Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Qin Ming stepped forward to reassure the team members, "It's okay, there's always next time if we fail this time."

Everyone on the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team felt incredibly frustrated this time, a truly frustrating defeat. The Martial Soul team hadn't used any particularly impressive tactics against them; they had simply anticipated their misconceptions and caught them off guard.

This was entirely due to a lack of intelligence. If they had known earlier that all seven of the opposing team members were full-attack type Soul Masters, they would not have split up their team at all. Instead, they would have formed a battle formation like in a tournament, in which case the outcome would still be uncertain, at least that's what they thought.

Yan's tactics against them this time couldn't even be called tactics. It was just taking advantage of the information gap to catch the opponent off guard. The seven-person team of all-attack-type Soul Masters had a strong attack power and could take down someone in one round if they had the chance. However, their weaknesses were also very obvious.

Such a team has too little room for error. If they fail to establish an absolute advantage in the first wave and their surprise attack is blocked by the opponent, they will be at a significant disadvantage in a protracted war.

After all, the opposing team has both defense and support. As long as they can withstand surprise attacks, be able to tank, deal damage, and heal, that's the key to forming a complete team.

Unfortunately, no matter how well you analyze the game afterward, it's useless. If you didn't react in time, it's too late to think about it now.

The Elite Tournament Finals use a points system. Every time they lose a match, they lose a point. Unless both the Star Luo Team and the Martial Soul Team lose a match and lose a point, and all three teams enter overtime, they still have a chance to win the championship.

But anyone with a brain knows that this is highly unlikely, so this time, they're going to compete for second or even third place again, which is really frustrating.

Few people are paying attention to the resentment of the members of the Heaven Dou Team right now; the main concern is that Wuhun City is filled with mourning cries.

The results of the betting odds regarding the match between the Martial Soul Team and the Heavenly Dou Team are out. It's just a bet on the outcome of the match between the two teams, and neither side has a very high chance of winning. Even if they win, they won't win much. So, for some gamblers who are eager to recoup their losses, this is not a good betting odds.

However, another large betting pool, where people wagered on how long it would take for the two teams to finish their battle, attracted quite a few bets. Some favored the Martial Soul Team, while others favored the Heavenly Dou Team. But no one could guess exactly how long it would take to end the battle.

The main reason is that the intense competition in the previous matches has made some patterns clear to everyone. Even for top-tier teams like Xingluo, Tiandou, and Wuhun, it would take at least ten minutes before they could all reach the center of the map to engage in a crucial team fight.

A match can easily take at least half an hour, since everyone's become more skilled these days and knows how to kite and ambush. Sometimes, you might not even get a single kill in half an hour.

As for directly grabbing the token and quickly returning to win, many people have tried this method, only to be focused down and suffer heavy losses. Therefore, nowadays, without an absolute advantage, no team will sacrifice a single combatant to win by simply grabbing a token.

This kind of confrontation is generally accepted, and the fastest match before lasted nearly half an hour, with a speed-based character winning by quickly returning to the starting point after obtaining the token. Everyone feels that unless the match is fixed, the match couldn't possibly end any faster.

However, this match between the Martial Soul Team and the Heaven Fighting Team once again refreshed everyone's worldview. It turns out that teams can be organized in this way. The competition did not stipulate that there must be soul masters of every type. Teams can be formed in a targeted manner.

The Martial Soul Team consisted of seven members: five offensive attackers and two agile attackers. They marched across the field in five minutes and decisively ambushed and launched a surprise attack, cutting off the main force of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's regular formation.

The battle ended in less than fifteen minutes, breaking the tournament record. It was hard to believe that this was a match between seeded teams; people even thought that the Tiandou team had thrown the game.

After this match, countless gamblers went bankrupt, while the mastermind behind it all made a fortune. This match also put the Tiandou team under pressure from all sides, exposing some of the team's internal problems.

Many members of the Tiandou team had initially aimed to win the championship, but the first match of the points competition effectively ended most of their chances. Conflicts erupted among the key players, with them blaming each other. With no hope of winning the championship in sight, some of them started to give up.

In the matches that followed, the Tiandou team encountered problems of varying degrees, and was no longer as united as they had been in the group stage.

According to the rules, in the top ten qualifying tournament, every team must play against each other, which means that each team needs to play at least nine matches, and all teams need to play forty-five matches in total.

Therefore, under the arrangement of a certain person in charge, in order to avoid affecting everyone's condition, the event date of the top ten points competition was postponed to twenty days later, with two matches every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, one large match in the morning and one large match in the afternoon.

This approach not only mobilized everyone's enthusiasm but also allowed the event to gain momentum over time, attracting more people. After twenty days, this elite competition attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands of new participants. The closer it got to the end, the bigger the pool became.

Day 22 of the Top Ten Qualifying Tournament. In the afternoon, in the Heaven Dou Empire Division, the Tianshui Advanced Soul Master Academy team faced off against the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team.

This civil war within the Heavenly Dou Empire has unusually attracted the attention of countless people, because this match will determine who will win the third place in this year's Elite Tournament.

Although many people are optimistic about the Tiandou Royal Academy team, some are hoping for an upset, because the odds are higher for that.

Since losing their first match in the points competition, the Tiandou team has been plagued with problems. Yesterday, they were completely crushed by the Xingluo team and were eliminated from the championship race. Now, some gamblers are hoping that they will continue to flounder and become utterly incompetent, so that everyone can make more money.

Another point is about the opponent of the Tiandou team, the Tianshui Advanced Soul Master Academy team. Not only is the entire team beautiful, but even the entire faculty and students of the academy are all beautiful women, making them more pleasing to the eye than the Tiandou team.

Moreover, their progress since entering the finals has been evident to everyone. From not even ranking in the top three of the Tiandou region at the beginning, they have now become strong contenders for third place. Their outstanding performance has attracted a large number of fans, both male and female, with even more female fans.

Outside the competition venue, countless fans of the Tianshui team were interacting warmly with the substitute players who hadn't played, cheering for the team, holding up the same signs, and carrying various support items. Needless to say, this was another opportunity for someone to make a fortune.

On the live broadcast screen, the Tianshui team and the Tiandou team faced off. The Tiandou team was fielding the same full-strength lineup as in the first match, but they lacked the tacit cooperation they had in that game.

Yu Xiaoxuan led Li Hao in a fierce attack, while Ning Tianlei stayed by the side of Shi Jia Xiong Jiang Xin and Tian Qing Teng Zhi Duo Xing, refusing to buff the two who charged in headfirst.

Beside Ning Tianlei, the strategist earnestly advised, "Brother Tianlei, the situation is still unclear. It would be best to prioritize the overall situation and help Xiaoxuan and the others."

"Third brother, don't say that. It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but Yu Xiaoxuan isn't even listening to tactical arrangements anymore. If I assist him, wouldn't that be a pure waste of my soul skills?"

Ning Tianlei got angry when he heard this and said angrily, "Everyone was upset about losing yesterday's match, but we all witnessed the strength of the Netherworld White Tiger. And he actually complained that I didn't provide timely support."

This is ridiculous! He actually said support characters are useless and wanted to play an all-attack lineup like the Martial Soul Team. Who does he think he is? Now he's charging in with just two people. Does he really think the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex is invincible?

"Don't worry, I won't bother with him. Just wait until he's used up all his skills and exhausted the Tianshui team, then we'll take our people over, and I'll heal them."

Ning Tianlei snorted coldly and looked towards the arena, keeping a close eye on the situation. He saw that the Tianshui team was having a difficult time holding off the powerful attacks from Yu Xiaoxuan and Li Hao, both possessing Dragon Martial Souls.

Despite his complaints, Ning Tianlei still had a strategic vision and was ready to seize the opportunity to work with his teammates to break the deadlock in one fell swoop.

On the other side, Yu Xiaoxuan unleashed the skills of all four of his soul rings simultaneously. Thunder Fury, combined with Blue Lightning Dragon Swiftness and Ironclad Dragon Li Hao's powerful offensive capabilities, left claw marks on the ice crystal defense shield erected by the seven members of the Tianshui team.

"Big sister, you're ready."

On the Tianshui team's side, Shui Qingluan stood at the forefront of her sisters, using the powerful ice and snow abilities of her Snow Elf Martial Soul to maintain her defense. Just as she was feeling increasingly strained, she heard her younger sister, Shui Lingchen, calling out from behind her.

The Tianshui team members were preparing their trump card, which they were still practicing and perfecting, when a younger member of the team raised a question: "Big sister, can the soul power fusion technique taught by the Holy Son really succeed?"

"If we face the Tiandou team normally, our chances of winning are less than 10%. But if we can successfully unleash that move, theoretically we will win. We have no choice but to gamble. Everyone, get ready, change formation."

Shui Qingluan spoke with absolute certainty, and then the seven beautiful girls acted independently, connecting with each other using their soul power to form a wondrous formation.

The change in the formation of the seven people caused the soul power they had just released and gathered to suddenly twist into one, and this sudden change also caused the outer ice crystal defensive shield to shrink a lot.

The changes in the Tianshui team's defensive shield naturally did not escape the eyes of the Tiandou team outside. "Unexpectedly, Yu Xiaoxuan and Li Hao actually managed to create a loophole in their defense. Good opportunity, let's all attack together and break through Tianshui Academy's defense."

Ning Tianlei and Zhiduoxing, who had been observing, made a decisive move. The remaining five members of the Tiandou team pressed forward at the same time. However, just as the ice crystal defense shield was broken, they saw a huge pillar of light shooting into the sky.

Amidst the rising icy blue light, an elven figure resembling a snow goddess looked down upon them, before an endless blizzard engulfed everything.

A seven-in-one soul power fusion technique—something that appeared in the original work, how could Yan not want to study it? Of course, the Spirit Hall Advanced Soul Master Academy is a place that embraces all kinds of talents, with students possessing diverse martial soul attributes, making it unsuitable for researching this type of skill.

He happened to want to get closer to the beautiful girls at Tianshui Academy, and so, over time, a rather unusual relationship developed. It was something like enjoying a song and dance performance until the next day before leaving, and he can assure you nothing happened...

Chapter 209 The Shock Brought by Qian Renxue

"The betting odds have already been set for today, right?" Inside the Papal Palace in Wuhun City, Yan put down his teacup and turned to ask the little fox standing beside him. The little fox, who was standing to the side, had a rosy face and its eyes were shining.

"Don't worry, Brother Xiaoyan. Many people still won yesterday's upset. The money flowing into the market today has more than doubled. If we win this time, we'll take all the profits. Our income will be comparable to the entire annual tax revenue of Wuhun City. There are so many things we can do with that." Hu Liena nodded repeatedly, her fox-like eyes already gleaming with a special light. She was already looking forward to lying in a pile of money after this victory.

Although she is quite wealthy now, who would complain about having too many Gold Soul Coins?

"That's good. Then let's make them lose everything today." Yan nodded in satisfaction, then turned his head to look at another place. Qian Renxue, dressed in a long dress, stretched out her hand to him. He slowly got up, took the soft hand in his, and headed towards the competition venue outside Wuhun City.

……

"Brothers, in this battle, we will let the world know that our Star Luo Royal Academy team is the strongest team in the Elite Tournament!" At the entrance to the competition outside Wuhun City, Prince Dai Wuji of Star Luo shouted encouragement, and the six team members around him echoed his words.

The Star Luo Royal Academy team was in high spirits. They were only one step away from final victory. If they could defeat the Martial Soul team this time, they would win the championship of this Elite Tournament with an undefeated record in the points competition.

They had waited too long for this day, and this victory held extremely special significance for all of them.

So far in the top ten qualifying rounds, there are two teams that have maintained an undefeated record: Wuhun Team and Xingluo Team. However, compared to Xingluo Team, Wuhun Team's performance is still not as stable.

In the previous nine matches, apart from the match against the Tiandou team where Yan arranged a crushing victory, the other matches, especially the matches against the Xingluo Empire's qualifying teams, showed a tense situation, far less clean and decisive than the Xingluo team's matches.

Although most people knew that the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall would intervene this time, and that the Spirit Team had a higher chance of winning, the Star Luo Team's perfect performance along the way still gave many people full confidence in them.

In particular, the fact that Wuhun City opened up another upset this time attracted a lot of bets, making this match even more popular.

"The match has begun." As the Spirit Hall's Flying Soul Saint threw the token into the center of the arena, the seven members of each team entered the mountainous terrain from two separate entrances. Countless eyes were fixed on the broadcast screen, and everyone saw the appearance of a certain Holy Son as they had hoped, as well as the somewhat unfamiliar blonde girl behind him.

Some people who frequently follow gossip about a certain holy child seem to have some inside information, suggesting that this person should be the daughter of the previous pope.

Then, everyone witnessed an inhuman scene. At the entrance of the Martial Soul Team, a ray of light suddenly shone from Qian Renxue, who was standing next to Yan. It was a brilliant golden light that started from her forehead and instantly spread throughout her entire body.

One after another, spirit rings appeared on her body: two yellow, two purple, and two black. A total of six spirit rings appeared around her, pulsating continuously. Two pairs of pure white wings unfurled, and her body seemed to defy gravity, slowly floating and hovering in the air.

"Sister Xue'er, go find the token directly and ensure our victory first." Yan made the arrangement softly. Qian Renxue simply nodded, and then transformed into a sacred golden rainbow and flew towards the center of the arena, where the token had landed.

Qian Renxue spread her six wings and flew in the sky. Under the intense golden light, a huge phantom with an indistinct face appeared behind her body.

At that moment, countless people inside and outside the arena subconsciously looked up at the sky and saw a shadow with a sacred aura float across the void and quickly fly towards the center of the arena.

"This is impossible. How could a Soul Emperor appear in this competition?"

"I'm numb, really numb. A Soul Emperor at the age of twenty-five? Is the Spirit Hall this terrifying this generation?"

"What kind of martial spirit is this? It has wings but it's not a bird martial spirit; it even looks humanoid."

"The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, this legendary god-level martial soul has been reborn. She really is the daughter of the previous pope."

"Her relationship with the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall is so close, so it seems that the Holy Son has been designated as the next Pope, and no one can affect his position."... When the Six-Winged Angel Spirit appeared, countless top experts in the Spirit Master world couldn't help but stand up. Many of them were over fifty years old and had experienced a certain era, a time of bipolar competition and the suppression of demigods.

In the past, there were two great figures in the world of Soul Masters: Tang Chen, the Clear Sky Douluo of the Clear Sky Sect, and Qian Daoliu, the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall.

This man is a true legend, who had no rivals except for Tang Chen throughout his life. The previous Pope, Qian Xunji, was his son.

Since Tang Chen disappeared, he has lived a secluded life, but he has always remained in the Spirit Hall. It is because of his suppression that the Spirit Hall has achieved its current prosperity.

Now, the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul has reappeared, and all the top experts remember the fear of being dominated by it; they are all just remnants of that old era.

"This is the legendary Dian Wei's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, a six-ring Soul Emperor. No wonder the Martial Soul Team has always been so confident; they had such a trump card hidden away." At the other end of the arena, Dai Wuji and the other members of the Star Luo Team had just climbed over a small hill when they saw the golden light streaking across the sky.

Gazing at the magnificent rainbow streaking across the sky, each of them felt a pang of fear. The Spirit Warriors' lineup was already extremely powerful, though their teamwork was slightly inferior. However, with the addition of a Spirit King-level Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, their chances of winning had already dropped below 50%. Now, the Spirit Hall was going to add a Spirit Emperor as well—couldn't they afford to lose?

"Brothers, don't be discouraged! So what if we have six-winged angels? So what if we have a Soul Emperor? We haven't even fought them yet, so what's there to be afraid of?" Dai Wuji roared, then suddenly released his Martial Soul. Four Soul Rings—two yellow and two purple—flashed. He pointed to the center of the arena and said in a deep voice, "We, the warriors of the Star Luo Empire, are born fearless and will fight to the very end..."

"Born fearless, fight to the very end..." x6

The remaining members of the Star Luo team seemed to be encouraged, and they shouted slogans as they released their martial souls. They prepared to advance at full speed to the central area, where they would retrieve the token from the Soul Emperor with the Angel Martial Soul and achieve final victory.

"Hahaha... What a touching scene! Even I feel my blood pumping. Dai Wuji, you truly are a remarkable person. It was worth my trip to personally see you off..." A laugh suddenly rang out from the sky. The members of the Star Luo team looked up sharply and saw a golden-red ball of light flying in the direction Qian Renxue had come from. It streaked across the sky at an indescribable speed and arrived in front of them in an instant.

"Boom!" When the golden light arrived in the sky in front of them, it suddenly exploded. The endless golden light spots slowly dissipated, and a figure with fiery wings on its back looked down at the seven of them from above.

"Spirit Hall Holy Son, you really have been hiding your strength. Is this an external soul bone?" Dai Wuji gazed at the figure in the sky that resembled a sun god and seemed to have merged with the blazing sun. It was Yan, whom he had fought before.

But Yan at this moment possessed an aura of unimaginable power, completely incomparable to the one he had encountered on the arena before.

"Your insight is quite good, but unfortunately your luck isn't so good." Yan replied calmly. Now he had no need to hide anything, since no one could steal or rob an external soul bone.

Moreover, even if he exposed his secret, he still had the Spirit Hall backing him up. Almost everyone who dared to mess with him was dead, and he was planning to send the few who were still alive away to their deaths.

"Spirit Hall, you've really played a very clever game." Dai Wuji gazed at the flames in the sky, his eyes filled with anger and fighting spirit.

"I guessed you were hiding your strength when you were on the stage, but I didn't expect you to be hiding it so well. Now you actually came to stop my Star Luo team all by yourself. Do you think you can defeat my Star Luo team by yourself?"

"Why not?" Yan, who was in the sky, completed his Martial Soul Possession. Five Soul Rings, one yellow, two purple, and two black, pulsated around his body. The Flame Demon God and the Sun Wings made him even more powerful. When the red light on his forehead appeared, his aura became exceptionally different.

"Before this match on the arena, I was so hesitant, afraid of accidentally killing you. But since I broke through to the Soul King realm, outside of the Spirit Hall, there has been no one among the younger generation of the Douluo Continent who can rival me." As Yan spoke, his gaze shifted slightly downwards.

"I know your Star Luo Empire has sacrificed a lot for this Elite Tournament, but I will show you with my fists. Your futile struggle is laughable and pathetic, and you are destined to fail. You think it's wishful thinking for me to take on your entire team by myself, but that just shows you know nothing about power. Your fate has already been sealed, so let me give you a spectacular end."

"Boom!" As soon as Yan finished speaking, a shooting star streaked across the sky. In the next instant, the hill where the Star Luo team was located was engulfed and covered by endless crimson flames. The entire hill shook and then collapsed violently, sending clouds of dust into the sky.