Chapter 183: Tang San Prepares to Consult Ah Yin
Two more days passed in Heaven Dou City, capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The grand opening ceremony of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament for the Heaven Dou division was set to take place at daybreak. Before sunrise, even though the sun had yet to rise in the east, a massive crowd already converged on the newly renovated Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena. They didn't come early to guarantee better seats, as every ticket had an assigned seat. Rather, on this opening day, they hoped for a closer look at the youth soul masters who would participate.
Many among them were lovestruck young women. Considering that soul masters across the entire continent numbered under six figures—and that nine-tenths of them were men—those chosen to represent advanced academies were the cream of the crop, all under twenty-five. To many young ladies, these young men were the ideal marriage candidates. Marrying a powerful soul master meant both name and wealth.
Tianshui Academy had booked accommodations at a five-star hotel in Heaven Dou City well in advance. After all, Tianshui Academy didn't belong to Heaven Dou City. In the group-format tournament, it wasn't a single-elimination bracket—each of the twenty-six academies had to fight every other academy, with a total of twenty-six matches every day. Having a hotel so the Tianshui Team could rest between daily matches was essential.
"Wow, look at all the people!"
Stepping out of the hotel, Shui Yue'er couldn't help exclaiming, staring east and west at the crowds. For the next few days, it seemed like a third of Heaven Dou City was swept into a frenzy, with five thousand city guards deployed to keep order.
Tianshui Team walked along a path guarded by lines of soldiers, anywhere they went attracting countless fiery gazes, catcalls echoing from the sides. Eight beautiful young women and a teacher who was a bewitching female Soul Sage formed a group of nine distinct beauties, setting many men's hearts racing.
In addition to that, the Tianshui Team's single striking male, Qian Renchuan, drew countless envious stares—people wishing they could kick him aside and take his place.
Meanwhile, Heaven Dou Team Two marched proudly toward the Great Spirit Arena, each wearing the refined uniform of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Unlike their previous lives, they weren't stuck with that ghastly green Shrek Academy uniform that drew sneers and forced them to hide behind masks.
They had only just stepped into the main entrance of Heaven Dou City's Great Spirit Arena when a sharp, mocking voice rang out:
"Ah, so that's where I've seen them before. It's the lot from Shrek Academy, wearing Heaven Dou Royal Academy's uniform. Couldn't survive in that wretched little mountain village, so you came running here to cling to Heaven Dou Academy's thigh? Truly shameless."
The Shrek Seven followed the voice to find it was Canghui Academy. Because of the conflict that arose in that small restaurant, Canghui Academy still bore them a grudge.
"Well, well—who are you calling dogs? You got an owner?" Tang San replied blandly, looking calm. As in the previous timeline, he hardly took these people seriously at all.
"You calling us dogs?" The Canghui Academy students, who lacked any sense of refinement, exploded with rage, flocking around them menacingly.
Gu Chen raised a leg to deliver a single kick that sent a Canghui student flying like a cannonball. The unfortunate soul slammed into a wall and dropped to the ground, motionless.
"You—!"
The rest of Canghui's group flared with anger.
Gu Chen said coolly, "I don't care what grudge you have against Shrek Academy. Right now, they're my teammates. If you provoke them, you provoke me. If you want to fight, I'll be happy to oblige."
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun looked at Gu Chen. Honestly, his attitude of "tough with outsiders, lenient with insiders" resonated with them. If Gu Chen hadn't been coveting Xiao Wu and clashing with Tang San, they might have felt a real kinship with him.
Right when conflict was about to erupt, Shi Nian appeared, shot a glance at Heaven Dou Team Two, and left with Canghui Academy.
Tang San watched Shi Nian's figure depart, his eyes narrowing slightly. If memory served, Shi Nian possessed a head soul bone. Tang San lacked the "Deathgod's note," so he couldn't kill Shi Nian himself—but maybe he could ask his father, Tang Hao. With his father's Title Douluo-level spiritual power, slaying Shi Nian would be no great challenge.
The Great Spirit Arena was enormous, able to seat eighty thousand spectators. Its walls were finished in a gleaming silver-hued style, and though it was still morning, specialized soul tool lights illuminated the place. It gave off a sense of luxury and grandeur.
When Tang San glanced at the VIP section, his pupils shrank sharply. Seated at the center was Emperor Xue Ye of Heaven Dou, flanked by Ning Fengzhi and Qian Xunji. On their outsides were Bone Douluo and Ah Yin—someone he had always believed to be his mother!
At the same time, Qian Xunji, Ah Yin, and Bone Douluo shifted their gazes to Heaven Dou Team Two—more precisely, to Xiao Wu.
She sensed their eyes and hid behind Tang San, shivering slightly, her expression resolute. If Qian Xunji tried to capture her, she would immediately offer herself as a sacrifice to her Third Brother.
Bone Douluo's mouth twitched faintly. This audacious ten-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit had dared to enter the Advanced Spirit Master Tournament, putting herself in full public view. If not for the prospect of pleasing Gu Chen, plus the "three upper sects' solidarity," he would have seized her for captivity back at Shrek Academy.
Ning Fengzhi, too, noticed her in the second team. He felt rather puzzled about Gu Chen's taste—this ten-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit had nothing but a pretty face.
Qian Xunji's face remained calm. Good old "Little Dance," that big-brained creature—just come join my script.
Meanwhile, Ah Yin set eyes on Xiao Wu and felt a glimmer of excitement inside. Look at that: she wasn't stupid. Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, both soul masters at the Title Douluo level, tried to stay constantly hidden, venturing only to remote villages while concealing their soul beast aura. Yet this ten-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit dared to attend the tournament and flaunt herself. Even Bibi Dong had never been so bold.
Within an instant, Qian Xunji, Ah Yin, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi all shifted their attention away. Tang San, observing that Qian Xunji—this cruel beast who only wore human skin—hadn't acted, couldn't guess his intentions. His gaze drifted to Ah Yin once more, raising his right hand. After the matches ended, he planned to ask her about what was wrong with his Blue Silver Grass. In the entire world, no one knew Blue Silver Grass better than a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor.
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