The next day.
Before dawn broke, the window of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's room in the Heaven Dou Empire quietly opened. A large black rat slipped out through the crack and vanished into the darkness as if it had never appeared.
Inside the room.
Qian Renxue sat on the bed, eyes weary, watching Su Linfeng's departing back. She collapsed powerlessly back into the sheets.
Thankfully, Linfeng hadn't been too reckless.
What was all that about!
Her delicate cheeks flushed instantly. He was already this old, yet still insisted on sleeping in her bed. He slept soundly the entire night, while she, tense and anxious, barely caught a wink—constantly worried he might lose control and do something outrageous.
But last night…
Thinking about it made Qian Renxue's face turn even redder.
They were no longer children. Before, when he curled up beside her, it felt like a little brat clinging to her. But now, his body was large enough to completely envelop her.
The roles had reversed.
To him, she was the one who seemed delicate and small.
Strangely enough, she realized she hadn't rejected it at all. In fact, there was a peculiar feeling in her heart, though she couldn't quite describe what it was.
Happy times always pass quickly.
In the blink of an eye, three days had gone by.
The Finals of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament had officially begun.
For this event, Spirit City specially opened up a dedicated arena at its very center. The massive arena platform stretched over a hundred meters in diameter, built entirely from granite.
To reinforce it further, countless soul devices had been installed beneath, ensuring that even the attacks of Spirit Sages wouldn't damage it.
According to the Spirit Hall's announcement, the arena could withstand any assault beneath the level of Spirit Saint without breaking. Directly before the stage stood the Pope's Palace, less than a kilometer away.
Spirit Hall also declared publicly that the final championship battle would be held before the Pope's Palace itself. On that day, the Pope would personally appear and crown the champions—an honor beyond compare for any spirit master.
The Finals followed an elimination format, with both individual matches and team matches running in parallel.
In the first round, three teams received byes, while the rest competed for the remaining fifteen slots. The teams drawing a bye were Star Luo, Elephant Armored, and Tianshui Academy.
What stood out the most in the early elimination rounds was the Spirit Academy Team.
Despite an average age of only sixteen, with three Spirit Elders and four Spirit Ancestors, they obliterated the Star Luo Empire's senior academy team in less than a minute—advancing effortlessly to the next round.
The result caused an uproar.
After all, even among teams that made it to the Finals, the average spirit power hovered between ranks 30 and 35. Only the most extreme teams had spirit power above 35, and the seed teams of the two empires boasted captains nearing rank 40 Spirit Ancestor level.
But those captains were around twenty years old.
In contrast, the Spirit Academy's "Golden Generation" averaged only sixteen, yet every single one of them was terrifyingly strong. Even their weakest support-type spirit master had already reached rank 38.
On the individual side, the spotlight was no less brilliant.
Captains of multiple academies participated. Yet the appearance of a rank 55 Spirit King immediately ignited the crowd.
It was Qin Ming of Shrek Academy—
a level 55 Assault-type Battle Spirit King!
He became the biggest dark horse of the individual bracket.
But the most anticipated duel was meant to be between Su Linfeng, captain of the Spirit Academy Team, and Dai Weisi, captain of the Star Luo Royal Academy Team.
A true clash of titans.
Yet to everyone's shock, Dai Weisi forfeited outright, much to the disappointment of the audience.
In hindsight, it made sense.
Clearly, the Star Luo team wished to conserve strength and conceal their hand, aiming directly at the Spirit Academy's Golden Generation. With Qin Ming already revealed as a Spirit King, Dai Weisi had no reason to waste his strength on meaningless glory.
In fact, after Qin Ming revealed his true level, nearly every team captain withdrew from the individual bracket.
Except for Su Linfeng.
He continued competing. Even more shocking—he fought through multiple rounds without ever releasing his martial spirit, relying solely on the strength of his body to defeat opponents.
Beating people without a spirit…
There were only two possibilities.
Either he had no martial spirit at all (which was impossible), or his raw strength was simply so overwhelming that no opponent's spirit skills mattered in the slightest.
Many began speculating that his spirit power had already broken through to Spirit Elder, four rings.
Thus, alongside Qin Ming, the mysterious Su Linfeng became the second most anticipated contestant of the entire tournament.
By the end of the day's matches, eighteen teams had advanced.
With so many forfeits in the individual matches, the eight finalists had already been decided in just one day.
That night, in a Spirit City hotel.
The draw for tomorrow's matches had already been held.
The Star Luo Royal Academy Team and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team, both seeded, received byes. The remaining sixteen teams would battle for the last eight slots.
Thunderclap Academy vs. Godwind Academy.
Tianshui Academy vs. Blazing Academy.
But the most eye-catching matchup was none other than Spirit Academy Team vs. Elephant Armored Academy Team.
When the Elephant Armored Academy learned of the result, their faces immediately darkened.
Meanwhile, at dinner in a reserved section of the hotel's second floor, the Golden Generation of Spirit Academy were in high spirits.
The moment they saw their opponent, they were eager to fight.
Grinding his teeth, Yan growled, "Tomorrow! I'll definitely trample that Hu Yanli underfoot."
"That's right," Xie Yue narrowed his eyes, "let's see if their so-called 'strength to topple mountains' can really stand against us."
Only Su Linfeng remained silent, deep in thought.
After a while, he finally spoke:
"We've clashed with the Elephant Armored Academy before. This time, even if they lose, they'll fight with everything they've got. Hu Yanli also has a soul bone we must account for. Based on my analysis of Elephant Armored Clan's overall strength, even if you win, you'll likely pay a steep price."
"Perhaps you'd even be forced to use your Martial Spirit Fusion Skill, revealing every one of your trump cards. But the true opponent His Holiness the Pope wants you to face is the Star Luo Royal Academy."
"That's why… to preserve your strength and secrets, you must sit out tomorrow's match."
"Eh?"
Everyone froze.
What did he mean—sit out?
True, Su Linfeng's reasoning was solid. The Elephant Armored Clan's extreme defense style made them a tough opponent, but not so tough they had to forfeit outright.
Besides, forfeiting was the same as surrendering.
How would they even reach the match against Star Luo then?
"I'll go."
Su Linfeng set down his chopsticks, eyes resolute. "You all conserve your strength for Star Luo. Tomorrow, leave Elephant Armored Academy to me."
Hiss!
The Golden Generation all gasped sharply.
One man?
Against the entire Elephant Armored Academy team?