Chapter 353: Eliminate the Wind Sword Sect

Inside the Pope's Hall.

Bibi Dong sat on her high seat, her face filled with displeasure.

This year's re-selection conference of the seven great sects was organized under the leadership of the Spirit Hall. 

If two of the new top three sects were to align themselves with the Spirit Hall, it would greatly assist her upcoming plans. However, unexpectedly, the Snow Mountain Sect and the Sky Sword Sect—two formidable sects—had emerged as contenders.

In her view, the strength of the Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect paled in comparison to these two sects, as well as the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. At the conference, there was no doubt that the top three positions would be secured by these three sects.

Her carefully orchestrated plan had been hijacked by others, leaving Bibi Dong deeply dissatisfied.

However, the Title Douluo-level experts of the Spirit Hall were all well-known figures on the continent. Temporarily inserting them into sects supported by the Spirit Hall to compete on their behalf was unrealistic and would even invite ridicule from the entire continent.

Thus, Bibi Dong could only select some lesser-known Soul Douluo-level experts from within the Spirit Hall to join those sects.

For sects like the Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect, which were aligned with the Spirit Hall, as long as one of them could enter the top three, this conference would be considered a success.

But before Bibi Dong could finalize her personnel arrangements, they were blocked by the elders of the Spirit Hall's Offering Hall. The delays dragged on, and by the time the registration process ended, her people still hadn't taken their positions.

With the conclusion of the registration process, everything seemed set in stone.

Bibi Dong's mood was both irritated and heavy, and the atmosphere in the entire Pope's Hall became unusually solemn.

Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo stood quietly in the hall, gradually holding his breath, fearing he might displease Bibi Dong.

Not long after, a servant waiting outside the hall came to report, "Your Holiness, the Holy Maiden requests an audience."

Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo sighed in relief.

Bibi Dong might lose her temper at them, but as long as Hu Liena hadn't committed any fundamental mistakes, she wouldn't lash out at her easily.

Next, once Bibi Dong's mood eased slightly, they would immediately use the excuse of running errands to leave the Pope's Hall.

When Hu Liena entered, she noticed Bibi Dong's expression and quickly delivered the good news. "Teacher, Ning Tianchen, as the sect leader of the Sky Sword Sect, chose to participate in the sect leader battle during registration."

"Oh?" Bibi Dong's frown slightly relaxed.

She was aware of the battle between Huyan Zhen and Ning Tianchen.

Although Ning Tianchen had defeated Huyan Zhen, after analysis by the Spirit Hall's experts, it was concluded:

Huyan Zhen was wary of the strong individuals from the Sky Sword Sect, and the battle took place at the Elephant Armor Sect's base.

Win or lose, the outcome would be disastrous for the Elephant Armor Sect, not to mention that Dugu Bo possessed unparalleled group attack capabilities across the continent.

Huyan Zhen's decision to concede wasn't due to fear of Ning Tianchen but rather other factors that tied his hands.

Bibi Dong believed that on the stage of the re-selection conference, for the sake of his sect's honor, Huyan Zhen would surely fight valiantly, defeat Ning Tianchen, and seize a top-three position.

Even if, by some chance, Huyan Zhen truly couldn't defeat Ning Tianchen, Bibi Dong still had Tuo Ba Xi as her trump card.

Tuo Ba Xi was a genuine Title Douluo, stronger than Huyan Zhen, and with his dragon-type spirit, his combat power was immeasurable.

With this judgment in mind, Bibi Dong's mood brightened significantly.

Chrysanthemus Ghost Douluo seized the opportunity and said, "Your Holiness, why don't Ghost and I go ahead and gather intelligence to ensure the outcome aligns with your expectations?"

Bibi Dong waved her hand dismissively, allowing them to leave the Pope's Hall.

Once outside, Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo walked far away before daring to whisper.

"Your Holiness' presence has become increasingly intimidating. Perhaps her strength is already on par with the Great Elder," Ghost Douluo said, still trembling.

His spirit was an evil-type spirit, but thanks to proper guidance, he wasn't an evil soul master.

Because of his spirit, he was acutely sensitive to Bibi Dong's aura.

When it came to pressure, he felt that even Qian Daoliu, who countered dark-type spirits, didn't exude as much oppressive energy as Bibi Dong did.

Yue Guan paused momentarily.

Thinking back to Ning Tianchen's promise years ago, his heart stirred.

Bibi Dong was not only ruthless and ungrateful but also frequently caused trouble for the two of them.

Following such a leader left him feeling deeply dissatisfied.

But Bibi Dong's strength spoke for itself. If he were to announce today that he was joining the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Bibi Dong would end his life in the next second.

Neither the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect nor the Snow Mountain Sect seemed capable of protecting him.

As for Ning Tianchen's earlier promise, he couldn't guarantee that the other party would honor it.

Seeing Yue Guan's distracted state, Ghost Douluo couldn't help but ask, "Chrysanthemum Guan, you've been off lately. What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing." Yue Guan deflected the question and quickly changed the subject.

He wanted to slack off or switch sides, but he feared Bibi Dong's tyranny.

His heart became conflicted, and his mood dipped accordingly.

---

The next day, dawn broke dimly.

The various sects participating in the re-selection conference of the seven great sects began arriving at the venue one after another.

The first to arrive and secure front-row seats were medium and small sects.

These sects had no real chance of competing for the top seven spots; they were merely here to make up the numbers and enjoy the spectacle. The Spirit Hall didn't take them seriously.

What truly mattered were the dozen or so sects personally received by representatives of the Spirit Hall.

It was foreseeable that the seven great sects would emerge from among these sects. Moreover, during the elimination rounds, fierce competition would erupt between these sects.

It wasn't until the Chen hour that the powerful members of these major sects finally arrived at the venue.

Responsible for maintaining order at the venue was the Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo of the Pope's Hall, while the host of the conference was a peak Soul Douluo expert from the Spirit Hall.

This demonstrated the Spirit Hall's emphasis on this conference.

Notably, Pope Bibi Dong, citing a busy schedule, would not attend the elimination rounds.

The ranking battles would begin when Bibi Dong, amidst her busy schedule, found time to personally observe the matches and present the ranking certificates to the seven great sects.

Gu Rong sneered, "When did the Pope become so busy? She's clearly putting on airs, making it sound so grandiose!"

"The Pope taking time out of her busy schedule to watch the matches of the seven great sects"—from a rhetorical perspective, it implied that the Pope wouldn't have come otherwise, and she was doing so as a favor to them.

Indirectly, this made the seven great sects owe Bibi Dong a favor, big or small!

Ning Fengzhi sneered but didn't protest.

Ranking the seven great sects was the Spirit Hall's prerogative. On someone else's turf, it was better to remain low-key.

After a lengthy and complex opening ceremony, the judging panel composed of Spirit Hall elders officially announced:

"Competitors, please take your seats in the front row. Non-competitors, please move to the back. The matches will begin shortly!"

Major sects had designated rest areas, so these instructions were clearly aimed at the medium and small sects.

During the elimination rounds, each sect only needed to send one representative to the stage, while the others acted as spectators. Crowding the front would inevitably affect the progress of the matches.

Not long after, the Spirit Hall staff distributed plaques engraved with the names of each sect.

If anyone wanted to challenge an opponent, they could directly locate the corresponding sect through the plaques.

At the command of the judging panel, the conference officially began.

Yang Wudi, rubbing his fists, smiled and said, "Sect Leader, why not let me challenge someone first? After winning, I'll still have some time to rest."

His assumption was based on the possibility that someone might target the Sky Sword Sect.

Ning Tianchen shook his head, not worried about anyone targeting the Sky Sword Sect. "I've already asked the organizers. After being eliminated in the elimination round, there's still a chance for a revival match."

The re-selection conference of the seven great sects was, after all, an official competition with a well-designed system.

Conflicts naturally existed between sects.

If two sects had the strength to vie for the title of the continent's number one sect and harbored deep animosity toward each other, the elimination of one side during the elimination round would diminish the credibility of the newly selected seven great sects.

Therefore, the major sects eliminated in the elimination round would have one "revival" opportunity.

As for what constitutes a "major sect," the Spirit Hall would compare and verify information beforehand to create a list. These sects would then be specially hosted during the conference.

The Sky Sword Sect was clearly among the major sects.

Ning Rongrong agreed, saying, "If someone maliciously targets us, we can simply withdraw first. When the revival round comes, we can fight our way back."

After all, there was bound to be some level of manipulation in the selection of the seven great sects after the elimination rounds. With the Sky Sword Sect's strength, they had every chance of successfully reviving.

Yang Wudi and others were key figures in the elder battles, so it wasn't wise to reveal too many of their cards before the matches.

Zhao Wuji pounded his chest and asked, "Sect Leader, can I go up? Can this old Zhao step in?"

He was already a substitute for the elder battles, so whether his strength was revealed or not didn't matter much.

Ning Tianchen nodded, "If a small sect challenges us, you can have some fun. But if there's a Soul Douluo-level expert, let the old man handle it."

In short, they were well-prepared for this trip, having considered almost every possible scenario beforehand.

---

First to take the stage was Huyan Zhen, the sect leader of the Elephant Armor Sect.

His gaze turned toward Ning Tianchen. Just as the referee thought he was going to challenge the Sky Sword Sect, Huyan Zhen shifted his focus and chose a smaller sect whose leader was only at the Soul Emperor level.

Starting with an easy opponent—this was indeed the Elephant Armor Sect's style.

Ning Tianchen sneered inwardly.

However, he still needed to figure out Huyan Zhen's current strength.

The situation on the continent was vastly different from the original timeline, so it was possible that Huyan Zhen had grown even stronger.

Regrettably, this Soul Emperor-level sect leader directly conceded without even stepping onto the stage, believing himself to be no match.

The elimination rounds were highly competitive. Many medium and small sects, knowing they had no chance of advancing, still wanted to showcase their strength during the conference.

The future situation on the continent would only worsen. These sects hoped to gain attention from the major sects by performing well here, eventually becoming affiliated sects to ensure their survival.

If multiple sects took interest in them, they could hold out for better terms and secure greater benefits.

During the early stages of the elimination rounds, there was no clash between the dozen or so major sects.

Smaller sects didn't dare provoke them, and the major sects weren't in a rush to compete with one another just yet.

---

The elimination rounds lasted about three days.

Due to the fierce clashes between large and small sects over the first two days, the pace of the matches accelerated.

By the third day, only about twenty sects remained uneliminated.

The Sky Sword Sect had only been established recently, and many of its industries were still in development. At this point, recruiting affiliated sects wouldn't be a wise choice.

Thus, while other sects actively recruited affiliates, they made no moves.

"Kid, can you still stay calm?" Dugu Bo couldn't help but ask.

Ning Tianchen responded with a faint smile, "Recruiting affiliated sects means spending money to support them—it's not worth it."

Affiliated sects were essentially like hired hands or bodyguards.

The Meishi City business had only just begun, and further improvements were still needed.

If they brought affiliated families into the fold now, wouldn't they just lose a share of the pie for nothing?

Moreover, the Sky Sword Sect didn't need hired hands. Zhang Erhe's strength far surpassed that of these medium and small sects.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, however, did recruit an affiliated family, and last night, both parties had already formed an alliance.

For the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, which primarily consisted of auxiliary-type soul masters, they needed someone to guard their gates.

Pausing briefly, Ning Tianchen continued, "Old man, later on, go challenge the Wind Sword Sect and eliminate them."

The Wind Sword Sect's sword formations were strong, but they required multiple people working together to execute them.

In the one-on-one matches of the re-selection conference of the seven great sects, they didn't have an advantage.

In the original timeline, they might have secured a spot among the lower four sects, but now, their chances were slim.

Dugu Bo expressed some concern, "Kid, the Wind Sword Sect's inherited spirit is also a sword-type spirit, just like yours. If I block them from entering the seven great sects, someone will surely start gossiping about you."

Being the sect leader of the Sky Sword Sect, Ning Tianchen avoided a direct confrontation with Feng Bailong, the sect leader of the Wind Sword Sect. Some people on the continent would certainly make a big deal out of this.

Voices suggesting that "Ning Tianchen isn't strong enough" or that "the Wind Sword spirit surpasses the Seven Kill Sword" were likely to emerge.

But Ning Tianchen didn't care about such things. He casually replied, "If we hesitate to make a decision because we're worried about people making trouble, that's not a wise choice. Old man, just do as I say."

Previously, he had learned from Chen Xin that part of the Wind Sword Sect's inherited sword formations had been taught by the Chen family of the past.

The Seven Kill Sword, being the strongest among sword-type spirits, had actively abandoned training in sword formations. This alone was enough to show that the drawbacks of sword formations were glaringly obvious.

Imagine this: how much strength could disciples of the Wind Sword Sect, who relied on sword formations, actually display in one-on-one combat?

As for the sword formation itself, it wasn't invincible and didn't even merit much attention.

Therefore, Ning Tianchen had no interest in battling Feng Bailong.

Moreover, Ning Tianchen's age worked in his favor. If someone tried to slander him, he could simply explain it away by saying he felt his current strength wasn't sufficient to compete with Feng Bailong due to his age, so Dugu Bo handled the matter in advance.

Dugu Bo was convinced and chuckled in agreement.

"I've heard that when Feng Bailong was young, he once wielded a three-foot sword and cut down a white snake. Though it cost him his sight, he gained the ability to discern positions through sound. The previous sect leader valued him greatly and trained him as a closed-door disciple until he became the new sect leader of the Wind Sword Sect. I'd like to see what kind of strength Feng Bailong possesses!"

Ning Tianchen smiled and said, "Then you'd better be careful. Better safe than sorry."

Dugu Bo laughed heartily and agreed.

As the judging panel took their positions, Dugu Bo swiftly stepped forward and entered the central arena.

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