Hu Liena Chooses the Spirit Fruit, Evil God-Level Spirit Fusion, and the Lucky Star Feather Picks Tang Hao

At that moment, a royal carriage procession approached from the gates of Shrek Academy.

The carriages rolled slowly forward.

Everyone turned toward the sound, all startled.

The person seated inside the carriage was none other than the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.

On the white horses to either side rode the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi,

and Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

Several thousand people across the plaza knelt and saluted, shouting in unison:

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Greetings, Sect Master Ning! Greetings, Sword Douluo!"

Hu Liena led Yue Guan and the others to meet them and saluted:

"Hu Liena greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Greetings, Sect Master Ning and Sword Douluo!"

Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and the others stood behind her.

They placed their right hands over their left chests and bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Greetings, Sect Master Ning! Greetings, Sword Douluo!"

Flender and Zhao Wuji offered stiff, respectful salutes, then stood deferentially to one side.

Xue Qinghe stepped down from the carriage, his gaze first settling on Hu Liena.

Every movement of his exuded the dignity and authority of royalty.

He said with a smile, "Saintess, you've qualified to take on the Star Official Challenge two days in a row."

"I didn't expect you'd come to Shrek Academy today to join in the excitement, too."

Hu Liena straightened and replied:

"Your Highness flatters me!"

"I'm not much to speak of, but I qualified to take on the Star Official Challenge again today!"

"Unfortunately, I only got a C-minus rating and a thirty-thousand-year Soul Bone!"

"It's nothing compared to yesterday's God-Given Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring!"

Her words made the atmosphere across the plaza turn strange.

Qualifying for the Star Official Challenge three days in a row was already enough to make everyone envious.

A thirty-thousand-year Soul Bone was indeed inferior to a God-Given Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring, but it was still an extremely precious reward.

Everyone could tell Hu Liena was deliberately being sarcastic.

Xue Qinghe's eyes narrowed slightly.

He continued with a smile:

"Saintess, you're truly lucky. It's enough to make anyone envious."

"Today, I've come at my father's command to witness the Imperial Preceptor take on the Star Official Challenge."

"I came to offer my congratulations. Where is the Imperial Preceptor?"

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin looked intently at Hu Liena and the Spirit Hall elders behind her.

Then they swept their gazes across the plaza but couldn't find Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.

They also noticed the complicated expressions on the faces of Shrek Academy's teachers and students.

Everyone else looked gleeful.

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanged a glance, both sensing that something was wrong.

Hu Liena gave a cold laugh and cast a playful look at Flender beside her.

Xue Qinghe turned to look as well and asked:

"Dean Flender, where is the Imperial Preceptor?"

"Has he begun the Star Official Challenge?"

"What rating and reward did he end up receiving?"

Flender suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. "Your Highness, Xiaogang has already taken on the Star Official Challenge."

"But the challenge he drew was the 'Defense Challenge,' which is not his specialty."

"So he asked Senior to let him change to a different challenge."

"Who could have known that this would anger Senior, resulting in his Martial Soul being stripped away and his face disfigured, leaving him gravely injured?"

"Xiaogang has now... been taken away for treatment."

Xue Qinghe, Ning Fengzhi, and Chen Xin were all visibly stunned by his words.

None of them had expected the Imperial Preceptor of the Heaven Dou Empire himself

to have his Martial Soul stripped away, his face disfigured, and his body grievously wounded.

It was a blatant slap in the face to the Heaven Dou Empire—a sign that the perpetrator had no regard for the empire at all.

A trace of anger showed on Xue Qinghe's face.

He looked toward the distant arena, which radiated mysterious power.

In an instant, his heart shuddered.

His true identity was Qian Renxue, the Young Master of Spirit Hall.

She possessed the Angel Clan's strongest God-Level Martial Soul, the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

Yet at that very moment, her Martial Soul felt fear.

Xue Qinghe steadied himself, then looked at Flender and said coldly:

"Dean Flender, I understand what happened."

"I will report it to my father."

"For now, please make sure the academy takes good care of the Imperial Preceptor."

Flender bowed and replied, "As you command, Your Highness!"

Xue Qinghe nodded. "Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo."

"Since something has happened to the Imperial Preceptor, let's return to the palace."

Ning Fengzhi leaned on his Gem Cane. "Of course, Your Highness."

Chen Xin nodded beside him.

His gaze remained fixed on the Silver-Haired Man seated on a cushion at the center of the arena, his white brows furrowed.

Just then, Hu Liena smiled and said:

"Your Highness, at midnight tonight,"

"I'll have held the second-place position on the Star Official Challenge's 'Attack' rankings for three days."

"The second-place reward will be a B-plus rating."

"If Your Highness is interested,"

"you can come with Sect Master Ning and Sword Douluo to witness it with me."

Xue Qinghe, Ning Fengzhi, and Chen Xin's expressions grew serious.

They had heard a little about the Star Official Challenge's ratings and rules, and couldn't help envying her.

Xue Qinghe smiled. "We'll certainly come and show our support!"

Then he boarded the carriage

and returned to the palace with Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin.

An hour later, inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace,

Emperor Xue Ye sat on the throne, listening as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe reported

how the Imperial Preceptor, Yu Xiaogang, had been punished, stripped of his Martial Soul, and left disfigured.

Instead of flying into a royal rage, he spoke with authority:

"The Imperial Preceptor deliberately tried to change the rules of the Star Official Challenge and was punished."

"That was his own doing. It has nothing to do with the Heaven Dou imperial family!"

"Qinghe, you must go to Shrek Academy tonight and see what kind of B-plus reward Hu Liena, the Saintess of Spirit Hall, will receive!"

"The Star Official Challenge is mysterious and unfathomable, and can grant great opportunities to others. If the imperial family can befriend that person, we'll surely gain immense benefits!"

"Also, have people keep an eye on Spirit Hall, especially Hu Liena!"

"She's qualified to take on the Star Official Challenge three times in a row. There's definitely something going on!"

"Perhaps we can find a way to qualify for the Star Official Challenge through Hu Liena!"

Xue Qinghe nodded. "Don't worry, Father. I know what to do!"

Beside him, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin remained impassive.

The old saying that serving beside a ruler was like keeping company with a tiger was absolutely true.

They hadn't expected Emperor Xue Ye to abandon Yu Xiaogang the moment trouble struck.

If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ever ran into trouble one day, wouldn't they be abandoned, too...

Late at night, as midnight approached,

the crowd gathered across the plaza had already grown to more than ten thousand.

Everyone waited, hoping to witness the birth of a B-plus-rated reward.

At last, midnight arrived.

Hu Liena stood surrounded by Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

Xue Qinghe, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and the others arrived just in time.

Chapter 26: Hu Liena Chooses the Spirit Fruit, Evil God-Level Spirit Fusion, and the Lucky Star Feather Picks Tang Hao

Three Challenge Gold Steles hovered in the sky.

They represented the three categories: "Attack," "Defense," and "Spirit."

At that moment, on the "Attack" Challenge Gold Stele,

Ma Hongjun held first place.

Hu Liena held second place.

And Hu Liena's name had turned red.

A countdown of just over ten seconds had appeared beside it.

On the other two Challenge Gold Steles,

Feng Xiaotian held first place in the "Defense" category.

Hu Liena held first place in the "Spirit" category.

At last, midnight arrived.