Chapter 188: The Champion of the Preliminary Tournament
Feng Xiaotian's Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes relied on momentum—each rotation amplified his power further.
But in mid-spin, his eyes widened in horror.
The transparent wings on his back were rotting away.
They crackled, splitting apart piece by piece.
The energy stored in his wind-powered wings was leaking fast, slipping away like sand through fingers.
"Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes? You think anyone would let you strike that many times?
We of the Dugu Clan kill in a single blow."
Xiao She smiled faintly.
A dull bang! followed as Feng Xiaotian hit the ground hard.
Moments ago, Xiao She had unleashed his fourth spirit ability, pouring all his spirit power into it and destroying Feng Xiaotian's wings completely—shattering the technique at its core.
His fourth spirit skill, Jade Phosphor Heavenly Gang, hardened his spirit-power serpents into shields of dense armor, infused with lethal toxins that corroded everything they touched.
Against Feng Xiaotian's energy-forged wings, the result was inevitable—instant victory.
Feng Xiaotian's wings required continuous accumulation of power.
Xiao She's strike, however, released all power in one decisive burst, and his poison had time to set in during Feng Xiaotian's spin.
The so-called Thirty-Six Slashes died before it could even begin.
Feng Xiaotian's face flushed crimson. He felt as if caught in a dream—ascending to glory, only to plummet into a pit of failure before tasting triumph.
This self-created skill had taken him years to develop—the Gale Demon Wolf's Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes.
For it, he had slowed his own cultivation progress.
His elders and teachers had told him repeatedly: focus on your spirit power, not fancy techniques.
He had ignored them all.
He loved the thrill of diving attacks from the sky, the power and style of his creation that once crushed those of equal rank.
But today, he had fallen before even the second slash.
Had he looked toward his team, he would have seen his headmaster and teachers smiling.
Defeated—and that was a blessing.
Defeated by his own invention!
At least now, perhaps he would stop fixating on self-created skills.
"You win," he admitted, struggling to stand, his face red with shame.
His eyes dimmed with regret.
He had wanted his self-created technique to shock the entire arena, to prove his genius.
Instead, it only proved his folly.
What use was an attack that required so much preparation?
No opponent would stand idly by and wait.
Xiao She approached calmly and dispelled the Jade Phosphor poison within him.
"I heard you're born with full innate spirit power," he said with a faint smile before returning proudly to Gemstone Academy's formation.
"Victory, Gemstone Academy!"
From above, the referee's voice thundered through the sky.
"Glory to Gemstone Academy!"
"Dugu She! Dugu She!"
The cheers erupted, shaking the Great Spirit Arena to its core.
Gemstone Academy had achieved twenty-seven consecutive victories—champions of the preliminary rounds.
The other four teams advancing to the next stage were Godwind Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, Tianshui Academy, and Shrek Academy.
"Next, His Majesty, along with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master Ning Fengzhi and the Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop Salas, will present the awards and qualification certificates to the five teams entering the promotion stage!"
Emperor Xue Ye and the others rose from the VIP platform.
It was time for the final ceremony.
Everyone remembered the Emperor's promise of lavish rewards—and the entire arena buzzed with excitement.
Salas, standing beside Ning Fengzhi, looked displeased.
The rewards were too generous.
Every participant above Spirit Ancestor rank would be granted a viscount title; Spirit Elders would receive baronies with real land—territories only true nobles could claim.
On top of lands and titles, they would receive annual stipends from the empire—a stable income directly from the royal treasury.
Moreover, each would be entitled to royal assistance in hunting for a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, provided by the empire's own spirit beast reserves within the Royal Hunting Forest.
A full package of privileges—irresistible temptation to any spirit master.
Emperor Xue Ye took the opportunity to promote the Royal Knight Spirit Corps once again, announcing that any spirit master who joined them would enjoy similarly high treatment.
The crowd erupted in renewed fervor.
Meanwhile, the five advancing teams returned to the rest area, flushed with excitement.
It was then that Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu approached the Gemstone team.
Feng Xiaotian's expression had steadied—he had come to thank Xiao She.
He had decided to devote himself purely to cultivation from now on, leaving behind his wasted obsession with self-created techniques.
Xiao She's final words in battle had revealed the truth—his spirit power rank had fallen behind.
He now understood how much time he had lost. With focus, he could already have been approaching the Spirit King level.
Huo Wu glanced briefly at Dugu Feng, curiosity in her eyes, but refrained from speaking.
His cold expression made him unapproachable.
Throughout the preliminaries, not once had Dugu Feng entered the stage, yet Gemstone Academy still crushed every opponent.
If he were to fight… none could stand before him.
Everyone knew it.
Even Huo Wu, as proud as she was, did not dare underestimate the man who once defeated Yan, a level forty-eight Spirit Master, years ago.
Dugu Feng watched the exchange between Feng Xiaotian and Xiao She and thought quietly to himself, Good. Xiao She is strong enough now to represent the Dugu Clan with honor.
Moments later, the arena began to empty. Teams dispersed, and spectators trickled out.
A month of rest awaited before the promotion matches near Heaven Dou City's outskirts.
"Rongrong, my spirit power is about to break through. I'll need time to cultivate. Continue your training with our academy's team. When we depart for Spirit City, we'll go together."
Outside the arena, Dugu Feng turned to Ning Rongrong.
"Ah, that long?" she asked, startled, before smiling softly. "We've spent so much time together already. I'm satisfied. Go on and focus on cultivation—I won't hold you back."
She knew how much he valued training; she wouldn't hinder him now.
After their farewell, Dugu Feng left Heaven Dou City, riding swiftly on the back of his Emerald Dragon Serpent toward the Sunset Forest.
The forest was tranquil; only the sound of wind under the serpent's wings disturbed the silence, startling a few spirit beasts as they passed.
The Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well awaited him—the perfect place to cultivate.
All those days watching battles at the Great Spirit Arena had deepened his understanding of martial souls.
He had new insights about his Killing God Domain and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
It was time to train.
(END CHAPTER)
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