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The streak of sword qi forced the entire Spirit Hall Academy team to resist.
However, since it wasn't a complete "Kill" word, its power wasn't overwhelming.
With everyone resisting, the sword's momentum was quickly neutralized.
Up on the high platform, Sword Douluo finally let out a sigh of relief. He had been genuinely afraid that Ning Tianchen might unleash a full "Kill" word.
Such a genius, if left unchecked, would inevitably become invincible on the continent. The Spirit Hall wasn't foolish—they absolutely wouldn't let Ning Tianchen go free.
Of course, "letting him go" had multiple meanings. It could mean killing him or keeping him within the Spirit Hall.
The match continued.
"Boss, that move was so cool! Do it a few more times, and we'll strike together—then we'll win for sure!" Chen Huayu exclaimed excitedly.
Ning Tianchen retorted, "Do you think my soul power grows on trees?!"
Chen Xin had once said that the "Kill" word sword technique could produce up to nine strokes. But this wasn't the limit of the technique—it was his personal limit. In theory, there was no upper limit.
Unfortunately, unless one broke through to become a Limit Douluo, even a 98th-level Super Douluo could only produce nine "Kill" words. There was no other reason—it simply consumed too much soul power.
On the other side, Xie Yue and Hu Liena's martial soul fusion technique took shape, and a thick red mist rapidly spread across the battlefield.
Within the red mist, all senses were suppressed by 50%, soul power was reduced by half, and overall strength diminished significantly.
"Nine treasures are renowned—four for defense." Ning Rongrong quickly applied defensive boosts to everyone.
In the red mist, a slender, extremely tall figure with an indistinguishable gender was concealed.
"The real battle begins now," a voice both seductive and full of vigor echoed in everyone's ears.
"What the hell… this is definitely a shemale," Ning Tianchen muttered.
"Xiaotian, blow this red mist away!"
In the red mist, only Yaomei could fight unimpeded. Even the members of the Spirit Hall team were affected by the suppression.
Therefore, as soon as the red mist rose, the Spirit Hall team retreated to the edge of the stage.
But the red mist wasn't a domain—it could be dispersed by strong winds.
"Xiaotian, we'll give you the opportunity." Yu Die and Cai Die spoke simultaneously.
The Kaleidoscope Dazzling Butterfly suddenly surged forward, actively engaging Yaomei.
Yaomei wielded two crescent blades with incredible strength. Each swing was graceful, like a mesmerizing dancer.
Even with Ning Rongrong's boosts, the Kaleidoscope Dazzling Butterfly was still at a disadvantage under the suppression.
"Use that move!" Ning Tianchen shouted.
Relying on the flight ability of his sword wings, Ning Tianchen leaped into the air and landed atop the Kaleidoscope Dazzling Butterfly.
This was their ultimate trump card—the Butterfly Knight.
Feng Xiaotian quickly activated his soul skill, summoning a wind dragon tornado.
"Wind Wolf Fifty-Four Slash Combo!"
Claws slashed through the air, with the attack power continuously stacking.
Originally, Feng Xiaotian's Wind Wolf Slash Combo required striking a physical object to stack. However, under Ke Jie's guidance, he achieved something similar to the Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer Technique—stacking the power of his soul skill using only his own movements.
The wind grew stronger, and the red mist was gradually sucked into the tornado. The color of the wind dragon turned crimson.
However, the concentration of the red mist was immense, and Feng Xiaotian still needed some time to completely clear it.
Zhu Zhuqing and Chen Huayu protected him from all sides, preventing any surprise attacks.
Ning Tianchen, like a knight galloping across the battlefield, swung his sword with each motion cutting down enemies like heads rolling off.
Yaomei's strength was also formidable. Every swing of the crescent blades carried tremendous force. Before the red mist dissipated, Ning Tianchen didn't dare engage in direct combat.
---
"What's happening on the stage? Has a winner been decided yet?"
The audience's strength levels varied, and not everyone could see through the red mist.
The sound of clashing swords and blades only proved that both sides were locked in fierce combat. The specific situation remained unclear.
Those familiar with spirit-type soul masters immediately gasped. "This mist can suppress a soul master's strength—Seven Treasures Academy might be in serious trouble."
Up on the high platform, powerful figures like Bibi Dong could see through the mist without obstruction.
Yaomei hadn't gained the upper hand against Ning Tianchen; both sides were evenly matched. But this was within Yaomei's red mist. If the mist disappeared, wouldn't the situation reverse instantly?
About three minutes later, Feng Xiaotian gathered all the red mist and hurled it into the sky.
With Yaomei exposed, her threat level greatly diminished.
Ning Tianchen was surrounded by countless flying blades, and behind him, his sword wings were reduced to mere skeletons.
"What kind of soul bone is this?!" Yu Xiaogang exclaimed in shock.
A soul bone that could separate and be used independently had never appeared on the continent before.
Tang San looked at Ning Tianchen with envy.
If the sword wing soul bone fell into his hands, many of the Tang Sect's hidden weapon techniques wouldn't require actual weapons—he could execute them with just his body. Perhaps, in this year's Soul Master Tournament, he could have relied on hidden weapons to secure the championship.
But ifs don't exist. At this moment, they had already been eliminated. All they could do was fantasize in their minds.
Moreover, Ning Tianchen's sword wings were clearly external soul bones fully fused with his body. Killing him wouldn't yield the soul bone.
"Xiaogang, Ning Tianchen has too many trump cards. Our kids didn't lose unfairly. Hopefully, five years from now, he won't participate again," Flender sighed deeply.
On the stage
Under Ning Tianchen's control, the thousands of flying blades moved as one, completely suppressing Yaomei.
"Charge!" Ning Tianchen roared.
The Butterfly Knight tactic wasn't about relying on him alone but leveraging the knight's overwhelming power to provide support for his teammates' battles.
Feng Xiaotian charged first, with Chen Huayu and Zhu Zhuqing flanking him on either side.
Without her teammates' protection, Ning Rongrong voluntarily retreated to the edge of the stage, ready to leave at any moment.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul had an incredibly long casting range, almost covering the entire stage.
Other teams' auxiliary-type soul masters couldn't achieve this.
"Feng Xiaotian, let me take you on!" Yan charged forward, intending to stop Feng Xiaotian's advance.
However, Ning Tianchen, riding the Kaleidoscope Dazzling Butterfly, exerted immense pressure on Yaomei.
Ning Tianchen had already mastered the Three Aperature Governing Heart Technique. While controlling thousands of flying blades to battle Yaomei, he manipulated the Seven Kill Sword to entangle Yan.
Yan, who wasn't skilled in speed, was bypassed by Feng Xiaotian without hesitation.
"Zhang Ping, go deal with Ning Rongrong!" Yan immediately sensed the danger and gave the order.
The other members of the Spirit Hall Academy team weren't weak either. Sun Chuantao at forty-eight levels and Li Kai at forty-seven levels could barely withstand Feng Xiaotian's assault.
Zhang Ping went after Ning Rongrong, leaving Xu Yu in the backline entirely unprotected.
"Second soul skill, Support Light; third soul skill, Radiant Gold Light; fourth soul skill, Divine Edict of Light."
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing about to charge in, Xu Yu immediately conceded defeat.
Conceding individually didn't mean the entire team surrendered.
With Xu Yu conceding, Zhu Zhuqing had to stop. Without delay, Xu Yu stepped off the stage.
Before being eliminated, he had applied auxiliary-type soul skills to his teammates, fulfilling his mission. The rest depended on his teammates' performance.
Ning Rongrong of Seven Treasures Academy, without protection, faced imminent death against an agility-type soul master ambush. She took a step back, leaving the stage boundaries.
Both auxiliaries exited the field, leaving six-on-six.
Anyone with sharp eyes could see that Seven Treasures Academy's organized attack was highly aggressive, forcing the Spirit Hall team into a passive defensive stance.
Next, if the Spirit Hall team couldn't withstand Seven Treasures Academy's onslaught, they would collapse entirely.
One minute later, under the cooperation of Feng Xiaotian and Chen Huayu, Li Kai was eliminated. Zhu Zhuqing, while covering them, was eliminated by Sun Chuantao and Yan.
Soon after, Chen Huayu was caught by Sun Chuantao. Due to the difference in strength, Chen Huayu had no choice but to concede.
Feng Xiaotian quickly eliminated Zhang Ping, avenging Chen Huayu.
Ning Tianchen repelled Yaomei and teamed up with Feng Xiaotian to corner Yan.
It must be said that the Flame Lord martial soul's defense was exceptionally strong. Feng Xiaotian's attacks felt like mere scratches.
Ultimately, Feng Xiaotian embraced Yan and eliminated both of them in a "mutual destruction" manner.
On the stage, only Yaomei and three members of Seven Treasures Academy remained.
"Moon Strike!"
Yaomei unleashed her ultimate move. Ning Tianchen, Yu Die, and Cai Die, unwilling to yield, simultaneously delivered their final blows.
---
The audience collectively stood up.
In this final exchange, who would emerge victorious? To whom would the championship belong?
As the light from the soul skill collision faded, both teams' martial soul fusion techniques dissipated simultaneously.
Hu Liena and Xie Yue lay on the ground, covered in sword wounds.
But they still hadn't conceded. Xie Yue stood up, preparing to continue fighting.
Ning Tianchen turned his gaze toward the high platform. "Your Holiness, these two are already gravely injured. If the fight continues, they will surely bleed to death. What do you say—are we to continue this match?"
Xie Yue loudly proclaimed, "I can still fight!"
As he spoke, blood dripped from his pant leg onto the floor.
Behind him, Hu Liena's injuries were severe. The slash wound on her abdomen revealed glimpses of her intestines moving.
Bibi Dong's gaze hardened. She lightly tapped her scepter on the floor. "Spirit Hall Academy team, concede!"
As the referee announced the champion, Yan immediately rushed onto the stage.
"Nana, how are you feeling?"
Hu Liena had lost too much blood and was slipping into unconsciousness, unable to respond.
Seeing this, Yan glared furiously at Ning Tianchen, nearly roaring, "If Nana suffers any harm, I won't let you off!"
During the earlier exchange, Ning Tianchen had only sustained minor injuries. Aside from heavy soul power consumption, he was otherwise fine.
"If you want to challenge me, I'm always available. But if her treatment is delayed because of you, causing unnecessary casualties, don't blame us."
Yan was enraged, nearly losing his composure. "You—"
"Enough! Stop embarrassing yourself," Yue Guan scolded. His gaze shifted to Ning Fengzhi. "Ning Sect Leader, please stabilize the injuries of both teams first. The Spirit Hall's healing-type soul masters will arrive shortly."
There was still the award ceremony to conduct. They couldn't let both teams participate with their injuries.
Below the stage, Dugu Yan felt a pang of pain and muttered quietly, "The once-arrogant Golden Generation never expected this day to come!"
With Seven Treasures Academy winning the championship, the cheers from the audience were significantly muted. Had it not been for the upcoming coronation ceremony of the Title Douluo, they likely would have already left the arena.
After all, only when a new Title Douluo emerged would the Hall of Douluo open.
The Hall of Douluo was the most mysterious and respected place within the Spirit Hall. Buried within were countless Title Douluos from the past ten thousand years on the Douluo Continent. Even the Pope couldn't enter it at will.
The last time the Hall of Douluo opened was ten years ago, when Dugu Bo broke through to become a Title Douluo and received his coronation.
In fact, the number of times the Hall of Douluo opened allowed outsiders to roughly estimate the number of top-tier powerhouses on the continent.
In the past decade, only one Title Douluo had emerged—a significant slowdown compared to a thousand years ago.
...
After receiving treatment, the injuries of both competing teams were mostly healed.
Led by the red-robed cardinal, the three teams stood on the square in front of the Pope's Palace to receive the rewards from the tournament organizers.
The names of the three teams would be recorded in the history books of the tournament. Additionally, the results of the competition would soon be announced to the entire continent by the Spirit Hall.
The positions where the three teams stood were separated by about twenty meters.
The members of Seven Treasures Academy stood tall and proud—it was their moment of victory.
"Are we really champions? Am I dreaming?" Oscar pinched Chen Huayu's waist fat as he spoke.
"Xiao Ao, stop pinching me, or I'll beat you up even in this happiest moment," Chen Huayu warned.
The award ceremony began shortly. Ning Tianchen's gaze occasionally shifted toward Shrek Academy's direction.
In the original timeline, because Ning Fengzhi had used his true form to heal both teams, the enormous Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda hovered in the air, startling Xiao Wu and causing her to drop the immortal herb, exposing its presence.
Now, since Shrek Academy had been observing from below the stage the entire time, Xiao Wu hadn't exposed herself.
He wondered if history would repeat itself.
Ning Tianchen glanced at the high platform.
Today, Jin E (Golden Crocodile) Douluo wasn't present, and the Spirit Hall's personnel arrangement was almost identical to the original timeline. The only difference was that Dugu Bo and Sword Chen Xin wouldn't assist Shrek Academy.
Pope Bibi Dong personally stepped down.
Only the champion team, Seven Treasures Academy, had the honor of receiving the awards directly from the Pope.
Both the Spirit Hall Academy team and Shrek Academy team were awarded by the red-robed cardinal.
Aside from the champions, the other two teams received no physical rewards—only certificates symbolizing their achievements in the tournament.
According to the Spirit Hall's reasoning, before each team traveled to Spirit City for the finals, the emperors of the two great empires and the nobles must have promised countless benefits. If the Spirit Hall also handed out cash prizes, it would seem rather cliché.
Bibi Dong personally handed the certificate symbolizing the championship to Ning Tianchen.
Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, she personally handed over three soul bones to Seven Treasures Academy.
"You're quite impressive. This seat has the intention of taking you as a personal disciple. Would you be willing?"
Bibi Dong's lips didn't move, but her voice drifted into Ning Tianchen's ear.
He was momentarily stunned, unsure of Bibi Dong's intentions.
After all, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was already on the Spirit Hall's list for the Soul Hunt Plan. By taking him as a disciple now, did she intend to remove the sect's name from the list?
Ning Tianchen dismissed the thought.
As long as he was in the hands of the Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect wouldn't be able to make any waves. Bibi Dong could easily use him to command the sect.
With that in mind, he absolutely couldn't agree.
Since he couldn't use sound transmission like Bibi Dong, directly refusing her might earn her enmity.
After some thought, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Your Holiness, are you serious? Then I'll need two hundred-thousand-year soul bones and a guaranteed two hundred-thousand-year soul rings in the future. Surely, this won't be too difficult for you?"
Upon hearing this, the members of Seven Treasures Academy were baffled by his words.
But Bibi Dong acted as if nothing happened and replied, "Dreams are good, but they need to be achieved by yourself."
This statement effectively rejected Ning Tianchen's unreasonable request.
"I congratulate you all here for winning this year's tournament. As for the soul bone rewards, you can distribute them now."
Distributing the soul bones in public was clearly setting them up.
With so many eyes watching, who received which soul bone would be obvious to outsiders.
In the future, these recipients could become potential targets for assassination.
Ning Tianchen paid no attention to this and stored the three soul bones in his soul tool. He cupped his hands and responded, "I appreciate Your Holiness's kindness, but the matter of soul bones is significant. How they are distributed will require the Sect Leader's arrangements."
Although the members of Seven Treasures Academy were eager, they all submitted to Ning Tianchen's decision.
Bibi Dong slightly narrowed her left eye but didn't dwell on the issue. She turned around and walked to the front of the Pope's Palace.
She raised her scepter and announced loudly, "You're all fortunate. Next, the Spirit Hall will hold the coronation ceremony for the newly promoted Title Douluo—Sky Dome Douluo. You may all witness the glory of a Title Douluo."
As she finished speaking, dazzling golden light radiated from the hill behind the Pope's Palace. A palace shrouded in golden mist slowly appeared before everyone's eyes.
The brilliance of the golden light was so intense that it could be seen throughout the entire Spirit City.
"Look quickly, that's the Hall of Douluo. It's said that every soul master has only two chances to enter it in their lifetime. The first is during the coronation ceremony when they break through to become a Title Douluo. The second is only after their death, when they are buried inside."
"Not every soul master can become a Title Douluo. For us common folk, we'll never have that hope."
However, the person involved, Ke Jie, seemed reluctant to hold the coronation ceremony.
He didn't know what tricks the Spirit Hall was up to. Bibi Dong voluntarily organizing the coronation ceremony for Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's Title Douluo felt rather absurd.
---
After the award ceremony ended, the members of the three teams retreated below the stage.
"The coronation ceremony of a Title Douluo… this is truly the highlight of one's life," Oscar said with an expression of longing, gazing wistfully at the Hall of Douluo.
Ning Tianchen, however, was observing his surroundings.
After a moment, he said gravely, "The coronation ceremony is just a cover. Many of the Spirit Hall's guards have gradually mixed into the audience. There's likely to be a storm of bloodshed ahead."
He could guess that these people were most likely here to capture Tang San.
As the tournament champions, Seven Treasures Academy had also received rewards from the Spirit Hall. Any action against them would surely cause an uproar across the continent.
And Tang San's father was already a wanted fugitive by the Spirit Hall.
Capturing Tang San to force Tang Hao's appearance was understandable.
Ke Jie patted his shoulder. "Tianchen, the Sect Leader has decided that this old man will undergo the coronation ceremony. From now on, take care of everyone. If anyone poses a threat to you, follow Dugu Bo and quickly leave Spirit City. Both the Sect Leader and I will come to your aid."
The movements of the Spirit Hall couldn't escape the eyes of a Title Douluo. Clearly, Ke Jie had prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Ning Tianchen nodded subtly, his right hand hidden behind his back making a tactical gesture to regroup.
The members of Seven Treasures Academy gathered close together.
If anyone made a move against them, they could retreat at a moment's notice.
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