Chapter 79: Fallback.
As the days passed, Shrek's entire tournament progressed at a breakneck pace, fueled by the constant forfeitures of their opponents. For the remainder of the tournament, Shrek became a complete spectator. The team leaders all understood that Shi Yi would field substitutes against average teams, but against stronger teams, he would still backstop Tang San and his team.
No team dared to challenge Shi Yi, fearing that damaging their own players would impact subsequent matches. It seemed as if everyone had a tacit understanding: since there was no need for elimination, Shrek would secure the promotion tournament championship.
Shi Yi's strength left every participating team feeling helpless. Nearly every academy teacher had considered strategies to defeat Shi Yi, but Shi Yi not only held a lead in cultivation and spirit rings, but was also a pure power-based spirit master. Even pitted against a typical spirit king, Shi Yi wouldn't necessarily be at a disadvantage.
As representatives of the Extreme Style, the Four Elements Academy understood the consequences of overwhelming attributes. They were well aware that Shi Yi's only weakness was his defense. However, according to their students' standards, no one could match the speed of Shi Yi's unstoppable power in a one-on-one duel. Not even Feng Xiaotian, the captain of the Divine Wind Academy, possessed a spirit that combined powerful and agile attacks.
Speed was only a prerequisite for defeating Shi Yi. Even if they could match Shi Yi's speed and evade his attacks, they would never dare to confront him head-on.
This led to Shrek's smooth sailing throughout the promotion tournament. Shrek played only two matches in the entire promotion tournament. Fourteen matches, fourteen consecutive wins. Of the fifteen teams, Shrek Academy placed first, securing the top spot in the Tiandou Empire division.
His title as the strongest academy in the Tiandou Empire was undisputed. Shi Yi even earned a nickname among the nobles: "The Brightest Rising Star of the Tiandou Empire." Upon hearing this news, Shi Yi could not help but tap his toes in his shoes.
Elsewhere, in Wuhun City, in the Pope's Palace,
Bibi Dong sat on the throne, handling palace affairs as usual.
"Your Majesty, a letter from Bishop Sarath of the Heaven Dou Temple." A guard entered the hall and presented the document.
Bibi Dong raised her hand slightly, using her spirit power to draw the document into her palm. She looked at the top secret letter in her hand, "The Pope's Letter," and said calmly, "Thank you for your hard work. You may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard said, saluted, and slowly departed.
"It seems something has happened in Heaven Dou again..." Bibi Dong thought to herself.
As Bibi Dong opened the envelope, she read Sarath's report, then glanced at the attached document, her eyes glaring.
"Tang San, fourteen years old, spirit Blue Silver Grass, born in Notting City's Holy Soul Village, graduated from Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy, and later studied at Shrek Academy in southern Soto City. Shrek Academy has since merged with Blue Tyrant Academy. Currently a forty-level offensive-class Battle Spirit Master. Son of Tang Hao, disciple of Yu Xiaogang..."
Bibi Dong's expression was complex. She gently grasped the document in her hand, silently reading it.
"Tang Hao's son, Xiaogang, do you really want to go against the Spirit Hall? And me..." Bibi Dong murmured softly, not saying anything more.
In that moment, Bibi Dong seemed to have returned to the past, torn between the Spirit Hall and Yu Xiaogang. However, the Bibi Dong of today was no longer the same Bibi Dong.
After a long silence, Bibi Dong set Tang San's information aside and continued reading the longer document at the back. After just a glance, Bibi Dong's pupils suddenly constricted.
"Shi Yi, sixteen years old, spirit Thousand-Tier Ant, born in Hetan Village, Yuehua City. Graduated from Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy, later studied at Shrek Academy in southern Soto City. Shrek Academy has now merged with Blue Tyrant Academy."
"Currently a forty-third level offensive-type Battle Spirit Master, a disciple of Yu Xiaogang, a marquis of the Heaven Dou Empire, possesses first-level innate spirit power, and is suspected of possessing a method to break through his innate spirit power. Spirit rings are purple, purple, and black. He is suspected of possessing a method to break through spirit ring limitations and increase the age of existing spirit rings. A pure power-type spirit master..."
"Ant spirit, first-level innate, spirit ring changes, spirit power increase speed... Xiaogang, is this the result of your research?" Bibi Dong's heart was filled with shock.
Thinking of this, Bibi Dong glanced at Shi Yi's information again, then returned to Tang San's information.
"It shouldn't be, they're fellow disciples, but Tang San hasn't experienced such a change. His cultivation speed at full innate spirit power is even slower than his opponent's, and his spirit ring configuration is normal, yellow, purple, and purple. Is this the result of this child's own research?" Bibi Dong was a little incredulous.
"Since this child has inherited Xiaogang's legacy, what does Tang San, the Son of Clear Sky, hide? Xiaogang, you must understand the relationship between the Clear Sky Sect and the Spirit Hall. What exactly attracted you to this child?" Bibi Dong murmured.
"The Son of Clear Sky, Blue Silver Grass..." Bibi Dong suddenly thought of something and murmured uncertainly, "Twin Martial Souls..."
Bibi Dong picked up Tang San's information again and glanced at it briefly. Now she was certain that Tang San must have twin spirits.
"The plant-based Blue Silver Grass has chosen the path of a strong attack-based system, utilizing a development method similar to Yueguan to lay the foundation for the Clear Sky Hammer."
"If this is indeed the case, one has inherited your legacy, and the other possesses an incredibly astonishing talent..."
Bibi Dong looked at Shi Yi's information again.
"A pure power-type spirit master with such transcendent spirit rings, it's going to be difficult for Nana to surpass him. The first three rings are a thousand years old. If we follow the age progression of the optimal spirit ring configuration, I'm afraid the third ring is close to ten thousand years old. And the fourth ring is obviously not at the level of an ordinary spirit king." Bibi Dong mentally estimated Shi Yi's ability.
"Even Xiaogang couldn't do it back then, this kid not only did it, but even did it better. If Xiaogang could be like this kid back then, perhaps..."
Bibi Dong's expression gradually became complicated as she thought about this.
Bibi Dong then said to the guards outside the hall, "Someone, go and fetch the Saint."
A moment later, Hu Liena slowly entered the hall and bowed respectfully before Bibi Dong. "Teacher, you're looking for me?"
Bibi Dong waved her hand gently, and with a burst of soul power, she lifted Hu Liena from the ground. Looking at her disciple, Bibi Dong's eyes softened with a touch of kindness. She smiled softly and said, "Nana, there's no need to do this when no one else is around."
Then, she handed Hu Liena a document. "Nana, take a look."
Hu Liena respectfully took it. It was Shi Yi's information.
"Nana, what do you think? Are you confident?" Bibi Dong said lovingly, looking at Hu Liena.
Looking at the intelligence she had gathered, Hu Liena's expression was solemn. She said softly, "Very strong, but my development direction is very restraining to him."
Bibi Dong looked at the disciple in front of her, slowly walked up to her, raised her hand and gently stroked Hu Liena's golden hair. She nodded slightly and chuckled, "Teacher also believes in you, but you still can't be careless. Although your cultivation is stronger than his, the fact that he can absorb the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ring means that his mental strength has surpassed his peers. This will also be a considerable challenge for you."
Bibi Dong held Hu Liena's hand as they sat on the steps. Bibi Dong looked at Hu Liena and sighed softly, "Time flies! The little girl back then has grown up now, and our Nana is a grown-up girl now."
"No matter how old Nana is, she's still my disciple," Hu Liena said with a chuckle.
With that, Hu Liena slipped into Bibi Dong's arms like a fledgling returning to its nest. Bibi Dong gently embraced Hu Liena, slowly brushing her short golden hair. An unconscious smile crossed her face. "You, now a grown-up girl, are still the same as before."
"Are there any young talents in the palace that you've taken a fancy to? For example, Yan?" Bibi Dong chuckled and joked.
Hu Liena blushed upon hearing this and shook her head slightly, then raised her head and said softly, "Teacher, what are you talking about? I don't like that big, stupid guy."
Bibi Dong nodded, gently patted Hu Liena's head, and chuckled, "Nana, if you have a candidate in mind, remember to bring him back to the hall to show it to me. No matter what you decide, I support you."
Hu Liena nodded with a moved look on her face. As the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, she understood the deep meaning behind Bibi Dong's words.
"Then, teacher, I will return to practice. I will definitely defeat him," Hu Liena said earnestly to Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong smiled and nodded, "Well, go ahead. I look forward to your performance."
Hu Liena then slowly stood up, bowed, and left. Bibi Dong watched her disciple leave with a look of relief. After all they had gone through, she would not let her disciple follow in her footsteps.
After Hu Liena left, Bibi Dong slowly walked to the entrance of the hall, looking down at the scenery of Wuhun City with a complicated expression.
"Xiaogang..."
In the Tiandou Empire, at the Royal Hunting Grounds.
The competition concluded, Emperor Xue Ye undoubtedly offered another impassioned plea for encouragement. Next, the finals would begin soon. That was the main event.
Each team had only three days to prepare. After three days, fifteen teams, accompanied by their teachers and escorted by five hundred Royal Knights, a group of over a thousand people, set out for the finals venue. Wuhun City.
Just as Shi Yi was about to return to the barracks, Yu Xiaogang said to Shi Yi, "Xiaoyi, come here. I want to talk to you about something."
Shi Yi, somewhat surprised, nodded slightly, and followed him obediently.
Soon, the two reached the river. Seeing Shi Yi's complex expression, Yu Xiaogang slowly said, "Xiaoyi, I'm going to Wuhun City before the competition. I'd like you to come with me."
Shi Yi, somewhat surprised, asked, "Why?"
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm going to Wuhun City first?" Yu Xiaogang whispered to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi shook his head slightly and said, "Teacher, you naturally have your reasons, but I can guess why you wanted to take me with you."
Yu Xiaogang sighed and said, "I'm glad you understand, Xiaoyi. As a teacher, I can't resolve the situation between you and Xiaosan, but I can sense that there will definitely be problems between you in the future."
"So you want to take me to pay my respects to the mountaintop to leave me a way out?" Shi Yi asked softly, looking at Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly and said, "Not only that, but if I take you with me, it should be easier to obtain the method for Xiaosan to break through the difficulty of her twin martial spirits."
"You've made everyone happy," Shi Yi said with a chuckle.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Shi Yi and said softly, "This is a helpless move. I hope nothing happens to either of you. This is all I can do for you as your teacher."
"Aren't you afraid that the other mistress will catch me and won't let me go?" Shi Yi smiled at Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang showed a complicated expression when he heard this. He shook his head slightly and said, "She won't."
"So confident?" Shi Yi looked at Yu Xiaogang and joked with a chuckle.
Yu Xiaogang's mood remained unaffected by Shi Yi. He looked at Shi Yi calmly and said, "You've mentioned the Spirit Hall to me many times before, probably just to leave yourself a way out. Of course, I didn't know what you were afraid of back then. Could something have happened between you and Xiao San?"
Shi Yi shook his head. "Nothing happened between Xiao San and me back then, but I understand that what I possessed was inherently unnatural. If someone were targeting me, using your connections to enter the Spirit Hall would have made it safer."
Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly. "You see things very clearly, but I suggest you don't make a choice of faction unless absolutely necessary."
Shi Yi nodded and said, "That's natural. If I join the Spirit Hall now, even before the Clear Sky Sect emerges, I'm afraid the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will be anxious. As long as they don't cause me any trouble, being a noble in Tiandou wouldn't be a bad idea."
"I'm glad you understand the pros and cons," Yu Xiaogang sighed softly.
"Those who don't plan for the future will inevitably have immediate worries. You should think about how to explain this to Master's Wife," Shi Yi smiled at Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Shi Yi unhappily and said, "You go tell them. That way, your master's wife will feel more at ease with me. Let's go. There's no time to lose."
Shi Yi nodded with a look of resignation.
They quickly returned to the barracks, where Yu Xiaogang brought Liu Erlong out. He then winked at Shi Yi.
"Um... Master's wife, the teacher wants to go to Wuhun first..." Shi Yi hadn't finished his words when he felt an extremely powerful aura instantly lock onto him.
"Xiaoyi, I suggest you reword your words," Liu Erlong said, staring intently at Shi Yi.
Shi Yi quickly scrambled to Liu Erlong's side, massaged her shoulders, and whispered, "Master's wife, don't worry. I'll go with the teacher. I can keep an eye on her and make sure she's back safe and sound before the competition begins."
"Why..." Liu Erlong looked at Shi Yi.
"Do you know what happened between Xiaosan and me?" Shi Yi asked cautiously from behind.
Liu Erlong nodded slightly. Shi Yi sighed and said, "Teacher, this is also to leave me a way out. If Xiao San gets into trouble in the future..."
Liu Erlong's face was also complicated when she heard this. Indeed, if Tang San grew up, he would definitely cause trouble for Shi Yi. They, the teachers, would probably be unable to stop him, not to mention that Tang San had the support of the Haotian Sect.
"Is it just for this?" Liu Erlong said, turning her gaze to Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang also looked helpless and said, "Erlong, it's been impossible for her and me for a long time. Xiao Yi has no background, and he has so many unusual qualities. This is also to leave him a way out. I also need to ask her some questions about Xiao San's spirit."
"Why do I have to ask her? Xiao Yi's spirit theory is as bad as yours, so he can't solve it?" Liu Erlong said, looking at Yu Xiaogang, her eyes slightly red.
"Twin martial spirits aren't Xiaoyi's research area. Let's not even talk about whether Xiaoyi can handle it. Even if he can, can Xiaosan trust him to do what he says?" Yu Xiaogang sighed softly.
"Then take me with you," Liu Erlong said to Yu Xiaogang.
"Master's Wife, you'd better not go. You'll be up close and personal. If you go, I wouldn't dare go," Shi Yi said cautiously.
Liu Erlong glared at Shi Yi and said, "You two, master and disciple, have planned this."
"Consider it your own safety. I promise to keep a close eye on you, Master," Shi Yi said with a smile.
Liu Erlong turned away, glared at Yu Xiaogang, and said angrily, "Get out of here! The competition team will be leaving in a few days. Yu Xiaogang, if you dare to let me down, I'll castrate you."
"How could that be, Erlong?" Yu Xiaogang said soothingly.
With that, Yu Xiaogang winked at Shi Yi, and it was his turn now.
Seeing this, Shi Yi hurriedly left.
Read 50+ Advanced Chapters At Pat Reon
[email protected]/FicToric
(End of this chapter)