"Zhou Tong, you performed well this time."
"But your cultivation has advanced too quickly. You need to take part in more practical battles to consolidate it."
"Go to the Imperial Fighting Team and train with them. Take part in Soul Fighting and hone your combat skills."
His teacher, Dugu Bo, left Zhou Tong with a task.
Not long after,
they returned to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Zhou Tong didn't rush to cultivate; instead, he began thinking about how to complete the Second Trial of the Thunder God Divine Trial.
The trial required him to obtain a Hundred-Thousand-Year Thunderous Hell Vine Martial Soul within three years.
Killing the Thunderous Hell Vine would be difficult, but not impossible.
After all, Zhou Tong had Dugu Bo as his bodyguard.
The real problem was how to safely absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Aside from the Soul Power's impact on his body and the enormous pressure it would cause, he would also have to face the challenge of the powerful spirit it contained.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had a will of its own. Before dying, it would certainly lash out at the Soul Master with all its might.
So Zhou Tong needed to greatly strengthen both his body and his spiritual power.
"Now, my body and spiritual power seem to have reached a bottleneck. Perhaps some training at the Soul Fighting Arena, with life-and-death battles, could speed up my breakthrough."
Heaven Dou Royal Academy was about to hold a Soul Master selection tournament.
Zhou Tong had promised Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling that he would join them at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Now it was finally time to make good on that promise.
After a brief rest, Zhou Tong changed into a neat black outfit, with a belt embroidered in thunder patterns fastened around his waist.
He looked impossibly handsome.
Standing before the mirror, Zhou Tong gazed at his reflection with deep eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted into a confident smile.
"Heaven Dou Royal Team, here I come!"
Zhou Tong headed out and met up with Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan. The three of them made their way to Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Soul Fighting Zone.
At that moment, the Soul Fighting Zone was already packed. Large numbers of the academy's Soul Masters had gathered to catch a glimpse of the team members.
In the guest seats for the Soul Master selection tournament, Zhou Tong spotted several distinguished guests.
One of them was a middle-aged man with a gentle, refined bearing, dressed in a white robe. His gaze was deep as he watched the crowd.
He was Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Two powerful Soul Masters stood beside him.
One was a burly defensive Soul Master with a broad frame and a somewhat pale complexion: Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
The other was an elderly man clad in a snow-white robe, with a silver sash around his waist. His beard and hair were entirely white, and his long silver hair fell to his waist. A fearsome aura radiated from him. He was Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"Teacher, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, it's truly an honor for the academy to have you three here."
Xue Qinghe, dressed in the crown prince's usual attire, had a handsome face and a gentle bearing. He chatted with the three guests.
He was the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe—the identity assumed by that generous little angel from the original story.
Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly. "Since Qinghe invited us, how could I not come?"
"Besides, I heard that several prodigies are taking part this time. It'll be a good chance for my daughter to meet them and keep Rongrong from getting too proud."
Ning Fengzhi had already heard that Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan, the prodigy Zhou Tong, and Ye Lingling of the Ye Family would all appear in this selection tournament.
So he had decided to have Ning Rongrong participate as well.
Ning Rongrong had been spoiled at home until she'd become a Little Demoness. No one could keep her in check, and she'd grown arrogant and willful.
Even Ning Fengzhi found her a headache.
Whenever he tried to discipline Ning Rongrong according to the family rules, the two elders would get in his way.
His daughter had peerless talent, but she was so spoiled that Ning Fengzhi was at his wits' end.
With the Imperial Fighting Team recruiting new members, he'd coaxed Ning Rongrong into entering the selection so that the team's geniuses could teach her a lesson.
Maybe they could set her straight.
Zhou Tong in particular interested Ning Fengzhi.
He'd heard Zhou Tong was a gifted Power Attack System prodigy with extraordinary talent and a very stubborn streak.
If Rongrong crossed paths with Zhou Tong, perhaps she'd rein in her temper a little.
Just then, a hoarse voice laced with mockery cut in. "Well, well. I was wondering who could make such a grand entrance. Turns out it's Sect Master Ning."
"Old Bones, shouldn't you be at home keeping an eye on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? What brings you to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to watch the fun?"
Dugu Bo had appeared in the guest seats at some point and walked over to Ning Fengzhi and the others. He glanced at the three of them, then sat down without the slightest courtesy.
At the sight of him, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi both bowed slightly in respect.
"Dugu Bo."
Gu Rong, however, let out a cold snort. "Old Poison, your tongue's as sharp as ever."
"The three of us were invited by Your Highness today, and we brought Rongrong along. We simply want to see how your precious disciple measures up."
"Rongrong is the greatest genius our sect has seen in centuries. Don't feel pressured, Old Poison."
Bone Douluo Gu Rong said with a laugh.
"Pressure?"
"My disciple is ten years old and at level thirty-two. Does your Ning Rongrong have talent like that?"
"Ten years old and level thirty-two?"
A trace of surprise flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes, and his gaze immediately shifted to Zhou Tong, who was waiting below.
"Congratulations, Dugu Bo, on taking in such a talented disciple. My Ning Rongrong will have to spend plenty of time learning from him."
Ning Fengzhi said it outright.
That level of talent was truly terrifying—he was destined to become a Titled Douluo.
He had to make sure Rongrong became friends with this genius.
Xue Qinghe also looked toward Zhou Tong, his gaze roaming over him as if he were pondering something.
Gu Rong, however, was unconvinced.
"Talent's one thing. Whether he's any good still depends on the results of actual combat."
"Old Bones, you really are too stubborn to admit defeat."
Dugu Bo laughed heartily, and the two of them began trading heated barbs.
Meanwhile,
Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan slowly walked into the Soul Fighting Arena.
At the sight of him, everyone began whispering among themselves.
"Yu Tianheng is the most promising Soul Master on the Imperial Fighting Team."
"I heard he's the most likely candidate for the next captain."
"The current captain's stepping down. Maybe they'll choose a new one today."
"Then Yu Tianheng should be captain."
As the crowd's chatter rose and fell around him, Yu Tianheng's expression remained as calm as still water. He didn't react at all, completely unconcerned by what they were saying.
His gaze swept over the crowd before finally settling on Zhou Tong, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling.
A hint of wariness flickered in Yu Tianheng's eyes.
His real aim was to win over Dugu Yan and bring Dugu Bo into his camp.
The best way to do that was to win Dugu Yan's heart.
Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan had always been close. They'd nearly reached the point of becoming a couple.
But then Zhou Tong had suddenly appeared and disrupted everything.
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