In front of the majestic divine temple—
a grand arena had been constructed, capable of seating several thousand.
At this moment—
the sea of people surged like waves, every seat filled.
Yet despite the immense crowd, not a sound could be heard.
Countless eyes, brimming with expectation and reverence, fixed upon the tightly shut temple gates.
Creaaak—
At last, the gates slowly opened.
Sunlight spilled into the hall's shadowed depths.
Between light and darkness—
A figure holding a scepter emerged, framed in towering majesty.
Her beauty was so overwhelming that none dared to look straight at her.
The golden gown traced her flawless form, its splendid embroidery glittering with gems like stars across the heavens.
Atop her head, a crown of purple and gold blazed with endless radiance.
All the splendor of heaven and earth—
at this moment—
seemed to converge upon her alone.
This was the Pope of Spirit Hall—
Bibi Dong.
Whoosh!
Thousands of Spirit Master spectators bowed their heads one after another and dropped to one knee.
"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"
Even those not of Spirit Hall—
Faced with such an overwhelming tide of reverence, their hearts, too, surged with the urge to kneel.
The emissaries of the two empires, the academies, and the great sects—
Each bore heavy expressions in their eyes.
Spirit Hall's power had become unstoppable.
At Bibi Dong's side stood two figures.
One—delicate as a woman, his skin fairer than snow, a flower of immortal beauty condensed from spirit power floating above his palm. His ink-black hair tumbled loosely about his shoulders, lending him an almost demonic allure.
The other—shrouded in a shifting haze of shadow, a bone-chilling aura silently radiating outward.
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others felt their pupils tighten.
These two were none other than the Titled Douluo who had once ambushed Li Zhexian.
And now they appeared openly, without the slightest shame.
Such was Spirit Hall's arrogance.
"Why hasn't Brother Zhexian returned yet?!"
Dugu Yan's gaze darted anxiously toward the entrance.
"The individual matches are about to begin!"
"…And why is His Highness the Crown Prince also absent?"
Bai Baoshan let out a long sigh.
"Have faith in Zhexian. He is not a reckless man—he will surely arrive in time."
"As for His Highness…"
"His body is unwell. I fear he cannot attend in person today."
—
Shrek's preparation area.
Yu Xiaogang's expression grew complicated as he looked toward the Pope seated upon the highest throne in the VIP stands.
"Li Zhexian has yet to appear. Quite the lofty airs."
Dai Mubai's evil eyes narrowed.
"When the individual matches begin, I'll take the lead."
"I've never truly crossed hands with Li Zhexian. I refuse to believe he can defeat me so easily."
Tang San gave a slight nod.
"With Boss Dai stepping up, we'll be on solid ground."
He now possessed ten-thousand-year spirit rings, and his confidence was greatly bolstered.
But if he could probe Li Zhexian's true depth in the process, so much the better.
As these thoughts turned in his mind—
his gaze shifted toward Xiao Wu, who was glued closely to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Xiao Wu, come here."
Xiao Wu pouted and shook her head.
Tang San's brows furrowed ever so slightly.
Her behavior had been increasingly strange of late.
"Xiao Wu, listen. We need to plan our tactics."
Xiao Wu glanced at Zhu Zhuqing at her side, bit her lip, and again shook her head.
"Third Brother… you… you can just say it here. I can hear you."
At last, a flicker of impatience crossed Tang San's face.
He said nothing further, turning his eyes away.
Xiao Wu's pink eyes grew misty, her head drooping in grievance.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at her intently.
"Xiao Wu, these past days I've felt you're… different. What's really going on?"
Xiao Wu only shook her head.
Her scorpion-tail braid swayed weakly.
She clung tightly to Zhu Zhuqing's arm, pressing herself closer.
"Zhuqing, you promised me…"
"We're sisters for life. You'll help me, won't you?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly.
"Mm. No matter what it is, I'll help you."
As if responding to a command from her master—
the Yearning Heartbroken Red she kept close to her body quietly released a subtle aura, enveloping the two of them together.
Not far away, Ning Rongrong's brows knitted gently, sorrow lingering between them like a shadow she could not dispel.
Her gaze strayed again and again toward the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team's direction—
only to fall back in silence each time.
—
After a long and solemn speech from a Platinum Bishop—
the final battle to decide the top three at last began.
The first stage was the individual ranking battles.
The rules were simple and clear:
Each of the three academies would send out three participants to duel one-on-one.
The loser left the stage; the winner remained to face the next challenger.
This continued until one team's three representatives were all defeated.
The three teams—Heaven Dou Imperial, Shrek, and Spirit Hall—would clash in turn, until the final victor was decided.
"By draw of lots, the first to appear—Shrek Academy!"
"Please select your opponent!"
Boom—!
Spirit power surged violently around Dai Mubai, like a tiger breaking free of its cage.
With a heavy stomp, he launched himself high into the air, landing thunderously upon the arena.
The name "Evil-Eyed White Tiger" already carried weight.
His domineering entrance sent the crowd into a frenzy of cheers.
As the first team to take the stage, Shrek held no advantage of striking later—
but they were granted a compensating privilege: the right to name their opponent!
Under countless excited and expectant gazes, Dai Mubai raised his arm, pointing straight at the Heaven Dou Imperial Team.
His chin lifted slightly, his sinister pupils glinting with challenge.
"Li Zhexian—come up."
For a moment, silence fell—
then the stands erupted into an even greater uproar.
Who did not know of the grudge between Shrek and the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team?
But what the audience wanted to see most—was the clash of blade against blade, needle against needle!
Yet—
to their astonishment, the famed "Sword Wine" still did not appear.
He had fought his way here with overwhelming strength; none were foolish enough to think he had fled out of fear.
And still…
The referee's voice rang sharply in the silence:
"Heaven Dou team, Li Zhexian, please come on stage!"!"
"Heaven Dou team, Li Zhexian, please quickly come on stage!"
…
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others looked increasingly grim.
From the stands, members of the Godwind, Blazing, and even Skywater Academy turned worried gazes toward the empty position where Heaven Dou's captain should be.
Huo Wu slammed her fist against the railing.
"Where did Li Zhexian go?!"
Shui Bing'er's expression remained calm.
Shui Yue'er huffed:
"Li Zhexian was paid to fight, wasn't he? He has to show up!"
"He can't be this unreliable!"
At the center of the VIP stands—
Bibi Dong's violet eyes were fathomless as an abyss.
She, of course, knew exactly where Li Zhexian was…
And that he had gone together with Qian Renxue.
Did they truly think they could hide from her gaze?
The thought of Qian Renxue, for the sake of accompanying the man she loved, risking exposure of her great plan by revealing her true face—
And the thought that Qian Renxue could enjoy the company of that man…
Waves of murderous intent surged in Bibi Dong's heart, her violet pupils darkening until faint crimson bled through, chilling to behold.
—
On the arena floor—
the referee issued the final warning.
At the count of five, if the competitor did not appear, it would be judged as forfeiture.
"Heaven Dou Team's Li Zhexian, come forth at once!"
"Heaven Dou Team's Li Zhexian, come forth at once!"
"Heaven Dou—"
Dai Mubai stood with arms folded, alone and arrogant at the arena's center, a cold smile curling at his lips.
Just as the referee was about to call the fifth and final summons—
A piercing whistle split the air.
All eyes whipped toward the sound.
And there—
a dazzling sword-light streaked across the heavens like a meteor, unstoppable, descending upon the stage in a single instant.
Shhhhhh—!
Shhhhhh—!
A peerless sharp aura erupted outward,
splitting the arena floor into crisscrossing fissures several inches deep.
In that instant—
the entire arena fell silent.
The very next heartbeat—
that white-robed figure blurred forward, a few flickers of movement carrying him atop the stage.
Silence ignited—then thunderous cheers erupted, shaking the arena as though to burst.
On the faces of Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Yu Tianheng, and the others, smiles blossomed.
The friends of Li Zhexian also let out a long, heavy breath of relief.
—
"Captain of the Heaven Dou team—Li Zhexian. I accept."
His voice was not loud—
yet it cut cleanly through the roaring sea of voices, every syllable clear.
"Competitors, prepare… Begin!"
The referee's words had barely fallen—
when Li Zhexian was already in motion.
With a reverse grip, he drew the Qinglian Sword from where it was still lodged in the arena floor.
His body became a blur of white, streaking forward.
A single wisp of starlight—
descended upon the edge of his blade.
The cold smile on Dai Mubai's lips froze.
He had not expected Li Zhexian to strike the instant the match began.
Shouldn't there at least have been a few exchanged taunts first?!
His Spirit Rings flared up in a rush beneath his feet.
"My third Spirit Ability—"
But before the words could even leave his lips—
The sword's tip hovered a finger's breadth from his throat.
The razor edge pressed so close that, without touching skin, it had already forced a bead of blood from his Adam's apple.
Fast.
Too fast.
So fast that Dai Mubai had no chance to react!
So fast that the spectators' cries of excitement died half-formed in their throats!
From the moment Li Zhexian had leapt onto the stage to the instant his blade touched the enemy's throat—
no more than two breaths had passed.
The fight was already over.
Dai Mubai's pupils dilated.
He stood there frozen, stiff and helpless.
The deathly aura seeping into his neck left him paralyzed, unable to move.
With a twist of his wrist, Li Zhexian flicked the blade upward—
and at the same time, his left hand shot out like lightning, seizing Dai Mubai by the throat.
Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, Dai Mubai was lifted bodily into the air.
Li Zhexian slowly raised his head. A faint smile lifted his handsome face.
His gaze pierced through the great distance and looked at the Pope Bibi Dong, who had a calm expression in the VIP stand.
"I nearly forgot to say…"
"What terrible… discourtesy."
"Li Zhexian pays his respects to Your Holiness, the Pope."