Three Soul Bones, Nine Names

When the champion's prize was delivered to the academy's temporary meeting room, all nine people were present.

The box was on the table, the seal still intact. The records for the three Soul Bone described their characteristics in terms of spirit, speed, and fire attribute, respectively. Their quality was rare, but the compatibility between the bones, Martial Soul, and absorber still required more rigorous verification.

Yu Feng walked halfway around the box before finally stopping in front of Qin Ming: "Can we open it now and take a look?"

"You can view the records, but you can't keep them privately." Qin Ming held the key in his hand. "The academy has already had someone verify the source and storage status of the prizes. The next step is to decide who gets them; it can't just be based on who played the best in the last match."

Yu Tianheng sat at the front of the table, his right hand still bandaged. He didn't let Qin Ming write his name directly, but instead used his left hand to lay out the three records one by one.

Osler first looked at the page about speed and direction, but after reading it, he handed the paper to Yu Feng: "You're better suited for changing direction in mid-air than I am, so this might be more useful to you."

Yu Feng took it, but didn't immediately cheer. "Not necessarily. The leg Soul Bone's effect on flight support is different from its effect on ground sprinting. If we rush to get it first and then find it's not suitable after absorbing it, that would be truly shameful."

Shi Mo leaned back in his chair. "And the two of us, just because we didn't stand in the center of the podium doesn't mean we didn't participate in the competition."

"Who said you didn't participate?" Dugu Yan said, "Without one of you in the Elephant Armor, the Imperial Fighting Team would have been eliminated long ago."

Qin Ming nodded, instructing everyone to set aside any disputes over specific ownership and instead write down three things on a piece of paper: compatibility with the Soul Bone's attributes, whether their bodies could bear it, and which Soul Master path they planned to take in the future.

Ye Lingling looked at the records. "Regarding the mental aspect, I can participate in the evaluation, but I'm not necessarily entitled to it. Healing stability does require mental exertion, but Li Man's management of the formation also relies on mental strength. Tang San and the other Support System will also consider these issues."

Li Man shook her head. "My nine array eyes are already at their mental limit. Rashly absorbing Head Soul Bone that isn't compatible might not help me stabilize the Ten Thousand Bamboos Return to the Veins. I should consult the physician and Senior Dugu first."

Dong Jian, who was still resting his back on the other side, laughed when he heard this, "Then I'll apply for a bed that will allow me to sleep more upright at night."

Dugu Yan pulled away the records in front of him. "Your Dark Gold Earth Vein Bear has already given you enough problems. Focus on healing your current state first."

She only mentioned the name of the Soul Beast, without mentioning the Dark Gold Spine Armor. Although this was the familiar nine-person council room, the actual details of the External Soul Bone were still not a secret that the entire team needed to know.

Qin Ming resealed the box and showed Yu Tianheng another piece of paper. The academy wanted to incorporate the championship rewards into the unified management of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, arguing that the academy had invested a lot of training resources and support; the team members, however, believed that the prizes were given to the winning team publicly at the competition and should not automatically become inventory that the Education Commission could rearrange.

Yu Tianheng asked, "Is this the official requirement?"

"It's currently a consultation letter," Qin Ming replied. "The three education commissioners don't have completely identical opinions. I've already requested that no individual recruitment or secondment be made until all nine people are informed."

"Then write it back," Yu Tianheng said. "The team agrees to the verification, and the ownership should be decided with the participation of all participating members, including those who didn't play in the championship match."

Yu Feng had originally intended to joke, but upon hearing the last sentence, he slowly sat up straight. He sat in the audience during the finals, still accompanying his teammates through all the training sessions; such a contribution is hard to categorize in terms of who knocked down which opponents, but the captain hadn't forgotten.

Qin Ming had everyone sign the confirmation form. Ye Lingling was the last to write, because her hand hadn't fully recovered, and her strokes were a little slow. Shi Mo held the paper steady and only released it after she finished writing.

Before the meeting ended, Qin Ming asked a few people to name the scenarios they least wanted to happen.

Shi Mo the first to answer, "I don't want Shi Mo to feel like he has to rely on me to fight because of a Soul Bone."

Shi Mo glanced at him. "I didn't want you to take an unsuitable piece just because others think that double Black Tortoise should be harder."

Osler said, "I want speed, but I'm also afraid that after getting the leg bone, I'll rely more and more on that one kick to explode, and I'll lose the habit of being able to hit several shots in a row now."

Yu Feng didn't laugh, "So why don't we try what we already know first? We can't use Soul Bone to decide what to do for future training."

After listening, Yu Tianheng asked Qin Ming to add a column to the assessment record: whether the recipient was clearly aware of the long-term burden.

"Don't write it like everyone wants it," Yu Tianheng said. "If someone thinks it's not suitable right now, they can say no. No doesn't mean they're removed from the Imperial Fighting Team list."

Ye Lingling put down her pen and looked at the two empty seats next to the table. "Will the academy let these three prizes affect our future team arrangements? Some people will take the team, and some won't. We can't let the original team members never get a chance to play just because the resources are different."

Qin Ming nodded, noting that down as well. During the competition, they had already learned to rotate nine people, but after winning the championship, they naturally couldn't reverse that and put all their hopes on the three Soul Bone.

Subsequently, the Education Commission sent a reply, allowing the Soul Bone to be temporarily stored, but requiring a complete declaration later. Qin Ming put the letter and the team members' confirmation forms into the same file, telling everyone that formal verification would take time, and anyone with questions could check the records.

Throughout the entire meeting, the box remained unsealed. Yu Feng looked on with a hint of regret, but did not suggest reopening it.

In the afternoon, the royal representative came to announce the awards. Xue Qinghe's attitude was as gentle as ever. He first checked the team members' injuries with Qin Ming, and then congratulated Yu Tianheng on the championship.

"Your right arm hasn't recovered yet?" Xue Qinghe asked.

"I need to rest."

"Then don't rush. Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon has already proven it can break through the stalemate head-on; the road ahead is long."

Yu Tianheng bowed and thanked them, but did not repeat his last punch story because of the praise.

Xue Qinghe turned to Li Man and asked if her Green Jade Dragon Bamboo Array had suffered too much damage in the red mist. Li Man explained that most of the nodes could be reassembled, but mental fatigue could only be recovered slowly.

"The more intricate the array, the more tiring it is for the operator." Xue Qinghe nodded. "It's commendable that you were able to leave a healing route at the end."

He then looked at Dong Jian. "I heard your back injury hasn't gotten any better. The fourth ring of that Dark Gold Earth Vein Bear does have a special load-bearing function, but the human body ultimately has its limits."

Dong Jian didn't answer immediately. He could tell that the other person was talking about Soul Ring and Martial Soul common sense, and didn't directly ask about the back bone fragments, so he only answered based on what had already been revealed, "When I make a mistake in my Momentum Shift, I can still get injured. This time, I almost couldn't even sit up straight."

"It's better for young people to admit these things than to put on a brave face for others." Xue Qinghe smiled, and then shifted the topic to the academy's future arrangements.

Standing behind Dong Jian, Li Man noticed that when he talked about carrying things, his gaze briefly swept towards Dong Jian's shoulder and back, but quickly looked away. This action alone was not enough to determine what he knew. She did not question him on the spot, nor did she write her concerns into any public documents.

After the awards ceremony, Dugu Yan glanced out the window and walked over to Yu Tianheng. "The matter of sealing the prizes has been taken care of. I'd like to Sunset Forest."

"For the sake of the Jade Sac Poison Storage?"

"Grandpa sent a message," she said. "Although I've been controlling the amount of drugs I've stored during the competition, I've been using them more frequently than usual. Once the competition ends, I can reset the cycle."

Yu Tianheng didn't try to stop him. "Shall I stay with you?"

"Your right arm isn't healed yet." Dugu Yan glanced at him. "Don't try to move everything yourself. Dong Jian and Li Man know the previous check-up procedures; they can just come with me."

Qin Ming agreed, telling the three not to rush on the road. Before leaving, he checked the sealing records again to make sure no one had taken the Soul Bone box.

Yu Feng followed behind, still unwilling to give up. "So who's going to take the three pieces?"

Yu Tianheng closed the conference room door with his left hand. "Let's talk after the physical examinations, compatibility assessments, and everyone's opinions are all ready."

"Being the team leader is such a hassle."

"You only just realized that?"

Yu Feng chuckled twice and helped him close the latch. The names of the nine people were left on the confirmation form, and the Soul Bone were placed untouched in the cabinet.

Before leaving the meeting room, Dong Jian folded and put away his assessment form. He didn't write any application in the "Soul Bone" section, but instead carefully wrote "Back and waist recovery not yet complete" in the "Current Physical Limitations" section. Li Man saw this and flattened the paper for him. "This is the one you absolutely cannot omit."

The convoy was already preparing to leave Spirit City. Some people saw the champion's flag, some saw the sealed rewards, but those who actually boarded the carriages left first, carrying medicine kits and the doctor's instructions.