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"The spirit bones on Little Wen were gifted by my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Everyone would do best not to harbor any crooked ideas," Ning Fengzhi spoke, his voice carrying a clear edge.
Regardless of the circumstances, he had to establish a deterrent now. His words were indeed effective; many of the people with flickering, greedy gazes immediately reined in their thoughts upon hearing the official stance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Gu Rong saw this and added his own low, rumbling voice to the mix.
"Those spirit bones are gifts only as long as they remain on Little Wen. If they end up on someone else, then they are stolen property of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and the Old Swordsman and I will personally hunt the thief down to recover them."
Gu Rong's declaration once again sent a wave of intimidation through everyone present.
Huyan Zhen was currently gnashing his teeth in silent fury. He desperately wanted to shout to the world that Su Wen possessed spirit bones that were not from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—bones that had been extorted from his own Elephant Armored Sect! However, Huyan Zhen ultimately suppressed the impulse. He had his own pride to consider. He would certainly not broadcast the dark history of being forced by Dugu Bo to hand over three spirit bones.
'Xue Qinghe' wore a look of surprise, acting as if he hadn't known Su Wen possessed spirit bones. However, upon hearing they were from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, he tucked away his feigned shock.
Su Wen, unaware of the specific exchange in the VIP stands, nevertheless felt a sudden surge of malice directed his way. This malice arrived quickly and vanished just as fast, but it was enough to trigger his vigilance.
Who wants to make a move on me? He frowned, deep in thought, and quickly locked onto a likely target: Huyan Zhen. Aside from Huyan Zhen, there shouldn't be any other powerhouses present capable of threatening him who also held a grudge.
However, I have the early warning capability of the Phantasmal Spirit Eye, combined with Void Traversal. I don't need to fear danger, but I must keep the threat within a controllable range. First and foremost, he needed to identify the exact source of the danger.
At this moment, Yu Tianheng had already stepped onto the stage to draw lots under the gaze of hundreds of thousands of spectators.
"Qualifiers, Round One, Match One: Heaven Dou Royal Team vs. Tianyuan Academy Team."
Tianyuan Academy was merely an ordinary Advanced Spirit Master Academy; their participating members consisted of seven Spirit Elders. By the time students reached advanced academies, finding Spirit Elders under the age of twenty-five was standard. However, the difference between Spirit Elders could be vast. Some were Level 31, while others were Level 39. Some were at the bottom of their tier in terms of combat power, while others were the pinnacle of their level.
This was the true disparity in the Spirit Master Tournament. Most ordinary academies fielded teams of Spirit Elders; having a single Spirit Ancestor was enough to consider them contenders for the elimination rounds.
The Royal Team sent out three substitutes and four regular members who had not yet broken through Level 40—namely Shi Mo, Yu Feng, Ao Siluo, and Ye Lingling. Their strongest members sat out, and even the core of the team—the Control System Spirit Master Dugu Yan—did not take the stage.
Despite this, the Royal Team still maintained a posture of absolute suppression against the Tianyuan Team. However, as the opening match required a degree of spectacle, both sides did their best to showcase their abilities during the fight. Whether it was Yu Feng's airflow control, Ao Siluo's footwork trajectories, or Shi Mo's sheer defensive power, they all became highlights of the battle.
"That Yu Feng has a very high degree of control over his spirit skills," an elder in the stands remarked. He was a deacon from a sect composed of wind-attribute Spirit Masters. He had come to observe the matches with the intention of scouting talented Spirit Masters to invite into his sect. "It's a pity he's a noble; he likely won't join our Wind Spirit Sect."
Compared to the members of the Royal Team, sect deacons like him focused their attention more on the opposing Tianyuan Academy Team. The Spirit Master Tournament was a place for the new generation to temper themselves, but it was also a stage for self-promotion—essentially a collective job interview before graduation. Being scouted and receiving focused cultivation from a major sect would ensure a smooth path for their future. Even those who already belonged to a sect needed to display their potential here to prove themselves. Those looking to remain as teachers would fight for the honor of their schools. Consequently, every participant in the tournament gave their absolute focus.
The first match lasted for a full ten minutes. In the end, the Royal Team emerged victorious.
On the second day, Su Wen brought Ye Luochen and Lin Dong to watch the matches.
"Although few Spirit Masters in the current world possess self-created spirit skills, and most won't even try to create them, that has nothing to do with you. They may not create their own skills, but they possess skills bestowed by their spirit rings. Their degree of mastery, their developmental logic, and their application of those bestowed skills are all resources for you to learn from."
Su Wen instructed the two to observe closely while he himself seriously analyzed the logic of spirit skill development shown on the stage. Of course, Su Wen was mostly pondering which martial souls were more worth replicating and which spirit skills would benefit him the most.
As the matches proceeded as usual, Su Wen did not neglect his own cultivation while spectating.
On the fifth day of the tournament, Su Wen did not go home. Instead, he began following Tang San midway through the day. A series of dangerous sensations pulsed at the center of his brow, leaving Su Wen feeling helpless. This was the threat Tang Hao was projecting from the shadows.
However, his goal in following Tang San today was not the boy himself, but rather Shi Nian.
As expected, as Tang San moved toward Shrek Academy, a figure quietly appeared, dragging him into an illusion. In the shadows, Tang Hao's eyes widened in fury, and he felt a sudden killing intent toward Shi Nian. He suppressed the urge to strike, waiting for Tang San to be led by Shi Nian to the outskirts of the city. Once they reached a remote location, he could crush this Shi Nian without restraint.
However, while Tang San continued walking toward the outskirts under the influence of the illusion, Shi Nian suddenly stopped in his tracks, unable to move further.
This kid actually dares to make a move on Shi Nian! Tang Hao narrowed his eyes in the dark, watching the confrontation between Su Wen and Shi Nian. He watched for a moment longer before turning to follow the drifting Tang San.
The stinging sensation at Su Wen's brow finally vanished, and he let out a sigh of relief.
Opposite him, seeing Su Wen's expression of relief, Shi Nian was first puzzled and then enraged. Did this boy look down on him?
"Who are you? Why interfere with my hunt?" Shi Nian asked coldly. He sensed that the spirit power of this young man was inferior to his own.
"Relax, I have no intention of disturbing Senior's hunt. I just wanted to borrow something from Senior before that," Su Wen said indifferently.
Shi Nian's voice turned frigid. "Borrow what?"
Abruptly, Su Wen launched an attack.
In an instant, a wind blade condensed in front of him, vanished from sight, and reappeared directly in front of Shi Nian. Shi Nian's body shattered like a dream or a bubble, leaving no trace of blood behind.
Squelch.
In another spot, a wind blade appeared out of thin air, slicing through an empty area. A few drops of blood splattered onto the ground. Shi Nian's figure manifested, a fresh wound now marking his right arm.
"Young man, you have angered me." Seven spirit rings—three yellow, two purple, and two black—materialized around Shi Nian's body.
(End of this Chapter)