Li Qing bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Excellency, but I cannot work with enemies, so I can only decline your kind offer."
"Holy crap?!"
Li Qing's words shocked everyone present. No one expected him to be able to harden his heart and refuse such a temptation. Those were the two positions symbolizing the highest authority in Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu said no more.
Because he never expected Li Qing to agree; he just wanted to test his bottom line. If it were truly possible, there would be no need to resort to force.
"Rise!"
Qian Daoliu waved his hand. After everyone stood up, he slowly said, "The future belongs to you young people. I look forward to your performance today."
With that, he waved his hand, and three points of light magnified in front of him, suspended in the air.
Those were three Spirit Bones from different parts of the body, but it was said they were only at the millennium level, far from the rewards in the original work. Perhaps it was because they knew the Spirit Hall Academy Team couldn't win the championship.
Dugu Yan and the two other girls were indifferent to those three Spirit Bones, as their Spirit Bone slots were already full.
Oslo and the others also had no great interest. With their family backgrounds, while ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones were rare, millennium-level ones were not difficult to obtain.
Only Tang San looked at the three Spirit Bones with an exceptionally fervent gaze.
Qian Daoliu said, "These are the final championship team rewards for this year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition. Each of them has a cultivation age exceeding five thousand years."
"They are a seven-thousand-year Fire Dragon Right Arm Bone, a six-thousand-year White Elephant Left Arm Bone, and a five-thousand-year Live Bear Torso Bone."
"There is always only one winner, and the same goes for the champion. Therefore, starting from this competition, only the champion will receive rewards, because only the champion is worth remembering."
"Ah?"
Although Qian Daoliu's words made sense, everyone was still a bit confused after hearing them. So many teams competing for one reward—wasn't that probability a bit too low?
Before, the top three all received rewards, just of varying value.
Was Spirit Hall going bankrupt?
Qian Daoliu continued, "After discussions with the teachers from each team, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team will directly advance and does not need to participate in this morning's qualifying match."
"This morning, the Spirit Hall Academy Team and the Star Luo Royal Academy Team will compete for the other qualifying spot."
"In the afternoon, the winner will compete against the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team for the final championship, which means the final outcome will be decided today."
"Now, please Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team leave the arena. The other two teams can send out your first member."
The championship qualifying match was a single-elimination tournament. However, what should have been a three-way free-for-all turned into a two-team competition due to the overwhelming strength of Li Qing and his teammates.
"No need, we concede!"
Dai Weisi stepped forward and immediately conceded. After all, the Spirit Hall Academy Team had three Spirit Kings. There might have been a glimmer of hope in a team match, but in a solo match, there was truly no hope at all.
Qian Daoliu couldn't help but be stunned. Do young people nowadays have no competitive spirit at all?
If the Star Luo Royal Academy conceded directly, then the final championship battle could begin immediately. But what could Hu Liena and the others use to compare themselves to Li Qing and his teammates?
What was there to compete for? Just give out the awards directly.
"Since the Star Luo Royal Academy Team has conceded, let's proceed directly to the final championship match. Now, please Star Luo Royal Academy Team leave the arena."
Xie Yue said, "We also concede!"
Actually, they wanted to fight Li Qing and his teammates, even if they knew they couldn't win. At the very least, they wanted to see the gap, but Bibi Dong ordered them to concede.
What could they do?
The Spirit Hall Academy Team also conceded, which meant the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team won directly without a fight. Although this result was somewhat unexpected, it was also within reason.
After all, the gap was indeed too large. It just felt a bit unsatisfying to skip the process.
As Xie Yue and the others conceded, Li Qing noticed that Bibi Dong, who had originally shown no expression, couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile.
A wicked smile appeared.
At this moment, Li Qing was almost certain that Qian Daoliu had murderous intent towards him. Now, they were just waiting for them to leave Spirit City. It was estimated that Gold Crocodile Douluo and others were already waiting for them on the road.
He just didn't know if Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong would personally make a move.
Qian Daoliu couldn't help but shake his head. "Young people nowadays, sigh. Well, since that's the case, I announce that the final champion of this year's All-Continent Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition is..."
"The Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team!"
"Congratulations on winning the championship of this competition. I hope you continue to work hard. I look forward to the day I personally crown you in the Douluo Hall."
"Please, Captain, come up to receive the award!"
The moment Qian Daoliu made the announcement, Li Qing received the message that his first trial was complete. The reward was an increase of one thousand years to his spirit ring's cultivation age.
From this point on, Li Qing no longer had any hundred-year spirit rings.
In addition to the spirit ring age increase, there was also a ten percent completion rate for the God's Trial.
It was also at that moment that Li Qing inexplicably understood what 'God's Trial completion rate' meant. Unlike the Sea God's Trial, the Reincarnation God's Trial would have special rewards when its completion rate reached a certain value.
What specific value and what rewards, Li Qing did not yet know.
Furthermore, the spirit ring age increase was not instantaneous; it could begin at any time once he was ready, which was a relatively user-friendly approach.
[Second Trial: Escape the Hunt.]
The content of the second trial was also announced. The information consisted of only four words, but what kind of hunt it was couldn't be more obvious; it even seemed to be a reminder to him.
Li Qing stepped forward and received the three Spirit Bones from Qian Daoliu's hand.
After he returned to his team, Qian Daoliu then announced the successful conclusion of this year's All-Continent Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition, and then returned to the Supreme Pontiff Palace with Bibi Dong.
The participating and spectating members began to leave the arena.
"Go!"
Qian Renxue gathered all the teams from the Heaven Dou Empire. Then, with a command from Ning Fengzhi, everyone headed straight out of Spirit City.
Their actions immediately caught the attention of the Star Luo participating teams.
In just a moment, Dai Weisi and the others understood the key. Li Qing's talent was too outstanding, so outstanding that Spirit Hall could no longer tolerate it.
Spirit Hall might make a move to eliminate him, which was why they were in such a hurry to leave.
However, there was one thing Dai Weisi and the others didn't understand: if your talent is so monstrous, why bother participating in such a competition? Isn't that purely inviting jealousy and seeking death?
Is the glory of the Spirit Master Competition champion more important than one's own life?
They couldn't understand.
Anyway, if it were them, they would definitely not participate in any damned competition, nor would they even join an academy. Wouldn't it be better to honestly find a place to cultivate until they reached Titled Douluo and then emerge?
Now look, how will you escape Spirit Hall's retribution?