NOVEL WEB Chapter 151: Chapter 151
Is this the current Emperor Team? Aside from the Guqin Spirit Master, none of the others have used any spirit skills beyond their second. The strongest among them, Yu Tianheng and Jun Tianlin, won effortlessly without even revealing their first spirit skills. Very impressive." Emperor Xue Ye nodded in satisfaction before turning to Meng Shenji and the other education committee members. "Thank you for training such outstanding young talents and bringing honor to our empire."
Meng Shenji hurriedly responded, "Your Majesty, I appreciate your praise, but I dare not take credit. Their true mentor is Qin Ming, a Heaven Dou-level teacher at the academy. I merely provided them with some resources."
"Oh? Qin Ming? If he has trained such remarkable students, his own strength must be formidable." Emperor Xue Ye's interest was piqued.
"Indeed. Xiao Qin is only thirty-four years old, yet his spirit power has already reached level sixty-eight. In another year, he will undoubtedly break through to Spirit Saint. According to current records on the continent, aside from His Majesty the Pope of the Spirit Hall and His Majesty the current Haotian of the Haotian Clan, few can match his progress."
"I predict that in twenty to thirty years at most, Xiao Qin will reach the realm of Titled Douluo."
Meng Shenji was paving the way for Qin Ming's future. Just as Jun Tianlin hoped to recruit Qin Ming to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, Meng Shenji, loyal to the royal family, wished for Qin Ming to officially join the Heaven Dou Empire. If that happened, the empire would finally have a Titled Douluo of its own rather than relying on the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan for support.
"Very well. After the match, have Teacher Qin come to see me. I wish to personally reward him for his contributions to my Heaven Dou Royal Academy." Emperor Xue Ye declared. Though not a legendary monarch, he valued wisdom and talent. More importantly, a future Titled Douluo was worth recruiting
"Hmph!" Huyan Zhen, standing nearby, scowled as he listened to Emperor Xue Ye and Meng Shenji continuously praise the Emperor Team and Qin Ming. Frustrated, he turned on his heel and stormed out without so much as a farewell.
Such behavior was considered highly disrespectful in the presence of Emperor Xue Ye. However, while the lower four clans' alliance with the Spirit Hall was not public knowledge, those in power were well aware of it. Though the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire had not openly clashed, their enmity ran deep beneath the surface. With the Spirit Hall backing him, Huyan Zhen had little fear of repercussions, and Emperor Xue Ye could do nothing but suppress his displeasure.
"The rift between the lower four clans, the Spirit Hall, and the two empires is widening." Ning Fengzhi mused, his eyes closed in contemplation "The calmer the continent appears now, the more violent the eventual conflict will be. When that time comes, what role should my Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan play? It seems that once this tournament concludes, I must find time to discuss it with Jun Tianlin."
As the clan leader, Ning Fengzhi was always focused on the clan's future. His support for the Heaven Dou Empire stemmed from the desire to leverage its power for the clan's growth. Yet, he had noticed a subtle shift—whenever he faced a critical decision, his first thought was no longer Chen Xin or Gu Rong, but Jun Tianlin. It wasn't that he trusted Jun Tianlin more than the two guardian Douluo but rather that, while Chen Xin and Gu Rong excelled in combat, Jun Tianlin possessed a keen strategic mind.
After their victory, the Emperor Team exited the arena, celebrating, only to run into the defeated Elephant Armored Academy.
Huyan Li cast a resentful glare at Jun Tianlin, though he said nothing. Still, his hostility was evident. Jun Tianlin smirked inwardly—Huyan Li had inherited his grandfather Huyan Zhen's deep-seated enmity toward the upper three clans. The members of the Elephant Armored Clan were straightforward to a fault, wearing their emotions plainly. Huyan Zhen had just offended Emperor Xue Ye, and now his grandson made no effort to conceal his hatred toward Jun Tianlin.
Was he afraid that his animosity wouldn't be noticed?
'Xiaotian, Huyan Li seems very displeased with you. His emotions are brimming with anger and frustration.' Tian Meng transmitted mentally.
'Brother Tian Meng, I may not have your ability to sense emotions, but that fool wears his thoughts on his face. Anyone could see it. That said, the Elephant Armored Clan will be my enemy sooner or later, so I'm not concerned.' Jun Tianlin replied indifferently. 'But I did notice something interesting—Huyan Li's spirit bone appears to be of high quality. Brother Tian Meng, you are well-traveled. Can you identify its origin?'
'Oh, you've asked the right person! I've escaped from the Far North to the sea, then from the sea to the land. I've traveled the entire world and seen countless spirit beasts.' Tian Meng boasted. He had an uncanny ability to make fleeing sound like an exhilarating adventure. His shamelessness truly knew no bounds.
'Judging by the shape of Huyan Li's skull, it likely comes from an elephant-type spirit beast. If I'm not mistaken, it must be an Emperor Golden Elephant—a top-tier elephant spirit beast with immense strength and near-impenetrable defense. Its attribute is gold, yet it's not only resistant to fire but can even suppress fire-based abilities. More importantly, the spirit bone's age should be at least forty thousand years. Among sub-hundred-thousand-year spirit bones, it is one of the best.'
'A forty-thousand-year-old Emperor Golden Elephant skull! What a treasure! Should I keep it for Gu Ran or give it to Hong Jun? Actually, the Shi brothers have always been good to me—it wouldn't hurt to give it to them instead.' Jun Tianlin mused as he walked
It was clear he had already set his sights on obtaining the spirit bone. The best opportunity would likely come during the upcoming spirit hunting operation.
Huyan Li suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine, his heart pounding uneasily. Had revealing his spirit bone today made him a target? No, he had to return to Huyan Zhen immediately—only by staying close to his grandfather would he feel safe.
The tournament continued. After the Emperor Team's match, several more battles took place. Kamikaze, Blazing Fire, and Thunder Academy, all veteran teams, advanced with ease.
Finally, it was Shrek Academy's turn to compete. Unlike in the original timeline, the Grandmaster couldn't afford to hold back too much. With only three Spirit Masters on the team, ensuring qualification was the priority—keeping trump cards hidden was a secondary concern.
This time, six of the Shrek Seven Devils entered the arena, with the healing specialist Jiangzhu replacing Ning Rongrong. Their lineup of two Spirit Masters and five high-level Spirit Elders was decent among participating academies. The Five Elements Academies, for instance, typically had at least three Spirit Masters. However, Shrek Academy's true surprise lay in their age—all of them were astonishingly young, around thirteen or fourteen, with the oldest, Dai Mubai, only seventeen.
If these prodigies were the same age as their competitors, even the Five Elements Academies would struggle to defeat them.
Seated in the stands, Jun Tianlin observed the match. Though he regretted not being able to see his beloved Rongrong in action, he consoled himself—at least he could assess the progress of Ma Hongjun and Oscar.