The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

He felt as if he had lost all weight; with a slight exertion of his right leg, he felt as if he could fly. With the current strength of his right leg, he could undoubtedly better integrate it with his third soul skill, Time Distortion, enhancing his close-combat abilities.

The soul skill granted to him by this soul bone was indeed, as Princess Jiujiu had said, Thunder Hell, one of the three innate soul skills of Thunderous Hell Vine, a domain-type soul skill with an extremely wide coverage and terrifying power.

"How long have I been practicing?"

"It's only been almost four hours since you fused with this soul bone, and there should still be half an hour until dawn. Congratulations, Tianhuang, it seems this soul bone is very compatible with you." Ning Tian stood up, her hands resting on her skirt, and smiled elegantly.

Her aquamarine eyes shone brightly. Her joy for Xu Zihuang was entirely genuine, without a trace of affectation.

Xu Zihuang stepped forward and stood in front of Ning Tian, ​​sincerely grasping Ning Tian's soft, fair hand, and thanking him again solemnly.

"Thank you."

Ning Tian spent 55 million gold soul coins to buy a soul bone; it would be unreasonable not to give him some response. Ning Tian's identity and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School behind him can provide him with sufficient benefits at this stage, so there's no need to keep him hanging on.

However, the main reason was that the Shrek Academy's higher-ups' recent efforts to match him with Ma Xiaotao made him feel a sense of urgency.

One reason was that he didn't want to develop a deep relationship with Ma Xiaotao and become completely tied to Shrek Academy. Another reason was that he actually disliked Ma Xiaotao's personality. Compared to Ma Xiaotao, he preferred Ning Tian, ​​who was sensible and knew how to maintain boundaries.

Although he is now pretending to have a different personality, his inherent arrogance remains.

He could force himself to comply with Ma Xiaotao's temper, but there was no need for it.

If he didn't want to leave a good impression on the higher-ups at Shrek Academy, he would never have tolerated being ordered around by Ma Xiaotao in that unquestionable tone.

He has no inclination to be a sycophant.

Ning Tian's body visibly trembled as Xu Zihuang grasped her right hand. The warmth in her hand and the comfortable aura emanating from Xu Zihuang made her instinctively feel a touch of shyness.

Despite her proactive approach during her interactions with Xu Zihuang over the past year, there have been very few instances of such intimate behavior between them.

The first time was after the sparring match between the regular players and the reserve team, when Xu Zihuang took her to the infirmary. The second time was not long ago when they encountered the evil spirit master, when he carried her to avoid the poisonous blood from the corpse explosion. This is the third time.

Moreover, this time, the implications are even clearer.

There's no need to deliberately reveal your feelings; everything will fall into place naturally.

This is also the most appropriate approach in relationships between men and women.

"Mmm." Ning Tian responded softly without thinking. The strange feeling in her body, the shyness in her heart, and all sorts of emotions swirled in her mind, making all her thoughts seem to stand still.

It wasn't until Xu Zihuang pulled her out of the Starlight Auction House and a gust of cold wind blew by that she came back to her senses.

As Xu Zihuang led Ning Tian away, Qingya, who was waiting at the door of VIP room number seven, noticed the two. However, seeing how intimate they were, she certainly wouldn't be so inappropriate as to disturb them. She simply watched them leave respectfully.

There's still some time before dawn, and the entire majestic Star Luo City is shrouded in darkness. Scattered soul-guided streetlights dot the landscape, creating a hazy, dreamlike beauty.

The two walked towards the Star Emperor Hotel, their hands, which had been clasped together, now intertwined.

Amidst her shyness, a touch of affection and joy spread through her heart.

Xu Zihuang looked at Ning Tian with gentle eyes, but his mind remained calm.

In fact, the Golden Eyes Martial Soul not only gave him the Martial Soul Instinct of dynamic vision, but perhaps because it is a Spirit-attribute Martial Soul, it also allowed him to better control his emotions.

It's unrealistic to say he wouldn't have any feelings for someone as outstanding as Ning Tian. After all, he's a perfectly healthy man, both physically and mentally. But it's also unlikely he'd develop any truly deep emotions.

One reason for this outcome is that he was able to perfectly control his emotions. Another reason is that, having personally experienced such a difficult journey, he is essentially a cold-hearted person.

The memories of his past life that he awakened only pertain to the plot of the original story; his personality and temperament are those of this life.

The only son of a powerful prince suddenly suffered a tragedy: his entire family was wiped out, and he was exiled overseas to survive. Later, he was fortunate enough to be rescued by his father's former subordinates and also possessed such extraordinary talent.

His arrogance and indifference are evident. What does it matter if he abandons his own feelings in order to avenge Xu Tianran's family and realize his own ambitions?

When the two returned to the Star Emperor Hotel, the Star Luo Plaza next door was already packed with people.

The final sixteen teams have been determined in this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. Every match that follows will be exceptionally exciting, with tickets often in high demand and short supply. Many people, eager to witness this spectacle, will start queuing up several hours in advance, even late at night.

However, with thousands of soldiers maintaining order, the crowds at Xingluo Square did not affect the Xinghuang Hotel.

Inside the Star Emperor Hotel, none of the rooms were lit, suggesting that the participating students were all immersed in their cultivation.

Only the spacious and luxurious lobby on the first floor and the restaurants on both sides of the top floor corridor, which are exclusively for Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy respectively, still emit bright and soft lighting.

With less than half an hour until dawn, Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian did not return to their rooms to cultivate. Instead, they went to the restaurant at the end of the corridor, which was built entirely of crystal.

The restaurant offers a variety of food and drinks 24 hours a day, a privilege reserved exclusively for Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, the champions and runners-up of the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament.

Ning Tian had reverted to his usual dignified demeanor. Following Xu Zihuang's tastes, he ordered a pot of fragrant black tea and some pastries. The two chatted idly as they looked down through the crystal wall at Xingluo City, which was gradually reviving in the night.

During their year-long stay at Shrek Academy, the two saw each other almost every day. The core of their relationship was memories and recollections; having shared so many experiences, they never lacked topics to discuss.

Xu Zihuang accepted the fragrant black tea that Ning Tian pushed from the crystal table, and was momentarily lost in thought. This scene reminded him of his life four years ago when he was imprisoned on that island.

Back then, he also liked to sit alone in his room every day, drinking red tea and gazing at the scenery outside through the castle window.

However, his current situation is completely different from that of four years ago.

"Tianhuang, what's wrong?" Ning Tian, ​​who was sitting on the same soft sofa as Xu Zihuang, turned to look at Xu Zihuang and asked softly.

"It's nothing." Xu Zihuang shook his head and continued the topic Ning Tian had started.

"No wonder Wu Feng showed such strong hostility towards me back then; it turns out we grew up together."

“The Feng family has served our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School’s lineage for generations since three thousand years ago. We have been like sisters since childhood,” Ning Tian explained, then changed the subject.

"After this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament ends and we return to the academy, I will personally explain our relationship to Feng Mei. She will understand."

She will indeed explain things to Wu Feng as she has said so far, but if Wu Feng doesn't listen to her advice and continues to show hostility towards Yu Tianhuang as he did at the beginning, then she will have no choice but to expel Wu Feng from Shrek Academy and send him back to his sect.

This was a decision she had made long ago. As her sister and subordinate, Wu Feng could remain in their Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School even if she dropped out of Shrek Academy. But Yu Tianhuang was different. With such astonishing talent, many outstanding women would surely flock to him in the future. Even now, she wasn't entirely confident she could stay by his side indefinitely.

As the two were talking, a ray of golden sunlight shone from the eastern horizon, bathing the entire Star Luo City in a golden glow.

The golden light was also reflected in their eyes, and the dazzling halo refracted on the crystal walls of the restaurant.

The already ambiguous atmosphere was further enhanced by the magnificent scene before them.

Just then, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the stairwell at the restaurant entrance, getting closer and closer.

A group of people walked in one after another.

Standing at the front was Wang Yan, followed by Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Gongyang Mo, who had just fused his sixth soul ring and officially advanced to Soul Emperor. At the very back were the other five members of the reserve team.

Xu Sanshi looked at Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian, ​​who were acting intimately, with a sly grin.

"Tianhuang, Ning, what a great time!"

"It's a pity that someone wants to be interested, but there's no one to accompany them." Bei Bei smiled slightly, still enjoying undermining Xu Sanshi as always.

Xu Sanshi's smile suddenly froze. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Wang Yan, with a relaxed smile, led everyone toward Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian.

"We're about to have the Round of 16 against Star Luo Royal Academy. It's an elimination tournament, and Star Luo Royal Academy will definitely go all out. Everyone, don't let your guard down. Gongyang Mo has successfully advanced to Soul Emperor, which has greatly improved the overall strength of our team and given us more options. While we're having breakfast, I'll explain some changes to our tactics."

"There aren't any major changes. It's the same as we discussed yesterday. First, San Shi, you'll use your fourth soul skill, Xuanming Displacement, to switch the two control-type soul masters on the other side. Then, Xiao Tao, Chen Zifeng, Bei Bei, San Shi, and Tian Huang, you'll work together to take down those two control-type soul masters. As for Dai Yueheng, San Shi will use Xuanming Displacement a second time to switch you to the center of the opposing team. Your task is to briefly hold off the other five. Also, Xiao Tao, you and Dai Yueheng, you are the two strongest individuals in our team. I hope you conserve your strength as much as possible. You absolutely cannot let the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy know your strongest attack methods beforehand. Don't forget, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team is our final opponent."

This was the result of Wang Yan's careful consideration. Because Yu Tianhuang's personal strength was too great, Xu Sanshi's fourth soul skill, which could be described as a divine skill, had never been used in this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament.

If used well, this soul skill will definitely have unexpected effects. It's better for Xu Sanshi, a four-ring Soul Master, to reveal the soul skill than for Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng to reveal their strength in advance.

The Star Luo Royal Soul Master Academy ranks among the top five in overall strength among all participating teams in this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. Winning this match will make things much easier for them later.

Otherwise, Wang Yan would have wanted Xu Sanshi to keep this soul skill hidden until the match against the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy before using it.

Seeing the slight indifference in Ma Xiaotao's eyes, Wang Yan couldn't help but say in a deep voice, "Our Shrek Academy has consistently won the championship in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, but we've also become the target of everyone's attacks. You could say we're the subject of study for every participating team. With the development of soul tools, tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated. We can no longer use simplistic thinking to measure our opponents' strength. Especially the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team, which is the strongest they've ever faced. We can't afford to be careless. Don't forget the consequences of our carelessness when facing the Death Messenger Bandit Group."

Ma Xiaotao glanced at Wang Yan with some resentment, but ultimately remained silent. The others, however, all sharpened their gazes.

The terrifying corpse-exploding ability of the leader of the Death Messenger bandit gang left a deep impression on everyone.

Xu Zihuang took in all the changes in Ma Xiaotao's facial expressions; Ma Xiaotao's personality was indeed prone to causing trouble.

If he wasn't mistaken, Ma Xiaotao would probably force Xu Sanshi to change tactics after he took the stage, and make Xu Sanshi move him to the center of the Star Luo Royal Academy team's lineup.

Wang Yan didn't ramble on any longer. After breakfast, the group headed towards Xingluo Square to begin their entry.

Today, Xingluo Square was unusually crowded; it was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of ​​black.

The players' rest area, however, was noticeably quieter. Of the more than one hundred participating academies, only sixteen remained. This was perfectly normal. The sixteen remaining teams represented the strongest Soul Master academies on the continent.

The round of 16 to 8 is divided into team battles and individual elimination rounds, held every other day, with four matches each day, for a total of four days.

In the players' rest area, many familiar faces were spotted, such as the representatives from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and the Zheng Tian Academy.

The match between Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and Shrek Academy was originally scheduled for the afternoon, but they still came in the morning, undoubtedly to see how Shrek Academy would face the powerful Star Luo Royal Soul Master Academy today.

Upon seeing Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng making their first appearance, Xiao Hongchen and Ma Rulong narrowed their eyes slightly. They both sensed an indescribable threat emanating from the two. Ma Xiaotao, in particular, had not appeared as a reserve team member in the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.

Meng Hongchen's gaze remained fixed on Xu Zihuang, though she was not in a good mood.

Although Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian did not make any intimate gestures in front of everyone, she keenly sensed some subtle changes between them based on her woman's intuition.

As the match time drew near, the atmosphere among the audience grew increasingly heated.

"The first match of the round of 16 is Shrek Academy versus Star Luo Royal Academy. Both sides, please proceed to the waiting area and prepare."

The referee's announcement sent waves of cheers rising higher and higher, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

One is Shrek Academy, which is known as the best on the continent, and the other is the Star Luo Royal Academy, the strongest in the Star Luo Empire.

How could they not be excited about such a thrilling and intense match?

Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire arrived at the city wall early. He would always be present at any match in which Shrek Academy participated.

However, Xu Jiawei was not the only one standing atop the imperial city walls; Princess Xu Jiujiu was also there.

Xu Jiujiu was dressed in a dashing yellow outfit today, which was the uniform of Xingluo Royal Academy. Her long, bright golden hair was tied into a ponytail, making her look neat and tidy, and a faint smile was on her pretty face.

Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with intense fighting spirit.

"Brother, I'll go get ready now."

With all the civil and military officials bowing in respect, Xu Jiujiu turned and left the imperial city.

Shrek Academy may be powerful, but she also has her own confidence.

Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire looked down at the Shrek Academy students with intense anticipation in his eyes, or more accurately, at Xu Zihuang.

"On the mainland, many people have probably long forgotten the Star Crown Martial Soul passed down by our Xu family. I hope you can bring me some more surprises."

Today, Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo, told him a hypothesis about Yu Tianhuang's second martial soul attribute ability. If this hypothesis is true, then this young man is worth the Star Luo Empire's best efforts to win him over.

On the other side, led by Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, Xu Zihuang, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi followed him into the waiting area.

Meanwhile, the Star Luo Royal Academy team, located in the waiting area on the other side of the competition stage, consisted of only six participating students and one teacher.

Just as everyone was wondering, Xu Jiujiu, dressed in a yellow outfit, walked towards them from not far away.