Chapter 233.
The soul ability wasn't thwarted because Shui Bing'er couldn't control it or because it wasn't fully unleashed. Instead, upon hearing the familiar whistle, Yaya's consciousness instinctively relinquished control over the soul ability.
"His soul undoubtedly still resides within Shui Bing'er's soul ring. My Golden Lotus is still in its early stage, but should have managed to enhance Yaya's soul far beyond that of ordinary soul beasts of the same age. Even if actively absorbed into a soul ring, some remnants of its consciousness should persist within the soul ring," Wang Feng pondered inwardly.
"It appears I'll need to find an opportunity to speak with Shui Bing'er."
Shui Bing'er absorbed the soul ring of the Ice Emperor Lizard, which itself underwent evolution due to the influence of the Golden Lotus.
As a result, the martial soul underwent a mutation. Originally just an Ice Phoenix, it mutated into the Divine Ice Phoenix, significantly enhancing its power. Absorbing it likely also elevated Shui Bing'er's soul power levels to such heights. Additionally, there must also be a soul bone involved.
When the mother Ice Emperor Lizard volunteered for his second soul ring, it too appeared automatically and without any repercusiion. However, her strength was feeble at the time, and no soul bone was condensed, thus Wang Feng didn't acquire a soul bone from her. But Yaya was different.
"I've invested so much time and effort into nurturing you with the Golden Lotus... you can't just up and go become someone's soul ring like that." Wang Feng murmured to himself with some emotion.
Among the creatures he nurtured, Little Blue Bird was the most rambunctious and often suffered more injuries compared to both of them. The other two were also relatively calm and peaceful until they followed the little Blue Bird and became prone to mischief, often getting into fights. Each time Wang Feng returned to the Holy Soul Village, he'd find these three guys in dire straits.
"I won't attend the awards ceremony later... I'll head back first," Wang Feng announced, waving his hand to the others before departing.
Following the qualifiers, the five teams were required to attend an awards ceremony and receive qualification certificates in front of the Emperor Xue Ye himself.
Soon, the teams, led by their captains, appeared and walked onto the VIP seats. Wang Feng, representing Jiu Yikai, had to be present, his absence or substitution would easily be noticed from such a close distance.
However, many individuals at the VIP table remained dazed, still reeling from the intensity of the recent game. Thankfully, Emperor Xue Ye, Bishop Salas, and Ning Fengzhi remained composed.
The rewards and certificates were swiftly presented to the five teams.
The reward was quite ordinary, just 10,000 Gold Soul Coins, typical for a qualifier. However, this time, Emperor Xue Ye bestowed additional titles upon the captains and deputy captains of each team as Viscounts, and the other team members as Barons. It was evident that he aimed to gain the allegiance of the five colleges for the imperial royal family.
This move left Bishop Salas somewhat dissatisfied. However, as the emperor, Xue Ye deftly quashed any objections from Bishop Salas with a few words, "These five academies are all children of my Heaven Dou Empire. The titles are merely extra rewards from me and have no association with the Soul Hall. If Bishop Salas feels it's inappropriate, he can also grant them positions and authority withinm the soul hall, such as the position of deacon."
Though Bishop Salas's expression darkened, he changed his demeanor when he glanced at Jiu Yikai. Any appointments within the Soul Hall had to be reported to the main hall, especially by someone of his rank, a platinum bishop. It was impossible to appoint positions arbitrarily. After all, Xue Ye held the title of Emperor and was entitled to grant such honors, unlike him, a mere platinum bishop, who need to answer to elders and supreme pontiff/pope.
"Next, onto the promotion matches," Emperor Xue Ye addressed the five teams with a smile.
"The promotion matches will take place in the Royal Auditorium instead of the battlefield of Heaven Dou City Great Fighting Soul Arena. In addition to your five teams, other divisions of the Heaven Dou Empire and the remaining ten teams from the Five Kingdoms will also participate."
"The promotion matches are the perfect opportunity to showcase your personal strength! I trust you are all familiar with the rules. Play well, and remember, the three students who win the most matches in the promotion matches will be provided with the soul ring they need for their next level of advancement. You can choose soul beasts under 30,000 years."
This promise and reward were additional gestures from the imperial royal family, which appeared genuinely sincere. The prospect of reaching level fifty and absorbing ten-thousand-year soul rings was of utmost importance to every soul master. The chief and deputy captains of the five teams couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement upon hearing Emperor Xue Ye's words and encouragement.
Emperor Xue Ye glanced at the captain and deputy captain of the fifth team, noting the fervor in their eyes. However, when he observed Jiu Yikai's calm gaze, he paused momentarily before moving on without saying more.
After the awards ceremony, the five teams departed one by one. The promotion matches were scheduled for one month later, giving them time to make any necessary adjustments or breakthroughs. Often, after battles, it was the optimal moment for breaking through their bottleneck.
Wang Feng returned to the lounge of the Purple Star Academy, opting not to leave immediately but to wait.
"Are you not in a hurry to leave today?" Dean Fei Lun remarked, happily accepting the card containing the ten thousand Golden Soul Coins.
Jiu Yikai showed no interest in Golden Soul Coins, solely focused on participating in the competition. As the dean of the Purple Star Academy, Fei Lun couldn't help but inwardly acknowledge that not declining Jiu Yikai's enrollment was perhaps the best decision he had made in his life as the principal of Purple Star Academy.
Now, Purple Star Academy had gained renown, albeit solely due to Jiu Yikai. However, with the emergence of Jiu Yikai, Purple Star Academy would undoubtedly not remain in obscurity. It would attract countless students and even teachers to join its ranks. Dean Fei Lun, envisioning the potential, couldn't help but wonder what could be achieved if Jiu Yikai managed to excel in the finals too. With just one exceptional talent, Purple Star Academy could potentially rise to become one of the top institutions on the entire continent.
"The promotion matches won't commence until a month from now. During this time, you're free from any obligations to the academy," Dean Fei Lun remarked with a smile.
"Honestly, my child, though I don't know much about you, you've exceeded my expectations from the first match to the last. However, you'll need to remain vigilant in the promotion matches. After all, there will be ten teams competing individually, which poses a considerable challenge for you."
As Fei Lun spoke, a hint of embarrassment colored his cheeks. The other members of the Purple Star Academy team were relatively inexperienced, leaving no room for rotation. With only six players available, it would be difficult to compete against other teams that could swap out one or two players.
"Don't worry, I won't lose," Wang Feng replied calmly.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door of the lounge.
Dean Fei Lun turned around and saw a beautiful figure standing outside—it was Shui Bing'er, the captain of Skywater Academy. Surprised, Fei Lun glanced at Jiu Yikai and said with a smile, "It seems you have a rendezvous with a lovely lady. I won't disturb you then."
With that, he ushered the rest of the team members out of the lounge hastily.
As Shui Bing'er entered, a hush fell over the room. She gazed at the mysterious figure in the black robe—Jiu Yikai—and softly uttered her gratitude, "Thank you... Jiu Yikai..."
But before she could finish speaking, there was a sudden flash of movement. Jiu Yi, with a speed resembling teleportation, appeared directly in front of her, his hand gripping her neck tightly.
Shui Binger's surprise was evident. The speed displayed now far surpassed what she had witnessed during the match. It was terrifyingly fast—almost like teleportation. What's more, there were no fluctuations of soul power, indicating that this wasn't a soul ability either. Could it be that Jiu Yikai hadn't revealed his true strength yet?
Flushed and struggling to breathe under the pressure of his grip, Shui Bing'er was met with a cold, hoarse voice emanating from behind the mask. "Answer me this, how did you acquire your ten-thousand-year soul ring? Otherwise, you won't leave this lounge alive."
The intensity of his gaze made Shui Bing'er feel suffocated. "It's from an Ice Emperor Lizard... it voluntarily appeared... and became my soul ring," she managed to stammer out, her throat constricted. She simply wanted to express her gratitude to Jiu Yikai for saving her at the end of the match, as her soul power had been depleted, and she would have been seriously injured otherwise.
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