On the judges' platform, the gazes of Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi had frozen.
Even Platinum Bishop Salas had a stunned look in his eyes.
It could be said that every Soul Master above Level 60 and over fifty years old present was utterly shocked.
Those people understood better than anyone what that little black hammer represented.
It was a martial soul that had created countless glorious legends throughout the history of the Soul Master world—a supreme existence at the very peak of weapon-type martial souls.
It represented a clan.
It represented countless powerful experts.
It represented the most formidable strength and destructive power among martial souls.
It was—
The Clear Sky Hammer.
And besides the Clear Sky Hammer, the four pitch-black spirit rings beneath Tang San's feet were equally dazzling, striking at everyone's nerves.
Twin Martial Souls!
A second martial soul equipped entirely with ten-thousand-year spirit rings!
Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi silently exchanged glances, both of their expressions becoming somewhat solemn.
Of course, they knew how powerful the Clear Sky Hammer was. They had also heard far too many legends about the Clear Sky Clan.
But when the world's strongest weapon-type martial soul was combined with the talent of twin martial souls, just how terrifying would its potential be?!
Salas, however, quickly recovered.
His lowered eyelids concealed the sharp glint in his eyes as he glanced once more toward Su Cheng, who was standing with the Tiandou Royal Academy.
As a high-ranking Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall, his knowledge and experience far exceeded that of Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi.
The Clear Sky Hammer was indeed powerful. It stood at the very peak of weapon-type martial souls.
The talent of twin martial souls was also extremely impressive.
Unfortunately, switching to the second martial soul prematurely meant that at least half of its potential had already been wasted.
Moreover…
That Su Cheng was simply a monster!
Emperor Xue Ye couldn't understand it.
Ning Fengzhi only had a partial understanding.
That was because their cultivation and experience were insufficient.
If Sword Douluo Chen Xin were here, he could immediately recognize the difference.
Salas had seen far too many geniuses.
So what if someone possessed twin martial souls?
That Su Cheng was someone even the Pope herself had to be wary of—a figure deeply involved in the power struggles at the very core of Spirit Hall.
Of course, Salas only vaguely understood those high-level political struggles.
And he had already decided to watch from the sidelines.
Someone who could rise to the position of Platinum Bishop was certainly no fool.
With the current situation in Spirit City, this was absolutely not something a mere Soul Douluo like him could afford to get involved in.
On the arena.
After sending his opponent flying, Tang San acted as though nothing had happened.
He turned around and walked back toward the position where he had stood when the match began.
He looked completely calm.
The teachers and team members accompanying the Tiandou Royal Academy, however, were furious.
Wang Yu's injuries were extremely serious.
Half of his body was already soaked in blood.
He remained unconscious, his right arm hanging limply.
Starting from his shoulder, both his ribs and arm had suffered fractures of varying severity.
The teachers of Tiandou Royal Academy immediately lodged a protest with the tournament committee.
The referee also hurried over to Tang San and questioned him.
Tang San's explanation was simple.
Although he had launched his attack quickly, shattered his opponent's defenses, and immediately gained the upper hand, his opponent had never surrendered.
And he hadn't killed his opponent.
He had merely knocked him out of the arena.
Therefore, it did not violate the rules of the competition.
And that was indeed the case.
No matter how one looked at it, Tang San had never intended to kill his opponent.
Furthermore, the Tiandou Royal Academy team had indeed never declared surrender.
Tang San continued standing proudly in the center of the arena.
He turned his head and looked toward Xiao Wu, whose complexion had finally recovered somewhat, though she was still extremely pale.
He silently said in his heart:
Xiao Wu, anyone who hurts you will inevitably pay the price.
He then lowered his gaze toward the Clear Sky Hammer in his hands.
A powerful sensation of strength surged and boiled within him.
Finally…
This tremendous power was finally beginning to reveal itself.
He had had enough of the helplessness brought about by his Blue Silver Grass martial soul…
Tiandou Royal Academy Team
Su Cheng shifted his gaze away from Tang San's face and looked toward Ning Rongrong, who was returning to the team with an angry expression.
"What was the result?"
"There was nothing we could do. They didn't technically violate the rules."
Su Cheng nodded lightly.
That was exactly what he had expected.
Then he asked,
"What about Wang Yu? How is he?"
"The healing teacher said he'll need at least half a month of rest before he'll start recovering. As for when he'll fully recover, no one knows yet."
Ning Rongrong looked extremely angry.
The opponent had been far too ruthless.
It was obvious that the attack had been aimed at crippling Wang Yu.
Fortunately, the attack hadn't struck any vital areas, so his life had been spared.
Wang Yu had simply been using his spirit skills normally during the battle. He hadn't harbored any malicious intentions whatsoever.
She really couldn't understand why the other side had to go so far.
"Mm, I understand. His foundation wasn't damaged, right?"
"No. But he'll probably be unable to fight for a long time. There's no way he'll be able to participate in the remaining promotion matches. He might not even be able to compete in the finals."
"Alright. When Wang Yu wakes up, tell him that he did very well. Give him the Gold Soul Coins from my prize money too. Let him buy some medicine and properly recover."
Su Cheng spoke calmly.
"I'll be going up next. Let that guy rest for half a month too."
Hearing this, all the team members, including Ning Rongrong, immediately became excited.
They didn't know anything about the Clear Sky Hammer.
The four ten-thousand-year spirit rings certainly looked intimidating.
But so what?
In their eyes, Su Cheng was an invincible existence.
This whole situation was actually something of a coincidence.
Because this was the first match, Su Cheng had come over simply to watch the excitement and had added his name to the submitted roster.
Otherwise, he might not have had the opportunity to settle the score.
In arena battles, injuries were perfectly normal.
Tang San's actions weren't technically against the rules.
As long as nobody died, there wasn't much anyone could say.
But since Tang San had made the first move, Su Cheng would return the favor.
Fairness and justice.
When Su Cheng entered the arena, Tang San's expression became solemn.
He stared directly at him.
Good.
You called Blue Silver Grass a useless martial soul? Then what do you have to say about the Clear Sky Hammer?
After today, do you still dare look down on me?
The members of Shrek Academy watching from behind were also completely focused on the center of the arena.
They knew that the person standing before them was the greatest opponent they would face during the promotion matches.
In fact, aside from the Spirit Hall team, he could be considered the strongest obstacle in the entire tournament.
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help recalling his earlier conversation with Bibi Dong inside the Pope's Palace.
Indeed, Su Cheng's spirit-ring configuration was astonishing.
But what if that overwhelmingly powerful Clear Sky Hammer was combined with four ten-thousand-year spirit rings?
What then?
The immense potential of twin martial souls was something that other Soul Masters could only dream of possessing.
Dai Mubai was visibly excited.
He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, who appeared to be calmly observing the match.
"Zhuqing, with Little San's current strength, he should be strong enough to defeat that Su Cheng from Tiandou Royal Academy, right?"
"Perhaps."
Zhu Zhuqing replied indifferently.
But inwardly, she was secretly sneering.
Tang San?
He can't even beat me, and he wants to defeat that bastard Su Cheng?
Hopefully that guy doesn't get knocked out in one move and embarrass himself.
Although that bastard really is infuriating.
I haven't seen him properly in so many days. Who knows what he's been busy with.
He has left me so distracted and unsettled, yet he acts as though nothing happened.
Thinking about this, Zhu Zhuqing's expression became even darker.
"Begin!"
As soon as the referee's voice sounded, Su Cheng wasted no time.
The first spirit ring beneath his feet immediately lit up.
The Longevity Sword in his hand instantly expanded to more than twice its original size.
Everyone watching was startled.
This was the first time throughout the entire promotion tournament that Su Cheng had used a skill other than his third spirit skill.
Although it was merely his first spirit skill—the one associated with his lowest-ranked spirit ring—
They didn't know that all five of Su Cheng's spirit rings were now of the same age.
All of them were at the ten-thousand-year level.
And when it came to pure strength, the enhancement provided by his first spirit ring was actually the greatest.
Tang San also didn't dare be careless.
His first, second, and fourth spirit rings lit up simultaneously.
The enormous Clear Sky Hammer appeared in both his hands, its surface flashing with a deep, ominous glow.
But in the very next moment—
Su Cheng's giant sword came crashing down.
Tang San's spirit power had only just begun circulating through his body.
Meridian-Breaking Qi Continuation Technique.
This was the first time Su Cheng had used this technique in an actual match.
Tang San was already slower than Su Cheng.
He had no time to make any other response.
In his panic, he could only instinctively sweep the Clear Sky Hammer upward.
"Sword Two—Slash!"
This sword strike was completely different from the casual attacks Su Cheng normally used.
It was one of the three basic sword techniques he had once practiced day and night.
Besides incorporating his sword intent and becoming part of his body's instinctive movements, it possessed an extremely powerful locking ability.
Unless someone's spiritual power was far greater than his own, they had no choice but to take the attack head-on.
And putting aside elemental counters and suppression of intent, in terms of pure strength alone, this was actually the most powerful of all Su Cheng's sword techniques.
Because it was—
Pure.
"BOOM!"
With a deafening explosion, the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's hands was directly knocked away.
But that wasn't the end.
The Longevity Sword in Su Cheng's hand continued forward without slowing down.
Its tremendous force hadn't weakened in the slightest despite Tang San's futile attempt to block it with the Clear Sky Hammer.
The sword was simply too fast.
Everyone watched in horror as the blade approached Tang San, seemingly about to split him in two.
No one had expected that after Tang San activated three spirit skills, the first direct clash between the two would turn into such a completely one-sided crushing.
Even if Yu Xiaogang wanted to surrender at this point, it was already too late.
Under the desperate gazes of the Shrek Academy members, Su Cheng gently twisted his wrist.
The blade tilted slightly.
The sword's cutting edge instantly changed into a strike from the spine of the blade.
"SMACK!"
The same scene played out once again.
Only this time, the victim was someone else.
Tang San's right shoulder shattered as he was sent flying.
Blood covered the entire right side of his body.
The dense sound of cracking bones echoed in his ears.
"…"
Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi exchanged astonished glances.
Is this really all the Clear Sky Hammer can do?
What about those four ten-thousand-year spirit rings? Are they merely for decoration?
When facing Su Cheng, Tang San seemed no different from the other contestants.
Everyone was defeated in a single move.
"Pfft!"
The next moment, Tang San crashed onto the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Only then did the members of Shrek Academy react.
They hurriedly rushed over to treat him.
Because they had been too shocked, they hadn't even reacted quickly enough to catch him when he was thrown out, resulting in additional injuries.
"Fair and square. I'll give you half a month off too."
Su Cheng spoke calmly.
"If you don't want your little girlfriend to get hurt, why did you let her participate in the competition?"
"Don't compete anymore."
"Go home and drink your milk."
His voice wasn't loud, but it easily spread throughout the entire arena.
The crowd immediately erupted into laughter.
"You!"
Tang San glared at Su Cheng with bloodshot eyes.
But he no longer had the strength to say anything else.
Then, as he became aware of the gazes and laughter of the surrounding spectators, his body and spirit already pushed to their limits, Tang San finally couldn't maintain consciousness.
He passed out.
"Brother! What's wrong with you?!"
"Little San!"
"Is he going to be alright?!"
"…"
Su Cheng glanced over before losing interest.
He had no intention of continuing to fight for a ranking.
He turned around and prepared to leave the arena, forfeiting the remaining matches and leaving the stage to his other teammates.
He understood Tang San's condition perfectly.
That sword strike had been neither too light nor too heavy.
It was enough to leave Tang San bedridden for at least half a month, but not enough to affect his participation in the upcoming finals.
His unconsciousness was perfectly normal.
If Tang San's spiritual power hadn't been strong enough to barely maintain his consciousness, his body's self-protection mechanism would have caused him to lose consciousness the moment he was sent flying.
"What do you mean by that?!"
Just as Su Cheng was about to leave, a cold voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire arena.
A figure appeared at the edge of the battlefield.
An incomparably powerful aura surged upward, intimidating everyone present.
The strongest part of that oppressive force, however, was directed straight toward Su Cheng.
Under that overwhelming pressure, the laughter throughout the arena instantly fell silent.
Everyone immediately shut their mouths.
Even Ning Fengzhi and Salas in the VIP seats couldn't help narrowing their eyes slightly under that powerful and domineering aura.
The person who had suddenly appeared was none other than—
Liu Erlong.
"A Soul Saint?"
Su Cheng raised an eyebrow and turned toward the furious Liu Erlong.
He chuckled.
"Dean Liu Erlong, what can I do for you?"
He truly wasn't afraid of this woman.
When Su Cheng claimed that he could fight an ordinary Soul Saint one-on-one with the Longevity Sword, he meant a Soul Saint in full condition after activating their Martial Soul True Body.
If she thought she could overwhelm him simply through her aura, that was practically a joke.
"If Dean Liu Erlong isn't satisfied, you can come into the arena and exchange a few moves with me."
Su Cheng held the sword in one hand.
His Five Elements Domain spread outward.
A towering phantom of a sword rose behind him, directly confronting the aura radiating from Liu Erlong.
For a moment, the two sides actually stood evenly matched.
"What did you say?!"
Liu Erlong was stunned.
Her eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to advance or retreat.
Her temper was notoriously fiery.
In the heat of the moment, she hadn't thought things through and had simply entered the arena.
She had even attempted to use her higher cultivation level to suppress Su Cheng with her aura.
She hadn't expected him to be completely fearless.
This unexpected development left her at a loss.
As Su Cheng's aura continued growing stronger, Liu Erlong suddenly felt as though she had been locked onto.
An indistinct sense of danger continuously emerged within her.
Her expression changed.
She became serious.
This guy…
Liu Erlong no longer dared to relax.
She silently adjusted her condition while facing him head-on.
She had no choice.
From her perspective, it felt as though a sharp blade were suspended above her head.
She couldn't afford to lower her guard.
She even had the strange feeling that if she chose to withdraw her aura or turn around and leave at this moment, the instant she became passive, she would be cut down by a single sword strike.
As Liu Erlong focused her energy and confronted Su Cheng, the aura that had originally enveloped the entire arena gradually contracted.
"…"
"BOOM—!"
After a brief silence, the commotion outside the arena erupted once more.
This time, the laughter was even louder.
The confrontation between Liu Erlong and Su Cheng looked extremely strange.
To the ordinary students, it appeared as though Liu Erlong had genuinely intended to teach Su Cheng a lesson.
They had no idea how awkward her current situation actually was.
The students participating in the tournament were all outstanding individuals of their generation.
As talented young Soul Masters, who among them didn't have a temper?
Just because you're older and stronger, you can casually enter the arena, throw your weight around, and force everyone else to endure your oppressive aura?
Why should anyone accept that?
Who doesn't have a Soul Saint elder backing them?
Have some shame!
You're allowed to seriously injure others, but they aren't allowed to fight back?
And then you even have your teachers come forward afterward?
It was simply ridiculous.
And it wasn't only the Tiandou Royal Academy that felt this way.
Tang San's earlier heavy-handed attack had already caused many people to feel dissatisfied.
These contestants were still young.
They were still students.
Their usual battles between fellow students were primarily sparring matches.
They hadn't yet been exposed to the life-and-death struggles of the wider Soul Master world.
As a result, they weren't particularly vicious.
Then Tang San entered the arena and crippled someone in a single move.
If you fight like that, how are the others supposed to compete afterward?
The students from the various Elemental Academies were especially disgusted by his behavior.
When they had previously fought Su Cheng, they had essentially all been crushed.
But it had been obvious that Su Cheng had deliberately stopped at the appropriate moment.
Sometimes, he had even offered them pointers.
He clearly had no intention of making enemies.
So why, when it's you, does injuring one person suddenly mean you have to beat them nearly to the point of disability?
Isn't that a little excessive?
"…"
As the shouting and commotion outside the arena grew louder, Liu Erlong's face gradually reddened.
Her temper was already extremely fiery.
At this point, she was almost unable to restrain herself from attacking.
However, not everyone was unable to understand what was happening.
Those whose cultivation had reached the Soul Saint level or above could clearly see the hidden details of the confrontation.
Salas's expression became extremely solemn.
He was deeply shocked.
He has already reached this level?
Seeing that Liu Erlong was beginning to lose her composure, he narrowed his eyes.
"This is a competition. What exactly are you two trying to do?"
His low, cold voice echoed throughout the arena.
If Liu Erlong's voice had been intimidating, Salas's voice made people feel cold all over.
Its oppressive force was even stronger.
At some point, Salas had already risen from his seat in the VIP section.
His cold gaze was fixed upon Liu Erlong.
He naturally knew whose side he should support.
Although Su Cheng probably didn't need his help at all.
Su Cheng smiled lightly.
He then slowly withdrew the powerful sword intent aimed directly at Liu Erlong.
"Erlong, come back."
Yu Xiaogang's low voice followed shortly afterward.
Continuing the argument at this point was meaningless.
They had no justification.
Tang San had seriously injured an opposing team member.
Su Cheng had then seriously injured Tang San in return.
No matter how one looked at it, Su Cheng's actions were entirely defensible.
"…You'd better restrain yourself."
After hearing Yu Xiaogang's voice, Liu Erlong glared fiercely at Su Cheng before preparing to leave.
"Heh. A Soul Saint."
Su Cheng curled the corner of his mouth into a mocking smile.
"I'm terrified."
Forget Liu Erlong.
Even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was, in his opinion, little more than a gathering of useless people.
There weren't many among them who could actually fight.
For someone at the Titled Douluo level to say such words might carry some intimidation.
But Su Cheng genuinely couldn't understand why a mere Soul Saint could act so arrogantly.
Was it because of that half-dead Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind her?
Liu Erlong's footsteps paused slightly when she heard the mockery in Su Cheng's voice.
She clenched her fists.
But when she saw Yu Xiaogang's stiff expression and tightly furrowed brows below the stage, she sighed.
In the end, she didn't say anything else.
She continued walking and returned to the Shrek Academy's preparation area.
Su Cheng watched her leave.
Then, amid the surrounding commotion, he also forfeited the match and left the arena.
Across from him, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help frowning.
After returning to the preparation area, Su Cheng glanced at his teammates.
"You guys can decide the arrangements for the remaining matches. I won't steal your spotlight."
"Winning or losing doesn't matter anyway."
"His Majesty the Emperor is watching your performance from the VIP seats."
That night, Ah Yin's figure appeared beside Su Cheng.
She asked quietly,
"That Xiao Wu—is she the transformed spirit beast you mentioned before?"
During the day's matches, she had watched Xiao Wu fight and observed Tang San's reaction after Xiao Wu was injured.
From that, she had guessed that Xiao Wu was probably the hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast Su Cheng had mentioned.
Previously, because of the aura-concealing medicine and because Ah Yin hadn't witnessed Xiao Wu fighting, she hadn't been able to identify which person was Su Cheng's target.
"That's right. It's her."
After their journey through the Blue Silver Grass forest, Ah Yin's strength had become extremely powerful.
Her behavior and movements were also practically indistinguishable from those of a real human.
Moreover, she was always careful about maintaining appropriate boundaries.
She never caused trouble at critical moments.
Therefore, Su Cheng had never restricted her movements.
Seeing the hesitation on her face, Su Cheng frowned slightly.
"What do you want to say?"
Ah Yin was silent for a moment before looking at Su Cheng.
"You can already condense your own spirit rings, can't you? And they're all of the highest possible quality."
"Besides, you won't be reaching Level 60 anytime soon."
"So why do you still want to kill her?"
"Is it because of the spirit bone?"
Su Cheng was somewhat surprised.
Is this a case of one member of the same species feeling sympathy for another?
Although their species were different, they were both rare spirit beasts that had chosen to take human form.
To Ah Yin, Xiao Wu's existence was probably indeed somewhat special.
No wonder Ah Yin had barely come out recently.
Su Cheng glanced at her.
"You've been holding these words in for many days, haven't you?"
More precisely—
She had probably been holding them in for three months.
Ever since she first learned that another hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast existed, her emotions had been somewhat unusual.
"Fine."
"I won't kill her."
Su Cheng spoke calmly.
"…"
Ah Yin froze.
She knew that Su Cheng wasn't someone who changed his mind easily.
And even if he did change his mind, it wouldn't normally be because of her.
She had originally prepared many more arguments to persuade him.
Yet he had simply brushed the matter aside so casually, completely blocking everything else she had intended to say.
"Are you serious?"
Ah Yin was visibly relieved, as though she had finally put down a burden that had been weighing on her heart.
Yet there was still a trace of hesitation in her expression.
"I've never lied to you."
"And I never will."
"…"
Hearing this, Ah Yin stared at him blankly.
Her lips moved slightly, as though she wanted to say something.
In the end, however, she fell silent.
Su Cheng became somewhat suspicious.
"What else do you want to say?"
He felt that Ah Yin's emotions were rather strange at this moment.
She was the kind of person who couldn't hide her thoughts.
Anyone could see what she was thinking at a glance.
And her current appearance clearly suggested that something else was going on.
Ah Yin hesitated before shaking her head.
"It's nothing."
She then returned to the Longevity Sword and disappeared from sight.
Su Cheng frowned slightly at this.
But he didn't dwell on it.
He simply assumed that the older woman was once again becoming overly sentimental.
The promotion matches proceeded quickly.
After the conflict on the first day, the subsequent matches went extremely smoothly and peacefully.
Although Tang San was bedridden, Shrek Academy still had Zhu Zhuqing.
Her strength was extraordinary, and she actually performed even better in individual combat than in team battles.
At the same time, because she had no teammates to cooperate with, Tianshui Academy's Shui Bing'er couldn't use her martial soul fusion technique.
Feng Xiaotian's self-created spirit skill was also difficult to use.
And on the Tiandou Royal Academy side, Su Cheng hadn't entered the arena again after his battle on the first day.
When the final results were announced, Shrek Academy unexpectedly achieved a perfect record under Zhu Zhuqing's leadership.
They finished the promotion tournament in first place and advanced to the final stage of the competition.
In this stage of the tournament, Tang San could be said to have been the only true loser.
On the first day, he had entered the arena with a Clear Sky Hammer equipped with four ten-thousand-year spirit rings, intending to show off and become famous in a single battle.
Instead, he became a laughingstock.
Just like Su Cheng, he was forced to take a long half-month break from the competition.
After the competition ended, Emperor Xue Ye once again delivered an impassioned speech of encouragement and motivation.
The finals were about to begin.
That was the true battle that would determine which academy was the strongest on the continent.
As the emperor, Xue Ye naturally couldn't leave Tiandou City himself.
After his speech, Emperor Xue Ye announced that Crown Prince Xue Beng would represent him as the Tiandou Empire's envoy and participate in the judging process.
The fifteen teams representing the Tiandou Empire would also be personally accompanied by him as they traveled to Spirit City, located near the border between the two great empires, for the final tournament.
The teams had only three days to make their preparations.
Three days later, the fifteen teams, their teachers, and five hundred Royal Knights set off together.
More than a thousand people embarked on the journey to Spirit City.
The journey from Tiandou City to Spirit City would take roughly twenty days.
Because the finals would be conducted entirely through elimination matches, the tournament itself wouldn't last very long.
With a total of thirty-three teams, the winner could be determined in less than ten days.
Spirit Hall attached tremendous importance to these finals.
During the promotion matches, Spirit City had already specially prepared a venue to serve as the arena for this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament finals.
At the same time, Spirit City issued an order declaring that during the tournament, ordinary people who were not Soul Masters would be prohibited from entering to watch the matches.
Even nobles were forbidden from attending.
This added another layer of mystery to the final tournament.
The common people weren't dissatisfied with Spirit Hall's decree.
After all, Soul Masters were already lofty existences in the eyes of ordinary people.
And Spirit Hall itself was practically a divine temple and sacred land in their hearts.
Who would dare complain about a decree personally issued by the Pope?
Three days passed quickly.
The enormous convoy finally set off.
Although the various academies generally operated independently, they all represented the Tiandou Empire.
And after spending so much time together, many of the students had naturally developed mutual admiration and friendship.
Several academies that had closer relationships even traveled together.
Because of Su Cheng's presence, Tiandou Royal Academy was undoubtedly the most closely watched team.
Even Shrek Academy, which had ranked first in the promotion tournament, couldn't compare.
Many people were secretly looking forward to seeing what kind of sparks would fly once this reserve team met the main team in Spirit City.
To allow the participating students to properly rest, the Tiandou Empire had specially prepared fifteen enormous luxury carriages.
They were specifically designed for the participating teams.
Some basic soul-guiding technology had even been incorporated into the carriages.
Their shock absorption was excellent, making the ride exceptionally smooth.
From the day they departed, two members of Shrek Academy were missing from the convoy—
Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai.
The academy's teachers were somewhat displeased about this.
When Zhu Zhuqing had initially asked the academy for temporary leave, Yu Xiaogang and Flender had immediately rejected her request.
Their reasoning was that they were worried the two wouldn't make it back in time for the finals.
They also needed to properly adjust themselves during the journey.
Yet, unexpectedly, on the night before the teams were scheduled to depart, the two had simply left without informing anyone.
Whether Dai Mubai was present or not wasn't particularly important.
His potential seemed to have been completely exhausted.
His cultivation hadn't improved at all over the past several years.
But Zhu Zhuqing was different.
She was a core member of the team.
Without her, relying solely on Tang San clearly offered little hope of winning.
Their previous one-on-one battle between Tang San and Su Cheng during the promotion tournament had already proven that.
But Zhu Zhuqing had always been headstrong, while Dai Mubai was completely obedient to her.
Now that the two had simply left the team, everyone else was powerless to stop them.
They could only hope that the two wouldn't delay the tournament.
Or perhaps they would get lucky with the draw and avoid strong opponents during the early rounds.
Meanwhile, inside one of the Tiandou Royal Academy carriages, Su Cheng sat calmly in a corner.
He wasn't worried about the upcoming finals at all.
Qian Renxue would naturally make the necessary arrangements.
The so-called random draw could easily be manipulated behind the scenes.
Guaranteeing Shrek Academy a place in the fourth round would be practically effortless.
Inside the enormous carriage, besides the original team members, Feng Qingyu from Kamikaze Academy and Huyan Li from Elephant Armored Academy were also seated comfortably.
Ning Rongrong wasn't there.
At the end of the promotion tournament, she had finally broken through to Level 40.
She was currently following Sword Douluo Chen Xin to hunt a spirit beast and obtain her fourth spirit ring so she could advance to Spirit Ancestor.
She had already arranged to meet up with Su Cheng and the others directly in Spirit City.
Just then, Su Cheng's expression suddenly changed slightly.
"Open the carriage door."
The other team members looked at him with confusion, but nobody asked questions.
The person sitting closest to the front immediately reached out and pulled the door open.
Not long afterward, several beautiful figures suddenly poked their heads inside from outside.
"Captain Su Cheng, everyone, sorry to disturb you."
It was the group of team members from Tianshui Academy.
===============
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— End of Chapter 149 —