Chapter 205: The Soul Master Tournament Ends
"How could I, Teacher? You'd never harm Xiao Wu, right?" Luo Ling said with a sly grin, feigning innocence.
Bibi Dong sighed and shook her head helplessly. "Forget it, let's not talk about Xiao Wu anymore. Tell me about that spirit bone of yours."
Her gaze shifted to Luo Ling's right leg. During the confrontation with Tang Hao, she had briefly sensed the surge of energy from his leg—a fleeting yet unmistakable wave of immense power.
It was the aura of a spirit bone, and not an ordinary one. Its energy was on par with her own hundred-thousand-year spirit bone.
"If my senses weren't wrong, that's a spirit bone, isn't it? And a hundred-thousand-year one at that."
"Teacher, nothing escapes your eyes," Luo Ling admitted with a faint smile, knowing there was no point in hiding it.
A soft green glow spread from his right leg, filling the room with a pulse of life energy.
"This is the hundred-thousand-year right leg bone of the Blue Silver Emperor," Luo Ling explained.
"The Blue Silver Emperor?" Bibi Dong froze, her mind flashing back to the past when Spirit Hall besieged Tang Hao.
"Yes," Luo Ling nodded. "It's the spirit bone left behind after Tang Hao's wife sacrificed herself."
"So, your trip to Soto City was for the Blue Silver Emperor's spirit bone?" Bibi Dong asked curiously.
Luo Ling gave a brief nod. The spirit bone was only part of his objective, but if she saw it that way, it saved him from explaining further.
"What are your plans next?" Bibi Dong pressed.
After thinking for a few seconds, Luo Ling answered, "To help Qian Renxue carry out her plan to seize the throne."
He would help Qian Renxue? Since when were they on such close terms?
Bibi Dong looked at him in surprise, an odd expression flickering across her face.
She remembered that in the tournament, it was Qian Renxue who exposed Yu Xiaogang's identity—that too, must have been related to Luo Ling.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, stayed silent.
…
Time passed quickly, and the next day marked the grand final of the tournament.
News had spread that Luo Ling wouldn't compete due to injuries sustained to his martial spirit.
The audience—having witnessed his overwhelming strength—actually felt the explanation made sense. If his immense power came at a cost, that was understandable.
In front of the Pope's Hall, both Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and Spirit Hall Academy stood ready.
With Luo Ling absent, Heaven Dou had temporarily brought in a substitute from their second team. However, morale was low.
There was no will to fight.
Spirit Hall Academy fielded three Spirit Kings and possessed a Martial Spirit Fusion Technique.
In contrast, Heaven Dou had only three Spirit Elders and the rest were Spirit Masters. The difference in strength was overwhelming.
The outcome was obvious.
The battle ended quickly. The sheer gap in power crushed Heaven Dou Academy's resistance, and they were defeated without suspense.
Spirit Hall Academy claimed the championship.
Yet everyone knew who the true champion of this tournament was—
The boy sitting silently in Heaven Dou's rest area.
"The Champion of this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament: Spirit Hall Academy. Congratulations, you have not disappointed me."
Bibi Dong stood, her face calm as she announced the final result.
The seven members of Spirit Hall Academy stood in formation, neither arrogant nor overjoyed. They knew they'd won largely by default.
Without further comment, Bibi Dong distributed the three spirit bones as rewards.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan each received one.
Amid the cheers, the tournament officially drew to a close.
…
At Shrek's residence, Yu Tianheng and the others were finally released from confinement.
They were still shaken but relieved. Since the Blood Demon Ritual hadn't left any signs of muddied spirit power typical of Evil Spirit Masters, they were spared punishment.
Ning Rongrong and the other two girls had already been released earlier.
"You really didn't know anything about Yu Xiaogang or Tang San?" Liu Erlong asked suspiciously.
When they'd been traveling with Yu Xiaogang—training outside under the pretense of "experiencing the world"—their growth had been abnormally fast, though not as outrageous as Tang San's.
Yu Tianheng and the others exchanged uneasy glances.
"Dean, we truly didn't know Master and Tang San would do something like that," Yu Tianheng said quickly.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun nodded in agreement.
Liu Erlong sighed, choosing not to press further. "So, what are your plans now? With your current strength, you've already graduated from Blue Lightning Overlord Academy."
"I'll return to my clan," Yu Tianheng said first. He had only joined the academy because of Yu Xiaogang, and now that Yu Xiaogang was wanted, there was no reason to stay.
"What about you two?" Liu Erlong asked, looking at Oscar and Ma Hongjun.
The two looked at each other uncertainly.
"Would you two like to join the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" Yu Tianheng suddenly offered. "With your talent, the clan will greatly value you."
Both men were momentarily surprised—but then caught the faint look in Yu Tianheng's eyes.
They understood instantly.
The three of them were all followers of the Primordial God Sect and knew the methods of the Blood Demon Ritual. None of it could be revealed.
Yu Tianheng clearly wanted to keep them together.
Without hesitation, they both nodded. "If Brother Tianheng invites us, of course we'll join."
"Haha! Rest assured! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is one of the top three sects. You won't regret it!" Yu Tianheng laughed heartily.
…
And so, the Shrek members went their separate ways.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing prepared to return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while Xiao Wu remained in Spirit Hall.
Luo Ling, meanwhile, was preparing to depart for Heaven Dou Imperial City.
During this time, news of what happened in Spirit City spread rapidly across the entire continent.
Yu Xiaogang's name was ruined beyond repair. Tang San and even Tang Hao were branded as heretics.
The Clear Sky Sect—long dormant—now carried a stain of secret involvement in evil rituals.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also suffered collateral damage due to Yu Xiaogang's infamy.
…
In the depths of the Star Dou Forest, inside a shadowed cave, countless mangled spirit beast corpses littered the ground—hundreds, thousands, even several ten-thousand-year beasts among them.
Tang Hao stood before the array Yu Xiaogang had carved into the earth, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
A formation this simple could supposedly convert flesh and blood into pure spirit energy? It was unbelievable.
He wasn't entirely convinced—but seeing the confidence in both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San's faces made him waver.
If this truly could grant purer, stronger spirit power without corruption… then it would indeed be a miracle.
Evil Spirit Masters had always been hated not just because they used blood and flesh to grow stronger, but because doing so warped their minds—turning them violent, bloodthirsty, uncontrollable.
"Lord Hao Tian," Yu Xiaogang said, finishing the final rune and stepping forward, "the array is complete. Step inside and recite the prayer exactly as I taught you."
(END CHAPTER)
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