the guys still following this book, thank you for supporting it. The story will reach its conclusion.

If you like this book, you can save up a few days' worth of chapters before reading. I'm planning to end it at around 100,000 words. As for the female lead, it'll probably just be the little Silver Dragon.

Because the results have been poor and there won't be many words, I can't support storylines for Qian Renxue and Shui Bing'er.

Sigh, enough of that!

There will definitely be an ending. I owe that much to everyone who's been keeping up with the story.

I'm sorry, everyone!