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The continent-wide Advanced Soul Master Tournament of this year unfolded as scheduled. Looking at the familiar names of the participating academies, Ye Wen felt a sense of boredom—after all, a guaranteed win held little excitement for him.
But money was still sweet.
However, due to the immense reputation of the Tian Xing Academy, the betting odds for their matches were not particularly high.
"Better than nothing," Ye Wen thought idly as he casually threw in 8 million gold soul coins he had accumulated over the years.
The match draw began.
From the start, Ye Wen encountered the team he least wanted to face.
"The Second Team of the Tian Dou Imperial Academy—a bunch of privileged brats. Isn't this forcing me to slap the face of the Tian Dou Empire right from the beginning? Sigh~"
Because of the prestigious status of the two empires and the Spirit Hall, these three major powers each had a guaranteed spot in the final round.
However, even the most elite factions cared about appearances. While the Spirit Hall, as a single entity, could afford to be indifferent, the two empires couldn't. Thus, the concept of a "second team" was introduced.
Unfortunately, most members of the Royal Academy were noble children who were lazy in their cultivation. Not only that, they were pampered and had never experienced the harsh realities of being a soul master.
In the original story, Shrek Academy had shown some mercy to their second team by fielding seven participants. So Ye Wen decided not to go overboard either and sent out seven ordinary students to deal with them.
"Pathetic, utterly pathetic."
Even after holding back significantly, the opposing team couldn't last more than ten seconds. What kind of contestants were these?
It wasn't that his side lacked manners—it was just that the opponents were completely inept.
The performance of the Tian Dou Second Team was so bad it made even dogs shake their heads. Not only did they strike ridiculous poses, but they also fumbled while releasing their soul skills. Rather than calling them soul masters, they were more like ordinary people who had suddenly gained power but didn't know how to use it. This match was practically a massacre.
No, no—killing opponents during the tournament would result in disqualification. At most, they could only leave them half-crippled.
"Referee! Tian Xing Academy is trying to kill us! I demand they be penalized!"
The leader of the second team was truly cut from the same cloth as his students. Seeing his team get beaten so badly, he started yelling indignantly.
"Lan Lan, make sure to treat our opponents properly."
What a joke—minor injuries like these? In front of a group of medical experts, there was no way anyone would die.
Seeing their own students wrapped up in Blue Silver bandages like mummies, the opposing leader was left speechless.
Snow Night Emperor, seated at the highest point of the dueling arena, wore an expression of displeasure.
"Xue Xing, fire that teacher as soon as they return. How dare they teach such useless fools and disgrace the Tian Dou Empire!"
The old generation of the Tian Dou Emperor had passed away, and Snow Night, formerly the crown prince, had ascended the throne. As Snow Night's younger brother, Prince Xue Xing had taken over the responsibility of the Tian Dou Royal Academy.
Unfortunately, Prince Xue Xing was also a useless fool. He excelled at chasing women but was utterly incompetent at management. Day-to-day affairs were handed over to the academy's three commissioners, while he indulged in pleasure. However, even he didn't dare to speak up now and could only repeatedly apologize.
The Tian Xing Academy, as one of the most prestigious and renowned advanced academies on the continent, couldn't help but attract attention.
Speaking of which, the establishment of the Tian Xing Academy owed something to Snow Night Emperor's efforts.
Seemingly reminded of something, Snow Night turned to a nearby attendant and asked,
"Who is leading the Tian Xing Academy team this time?"
"Your Majesty, it is Master Ye Wen, the principal of the Tian Xing Academy."
Snow Night Emperor's eyes lit up. Though he didn't know Ye Wen's exact cultivation level, it didn't affect Ye Wen's current prestige on the continent.
"How incompetent are you? Master Ye Wen has arrived, and you let him sit in the academy section below? Quickly invite him over!
If the barbarians of the Star Luo Empire find out we treated Master Ye Wen this way, who knows how much they'll mock us."
The attendant quickly apologized and dared not argue, rushing off to find Ye Wen.
At the highest seats of the arena sat not only Snow Night Emperor but also Yu Yuanzhen, the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect—one of the upper three sects—and Ning Fengzhi, the current patriarch of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.
Yu Yuanzhen still bore the appearance of a middle-aged man, with a robust build.
He paid no mind to Ye Wen's impending arrival. What troubled him was that his son, Yu Xiaogang, had recently run away from home, causing him great embarrassment.
After all the effort and resources he had spent to give his son a chance to restart his cultivation, how could he not cherish it? Was training 16 hours a day really that unbearable? Back in his day, he had endured the same hardships.
"If only he could endure for another ten years to reach the Soul Emperor level. Why is this rebellious son so troublesome? Now, with just a measly level 44 Soul Elder, he dares to wander across the continent. If he encounters real danger, what use will that cultivation be? I hope the family spies find him soon—he's such a headache.
But is this the Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, who gained fame last year?
His sword aura is indeed intimidating. Even though his cultivation hasn't reached level 95, he gives me a faint sense of danger. Truly worthy of being Chen Jianjun's son. If only Xiaogang could be half as excellent as him."
Yu Yuanzhen's gaze wandered, his thoughts consumed by his own troubles. His decision to attend the tournament today was merely on a whim.
Ning Fengzhi, on the other hand, exuded the demeanor of a refined nobleman. A tranquil smile graced his lips, radiating confidence and nobility.
Beside him, sitting as an equal, was a silver-robed, silver-haired middle-aged man.
Sword Douluo—Chen Xin.
Ye Wen wasn't surprised by Snow Night Emperor's invitation. After all, though the Tian Xing Academy kept a low profile, behind it stood the fictional figure of a 98th-level Super Douluo. If the upper three sects were to be reselected, Ye Wen believed he might even be able to push the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect out of the rankings.
After exchanging pleasantries with Snow Night Emperor, Ye Wen took a seat beside Yu Yuanzhen.
With a subtle glance at the seemingly carefree Ning Fengzhi, Ye Wen inwardly muttered, Old fox.
In the original story, there was little description of the Sword and Bone Douluos of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect. However, the manga provided additional details.
Both were older than Dugu Bo by quite a bit, likely around 15 years.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong had already reached Title Douluo status at the age of 55, though this was only briefly mentioned in a small side story. Ye Wen hadn't remembered it until recently, when the previous guardian Douluo of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect passed away, and Ning Fengzhi ascended to leadership, triggering a major reshuffle within the sect. Only then did Ye Wen realize he had forgotten these two characters, who, despite their limited appearances in the original story, were extremely significant figures.
"Master Ye Wen, long have I admired you," Ning Fengzhi greeted politely.
Ye Wen honestly didn't want to deal with someone as calculating as Ning Fengzhi, but under these circumstances, he had no choice but to respond accordingly.
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