Chapter 45 – My Rules Are the Rules, and Strength Is the Law
Gui Mei's gaze—deep and cold as a dark abyss—shifted slightly.
Although he still looked down on Zhi Lin's earlier provocation, he had no intention of letting the situation spiral out of control.
The overwhelming surge of soul power in his body gradually receded like the tide.
The suffocating pressure that had been crushing Zhi Lin vanished in an instant.
Zhi Lin felt his body suddenly lighten, as if he had been yanked from the edge of a bottomless pit.
Even so, his legs still trembled uncontrollably. It was as though he had survived a violent storm, his spirit left shaken and unsteady.
His face was deathly pale, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He tried to stand straight, but his shaking knees made him look utterly disheveled.
When he finally raised his head, his gaze toward Gui Mei was filled with disbelief—mixed with humiliation and resentment.
Seeing this, Bai Baoshan quickly stepped forward to steady him, helping him back to his seat.
Zhi Lin clenched his jaw, swallowing his humiliation.
"How about now?" Dugu Bo's voice broke the silence, carrying a faint hint of mockery. "Do you all believe me this time?"
His eyes swept over Zhi Lin, making the already pale man lower his head in shame.
"This young soul master is truly extraordinary," Meng Shenji said, his tone calm but his expression complicated. "He fully deserves to be called a genius."
Gui Mei's effortless suppression of Zhi Lin had left Meng Shenji astonished, even a little angry—but more than that, deeply pleased.
After all, the Continental Soul Master Academy Tournament wasn't just a battle among the young; it was a contest of strength between nations and factions.
Both the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire treated it as a proxy war, each hoping to showcase their next generation's might.
In the past three tournaments, Spirit Hall Academy had taken two championships, while the Star Luo Royal Academy had snatched the remaining one.
The Heaven Dou Empire, however, had won nothing, not even reaching the top six.
As one of the empire's three seeded academies, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was the weakest, its repeated failures having long embarrassed Emperor Xue Ye.
This year, he placed high hopes on the new Royal Academy team, eager to finally restore some pride.
Unfortunately, the academy had long been plagued by nepotism—its so-called elites were mostly privileged nobles with weak cultivation.
Even with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul master Yu Tianheng as captain, the current team was only marginally stronger than previous squads—still far from enough to win.
As part of the academy's senior education committee, Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin bore the emperor's expectations. Naturally, they wanted to field the strongest possible lineup.
After witnessing Gui Mei's power, Meng Shenji immediately saw an opportunity. If this young man joined the Heaven Dou Royal team, they might finally have a chance at glory.
He turned to Gui Mei with a warm smile.
"You're remarkably powerful for someone so young. A genius soul master like you seeking to join our academy—if we were to refuse, it would only be our loss. Tell me, what's your name? How old are you?"
"Nameless. Seventeen."
"Nameless?" Meng Shenji raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "You mean you don't have a name?"
Before Gui Mei could answer, Dugu Bo chuckled.
"His name is Nameless (Wuming)."
{T/N: Nameless means Wuming in Chinese}
"So that's how it is. A strange name indeed," Meng Shenji nodded thoughtfully, stroking his beard.
"And your martial soul—what is it?"
Gui Mei's reply was calm but carried an inexplicable weight.
"My martial soul… is myself."
"...What?!"
Meng Shenji's expression froze in disbelief.
Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin were equally stunned—the words echoing in their minds like a thunderclap.
A martial soul that is one's own body?
What kind of existence was this boy, truly?
"Body Martial Soul? To think such a strange type of martial soul actually exists in this world."
Dugu Bo grinned, his expression filled with curiosity and intrigue.
"This martial soul is indeed peculiar," he added with a chuckle. "It's the first time I've heard of something like this."
All three Education Committee members fixed their eyes on Gui Mei, as though they could pierce through his secrets just by looking.
Only now did they realize that this youth's terrifying power might very well be tied to his "Body Martial Soul."
Though half-skeptical, Meng Shenji did not press further. Instead, he said, "Wuming, you should already be familiar with the rules of the Continental Soul Master Tournament, correct?"
"I understand them all," Gui Mei replied calmly.
Meng Shenji nodded and explained, "The Heaven Dou Royal Academy will send two teams to the tournament. The main team is one of the three seeded teams. They don't need to go through the regional qualifiers or the advancement rounds—they're directly qualified for the finals. The second team, however, must compete in the qualifiers like the others. Only by placing in the top five can they advance to the next stage and eventually reach the finals."
He paused, then smiled slightly. "With your strength, either team would welcome you. Which will you choose?"
"I'll join the second team," Gui Mei answered without hesitation.
Then, his tone grew firm. "But I have conditions."
The three Education Committee members exchanged glances.
Zhi Lin's face darkened again—he had already suspected things wouldn't be that simple.
Meng Shenji asked, "What kind of conditions?"
"My goal is the championship. After we win the tournament, I won't accept any titles, honors, or imperial rewards. You can take all of those—I only want the three soul bones awarded to the champions."
The three Education Committee members froze, their expressions stiffening in shock.
So that was his true goal—the championship's three soul bones!
The Spirit Hall Academy team this year was no ordinary force; they were hailed as the Golden Generation.
Each of Spirit Hall's three geniuses had already reached the Soul King realm, possessing five soul rings each—and two of them could even unleash a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
Those three soul bones were handpicked by the Supreme Pontiff, Bibi Dong herself, prepared as rewards to glorify Spirit Hall's younger generation and assert their dominance over the continent.
Under normal circumstances, Spirit Hall was almost certain to claim the championship.
But after witnessing Gui Mei's unfathomable strength firsthand, the three Education Committee members realized—this youth could very well become Spirit Hall's greatest obstacle.
Though all three of them were affiliated with Spirit Hall, they had long grown disillusioned with Bibi Dong's heavy-handed methods.
And with Emperor Xue Ye's promises and incentives tempting them, their loyalty had already begun to waver.
If they could bring home the championship for the Heaven Dou Empire… then Spirit Hall's loss wouldn't matter.
Dugu Bo suddenly spoke up, his tone sharp and impatient.
"With Wuming's strength, it doesn't matter which team he joins—he could take any of them straight to the championship. I brought him here out of respect for His Highness. But if you keep hesitating, we'll just find another academy in Heaven Dou City. It won't make any difference."
Meng Shenji gave an awkward laugh, feeling pressured by Dugu Bo's words.
"Wuming," he said finally, "if you have the confidence to defeat Spirit Hall Academy's team and win the championship for the Royal Academy, then we will agree to your terms."
"I have a few smaller conditions as well," Gui Mei added indifferently. "Before the tournament officially begins, I won't train with the other members. It's enough that they know I exist. Whether I am a main or substitute player doesn't matter—I'll decide when I take the field."
"This…"
The three committee members exchanged uncertain looks once more.
Meng Shenji then nodded toward Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin. After a brief moment, all three silently reached a consensus.
"Alright," Meng Shenji said at last, "we accept your terms."
—
End of Chapter