Bai Chenxiang revealed all the limited information she knew to Castorice.
Although she had successfully joined the Hall of Rebirth by virtue of her status as a Nirvana Corpse, she had not entered the core circle.
The identities of the Hall Master, Deputy Hall Master, and several Core Enshrined Elders were all extremely mysterious; she had yet to meet them.
The person she currently had contact with was only a newly promoted Elder—a Titled Douluo from the Douling Empire who had fallen hundreds of years ago. After being resurrected by the myriad karma true blood, his identity as a "Nirvana Corpse" was exposed, leading to a pursuit by the Douling Empire's Imperial Enshrines. Ultimately, he was secretly rescued by the Hall of Rebirth and recruited as an Elder.
Despite failing to touch any core secrets, Bai Chenxiang still brought back an important piece of news.
"I vaguely heard some rumors that the Hall seems to be planning to occupy the Extreme North Land as the future Foundation for the Hall of Rebirth's headquarters."
Upon hearing this news, not much surprise showed in Castorice's eyes.
The Extreme North Land was bitterly cold year-round and sparsely populated. Its harsh environment was an insurmountable chasm for the living, but for the "dead" Nirvana Corpses, who had extremely weak perceptions of physical pain like cold and hunger, it was instead an excellent hiding place and a natural barrier.
Even Nirvana Corpses with lower cultivation could persist there for a long time.
'Is the target the Extreme North Land...?'
Castorice pondered in her heart.
'That place is no ownerless land; several powerful Vicious Beasts reside there, especially that Snow Empress. In the environment of the Extreme North Land, her strength is enough to shake the heavens and earth. I'm afraid even if the Beast God Di Tian of the Star Dou Great Forest were to come in person, he wouldn't dare claim a certain victory over her.'
Her slender eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Does the Hall of Rebirth have some unknown trump card to dare covet the Extreme North Land?
Could there be an existence among the resurrected Nirvana Corpses even more terrifying than the Snow Empress?
This was not impossible.
In the long river of the Douluo Continent's history, quite a few of the strongest individuals had fallen.
Bibi Dong, who attained the Rakshasa God position ten thousand years ago only to fall; Qian Renxue, the god of angels whose God Position shattered; the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, a million-year Soul Beast in the deep sea who nearly became a god; and even the God of Love who fell in the Love-Questioning Valley of the Universe... not to mention the many existences that fell during the era of the ancient Dragon God.
As long as the "myriad karma true blood" randomly resurrected any one of them, they would possess the strength to threaten or even suppress the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress. Capturing the Extreme North Land would then not be a pipe dream.
Moreover, the Extreme North Land was far from human regions and isolated by its environment. No matter what great changes occurred within, it would be difficult for human forces to quickly notice and intervene. It was indeed an ideal place to establish a "Kingdom of the Dead."
"Interesting..."
Castorice gently toyed with the silver-to-purple gradient tips of her hair, a clear look of interest appearing on her exquisite Face for the first time.
"I wonder what benefits I can gain from this grand play about to be staged in the Extreme North Land?"
She indeed intended to intervene; however, the constraints of reality were also obvious.
Whether it was her original body Caelus or this body of Castorice, both were currently in a "development phase" of rapid strength growth. Rashly getting involved in a conflict involving top-tier forces or even Vicious Beasts was no different from pulling chestnuts out of the fire—beyond her current capabilities.
Even if she wanted to use the power of the Holy Spirit Cult, it would be difficult to explain the source of the information to Ye Xishui.
After all, in everyone's perception, she had almost never left the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters in all these years. How could she know about a secret operation planned by a mysterious Nirvana Corpse organization far away in the Extreme North?
Although she could blame everything on Bai Chenxiang, Castorice did not want to use the Holy Spirit Cult's power.
Setting aside that the Holy Spirit Cult was also in a dormant period, even if they were dispatched, the benefits that would fall to her would likely be unsatisfactory.
After all, the Holy Spirit Cult was a massive power with over twenty Titled Douluos. Even if she was the Holy Maiden, it was impossible for her to get the lion's share of the spoils.
Furthermore, in the Extreme North Land, the Snow Empress alone could likely suppress Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao. If the Holy Spirit Cult got involved, they might very well just be delivering themselves as fodder.
"Better to make a Breakthrough first."
Castorice shook her head gently, temporarily suppressing the thoughts churning in her mind.
The matters in the Extreme North Land were certainly tempting, but the prerequisite for wanting a piece of the pie was possessing enough strength and means to influence the game board.
The urgent priority was to break through level fifty as soon as possible and obtain that crucial hundred-thousand-year fifth spirit ring.
Only by being strong herself could she take the initiative in the coming storm instead of drifting with the tide.
She closed her eyes again, immersing her mind in cultivation and thinking no more.
On the day of the Elimination Rounds, the atmosphere in the Assessment Area was noticeably more solemn than during the Round Robin stage.
The Director of Instruction for the Outer Court's Martial Soul Department, Director, arrived in person. Standing atop the high platform, he began to call the roll and verify the participating teams with a serious expression.
However, when he called out the Huo Yuhao team from new student class one, a situation arose—only Xiao Xiao arrived on time, while Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were nowhere to be seen.
Director's Face darkened, and his gaze swept toward the homeroom teacher of new student class one, Zhou Yi.
At this moment, Zhou Yi's Face was as black as the bottom of a pot, her chest heaving slightly, clearly on the verge of an explosion.
She was extremely strict and valued discipline above all else. Having her own students be late for such an important Elimination Round was undoubtedly a slap in her Face.
It wasn't until the roll call was halfway through that two figures rushed into the Assessment Area in a disheveled state; they were Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
The two were in tatters, with even some dust and scratches on their bodies, clearly having rushed over after experiencing something.
Director immediately criticized them sharply, his tone severe.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, knowing they were in the wrong, could only bow their heads and apologize repeatedly.
Ultimately, Director perhaps considered the Face of Zhou Yi's husband—the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department, Fan Yu—and the fact that Huo Yuhao's team had advanced with a perfect record and had promising strength. Thus, he made a big deal of it but dealt with it leniently, making an exception and allowing them to participate in the competition.
After the roll call was finished, the drawing of lots followed immediately.
The Elimination Rounds didn't have much red tape; everything was kept simple.
As the captain, Caelus stepped forward to draw the lot for the team.
All sixty-four teams were divided into thirty-two matches to fight in pairs.
After a day of rest, the Assessment Area had also been renovated. After the partitions were adjusted, it was divided into sixteen larger areas, providing more space for the students to perform.
The rules of the Elimination Rounds were simple and brutal: one match each in the morning and afternoon. The losers were directly eliminated, while the winners advanced. The top three would be decided within three days.
Once the drawing was finished, the round of sixty-four matches began immediately. Thirty-two matches were held simultaneously to shorten the schedule and give the advancing students more time to rest.
The morning match held no suspense for Caelus's team.
Their opponents were a team from another class with three Spirit Grandmasters; they indeed had some skill to have reached the top sixty-four.
Unfortunately, they encountered Caelus, Gu Yuena, and Ye Guyi.
Without needing Caelus or Gu Yuena to act, Ye Guyi still relied on her powerful individual strength to easily crush her opponents. The radiance of the Holy Sword shone on the field once again, cleanly securing the victory.
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