After arriving at the center of the Spirit Hall Academy, Bibi Dong gave Chu Tianxiu's hand a subtle, encouraging squeeze. "Good luck." She then ascended to the high platform with Ju Yueguan and the others.
With a wave of her hand, the noisy arena fell silent. "The selection for the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall begins now," her voice, clear and cold, carried over the crowd. "All contestants, please approach the stage."
Sixteen prodigies of the Spirit Hall walked onto the stage. Chu Tianxiu's youthful face stood out starkly among the group of teenagers, causing a wave of murmurs to ripple through the spectators.
"Who is that child?"
"He looks so young. Probably just here for experience."
Then, someone in the know whispered loudly, "You're all ignorant! That's His Holiness the Pope's newly accepted disciple!"
"Really? But at that age, his chances must be slim."
"You don't understand. My cousin's friend's neighbor teaches at the Spirit Academy, and he swears that boy's first spirit ring is ten thousand years old!"
"Impossible! If that's true... by the time he's a Titled Douluo, all nine rings could be ten-thousand-year. That's terrifying!"
Their attention was then drawn to two other contestants, and the crowd began to boo.
"There's something fishy going on! Get off the stage!"
"You two have the nerve to stand up here!"
"You look older than my uncle!"
The targets of the insults were the two disciples of the Four Princes, both nineteen years old—well past the typical age limit. Their faces flushed with embarrassment, but remembering their masters' orders, they gritted their teeth and stood their ground.
Bibi Dong's gaze was icy as it rested on them. She finally understood Qian Daoliu's scheme. But even if they won, she would ensure the title of Holy Son was reserved for her disciple. Anyone who dared take it would face her wrath.
The referee, Platinum Bishop Salas, was sweating. Between the chaotic crowd and the Grand Elder's direct order to ensure these two participated, he was in a difficult position. He cleared his throat and shouted, "Silence! All contestants have met the standards. These two simply have a more... mature appearance. Anyone who causes further disruption will be expelled."
Though everyone knew it was a farce, the crowd quieted under the threat.
Wiping his brow, Salas glanced at the match list and jumped to the center of the ring. "First match: Fulin vs. Ino!"
Two boys walked onto the stage. Fulin was rather stout, his eyes narrowed into friendly slits by his round face. Ino was much leaner.
Both summoned their martial souls: Fulin's was a ferocious giant bear clad in stone armor, while Ino's was a slender, sword-like weapon. Three spirit rings rose from each—both were Three-Ring Soul Masters.
They clashed, exchanging blows of sword and claw. Ino's attacks were fierce, a relentless offensive style that left him open. Seizing an opening, Fulin's second yellow spirit ring lit up.
"Mighty Bear Claw!" A bear claw streaked with yellow light slammed into Ino, knocking him clean off the stage.
"First match, Fulin wins!"
...
Match after match concluded. Zhao Hao and He Shishun, the two disciples from the Douluo Hall, saw their opponents—mere Three-Ring Soul Masters—concede immediately upon seeing their five spirit rings, sparking another wave of discontent from the audience.
Finally, only Chu Tianxiu and another boy, his face a map of scars, remained.
"Eighth match, Chu Tianxiu versus Ning Tieta."
Hearing the name, Chu Tianxiu was intrigued. There was a saying on the Douluo Continent: "Your surname may not guarantee you can awaken the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, but anyone who awakens the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is definitely surnamed Ning."
He stepped onto the stage. On the other side, Ning Tieta summoned his spirit. A tower-shaped spirit rose, but it wasn't the dazzling Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda; instead, it was a dull iron tower, nine stories tall, with only the bottom three levels glowing.
"Where's your spirit?" Ning Tieta's voice was gruff and direct.
With a mere thought from Chu Tianxiu, a tall, black phantom appeared behind him, pressing down on the arena with immense pressure. Ning Tieta, standing directly opposite, bore the brunt of it.
"Ning Tieta," Chu Tianxiu said, a slight smile on his lips. "Let's make a bet."
"What's the bet?" the boy replied, his body tensed against the pressure.
"If you lose, you acknowledge me as your boss. If I lose, you can name your terms."
"Fine!" Ning Tieta charged, the iron giant spirit mirroring his movement.
When he was ten steps away, a black soul ring lit up at Chu Tianxiu's feet. "Soul Suppression."
The pressure intensified, washing over the entire audience. Those with low soul power found themselves unable to move, while those with higher cultivation summoned their martial souls to resist.
As for Ning Tieta, he was slammed into the arena floor, his body embedded in the stone. Watching him still struggling, Chu Tianxiu spoke calmly. "I won't move. If you can touch me, you win."
Ning Tieta's first and second yellow spirit rings lit up in succession. "Diamond Defense!" "Golden Vortex!" His spirit swelled, protecting him. A vortex of energy swirled around him, and though the pressure remained immense, it allowed him to push himself up with tremendous effort.
His clothes were already torn, his scarred body straining with every movement. He took two heavy steps forward.
Chu Tianxiu decided to test him further, increasing the output of his first spirit skill. Fifty percent of his soul suppression focused on Ning Tieta, forcing his back into an unnatural curve. But the boy stubbornly straightened, recklessly burning his soul power to take three more steps, closing the distance to five.
Chu Tianxiu increased the pressure once more. In the next instant, eighty percent of his power descended like a mountain, forcing Ning Tieta to his knees. Yet, the boy still began to crawl forward, inch by painful inch.
A flicker of admiration crossed Chu Tianxiu's eyes. Moved by such tenacious will, he spoke, his voice carrying a new weight.
"Such willpower. I, Chu Tianxiu, acknowledge you."
"Among those who have faced me, no one is more tenacious than you."
"In terms of sheer determination, I declare you the strongest!"
"To honor that, I will show you my full power."
With that, he unleashed his complete aura. The arena floor beneath them shattered into cobwebs of cracks.
Ning Tieta had already fainted, his outstretched hand stopping just a single step away from Chu Tianxiu's foot.
The crowd was stunned into silence. It was a long moment before Salas's trembling voice returned: "The eighth match... Chu Tianxiu wins."
Chu Tianxiu turned and walked off the stage. "Yan, Xie Yue, carry him back and see to his injuries."
Only after he had disappeared from sight did the arena erupt in a cacophony of sound.