As Ye Guyi stood bewildered and confused, Chen Junting—who had been silent since taking the token—suddenly spoke.
But he asked a question that seemed utterly unrelated to the current issue of "insult" and "apology."
"Miss Ye, do you know which two individuals have received the most ancestral offerings in Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect over the past ten thousand years?"
Isn't that obvious?
The legend of the Shrek Seven was known to all. Two of them belonged to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
But when Ye Guyi confidently gave that answer, Chen Junting's reply stunned her.
"Wrong."
He shook his head calmly. "While our two ancestor-gods are indeed worthy of reverence, they aren't the ones receiving the most offerings. That honor belongs to the Sword-and-Bone Douluos."
Sword-and-Bone Douluos? Who are they?
And the most venerated figures were merely Title Douluos?
Could the sect have gotten it wrong?
But then—"Bone"…
A flash of realization struck Ye Guyi like lightning.
"Could that Bone Douluo's martial soul have been… Bone Dragon?"
"Precisely."
Chen Junting then recounted historical records about Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo, detailing his deeds until his final breath. He followed this with Gu Tianchen's own story.
Now, Ye Guyi understood everything.
Especially after hearing about Gu Tianchen—she suddenly felt ashamed for doubting him as an evil soul master!
If I wake up from this dream, I'll slap myself silly!
"So Miss Ye," Chen Junting asked, watching her shifting expressions, "what do you consider an evil soul master?"
Ye Guyi opened her mouth—then hesitated. She couldn't claim her judgment was flawless.
But one thing she knew for certain: every soul master she'd slain was undeniably evil. None were innocent.
Seeing her silence, Chen Junting drained his cold tea in one gulp. "In my view, Miss Ye, the Spirit Hall's original classification was correct."
"How so?" Ye Guyi leaned forward, intrigued.
"Fallen Soul Masters."
Chen Junting explained: "If we equate 'fallen soul masters' with 'evil soul masters,' everything makes sense. Good or evil depends not on martial souls, but on one's heart and actions."
Ye Guyi felt as if doused with clarifying wisdom. Now, she truly understood.
She turned to Ning Tian, whose stern expression had thawed like melting ice. "Miss Ning, I sincerely apologize for my rash judgment—to Bone Douluo and to Soul Master Gu Tianchen."
Ning Tian's frosty demeanor vanished instantly. "That apology isn't mine to accept."
As a sharp mind, Ye Guyi grasped the implication. Glancing at the token in Chen Junting's hand, she wavered.
To join or not to join?
But her decision was already made.
After witnessing the tournament, she'd confirmed the black-robed figure beside Crown Prince Xu Tianran was an evil soul master—a Super Douluo-level one, radiating unparalleled malice.
How many lives had he ruined?
Once exposed in the underground tournament, she wouldn't survive in Mingdu—or all of the Sun Moon Empire. Her only refuge was the original Three Great Empires.
"So… I'll join."
At this, Ning Tian's eyes lit up. She immediately produced a storage-type soul tool, handing it to Ye Guyi while flashing its contents through soul power.
Ye Guyi gaped.
Goodness!
Is Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect always this generous?!
Chen Junting chuckled, tossing the token back to her. "We never stint on talent. This is just the basics. Keep this token—it's your identity now."
Ye Guyi caught it, flipping it over.
This time, an angelic sigil adorned its surface.
She finally understood. "You'd already decided I'd join."
The two exchanged silent smiles.
Ye Guyi didn't hesitate further. She pocketed the soul tool gracefully.
Ning Tian then arranged her room.
As Ye Guyi stepped toward the door, she paused, turning to Chen Junting. "One more thing," she said, her eyes serious yet deeply puzzled. "How can your hidden death aura contain… holiness?"
Chen Junting blinked—then laughed softly. "Because pure death itself… is sacred."
—
Time passed. The round-robin concluded, and the top eight finalists emerged, marking the tournament's final stage.
Group winners:
- Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect
- Shrek Academy
- Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy
- Another Sun Moon soul engineer academy
Group runners-up:
- Snow Demon Sect
- Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy
- Holy Spirit Church
- Another soul engineer academy
Among the eight:
- 3 sects
- 5 academies (4 from Sun Moon)
The fourth group's academies were unremarkable, but Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy earned praise. Second only to Sun Moon Royal in prestige, this historic institution had long lived in its shadow—until this year's "once-in-a-millennium" prodigies propelled them into the top eight as dark horses.
Notably, during Mingdu's clash with Shrek, Di Yao faced their captain Xu Tianzhen. Harnessing her Sun Martial Soul, she neared a breakthrough, her cultivation and bloodline surging.
Meanwhile, in Group Three, Xing Luo Royal Academy and Tianlong Gate met the Holy Spirit Church. True to her word, Xu Jiujiu forfeited outright without fielding a team.
The stubborn Tianlong Sect fought—and paid dearly.
Four members died. Their young heir and captain, Yu Tianlong, was gravely wounded battling Yan Feng. Though not life-threatening, he remained comatose, and their subsequent matches ended in utter routs.
Yet why did Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy top Group Three over the Holy Spirit Church?
Simply put…
The Holy Spirit Church played by the rules. Zhongli Wu kept his promise.
When facing Sun Moon Royal, they forfeited—just like Xing Luo—without showing up.
Thirteen points secured, they claimed first place effortlessly.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)