[The competition has ended.] [Winners' bracket rankings:] [First place, Ning Rongrong.] [Second place, Zhu Zhuqing.] [Third place, Ma Hongjun.] [Fourth place, Qian Renxue.] [Fifth place, Lou Gao.]
Meanwhile, all the matches in the losers' bracket had also concluded.
[Losers' bracket rankings:] [Sixth place, Dugu Bo.] [Seventh place, Tang Hao.] [Eighth place, Oscar.] [Ninth place, Hu Liena.] [Competition complete. Distributing rewards.]
Nine streaks of golden light flashed across the Dragon-Tiger Ranking, displaying the scenes of everyone receiving their rewards.
Ning Rongrong gained nine levels of soul power, directly skipping an entire major stage to reach level fifty. Once she added a suitable soul ring, she would reach at least level fifty-three.
Even Tang San in the original timeline had only been in his thirties at this age, yet Ning Rongrong had directly reached the terrifying level of fifty.
In second place, Zhu Zhuqing's soul power rose straight to level forty after she received her reward. With a suitable soul ring added, she would reach at least level forty-three.
In third place, Ma Hongjun raised his soul power to exactly level forty, with none left over.
In fourth place, Qian Renxue raised her soul power straight to level seventy-eight, saving herself a long stretch of arduous cultivation.
In fifth place, Lou Gao gained five levels of soul power, directly reaching level seventy-seven.
But at sixth place, the increase became rather terrifying. Dugu Bo rose directly from level ninety-two to level ninety-six, going from the bottom rung of Titled Douluo strength to the level of a Super Douluo in a single leap.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao wore a face full of resentment. He had only risen from level ninety-two to level ninety-five, though that still made him a Super Douluo.
As for eighth-place Oscar, his soul power rose from level thirty-two to level thirty-four.
And Hu Liena, in last place, only rose from level forty-eight to level forty-nine-better than nothing, though it did save her a little time.
With that, the second round of the Dragon-Tiger Ranking ended.
But everyone on the Douluo Continent understood that only this round of the Dragon-Tiger Ranking had ended.
Looking at the nine contestants listed on the Dragon-Tiger Ranking, the Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent erupted into an uproar.
This Dragon-Tiger Ranking really could raise soul power levels. Even for a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo, when it said he would gain four levels, it actually raised him by four levels.
The soul power a Titled Douluo needed to advance one level and the soul power a level-thirty Soul Elder needed to cultivate to advance one level were as far apart as heaven and earth.
Yet that was how the Dragon-Tiger Ranking worked. Whether you were level thirty or level ninety, if it said it would add four levels of soul power, it added four levels of soul power.
At that moment, the Clear Sky Sect was bustling with excitement. Tang Xiao could not help clapping his hands and laughing heartily. "Brother Hao has done splendidly! He fought his way through and has already become a Super Douluo. I reckon even Spirit Hall's Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong couldn't beat him now."
The second elder snorted, but nodded as well.
"Do you think Tang Hao could defeat that Wang Qiye from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?" the fifth elder suddenly asked.
Everyone in the Clear Sky Sect sank into thought. In the end, the few of them still shook their heads.
"That Wang Qiye is simply too terrifying."
"Back then, with that divine artifact, Yu Yuanzhen had at least reached the level of a demigod's body, yet Wang Qiye suppressed him outright."
Recalling that scene, Tang Xiao still felt a chill down his back. Wang Qiye had not even summoned his martial soul, much less used a soul skill.
"To deal with Wang Qiye, I'm afraid we'd truly have to become gods."
"Yes, exactly."
But how could ordinary mortals so easily become gods?
At that thought, they could not help giving bitter laughs. They could only eagerly hope that this great Buddha, Wang Qiye, would become a god as soon as possible. According to the records their sect had left behind, gods would ascend to the Divine Realm after attaining godhood and would not remain in the mortal world for long.
"Then let us wish Senior Wang further advances in strength and an early ascension to the upper realm."
"From now on, when we encounter disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, we'd best swallow whatever we can."
Tang Hao gave a bitter laugh. For now, that was all they could do.
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Sword and Bone Douluos gathered with Ning Fengzhi in the pavilion atop the mountain. Watching Ning Rongrong slowly awaken, the aura around her surging, they nodded deeply.
"Those nine levels of soul power saved you at least five years of hard work."
Ning Rongrong, however, gave a helpless smile. "Dad, just how little do you think of me? If I cultivated those nine levels myself, it would take one or two years at most. With the cultivation method my master taught me, my cultivation speed has increased severalfold."
"Yes, yes, our Rongrong is the best." Ning Fengzhi sighed. "Hmm, perhaps it won't be long before your soul power level catches up to mine, Rongrong. I just don't know whether you can break through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's restriction and become a level-eighty Soul Douluo."
"Don't worry, Dad. This cultivation method can definitely do it."
"My master once told me that if I wanted to evolve my martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, he could help me at any time."
"But even if I alone evolved my martial soul, what use would that be? That opportunity would only come once. Future disciples whose martial souls are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda would still be trapped at the level bottleneck."
"But as long as I work this cultivation method all the way through, every direct-line disciple of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will be able to break through the level-seventy-nine bottleneck and become a Soul Douluo, or even a Titled Douluo. Just wait and see."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi sighed repeatedly. He had never imagined that his daughter's ambitions would reach so far.
The once unruly and willful young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had already grown into a grandmaster capable of standing on her own.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong's old heart was also deeply comforted. He had watched Ning Rongrong grow up from childhood. She had once been such a tiny little thing, yet only a few years had passed, and now she was talking about shouldering the burden of overcoming the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul's flaw.
"Rongrong, we're very glad you have such ambition, but this is destined to be a long road of thorns. If you encounter difficulties, feel free to come and talk to us old fellows. Even if our bodies are smashed and our bones ground to dust, we'll help you through them."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin was so excited that he could not contain himself. Ning Rongrong's heroic spirit stirred the sword energy around him, and even his martial soul, the Seven Kill Sword, trembled slightly.
"Oh, there's no need for that. Your comprehension is too poor. Besides, this path isn't all that difficult for me. Just wait until I simplify the cultivation method a little more, then follow it and copy."
The entire pavilion instantly fell silent.
"Ah, I suddenly remembered that the people below just bought a batch of ore. I have to go take a look. I'll be off." With that, Ning Fengzhi moved to rise.
"Oh, right, Grandpa Gu, there's something I want to tell you."
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