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The Grand All-Continent Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament!
The final battle for the championship!
Officially begins!
As the four teams entered the "Douluo Continent" battlefield, Bibi Dong emerged slowly from the Pope's Palace. Emperor Xue Ye, Emperor Dai Luogao, and their panel of judges also took the stage, positioning themselves on the "Douluo Continent" from three sides, forming a stable triangle. This arrangement suggested that the Douluo Continent was dominated by three major forces, while the four teams on the field were like ferocious beasts representing Tian Dou, Star Luo, and Spirit Hall.
Among them, there were two teams representing Heavenly Dou: the Tian Dou Royal Battle Team, and the Divine Wind Academy Battle Team.
Only, surprisingly, the team among the Divine Wind Academy, besides Feng Xiaotian, Lu Renjia, and Xiao Bingyi, who were from the Divine Wind Academy, the remaining four, actually came from the remaining three major elemental academies.
Yu Tianxin, Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and Shui Yue'er.
Tang San could understand why Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and Shui Yue'er temporarily joined the Divine Wind(Godwind) Academy team, but what about Yu Tianxin? Wasn't he the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
Or perhaps he never got to fight against Tang San, and his ego had never been satisfied, leading him to put aside his pride and face Tang San in a proper battle.
Additionally, a "new" member of the Star Luo Royal Team drew Tang San's attention.
Xu Xing had joined the Star Luo Royal Team!
Even though his domain power was indeed strong, without the added starlight boost, he might be more of a hindrance than a help. It could create disharmony in teamwork and ultimately reduce the team's overall strength.
"Congratulations on reaching the final grand championship!" Bibi Dong began her speech. Her voice was gentle yet commanding, inducing a sense of respect.
"I would especially like to congratulate Divine Wind Academy. With their own strength, they have made it to the top four on the entire continent. Moreover, they have intelligently reorganized their team, making the Divine Wind Academy team even stronger."
Her elevated tone made it hard to tell whether Bibi Dong was praising the intelligence of Divine Wind Academy or subtly mocking their cunning.
Bibi Dong continued, "Next, I will announce the rules for the final championship. Unlike previous tournaments, this year you have two options."
"First, all four teams can engage in a free-for-all battle, with the winning team emerging as the champion. The remaining three teams will then compete for second and third place."
"Second, as usual, the teams can compete two-by-two, with the winners vying for the championship and the losers for third place."
"Make your choice, you four strongest teams on the continent!"
"The final decision will be based on majority rule."
Outside the arena, Qin Ming felt anxious: "I wonder what Tang San's team will choose. It would be best to choose the second option. The first one might lead to a three-way attack."
It's not surprising that Qin Ming would think this way, given that Tang San was incredibly strong. From the preliminary elimination rounds to this point, Tang San had never seemed to use his full strength.
For the three major academies, the Tian Dou Royal Academy—or rather, Tang San—was a significant wildcard, and they would want to eliminate him as soon as possible.
Sword Douluo transmitted to Ning Fengzhi, "The situation doesn't look good for Tian Dou Royal Academy."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, "There's nothing to be done. Tang San is just too powerful, and after this match, he'll have to choose which faction to join. Many people don't want him to get too strong. If it weren't for Rongrong's friendship with him and our collaboration with him, even our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would consider taking action."
"However, in this era, taking action requires utmost discretion. The advent of soul-guiding photography devices and twin soul-guiding recording orbs means that information spreads too quickly."
"This might be Tang San's way of protecting himself."
Sword Douluo sighed softly and said, "You have to admit, his methods are straightforward and open. There's no pretense, no hidden agendas—just plain, open schemes. It's the kind of strategy that's hard to counter because people have no choice but to accept it."
Three minutes later, Bibi Dong spoke again: "Everyone, have you made your choice? Please have your respective team captains step forward and announce your decision. If you choose the two-on-two format, we'll draw lots to determine the matchups."
Hu Liena, the captain of the Spirit Hall team, took a step forward and respectfully said, "I choose the first option."
Even if that meant joining the other teams in ganging up on the Tian Dou Royal Team, which might be seen as an unfair victory—
The Spirit Hall team's winning streak in the Continental Tournament couldn't be broken—not during their golden generation!
This was the glory of Spirit Hall!
The captain of the Star Luo Royal Team, Dai weisi, was the second to step forward. He bowed slightly to Bibi Dong to show his respect for strength, then slowly announced, "I also choose the first option."
Feng Xiaotian's lips curled into a grin as he boldly stepped forward, saluted Bibi Dong, then looked at Tang San with a smirk, saying, "We at Divine Wind Academy choose the second option. We want to compete in a two-on-two battle. Real champions are unafraid to challenge other champions!"
This remark was a clear jab at both the Spirit Hall team and the Star Luo Royal Team.
However, most of the members from those teams simply responded with disdain.
If Feng Xiaotian were truly brave, he wouldn't have replaced four original members of Academy with top players from Thunderclap Academy, Tianshui Academy, and Blazing fire Academy.
Now he's playing the hero?
Finally, Tang San stepped forward. He nodded to Feng Xiaotian, acknowledging his support for the Tian Dou Royal Team, then bowed to Bibi Dong, saying, "The Tian Dou Royal Team chooses the first option."
The people watching from outside the arena, as well as those watching through the twin soul-guiding recording orbs, couldn't understand why Tang San made this choice.
"Is he really that confident?" Ning Fengzhi was taken aback, then smiled. "Looks like we were all wrong. Maybe Tang San wasn't seriously injured when he fought that 300,000-year-old soul beast, or perhaps he's already recovered."
Sword Douluo was also intrigued: "Maybe this time, we'll see Tang San's full strength."
In Tian Dou City, within the study of Xue Qinghe, the soul-guiding recording orb projected the scene onto a large screen, and Xue Qinghe watched in astonishment, then chuckled, "Interesting! Very interesting! Five rings, 100,000 years, a punch that killed a 300,000-year-old soul beast, with layers upon layers of trump cards. Now, he wants to take on three teams at once!"
"In terms of talent, he's already on par with me!"
"In terms of battle strength, I'm probably not even a match for him anymore… To achieve greatness from something so insignificant is truly remarkable."
"If I could recruit him—"
The thought of Tang San bowing to her made Qian Renxue feel a rush of excitement and accomplishment!
But she quickly calmed down.
To recruit someone as independent-minded as Tang San wouldn't be easy—it would require a long-term strategy…
In Moon Pavilion, Tang Yuehua had temporarily stopped her classes and sat in a dimly lit room, watching the projected scenes.
Soul Master battles were something she had once desired.
After Tang Hao left, she had considered following Tang San's advice and letting go of her pride, but in the end, she couldn't. If she left Moon Pavilion, what would happen to the Haotian Sect?
Without external information, the Haotian Sect would truly become stagnant!
"Brother, maybe you made a mistake. You should have taken me with you! Even if I didn't have the Haotian Hammer, with this talent, I could have established my own path!"
Meanwhile, at the Haotian Sect, Tang Xiao and the five elders gathered together, watching the broadcast from the soul-guiding recording orb. Their minds were filled with varying thoughts.
Originally, the Haotian Sect had seven elders. However, the first elder and fourth elder were killed by Spirit Hall before the sect's isolation, leaving only five elders.
During the isolation period, these five elders dedicated themselves to cultivation and all reached Titled Douluo level, forming the core strength of the Haotian Sect.
As for Tang Xiao, although he was the strongest among them, his prestige didn't match that of the five elders. Moreover, the controversy surrounding Tang Hao led the sect to its current state. As the eldest brother, he didn't feel he had the right to seek forgiveness for Tang Hao from the elders—besides, Tang Xiao wasn't strong enough to contend with all five elders at once.
Within the Haotian Sect, there was a strong sense of competitiveness among clan members, but they were quick to resent non-Haotian Hammer spirit users who surpassed them, harboring intense jealousy.
Arrogant and prideful.
Those who grew up in this sect often embodied these traits, even during their seclusion. It could be seen as a representation of self-deception and stagnation.
Without the strength of the Haotian Hammer spirit, this kind of sect would be no better than a small family in Tian Dou City.
"That Tang San really has some skills, achieving a 100,000-year fifth spirit ring," the second elder commented objectively. "As a master of spirit theory, he's far better than that Yu Xiaogang."
The third elder shared his perspective, "We need to be cautious. The theories he published rely heavily on data from Spirit Hall, indicating a natural affinity toward them."
The fifth elder chimed in, "After this tournament, it's likely he'll join Spirit Hall."
The sixth elder remarked, "Spirit Hall indeed has a lot of talent, but the Haotian Hammer is still the strongest spirit. No matter how impressive Blue Silver Grass is, it's still just a weed."
The seventh elder, known for his bluntness, scornfully said, "Everyone from Spirit Hall should die, and this kid deserves it even more. He will undoubtedly become a major enemy of the Haotian Sect. Sect Master, shouldn't we start planning to assassinate him?"
Tang Xiao snapped out of his daze and shook his head, saying, "The Haotian Sect is in seclusion; it's not advisable to act out. Moreover, we're not sure about Tang San's exact strength."
"What's there to know? He's just a Spirit King!" The temperamental seventh elder barked, seemingly dismissing Tang Xiao's opinion. "That 300,000-year-old soul beast was probably just a paper tiger, so that kid could take it down with a single punch. What's there to fear? We can't let someone with this kind of potential join Spirit Hall."
Tang Xiao felt helpless. Given that his brother Tang Hao owed these elders an explanation, he could only respond, "The Haotian Sect can't afford to hire assassins right now. Moreover, according to news from Yuehua, the agility clan has joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and they are genuinely disillusioned with the Haotian Sect. They won't help us."
"Hmph, a bunch of traitors!" the seventh elder snapped.
"Enough, Seven. It was the Haotian Sect that wronged them in the first place. Besides, when Tang San offered sensitive information, we didn't send anyone to negotiate. It's no wonder they harbor resentment," the second elder remarked reasonably, though he still saw the agility clan as traitors. However, they couldn't afford to offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, or the Haotian Sect would face enemies from all sides.
"Let's get back to watching the match." Tang Xiao shifted the focus back to the screen. As he watched Tang San's face, he silently mused: "He looks so much like Ah-Yin; could he be her son? But Yuehua is in Tian Dou City, so why hasn't she reported anything about this?"
Back in front of the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong tapped her scepter, and a surge of soul power emanated, creating a transparent shield over the entire "Douluo Continent" battlefield.
"To prevent the shockwaves from your clashes from impacting the judges or the audience allowed into the venue, I've set up this soul power barrier."
"I assure you that I won't show favoritism toward any team. You and the judges can rest assured."
No one dared to question the fairness and impartiality of the current Pope.
After the four teams entered the battlefield, Xu Xing from the Star Luo Royal Team suddenly ran to the edge of the arena, where six members from the Star Crown Team transferred their soul power into starlight and directed it toward Xu Xing—the Star Crown Team had no official qualification to attend, but the Star Luo Royal Team temporarily included them as substitutes for Star Luo Royal Academy.
"Can they do that?" Those watching from the sidelines were shocked, with one of the spectators, Yu Feng, asking Qin Ming, "Teacher Qin Ming, isn't this against the rules?"
"Your Holiness, is this behavior by the Star Luo Royal Team considered fair?" Qin Ming asked, bowing, then questioning Bibi Dong.
"I wasn't aware of this," Bibi Dong responded, handing the matter over to Emperor Dai Luogao, "Your Majesty of the Star Luo Empire, would you care to explain? After all, everyone is watching through the twin soul-guiding orbs."
Uh-oh, they forgot about the broadcast!
When Dai weisi proposed this suggestion, Dai Luogao thought it would be beneficial and agreed, completely ignoring the impact of the twin soul-guiding recording orbs.
This was a live broadcast event watched by the entire continent!
However, being the clever emperor of Star Luo, Dai Luogao quickly thought of an excuse, saying, "Just as Divine Wind Academy found a loophole in the rules, Xu Xing of Star Crown Clan also found a loophole."
This statement shifted all blame to Xu Xing, clearing the Star Luo Royal Team of any wrongdoing.
"It seems the rules of the Continental Elite Tournament are still not perfect. We'll need to keep refining them," Bibi Dong said with a calm demeanor, explaining to everyone. "Since the start of the tournament, almost every edition has seen someone find a loophole, and the following edition addresses it."
"Therefore, Xu Xing's actions do not technically violate the rules."
"Unless all three of us agree to disqualify him, the match will continue."
Emperor Xue Ye expressed his opposition.
But Dai Luogao had a different view: "If we disqualify Xu Xing, then past teams who found loopholes and won should also have their results erased, which wouldn't be fair to them. Your Holiness, what's your opinion?"
Bibi Dong, not thrilled about having the decision handed back to her, looked at the participating teams and asked, "What do you all think?"
The three other teams didn't want an overpowered wildcard in the match, but they also wanted to see what Tang San would say. Additionally, they hoped to delay long enough for Xu Xing to expend more soul power, knowing his energy wouldn't last long—after all, Xu Xing was just a Spirit Grandmaster, and his body couldn't withstand such high energy levels for too long.
"Fairness is relative," Tang San said as he stood up, unfazed by Xu Xing's strength. "If he found a loophole, it's his ability. Besides, soul power fusion and transfer have strict conditions, so his success could be coincidental."
"Your Holiness, we have no objections," Hu Liena added, backing Tang San's sentiment. She figured she could simply avoid Xu Xing during the match—the range of his domain couldn't cover the entire "Douluo Continent" arena.
Divine Wind Academy also had no major objections, considering they had exploited loopholes as well, so it would be hypocritical to complain about other teams doing the same.
After the four teams found their positions in the "Douluo Continent" arena, Yu Tianheng said to Dai weisi, "I didn't expect the Star Luo team to exploit a loophole."
Dai weisi laughed heartily, replying, "It's a strategy within the rules. But to you, it might seem like a bit of cleverness."
"Looks like you've been influenced by the harsh competition in the Star Luo Empire," Yu Tianheng sighed lightly.
"No choice. Born into royalty, you can't just think about your own dignity, especially after my useless brother lost his competitiveness," Dai weisi replied in a lowered tone. While he cherished the memories of Tian Dou Royal Academy's exchange with Star Luo Royal Academy and considered them friends—
Tian Dou and Star Luo were ultimately not the same family. The so-called "peaceful coexistence" was only because Spirit Hall served as a balancing force.
Without Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire would have long since unified the continent!
After all, before Haotian Sect closed its doors, it was a strong supporter of the Star Luo Empire. The Haotian Sect was founded through war, a philosophy aligned with the Star Luo Empire's mindset. Even the Haotian Sect's former four subordinate sects were designed for war—this was clear evidence...
If he could turn back time, he would have rejected Zhu Zhuyun's proposal outright, but Xu Xing's threat to the Dai family's throne, the competition between Star Luo and Tian Dou, were like two heavy weights on his shoulders.
In addition, before the start of the tournament, he had been training relentlessly, even seeking out ten-thousand-year tiger kings for duels.
If Dai Mubai still had a fighting chance and could beat him, he would accept it. They needed to find the strongest "Netherworld White Tiger" for the sake of Star Luo.
But now—
He, Dai weisi, and the Star Luo Royal Team, could not afford to lose to the Tian Dou Royal Team!
They had to win!
Winning was the only option!
Victory would overshadow all else, no matter the process or how it was achieved.
Even with the twin soul-guiding recording orbs and the rapid spread of information, Dai weisi believed:
Human nature wouldn't change because of this.
In the original work, the Haotian Sect had five elders, with four confirmed in the text. It wasn't clear if the last elder was the fourth or sixth elder.
In this adaptation, the fourth elder is killed.
As for Dai weisi—gentle yet ruthless, a competent ruler. But given his environment, he would undoubtedly resort to unscrupulous methods if necessary.