Chapter 61 – A Clash Between the Younger Generation

At that moment, Tang Tian stepped forward, cupping his fists toward the crowd below.

"Everyone, it's a rare occasion to see so many young talents from across the continent gathered in one place. If all we do is eat and drink, wouldn't that be a bit dull?"

"Oh? What are you suggesting, Your Grace Tang Tian?"

Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow, his gaze subtly flickering toward the figures of Tang Hao and Tang Xiao. A look of realization crossed his face.

Yu Yuanzhen, however, frowned slightly.

"Tang Tian, this is a joyful occasion—the Pope's wedding. Don't stir up unnecessary trouble."

"Haha, old dragon, you're taking this the wrong way," Tang Tian laughed heartily. Regardless of whether anyone agreed with him, he continued, "This is a rare opportunity. Why not have each sect and clan send a representative from the younger generation to spar and exchange insights? It would surely make this wedding banquet all the more memorable."

"Surely the younger generation wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to test themselves against the finest talents of our time, would they?"

His words immediately ignited excitement among the young soul masters present. Their blood surged with eagerness, and one by one, ambitious spirits flared to life with dreams of proving themselves against the heroes of their generation.

Even the younger members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan weren't immune—each of them itching for the chance to battle the other prodigies gathered here.

"What's wrong, old dragon? Are you afraid?" Tang Tian teased, his eyes fixed playfully on Yu Yuanzhen.

Yu Yuanzhen's beard quivered. He let out a cold snort and said no more.

"Junior Brother! Junior Brother! I'm suddenly all fired up! What should I do?"

Even Bibi Dong couldn't help but feel the rush of adrenaline. At just nine years old, she had already reached Rank 45. Yes, in just three months, she had advanced from Rank 43 to 45—an astonishingly rapid rate of cultivation.

She had also picked up some unique techniques along the way and had long been eager to test the limits of her strength.

Although she often sparred with Gu Han, she always felt he held back during their matches, which left her feeling constrained and unsatisfied.

Now, this was a perfect opportunity.

"Senior Sister, don't forget our current situation," Gu Han reminded her calmly.

He, too, wanted to test Tang Hao's strength, but their circumstances were... unusual. Not long ago, they had merely been Grandmasters. In a short span, their cultivation rapidly progresses. If they stood out too much, it might attract unnecessary trouble.

"Alright…"

Bibi Dong's enthusiasm deflated like a popped balloon.

Gu Han smirked and whispered,

"Don't be discouraged, Senior Sister. If you really want to test your limits, just go find Uncle Chrysanthemum. He's practically indestructible and has far more soul power than we do. You could go all out and not worry about hurting him."

"Besides, even with all these young talents gathered here, among our generation, the only one who might be able to truly match us... is Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Clan's Twin Stars."

"And besides, we're not going to stay in the Spirit Hall forever. You and I will eventually visit the other major sects and academies. There's plenty of time for that. No need to rush."

"You're right..."

Bibi Dong nodded thoughtfully. Now that she considered it, what he said made sense.

"Haha, His Holiness the Pope anticipated that you all might want a good sparring session, so we've already prepared a venue. It's right in the open square in front of the Pope's Hall,"

Yue Guan took over the conversation. When this many young prodigies gathered in one place, a few duels were inevitable. But these duels needed to be done in good spirit—while also giving their respective sects a chance to show off.

Battles between the younger generation were perfect for that.

A win could bring glory to the sect. A loss wasn't shameful—after all, the young had room to grow. More importantly, it would ignite their motivation to cultivate even harder.

"Haha, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan specializes in support-type soul masters. I only brought Sword Douluo with me this time, so we'll sit this one out," Ning Fengzhi said with a knowing smile.

He was no fool. Although his sect had many talented disciples, they still fell short compared to the absolute elite of the continent.

The disciples he brought this time were mostly direct descendants—only Sword Douluo had come along for protection.

And the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was known as a support-type martial soul. It wasn't suited for front-line battles.

Everyone present understood this and didn't press the matter. Besides, with Sword Douluo quietly seated nearby, no one dared to cause trouble anyway.

The various sects and academies all sent out their young prodigies—some free soul masters' children even joined the lineup.

At first, the matches were nothing more than warm-ups. The true prodigies had yet to take the stage, but even so, there were moments worth watching.

Gu Han watched with interest, occasionally explaining a few techniques to Bibi Dong.

"You're not planning to go up there?"

A small figure walked up to him—it was Guang Ling. He was short in stature, and aside from a few Titled and Soul Douluo peers, most people mistook him for a junior member of the Spirit Hall.

Those who recognized him stayed quiet, and those who didn't simply ignored what looked like a child.

"Guang Ling Worshiper, Senior Sister and I progressed too quickly in our cultivation. If we draw too much attention, it might cause problems," Gu Han explained.

His meaning wasn't hard to grasp, and Guang Ling chuckled in response.

"Haha, is that all? Don't worry. Just say the Angel God has shown you favor and granted you a little blessing. That explains why your strength surged. No one will dare dig deeper."

After all, everyone on the continent knew that Spirit Hall worshipped the Angel God. It wasn't a secret.

And no one would dare question the legitimacy of the Angel God's influence—especially since each generation of Angel Douluo was a formidable existence.

Even if it were false, everyone would still treat it as true.

Gu Han seemed tempted, but he still shook his head. "Elder, there's no need to rush. If I want to spar, there will be plenty of chances in the future. Right now, I'd rather take this time to observe and study everyone's techniques."

"That's not up to you anymore," Guang Ling said nonchalantly, munching on sunflower seeds like he was enjoying a show. "All the other sects have already sent someone. Only Spirit Hall hasn't selected a representative yet. The Holy Maiden's status is too sensitive to reveal publicly at this time, so like it or not, this role's going to fall to you."

Gu Han smiled slightly, confident and sharp.

"In that case, I'll certainly give my all in battle against this generation's finest."

"Now that's more like it! Before, you looked so serious and old-fashioned—I half suspected you were some ancient monster who had reversed his aging!"

Guang Ling reached out to pat Gu Han's shoulder, only to realize halfway that he couldn't reach. So instead, he gave his arm a few pats.

Bibi Dong, sitting nearby, pouted slightly. But a mischievous sparkle quickly lit up in her eyes—it was clear she was scheming something.

Seeing this, Gu Han quickly spoke up before she could act, trying to redirect the attention of his senior sister, who was three years younger than him but far more unpredictable.

"Senior Sister, if I do end up participating, I promise I'll give it my best. But before that, let's keep watching. The next match is between Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Clan and Yu Qingtian of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It's a clash between the continent's top tool martial soul and top beast martial soul. We absolutely can't miss it."

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