Ning Rongrong gazed out the window.
From her vantage point, she could clearly see the main seat of the Heaven Dou Emperor in the VIP section.
"A 99th-ranked Limit Douluo... It really is the Demonic Eye Magic Tree!" Ning Rongrong frowned in thought.
Even after releasing her soul power, she couldn't sense any trace of a soul beast's aura from him—he was completely indistinguishable from a human Soul Master.
Generally speaking, unless it was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast like Xiao Wu, the Soft Boned Rabbit, who had taken human form, most soul beasts would reveal their true nature when using their powers.
Others, like Di Tian, would still exhibit slight differences in their soul power compared to humans.
But when the Demonic Eye Magic Tree used his soul power just now, it felt exactly like a genuine 99th-ranked pseudo-Demi-God-level Soul Master.
To achieve something like this...
Did the Silver Dragon King intervene?
"It seems I need to restore Kurumi's power as soon as possible, or there might be trouble."
Judging from the current situation, the Spirit Hall and the Star Dou Great Forest were definitely planning something big. Whether it would affect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan remained uncertain.
She couldn't afford to tie her safety to the mercy of others.
While it was true that the Silver Dragon King likely couldn't use her full power, and the five God Kings of the Divine Realm were restricted by their own rules from descending, it didn't mean they couldn't come down at all to deal with her.
"Kurumi mentioned the method to restore her power before, but if I do that, wouldn't it make me no different from an evil Soul Master?"
"Although the term 'evil Soul Master' doesn't really exist in the Douluo Continent yet."
But no matter how you looked at it, such behavior wouldn't be widely accepted!
As Ning Rongrong pondered her next steps, the atmosphere in the other VIP lounges, private resting areas, and even among the audience grew restless.
People exclaimed that their tickets were worth every penny—not only had they witnessed the competition, but they'd also seen Title Douluo in action and learned that the Heaven Dou Empire had a Limit Douluo.
Refunds? Who cared about refunds?
Did they look like people who couldn't afford tickets?
With the Heaven Dou Empire possessing a Limit Douluo, what did the Star Luo Empire's so-called Spirit Fusion Skills amount to?
Could they even take down a Limit Douluo?
Inside the exclusive resting area of the Blazing Wind Academy.
"So terrifying... a Limit Douluo!" Feng Xiaotian inhaled sharply. "This is actually my first time seeing a real Limit Douluo."
Who would've thought that Emperor Xue Qinghe had quietly recruited a 99th-ranked Limit Douluo?
Didn't that mean the Heaven Dou Empire's strength was now on par with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Clear Sky Clan, and the Spirit Hall?
The former "Top Three Clans" were now nominal at best. While they still existed, no one considered the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to be in the same league as the Clear Sky Clan or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
The Clear Sky Clan was strong overall, boasting multiple Title Douluo and a 99th-ranked ancestor.
The Spirit Hall was even more formidable, with two Limit Douluo and a host of Title Douluo.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan might not have a 99th-ranked expert, but their buffing abilities and Spirit Fusion Skills more than made up for it.
Not only did the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan profit immensely from selling pills, but they also had exclusive rights to various convenient soul tools, all bearing their anti-counterfeit mark.
As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan...
Well, they were just the weakest link. What more could be said?
"Xue Ke, for the Emperor to be able to invite a Limit Douluo... that's just too impressive!"
Whether it was the Four Element Academies or any other institution, they were all nominally under the Heaven Dou Empire's jurisdiction.
Possessing a Limit Douluo meant their strength far surpassed that of the Star Luo Empire.
"This... I had no idea either!" Xue Ke's cheek twitched slightly.
No wonder her fourth brother, Xue Beng, couldn't compete with Xue Qinghe—how could he possibly win against this?
But... was he really Xue Qinghe?
Xue Ke fell silent, her gaze unconsciously shifting toward Bi Ji.
Previously, she had secretly traveled to the Kingdom of Balak in hopes of questioning Xue Beng about certain matters.
However, she had been intercepted midway by Bi Ji, who forcibly took her as a disciple. Xue Ke wasn't stupid—she didn't believe she had that kind of talent.
Though, for some unknown reason after awakening, her martial soul had changed from a Swan to an Emerald Swan...
Something still felt off.
It was almost as if Bi Ji had deliberately come to the Kingdom of Balak to intercept her, then brought her to the Blazing Wind Academy to participate in the tournament while warning her not to seek out Xue Beng—or she would surely die.
Shaking off her scattered thoughts, Xue Ke approached Bi Ji.
"Teacher Bi Ji, what do you think about Xue Qinghe's bodyguard?" Her question immediately drew everyone's attention.
While they all knew Bi Ji was a Title Douluo, no one knew her exact rank—only that she was a healing-type Title Douluo.
Before the tournament began, she had brought Xue Ke to enroll in the academy and offered to lead the team in the competition.
She had also casually given them a few items, significantly boosting the Blazing Wind Academy team's strength.
"I'm not skilled in combat. His strength is roughly on par with mine."
Bi Ji set down the book in her hands and looked at Xue Ke for a moment.
"On par with you..."
Xue Ke fell silent, seemingly both surprised and unsurprised. She didn't press further, instead moving to sit quietly and think. Bi Ji didn't disturb her.
"W-Wait, what?!"
"On par with you?!"
Doesn't that mean...
The others froze, with Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian being the first to recover.
"Did I not mention it before? I'm also a 99th-ranked Title Douluo. I'm just not adept at combat."
"You never said anything about that!" Feng Xiaotian nearly stumbled in shock.
"Don't dwell on my strength, and don't spread it around. I dislike fighting and don't want unnecessary trouble."
Bi Ji spoke calmly.
If Xue Ke hadn't vaguely guessed something, she wouldn't have revealed it. But given how much Qian Renxue valued Xue Ke...
Compared to the lively and noisy atmosphere of the Blazing Wind Academy's resting area, the Shrek Academy's private lounge was much quieter.
"Xue Qinghe... is no simple figure." Tang Xiao took a deep breath.
In the past, Tang Xiao hadn't believed the continent harbored so many terrifying existences.
He had even been deeply skeptical.
But a few years ago, he had witnessed Tokisaki Kurumi overpowering Qian Daoliu.
Then, while searching for herbs in the Extreme North, he had encountered the Snow Empress. If not for her apparent hesitation and his quick escape, he might not have survived.
Not to mention his encounters with Di Tian and Bi Ji in the Heaven Dou Empire.
This continent was truly fraught with danger—even as a 97th-ranked expert, he felt a sense of trepidation.
According to the information their ancestor had relayed after rescuing Tang San, Xue Qinghe had a 96th-ranked female Title Douluo by his side.
*96th-ranked? Ancestor, are you blind?!*
Not only did you mistake their gender, but you even got their soul power rank wrong!
Originally, Tang Xiao had thought that with his 97th-ranked strength, as long as nothing major happened, he could ensure the safety of the clan's younger generation.
Especially since the ancestor had even taught him the Clear Sky Clan's secret techniques, the Clear Sky Nine Absolute and the Ring Explosion, boosting his combat power significantly.
But now...
"This is getting troublesome." Tang Xiao sighed heavily.
"This continent... has become something I no longer recognize." Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back.
"However, Sect Master Tang Xiao, rest assured. Our little monsters will surely make a resounding impact in this Elite Soul Master Tournament and claim the championship!"
"Let's hope so."
Tang Xiao wasn't just concerned about the competition—there were also the intricate power struggles between various factions.
Moreover, one of his goals in coming here was to verify whether the spirit bone offered by the Spirit Hall belonged to A Yin!
"By the way, Grandmaster Yu." Tang Xiao paused before asking, "You mentioned having a method to resolve Tang San's twin martial souls issue. May I ask what it is?"
While Yu Xiaogang had some decent insights and unique strategies for team battles, his limited strength meant many of his ideas weren't practical.
Still, since he was Tang San's teacher and had earned Tang Hao's approval, Tang Xiao couldn't say much.
"Don't worry, Sect Master Tang Xiao." Yu Xiaogang thumped his chest confidently. "Once the preliminary rounds are secured, I'll head to Spirit City."
"I left some research notes there on cultivating twin martial souls. They should still be available."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Grandmaster Yu." Tang Xiao didn't dwell on Yu Xiaogang's words.