“Huo... Huo Wu... Sister...”
Held by Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian struggled to open his eyes. Seeing the person he longed for, he forced a bitter smile, "I... I lost..."
"Feng Xiaotian!" Huo Wu wanted to scold him seeing he could still smile, but for some reason, her usual taunts wouldn't come out.
Feng Xiaotian looked at his beloved, whose eyes clearly showed disappointment but whose brow was filled with worry and care. The corner of his mouth curved up slightly, and he fainted in Huo Wu's arms.
On the other side, Tang San gripped the Clear Sky Hammer, head lowered, his chest heaving. Though his expression was hidden, the crimson blood dripping down the hammer's handle revealed his condition.
The sunlight overhead glinted off the Clear Sky Hammer, making it even more dazzling. Standing motionless on the combat stage, leaning on the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San's taut nerves finally snapped only when the referee announced the result. His vision went black, and his knees, no longer able to support him, buckled, sending him toppling forward.
"Xiao San!"
Xiao Wu and the others rushed past the spectator stands, heading straight for the fallen Tang San.
But faster than them, reaching him just before his face hit the ground, was Tang Sui, who caught him.
The familiar and close presence allowed Tang San to faint with peace of mind.
"Brother, you did wonderfully. Don't worry, I'm here now," Tang Sui whispered gently to the unconscious Tang San. Her gaze swept towards Salas in the VIP section, her eyes holding a deeper meaning.
Flander and the other instructors remained by the spectator stands. The Shrek group silently and quickly returned to their team lounge.
"Alas, the Spirit Hall will likely not let us off this time. After all, Xiao San and Sui Sui's identities have been revealed. To the Spirit Hall, this brother and sister are not only disciples of the Clear Sky School but also the children of a Clear Sky Douluo."
Gazing out at the diverse crowd, Flander sighed. He hadn't expected Tang San to choose to reveal his other spirit, the Clear Sky Hammer, in full view of everyone.
"I heard the destination for the finals has been changed to Spirit Hall's main city, Spirit City. Although they won't act openly in Spirit City, the journey there..." He was certain the Spirit Hall would not miss this opportunity.
Thinking this, Flander felt his scalp tingle. He turned to Grandmaster and rambled, "Why don't we just return to Heaven Dou City? Compared to the competition ranking, the children's lives are more important!"
Grandmaster's gaze deepened, but he flatly rejected Flander: "No."
"But..."
"If they want to deal with us, with the Spirit Hall's capabilities, there's nowhere we can escape to that will be useful," Grandmaster said, resting a half-clenched fist under his jaw.
"Then are we just going to wait to be killed by the Spirit Hall?" Flander frowned tightly.
Grandmaster lowered his eyes, intending to prioritize another matter.
"Not necessarily. Flander, I'll be entrusting the children to you from now on. I need to go ahead to... Spirit Hall, to find that person."
Flander froze for a second before quickly realizing who Grandmaster meant. His expression changed, and he nervously scrutinized Grandmaster's face for any subtle shift. "What are you going to find her for? Aren't you afraid Liu Erlong will be angry when she finds out!"
"Now that Xiao San's twin spirits have been exposed, and Sui Sui's hasn't yet, no matter what, this brother and sister will eventually cultivate their second spirits. For their sake, I must go to Spirit Hall to find her. Because only she knows how to overcome the difficult period of twin spirits," Grandmaster's gaze was resolute.
Flander suddenly didn't know what to say.
...
The next day, Tang San still hadn't woken up. However, Tang Sui and the others had checked Tang San's body, and he was recovering on his own with no major issues. Still, someone had to attend the award ceremony for the Elite Tournament.
Thus, the captain, Dai Mubai, accompanied by the acting vice-captain Tang Sui, stood before Emperor Xue Ye, listening to his usual morale-boosting speech along with the other four qualifying teams.
However, this time was different from before; it wasn't just empty promises.
When they heard that the four qualifying teams were to be granted noble titles, even Dai Mubai was surprised. He exchanged a glance with Tang Sui, whose eyebrows twitched slightly. He watched as Bishop Salas of the Spirit Hall's expression contorted, maintaining a polite facade but verbally criticizing matters within the Heaven Dou Imperial family.
Emperor Xue Ye parried the criticism without much impact, refusing to retract his bestowal.
Ning Fengzhi stood smiling on the other side of Emperor Xue Ye, observing this new generation of talents as if oblivious to the tension between Salas and Emperor Xue Ye.
Tang Sui pondered, feeling that another turning point was not far off.
Three days later, a contingent of over a thousand people, including elite troops dispatched by Emperor Xue Ye, set out grandly from Heaven Dou City towards Spirit Hall's central city.
Although the academies traveled separately, they all represented the Heaven Dou Empire. Compared to the preliminary and qualifying rounds, the animosity between the academies had significantly lessened. Especially among colleges with closer relationships, they even traveled together, one after another.
Among them, Shrek Academy remained the most closely watched. However, academies with lesser influence were hesitant to approach them. The Four Element Academies, perhaps due to their defeat in the qualifying rounds, had become much more low-key. For a time, Shrek Academy stood out from the crowd.
Worth mentioning, Emperor Xue Ye, to ensure the participating team members could rest better, had the Heaven Dou Empire specially construct fifteen luxurious, oversized carriages for the contestants to travel and rest in. The interiors were even equipped with soul tools and other fine amenities.
At least Tang Sui, who couldn't withstand the bumpy carriage ride, was satisfied with the smoothly moving, luxurious carriage where she could lie down and sleep.
Apart from Grandmaster, who had left ahead of time without even informing Liu Erlong, on the Shrek Academy side, Vice-Dean Zhao Wuji and other teachers remained at the academy, while Flander, Qin Ming, and Liu Erlong accompanied them to Spirit City.
Everything seemed to be going smoother than expected...
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Author's Note---
Two chapters will be updated first. Three more chapters will be available at 1:30 AM, and then the third batch of updates will be in the evening~