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Inside the Shrek waiting area, Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply and asked in a low voice, "Little San, can you discern the method of his attack?"
Tang San's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He slowly shook his head, "Teacher, I observed the entire process." His voice was slightly hoarse. "Even though I could see the Huang Dou Battle Team members through the poisonous mist, I still couldn't capture the trajectory of Feng Xiao's attacks."
Yu Xiaogang's brows were tightly furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. "This is illogical. No matter how concealed an attack is, there should be spirit power fluctuations. Without a clear offensive, how could it cause substantial damage?"
Tang San's fingers unconsciously rubbed the Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges, the purple glow in his eyes not yet faded. "The only thing I can confirm is that each pluck of his strings was accompanied by spirit power fluctuations, but the method of attack..." Tang San's Adam's apple bobbed. "It was as if it appeared out of thin air."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's expression grew even more solemn. He looked at Feng Xiao, who was chatting and laughing not far away, and murmured, "An invisible blade... This is the most terrifying killing move."
This question not only troubled him but also lingered in the minds of all spectators. The Cardinals in the VIP section exchanged confused glances, and even the other members of the Huang Dou Battle Team looked bewildered.
"If we could examine the wounds..." Tang San spoke thoughtfully.
A glint flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, then dimmed. "It's useless." He shook his head with a bitter smile. "With Nine Hearted Sea棠's healing effect, not even a scar will be left, let alone retaining the characteristics of the wound."
Yu Tianheng, standing nearby, added in a deep voice, "Ling Ling's healing has always been flawless."
Ma Hongjun slapped his thigh, suddenly enlightened. "Good heavens! That kid had ulterior motives for healing his opponents! He gained fame and concealed clues about his Spirit Ability!"
Tang San took a deep breath, purple light swirling in his eyes. "This person's actions are meticulously planned, leaving no loopholes. For the upcoming matches..." He scanned his teammates, his voice grave. "We must be fully prepared."
Dai Mubai unconsciously clenched his fists, Zhu Zhuqing's cat-like pupils narrowed, and even the usually lively Xiao Wu showed a rare serious expression. The methods Feng Xiao displayed in this battle made the entire Shrek team feel an unprecedented pressure.
At this moment, Tang San secretly hoped that Spirit Hall Academy would directly confront Feng Xiao in the upcoming matches. Purple light swirled in his deep eyes, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges.
"Teacher's tactics... can only be used once after all." He murmured to himself, his gaze sweeping over the Spirit Hall team, whose aura was like a rainbow, then turning to the Royal Fight members who were leaving the arena. These two great mountains, either one, were insurmountable for Shrek.
Only when the snipe and clam fight can the fisherman profit. Tang San's gaze fell on the Fuxi Zither in Feng Xiao's arms. Beneath that zither, who knew how many more deadly killing moves were hidden. He took a deep breath, calculating in his mind: only if these two strong teams face off first and eliminate one, will Shrek have a glimmer of hope to win the championship.
"Father said..." A hint of obsession flashed in Tang San's eyes, his knuckles slightly white from gripping. "That skull must be obtained."
Tang San pondered to himself, his eyes filled with undeniable resolve.
Xiao Wu keenly noticed his abnormality and gently held his wrist. "Brother..."
Tang San snapped back to reality, meeting Xiao Wu's worried gaze with a slight smile. But in the depths of his usually gentle eyes, an unquenchable undercurrent surged. That Wisdom Skull was the first task his father had given him, and for it, he would not hesitate to confront a powerful enemy like Feng Xiao directly.
In a corner of Spirit City, Tang Hao's figure, hidden in the shadows, leaned slightly forward. His rough fingers rubbed his knee as he slowly looked up at the sky, muttering to himself, "Little San, whether you can get that skull from Spirit Hall will determine your path forward..."
On the other side, after the Huang Dou Battle Team members left the arena, they all, without prior agreement, focused their gazes on Feng Xiao, their eyes filled with surprise and curiosity.
Yu Feng scratched his ears and cheeks, circling around Feng Xiao, his lips opening and closing several times, but he never quite managed to speak—in the Spirit Master's world, rashly inquiring about another's Spirit Ability secrets was a great taboo.
Feng Xiao took in everyone's reactions and couldn't help but smile. "What, are you all so curious? Actually, it's fine to tell you."
"Quick, tell us, tell us!" Yu Feng darted forward, his eyes gleaming with impatience.
"Shut up!" Dugu Yan shot him a glare, her hair moving without wind. "If the secret gets out, I'll poison you speechless!" She turned to Feng Xiao, her purple eyes full of warning. "Don't mind him, that brainless one. The fewer people who know your trump card, the better."
"Theoretically, Spirit Masters of the same rank cannot decipher it." Feng Xiao's fingertips lightly stroked the zither strings, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. "Unless the opponent's cultivation far surpasses mine." He paused, then continued to explain, "I was indeed playing just now, but the vibration frequency of the zither strings exceeded the normal range of human hearing, and even the naked eye could barely capture it. This special sound wave has extremely strong penetrative power, and combined with a special technique, it can even attack directly from within the enemy's body. To put it plainly, there's nothing mysterious about it."
"This isn't mysterious?" Yu Feng's eyes widened, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. "You can play music we can't even hear!"
Feng Xiao shook his head and chuckled, "This move also has a weakness. Sister Yan's poisonous mist cover just now was very important." With that, Feng Xiao gave Dugu Yan a meaningful look.
Dugu Yan picked up the conversation thoughtfully, "The poisonous mist not only compressed their activity space, but more importantly, after Lei Tian was struck down, fear restricted their movements."
"Precisely so." Feng Xiao nodded approvingly. "They didn't lose to my zither skills, but to the fear of the unknown in their hearts. In a true life-and-death duel..." His expression suddenly turned serious. "This move can only be used once. The enemy will flee, and as the distance increases, it becomes not only difficult to lock on accurately, but the power of the zither music will also rapidly diminish."
Everyone nodded in sudden understanding, but no one noticed the profound meaning that flashed in Feng Xiao's eyes. What he didn't say was—as his spirit power and mental force continuously improved, the range and accuracy of this ability would increase exponentially.
'If I reach the Titled Douluo realm...' Feng Xiao's slender fingers unconsciously rubbed the zither strings, a faint light flickering in his eyes. At that time, the precision of the ultrasound would likely be able to directly affect human cells, and even cause physical ailments leading to death without the target's awareness.
If this ability were to be made public, Feng Xiao would likely soon be branded with a fearsome reputation like 'Demon Lord,' becoming another existence that would strike fear into the entire Spirit Master's world, following Dugu Bo.
Not far away, Dugu Bo seemed to have seen through Feng Xiao's thoughts and cast a meaningful glance from afar. That look contained both approval and a few words of caution from someone who had been there before.
"Let this fear continue to spread," Feng Xiao's fingertips lightly stroked the zither strings, a sly glint in his eyes. "This will be greatly beneficial for our upcoming matches."
The Royal Fight members smiled knowingly. Fear stems from the unknown; when opponents see through the superficial and grasp the essence, this deterrent will naturally dissipate—this was the deeper meaning Feng Xiao was willing to explain to them in detail.
Dugu Yan played with a strand of hair, a knowing light flickering in her purple eyes. "So, in the next match, when other teams see us..."
"They'll unconsciously hesitate and be timid," Oslo interjected, a hint of battle intent at the corner of his mouth.
Feng Xiao nodded with a smile, his slender fingers gently tapping the zither body. Some tactics are worthless once exposed; but some deterrents, the more mysterious they are, the more chilling they become. He looked at the fearful gazes cast by other teams in the distance, knowing that another invisible blade named "fear" had already deeply pierced the hearts of all his opponents.
The night was as dark as ink, and the bright moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows in Xiao Wu's room. She was about to sit cross-legged to cultivate when a faint sigh suddenly sounded in her ears.
"Are you still going to participate in this competition? If you get injured in the upcoming battles, that method won't work."
Xiao Wu's delicate body trembled, her pink rabbit ears perking up alertly. She quickly closed the window, her slender fingers unconsciously tightening on the window frame. "I can see it," she whispered to herself, her eyes filling with a gentle yet firm light. "Little San really wants to win this championship. I can't leave him at this time."
Outside the window, Tang Hao's tall figure was hidden in the shadows of the trees. He looked at the tightly closed window, a complex emotion appearing on his weathered face, finally turning into an almost inaudible sigh: "So be it... Perhaps, this is fate."
The fourth round of the Elite Competition of Advanced Soul Master Academies of the Entire Continent commenced as scheduled after a day of rest. However, the drawing results were peculiar—Spirit Hall Academy, Shrek Academy, and Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the three major powerhouses, all avoided each other, each drawing weaker opponents. Such obvious manipulation, yet no academy dared to question it.
As the undisputed matches concluded, the top three, as expected, were claimed by these three strongest teams. Perhaps it was intentionally arranged by the competition organizers, as the main players of all three teams maintained their full combat strength, laying the groundwork for the most intense final match to come.
As the rising sun cast its brilliant light, it gilded the Supreme Pontiff Palace with a sacred golden glow, the majestic complex appearing like a divine miracle in the morning light. Two rows of palace guards, extending from the palace gates to the foot of the mountain, stood solemnly, their gleaming silver armor reflecting a cold light, their heavy knight swords displaying supreme majesty.
The previously eliminated teams had already been ordered to leave, even stripped of their spectator qualifications. Only true chosen ones were worthy of standing on this sacred plaza. At dawn, the three finalist teams were already waiting here. Teachers and elders from each academy were kept in the outer areas; only the twenty-one young Spirit Masters stood in the center of the plaza, bathed in the morning light, awaiting the final match that would decide their fate.
On the solemn plaza in front of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the three teams presented distinctly different auras. The Spirit Hall Academy team, led by Xie Yue, looked composed, but in each person's eyes burned a fervent fire of faith—that was their devotion to Spirit Hall, and even more, their supreme reverence for Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong. Their straightened backs seemed to speak of their pride as direct descendants of Spirit Hall.
In stark contrast was Shrek Academy's low-key and restrained formation. The seven stood in a line, from left to right: Dai Mubai, Yu Tianheng, Tang San, Oscar, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing. Although this team was not ostentatious, it exuded a restrained sharpness.
Suddenly, the side door of the Supreme Pontiff Palace slowly opened. Twelve Cardinals, clad in scarlet robes, filed out. Each of them was a core figure of Spirit Hall, second only in status to the Platinum Bishops. These Cardinals lined up on both sides, forming a solemn procession in front of the Supreme Pontiff Palace gate.
The leading Cardinal solemnly proclaimed, "His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff arrives!"
"Long live! Long live! Long live!"
These three earth-shattering shouts echoed like thunder above Spirit City. Not only did the palace guards on Pope Mountain uniformly kneel on one knee, but all Spirit Masters throughout Spirit City spontaneously and devoutly knelt facing the Supreme Pontiff Palace. The faith in Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong had long been deeply rooted in the soul of every Spirit Hall Spirit Master. At this moment, the entire Spirit City was enveloped in a fervent religious atmosphere.
With a heavy rumble, the massive palace gates slowly opened, the six sacred emblems carved on the doors gradually separating as they moved. All eyes in the arena were drawn as if by a magnet to the gradually widening gap in the doors, and even breathing seemed to halt.
Even the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall Academy could not hide their excitement, their seven hearts pounding violently in their chests. Although they were the outstanding young talents of Spirit Hall, they had only been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the Supreme Pontiff when they were awarded the Purple Record Medal. Meeting her again now still made their blood surge.
Feng Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the opening sacred gate.
Suddenly, a dazzling figure stepped out of the palace gate. Bibi Dong, draped in a resplendent golden trailing gown, wearing a purple-gold crown, and holding a jewel-encrusted scepter, possessed a solemn and sacred countenance that made people dare not look directly at her. The hundred-plus red, blue, and gold gems embedded in her luxurious gown shimmered with a dreamlike glow, and the purple-gold crown radiated boundless rays of light. At this moment, all the brilliance between heaven and earth seemed to exist solely to set her apart.
"Greetings, Your Holiness the Supreme Pontiff!"
Amidst the uniform clatter of armor, all Spirit Hall personnel uniformly knelt on one knee. The sound wave swept across the entire Pope Mountain like a tide, even shaking the air. Bibi Dong's figure appeared so tall in the morning light, as if she shone with the heavens and earth, inspiring an involuntary urge to prostrate oneself in worship.
On the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's side, Feng Xiao was the first to kneel on one knee in salute, and the others behind him respectfully bowed their heads. In the instant he lowered his head, a mischievous thought flashed through Feng Xiao's mind: "That old fellow Yu Xiaogang, he really had it good back then."
Catching a glimpse of the Shrek members still standing tall, with disdain in their eyes, Feng Xiao couldn't help but shake his head. These young people were ultimately too naive. It was true that the two great Empires and Spirit Hall were seemingly on equal footing, but to truly think they could contend with Bibi Dong was utterly foolish. In this Spirit City, on this Pope Mountain, Bibi Dong was the supreme existence.
What's more... The corner of Feng Xiao's mouth subtly curved upward. Kneeling before his future mother-in-law, he felt no psychological burden whatsoever. Thinking of this, his bowing posture became even more standard, and the Royal Fight members behind him also maintained a respectful posture. This behavior formed a stark contrast with the defiant attitudes of the Shrek members not far away.