Chapter 281: A Bet
Shi Nian was dead.
To be precise, he was already dead before Han Li could capture him.
His body was tattered, and the only intact part was his head, where his eyes remained wide open, still carrying a look of sheer terror.
He had been scared to death.
The cause of death was naturally Tang Hao's stomp at that moment.
After enduring torture, his body and mind were already in an extremely fragile state, so it wasn't too surprising.
In the past, he had often used his martial soul ability to kill others in this way. Now, dying from fear himself seemed almost poetic justice.
With a sweep of his spiritual power, Han Li retrieved a barely detectable storage soul tool from Shi Nian's body. Flames instantly engulfed the corpse.
A radiant, multicolored light dropped to the ground it was Shi Nian's head soul bone. After rinsing it with water, Han Li stored it away.
A thirty thousand year old mental type head soul bone not bad, but nothing too shocking. He had already expected it.
As for Shi Nian's corpse, it was burned and gone. Han Li had no intention of keeping it. What he had said to Tang Hao earlier was just talk.
Shi Nian was already in such a miserable state, and the Clear Sky Hammer didn't have any extremely distinct features. If the three education committee members could identify it, it would be absurd. The only reason Tang Hao felt guilty and afraid of exposure was his own paranoia. Otherwise, to anyone else, it wouldn't even count as a threat.
Glancing once more toward the small grove, Han Li shook his head, concealed his figure again, and flew toward Heaven Dou City.
Inside the grove, Tang Hao finally stopped his rampage after smashing everything in sight.
The only good news was that Shi Nian was undoubtedly dead.
Last time, when "Ning Que" fought him, aside from his Martial Soul Avatar, he had already shown all his other soul skills, none of which were healing type. Even if he took Shi Nian away, he couldn't possibly bring him back to life.
Tang Hao suppressed his emotions and assessed the losses of the night.
The most crucial soul bone was gone. He had originally planned for Tang San to absorb it.
Shi Nian, a Soul Saint, had managed to break through his mental defenses using a soul bone ability. Even though Tang Hao's martial soul was unique, that soul bone had to be at least fifty thousand years old, possibly even seventy thousand.
Of course, that was his own assumption. He didn't know that Han Li had secretly intervened during Shi Nian's attack, even gauging his mental power strength in the process.
A high age head soul bone… Thinking about it, Tang Hao couldn't help but swing the Clear Sky Hammer in frustration, sending invisible shockwaves exploding through the air.
If Tang San could have absorbed that soul bone, with his natural spiritual power, the Seven in One Fusion Technique from Canghui Academy would be broken in an instant, making the finals even more secure.
Furthermore, he hadn't managed to uncover the secret of the Seven in One Fusion Technique. If he had, perhaps the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect could replicate a similar skill.
That stomp of his wasn't meant to kill Shi Nian outright it was more to completely shatter his psychological defenses, making the interrogation smoother. Even his previous questions were a setup. He had even been prepared to fake letting Shi Nian go.
A wisp of his soul power had still been protecting Shi Nian's heart, ensuring he wouldn't die before answering everything. But then, Ning Que's sudden attack made him instinctively withdraw his soul power to defend against the ice arrow.
With Shi Nian's soul power dissipated in the process, the man had perished. Now, with the body taken away and cold as ice, there was no questioning him anymore.
At this thought, Ning Que's last words before leaving resurfaced, once again gnawing at Tang Hao's mind, making his breathing unsteady.
What did he mean by "only induction"? Did that mean everything he experienced in the illusion was his own imagination? That was impossible. He loved Ah Yin so much how could he have such profane thoughts?
No, absolutely not.
Shi Nian must have done it just to take revenge on him. Tang Hao kept repeating this to himself, finally calming down.
As for Shi Nian's students, they probably knew some of the principles behind the technique too. But he could only wait until they were eliminated. Tang Hao regretted that.
He had planned everything the soul bone for Tang San, the Seven in One Fusion Technique for the sect. But now? All his efforts had amounted to nothing.
That damn Ning Que, that damn Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect he would have his revenge!
Furious, Tang Hao shattered a few more trees before pulling his hood back up and heading toward the city. The commotion he had caused wasn't huge, but it was still too close to Heaven Dou City. To be safe, it was best to leave quickly.
Meanwhile, Han Li had already returned home.
Seeing him back, the others gathered around him, bringing the dishes to the table as well. He had been gone for most of the day. While they had confidence in his strength, the fact that he had mentioned tracking Tang Hao before leaving still made them somewhat worried.
Noticing their expressions, Han Li placed the storage soul tool on the table, then took out the soul bone. Eating as he went, he vividly recounted everything that had happened.
"If Tang Hao ever finds out it was you, he'll probably die of anger."
Dugu Yan played with the soul bone for a moment before placing it back on the table. When it came to absorbing soul bones, they now prioritized compatibility and age. Although, according to Han Li, the soul skill was decent, thirty thousand years was still a bit low.
"This identity can't be used anymore. If it continues, Tang Hao might not be able to resist going after the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Shui Bing'er calmly reminded them from the side.
"Yeah."
Han Li swallowed his food and nodded. Even if Shui Bing'er hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have used the same identity again. Besides, he likely wouldn't need it anymore.
Ning Fengzhi seemed to have realized something and had already started making selective moves, while Tang Hao was busy pushing the Clear Sky Sect into the open. Many of Han Li's previous arrangements were now obsolete.
But that was fine. With the Divine Realm no longer watching every move, using bigger disturbances to mask smaller actions was exactly what he wanted.
After chatting for a while longer, everyone returned to their rooms. The death of an insignificant Soul Saint had no impact on them.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, as usual, they made their way to the competition venue. On the way, they spotted a few students from Canghui Academy.
Their injuries from yesterday's match were only superficial. After receiving treatment and resting overnight, they showed no signs of damage.
With an air of arrogance, they strode toward the venue under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Even though they had lost yesterday's match, they were still the dark horse of the tournament. At least in the preliminary stage, no one dared to underestimate them. And judging by their expressions, they clearly enjoyed the attention.
For now, they hadn't noticed Shi Nian's disappearance.
Just like yesterday, by the time Han Li and his group arrived at the spectator area, everyone else was already there. However, Huyan Li had been replaced by Yu Tianxin, whose face still looked a little pale.
Yu Tianxin nodded at them as a greeting.
He had no choice. Apart from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's second team, at some point, every well known participant of his generation had started gathering here.
Though he was raised to see Spirit Hall as the greatest threat to sects, now that everyone else had come over, he had to follow suit even if just to gather intel.
Look at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect they were bending over backward to fit in. Even if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was a bit slow, they could at least follow the trend.
Han Li smiled, glancing at the slightly uneasy Yu Tianxin but said nothing. He wasn't doing anything just watching the matches. If they wanted to stare at him, they were free to do so.
"What do you guys think who will win today? Huyan Li or the Imperial Battle Team's second squad?"
Huo Wushuang furrowed his brows, seemingly troubled by the prediction.
He was usually a steady thinker. Although aside from Tianshui Academy, Blazing Academy had the best record so far especially after defeating Divine Wind Academy he still couldn't help but overanalyze.
"Brother, you're thinking too much. Neither of them is our match anyway."
Huo Wu sighed at her overly cautious brother.
"Elephant Armored Academy, I guess. I also hope they win."
The one speaking was Feng Xiaotian, looking somewhat serious.
After running through the calculations in his mind, he realized that Divine Wind Academy was in the same situation as Thunderclap Academy.
With limited slots for advancement, his best bet was for Elephant Armored Academy to win. Otherwise, he might not make it through based on victory rankings.
"I hope they win too," Yu Tianxin added. He was in an even worse position than Feng Xiaotian he had already lost to the Imperial Battle Team's second squad.
"Having a soul bone sure is something…"
Huo Wu muttered sourly before turning to Han Li and his group. "Han, what about you guys?"
"The Imperial Battle Team's second squad."
Han Li replied casually.
Since Tang Hao had begun taking action, Tang San's restrictions were naturally lifted. Even though Huyan Li had a soul bone, he was facing Tang San who could use the Clear Sky Hammer. With his hidden weapons and teamwork, they could easily outlast Elephant Armored Academy.
One could question Tang San's intelligence, but in terms of combat ability, aside from Han Li's group, he was still one of the strongest. That was undeniable.
"Huyan Li would probably be heartbroken if he heard that," Huo Wu joked. Unlike them, Huyan Li acted like a subordinate around Han Li. Who would've thought Han Li didn't have faith in them?
Han Li rolled his eyes at her. "What does that have to do with anything? Matches aren't just about raw strength on the spot performance matters too. I just made a random guess."
Huo Wu's eyes twinkled as she looked at Han Li. "Look, all of us think Elephant Armored Academy will win. Since you believe in the Imperial Battle Team's second squad, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet? What are we betting?"
Han Li glanced at them with interest.
"If we win, you tell us your true strength soul ring and all. If you win… um… we'll each owe you a favor?"
Huo Wu thought for a long moment but couldn't come up with a worthy prize for Han Li. By the end, she sounded a bit uncertain.
Han Li chuckled, glancing at the others. They also seemed tempted by the bet.
It seemed like every major power had sent them to probe him. But Han Li didn't mind. Even if his strength was exposed, he wasn't worried. Besides, the likelihood of him losing this bet was slim.
He wasn't sure how valuable their favors would be, but since the opportunity was presented to him, he had no reason to refuse.
"You all agree?"
Han Li scanned the group. After some hesitation, they nodded. Setting aside their respective clans' orders, they were genuinely curious.
"Alright, I'll take the bet."
Han Li agreed without hesitation.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen