I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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So, the question arises: with such overwhelming strength, why hasn't the Spirit Hall unified the continent?
Chu Chengzhou couldn't quite understand the Spirit Hall's convoluted operations.
With the Spirit Hall's power, especially given that Tang Chen was trapped in Slaughter City, shouldn't they have been able to sweep across the entire continent?
After all, the Tian Dou and Star Luo Empires were already at odds, and even the top three clans weren't exactly on the best of terms. Even if they formed an anti-Spirit Hall alliance, infighting and backstabbing would inevitably weaken their efforts.
This situation reminded Chu Chengzhou of the historical Qin Dynasty's conquest of the six rival states during his previous life. While the combined strength of the six states far exceeded that of the Qin, it only took the Qin about a decade to annihilate them all.
In a similar scenario, where unity was lacking, choosing to focus attacks on either the Tian Dou or Star Luo Empire individually—while taking advantage of opportunists and collaborators—wouldn't conquering the continent be relatively straightforward for the Spirit Hall?
The only explanation was that Qian Renxue, blessed with innate soul power at Level 20, had given Qian Daoliu, the true mastermind behind the Spirit Hall, too much patience.
However, based on the original storyline, Qian Daoliu, despite being over 150 years old, was still too young to grasp the wisdom of "delay invites change."
While the successor he cultivated possessed adequate strength, other aspects fell far short of being qualified when faced with the protagonist's plot armor. What could have been a guaranteed victory with minimal cost ultimately spiraled into total defeat, even costing the Spirit Hall its millennia-old foundation.
At this moment, with the arrival of Her Holiness the Pope, the seven members of the Spirit Hall team knelt on one knee in reverence.
However, neither Lan Ba Academy nor Tian Dou Imperial Academy knelt. After all, they didn't belong to the Spirit Hall, and there was no explicit rule stating that soul masters had to bow to the Pope.
In fact, not only did they refuse to kneel, but they also stood tall and proud, staring straight at Bibi Dong. Defeating the Spirit Hall team right in front of the Pope would surely be a sight to behold.
Of course, this didn't include Xiao Wu. The moment she saw Bibi Dong, Xiao Wu immediately recognized her as the woman who had killed her mother—the rabbit spirit. The two unfamiliar Titled Douluos accompanying her were undoubtedly accomplices in that crime.
Recognizing her mother's murderer, Xiao Wu's eyes burned with intense hatred. However, she knew that powerful individuals had extremely sharp senses, so she quickly lowered her head, avoiding Bibi Dong's gaze.
Yet, at this very moment, a sense of despair welled up within Xiao Wu's heart.
Any soul master worth their salt knew that the Spirit Hall was the strongest force in the soul master world. Not only did they command a vast number of soul masters, but they also boasted countless powerful experts.
And Bibi Dong, as the Pope of the Spirit Hall, represented the pinnacle of power. Seeking revenge for her mother would mean directly opposing the Spirit Hall, the undisputed hegemon of the soul master world. Could she truly avenge her mother in the future?
After sizing up the defiant stances of Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Imperial Academy, Bibi Dong's gaze lingered an extra second on both Chu Chengzhou and Tang San. With a slight wave of her gem-encrusted scepter, she softly spoke: "Rise."
Subsequently, all those who had knelt rose to their feet.
A faint smile appeared on Bibi Dong's face as her gaze swept from left to right, taking in all twenty-one young soul masters participating in the final round. She said: "From all of you, I see hope. Before the Pope's Hall, I wish to witness your full potential and strength. The ultimate victor will receive the greatest reward from the Spirit Hall!"
Pausing briefly, Bibi Dong continued: "I, the Pope, hereby promise that the most outstanding individual from the championship-winning team, upon joining the Spirit Hall, will become my personal disciple, gaining eligibility to compete for the position of Holy Son or Holy Daughter of the Spirit Hall!"
Her words caused an uproar.
What did it mean to become the Holy Son or Holy Daughter of the Spirit Hall?
Bibi Dong herself had once been the Holy Daughter of the Spirit Hall.
In other words, whoever secured the position of Holy Son or Holy Daughter would become the first in line to succeed as the next Pope of the Spirit Hall. Once the current Pope stepped down, the Holy Son or Holy Daughter would ascend to the throne as the new Pope!
Though the position of Holy Son or Holy Daughter required competition, being a direct disciple of the Pope was akin to an emperor favoring a particular prince—the path to becoming Crown Prince was practically guaranteed.
After all, the most outstanding individual from the championship-winning team would undoubtedly possess the highest talent and strength of their generation. How could such a remarkable genius possibly lose in any competition?
—Was the Spirit Hall really going this far?
This was the first thought that crossed everyone's minds, excluding those from the Spirit Hall.
Forget ordinary soul masters—even Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Dugu Bo stared at Bibi Dong in disbelief.
Seeing the shocked expressions of everyone present, Bibi Dong silently nodded to herself.
In her view, the three most outstanding individuals among the teams before the Pope's Hall were undoubtedly her disciple Hu Liena, Chu Chengzhou of Lan Ba Academy, and Tang San, the son of Tang Hao.
Hu Liena was already her personal disciple, so this reward held little significance for her.
Chu Chengzhou's cultivation talent wasn't bad; his martial soul had undergone a mutation, and his soul skills were highly unique. Moreover, his strength far surpassed his current soul power level. If Lan Ba Academy emerged victorious and Chu Chengzhou chose to join the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong wouldn't mind taking in such an interesting disciple.
With some nurturing, he could become a formidable asset for the Spirit Hall in the future.
As for Tang San?
Setting aside whether Tian Dou Imperial Academy even stood a chance of winning, even if they did, Tang San, as the son of the Hao Tian Douluo, would never join the Spirit Hall.
In other words, regardless of which team ultimately won, Bibi Dong stood to gain either way.
Upon hearing Bibi Dong's promised reward for the champion team, Chu Chengzhou felt somewhat speechless.
Compared to the three soul bones in the original storyline, the title of personal disciple to the Pope wasn't inferior—in fact, it might even surpass them.
After all, Bibi Dong was a powerhouse. If he could win her favor, arranging for a ten-thousand-year soul bone in the future wouldn't be impossible.
The vast seas were home to countless ten-thousand-year soul beasts. With Bibi Dong's strength, securing a single ten-thousand-year soul bone—or even an entire set—wouldn't pose much difficulty.
However, this reward for the champion team seemed utterly meaningless to the three teams competing in the finals.
Hu Liena was already Bibi Dong's disciple, Tang San would never bow to Bibi Dong, and as for himself, Chu Chengzhou had no intention of joining the Spirit Hall. Even disregarding Ning Fengzhi's stance, he had to consider Xiao Wu's feelings. Thus, the title of personal disciple was essentially empty talk.
It was even less appealing than the reward offered by Xue Ye after the preliminaries—a free pick of any soul beast below thirty thousand years.
This woman, Bibi Dong, was truly despicable. She might as well have handed out prepaid credit cards—it would have been more practical!
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou noticed several pairs of eyes on him, coming from the members of Lan Ba Academy and Hu Liena not far away.
To put it simply, among the four girls, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes reflected curiosity, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong conveyed worry, while Hu Liena radiated joy.
Different gazes represented different stances.
They all knew Chu Chengzhou's strength. If anyone were to receive the Pope's promised reward, it would undoubtedly be him.
Zhu Zhuqing now maintained a neutral stance, indifferent to whether Chu Chengzhou joined the Spirit Hall.
Xiao Wu harbored a grudge against Bibi Dong, and Ning Rongrong, as the young lady of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, stood in opposition to the Spirit Hall. Naturally, neither wished for Chu Chengzhou to join the Spirit Hall and become Bibi Dong's personal disciple.
As for Hu Liena, her joy was genuine.
If this scoundrel became her junior disciple, wouldn't the relationship between senior and junior disciples naturally fall into place?
Regardless of the shocked gazes surrounding her, Bibi Dong continued: "This morning, each of your three teams will send out seven participants for individual elimination matches.
The last remaining team will secure an advantage, directly advancing to tomorrow's championship battle. The two losing teams will compete in the afternoon for the final spot.
Now, you may send out your first participant."
Similar to the individual battles in the advancement tournament, but this time involving three teams simultaneously. Though this wasn't the final championship battle, it was equally important.
Victory not only meant securing a top-two finish but also allowed a team to conserve energy for tomorrow's decisive battle.
This was particularly advantageous for the Spirit Hall team, whose apparent strength was unmatched.
Judging solely from the paper stats of the three teams, the Spirit Hall team—with three Soul Kings and the rest of its members at Level 45 or above—was undoubtedly the eventual winner of the individual elimination matches scheduled for the morning.
Both Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Imperial Academy had only one Soul King each. Participating in an individual match in the morning followed by a team battle in the afternoon, the impact of injuries—especially severe ones—could significantly affect tomorrow's championship battle.
A row of gilded chairs was placed in front of the Pope's Hall. At Bibi Dong's signal, she sat in the center, flanked by Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Dugu Bo on her left, and Gui Mei, Yue Guan, and another recently arrived Titled Douluo on her right.
This Titled Douluo was none other than Ling Yuan, an elder of the Spirit Hall.
Indeed, due to seating arrangements, Bibi Dong had summoned Ling Yuan.
Bibi Dong: Otherwise, wouldn't Ning Fengzhi be seated at the same level as me?
Ning Fengzhi: ...
At this moment, on the square in front of the Pope's Hall, the three teams sent out their first participants.
Among them, the Spirit Hall team dispatched a burly youth with a soul power level of 47, while Lan Ba Academy sent Ma Hongjun as their opening participant.
Seeing that Lan Ba Academy had sent Ma Hongjun, Qin Ming, the leader of Tian Dou Imperial Academy, thought carefully and decided not to alter his original plan. Their first participant remained Yu Feng.
For both Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Imperial Academy, the morning's individual elimination matches were highly unfavorable.
Tian Dou Imperial Academy's Ye Lingling was a healing-type soul master, unable to participate in individual battles. Essentially, they could only field six participants instead of seven.
Substitutes?
Tian Dou Imperial Academy had no substitutes. The academy's stronger members were already on the team, while others served as mainstays in the second team. There were no strong substitutes available.
As for weaker substitutes, what use would they serve? Being instantly defeated would tarnish the reputation of the Tian Dou Royal Academy.
Lan Ba Academy faced a similar situation. Auxiliary-type Ning Rongrong and food-type Oscar couldn't participate. Though they had substitutes, facing opponents at the four-ring level rendered sending out three-ring substitutes meaningless.
Not only substitutes but even Tai Long, a mainstay who hadn't reached the four-ring level, wasn't intended to participate.
Tai Long's participation would only result in him getting pummeled. At best, he'd deplete some of the opponent's soul power. Since they were all classmates, it was better to let him cheer from the sidelines rather than endure a beating.
In other words, Lan Ba Academy could only field four participants in this individual elimination match.
Ma Hongjun started first, followed by Zhu Zhuqing, then Xiao Wu, with the strongest member, Chu Chengzhou, going last.
Before the morning's individual battles began, a draw determined the order of appearance for the three teams.
The draw was conducted jointly by representatives from the three teams to decide which two teams would face off first. The winner would continue battling, proceeding in sequence.
Lady Luck did not favor Lan Ba Academy—or perhaps the Spirit Hall had pulled another underhanded trick. The Spirit Hall team drew the bye, leaving Ma Hongjun of Lan Ba Academy to face Yu Feng of Tian Dou Imperial Academy. The winner would then face the Spirit Hall's first participant.
"Damn it!"
Yu Feng cursed inwardly upon seeing the draw results.
His martial soul was the Wind Chime Bird, while Ma Hongjun's was a variant Phoenix, creating a significant bloodline suppression. He stood no chance in this match and would inevitably concede.
Why did Qin Ming still send Yu Feng as the starter without adjusting the lineup?
One must understand that the current individual elimination matches differed from the earlier advancement tournament battles. Teams could freely adjust the order of their participants, limited only by a maximum of seven participants per team, with no repeats.
There were two reasons. First, participant selection occurred before the draw, so Tian Dou Imperial Academy might not face Lan Ba Academy directly.
Second, Yu Feng's strength was the weakest. As the starting participant, he could maximize his value. If he were deployed later, as opponents grew stronger, even depleting their soul power might prove difficult.
After the draw concluded, before the match began, Yu Feng turned to the red-robed bishop acting as referee and said: "Referee, I forfeit this match."
Upon hearing this, the referee was momentarily stunned, casting a strange glance toward Tian Dou Imperial Academy's resting area. The prestigious Tian Dou Imperial team surrendering at the start—wouldn't this severely damage their team's morale?
However, conceding was a participant's right, and the referee didn't dwell on it, immediately announcing Ma Hongjun's victory in the first match. The second match would pit Ma Hongjun of Lan Ba Academy against Li Kai of the Spirit Hall team.
Li Kai, a member of the Spirit Hall team, possessed the Black Horn Mountain Boar martial soul and was a Level 47 close-combat system Battle Soul Ancestor.
A Level 41 Magma Fire Phoenix soul master versus a Level 47 Black Horn Mountain Boar soul master—judging solely by soul power levels, Ma Hongjun was clearly at a disadvantage, and the gap wasn't small.
However, though the difference in soul power levels was significant, it wasn't insurmountable.
Ma Hongjun's Magma Fire Phoenix martial soul was undoubtedly far superior to Li Kai's Black Horn Mountain Boar, and as a flying-type soul master, he only needed to take to the skies to secure an almost unbeatable position.
Of course, considering Ma Hongjun's relatively low soul power level and limited reserves, the substantial soul power required for aerial combat meant that while he could compensate for his lower soul power level, his advantage wasn't overwhelming.
After a prolonged battle, Ma Hongjun, having expended most of his soul power, used his newly acquired fourth soul skill, Phoenix Roar, to bridge the six-level gap and defeat his opponent.
"Lan Ba Academy's first participant, Ma Hongjun, wins. Please send Tian Dou Imperial Academy's second participant onto the field!"
The referee announced the conclusion of the match.
Tian Dou Imperial Academy's second participant was Shi Mo, a defensive-type Soul Ancestor.
Seeing that his opponent was a defensive-type soul master and knowing his own soul power was less than 20%, Ma Hongjun didn't hesitate and immediately conceded.
Close-combat flying-type soul masters indeed had an advantage over defensive-type soul masters, but Ma Hongjun understood that in his current state, he couldn't defeat Shi Mo.
After all, Shi Mo's soul power level was slightly higher, and his defense was formidable. Breaking through his "turtle shell" would be impossible.
Since defeat was inevitable, there was no point in prolonging the fight. Otherwise, depleting Shi Mo's soul power would merely benefit the next participant from the Spirit Hall team.
When facing Tian Dou Imperial Academy (or Lan Ba Academy), if victory seemed hopeless, immediate surrender was a mutual understanding between the two teams.
Both Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Imperial Academy hailed from the Tian Dou Empire, representing their nation. As long as it didn't affect their own team's results, they shared an unspoken agreement to collectively target the Spirit Hall team.
The third match saw the Spirit Hall team send Zhang Ping as their second participant.
Zhang Ping's martial soul was the Golden Swallow, a Level 47 Agility-attack flying Battle Soul Ancestor.
Given the significant gap in soul power levels and the fact that Zhang Ping could fly, Shi Mo knew he wasn't a match for him. Focusing on defense, he relied on his sturdy "turtle shell" to engage in attrition warfare.
Winning was out of the question, but his task wasn't to win this match—it was to deplete the opponent's soul power as much as possible.
True to its reputation, Shi Mo's turtle shell—backed by his Black Tortoise Turtle martial soul—proved him to be one of the top defensive-type soul masters in this year's Soul Master Tournament.
Time gradually passed. After more than two hours, the individual elimination matches on the square in front of the Pope's Hall finally reached their climax.
In the preceding two hours, following Shi Mo's defeat, Zhang Ping of the Spirit Hall team, having expended too much soul power, lost to Zhu Zhuqing of Lan Ba Academy.
Zhu Zhuqing, despite suffering considerable soul power depletion after defeating Zhang Ping, realized she couldn't break through Shi Mo's turtle shell and voluntarily conceded.
Facing the Spirit Hall team, Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Imperial Academy fought with relentless vigor, pushing themselves to the limit. When they couldn't win, they focused on depleting their opponents' soul power. By the time they were defeated, their higher-level opponents were similarly drained, making them easy targets for their allies.
When Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Imperial Academy faced each other, if one side found itself at a clear disadvantage with no hope of victory, they surrendered immediately, allowing their ally to conserve strength for the next opponent from the Spirit Hall team.
At this moment, Xiao Wu swiftly defeated Dugu Yan of Tian Dou Imperial Academy.
Xiao Wu was Lan Ba Academy's third participant, while Dugu Yan was Tian Dou Imperial Academy's fourth. The next participant from the Spirit Hall team would also be their fourth.
Judging by the number of participants dispatched, Lan Ba Academy clearly held the upper hand.
However, considering the number of remaining participants, Lan Ba Academy was at a disadvantage.
If Xiao Wu lost, the only formidable member left in Lan Ba Academy would be Chu Chengzhou.
On the other hand, the Spirit Hall team still had a Level 48 Soul Ancestor waiting to go, along with Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, all Soul Kings. Tian Dou Imperial Academy also had Yu Tianheng and Tang San yet to appear.
But soul battles weren't about numbers—quality outweighed quantity.
"Lan Ba Academy's Xiao Wu wins. Please send the Spirit Hall team's fourth participant onto the field!"
The referee announced after Dugu Yan's defeat.
The Spirit Hall team's fourth participant was Sun Chuantao, possessing the Circular Blade martial soul, a Level 48 close-combat system Soul Ancestor.
"Participants, bow. Release your martial souls. The match begins!"
"Second soul skill, Allure!"
The instant the match began, Xiao Wu's second soul ring lit up, and a flash of pink light in her eyes immobilized Sun Chuantao just as he prepared to unleash his soul skill.
With a light tap of her toes, Xiao Wu darted forward, delivering a flying kick that sent Sun Chuantao flying out of the arena.
"Lan Ba Academy's Xiao Wu wins. Please send Tian Dou Imperial Academy's fifth participant onto the field!"
Watching another swift defeat of a Spirit Hall participant, the red-robed bishop acting as referee felt humiliated and couldn't help but twitch his lips before announcing.
It was Tian Dou Imperial Academy's turn to send out their captain, Yu Tianheng, who took a deep breath and entered the arena with a solemn expression.
"Participants, bow. Release your martial souls. The match begins!"
"Second soul skill, Allure!"
As Xiao Wu's pink eyes flashed again, Yu Tianheng, like Sun Chuantao before him, fell into a daze and was promptly kicked out of the arena by Xiao Wu.
Referee: "..."
Good grief, one trick to rule them all, huh?
Two formidable Soul Ancestors felled by a mere century-level second soul skill?
"Hurry up, next!"
Seeing the referee fail to announce the result promptly, Xiao Wu urged impatiently.
"Lan Ba Academy's Xiao Wu wins. Please send the Spirit Hall team's fifth participant onto the field!"
The referee announced impassively.
In the Spirit Hall team's resting area.
"Brother, Xiao Wu's spiritual power is very strong. Let me handle this match!"
Glancing at Xiao Wu, who had been winning consecutively on the battlefield, Hu Liena addressed Xie Yue, the team captain.
"No, Nana. I'll handle it. You're our strongest. Only you can deal with Chu Chengzhou of Lan Ba Academy!"
Yan, the big bootlicker, immediately voiced a differing opinion.
"Yan has a point! Nana, let Yan and I go first. If you exhaust yourself, we won't stand a chance against Chu Chengzhou."
Xie Yue nodded, addressing Hu Liena.
Mentioning Chu Chengzhou, Xie Yue's face contorted with rage.
As an older brother, Xie Yue could never forget the scene in the Great Star Dou Forest when Chu Chengzhou, right in front of him, abducted his younger sister Hu Liena.
Hu Liena: "..."
The problem was, she didn't have confidence in winning either. That pervert was so strong—why did everyone act as if all their hopes rested on her?
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