Chapter 184: The Finals Begin
The Heaven Dou Empire's team heading to Spirit City encountered no ambushes along the way.
Unlike the original story, all matters concerning Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had been completely handed over to Luo Ling.
Twenty days later, all the participating teams for the finals arrived one after another in Spirit City. Tang San and Yu Xiaogang's group of four rushed to arrive in time as well.
Yu Xiaogang's facial injuries had already been healed, while Tang San wore a faint, confident smile.
His spirit power had reached level 55. He had absorbed a ten-thousand-year fifth ring for his Blue Silver Grass and five ten-thousand-year rings for his Clear Sky Hammer—six ten-thousand-year spirit rings in total.
Tang San was now overflowing with confidence. As he stepped into Spirit City, his body trembled with barely restrained excitement.
Before long, they found Shrek Academy's temporary lodgings and reunited with Liu Erlong and the others who had arrived earlier.
"Where have you all been? The finals are in two days! I thought you weren't planning to compete!" Liu Erlong scolded with visible irritation.
Ever since Yu Xiaogang joined Blue Tyrant Academy with Shrek's team, she had rarely seen them at the academy—they had always been training outside.
Now, just before the final tournament, they had disappeared again, claiming to give Tang San special training.
"Erlong, we're back now, aren't we?" Yu Xiaogang smiled cheerfully.
His mood was excellent. Tang San's current strength was worlds beyond what it had been; he was sure to shine brilliantly in the finals—and Yu Xiaogang, as his teacher, would share that glory.
Having reached level 38 himself, Yu Xiaogang was also brimming with optimism. Thanks to the Blood Demon Ritual, he believed the future ahead was bright.
"So, what were the results of this special training?" Liu Erlong asked, still frowning.
At her question, Yu Xiaogang proudly declared, "Tang San has already broken through to the Soul King level!"
The room fell silent. Liu Erlong's eyes widened in shock, and the members of Shrek stood gaping.
Yu Tianheng, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar were the first to recover—each instantly thinking of the Blood Demon Ritual.
Yu Xiaogang caught their glances and subtly raised an eyebrow, silently warning them not to speak.
Ning Rongrong and the other girls, unaware of this, were genuinely astonished. Their first thought was that Tang San must have come across some rare heavenly treasure like the ones they had taken.
"That's right," Yu Xiaogang continued. "Tang San's advancement to Soul King will make him our tactical core in the finals."
Liu Erlong quickly came to her senses. "How did he break through so fast? Wasn't he just level 43 not long ago?"
"Some fortunate encounters," Yu Xiaogang replied curtly, waving his hand dismissively.
Seeing that he had no intention of explaining, Liu Erlong held her tongue, though her eyes lingered on him with suspicion.
…
Two days later, the finals officially began.
To host the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament finals, Wuhun Hall had specially built a grand arena.
The competition ground was located at the very heart of Spirit City. The massive ring spanned over a hundred meters in diameter, constructed entirely of polished granite.
The field had been reinforced with numerous soul tools for stabilization and durability.
According to Wuhun Hall's data, the arena could withstand any attack from soul masters below the Soul Emperor rank without sustaining damage.
Only an organization as wealthy and powerful as Wuhun Hall could afford such extravagance; neither empire would ever squander such resources.
Early in the morning, Luo Ling arrived with the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team and was assigned to their designated rest area.
There were thirty-three teams in total, and the competition would be conducted in five elimination rounds.
Between each round, a one-day break was provided, and before the final fifth round, a three-day break would be given for adjustment and preparation.
As per the tournament rules, the Wuhun Hall Academy and the seeded academies from the two empires were given automatic advancement in the first round.
That left thirty remaining teams competing for fifteen qualifying spots.
In the second round, the top two seeded academies from the empires would also receive byes, while the remaining sixteen teams would battle for eight slots in the third round. Adding the two seeded academies, ten teams would move on.
In the third round, two teams would be randomly granted byes, while the remaining eight would compete for four spots.
The fourth round would determine the final three, who would then face off in the ultimate fifth round.
The final structure would mirror the promotion tournament's team-battle format: the two weaker teams would first fight, and the winner would face the strongest for the championship.
Since Luo Ling's Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was a seeded team, they automatically advanced past the first round.
Although they had also placed first in the empire's preliminary tournament, their participation did not count toward the seeding total—thus, the second-round bye went to Shen Feng Academy.
Perhaps by fate's arrangement, the draw for the finals matched the original storyline perfectly.
Tang San's Shrek team was paired against the Blazing Fire Academy, who—just like before—chose to forfeit the match.
It was a frustrating outcome for Tang San. He had just advanced to the Soul King rank and had been eager to show off his new power, but the Blazing Fire Academy denied him the stage.
The rest of Shrek, however, was relieved. They all knew the Blazing Fire team well; they would have been tough opponents.
While the first-round matches proceeded, Ning Rongrong quietly slipped away to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy rest area.
Luo Ling noticed her sneaking around the moment she entered.
She spotted him too and hurried over.
"Luo Ling!"
"Miss Ning, this is the finals—you really think it's a good idea to wander into another team's area?" Luo Ling said, giving her a sidelong glance, amused and a little wary of her antics.
"I have something important to tell you," she whispered urgently.
He said nothing, merely gesturing for her to continue.
Pouting slightly, Ning Rongrong said, "Do you know that Tang San's already broken through to Soul King?"
"That's why you came here?" Luo Ling looked at her, speechless.
"I'm warning you out of concern! He's not planning anything good toward you!" she huffed.
Luo Ling chuckled, his lips curving in mild disdain. "You think Tang San reaching Soul King poses a threat to me?"
Ning Rongrong froze, realizing how silly her warning sounded.
Luo Ling had once single-handedly defeated a full team that included a Soul King. So what if Tang San was one now?
She gave a sheepish smile, realizing she'd been worrying too much.
"Relax," Luo Ling said, patting her lightly on the head. "The outcome of this tournament was decided long before it even began. No matter how strong Tang San becomes—even if he reaches Soul Emperor or Soul Sage—he will never be my match."
His tone carried unshakable confidence—and the strength to back it up.
This tournament would be anything but peaceful. Luo Ling could feel it in his bones. The long-vanished Tang Hao would surely appear again… and when he did, Luo Ling would be ready to face him head-on.
(END CHAPTER)
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