Liena couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Still as shameless as ever, I see."
The two chatted for a while, exchanging lighthearted banter. Before long, the earlier awkwardness had faded, and they began to feel more at ease with one another.
After some time, Lin Jie's tone grew more serious. "You didn't come just to thank me, did you?"
Hu Liena lowered her voice. "You saw through me after all. Lin Jie, what do you think of Spirit Hall?"
From Lin Jie's perspective—especially as someone from a commoner background—he believed one of Spirit Hall's greatest merits was its effort to awaken Martial Souls for free and distribute stipends to those who passed. Regardless of the motivation behind it, Spirit Hall had done this remarkably well. Even Tang San's Martial Soul had originally been awakened by Spirit Hall, and he had consistently received generous subsidies over the years.
In contrast, the nobles of the two great empires rarely showed such benevolence. To most nobles, commoners were simply tools beneath them. They saw no need to lift a finger for the less privileged.
From a Spirit Master's standpoint, neither of the two empires was particularly ideal. Spirit Hall offered the most stable environment for Spirit Masters to cultivate in peace. Upon becoming a Spirit Master, one would be recruited by various factions, but the best option—aside from joining a Spirit Master family—was often Spirit Hall. The two empires mainly sought to use Spirit Masters to expand territory and power, often manipulating them as instruments of war.
By contrast, Spirit Master families sought to strengthen their own lineages, but rarely coerced their members into direct conflict. The stronger a Spirit Master grew, the more powerful their family became. Once joined, few would consider leaving.
Spirit Hall, on the other hand, focused purely on cultivating Spirit Masters. Those who reached Rank 95 could enter the Elder Hall, where they would no longer be bothered by worldly matters and could devote themselves entirely to cultivation. Even those below that level weren't forced into military conflicts or territorial expansion, as Spirit Hall existed between the two empires and had no ambition to seize land—at least, not without a full-scale war.
For that reason, Spirit Hall was seen by many as a sanctuary for Spirit Masters.
Furthermore, Spirit Hall treated Spirit Masters with genuine respect. The arenas for Spirit Duels were designed to both entertain and temper Spirit Masters, while offering additional income. Duels were voluntary—if a Spirit Master chose to participate, they understood spectators would watch, and if they didn't want that, they could simply abstain. Still, in many imperial cities, Spirit Duels had become nothing more than a circus act for the nobles' amusement—a disgrace to the dignity of Spirit Masters.
Spirit Hall forbade ordinary citizens from watching duels. Only Spirit Masters were allowed inside, ensuring that competitions were solemn and dignified. Unlike the empires that turned Spirit Duels into entertainment for the masses, Spirit Hall truly honored the spirit of competition.
As for the matter of hunting hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts—well, no Spirit Master could claim innocence in that regard. Every Spirit Master hunted spirit beasts; it was a matter of survival and growth. Tang San's grudge against Spirit Hall in the original story stemmed more from personal vendetta than righteousness.
Back to the matter at hand.
Lin Jie met Hu Liena's gaze and nodded. "Spirit Hall gives me a good impression. It keeps the two empires in check, reduces the chance of war, helps awaken Martial Souls for free, and even provides subsidies to the common people."
"That's truly what you think?" Hu Liena asked with a faint smile.
"Of course. Compared to the two empires, Spirit Hall feels... more righteous," Lin Jie replied.
Hearing this, Hu Liena felt a warmth in her chest. As a member of Spirit Hall herself—and especially as the disciple of its Supreme Pontiff—his words filled her with quiet joy.
"And have you thought about your future?" she asked.
By now, Lin Jie understood her true reason for coming. He glanced outside at the darkening sky, then stood and walked over to Hu Liena. In a calm voice, he said, "The finals are in just a few days. Let's talk after that. As for the future... we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
He paused a moment, then offered a small smile. "Miss Hu Liena, it's getting late. I'll take my leave for now. I look forward to meeting you in the tournament. Goodbye."
With that, Lin Jie turned and left the teahouse.
Hu Liena hadn't expected him to leave so quickly. She stared after him, her expression unreadable.
Lin Jie returned to the inn where the Shrek team was staying, setting aside his encounter with Hu Liena for now.
Sometime later, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang arrived at the Shrek lodging without anyone noticing. However, his expression was visibly troubled.
Over the next three days, everyone focused on resting and recovering to reach peak condition before the final competition.
Flender returned with Tang San two days before the finals began. Now, Shrek Academy had gained another Spirit Ancestor—Tang San had broken through to Rank 41.
Upon returning, Tang San was immediately met with Yu Xiaogang's concerned words and heartfelt apology. As for everyone else, Grandmaster barely spared them a glance.
To improve teamwork, Tang San shared his newly acquired fourth Spirit Ability. When Lin Jie heard the name—Blue Silver Prison—he almost choked. But once Tang San finished explaining, Lin Jie could only sigh.
It turned out Tang San's fourth Spirit Ring came from a four-thousand-year-old spider-type spirit beast. The ability was a crowd-control technique, creating a cage to restrain enemies. While useful, its control duration wasn't particularly long, as Tang San's Blue Silver Grass hadn't yet matured to a high level.
Learning that Tang San had taken his third and fourth Spirit Rings from spider-type spirit beasts, Lin Jie couldn't help but quip, "Does Tang San have some kind of grudge against spiders or something?"
The next day marked the start of the finals. Flender gathered everyone and said Yu Xiaogang had something to discuss.
Before speaking, Grandmaster cast a glance at Liu Erlong, only to be met with indifference. Her eyes never lingered on him—not even for a second. His heart sank with a pang of regret.
Pulling himself together, Grandmaster looked toward the team and said calmly, "Tomorrow is the finals. Let me review the tournament format with you again. There are thirty-three teams total—two automatically qualified from the empires and one from Spirit Hall. These three are the seeded teams—and the greatest threats. Among them, Spirit Hall's team is your most dangerous opponent."
"There are only five rounds in the finals. Because of how intense the competition is, each round includes a rest day. The final round allows for three days of rest."
"In the first round, the three seeded teams will not compete. The remaining thirty teams will compete for fifteen advancement slots. The losers will be eliminated immediately. Every academy will go all out, so don't take anyone lightly."
"In the second round, the top team from each empire's qualifiers will receive a bye—meaning you'll have time to rest. Together with the three seeded teams, there will be sixteen teams in total fighting for eight quarterfinal slots."
"In the third round, the second-place teams from each empire's qualifiers will receive a bye, so the remaining eight teams will compete for four semifinal slots. There are no byes in the semifinals, which will determine the top three teams."
"In the final round, those three teams will face off using standard seven-on-seven battles to determine the champion. The two losing teams will battle again, and the winner of that match will challenge the team that won the initial final to determine the true champion. Got it?"
"Understood!" the group responded in unison.
"We don't yet know who your first opponent will be, but it definitely won't be one of the seeded teams. That means your odds of winning are good."
Grandmaster's gaze swept across the group. The implication was clear: the four substitutes wouldn't be participating. With eight members on the Shrek team and only seven spots in the match, one person would have to sit out. Grandmaster was leaning toward letting Tang San take command of the match, but traditionally, Lin Jie had been the team's core. Replacing him outright would be... problematic.
Everyone understood what he meant. One of them wouldn't be taking the stage tomorrow.