"Match start!"
With the referee's command, this highly anticipated match finally began.
The trump card of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team—or rather, Dai Weisi's trump card—was well-known to anyone with a modicum of knowledge. After all, the Spirit Fusion Technique Netherworld White Tiger, renowned throughout the soul master world, was the signature move of the Star Luo royal family.
But would this self-proclaimed tiger-slaying hero truly be able to crush the Netherworld White Tiger?
At the start of the match, Xiao Wu and the other six members of Lan Ba Academy immediately retreated to the edge of the competition platform, leaving the match entirely to Chu Chengzhou.
This was a tactic Chu Chengzhou had specifically requested. There was no deeper meaning—it was simply his intention to take on the entire Star Luo Imperial Academy team by himself.
Chu Chengzhou did not follow his usual routine of activating his first soul skill to summon Little Qing, the Sky Azure Tree spirit. Instead, he dismissed his True Spirit Flag weapon and gathered soul power in his hands. A bow and arrows made purely of metallic soul power rapidly materialized in his grasp.
He drew the bow, nocked an arrow, aimed, and released—all in one fluid motion. The faint whistle of slicing air echoed as three golden streaks shot forth like bolts of light, vanishing past Dai Weisi's side almost instantly.
Before the echoes faded, Chu Chengzhou conjured two more arrows, launching them toward their targets in rapid succession.
Fifty meters away, Dai Weisi, who was preparing to activate the Spirit Fusion Technique Netherworld White Tiger with Zhu Zhuyun at his side, caught a fleeting glimpse of five golden streaks—three ahead, two behind—flashing past him out of the corner of his eye.
However, the speed of the golden streaks was so great that, combined with only catching it peripherally, Dai Weisi assumed it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.
Shh-shh-shh—
A barely audible sound of blades piercing flesh rang out. Aside from Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, the remaining five members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team felt a sudden chill around their necks, as if something had grazed past them.
But given the heat of the match and the formidable opponent before them, the five didn't pay much attention and instead focused on releasing their soul skills.
"Match paused!"
At this moment, the red-robed bishop overseeing the match shouted loudly.
"Huh? Bishop, is there something wrong?"
The referee, who had turned his back to the arena and was already walking down the steps, stopped in confusion upon hearing the command from his superior.
Not only was the referee surprised, but the seven members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team also turned to look at the red-robed bishop.
"Please have the five members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team leave the field!"
The red-robed bishop cast a grave glance at Chu Chengzhou before addressing the five members of the Star Luo team.
To serve as a red-robed bishop within the Spirit Hall, one had to possess a soul power level of at least 70.
And for this particular bishop to stand out among his peers and oversee the finals of this Soul Master Tournament, he was no ordinary red-robed bishop—he was a Soul Sage with a soul power level of 79.
While ordinary soul masters might not have been able to discern the five soul-powered arrows Chu Chengzhou had fired, this red-robed bishop had seen everything clearly.
Of course, seeing was one thing; being able to react in time after seeing was another matter entirely.
The Soul Master Tournament prided itself on fairness, and as the host of these finals, the Spirit Hall naturally had to uphold that fairness. Otherwise, the reputation of the Spirit Hall itself would suffer.
A fine line of blood had appeared on the necks of the five members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team—a clear sign they had been eliminated.
Moreover, the bishop knew that Chu Chengzhou had held back. Had it not been for the rules of the tournament, the five members of the Star Luo team would already be dead.
Had he failed to notice, it could have been chalked up to poor observation skills. But having seen it, he couldn't allow any unfairness to persist.
Furthermore, the judges' panel wasn't solely composed of Spirit Hall representatives—the Tian Dou Empire had sent observers as well.
"Bishop, why must we leave?"
Upon hearing the red-robed bishop order them off the field, the five members of the Star Luo team immediately frowned and questioned him.
"You should be grateful this is a competition, or you'd already be dead! Look at your teammates' necks!"
The red-robed bishop snapped at the five, who were oblivious to how narrowly they had escaped death.
Hearing this, the five instinctively glanced at their teammates' necks.
Instantly, their pupils contracted. Each of their teammates' necks bore a faint line of blood.
Combined with the dazzling golden bow in Chu Chengzhou's hand and the brief flashes of golden light they had glimpsed earlier, cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
Good grief! They had nearly died just moments ago?
"Bishop, I recall the tournament rules explicitly forbid the use of any weapons other than martial souls. He violated the rules!"
Dai Weisi pointed at the golden bow in Chu Chengzhou's hand, his face darkening with anger.
Losing five teammates right at the start—how could the match possibly continue?
"The eldest prince of the Star Luo Empire has such limited insight? Dai Weisi, ignorance isn't a sin, but flaunting your ignorance is entirely your fault!"
Chu Chengzhou sneered disdainfully.
"Contestant Chu Chengzhou has not violated the tournament rules. Please have the five members of the Star Luo team leave the field, and the match will continue!"
The red-robed bishop, unwilling to waste time explaining to Dai Weisi, stated bluntly.
Physical weapons versus soul power-formed weapons—I'm a Level 79 Soul Sage, do you think I can't tell the difference?
That brat is right—you're just displaying your ignorance!
"Bishop, are you blatantly favoring him on behalf of the Spirit Hall? This undermines the fairness of the match!"
Dai Weisi protested, his face full of indignation.
In Dai Weisi's eyes, the golden bow in Chu Chengzhou's hand, capable of instantly killing five of his teammates, was undoubtedly a powerful soul-guided weapon.
Bringing such a powerful soul-guided weapon onto the battlefield—wasn't that blatant cheating?!
"I, Branar, swear upon the honor of the Spirit Hall that this match is absolutely fair and impartial!
Contestant Dai Weisi, the weapon wielded by Chu Chengzhou is formed entirely from soul power. Stop making baseless accusations, or I will disqualify you from the match immediately!"
The red-robed bishop, Branar, stood and swore upon the Spirit Hall's honor, then glared menacingly at Dai Weisi.
"!!!"
Dai Weisi's eyes widened, and his face turned ashen.
That bow was formed from soul power? So the clown here is me?!
"If I didn't know any better I'd assume you're some country bumpkin, not an imperial crown prince. No insight, no knowledge and no demeanor," Chu Chengzhou mocked mercilessly.
"The match will now resume!"
By this time, the five members of the Star Luo team had left the field, and the referee announced the continuation of the match.
"Dai Weisi, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Show me your so-called Netherworld White Tiger!"
Chu Chengzhou beckoned mockingly with a crooked finger.
Glaring hatefully at Chu Chengzhou, Dai Weisi turned to Zhu Zhuyun.
Immediately, a roar erupted from Dai Weisi's throat. Accompanying the roar, the muscles of his already activated White Tiger martial soul swelled further, and white fur interwoven with black tiger stripes burst forth from his body.
Simultaneously, Zhu Zhuyun's entire body was enveloped in a faint black glow. Her figure became translucent, as though she were fading into invisibility, and she drifted silently toward Dai Weisi.
In an instant, the two figures merged seamlessly.
Roar—
The next moment, a massive black pillar of light, over three meters in diameter, surged skyward from the point of their fusion, accompanied by an ear-splitting howl that reverberated across the arena.
In the blink of an eye, the black pillar dissipated, and with it, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun vanished. In their place stood an enormous white tiger.
The tiger was over four meters long, about three meters tall, transparent in appearance, with white fur and black stripes. Its large, purple eyes glared coldly at Chu Chengzhou.
"Oh, Dai Weisi, doesn't your Netherworld White Tiger have wings?"
Facing the imposing Netherworld White Tiger, Chu Chengzhou showed no trace of seriousness. Instead, he curiously inquired about its lack of wings.
If he remembered correctly, in the original storyline, Dai Mu Bai's Netherworld White Tiger had wings, right?
"Die!"
With a roar, Dai Weisi, enraged and humiliated as the primary controller of the Spirit Fusion Technique, immediately directed the Netherworld White Tiger to pounce on Chu Chengzhou.
The wings of the Netherworld White Tiger were a closely guarded secret of the royal family.
Even with identical White Tiger and Netherworld Spirit Cat martial souls, the compatibility between soul masters varied. This meant not every White Tiger soul master and Netherworld Spirit Cat soul master could activate a Spirit Fusion Technique.
Unless the compatibility was exceptionally high, the Netherworld White Tiger wouldn't have wings at lower soul power levels.
Only when the Netherworld White Tiger reached the strength of a Titled Douluo could it ignore compatibility issues and grow wings without fail.
Dai Weisi's White Tiger martial soul and Zhu Zhuyun's Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul weren't highly compatible. Though they could still activate the Spirit Fusion Technique, wings were out of the question for now.
"Hmph, giving you an inch and you take a mile! Little kitty cat, bow before me!"
Snorting coldly, Chu Chengzhou summoned golden soul power into his right hand, drew his bow, and unleashed three razor-sharp metallic soul-powered arrows.
Swish-swish-swish—
The sound of slicing air rang out as three streaks of golden light zipped across the platform, striking the Netherworld White Tiger's massive head with lightning speed.
Thud-thud-thud—
Chu Chengzhou hadn't held back this time. The three arrows, each with the power equivalent to a typical Soul Emperor's ten-thousand-year offensive soul skill, pierced through the Netherworld White Tiger's defenses and embedded themselves deep into its massive skull.
Fortunately, the Netherworld White Tiger was a product of the Spirit Fusion Technique, not a physical body with vital organs. Otherwise, if it were an actual tiger-type soul beast of equivalent strength, three three-foot-long arrows piercing its brain would have been fatal.
Even so, the severely wounded Netherworld White Tiger was in no better shape. Its massive body twisted and contorted, on the verge of collapsing.
Swish-swish-swish—
Three more streaks of golden light shot forth, and the Netherworld White Tiger, unable to evade in time, was struck again by three soul-powered arrows.
Instantly, the Netherworld White Tiger's imposing aura faltered.
Moments later, the destabilized Netherworld White Tiger could no longer maintain its form. Its massive body shattered into countless soul power motes, dissipating into the air. In its place stood Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, spitting blood, pale-faced, and suffering backlash from their forcibly shattered Spirit Fusion Technique.
"Netherworld White Tiger? Is that all? It seems I spoke too soon. I'm not a tiger-slaying hero—I'm a cat-slaying hero!"
After obliterating the Netherworld White Tiger with six soul-powered arrows, Chu Chengzhou sneered disdainfully at Dai Weisi in the distance.
Pftttt—
Enraged and overwhelmed, Dai Weisi coughed up another mouthful of blood and promptly fainted.
Patients in pain can't handle stress—there's truth to that!
"Tsk~"
Shaking his head in disdain, Chu Chengzhou dismissed the dazzling golden soul-powered bow in his hands.
Watching Chu Chengzhou effortlessly defeat Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuqing, standing at the edge of the platform, felt her eyes light up with admiration.
Indeed, this man was worthy of her affection!
The once seemingly invincible Dai Weisi and her older sister Zhu Zhuyun couldn't even withstand three moves against him.
At this moment, the referee hurried onto the competition platform to check on Dai Weisi's condition.
Having a participant die on the competition platform was no small matter, especially since Dai Weisi was the eldest prince of the Star Luo Empire.
Fortunately, things hadn't taken the worst turn. Though the unconscious Dai Weisi was gravely injured, he was still alive, and the referee immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, the referee announced: "Round three of the finals, third match—Lan Ba Academy versus Star Luo Imperial Academy. Lan Ba Academy wins! Congratulations to Lan Ba Academy for advancing to the top six of the tournament! Please have the injured members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team carried off the platform."
There was no need for further instructions. The five members of the Star Luo team who had already left the field rushed back onto the platform to carry off the unconscious Dai Weisi and the injured Zhu Zhuyun.
As one of the seeded teams expected to win the championship, the Star Luo Imperial Academy team had been utterly defeated by Chu Chengzhou in a one-versus-seven battle during the team fight—and not just defeated, but annihilated without resistance, and without Chu Chengzhou even using his martial soul. This outcome was beyond anyone's expectations.
As the saying goes, names may be misgiven, but nicknames are never wrongly bestowed. The great demon king truly lived up to his name, with unparalleled dominance on the battlefield!
Amidst gasps of astonishment, the members of Lan Ba Academy stepped down from the competition platform.
They had no intention of watching the next match. Without delay, they returned to their quarters.
At this stage of the tournament, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the three teams advancing to the fifth round to compete for the final championship would undoubtedly be the Spirit Hall team, Lan Ba Academy, and Tian Dou Academy.
Of course, this was contingent upon these three teams not facing each other in the fourth round.
After a day of rest, the fourth round of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament began.
In the fourth round, six teams competed to advance three. There were no byes.
The final six teams drew lots to determine their opponents. Notably, the three teams whose strength far surpassed the others—Lan Ba Academy, the Spirit Hall team, and Tian Dou Academy—did not draw each other.
Lan Ba Academy's opponent was the second-place team from the Star Luo Empire's advancement tournament.
The Spirit Hall team's opponent was God Wind Academy.
Tian Dou Academy's opponent was the winner of the fourth match in the third round, the Tai Yue Academy team from the Star Luo Empire.
This lineup rendered the fourth round utterly devoid of suspense.
Chu Chengzhou didn't even need to step in. Xiao Wu and the others swiftly defeated their opponents, securing their spot in the fifth round.
Although Feng Xiaotian of God Wind Academy was relatively strong, his soul power level ultimately fell short. He was immobilized by a mere glance from Hu Liena, resulting in a crushing defeat for God Wind Academy.
As for Tian Dou Academy, Tang San's tactics were ruthless. At the start of the match, he hurled a Blue Silver Emperor Tyrant Spear, piercing through the captain of the Tai Yue Academy team. The spear's momentum didn't stop there—it impaled another opponent.
Ye Lingling: "..."
Seeing the dire situation and the brutal tactics of that little blue-haired menace, the leader of the Tai Yue Academy surrendered without waiting for all seven of their members to be defeated.
Bright sunlight bathed the land, and under its rays, the magnificent Pope's Hall gleamed resplendently, resembling a celestial abode.
In front of the Pope's Hall, two rows of guardian knights extended from the entrance of the hall all the way down the mountain. Their shimmering silver armor and heavy knight swords added to the solemnity of the Pope's Mountain.
As early as the previous day, the eliminated teams had already departed, not even allowed to watch the final round. Only the true young prodigies were granted access to the square in front of the Pope's Hall.
Early in the morning, the three teams advancing to the final round were already quietly waiting in front of the Pope's Hall.
The square in front of the Pope's Hall was no smaller than the competition platforms used in earlier matches. The square's ground was paved with special stones, and upon closer inspection, one could see a faint, lustrous glow emanating from them.
Though not genuine jade, these stones far surpassed ordinary rock, showcasing the immense wealth of the Spirit Hall.
The twenty-one participants from the three teams, led by their respective captains, stood neatly and solemnly before the Pope's Hall.
Compared to Lan Ba Academy and Tian Dou Academy, the seven members of the Spirit Hall team, led by Ye Yue, appeared the most relaxed. However, their eyes shone with faith—faith in the Spirit Hall and faith in the Pope.
Well, except for Hu Liena.
At this moment, Hu Liena was solemnly gazing at the Pope's Hall ahead. But if someone were to observe her closely, they'd notice her gaze was vacant and unfocused.
So what exactly was Hu Liena doing at this moment?
Within an illusory space, beneath a starry sky and atop a sea of clouds, two figures embraced passionately, lost in a deep kiss.
After a long while, the illusory space shattered, and their consciousness returned to reality.
Recalling the experience within the illusion, Hu Liena's ears flushed red. She turned and gave a reproachful glance at Chu Chengzhou, who had forcibly pulled her into the illusion earlier.
Unfortunately, as the captain of Lan Ba Academy, Chu Chengzhou stood at the forefront of his team, with Xiao Wu and others directly behind him. Even though he sensed Hu Liena's gaze, he dared not respond at the moment and simply maintained a serious expression, looking straight ahead.
Others might not have noticed Hu Liena's subtle change, but Yan, who had been observing her closely from behind, immediately picked up on it.
"Nana, what's wrong?"
Yan whispered concernedly.
Hu Liena: "..."
Just then, the side door of the Pope's Hall opened, and twelve red-robed bishops, clad in crimson ceremonial robes, slowly emerged.
They walked all the way to the entrance of the Pope's Hall, then split into two rows of six on either side. The leading bishop announced loudly: "His Holiness, the Pope, has arrived!"
"Long live, long live, long live!"
The call echoed like thunder across the entire Spirit City.
This wasn't just the voice of the neatly aligned guardian knights on Pope's Mountain—it was also the collective shout of all the soul masters in Spirit City who weren't allowed near the mountain.
For them, the Pope was the highest embodiment of faith!
The grand doors of the hall slowly opened, and the six emblems on the twin doors gradually shifted out of alignment.
Everyone's gaze unconsciously converged toward the opening doors. Even the seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy team felt their heartbeats quicken.
Soon, Bibi Dong, dressed in a resplendent golden gown, wearing a purple-gold crown, and holding a gem-encrusted scepter, emerged from the Pope's Hall, her expression solemn.
At this moment, Bibi Dong seemed to exude an ethereal presence, appearing infinitely majestic. No one paid attention to her exquisite beauty, for at this moment, she represented the dignity of the current Pope of the Spirit Hall!
The golden gown fit her perfectly, its dazzling fabric adorned with over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones. The purple-gold crown atop her head radiated brilliance, and all the light seemed to converge upon her alone.
The moment Bibi Dong stepped out of the Pope's Hall, all members of the Spirit Hall knelt on one knee: "Hail to Her Holiness, the Pope!"
Chu Chengzhou: Mother-in-law sure knows how to make an entrance!
Behind Bibi Dong, five others followed.
Four of them wore crimson ceremonial robes, distinct from the solid red robes of the red-robed bishops. Their robes were adorned with intricate gold and silver patterns, and the gemstones on their chests—each the size of an infant's fist—glowed brilliantly, exuding an air of opulence.
To ordinary people, these robes might symbolize luxury, but to soul masters, they represented the highest honor.
Such crimson robes were reserved exclusively for the few Titled Douluos on the continent.
Among the four, Chu Chengzhou recognized two. One was Chen Xin, a Level 96 Titled Douluo, and the other was Dugu Bo, a Level 91 Titled Douluo.
Of course, in Chu Chengzhou's perception, Dugu Bo's aura had grown even deeper since their last encounter, likely indicating he had broken through to a Level 92 Titled Douluo.
As for the other two, one was enveloped in an ethereal glow, his features indistinct despite wearing the same attire.
The other had skin as delicate as a baby's, with an androgynous, seductive appearance.
Though Chu Chengzhou hadn't met these two before, they were likely Bibi Dong's trusted enforcers: Gui Mei, the Ghost Douluo, and Yue Guan, the Chrysanthemum Douluo.
The fifth individual, though far weaker than the four Titled Douluo, held a position no less prestigious. He was none other than Ning Fengzhi, Chu Chengzhou's future father-in-law and an honorary elder of the Spirit Hall.
It must be said, the Spirit Hall's influence was immense—even the leaders of the top three clans served as elders of the Spirit Hall.
Though only honorary titles, it was enough to demonstrate the overwhelming strength of the Spirit Hall. Try asking Bibi Dong to become an honorary elder of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan—impossible!
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