Three months later, in the kingdom of Balak, the capital city Balak, the Great Spirit Arena.
"Congratulations to the Emperor Team for defeating the Undying Phoenix Team and securing victory in this team battle, successfully advancing to the Gold Spirit Battle rank."
On the main spirit fighting stage, as the tuxedo-clad host announced the result, a thunderous cheer erupted throughout Balak City.
The members of the Emperor Team returned to the rest area.
"Wow, Ah Si, you guys are amazing! You actually managed to defeat the Undying Phoenix Team, which had two Soul Elders!" As soon as they entered, Osler, who had been substituted by Lan Si, rushed toward him with a look of admiration.
Lan Si, holding Ye Lingling's hand, sidestepped Osler, who promptly face-planted.
"You're so heartless," Osler groaned, rubbing his sore arm.
Lan Si chuckled, "Sorry, Leopard, but my orientation is normal. If you want a hug, go find Tianheng, or maybe even Yu Feng."
Yu Tianheng, overhearing this, rolled his eyes. His usually stiff face, somewhat resembling Yu Xiaogang's, managed to show a rare faint smile as he jokingly replied, "Does that mean my orientation isn't normal?"
Clearly, the victory of this battle had put him in a good mood, making him willing to joke around.
"Exactly, exactly. You can say Yu Feng, but my Tianheng is a normal man," agreed Dugu Yan, standing beside Yu Tianheng.
"Why is it just...?" Yu Feng, standing at the back, began to mutter, but Dugu Yan's purple eyes silenced him.
Hearing their banter, Osler climbed up from the ground and argued, "My orientation is normal too, okay? I like beautiful women, I like beautiful women..."
But no one paid him any attention; they all looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Lan Si shrugged, took off his half-mask, and sat on the long sofa across from them with Ye Lingling.
It had been three months since Lan Si had enrolled at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. During these three months, they had traveled westward from Heaven Dou City, visiting three major cities.
In each city, they would disguise themselves and participate in spirit battles. In the first two cities, they had obtained the Silver Spirit Battle rank within a month. In the third city, they defeated a team with two Soul Elders and five Spirit Masters above level 37, advancing to the Gold Spirit Battle rank.
The members of the Emperor Team had all increased their spirit power to the level described when they first appeared in the original story, and Lan Si himself had reached level 33 a month earlier.
At the Soul Elder stage, raising one's spirit power by one level in under three months was truly astonishing to the Emperor Team members.
It was well known that the higher the spirit power level, the harder it was to advance. At the Soul Elder stage, talents like Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan typically needed four to five months to level up.
Sometimes, it could even take over half a year. For example, Yu Tianheng had been stuck at level 39 for more than half a year, and it would likely take him another month or two to break through to level 40.
Lan Si's rapid advancement undoubtedly put pressure on them, occasionally creating an urgent training atmosphere within the Emperor Team.
This was precisely the motivation that Qin Ming, the leader of the Emperor Team, hoped to see.
As everyone took their seats, Osler, acting as the errand boy, poured tea for everyone. When he reached Lan Si, he glanced at the mask on the table and asked casually, "Ah Si, why do you always wear a mask during spirit battles?"
Hearing this, the other Emperor Team members also looked at Lan Si, their eyes filled with curiosity. Over the past few months, they had gotten to know him to some extent.
He was generally calm, not prone to conflict, yet unafraid of it. He had great talent, trained hard, and had unquestionable strength.
Although he had never directly competed with Yu Tianheng, the Emperor Team had already placed him on the same level as Yu Tianheng in their hearts. In some ways, they even thought that if they were to face each other,
Lan Si might have a slight advantage. During spirit battles, regardless of the opponent, they would entrust their backs to Lan Si and charge forward without hesitation.
And Lan Si always neutralized any threats, controlling the battlefield and becoming another core member alongside Yu Tianheng.
Meeting everyone's gaze, Lan Si took a sip of tea and shook his head with a slight smile, "Young people should be low-key. Unlike you all, who have strong backing, if someone targets me one day, I might not even know how I died."
Hearing this, everyone realised why Lan Si wanted to keep his identity as Ye Lingling's cousin a secret. No matter how powerful the Nine Hearts Begonia Clan was, it was still an auxiliary spirit and lacked significant influence, unlike the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Lan Si's outstanding talent would make him a target for certain malicious people, making his situation precarious.
"In that case, why not join my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? With your talent, my grandfather would certainly provide the best training for you. No one would dare touch you then," Yu Tianheng excitedly invited Lan Si. Although the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan made it hard for him to admit it, Lan Si's talent far surpassed his own. At the same age, he was no match for Lan Si.
Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng's girlfriend, also tried to persuade Lan Si, "Yeah, Ah Si, Tianheng's grandfather is the famous Thunder Douluo, possessing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the number one beast spirit. If you join, no one would dare target you. If anyone tries, I'll have my grandfather, Poison Douluo, deal with them."
Hearing this, Lan Si nearly spat out the tea he had just sipped. Join the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
Let's not kid around.
First of all, the clan's obsession with their pure bloodline was almost pathological, even more so than the Clear Sky Clan. Joining them meant living a life of servitude and rejection. Even Yu Xiaogang, the clan master's son, couldn't escape it.
Even if Yu Tianheng's words were true and he would receive the best treatment, the clan was destined to be destroyed by Bibi Dong in the future.
Why would Lan Si throw his life away by joining the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
Marrying Qian Renxue and inheriting Qian Xunji's legacy seems like a much better deal.
Cough Lan Si coughed a few times, smiled, and shook his head, politely declining, "I prefer to be free rather than tied to any faction. My dream is to travel the continent, so I'm sorry."
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng showed a trace of regret but wasn't upset. With a friendly demeanour, he said earnestly, "In that case, I won't force it, but the gates of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will always be open to you."
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