Distinction

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 "His soul power's already at level forty-eight?" Ma Hongjun's voice broke with shock.

He had assumed that after Tang Hao took Tang San to fix his martial soul's side effects, boosting his soul power to level thirty-five, Tang San had either surpassed Ning Tian or at least matched him. But Ning Tian's cultivation had reached a level that felt almost unreal.

"How's this possible? His soul power's growing way too fast."

"Damn it, he's gotten this strong."

Oscar and Dai Mubai's faces turned grim. Dai Mubai, especially, had been counting on his martial soul fusion skill with Tang San to turn things around in the competition. Now, with Ning Tian's soul power so high, even that might not be enough.

Tang San hadn't spoken since the announcer revealed Ning Tian's level. He just stared at him, fists clenched, thinking, 'Ning Tian, just how strong are you now?'

The rest of the Shrek Team; Yu Tianheng, Ning Rongrong's brother Ning Tao, and the others looked just as troubled. They all knew Ning Tian would be their opponent soon.

But not everyone felt the same. Xiao Wu gazed at Ning Tian, her eyes warm with pride, thinking, 'Little Six, congratulations.'

Next, the announcer introduced the other members of the New Heaven Dou Team, though he didn't mention their cultivation levels. The organizers couldn't reveal team details, competitors had to figure that out through observation. Announcing Ning Tian's level was a rare exception.

Surprisingly, the Shrek Team, the secondary team of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, wasn't called second. Instead, Divine Wind Academy, Thunder Academy, Blazing Academy, Heavenly Water Academy, and Elephant Armor Academy went ahead. Even Cang hui Academy stepped up before Shrek.

It was obvious the Heaven Dou Empire's leaders were making a point. They weren't blind; Shrek was clearly using the academy's name for their own gain. And those ugly green uniforms, covered in ads, were a disgrace to the empire.

As punishment, Shrek was shoved to the end, just like in the original story. The announcer didn't even call them the secondary team.

This was likely Prince Xue Xing's doing, since he oversaw the venue and the announcer.

Meng Shenji caught on and shot a glare at Prince Xue Xing. "Prince Xue Xing, you—"

Xue Xing glanced at Emperor Xue Ye, who sat stone-faced, clearly unhappy with Shrek's antics. "The Shrek Team's here under the pretense of supporting Heaven Dou Imperial Academy," Xue Xing said, "but they don't see themselves as part of us. Why should we claim them? And those hideous clothes, they're an insult to the empire."

Meng Shenji had no comeback, managing only, "You'll regret this."

"Don't forget, I'm the prince," Xue Xing replied sharply.

...

Meanwhile, the announcer's words had the crowd and other teams laughing. Cang hui Academy's group smirked hardest.

Honestly, Ning Tian's level forty-eight soul power had stunned them. They also realized "Han Li" and "Li Feiyu" were fake names. But when it came to Shrek, they grinned. Picking on the weak was human nature, and Shrek looked like an easy target.

"Damn it, this makes me mad!" Dai Mubai snapped, teetering on the edge of losing it, especially at Cang hui's mocking faces.

Tang San was angry too but held it in. He patted Dai Mubai's shoulder. "Mubai, hang on. In the match, we'll shut them up with our strength. And the empire's leaders will wish they hadn't treated us like this."

Dai Mubai looked down at Tang San, who barely reached his chest, and softened. "Alright."

The Shrek Team watched this with strange looks. Tang San was supposed to like Xiao Wu, but he and Dai Mubai seemed tighter.

…..

Finally, all the teams had entered. The New Heaven Dou Team stood at the front, while Shrek lingered at the back.

The announcer spoke again. "Now, please welcome His Majesty, Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, to open the competition."

Applause crashed through the arena like a wave. Xue Ye stood slowly. "I, Emperor Xue Ye, officially declare the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition open."

The cheers roared again. After they faded, Xue Ye gave a dull speech, then turned to the New Heaven Dou Team. "You are the pride of the Heaven Dou Empire. For the empire's glory, let your light shine."

As Xue Ye sat, the announcer continued, "His Majesty has high hopes for our New Heaven Dou Team. Now, please welcome Sect Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to speak."

Like Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi's words were flat but still earned loud applause. He showed favor to the New Heaven Dou Team too, though he avoided picking a winner, saying only that the championship belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire.

Soon, with Platinum Bishop Salas growing restless, the preliminary round draw began.

With the New Heaven Dou Team added, the Heaven Dou division had twenty-nine teams instead of twenty-eight. That meant one team would sit out each round.

The team which would sit out would earn one point. For the rest, a win meant one point, a loss meant zero. The top six teams by points would move to the finals.

There'd be promotion matches too,but those wouldn't affect the finals lineup. They are just one-on-one battles to show off individual skill.

....

To keep things fair, Bishop Salas announced each matchup as he drew them, and the announcer called them out right away.

"First round of preliminaries: Cang hui Academy versus Otto Academy."

"First round of preliminaries: Thunder Academy versus Las Academy."

"First round of preliminaries: New Heaven Dou Team versus Elephant Armor Academy."

"First round of preliminaries: Shrek Team versus Blue Tyrant Academy."

"Heavenly Water Academy has the stay."

Ning Tian didn't care much about the other pairings, only noting his team's and Shrek's. Elephant Armor Academy was a group of tough but slow fighters. They are easy targets for him. But Shrek facing Blue Tyrant Academy caught him off guard. 'Talk about fate,' he thought. 'They still end up clashing.'

....

Flender warned, "Little San, Mubai, when you face Blue Tyrant Academy, take it easy. Don't go too hard."

Tang San frowned, and Dai Mubai asked, "Why, Dean? They were laughing at us too."

The others looked confused. They were already fired up, and Blue Tyrant Academy was just unlucky to draw them. Why hold back?

"Blue Tyrant Academy's dean is a friend of mine and the Grandmaster's," Flender said. "Just… don't overdo it."

The Shrek Team paused. A friend of the dean and that useless Grandmaster? Fine, they'd give the dean some respect. As for the Grandmaster, who cared?

After the draw, Bishop Salas spoke. "I hereby declare that all who reach the finals will be granted direct entry into Spirit Hall's Sacred Hall."

The crowd buzzed. The Sacred Hall ranked just below the Pope's Hall, Elder Hall, and Douluo Hall. It was a shortcut to power and prestige for most Spirit Masters. It might even lead to the lofty Pope's Hall.

Take Salas: with only level five innate soul power, Spirit Hall had raised him to Spirit Douluo; a height many with level seven or eight innate soul power never touched.

But Salas wasn't finished. He looked at Ning Tian. "Ning Tian, if you join Spirit Hall, I'll recommend you straight to the Pope's Hall to meet our great Pope."

The arena hummed again, and Emperor Xue Ye's face darkened. Recruiting the main team's captain in front of him was too much.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty," Ning Fengzhi said through a soul-powered message. "With my daughter and Qinghe's ties to Ning Tian, he won't join Spirit Hall."

Xue Ye's expression softened.

Sure enough, Ning Tian had no interest. "Thank you, Bishop Salas, but I'm used to being free. I'm not planning to join any group for now."

Salas said nothing more, sitting back with a blank look. 'The young master said Ning Tian doesn't bow to anyone,' he thought. 'It fits that he'd refuse. I wonder how she'll win him over.'

Unbeknownst to Salas, Qian Renxue had already found Ning Tian's weakness: his eye for beauty. Ning Fengzhi had used his daughter to get close, but she relied on her own charm. To recruit Ning Tian, she'd need the right lure but first, she'd watch his performance in the competition.

…....

The announcer spoke again. "Now, for the first round of preliminaries, matches one and two: New Heaven Dou Team versus Elephant Armor Academy, and Shrek Team versus Blue Tyrant Academy."

The crowd murmured. They got why the New Heaven Dou Team opened the event. In past years, the secondary team had done it, but this time, the main team took the stage. Shrek's green outfits and "Heaven Dou" badges confused some, though sharp onlookers started to guess.

"Xiao Tian, you take charge," Zhu Qing said to Ning Tian.

She was the team leader but knew her limits. She'd taught Ning Tian all she could when he got his first Soul Ring. Since then, he'd been the one leading, and she'd grown beside him. She didn't mind instead she even admired this disciple, nearly twenty years her junior.

Ning Tian nodded and turned to the team. "Rongrong and Lingling, stick to the plan. Save your strength for the finals. Zhuqing, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yu Feng, Osler, and… you."

"Captain, I'm Jia, martial soul Dispersed Ghost, level thirty-six assault-type Battle Spirit Elder," the secondary team member said eagerly.

Bing Tian nodded, then said "Alright, when we're out there, stay in place. I'll handle Elephant Armor Academy alone. I want to test my Thunder Devour skill."

Thunder Devour!

Yu Feng, Osler, and the Shi brothers swallowed hard. They'd seen Ning Tian's fourth soul skill; a monstrous ten-thousand-year skill that broke every rule. Only Elephant Armor's defense-heavy team might withstand it.

Since the other academies had no matches today, they headed to their rest areas. Shrek and Blue Tyrant Academy followed, as their match was next. The two fights wouldn't run at the same time.

Soon, as the announcer called out each New Heaven Dou member's name and martial soul, a golden beam from a platform lit up, escorting Ning Tian and his six teammates onto the field.

This was a perk just for Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's main team. Whether the secondary team got it was unclear, after all, no one even called Shrek the secondary team.

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