The preliminary rounds have officially concluded.
The crowd in the stands gradually dispersed, but the discussions did not diminish as the crowd left.
The Clear Sky Hammer, Twin Martial Souls, Son of Tang Hao —these three words echoed repeatedly in every passage and on every step. Some were excited, some were wary, and some were deep in thought.
The teams that successfully advanced were all arranged in a lounge inside the Great Soul Arena to await further instructions from the organizers. As for Shrek, which ranked fifth, they had to go to another area to complete the procedures for advancing to the next round.
The lounge wasn't large, but it was big enough to accommodate four teams. When the people from the Godwind Academy arrived, Blazing Fire Academy, Skywater Academy, and Thunder Academy were already there.
Huo Wushuang leaned against the windowsill, Shui Bing'er sat in the corner, and Lei Dong stood by the wall, talking quietly with his teammates. The atmosphere wasn't particularly warm, but it wasn't awkward either.
The qualifiers have been going on for almost a month, and these four teams have already become familiar with each other, not to mention they had met before during the Five Elements Exchange Tournament.
When Feng Xiaotian entered, he exchanged a glance with Shui Bing'er. Shui Bing'er's lips curved slightly, and her eyes shone.
Feng Lingtian saw this but didn't say anything. He followed his brother to an empty seat by the wall. The other members of the Godwind Academy dispersed. Su Mei'er pulled Bai Yu to sit in a corner and they were talking about something. Zhong Yue leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.
At the Blazing Fire Academy, Chen Lie, Soul Master Agility Attack System, saw everyone chatting amongst themselves and, remembering what he had overheard, was eager to share and discuss it, so he spoke up directly. His voice wasn't loud, but the lounge was quiet, and everyone could hear him.
"Before the match, I happened to pass by Shrek's preparation area. Because I was standing close by, I heard Grandmaster say something to Tang San: 'Don't have any worries.'"
Lei Dong raised an eyebrow. "Just those five words?"
"Yes, just those five words," Chen Lie said. "But when I saw Tang San's expression after hearing them—it wasn't fear, it was hesitation."
Now that I think about it, as Tang San's teacher, Grandmaster couldn't possibly not know what Tang San's Second Martial Soul was. He must also know that once the Clear Sky Hammer is revealed, the old grudges between the Clear Sky Sect and the Spirit Hall will be brought up again.
When the Clear Sky Hammer appeared, Bishop Salas turned pale.
The Grandmaster must have known about these consequences, but he simply told Tang San not to worry.
"Would you stake your disciple's life and safety on a single qualifying spot?" Lei Dong added.
He was the vice-captain of the Thunder Academy, and Captain Yu Tianxin's right-hand man. Lei Dong thought for a moment and said frankly, "This deal isn't worthwhile."
"Perhaps the Grandmaster thought it was a good deal." Huo Wushuang stood by the window, arms crossed. "After all, Shrek doesn't have the Clear Sky Hammer; they're the ones who will lose today."
"Whether Shrek loses or not is not the point," Chen Lie said. "A teacher should protect their students, not use them as a gamble. The team needs to win, but that doesn't mean Tang San should carry the burden alone."
Yu Tianxin, the captain of the Thunder Academy, had been leaning against the wall without saying a word. Hearing this, she frowned and her lips moved slightly, but she ultimately did not speak.
No one else responded, but silence itself was an attitude.
At the Skywater Academy, Shui Yue'er sat next to Shui Bing'er without saying a word, but her eyes changed several times as Chen Lie spoke.
Shui Bing'er noticed her younger sister's expression and gently pressed the back of her hand. Shui Yue'er looked up at her older sister, and Shui Bing'er shook her head slightly, indicating that she shouldn't say anything more in this situation. Shui Yue'er swallowed back the words she was about to say.
Just then, Huo Wu spoke up.
"In my opinion, the Grandmaster did it on purpose." Huo Wu's voice wasn't loud, but her tone was much colder than usual.
Everyone looked at her.
Huo Wu continued, " Chen Lie just said that the Grandmaster didn't directly say 'You use the Clear Sky Hammer.' He said 'Don't have any concerns.'"
Think about this sentence—"Don't have any reservations." What does "don't have any reservations" mean? Does it mean you can act freely? Or that you can use methods you wouldn't normally dare to use? He didn't say it explicitly because he wanted to absolve himself of any responsibility.
Huo Wu turned her gaze from the window and glanced at everyone present.
"If everything goes smoothly after Tang San reveals the Clear Sky Hammer and he wins the match, it's because Yu Xiaogang provided excellent guidance. But if something goes wrong and the Spirit Hall targets Tang San, he can say—'I didn't tell Tang San to use the Clear Sky Hammer; I just told him not to worry, and Tang San misunderstood.'"
Huo Wu paused.
"He could claim credit for himself or distance himself from the consequences. From beginning to end, Yu Xiaogang carefully prepared his escape route, placing all the risks on his disciple."
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be spoken through gritted teeth.
"How hypocritical and disgusting."
A moment of silence fell over the lounge. Huo Wushuang glanced at his sister, hesitating to speak. Huo Wu didn't look at anyone, her gaze returning to the window.
Feng Lingtian sat in the corner, observing everything unfold before his eyes.
Chen Lie's indignation, Lei Dong's frankness, Huo Wushuang's neutrality, Shui Yue'er's displeasure, Shui Bing'er's restraint, Yu Tianxin's dissatisfaction—everyone had a different attitude towards this matter. But no one stood up to speak for Yu Xiaogang.
It's not that I'm afraid; it's just that it's not worth it.
Just then, a staff member from the organizers pushed open the door and announced the final rankings of the preliminary rounds:
The top five teams—First Place: Godwind Academy; Second Place: Skywater Academy; Third Place: Thunder Academy; Fourth Place: Blazing Fire Academy; Fifth Place: Shrek Academy —qualify for the qualifying rounds.
The qualifying rounds will be held in two weeks at the Royal Hunting Ground Heaven Dou City.
The tournament format is a one-on-one, rotating battle in a ring. Each team sends seven members to fight in turn. The winner stays on the field to continue fighting the next opponent, while the loser leaves the field and is replaced, until all seven members of one team are defeated. The specific draw for the matchups will be held on the opening day of the qualifying rounds.
After the staff left, the atmosphere in the lounge relaxed a bit. The nearly month-long qualifiers were finally over. No matter what the next stage would bring, at least for now, they could catch their breath and get some rest.
After a brief silence, the four teams got up and left one after another. Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er walked at the very back, exchanging a few words in hushed tones. Feng Lingtian didn't join them, and went out the door first.
He leaned against the wall of the corridor, waiting for Feng Xiaotian to come out. The corridor was quiet, a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the Great Soul Arena. The other members of the Godwind Academy had already gone ahead.
Feng Lingtian actually knew what Yu Xiaogang's purpose was: to prove himself and to prove the theories behind the title of " Grandmaster " that were ridiculed by the world.
Tang San was merely a tool for him to achieve this goal—the sharpest blade and the most obedient disciple.
Feng Lingtian didn't think he had any particular liking or dislike for Tang San. Everyone has their own goals and ways of doing things, so there was nothing to comment on.
But at this moment, thinking of that boy on the field, being talked about and coveted by everyone, and remembering Huo Wu's words, "If you advance, you can claim credit; if you retreat, you can clear your name," he suddenly felt—
Tang San is a bit pitiful.
Feng Xiaotian came out of the lounge and saw his younger brother leaning against the wall in a daze. He reached out and patted him on the head.
"What are you thinking about? Let's go."
Feng Lingtian straightened up, followed him for a few steps, and suddenly spoke, "Brother."
"Um?"
Do you think Huo Wu is right?
Feng Xiaotian didn't stop walking. "What she said is true. But given her personality, when she says it, it always sounds like she's cursing."
Feng Lingtian smiled and said, "That's just her personality."
"Hmm." Feng Xiaotian paused, "So you don't need to worry."
Feng Lingtian was taken aback. "What am I worried about?"
Feng Xiaotian looked at him, his eyes seeming to say, "What are you pretending for, kid?"
"Ever since you awakened at six, every time Huo Wushuang brought his sister over for a chat, you'd find all sorts of excuses to linger on the sidelines." Feng Xiaotian chuckled. "You think I don't know what you're thinking?"
Feng Lingtian opened his mouth, but didn't reply.
Feng Xiaotian didn't press further, only saying, "Before, I only considered her Wushuang's younger sister, and occasionally looked after her. Now that I have Bing'er, I'm even less likely to have any feelings for anyone else."
He patted Feng Lingtian on the shoulder, then withdrew his hand and continued walking forward.
Feng Lingtian stood there, watching his brother's back, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.
Ever since discovering that she had transmigrated into Feng Xiaotian's younger brother, the first thought that popped into her mind wasn't how to become stronger, but rather how to change her brother's fate—to stop being Huo Wu Wu's simp.
Over the years, he has done many things, some for the Godwind Academy and some for the Pill Pavilion, but in the end, they are all related to this idea.
Now that my brother has personally admitted that he won't have any feelings for anyone else after having Shui Bing'er.
Feng Lingtian suddenly felt something being lifted off his shoulders, replaced by a solid sense of accomplishment.
He took a deep breath and followed with light steps.