Outside Heaven Dou City—The Military Camp
The final match was to be held inside the military camp.
This was due to soul skill confidentiality, preventing ordinary citizens from spectating.
Only teams that had participated in the preliminaries were allowed to watch.
Tang Lan and his group arrived at the camp gates aboard the Divine Wind Ark.
Before they even landed—
They saw Xue Beng leading a group of people, standing eagerly at the entrance, craning his neck as he waited for them.
As soon as they landed—
Xue Beng immediately stepped forward.
"Master! You're here!"
"I just took over command of this camp, and I've already prepared accommodations for you. Please allow me to lead the way!"
—As expected from someone reconstructed as a "fanatic disciple."
His enthusiasm was on another level.
Tang Lan nodded slightly, and Xue Beng dutifully led the way.
At the same time, he began explaining—
"Master, since you've been in closed-door training, you might not be familiar with the current tournament format."
"Today's advancement match is an individual elimination battle. Although teams still send out seven competitors, each match is one-on-one."
"The winner stays, while the losing side continues sending out members until all their participants are defeated."
Hearing this—
Xue Beng turned to look at Xiao Wu and the others, grinning with full confidence.
"I have no doubt that Tang Sect's senior brothers and sisters will sweep through all seven opponents effortlessly!"
Even Ning Rongrong chuckled.
—There was nothing to say about Team One.
The lowest-ranked member, Ning Rongrong, was already Rank 54.
Even without her Mirror Clone Intestine, her other martial arts techniques alone were enough to dominate the competition.
—As for Team Two?
Their all-Rank 40+ lineup already spoke for itself.
With Shui Bing'er as captain at Rank 55, and her blood-red fourth and fifth soul rings, how could they possibly lose?
No chance whatsoever.
Seeing everyone's unshakable confidence, Xue Beng laughed along.
He felt proud to be associated with them.
After leading the group to their designated tents, Xue Beng said—
"Master, Father and the others are in the main tent. Sect Master Ning and Platinum Bishop Yu Xiaogang are also present. Would you like to go over?"
Platinum Bishop Yu Xiaogang?!
Tang Lan's interest was immediately piqued.
Oh? Let's go meet him.
"Lead the way."
"Yes!"
Xue Beng turned to Zhu Zhuqing and the others.
"I've already arranged everything for you. If you need anything, just tell the attendants outside—they'll take care of everything."
One had to admit—
Without his previous arrogance, Xue Beng was actually quite good at handling people.
Then, he eagerly led Tang Lan toward the main tent.
The guards at the entrance had obviously been instructed beforehand.
Seeing them approach, they didn't even bother reporting and let them pass through immediately.
Xue Beng lifted the tent flap for Tang Lan, who calmly stepped inside.
Just in time to hear laughter—
Yu Xiaogang's laughter.
"Oh? What's the good news?" Tang Lan asked with a smile that wasn't a smile.
"Did the Spirit Hall produce another Titled Douluo?"
Yu Xiaogang's laughter stiffened instantly.
His smile vanished, replaced by his usual rigid expression.
"Ah, it's Sect Master Tang." Yu Xiaogang said flatly. "It's nothing significant—His Majesty just agreed to include my 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls' as an auxiliary textbook in the academy curriculum."
Auxiliary textbook?
And one of them?
So basically, a supplementary reading material?
What's there to be so happy about?
Meanwhile, his Tang Sect Encyclopedia was the primary curriculum—with no competition.
Because of that—
Tang Lan didn't even bother to comment.
He just looked at Yu Xiaogang with a half-smile, half-mocking expression.
This immediately made Yu Xiaogang's face darken, the veins on his forehead bulging with frustration.
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Tang Lan's expression was a blatant, undisguised display of contempt!
And yet—
He couldn't even retaliate.
Because when it came to publications—
The difference between his work and Tang Lan's was like the heavens and the earth.
If he opened his mouth now, he'd only be humiliating himself.
What shocked him even more was—
Ning Fengzhi was Tang Lan's sworn brother, so it made sense that he wouldn't help defuse the situation.
But even Emperor Xue Ye—
Didn't say a word to smooth things over?!
Yu Xiaogang was a Platinum Bishop, responsible for all Spirit Hall affairs in Heaven Dou City.
Why wasn't the Emperor backing him up?
Finally, it was Qian Renxue who couldn't stand the awkwardness any longer.
She stood up from beside Emperor Xue Ye and said—
"Bishop Yu, didn't your subordinates need you for something earlier? Why not go handle it first and return when the tournament begins?"
Yu Xiaogang, seizing the opportunity to retreat, stiffly nodded, flicked his platinum robes, and stormed off.
Tang Lan, seeing how badly he just got humbled, didn't even feel like acknowledging him.
But—
As a disciple, Xue Beng couldn't just ignore this!
"Big Brother," Xue Beng stepped forward, "Did you not see how Yu Xiaogang clearly has issues with my master?"
"When Spirit Hall attacked Tang Sect, Yu Xiaogang suddenly got promoted to Platinum Bishop. Do you really expect us to believe that was just a coincidence?"
Qian Renxue glanced at Xue Beng, her face full of disdain.
Idiot!
Is this something you should be saying outright?!
And sure enough—
"Xue Beng!" Emperor Xue Ye's voice turned cold.
"Do not make baseless accusations without concrete evidence!"
"Apologize to your elder brother!"
Xue Beng Was Stunned.
—Hadn't his father specifically told him to seize every opportunity to cling to his master's thigh?
So why now…?
Xue Beng glanced at Tang Lan.
Tang Lan, of course, simply smiled, motioning for him to stay calm.
He led him to sit beside Ning Fengzhi, then finally spoke—
"Xue Beng isn't wrong."
"That Yu Xiaogang was never a good person to begin with."
"He took other people's research, copied it down, and called it his own 'core theory'."
"Why wouldn't he betray Tang Sect for the sake of his own position?"
"After all, betrayal isn't new to him."
"Doing it again is perfectly normal."
—Whoa.
Tang Lan was not holding back at all!
Did he just completely tear off his facade with Yu Xiaogang?
Both Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi visibly stiffened.
And in a rare show of tactful silence, neither of them responded—because those words were way too offensive.
"Qinghe."
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand.
"Since all the teams have arrived, let's start preparing for the entrance procession."
"Understood, Uncle Ning!"
Qian Renxue, knowing she was being deliberately sent away, accepted the order and left.
"Tang Lan, you should send Xue Beng to help as well," Ning Fengzhi added.
"Go on," Tang Lan said.
"Yes, Master!"
One after the other, they both left the main tent.
"Brother Lan."
"Between us, His Majesty and I understand what you're saying, but you really can't say things like that in public."
"Yu Xiaogang is now a Platinum Bishop, meaning he officially represents Spirit Hall."
"If you offend him too much…"
"It could affect Tang Sect's future development."
Spirit Hall, huh?
Oh, he had prepared two 'special gifts' just for them.
He just hoped they wouldn't be too shocked when the time came.
The Emperor's expression?
"I'm in a really difficult position right now."
This was someone with a divine inheritance—who knew, he might actually become a god in the future.
How was he supposed to rebuke that?
But at the same time—
Spirit Hall was still a behemoth.
Offending the Platinum Bishop in charge of Heaven Dou City wasn't exactly a wise move.
He wasn't ready to completely sever ties with Spirit Hall yet.
So, in the end—
He could only choose to—
(End of Chapter)