Lately, there have been reports of contestants committing suicide.
I'm guessing that was your doing, Yun Yibai said coldly, staring straight at Shi Nian without fear.
Then, his tone shifted.
Aren't you afraid you'll be discovered if you kill me?
Shi Nian burst into laughter.
Hahaha! The targets I've picked are all from academies that Spirit Hall doesn't care for.
Do you think Spirit Hall would be happy to see academies like yours make it to the finals?
His gaze was sharp and mocking as he looked Yun Yibai up and down.
After all the matches in the preliminary rounds, Shi Nian had already more or less figured out Wuji Academy's true strength.
Blame yourself for wandering off alone.
Next life—try to be smarter.
Suddenly, his expression darkened, and his tone turned vicious.
Seventh Soul Skill – Martial Soul True Body: Nightmare!
Just as Shi Nian activated his skill, a vastly more powerful aura erupted in the area.
In the next instant, Yang Wudi's figure appeared, stepping in front of Yun Yibai.
Shi Nian's face changed dramatically. Fear crept into his eyes.
Although Shi Nian was a Soul Sage with the rare Nightmare spiritual-type martial soul, even high-ranking Soul Douluo were wary of him…
But Yang Wudi? He was no ordinary Soul Douluo.
The Po Clan, to which Yang Wudi belonged, gained a unique soul ring upon reaching the Soul Sage realm, boosting their combat strength to near Title Douluo levels.
Shi Nian immediately realized that there would be no way for him to kill Yun Yibai today.
He quickly unleashed a mental interference soul skill to try to confuse Yang Wudi, attempting to flee.
Trying to run? Yang Wudi let out a cold snort.
Shi Nian's heart skipped a beat—his spiritual interference didn't work!
Usually, this technique was enough to overwhelm even Soul Douluo. While he couldn't kill them, they couldn't stop him either.
But this time… it failed.
That's because Shi Nian didn't understand Yang Wudi, nor did he understand the Po Clan.
Though Yang Wudi's cultivation level was only that of a Soul Douluo, his mental fortitude was far beyond ordinary.
The Po Clan had incredibly strong spiritual power for two main reasons:
They specialized in medicine and poison, and their mastery of offensive-type soul skills demanded extreme precision and focus, both of which inherently enhanced their spiritual strength.
Their martial soul, the Breaking Soul Spear, was entirely attack-oriented, with a relentless, head-on combat style that nurtured unmatched willpower and mental resilience.
Yang Wudi didn't care what Shi Nian was thinking. His figure flickered like a ghost, appearing instantly before Shi Nian, thrusting the Breaking Soul Spear forward.
Shi Nian was utterly shocked and terrified.
With his spiritual edge nullified, Shi Nian was no match for Yang Wudi's aggression. Worse still, Yang Wudi was out for blood.
In the end, Shi Nian died.
Hmph. You dare target Wuji Academy? Yang Wudi sneered, shaking the blood off his spear.
Yun Yibai stepped forward, calmly retrieving Shi Nian's body, and erased all blood traces using a lightning technique.
Why are you taking his body? Yang Wudi asked, frowning. I've got something that can dissolve him into a puddle. Scum like him—dead or alive—is a waste of space.
Yun Yibai replied:
I have other plans for his corpse.
Yang Wudi didn't press further.
Shi Nian's death stirred no waves—Spirit Hall didn't care, and the Heaven Dou Empire certainly wouldn't get involved.
Even within Canghui Academy, no one truly mourned him. Aside from one concerned dean, most of the students were too busy coveting Shi Nian's soul bone.
Their internal thoughts were something like:
Serves that old geezer right for sneaking off. Now no one knows who stole the soul bone we had dibs on…
In Round 13 of the Preliminaries, Wuji Academy was matched against Canghui Academy.
Though Canghui had a Seven-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Technique, they were no match for Dugu Yan.
Her Ice Toad Venom, born of fire-and-ice convergence, was a rare, specialized cold poison. The conditions required to purge it were exceedingly strict.
Dugu Yan was ruthless, striking just as the enemy activated their Seven-in-One Fusion, dealing a devastating blow.
All seven members of Canghui Academy were left mentally broken, practically brain-dead.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Canghui was their opponent, Yun Yibai had already returned to the hotel before the match even began.
Back at the hotel, he booked a private room.
There, he took out Shi Nian's corpse, slipped on a pair of gloves...
The next process was gruesome.
Beautiful…
Yun Yibai gazed at the bloodstained object in his hand with fascination, his eyes full of awe.
What he held was a Soul Bone, still dripping faintly with blood, yet radiating a dazzling, supernatural luster.
It was round, roughly three inches in diameter, crystal clear, and shimmering with a subtle rainbow hue—like the brightest star in a night sky, oozing irresistible allure.
What gave it this brilliance? It was not just a rare skull soul bone, but a precious gem-type spirit bone.
A ten-thousand-year gem-type spiritual illusion wisdom skull…
This kind of soul bone was ideal for support-type soul masters.
Although Yun Yibai couldn't use it himself, there was someone in his team who could—Oscar.
However, Yun Yibai had already selected the ideal sixth soul ring soul beast for Oscar—a Mirror Beast deep in the Great Northern Forest. That beast also possessed a skull bone, one far better suited to Oscar than this one. Higher quality. Better match.
Should I trade this with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for a better one?
Yun Yibai narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
Such gem-type spirit bones were incredibly rare, and very few martial souls could truly bring out their full potential, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was clearly among them.
Given their centuries of legacy, they likely had soul bone reserves, though gem-type skulls would still be scarce even for them.
Forget it… I'll see if I'll give it to Yan'er instead.
He figured the soul bone's skill was likely illusion-type, perfect for Dugu Yan's control-specialist path.
It would not only enhance her control abilities but also bolster her survivability.
Unless she was completely outmatched—like against someone on Yang Wudi's level—such a skull bone would give her an edge in both offense and escape, especially through spirit illusion techniques.