**Chapter 95 Directly Targeting Tang Hao's Weaknesses**
No matter Yu Xiaogang's mood at this moment, Bibi Dong felt extremely happy in the arena.
She was delighted to hear the crowd's exclamations because of her.
'Huhum, Huhum… Finally, it's my turn to show off, isn't it?'
After all the teams appeared, the host quickly asked the thirty teams, excluding the three top seeds, to draw lots.
The first round of the finals was to be held that day, with the three top-seeded teams getting direct passes into the top 18.
The remaining thirty teams would be paired for team battles. The winners would advance to the second round, while the losers would be eliminated from the competition.
In the finals, there were no points; losers were directly disqualified, making it far more brutal than the preliminaries.
Because of this, the finals often featured intense competition, with nearly every team going all out in their matches.
It didn't matter if you had lost one or two games before. As long as you had enough points to advance, you could make it. But in the finals, it was purely about winning.
The results of the draw came out quickly.
Thirty teams meant a total of 15 matches would be held that day to decide who would move on to the next bracket.
The Haotian Team won without surprises, and the first round of the finals concluded the same day.
Fifteen matches took almost the entire day to complete.
Before leaving, all teams had to perform the second round of draws to determine the pairings for their upcoming matches.
The Haotian Team was paired with the highest-ranked team from the Star Luo Empire for this second round.
This was the significance of the random draws and bracket pairings—top teams from both empires could face off as early as the second round, potentially eliminating a strong contender before the third round of the finals.
Excluding the two paired teams, the other thirteen teams, along with the three seeded teams from both empires and the Martial Spirit Hall, drew lots for their second-round opponents.
The draw ended quickly. The Martial Spirit Hall Team was paired against the Kamikaze Team.
The Star Luo Empire Team and the Tiandou Royal Team were also paired against other teams. The three seeded teams were staggered, ensuring they wouldn't face each other until the later stages.
After the draw results were announced, all teams left.
Tomorrow, all teams would have a training day before the second round of the finals, scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
There was one rest day between each round, allowing teams to train.
For the final match, there would be a three-day break.
"Gu Ziyi, Bibi Dong!"
"I will definitely repay the humiliation you brought upon me while I was weakened after my match in the arena!"
Before leaving the competition venue, Tang Hao once again blocked Gu Ziyi and Bibi Dong, confronting them in front of the Martial Spirit Hall Team and declaring his intent to avenge his prior humiliation.
"Hmph, it's not just your Haotian Team that has a Soul King; I'm one too!"
"Since I managed to defeat you once, I can do it again. Your subordinates will fall as well!"
Since their last encounter, Bibi Dong had been greatly dissatisfied with this brute. So, seeing him intercept their path and issue a challenge, she retorted sharply.
"You've already lost to us once. Losing again won't make much difference, you loser!"
Gu Ziyi, equally ruthless and sparing with words, directly targeted Tang Hao's weaknesses.
In the past, he had been deeply afraid of Tang Hao, but not anymore.
Now, without needing anyone else's help, Gu Ziyi even dared to face Tang Hao alone.
With his peachwood sword—a hundred-thousand-year soul bone in his possession—he was fully confident in taking on Tang Hao by himself.
"You…!"
Tang Hao's face flushed red upon hearing Bibi Dong and Gu Ziyi's remarks. He almost launched an attack immediately but managed to restrain himself.
"These two bastards!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you're just another loser!"
Bibi Dong raised her chin proudly as she spoke.
"You…"
Tang Hao was enraged as his previous defeat was brought up repeatedly. Before he realized it, his Clear Sky Hammer had materialized in his hand in a fit of fury.
"Domain – Noble Circle!"
Buzz—
As Tang Hao was about to attack, a cold, elegant female voice rang out behind him, and a calming domain enveloped him instantly.
His seething anger subsided rapidly.
It was Tang Yuehua, who had arrived with other members of the Haotian Team. Seeing the visible rage on Tang Hao's face, she used her innate domain to calm her elder brother immediately.
"Second Brother, do you want to be disqualified from the competition?"
As she approached, Tang Yuehua spoke coldly to her brother.
If he made a move before the match, it would be a violation of the rules, resulting in severe punishment and disqualification from the competition.
"Little Sister…"
Under his sister's domain, Tang Hao visibly calmed, though he still struggled to suppress the bubbling anger within him.
"My apologies. My second brother was being impulsive, but he didn't mean any harm!"
Tang Yuehua walked past Tang Hao and approached Gu Ziyi and Bibi Dong, taking the initiative to apologize on her brother's behalf.
"It's fine; we're not afraid of him!"
"Hehe, isn't that right, Little Brother?"
Bibi Dong glanced at the elegant and beautiful Tang Yuehua, then moved closer to Gu Ziyi, appearing quite intimate.
Seeing this, Tang Yuehua felt a sudden pang of bitterness in her heart as she observed the pairing of the handsome young man and the beautiful girl.
"See you in the arena!"
Gu Ziyi didn't say anything else. He simply delivered a short farewell, brushed past Tang Hao and the others, and left the venue.
"Little brother, wait for me!"
Bibi Dong quickly followed, walking close beside Gu Ziyi as if they were inseparable.
Seeing this, the rest of the Martial Spirit Hall Team hurried after them.
…
"Cousin, do you think he's in a relationship with that Saintess?"
That evening, Tang Yuehua strolled through Spirit City with her cousin Bai Lu, who had come to watch the games. Tang Yuehua couldn't help but bring up her old flame, Gu Ziyi, during their conversation.
"Cousin, since it's no longer possible for you and him to have a relationship, stop concerning yourself with his affairs!"
"I don't know if he's with the Saintess of the Martial Spirit Hall, but even if that's the case, wouldn't it make sense for them? They seem like a fitting match."
When Bai Lu heard her cousin's question, she paused briefly before trying to persuade Tang Yuehua to let go.
However, as she attempted to console her cousin, Bai Lu couldn't help but think of the kiss she had given Gu Ziyi that day.
She often told herself that the kiss was merely a gesture of gratitude for the advice he had given her.
Yet, the memory of that kiss lingered in her mind, and she found herself recalling it often. It was the first time she had experienced such intimate contact with a young man.
She couldn't help but wonder how things might have been different if Gu Ziyi hadn't joined the Martial Spirit Hall.
Her cousin's situation made it impossible for them to be together, but Bai Lu realized she wouldn't face such obstacles. If she truly liked him, and with her father's appreciation for him, there would be no issues with pursuing a relationship.
Unfortunately, it was too late. By the time Bai Lu realized her feelings for Gu Ziyi, the opportunity had already passed.
Otherwise, she might have acted first back then.
"...Huhum!"
Tang Yuehua sighed bitterly. She knew her cousin was right, but she just couldn't help herself.
…
After a day of rest, the second round of the finals began.
There were eight matches scheduled for the day. The Golden Generation Team from the Martial Spirit Hall faced the Kamikaze Team in the very first match.
This match was the most highly anticipated event of the day.
Everyone was eager to witness the strength of the Martial Spirit Hall Team.
Regardless of the other members, the presence of Bibi Dong alone made the Martial Spirit Hall Team the clear favorite to win this match.
"Both teams, release your Martial Spirits!"
"The match begins!"
...
(End of Chapter)
--