"The Dragon-Serpent Clan?"
Wu Qi looked puzzled.
He knew that the Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady were hardly the type to stay out of trouble, but why were they paying attention to him?
The two sides had only crossed paths once in the Star Dou Forest, and Meng Shu had even backed down because of Ning Rongrong's background. Yet now he actually dared to set his sights on him?
On the surface, Wu Qi's backers included not only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect but also Dugu Bo. What exactly was Meng Shu trying to accomplish?
Dugu Bo hadn't uncovered much, but as a grandfather himself, he understood Meng Shu's intentions all too well.
"That old fellow Meng Shu is probably planning to marry his granddaughter to you. He wants to use your current reputation to elevate the Dragon-Serpent Clan into the continent's eighth great sect or clan."
"And in the future, he hopes to rely on your talent to lead the Dragon-Serpent Clan into the ranks of the Lower Four Sects, or perhaps even the Upper Three Sects."
Wu Qi shrugged.
"He's dreaming."
In some ways, Meng Yiran was even more spoiled and headstrong than Ning Rongrong.
Although Ning Rongrong had once been willful, Ning Fengzhi had at least taught her proper values. Meng Yiran, on the other hand, had been excessively doted on by the Unrivaled Dragon-Serpent couple, making her even more spoiled than an imperial princess.
"Oh, by the way, has Yan Yan absorbed her Spirit Bone yet?" Wu Qi asked casually.
The Emperor Team One would be one of the Seven Treasure Team's strongest rivals in the Finals, especially now that Dugu Yan had cultivated poison techniques and advanced to Spirit King.
After receiving a positive answer, Wu Qi already had a plan in mind. There was no chance he would intentionally lose in the Finals.
Without using abilities beyond his martial spirit, dealing with Dugu Yan, strengthened by her poison techniques, would be quite troublesome, but it was far from impossible.
After a brief pause, Dugu Bo voiced another question.
"Kid, Yan Yan's team has recruited Wu Qin, the younger son of Marquis Wu's household."
"That kid keeps telling Yan Yan that you're a member of the Wu family."
Wu Qin had repeated it to Dugu Yan so many times that even Dugu Bo had begun taking it seriously.
Wu Qi was somewhat surprised.
That day, he had made it perfectly clear to Wu Qinan that he wasn't a member of the Wu family.
Under normal circumstances, the matter should have ended there.
After all, there were countless people on the continent with the surname Xue. That didn't make them all members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
Was Wu Qin acting on Wu Qinan's instructions, or had he simply said it casually?
Keeping a calm expression, Wu Qi replied.
"Old man, are you getting confused too? By that logic, does everyone with the surname Dugu automatically become your relative?"
Dugu Bo shook his head and asked no further questions.
As the match between Skywater Academy and Shrek Academy came to an end, the Heaven Dou Empire Preliminary Tournament officially concluded.
During the match, Tang San had been completely suppressed.
His Blue Silver Grass was utterly overwhelmed by Shui Bing'er's extreme freezing power. The moment it appeared, it withered away, leaving no room for comparison.
With Tang San, the team's core, completely countered, the Shrek Team ultimately lost by a considerable margin.
It was also worth mentioning that Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu never even used their martial spirit fusion skill.
After both teams left the arena, the staff quickly began cleaning up, preparing for the upcoming closing ceremony.
In the Shrek Team's waiting area.
Apart from Tang San, everyone else wore gloomy expressions.
Even Skywater Academy, a team not considered a favorite to win the championship, had defeated them with ease.
When they reached the Finals, could they really make it all the way to the championship match without revealing their ultimate trump cards?
Perhaps sensing everyone's thoughts, Tang San spoke up.
"Don't lose heart. This match let us understand Skywater Academy's strengths. If we meet them again in the Finals, we'll definitely win."
"Don't rush, and don't worry. I'll explain everything in a few days. Just trust me."
Once he attached several Spirit Rings to his Clear Sky Hammer, there was a good chance his Spirit Power would break through to Spirit King.
With the continent's strongest tool-type martial spirit in one hand and his control-type Blue Silver Grass in the other, he believed he would become virtually unstoppable.
Yu Xiaogang raised a hand.
"Enough. The preliminary tournament is over. What's done is done. Don't dwell on it anymore."
"Next, once the closing ceremony is over, everyone will have a month's break. Take the opportunity to rest and recover."
Thanks to the staff's hard work, the arena had already been completely cleaned.
Emperor Xue Ye, accompanied by Ning Fengzhi and the other distinguished guests, walked to the center of the arena.
The announcer then began reading the names of the five teams that had qualified.
The first team announced was the Seven Treasure Team.
With a flawless undefeated record, they stood above all the other teams and naturally occupied the center position.
The second-place team in the preliminary tournament was Skywater Team, who were also positioned close to Emperor Xue Ye.
The third-place team was Thunder Team. Having lost only to the two teams above them and backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they were also placed in the front row.
The fourth-place team was the Godwind and Blazing Team, whose only losses came against the three teams ranked above them.
Because of the limited space on the arena and security arrangements, they were positioned behind those three teams.
The fifth-place team was the Shrek Team. They had lost to the three higher-ranked teams as well as Oakland Academy, making them the final team to secure qualification.
Since the arena had not been damaged, all five teams took the stage with their full lineups to receive their awards and honors.
The Shrek Team happened to be standing directly behind the Seven Treasure Team.
Looking at Wu Qi standing in front of him, Tang San silently clenched his fists.
Once he finished cultivating his Clear Sky Hammer martial spirit, he would repay every humiliation he had suffered.
"Next, His Majesty and Sect Master Ning will present the qualification certificates and tournament prize money to the qualifying teams."
Taking the certificates from the staff, Emperor Xue Ye walked directly toward the Seven Treasure Team, the smile on his face growing even broader.
He even took the initiative to shake hands with every member of the team, prompting thunderous cheers from the audience.
"Congratulations on setting a new record in the history of this tournament. I hope you will continue your excellent performance in the upcoming stages of the competition. On behalf of the imperial family, I have the highest expectations for all of you."
Caught off guard by such recognition, the team members quickly bowed.
"We will not disappoint Your Majesty's expectations."
Emperor Xue Ye nodded in satisfaction as he handed the qualification certificate to Wu Qi before giving him a light pat on the shoulder.
The qualification certificate carried far more symbolic value than practical use. It would eventually be framed and displayed at the academy as proof of its achievements.
Even if it were somehow lost, the team would still be able to participate in the Promotion Tournament without any issue.
After all, only a handful of teams had qualified, and everyone already knew who they were. There was no possibility of anyone impersonating them.
Afterward, Emperor Xue Ye moved on to present certificates to the remaining teams.
Ning Fengzhi then stepped forward and took out a Gold Soul Card worth 10,000 Gold Soul Coins.
Standing before the Seven Treasure Team, he said with a warm smile,"Your performance has truly exceeded everyone's expectations. These 10,000 Gold Soul Coins are the reward provided by the tournament organizers. Once we return to the academy, the sect will also provide additional rewards."
Without saying anything further, Ning Fengzhi proceeded to the next team.
Wu Qi and the others were not short on money. With everyone's agreement, he gave the 10,000 Gold Soul Coins to the team's four substitute members as an additional reward.
After all, the sect's rewards would not include the substitute members.
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