Ignaz crossed the moat and strode straight into the imperial hall. At the far end, on the main throne, sat an aged emperor with a constant cough—Emperor Xue Ye. Standing respectfully at his side was Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
"Ignaz," the emperor said, his voice hoarse but steady, "you're the most gifted Spirit Master our Heaven Dou Empire has produced in generations. When Zhu Zhuqing entered the Royal Academy, I turned a blind eye. But now that the Star Luo Empire has declared her a traitor, my people are furious that she remains under our roof. I summoned you here to discuss her fate. What say you?"
Xue Ye valued Ignaz highly. Not only had the prince already been cultivating ties with him, but when Qinghe inherited the throne, Ignaz was expected to serve as a trusted minister, perhaps even one of the empire's honored worshippers. Behind him stood formidable allies too: Poison Douluo Dugu Bo and the Breaking Clan with their unrivaled mastery of alchemy. Xue Ye knew this was a young man whose words carried weight.
Ignaz bowed. "Your Majesty, the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires have been rivals since their founding. Zhu Zhuqing is no longer a member of the Zhu clan, she is my teammate. As vice-captain and acting leader of the Heaven Dou Royal Team, it is my duty to protect my comrades.
"If we cast her out now, the academy will lose a vital fighter. But if Your Majesty chooses to support her, she'll forever remember your kindness. After all, she *is* a Zhu."
He emphasized the last words heavily.
"A Zhu? And what of it—" the emperor began, but Qinghe quickly cut in, instantly grasping Ignaz's meaning.
"Father, what he implies is that the Dai and Zhu families of Star Luo are inseparably bound. Zhu Zhuqing, though cast aside, is still the third daughter of the clan. She may well know secrets of the Star Luo royal house. That's the true value here."
Xue Ye's brows knitted, then slowly relaxed into satisfaction.
"The crown prince speaks wisely. Zhu Zhuqing is no longer theirs, which means she is ours now, a citizen of Heaven Dou, and must be sheltered.
"As for those secrets of the Dai family, Ignaz, since you're her teammate, you'll be the one to uncover them. Report anything you learn directly to the crown prince."
The emperor's eyes gleamed. Heaven Dou's military strength was far weaker than Star Luo's, but if they could expose a weakness—especially concerning the Dai clan's Evil-Eyed White Tiger spirit—they could turn it into a weapon. Within a generation, Star Luo could collapse into internal strife, and Heaven Dou would seize the chance to annex vast territories. Unification of the continent would finally give them the power to stand against Spirit Hall.
Xue Ye himself lacked ambition, content merely to preserve stability, but he could at least pave the way for his ambitious heir. Only a unified continent could challenge Spirit Hall.
"My thanks, Your Majesty. My thanks, Crown Prince." Ignaz bowed deeply before leaving with Qinghe.
---
The next day, the long-awaited battle began: Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main team versus the Shrek Academy team.
After a night's rest, Zhu Zhuqing seemed transformed. Gone was the withdrawn, quiet girl. In her place stood someone sharper, steadier, even outspoken—her confidence radiating.
"Zhuqing," Dugu Yan said fiercely, "Dai Mubai hurt you before. Today I'll make him pay."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "No, Yan. That's mine. My grudge with him can only be settled by my own hand."
On this point, she refused to yield.
The spirit arena was already packed to the brim, anticipation buzzing in the air. Hovering above the platform, the announcer's voice rang out:
"Today's match is the highlight of the preliminaries, the one everyone has been waiting for! On one side, the dark horse of the tournament: Shrek Academy, with twelve consecutive victories, led by Tang San, a rare twin-spirit master.
"On the other side: the undefeated Heaven Dou Royal Team, seeded champions of the empire. Their vice-captain, Ignaz, has yet to reveal his true strength even once this tournament. What kind of clash awaits us?"
At his signal, both teams entered.
When Ignaz noticed that Ning Rongrong was absent from the Shrek lineup, he couldn't help but smirk. So, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were still holding back cards. Was it confidence… or arrogance?
"Both teams, take your positions!" the announcer urged.
Heaven Dou formed a perfect 1-2-3-1 formation, Ignaz at the front. Shrek set themselves in a bold 1-2-1-3 offensive array.
The crowd buzzed in surprise.
"Shrek's gutsy, that formation means they'll strike first and grab the initiative."
"Sure, but how many rounds can they really last? Tang San may have twin spirits, but the power gap between these two teams is enormous."
The announcer raised his hand.
"Match seventeen of the preliminaries: Heaven Dou Royal Academy versus Shrek Academy—begin!"
He shot skyward, ready to narrate the fight.
"Brothers, release your spirits!"
Both teams flared with power, spirit rings glowing beneath their feet.
"First spirit skill, Binding!"
"First spirit skill, Phoenix Fire Line!"
"First spirit skill, White Tiger Barrier!"
Blue Silver Grass surged toward Ignaz. Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai lunged for Yang Yong and Zhu Zhuqing on the flanks, while Oscar focused desperately on producing his flying mushroom sausages.
Ignaz's eyes narrowed. He had already seen through their plan: a blitz to buy Oscar time. But he had no intention of letting them succeed.
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