The first few matches after the qualifying rounds were rather dull.
Ever since those two girls from Heavenly Water were sent sprawling by a Slide Tackle, the Thunder and Divine Wind teams that followed simply came up for a brief appearance and then conceded defeat. Yu Tianxin, one of the so-called Blue Lightning Twin Stars from the Thunder Team, stood on the stage, watching Ling Yun's hands tucked into his pockets, not even bothering to use his Third Soul Skill, and then jumped off the stage after giving a slight bow.
Fourteen wins and no losses.
The four crooked characters of "Blue Tyrant Academy" dominated the top of the banner for the top spot in the Heaven Dou Division.
At midday, the sun shining on the wasteland made people feel lazy.
Suddenly, the curtain of the Blue Tyrant's tent was flung open from the outside, and a gust of cold wind carrying the smell of medicinal ointment rushed in.
"Ling Yun! You scoundrel, get out here right now!!"
Huo Wu strode across the threshold, a black cloak over a dark red leather jacket, her phoenix eyes blazing with fury. Behind her, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu followed on either side. Xue Wu's once fair and delicate face was now swollen and red, like a ripe wild hawthorn, with two small, yellow herbal plasters the size of fingernails stuck to the bridge of her nose.
These three young ladies, aren't they all pampered by a bunch of spoiled young masters in Heaven Dou City? Today, they're huddled together, clearly here to cause trouble and invite disaster.
The commotion inside the tent made the three of them jolt to their feet, nearly causing them to crash into the doorpost.
A large black iron pot used for marching was propped up on the ground, and sparks were popping and crackling from the firewood underneath.
Ma Hongjun, with his fat buttocks sticking out, knelt on the ground, fanning himself frantically with a tattered palm-leaf fan, humming a vulgar tune he'd heard from some brothel; Tai Long, with his bare, dark arms, squatted beside a blue stone, sharpening a large cast-iron cleaver used for chopping wood, his face trembling like a fierce god descending from the mountain.
What's even more jarring is the dilapidated wooden table right in the center.
Xiao Wu, clutching half a freshly washed, crisp carrot, was chasing Ling Yun around the table, her little mouth pouting and her almond-shaped eyes filled with murderous intent. "Ling Yun, give it back! That's a sweet carrot I painstakingly dug out of the Back Kitchen cellar! Why did you cut it up to make Lamb Soup?"
Ling Yun, with his hands in his pockets and his steps as sluggish as an eel, couldn't catch a glimpse of his clothes no matter how much the girl struggled. He was also slowly chewing on a slice of raw radish. "The Back Kitchen is called the Blue Tyrant Team. Everyone who sees something in this tent gets a share. Don't you dare rub those two rabbit teeth on my sleeve."
"You... you all!"
Huo Wu, who had been holding back a bellyful of harsh words, found them stuck in her throat, her chest heaving with anger. "Ling Yun! Stop pretending to be crazy! Yesterday, you used underhanded tactics to trip me during the fight on stage, but what about the foul language you spewed?! You messed up Xue Wu's face like this, and you didn't even apologize?"
Shui Bing'er's pretty face also turned cold. She reached out to protect Xue Wu and said coldly, "Captain Ling, we accept that a one-on-one duel is a fair fight, each relying on their own methods. But what you did in front of 80,000 people—that Striptease... Even though Heavenly Water is an all-female team, we will not tolerate such frivolous and humiliating behavior from you!"
Tai Long, who was sharpening his knife inside the tent, stopped, and Ma Hongjun was fanning the fire, also turned his fat head, and several pairs of eyes stared at him.
Ling Yun stopped, casually snatched the half-carrot from Xiao Wu's hand, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunching sound.
He turned around, his eyelids drooping, glanced at Xue Wu's red nose covered in yellow ointment, then looked at Huo Wu's murderous look, and slowly chuckled through his nostrils:
"Why aren't you back in camp packing your things in broad daylight? What kind of justice are you trying to get from me?"
Ling Yun took two steps to the black iron pot, used fire tongs to pull out two large, round, charred potatoes from under the scalding ashes, wrapped them in a coarse cloth, and casually tossed them toward Xue Wu.
Xue Wu was startled and hurriedly caught it in her arms, shrinking back in shock from the heat. "What... what are you doing?!"
"What are you doing? Roll it on the bridge of your nose."
Ling Yun patted the black ash off his hands and glanced at her sideways. "These are freshly harvested old sand potatoes from the mountains. The heat they release helps with blood circulation. Roll them around a couple more times, and the swelling will go down in three days. Otherwise, you'll end up looking like a disfigured clown when you get to Spirit City."
"You—! Who wants your rotten potato!" Xue Wu held the scalding potato in her hands, her eyes reddening, tears almost falling. She didn't know whether to throw it away or keep it.
Huo Stomping Tantrum in Huo Wu, causing two thin cracks to appear in the pine needle-covered ground. "Ling Yun! Stop pretending to be a good guy! You got first place in the qualifying rounds, but when you get to the Grand Finals Spirit City, the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall won't let you act like that! Let's see how you clean up that mess!"
"The Golden Generation?"
Ling Yun pulled out a chipped stool and sat down with a swagger, a cold, unyielding glint in his deep blue eyes. "Whether it's gold or scrap iron, if it dares to block my way, I'll kick it to pieces."
He grabbed the teacup on the table, took a swig of cold tea, and gestured towards the door with his chin. "The curtain isn't locked. Eat the potatoes while they're hot, no need to see you out."
"You bastard! You scoundrel!"
Huo Wu spat fiercely, not gaining even a single advantage, and grabbed Xue Wu, who was covering her red nose, and Shui Bing'er, who looked helpless, and stormed out of the tent in a fit of rage, slamming the curtain shut.
Outside the tent, the wind made the large flags flutter loudly.
Just past noon, on the high platform in the center of the Royal Hunting Grounds, gongs and drums resounded.
Grand Ceremony for Conferring Medals and Awards.
Sanqian heavy cavalrymen of the Heaven Dou Royal Knights stood in neat rows below the stage, their iron armor gleaming and their swords flashing like a forest. Xue Ye, dressed in a golden dragon robe, stood before the grand table and personally handed the Purple-Gold Scroll of the first place in the qualifying round to Flender.
Flender had never been treated like this in his life. His long face was all wrinkled from smiling, and his hands, holding the scroll, trembled like leaves as he repeatedly bowed and scraped.
On one side of the platform, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, carrying a tray lined with bright yellow brocade, walked steadily and calmly to Ling Yun.
At the very center of the tray was a fist-sized, pure gold Earl's seal, next to which lay a Heavenly Silkworm Golden Robe embroidered with gold thread, gleaming with dazzling nobility in the sunlight.
"Captain Ling was the best in the entire arena; it's a stroke of luck for Heaven Dou."
Xue Qinghe wore a flawless, gentle smile, his voice clear and melodious. "This is the Earl's Gold Seal, bestowed by my father, the Emperor, granting me a fief of five thousand households. Captain Ling, leading the Blue Tyrant Team, will display the might of our Heaven Dou Nation before the Papal Hall."
The eyes of the teachers and students from all the various colleges in the room were red.
Earl a count at the age of fourteen, with a fief of five thousand households!
This would be Serene Grace, enough to bring glory to one's ancestors, even in the presence of any major sect.
But Ling Yun, standing on the stage, didn't even straighten his body.
He reached out and grabbed the heavy golden seal, tossed it in his hand a couple of times, and curled his lip in disdain. "It's quite heavy, but unfortunately it's neither edible nor drinkable."
After saying that, Ling Yun didn't even glance at it again, and threw the seal directly to Ma Hongjun, who was standing below the stage.
Ma Hongjun hurriedly caught it with his two fat hands, holding it in his arms like he was hugging his own mother, drooling profusely.
"Fatty, keep this. If the food is bad when we get to Spirit City, take it to the pawnshop and exchange it for two hundred roast geese for a treat."
Ling Yun casually gave an order, then tore off the priceless Heavenly Silkworm Golden Robe from the tray, shook it out, and slowly draped it over Xiao Wu's slender shoulders, even helping her tie the collar tighter.
"It's windy in the hunting grounds, wear something to block the wind."
On the high platform, Xue Ye's hand holding the wine cup stiffened slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
The Platinum Bishop Salas beside him twitched violently, and a barely audible, sinister laugh escaped from deep within his throat.
This little beast is arrogant to the core.
Treating imperial titles like roast goose and royal rewards like coarse cloth for wind protection, they really have a death wish.
A barely concealed glint of cold light flashed deep within Xue Qinghe's eyes, but his smile grew even more humble and gentle as he slowly retreated to the emperor's side.
The higher you're lifted, the harder you'll fall.
The stage for this grand spectacle has been completely set.
"Strike camp--!!"
As the sun set, the mournful, high-pitched bugle call from the messenger outside the camp shattered the silence of the wilderness.
The fifteen academy teams that qualified from the Heaven Dou Division had assembled. Five hundred fully armed royal heavy knights led the way, with light cavalry guarding the sides. The mighty caravan, kicking up clouds of dust, officially embarked on the long official road to Spirit City.
The weeds are thinning, and the mountains are rising higher.
The cart wheels rolled monotonously and dully on the gravel road.
Ling Yun leaned against the Carriage window, the curtain slightly lifted, his deep blue eyes coldly fixed on the increasingly steep cliffs on both sides of the official road.
As darkness fell, the mountains on both sides, like two silent black beasts, gradually narrowed the wide road into a sliver of sky.
The mountain wind swept through the Canyon, emitting mournful howls that sounded like crying.
The Divine Sense of the Head Soul Bone deep between Ling Yun's brows rippled slightly, and he faintly smelled a faint metallic scent drifting in the air.
That's the smell of a dead person.
It was also the lingering killing intent of Titled Douluo pressing down at the top of the Canyon.
Ling Yun slowly curled a bloodthirsty and cruel smile at the corner of his mouth, and reached out to press his hand against the taut wrist guard at his waist.
"Finally... it's time to settle the score."