Chapter 87 Whack- a-Mole.
Mole After Shi Yi accompanied Shui Bing'er for dinner, he sent her back to the hotel.
When they parted, Shi Yi took out the jade box he had secretly prepared from his soul guide and handed it to Shui Bing'er.
"Is this a gift? Humph... are you just trying to fool me?" Shui Bing'er looked at Shi Yi and snorted suspiciously.
"Of course not, this will definitely satisfy you. I want to make an agreement with you, Bing'er." Shi Yi chuckled.
Shui Bing'er looked at Shi Yi in confusion.
"This box can only be opened when you return to Tianshui and practice alone." Shi Yi said with a smile.
Hearing this, Shui Bing'er also took the jade box from Shi Yi's hand curiously, and muttered softly: "What is this, so mysterious that no one can know..."
"If you want to know, you can go back to Tianshui faster. I have never given this thing to anyone else." Shi Yi chuckled.
Shui Bing'er recalled Shi Yi's condition: it could only be opened when practicing alone. This meant...
Thinking of this, Shui Bing'er's expression grew serious. She looked at Shi Yi and nodded with a smile, "Okay..."
"Have a safe trip," Shi Yi said softly, looking at Shui Bing'er.
"You too, you must come find me," Shui Bing'er whispered, looking at Shi Yi.
Upon hearing this, Shi Yi gently hugged Shui Bing'er and whispered in her ear, "I will. Wait for me."
Soon, after a day's rest, the fourth round of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition began.
Unexpectedly, the three strongest teams each drew a less powerful opponent.
This meant that the fourth round concluded without any suspense. The final three were the three strongest: Spirit Hall Academy, Shrek Academy, and Thunder Academy.
Bright sunlight bathed the earth, illuminating the Pope's Hall with an even more magnificent splendor. Although this was Shi Yi's second visit, the Pope's Hall had been meticulously decorated for the competition.
A red carpet stretched from the foot of the mountain to the front of the Pope's Palace. Two rows of palace guards lined the mountain from the entrance to the grounds. Their gleaming silver armor and heavy knightly swords lent the entire mountain a majestic aura.
Early in the morning, the three teams that had advanced to the final three rounds had already appeared in front of the Pope's Palace, quietly awaiting their turn. Teachers from the three academies were not allowed to stand in the square and had to wait outside.
The twenty-one finalists stood quietly in the square, awaiting the final moment.
Shi Yi appeared extremely relaxed, gazing at the Spirit Hall Academy with unfettered abandon.
Xie Yue, the leader, frowned slightly at Shi Yi's actions. Yan glared at Shi Yi intently, as if he was about to devour him. If it weren't for the Pope's Palace, they would have exchanged blows.
Hu Liena, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by Shi Yi's gaze and even studied him a few times.
Soon, a group emerged from the side entrance of the Pope's Palace. Twelve cardinals, second only to the Platinum Cardinal in status, slowly approached. They reached the entrance and stood on either side, six on each side.
The leader shouted, "His Majesty has arrived."
"Long live, long live, long live..." Three shouts echoed throughout Spirit City like a landslide and tsunami.
They echoed not only the voices of the knights guarding the palace, arrayed neatly on Pope Hill, but also the cries of all the spirit masters within Spirit City who were forbidden to approach Pope Hill. For them, the Pope was the highest faith.
The massive palace doors slowly opened, and the six emblems on the two gates gradually shifted away from their path.
Everyone's gaze unconsciously focused on the direction of the opening. Even the seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy team felt their hearts racing.
Aside from Hu Liena, even Yan and Xie Yue, the golden generation of Spirit Hall, had only met the Pope once, when they were awarded the Purple Record Medal.
Even if they saw each other again, Shi Yi was still astonished by Bibi Dong.
Clad in a dazzling golden gown from head to toe, crowned with a purple-gold crown and clutching a scepter, Bibi Dong emerged from the Pope's Hall, appearing solemn and regal. The sunlight shone on her golden gown, lending Bibi Dong an even more divine air, as if she were the Spirit Hall's deity. The golden gown perfectly fitted her form, shimmering with dazzling brilliance, adorned with over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones. The purple-gold crown atop her head shone with even greater brilliance; Bibi Dong was truly radiant.
That incredibly stunning face, now less clearly visible, was now obscured.
Shi Yi observed the enthusiastic expressions of the Spirit Hall members around him and muttered to himself, "In this world of extraordinary power, divine authority may be more conducive to rule than imperial authority."
"Your Highness!" Every Spirit Hall member knelt on one knee, facing Bibi Dong, their eyes filled with reverence.
At this moment, within the Shrek team, following Shi Yi's kneeling salute, the others followed suit, unhesitatingly following suit as a sign of respect. Only Tang San chose not to salute.
Bibi Dong's gaze fell directly on Tang San, and all the Spirit Hall members glared at him furiously.
Bibi Dong ignored him, offering Shi Yi a kind glance before shifting her gaze to Tang San.
The moment her gaze settled on Tang San, he felt as if his soul were being ripped apart. His body trembled slightly, and he was forced to immediately activate his Purple Demon Pupils.
Purple-gold light emanated from his eyes, reaching over a foot high.
"How dare you disrespect the Pope!" A furious roar echoed in the air. It was the cardinal who had shouted earlier.
Bibi Dong's gaze remained calm, and she raised her hand slightly, causing the cardinal to slowly retreat and stop talking.
"Are you Tang San, Tang Hao's son?" Bibi Dong asked slowly.
"Yes!" Tang San replied calmly.
"Your father is a wanted criminal of our Spirit Hall. While his crimes don't extend to his descendants, you do meet the requirements for participating in the competition. I won't make things difficult for a junior like you, but you must first learn to respect the strong," Bibi Dong said calmly.
Bibi Dong then slammed her scepter against the ground, and an invisible pressure forced Tang San to his knees.
"Xiao San..." Yu Xiaogang, watching from the sidelines, sighed softly. He hadn't expected Bibi Dong to attack, but he hadn't expected Tang San to be so stubborn, standing alone while his teammates all knelt.
Shi Yi considered Bibi Dong's actions to be a sign of mercy. The prizes for the competition were provided by the Spirit Hall. From the Spirit Hall's perspective, the son of an enemy, coming to their own territory to openly exploit them, couldn't even put on an act.
Secretly doing things was one thing, but at least the public actions had to be done well.
Tang San's actions were tantamount to a direct, face-to-face attack. "
No more pretense! I'm here to slap the Spirit Hall in the face." The original novel didn't cause any trouble because, in this situation, Tang San wasn't the only one who didn't kneel, and Bibi Dong couldn't argue with each one individually. To demonstrate the Spirit Hall's magnanimity, she let it slide. Shrek these days doesn't follow Tang San's lead. Just one person, Tang San, would be instantly dispatched.
Bibi Dong didn't intend to waste any time on Tang San in this situation, nor did she care about his resentful glare. She waved her staff slightly, "Stand up."
A faint smile crossed Bibi Dong's face, and as she scanned the three teams, she spoke, "In you, I see the hope of the future of the Spirit Master world. However, before the Pope's Palace, I'd like to see your continued outstanding performance."
"The final victor will receive the most generous reward."
With a flick of her staff, three soul bones, brooding with radiance, suddenly appeared and floated in the air.
"This morning's match is an individual elimination tournament, with each team fielding seven players. The remaining team will have the upper hand and advance to tomorrow's championship match."
"The two losing teams will compete in a team tournament this afternoon to determine the final spot."
"Now, you may arrange for the first player to take the stage." Bibi Dong then turned and sat down on the gilded chair behind her.
Shi Yi slowly entered the arena, yawned, and casually drew a stick. "It's Thunder Academy!"
Yu Tianxin then slowly emerged from the Thunder Academy team and raised her hand. For a moment, Bibi Dong and the others fixed their eyes on Yu Tianxin.
"Students from Thunder Academy, do you have anything to say?" Bibi Dong asked softly.
Bibi Dong now looked incredibly gentle, seemingly less so than she had just been.
Yu Tianxin placed his left hand on his right shoulder and bowed slightly to Bibi Dong. "Your Holiness," he said, "I wonder if Thunder Academy would be willing to forgo this morning's match and voluntarily enter the loser's bracket." Bibi Dong nodded thoughtfully, "Of course, that's your right. Then, the morning match will continue between Shrek Academy and Spirit Hall Academy."
A red-haired man slowly emerged from the Spirit Hall team.
The referee then addressed the two, "You may release your spirits."
Shi Yi stood there, still languid, channeling his spirit power. As his spirit power flowed, four spirit rings slowly shone around him. With a powerful surge of spirit power, Little Ant appeared before everyone.
"This..." Bibi Dong's pupils narrowed as she looked at Little Ant, her gaze instantly landing on Yu Xiaogang in the spectator area.
The Spirit Hall members observing the match were also buzzing with discussion.
The dark golden Thousand-Ton Ant materialized before everyone, its nearly two-meter height and immense size creating a powerful sense of oppression.
Encased in a dark golden exoskeleton, its massive saber-toothed fangs and forelimbs glowed in the sunlight, their own unique light.
As soon as Little Yi appeared, it rubbed its head against Shi Yi's arm. Shi Yi chuckled and touched him. Little Yi's exoskeleton said, "It's been a while since I've let you out. You can save me some effort today."
With that, Shi Yi sat down on the ground, as everyone stared in amazement.
Seeing Shi Yi casually sitting on the ground, Yan felt deeply insulted.
"You're playing tricks!" Yan shouted, and a fiery dark red flame suddenly erupted from his body. His clothes shredded instantly, and Yan's muscles bulged like granite as he charged towards Shi Yi.
"Little Yi, I'll leave this red hair to you," Shi Yi chuckled.
Little Yi nodded with his massive head, and his massive body charged towards Yan.
Watching Shi Yi command the little ants in battle, a complex expression flickered in Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes. The current Shi Yi bore a striking resemblance to the Yu Xiaogang she had envisioned. Bibi Dong now felt even more confident that Shi Yi would find a way to help Yu Xiaogang reach higher realms of cultivation. She also understood why someone as proud as Yu Xiaogang would accept Shi Yi, who was only at the first level of Xiantian.
Initially, Bibi Dong simply believed Shi Yi had impressed Yu Xiaogang with his theoretical knowledge, but she never imagined that Shi Yi would suffer the same mutation as Yu Xiaogang.
Even Gui Mei and Yue Guan, standing behind Bibi Dong, could not help but cast their gazes upon Yu Xiaogang in the spectator area, their eyes filled with emotion.
The referee watched Yan battle the little ants, unsure whether Shi Yi's call was a foul.
Before the referee could inquire, a cardinal appeared beside him, whispering something in an indistinct whisper. The referee then nodded.
"Watch me shatter your spirit! Third Spirit Skill: Hellfire!" Yan roared, and as his third spirit ring lit up, the shadow of the Fire Lord behind him instantly expanded.
Shi Yi sneered at Yan. Even the little ant, like him, was immune to both ice and fire, and even Shi Yi himself might not be able to shatter that thick exoskeleton.
Watching Yan, who was being chased and forced to hide, Shi Yi couldn't help but laugh, "Come on! If you can shatter my spirit, Shrek can even forfeit."
The little ant on the field had turned the game into a game of whack-a-mole. It didn't even dodge Yan's attacks, simply stabbing with its powerful forelimbs.
Hu Liena couldn't help but curse inwardly at the sight. "Stubborn, being played for a fool."
"Fifth Soul Skill: Flying Sand and Raging Flames!"
Shi Yi couldn't help but laugh as he watched the lumps of lava flying towards him. "He does have some brains, but only a little."
Shi Yi suddenly leaped up, his eyes shimmering purple, his steps ethereal. He dodged the lava's attack at an incredibly dangerous angle. But as the lava passed close to his arm, Shi Yi's hands glowed jade-colored, and before everyone's horrified gaze, they grasped a slab of lava.
Then, Shi Yi lashed out like a whip.
Tang San's face was grimacing. He could see that Shi Yi had perfected the Tang Sect's unique skills. Although Shi Yi's hidden weapon technique wasn't particularly sophisticated—it was simply the most basic of the Tang Sect's hidden weapon techniques, the flinging arrow—it still had its advantages. Compared to other sophisticated hidden weapon techniques, while simple, with large movements and a distinct crackling sound, this technique, combined with Shi Yi's strength, could unleash a terrifying force.
The intense crackling sound echoed in Yan's ears, but Shi Yi's timing was perfect. With Xiao Yi restraining him, Yan had no way of completely dodging the lava.
Just as the lava was about to strike, a voice echoed from the Spirit Hall Academy: "Spirit Hall Academy surrenders."
As the words fell, a figure in the Spirit Hall Academy uniform appeared before the lava, wielding a rather exaggerated scimitar, severing the lava.
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(End of Chapter)