The one-day competition of the Xingluo Royal Family had ended, and all the teams had dispersed.
At this moment, the remaining teams were filled with complex emotions, especially Shrek and Spirit Hall.
After witnessing Jun Tianlin's performance, Shrek's master Yu Xiaogang made a decisive choice. Even though he had been reluctant to teach Ning Rongrong the theory behind soul fusion, he knew he had no choice now. Without the seven-in-one fusion technique, they could never hope to defeat the Sword Lord.
The golden generation of Spirit Hall once believed that after four years of rigorous training, their strength had finally caught up to or even surpassed Jun Tianlin. But today, Jun Tianlin shattered that illusion. Not only had the gap not closed, it had widened.
Under such immense pressure, they were forced to cast aside their pride and cooperate earnestly with the four teammates they had once looked down upon. Losing their reputation was one thing, but losing the three soul bones they coveted would be disastrous.
When Bibi Dong secretly gifted the Skull of Wisdom to Hu Liena, it stirred resentment among the Worship Hall and the Elders' Council. However, because Hu Liena was her direct disciple, they couldn't demand she relinquish the already fused soul bone, so the matter remained unresolved.
Such a thing could only happen once. Even if Bibi Dong wanted to distribute more soul bones to the golden generation, she could no longer decide alone. Fortunately, the elders agreed: if the trio could win the championship and bring glory to Spirit Hall, each of them would be granted another soul bone as a reward.
In other words, the champion's soul bones were originally meant for them. If they failed to defend them, they would lose all standing in Spirit Hall.
"I must win this competition, even if it means sacrificing everything!" Hu Liena repeated to herself.
Though Xie Yue held the title of captain, Hu Liena, as the control-type soul master, was the true core of the Spirit Hall team.
Seeing the fierce determination in Hu Liena's eyes, Bibi Dong nodded in approval. She hadn't watched the match, but based on Chrysanthemum Douluo's account, she could estimate Jun Tianlin's strength.
"Strength isn't frightening. Fear is. Nana and the others still have a chance to win. This tournament is a trial. If they can overcome the inner demon called Jun Tianlin, their power will surely leap forward." Bibi Dong murmured from the Pope's throne.
She didn't truly consider Tianlin a threat. In her eyes, no matter how talented he was, he was still only a Soul King—far below her. He posed no danger to Spirit Hall. He was simply a stepping stone for the golden generation.
Once the soul hunting operation began, not just Jun Tianlin, but even the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would vanish.
At this time, Jun Tianlin was unaware of the discussions swirling around him in the various academies. He and the other members of the Emperor Team were preparing to return to the hotel to rest.
Unexpectedly, just outside the competition venue, they stumbled upon two groups of people arguing.
"Zhuqing, why won't you return with your sister? Do you really think you can defy your family by staying in Shrek?" The mature, slightly coquettish voice belonged to Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuqing's older sister.
A rough male voice followed "Mubai, it's the same for you. You've had your fun. After the competition, return home with your brother."
It was Dai Weisei. Despite sounding concerned for their younger siblings, Jun Tianlin could clearly sense the malice in their tones.
"Zhu Zhuyun, don't pretend to care. The match isn't over yet. I haven't lost to you." Zhu Zhuqing replied firmly. She remained resilient, unwilling to surrender until the very end.
"Dai Weisei, we might not even face each other tomorrow" Dai Mubai said meekly. He lacked confidence—his brother's strength far outmatched his own.
When he left home five years ago, he was level 25 and Dai Weisei was level 33. Now, he was level 41, but Dai Weisei had reached level 49. The eight-level gap hadn't shrunk; it had widened.
At higher levels, each advancement carried more weight—a truth well understood. Dai Mubai had indulged in worldly pleasures, while Dai Weisei trained relentlessly, fearing his younger brother might someday surpass him. Had Dai Mubai not been more gifted, the gap would have been even greater.
Seeing Dai Mubai's expression, Dai Weisei sneered "So what if we don't face off? The family rules won't change. If you surrender now and return with me, I can spare your life. After all, you're my only brother."
His so-called mercy meant crippling his soul power and banishing him to a remote place to live in exile—a fate worse than death for a soul master.
"As for you, Zhuqing, I'll even let you remain a spirit master. The future emperor of Xingluo won't just need a queen, but concubines too."
Zhu Zhuqing's expression darkened. Dai Weisei already had her sister and now dared to covet her?
"You're just going to watch me be humiliated?" Zhu Zhuqing glared at Dai Mubai.
How could Dai Mubai accept that? Zhu Zhuqing was his fiancée, but he couldn't rival Dai Weisei. He couldn't even protect himself, let alone her.
Before he could respond, a little witch spoke up, unable to bear it any longer.
"Hey! You're Dai Mubai's brother, right? Zhuqing is your sister-in-law! How can you talk like that? Shameless!"
Ning Rongrong didn't care about Dai Weisei's status. It was common knowledge that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan supported the Heaven Dou Empire. They were already on opposite sides. She had no qualms about offending Dai Weisei.
"You must be the little witch from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. I've heard of you. But this is an internal affair of the Xingluo Royal Family. You, the daughter of the second-ranking clan, have no place to interfere." Dai Weisei narrowed his eyes in warning "Stay out of this, or I won't care who you are."
"Haha, say that again in front of my brother Jian! What's the point of bullying a support like me? You're useless! Just a big-eyed alley cat who bullies women!" Ning Rongrong snapped back.
When it came to sharp tongues, no one outmatched Ning Rongrong. She was likely the only one bold enough to mock the Evil-Eyed White Tiger—the revered martial spirit of the Xingluo Royal Family—by calling it an alley cat.