Chapter 193: Spirit Hall's Motive—Forcing Dugu Feng to Act
After Dugu Feng and his group settled into their hotel, a notice arrived from Spirit Hall.
They were to rest for three days before the finals officially began.
Both empires' teams had traveled for over twenty days by carriage to reach Spirit City. These three days were meant for recovery and adjustment.
Dugu Feng's team made full use of the time. None of them went sightseeing; they meditated diligently, polishing every fragment of their strength.
On the day before the matches, the Gemstone Academy members—including Old Snake and Shi Nian—gathered in Dugu Feng's room for a final strategy meeting.
Old Snake spread out a stack of documents on the table. "Information on all sixteen teams that advanced from the Star Luo Empire—the fifteen through competition, plus the directly qualified Star Luo Royal Team. Everything's detailed."
Dugu Feng had studied those records long before.
To secure the championship, Gemstone Academy had to safeguard their trump card—the Seven Shura Mirage. Without him appearing on the battlefield, they would save it for the last fight against the Spirit Hall team.
Until then, every bout required prudence; every move, precision.
"In the first two rounds, three seeded teams—the Spirit Hall, Star Luo Royal, and Heaven Dou Royal teams—all receive byes.
In the second round, we, as the top seed from the qualifying stage, will also sit out.
That means, at the earliest, we'll face the Spirit Hall or Star Luo Royal teams in the third round.
In the first round, the only team that poses a real threat is the champion of the Star Luo Empire's qualifiers—Nether Tiger Academy.
Their data lists four Spirit Ancestors. The captain, Dai Xing, is level forty-five, and his martial soul… the Evil-Eyed White Tiger."
Shi Nian proceeded with the report.
Nether Tiger Academy had been founded by the White Tiger Clan of the Star Luo Empire.
That clan, a pillar of the Great Spirit Arena's financial power, was deeply tied to the royal family and controlled much of the empire's spirit master influence.
Their academy had won the Star Luo preliminaries undefeated.
"Besides them, who else stands out?" Ning Rongrong asked, leaning forward curiously.
Shi Nian glanced through his notes and began summarizing each remaining team one by one.
Before long, both Ning Rongrong and Xiao She lost interest—most teams were weak, with no more than two Spirit Ancestors. Hardly worth worrying about.
"In the finals, no one will hold back, but we still must.
To keep Zhang Jingyang and the others from drawing too much attention, you—Xiao She and Dugu Mo—must take the lead. No matter who the opponents are, finish them quickly."
Dugu Feng's tone was steady but commanding.
"Yes!" both responded firmly.
Against Spirit Hall, they would sit out—but these first three rounds would be their chance to shine.
The next morning came swiftly.
At dawn, thirty competing teams assembled at the southern foot of Pope's Hill under the escort of Spirit Hall's red-robed bishops.
The tournament stage there was Spirit Hall's internal Great Spirit Arena—a massive arena as large as half the city wall itself.
Circular in design, it was surrounded by resting zones for each team.
To the north stood the VIP gallery, where representatives of both empires and Spirit Hall gathered to watch the battles.
Dugu Feng's group waited quietly in their assigned area.
A few moments later, Shi Nian returned, his face dark.
"Spirit Hall doesn't even bother hiding its schemes. Our first match is against Nether Tiger Academy!"
Though they'd known Nether Tiger wasn't a serious threat, the fact that both empires' top-ranked teams met in round one was clearly deliberate.
"There's something behind this," Old Snake said with a cold laugh.
"Whether there's a scheme or not, it makes no difference. Whoever we face, we'll crush," Xiao She said casually, confidence radiating from him.
"Heh, I think Spirit Hall's trying to provoke you—using Nether Tiger to force you into action," Ning Rongrong said to Dugu Feng teasingly.
After all, through both the preliminaries and qualifiers, Dugu Feng had yet to take the stage.
He had remained Gemstone Academy's silent enigma.
If the Heaven Dou teams had failed to make him fight, perhaps Star Luo's strongest would.
The two champions colliding right away couldn't possibly be coincidence—Spirit Hall wanted to see this "monster" in action.
Dugu Feng had already guessed as much.
But Spirit Hall would be disappointed.
In the VIP stands, Ning Fengzhi sat at the center, joined by Chrysanthemum Douluo and Dugu Bo.
Pope Bibi Dong herself had not yet appeared; she would come only for the final.
When Ning Fengzhi read the bracket results, he was speechless. "The first round already pits two champions against each other. Isn't that a bit… suspicious?" he asked lightly.
Chrysanthemum Douluo replied with a coy smile. "The drawing was conducted under my supervision. Completely fair, of course.
Sect Master Ning mustn't show bias just because his daughter belongs to the Gemstone Team."
Privately, Chrysanthemum Douluo cursed Salas once more.
If that fool had managed to uncover Dugu Feng's spirit rank or abilities, there'd be no need for this farce.
Those three spirit bones prepared by Bibi Dong for Hu Liena's team—he dared not let them fall into anyone else's hands.
Surely now, in the grand finals, Dugu Feng would be forced to fight.
A single loss meant elimination.
But when the Gemstone Academy warriors ascended the stage, his eyes widened—Dugu Feng wasn't among them.
Ning Fengzhi caught his expression and immediately understood Spirit Hall's ploy.
They were desperate to make Dugu Feng show his power!
He chuckled softly to himself.
As expected, Spirit Hall's attention and that of every watcher had been drawn entirely to Dugu Feng—never realizing their true trump card was the Seven Shura Mirage.
They paid little mind to Zhang Jingyang or the others.
Truly, Dugu Feng was a master of misdirection.
Meanwhile, the battle unfolded on the stage.
The Nether Tiger Team's four Spirit Ancestors were indeed strong—each hardened by victory through Star Luo's brutal preliminaries.
But against Xiao She, they were helpless.
With Ning Rongrong's boosts amplifying his strength, his power skyrocketed.
His Jade Phosphor Finger strikes lashed out in relentless sequence, forcing all seven opponents onto the defensive.
Each strike blazed with deadly precision and blinding speed—his self-created technique pushing the limits of human reaction.
Before long, every eye in the arena was on him.
The Nether Tiger warriors dared not move recklessly under the barrage.
That was all part of the plan.
With Zhang Jingyang and the others casting coordinated mental disruption techniques, the enemy's formation crumbled completely.
Xiao She's dazzling performance shook the crowd.
Two champions from rival empires facing off drew enormous attention, and the arena roared with excitement.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and several Star Luo spectators were stunned.
For a moment, they even thought this young man was Dugu Feng himself.
After all, Dugu Feng's fame across the continent was far greater than Xiao She's.
Few there had even heard his name.
(END CHAPTER)
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