Chapter 179: The Final Champion
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Massive lightning columns crashed down from the heavens, with deafening thunderclaps echoing one after another. Each blast seemed to make the very space of the battlefield tremble.
After a while, Eden estimated that his attack had achieved its goal and withdrew his power.
As the thunder dissipated, the figures of Xie Yue and Hu Liena were revealed.
At this point, both had already exited their martial soul fusion state and collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated and unable to fight.
"The match is over. The winners are… Nine Star Academy!"
Despite his reluctance, the referee, under the watchful eyes of the audience, braced himself and declared the result.
The Spirit Hall Academy had lost!
The arena fell into utter silence. After all, this was the home turf of the Spirit Hall, and eight out of ten spectators were loyal to the institution.
Even the platinum bishops and red-robed cardinals looked as if they couldn't believe their eyes. From start to finish, the Spirit Hall Academy team had been thoroughly suppressed by Nine Star Academy, resulting in a complete defeat.
The power and foundation of Nine Star Academy—or more accurately, the Nine Star Hall behind it—must be terrifying to have nurtured such a formidable team!
While the crowd was still stunned, Ning Fengzhi suddenly stood up and began clapping. Though he was wary of Nine Star Hall, the opportunity to undermine Spirit Hall was too good to pass up.
Spurred on by Ning Fengzhi, the audience gradually erupted in applause. Many spirit masters joined in, their cheers and clapping filling the air in celebration of Nine Star Academy's victory.
Bibi Dong shot a subtle glance at Ning Fengzhi and slowly stood up, lightly clapping her hands. As the nominal leader of Spirit Hall, no matter how dissatisfied she felt inside, she wouldn't lose her composure at a time like this. Her restraint was admirable.
Of course, she silently noted this grievance, vowing to settle the score when her Soul Hunt Plan was fully in motion. Once the time was right, she would eradicate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan entirely, wiping out their legacy at its roots.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, however, weren't nearly as composed. They rose to their feet, their eyes glaring daggers at Ning Fengzhi. After a few perfunctory claps, they sat back down with seething expressions.
Bibi Dong waved her hand slightly, signaling for silence. When the noise died down, she announced, "The champion of this year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament is… Nine Star Academy. Congratulations to these talented young spirit masters."
"I should head to the stage now," Xiao Yu said, nudging Qian Renxue, who was leaning against him. With a mischievous grin, he added, "Want to come with me? I guarantee it'll drive her mad!"
Qian Renxue quickly sat up straight and waved her hand. "No way! You'd definitely infuriate that old woman, but I'd probably end up angering my grandfather just as much!"
"Alright then, I'm going."
Xiao Yu stood up, motioning for the other team members resting in the sidelines to join him. Together, they strode confidently onto the stage, forming a line alongside Eden and the other competing members to bask in the glory of their championship and the crowd's admiration.
Meanwhile, Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and their teammates had undergone some quick treatment from Spirit Hall's healing spirit masters. Though still weak, they had managed to recover enough to stand. After all, Nine Star Academy hadn't gone all out against them. This was Spirit Hall's home ground—if someone had died, the uproar would have far surpassed the chaos caused by Tang Hao's appearance the day before.
As they recovered, the defeated Spirit Hall team glared at Xiao Yu and his teammates with hatred. Xiao Yu, of course, noticed their looks but paid them no mind. To him, these individuals—who hadn't even broken through to the Spirit Saint level by the end of the original series' Jialing Pass battle—weren't worth his attention.
Bibi Dong also cast a complicated glance at Xiao Yu and his team standing on the stage. She exhaled lightly and waved her hand, signaling the end of the ceremony.
A graceful young woman approached, carrying a brocade tray. Three distinct colors of light emanated from the tray, along with gentle fluctuations of soul power. Resting atop the tray were the championship rewards from Spirit Hall: three soul bones.
Bibi Dong cast a reluctant glance at the three soul bones. Meanwhile, the Golden Generation trio below the stage looked like their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets—those soul bones were supposed to belong to them!
Around the arena, countless greedy eyes were either fixed on the soul bones or on the members of the Nine Star Team.
The world is never short of greedy fools. Despite the fearsome reputation of Spirit Hall, Nine Star Hall's name was only just beginning to spread. Many lone spirit masters or small sect spirit masters, unaware of its true power, had already started plotting against Xiao Yu and his team.
Xiao Yu felt a little helpless. To be honest, among the three soul bones, only the Wisdom Condensation Head Bone barely caught his interest. As for the other two—the Windchasing Left Leg Bone for agility and the Flame Right Arm Bone for explosive firepower—both were only 30,000 years old. With his wealth and resources, Xiao Yu wasn't particularly impressed. Even if he were to give them to his teammates, he'd have to carefully consider his choices.
The Windchasing Left Leg Bone was best suited for agility-type spirit masters. However, with Rong Dou and Yuna's talents, a 30,000-year soul bone felt a little underwhelming. On the other hand, Xie Wu, who had quietly supported the team for many years and contributed significantly during this tournament, seemed like the most deserving candidate for this leg bone as a reward for his efforts.
As for the Flame Right Arm Bone, it was perfectly compatible with fire-type spirit masters. But for Ichihui and Cangmo, with their extraordinary talents, even a full set of 100,000-year soul bones wouldn't be excessive. As for Huo Wu—his woman—Xiao Yu had already planned to acquire a high-grade soul bone set for her. In fact, he'd previously arranged a 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone for Ye Lingling. Giving Huo Wu a 30,000-year soul bone might cause her, with her fiery temperament, to pick a fight with him right then and there.
At this moment, the red-robed cardinal acting as the referee interrupted Xiao Yu's thoughts with a loud announcement: "Would the representatives of Nine Star Academy please come forward to accept the championship reward!"
Xiao Yu quickly regained his composure. Without bothering to argue or show unnecessary courtesy to his teammates, he strode forward. As the captain and the strongest member of the team, it was naturally his responsibility to accept the reward.
Walking steadily, without a trace of nervousness or hesitation, Xiao Yu approached Bibi Dong. He lifted his gaze to meet that of the woman who was, nominally, the most revered figure on the continent—and coincidentally, his mother-in-law and the original story's strongest villain.
Bibi Dong looked back at Xiao Yu with a complex expression. With her level of cultivation, she could easily discern that Qian Renxue was no longer a virgin, which meant that Xiao Yu had, in fact, become her son-in-law.
Taking a deep breath, Bibi Dong finally spoke. "I must admit, you are the most exceptional young man I have ever encountered. Even she pales in comparison to you. If you are willing to bring Nine Star Hall into Spirit Hall, I can promise you this: in the future, the position of the Pope will be yours."
(End of Chapter)
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