Pre-Competition Turmoil! Geniuses Gather!

After Hu Liena and the other two left the arena, Ning Rongrong was still a little indignant.

"Zhao Tian, why did you stop Rongrong just now? That blonde girl was clearly provoking you!"

Ning Rongrong pouted, her little face filled with displeasure.

"She did it on purpose."

Zhao Tian said calmly.

"On purpose?"

Ning Rongrong froze.

"She wanted to see my reaction. If I got angered, it would mean I was nothing special. If I remained unmoved, it would mean I was more difficult to deal with than she had imagined."

Zhao Tian explained.

"Then... what was your reaction?"

Ning Rongrong asked, blinking her eyes.

Zhao Tian lowered his head to look at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"What do you think?"

Ning Rongrong tilted her head and thought for a moment, then gave a humph.

"Rongrong doesn't care. If she does that again next time, Rongrong will definitely talk back!"

Zhao Tian smiled helplessly and did not continue the conversation.

Ning Fengzhi walked over from afar. Seeing that the two children were safe and sound, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You met those three just now?"

Ning Fengzhi asked.

"Mm, one with golden hair, one with silver hair, and one big guy."

Ning Rongrong counted on her fingers.

"The blonde one is called Hu Liena. She is the direct disciple of Bibi Dong, the Pope of Spirit Hall."

Ning Fengzhi's tone turned serious.

"The silver-haired one is her brother, Xie Yue. The big guy is called Yan. They are all the most outstanding geniuses of Spirit Hall's generation. They are all in their teens, and their Soul Power Levels have already reached the level of four-ring Soul Ancestors."

Four-ring Soul Ancestors!

Ning Rongrong sucked in a breath, shock appearing on her little face.

She was six years old this year and had sixteen levels of Soul Power. She was already a once-in-a-century genius of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Yet compared to those three, the gap was anything but small.

Zhao Tian, however, remained calm.

Reaching four rings in one's teens was indeed astonishingly fast, but in the history of Douluo Continent, it was not particularly outrageous.

Besides, he possessed the Radiant Divine Canon. Surpassing them in the future was merely a matter of time.

"Tian'er, you don't need to feel pressured."

Ning Fengzhi saw through Zhao Tian's thoughts and spoke gently.

"You are different ages and have cultivated for different lengths of time. You cannot simply compare yourselves together."

"We mainly came to this competition to broaden your horizons."

Zhao Tian nodded. "This disciple understands."

"Alright, we've seen enough of the venue. Let's head back."

After saying that, Ning Fengzhi led Zhao Tian and Ning Rongrong away from the arena.

After returning to their residence, Zhao Tian did not rest. Instead, he immediately began cultivating.

The Radiant Divine Canon circulated as Soul Power flowed through his body in repeated cycles, all Four Cultivation Systems progressing at once.

Although he only possessed twenty-two levels of Soul Power, after three months of tempering, his physical strength was already comparable to that of an ordinary Soul Ancestor, while his spiritual power far surpassed others at the same level.

That was the terrifying aspect of the Radiant Divine Canon.

Ordinary soul masters focused only on their Soul Power Levels, often neglecting the cultivation of their bodies, souls, and soul skills.

Zhao Tian, on the other hand, cultivated all four simultaneously, and his foundation was terrifyingly solid.

"Zhao Tian! Zhao Tian! Come out for a moment!"

Ning Rongrong's voice came from outside the door.

Zhao Tian stopped cultivating and pushed the door open.

Ning Rongrong stood at the entrance, holding a list in her hands, her little face brimming with excitement.

"Look, look! Rongrong just got this list of competitors from Daddy!"

Zhao Tian took the list and quickly scanned it.

The list was densely packed with names from sects and clans all across the continent, numbering well over a hundred.

Zhao Tian paid particular attention to the contestants in the six-to-teenage age group.

The list noted every contestant's martial soul, Soul Power Level, and affiliated faction.

"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng, twenty-eighth-level Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."

"Skywater Academy, Shui Bing'er, twenty-seventh-level Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Ice Phoenix."

"Blazing Fire Academy, Huo Wushuang, twenty-sixth-level Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: One-Horned Fire Explosive Dragon."

"Holy Dragon Sect, Tuoba Xin, twenty-eighth-level Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: White Armored Earth Dragon."

"Godwind Academy... Feng Xiaotian, thirty-first-level Soul Elder, martial soul: Gale Twin-Headed Demon Wolf."

Name after name entered his sight, and Zhao Tian's brow furrowed slightly.

The competition in this younger division was even fiercer than he had imagined.

In other words, among his opponents, some already possessed three soul rings, with Soul Power Levels far higher than his own.

Although he had the Radiant Divine Canon and Ning Rongrong's support, the gap in levels was there. It could not be underestimated.

"Zhao Tian, are you scared?"

Ning Rongrong asked, tilting her head.

"No."

Zhao Tian shook his head and returned the list to Ning Rongrong.

"Really not scared?"

Ning Rongrong did not quite believe him.

"Really."

Zhao Tian's tone was calm, but battle intent burned in his eyes.

He had waited a long time for this day.

Over the following days, competing teams gradually arrived in Spirit City.

The entire residence grew lively as the banners of various sects fluttered in the air, creating a spectacular scene of countless flags waving.

Every day, contestants sparred and exchanged pointers on the training grounds, displaying their martial souls and soul skills.

Zhao Tian watched several matches as well, gaining a more intuitive understanding of his opponents' strength.

Among them, the most eye-catching was Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The young man was tall, with short blue hair and a wild aura radiating from his entire body.

His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was one of the top-tier beast martial souls, and its offensive power was extremely terrifying.

In one sparring match, Yu Tianheng used only three moves to defeat an opponent who was also a Soul Grandmaster, displaying overwhelming strength.

"Yu Tianheng is even stronger than he was in the anime."

Standing in the stands, Zhao Tian fixed his gaze on Yu Tianheng and silently assessed his strength.

A twenty-eighth-level Soul Grandmaster, two soul rings, and a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul.

He was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

"Tian'er, do you think you can defeat him?"

Chen Xin had appeared behind Zhao Tian at some point and asked.

Zhao Tian thought for a moment. "I don't know. I'll only know after fighting him."

"That's true."

Chen Xin nodded.

"Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul has extremely powerful offensive strength, but your Radiant Phoenix is no weaker. It's just that your Soul Power is far below his."

"However..."

Chen Xin changed the subject.

"The competition is not limited to one-on-one fights. There are also team matches, and Rongrong is not your only teammate."

Zhao Tian's heart stirred at his words.

"Teacher, you mean..."

"You'll find out when the time comes."

Chen Xin kept him in suspense, then turned and left the stands.

Zhao Tian watched Chen Xin's departing figure, deep in thought.

Two more days passed, and all the competing teams had arrived.

Spirit Hall held a grand welcoming banquet in the large plaza at the center of the residence, inviting all contestants to attend.

At the banquet, Zhao Tian saw all the competitors for the first time.

There were many contestants, each from different major factions.

Yu Tianheng, Shui Bing'er, Huo Wushuang, Feng Xiaotian... Zhao Tian matched every one of those names to their owners.

Besides them, there was one person who caught Zhao Tian's particular attention.

He was a dark-skinned boy who looked seven or eight years old. He stood alone in a corner and did not speak with anyone.

His martial soul entry read, "Hell Spirit Cat."

"Hell Spirit Cat..."

Zhao Tian's heart stirred.

That martial soul reminded him of someone from the original story.

"Who is that person?"

Zhao Tian asked Ning Fengzhi beside him.

Ning Fengzhi followed Zhao Tian's gaze, surprise flashing through his eyes.

"That is... a child of the Zhu Family."

"The Zhu Family?"

"The Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire. They have intermarried with the Dai Family for generations, and their martial soul is the Hell Spirit Cat."

Ning Fengzhi explained.

After the banquet ended, Zhao Tian returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began his final cultivation session before the competition.

The Radiant Divine Canon circulated, Soul Power cycling through his body as two century-old soul rings slowly revolved around him.

Tomorrow, the competition would officially begin.

He would use his strength to tell everyone.

The young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was no mere name in title.