Chapter 64: One Against Seven, Facing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon
The grand finals had finally arrived.
Early in the morning, Bibi Dong summoned Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan to the Pope's Hall.
As Bibi Dong's beloved disciple, Hu Liena was no stranger to the Pope's Hall.
But for Xie Yue and Yan, this was their first time stepping into this sacred place, and both felt a twinge of nervousness.
"I called you here to give you an important mission. First, I'll show you a few things."
Bibi Dong's cold voice echoed through the vast Pope's Hall, sending a chill down their spines.
She waved her scepter lightly, and three points of light appeared in front of them.
In the blink of an eye, the three points of light transformed into three soul bones, each radiating a different luster.
Floating before Hu Liena was a pale blue soul bone, shaped like a skull.
Before Xie Yue was a dark left leg bone.
Before Yan was a deep crimson right arm bone, radiating intense heat.
The three stared at the soul bones in front of them, feeling the immense power radiating from each. Their eyes shone with excitement.
They already knew that the champion of this Soul Master Tournament would receive three soul bones—and these were personally prepared by the Pope for them.
Each soul bone was a priceless, rare treasure that was nearly impossible to obtain.
Even elders of the Spirit Hall who had reached the Tilted Douluo level might not acquire a soul bone.
And for three young disciples like them to be specially favored by the Pope with a chance to claim such coveted soul bones—how could they not be excited?
"The champion of this Soul Master Tournament will receive these three soul bones. I've prepared them especially for you three. I hope you will not disappoint me."
The three exchanged glances and simultaneously knelt.
"Your Holiness, please rest assured. We will secure the championship for the Spirit Hall Academy!"
Bibi Dong gave a slight nod.
With a gentle wave of her scepter, the three soul bones disappeared, and she continued:
"It's good that you have confidence, but do not be careless. As far as I know, the Heaven Dou Empire division has two exceptionally strong teams that may obstruct your path to victory."
"One is the Shrek Academy team, led by the theoretical grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. This team also has a Five-Ring Soul King named Tang San. His Martial Soul is the Dark Blue Silver Grass, equipped with a millennium-old soul ring and external soul bones. He even possesses flight capabilities and formidable strength."
"The other team is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team. This team has a Soul Master even stronger than Tang San, known only as Wuming."
"He possesses a Body Martial Soul, has never revealed his soul rings, and has appeared only once in the Heaven Dou division, defeating the Shrek Academy team single-handedly."
"In subsequent matches, all teams who encountered him surrendered without a fight."
After hearing Bibi Dong's description, the three were shocked.
They had not expected such powerful young Soul Masters to exist in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Bibi Dong continued:
"Today, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team has a match. Wuming's teammates are all three-ring Soul Elders and can be easily defeated. He will definitely appear, so you must pay attention. Your mission is to eliminate him during the competition."
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
Xie Yue asked, "Your Holiness, what about Tang San? Should we also…"
"No! Tang San could potentially become a member of the Spirit Hall. There's no need to eliminate him yet. If you meet him in the grand finals, just perform normally and defeat him in competition."
"Understood!"
"Alright. The grand finals are about to begin. Go and prepare."
The grand finals were ruthless—a strict elimination system.
Every match was decisive; there was no room for carelessness.
Bibi Dong was certain that Wuming would appear in today's matches.
As one of the seeded teams, the Spirit Hall team had a bye in the first round.
Hu Liena and the others had no matches today, but Bibi Dong wanted them to witness Wuming's power firsthand.
---
Under the guidance of Spirit Hall officials, all participating teams arrived at the competition arena.
The grand finals were held at the center of Spirit City, in a stadium transformed from the city's Grand Soul Fighting Arena.
The arena's main stage was a hundred meters in diameter, constructed entirely of granite and reinforced with massive soul conduits capable of withstanding attacks from thousand-year-old soul skills.
Each team had its own designated rest area around the arena, allowing them to observe other matches conveniently.
Unlike the imperial divisions, the grand finals arena had a smaller spectator section, accommodating only a few thousand, all restricted to Soul Masters.
On one side of the arena sat the VIP judging area, where representatives from both empires and several elders from the Spirit Hall watched the matches.
Earlier, the Spirit Hall had announced that the final three would compete in the plaza in front of the Pope's Hall, where Bibi Dong herself would be present to award the champion.
The grand finals consisted of five rounds in total, with a full day of rest and adjustment between each.
Thirty-three teams participated. Aside from the three seeded teams, both the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire contributed fifteen teams each.
In the first round, the three seeded teams had byes, while the remaining thirty teams competed for fifteen spots in the next round.
Losers were immediately eliminated, while winners advanced.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team had earned first place in the preliminary and qualifying rounds. According to the rules, they would win their first-round match, receive a bye in the second round, and advance directly to the third round.
Soon, Teacher Lin returned with the match draw.
Today, their opponents were the Thunder Academy.
Thunder Academy was backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, led by the young prodigy Yu Tianxin.
The team included four Soul Ancestors, all wielding the power of lightning, making them a formidable team.
In the preliminary and qualifying rounds of the Heaven Dou division, Thunder Academy had forfeited when faced with the Royal Academy's second team. This would be their first real encounter in the grand finals.
Forfeiting a match meant immediate elimination, so despite knowing Wuming's strength, they would not give up easily.
The grand finals followed a simple and direct format.
After a brief introduction by the red-robed referee, the first-round teams and matchups were announced, and the competition began.
The early matches passed quickly, and soon it was time for the duel between the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team and Thunder Academy.
All eyes were on the arena as Wuming and his teammates stepped onto the stage.
Dressed entirely in black, he seemed out of place among his team, drawing gasps from the crowd as he appeared.
Tang San's gaze fixed tightly on Wuming.
"Damn Wuming! You ruined my looks! And now you've appeared again!"
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, famed as the top beast-type Martial Soul for its ferocious lightning attacks, faced off with anticipation.
Tang San was eager to see how Wuming would counter the sheer power of the thunder-infused attacks.
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End of Chapter