As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. In the third round of the tournament finals, the golden generation of Spirit Hall Academy finally made their official debut.
The momentum and confidence radiating from the three lead members were unlike anything the students present had ever seen. It was the kind of psychological dominance that could only come from countless battles won and opponents defeated.
"I've only ever seen that kind of presence in one person" someone muttered subconsciously. Instantly, many eyes turned toward Jun Tianlin of the Royal Fighting Team.
Jun Tianlin stood calmly, observing the golden generation below. Compared to a few years ago, these three individuals had undergone a complete transformation in both strength and temperament.
Leading them was Captain Xie Yue, his short black hair styled like upright steel needles. His expression was calm and emotionless—even when he saw Jun Tianlin again.
Flanking him were Hu Liena and Yan.
Hu Liena, the only woman among them, had long black hair and bore a resemblance to Xie Yue. Their expressions looked almost molded from the same cast. At first glance, she might not appear as stunning as a fairy, but a closer look revealed a strange and irresistible charm.
"These three are the prodigies known as the golden generation of Spirit Hall. They received the Spirit Hall's Purple Medal while still very young" the Master explained to the Shrek Seven Devils.
Hu Liena flashed a coquettish smile at the audience. Instantly, the crowd forgot about the seven beauties of Tianshui College and erupted in cheers for Hu Liena.
Tianshui was already at a disadvantage, and this overwhelming support only worsened the girls' mood. In the past, the Tianshui girls always drew the spotlight. Now, they were being completely ignored. As women, they were both frustrated and intimidated by Hu Liena.
"Hu Liena's charm has grown at least tenfold. She might not be the most beautiful, but she's undeniably the most captivating" Jun Tianlin commented
"So, Xiaotian, are you siding with Spirit Hall Academy?" Osler teased with a sly smile "Don't tell me even you've fallen under Hu Liena's spell?"
"No" Jun Tianlin replied firmly "I'm betting on Tianshui. I believe Shui Bing'er is no less than Hu Liena, don't you think?"
He didn't speak loudly, but his spiritual power made his words resonate deeply in the hearts of everyone present.
Those who had fallen under Hu Liena's charm suddenly snapped out of it. Looking again, they realized that Shui Bing'er was, in fact, breathtakingly beautiful. Unlike Hu Liena's allure, she radiated purity.
"Miss Shui Bing'er, you've got this! I'll always support you!"
The audience's cheers returned, giving the Tianshui girls a much-needed boost of confidence.
Shui Bing'er glanced at Jun Tianlin, her face tinged with shyness and gratitude. She knew he was helping her, but she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
In contrast, Spirit Hall's team was far from pleased.
"That Jun Tianlin is still as annoying as ever" Yan muttered through gritted teeth "How dare he say that Shui Bing'er is more beautiful than our goddess Hu Liena!"
"Calm down, Yan" Xie Yue said sternly "Don't forget—we represent the Spirit Hall now. Maintain your composure."
Though he too was angry, Xie Yue had learned to hide his emotions better than before.
Hu Liena gently licked her finger and added "Brother's right. I'll show Jun Tianlin how the girl he thinks is prettier gets utterly defeated."
"Spirit Hall Academy vs. Tianshui Academy—let the match begin!"
At the referee's command, all fourteen contestants initiated their spirit possessions, and Spirit Hall Academy's strength was laid bare for all to see.
The three Soul Kings in the lead unleashed soul power fluctuations that dwarfed those of Gu Ran, another Soul King. These three had clearly advanced far beyond the entry level of their rank.
"Hu Liena is at level fifty-four, and the other two are at fifty-three. Truly monstrous talents"Dugu Bo noted with a sharp glance
Originally, Hu Liena had the weakest cultivation due to her age. But Bibi Dong's selfishness had led her to gift Hu Liena a 50,000-year spiritual wisdom skull, catapulting her ahead of the others.
To avenge the humiliation of Jun Tianlin's previous arrow strike, Xie Yue and Yan had trained even harder, making their soul power even stronger than in the original timeline.
And the rest of Spirit Hall's team was nothing to scoff at either:
- **Sun Chuantao** – Martial Soul: Ring Giant Blade, Level 48, strong-attack type.
- **Li Kai** – Martial Soul: Black Horned Wild Boar, Level 47, strong-attack type.
- **Zhang Ping** – Martial Soul: Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow, Level 47, agility-attack type.
- **Xu Yu** – Martial Soul: Golden Scepter, Level 46, auxiliary weapon-type soul master.
Even their weakest support-type soul master surpassed Shui Bing'er, the strongest on Tianshui's team. The gap in strength was staggering.
"So that's the Golden Scepter?" Jun Tianlin murmured. He had little interest in the golden generation. His attention was on the auxiliary soul master.
The Brilliant Golden Scepter was known to be a formidable support-type martial soul, second only to the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
There was one special individual in Spirit Hall whose martial soul was the Golden Scepter. Though not a Titled Douluo, his status rivaled that of the Spirit Hall elders.
His soul power had reached level 83, and he was one of only two people capable of challenging Ning Fengzhi's title as the continent's number one support. The other? Ye Lingling's mother.
Technically, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda was limited to seven soul rings. But for auxiliary-type soul masters, this wasn't considered a true weakness, since their cultivation was inherently more difficult. So far, no auxiliary soul master had ever reached the Titled Douluo level.
In other words, Ning Fengzhi couldn't advance further, while others had potential but lacked the means. Compared to them, the Golden Scepter and the Nine Hearts Flowering Apple were rare exceptions.
The Golden Scepter's Soul Douluo—over level 80—matched Ning Fengzhi in supportive prowess and had always been a key concern for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.
Of course, that only applied to the original Ning Fengzhi. Now that he had evolved his martial soul into the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda and gained an eighth ring, his supremacy as the continent's top support was unquestioned.