Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

If the Netherworld White Tiger gives people a majestic and awe-inspiring feeling, like a god of war, then the giant tiger that Zhu Zhuqing transformed into exudes an indescribable and unparalleled ferocity. Not to mention those with lower soul power levels than Zhu Zhuqing, even some support-type Soul Emperors trembled deeply in their hearts, as if they had encountered their natural enemy.

"Go, Zhu Qing, crush them head-on!" Xiao Yan smiled, as if everything was under control, but in reality—

'What is this? Zhu Qing is just a Soul King, right? Why does this feel like a Martial Soul True Form? Something must be wrong.'

'Besides, this looks exactly like a Dark Sacred Tiger! The energy contained in that pill doesn't seem like it could evolve her martial soul to the level of a Dark Sacred Tiger at all!'

'What exactly went wrong?'

In Xiao Yan's mind, Zhu Zhuqing's battle against the combined forces of Davis and Zhu Zhuyun should be quite difficult. After all, the power of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill used by the two Soul Masters is basically equivalent to that of a Soul Emperor. However, Zhu Zhuqing, who is only a Soul King, cannot defeat the two of them. Therefore, what Xiao Yan needs to do is to secretly use his mental power to put pressure on Davis and Zhu Zhuyun, causing them to consume their soul power many times over, so that Zhu Zhuqing can defeat them.

Although it's somewhat unethical, Davis and Zhu Zhuyun both care deeply about Zhu Zhuqing, so they probably wouldn't mind such petty tricks. In any case, their ultimate goal is to overthrow the old Xingluo emperor's rule and cancel the bloody succession ceremony of the Xingluo Empire.

However, Xiao Yan never imagined that Zhu Zhuqing would transform into a dark holy tiger and then attack Davis and Zhu Zhuyun's Netherworld White Tiger!

'Where exactly...did things go wrong?'

Looking at the giant tiger that had flapped its wings and knocked Davis and Zhu Zhuyun back to their original forms, Xiao Yan's eyes were filled with confusion, and he felt no sense of pride in achieving his goal.

It wasn't until Davis and Zhu Zhuyun, representing the Star Luo Royal Academy, forfeited, and the referee declared Shrek Academy the winner, that Zhu Zhuqing transformed back into human form, walked to Xiao Yan's side, and looked at him as if seeking praise. Only then did Xiao Yan barely come to his senses.

"...Dark Holy Tiger, have you heard of this name?" Looking at Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Yan suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"?"

'I don't know? So, was it really just an accident that turned it into this? Or is this a normal phenomenon after the bloodline of the Dark Sacred Tiger infected the humans of Douluo Continent?'

Looking at Zhu Zhuqing's puzzled expression, Xiao Yan felt even more confused.

Chapter 122 Final Day

'Dark Holy Tiger?'

The moment Lin Dong sensed Zhu Zhuqing's transformation, Xiao Diao's bewildered voice rang in his mind. Almost subconsciously, Xiao Diao mobilized his mental energy to try to confirm Zhu Zhuqing's situation, but after discovering that the arena was completely enveloped by Xiao Yan's mental energy, he silently gave up the idea.

'Is that the Dark Sacred Tiger?' Lin Dong asked, somewhat surprised, his gaze sweeping over the giant tiger that Zhu Zhuqing had transformed into. 'It doesn't seem very strong.'

Although the battle between Zhu Zhuqing and the Netherworld White Tiger was completely one-sided, Lin Dong thought the battle was too crude, and the actual power unleashed... could only be said to have barely reached the level of the Yuan Dan realm.

'Her appearance and aura basically match the description in the book,' Xiao Diao said, though her tone was somewhat uncertain, 'but I haven't seen her in person...and, this girl's martial soul wasn't like this before, was it?'

"Yes, before, her martial spirit was similar to that Netherworld White Tiger, except it was only black in color and its aura was stronger," Lin Dong nodded, "Perhaps it was the effect of the Martial Spirit Pill?"

While chatting with Xiao Yan, Lin Dong learned that in the past year, in addition to training his physique, Xiao Yan had also developed several kinds of pills, one of which was the Martial Soul Pill, which could promote the evolution of Martial Souls.

'A Martial Soul Pill?' Little Marten rolled her eyes. 'It's not that I don't believe it... but the Dark Sacred Tiger is the overlord of all demonic beasts on the Tianxuan Continent. If just any pill could evolve an ordinary tiger into a Dark Sacred Tiger, then that overlord's status would be worthless, wouldn't it?'

'Xiao Yan mentioned before that the Dark Sacred Tiger had passed down some of its bloodline, right? What if this girl has the Dark Sacred Tiger's bloodline?' Lin Dong had a different opinion.

'Even if this woman has the bloodline of the Dark Sacred Tiger, it's the same! The difficulty of a degraded bloodline transforming is no less than evolving from zero into a Dark Sacred Tiger!' Little Marten grinned, not allowing Lin Dong to look down on his understanding of demonic beasts.

'unless……'

However, halfway through her sentence, Little Marten thought of a certain possibility.

Unless what?

'Unless that brat Xiao Yan has even half a drop... or a single drop of blood from the Dark Sacred Tiger itself,' Little Marten's eyes flickered, her gaze towards Zhu Zhuqing increasingly like that of someone eyeing a grand feast. 'Before, I was wondering how the Dark Sacred Tiger could leave its bloodline on this continent, but if it used its own blood to taint and alter the bloodline of the tiger clan on this continent, then it would be understandable…'

'Can a single drop of blood really change an entire race?' Lin Dong was slightly puzzled.

'That's a Dark Sacred Tiger at the Reincarnation Realm! A powerful being whose mere breath could destroy the heavens and the earth!' Moreover, it might have even survived three cycles of reincarnation…

Little Marten angrily denounced Lin Dong's ignorance and incompetence, but he didn't say the second half of his sentence. Firstly, it was just his guess, and secondly, what if it really was a Dark Sacred Tiger that had survived the three cycles of reincarnation...? He could only pray that the seal was strong enough so that it wouldn't break before they left.

'Normally speaking, that Dark Holy Tiger should have used two drops of blood. The first drop was used to modify the tiger race, and the second drop... was stored in the modified tiger race's body so that every subsequent generation could obtain his bloodline...' After making a couple of sarcastic remarks, Little Marten pinched his chin and began to deduce everything that the Dark Holy Tiger had done back then from the conclusion.

'If nothing unexpected happens, the Netherworld Pool that Xiao Yan mentioned does contain some Dark Sacred Tiger blood.' After deducing everything the Dark Sacred Tiger had done, Little Marten's appetite decreased. 'Unless that woman can enter the Yin-Yang Pool and obtain the remaining blood from it, she can only be a half-baked Dark Sacred Tiger.'

'Yin Yang Pool...'

Lin Dong's lips twitched slightly. He remembered that there seemed to be a powerful expert at least at the Wheel Mirror level sealed at the bottom of this pool, right?

"This is boring!" Knowing that Zhu Zhuqing's progress would basically stop there, the little sable lost interest and went back to sleep in the stone talisman.

*

Have you ever heard of the Dark Holy Tiger?

Seeing the bewildered expression on Xiao Yan's face, Zhu Zhuqing remained silent for a moment before asking in her heart.

'Dark Holy Tiger? What's that?'

However, to Zhu Zhuqing's disappointment, the female voice claiming to be an ancestor of the Zhu family in her heart was filled with confusion: 'The Zhu family and the Dai family inherited the bloodlines of the Yin Tiger and Yang Tiger, respectively. These are already the most powerful tiger-type soul beasts. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, said to possess the aura of an evil god, has always coveted everything in the Yin-Yang Pool!'

"But Xiao Yan just asked about the Dark Sacred Tiger, and he knows about the existence of the Yin Tiger and the Yang Tiger," Zhu Zhuqing explained softly.

"Huh? Could I have remembered wrong? That shouldn't be the case..." The woman's voice was filled with obvious doubt. "How about we go to the Yin-Yang Pool when we have time? Perhaps there's some information about the Dark Sacred Tiger beneath the Yin-Yang Pool."

'Then I'll go and talk to Xiao Yan...'

"This is top secret of the Zhu family, don't always try to tell outsiders!" The female voice was utterly exasperated by Zhu Zhuqing's habit of always seeking Xiao Yan's help whenever she encountered trouble. "Aren't you always trying to help him? Why do you still want to ask him for help every time something happens?"

The ghost, so weak that all it had left was a mouth to deceive people, was trying its best to persuade them.

With a slight pursing of her lips, Zhu Zhuqing was finally persuaded by Youhun Jiang and decided not to tell Xiao Yan about these things.

Next, while Lin Dong was giving sparring to the students of Shenfeng + Chihuo Academy, Xiao Yan, Davis, and Zhu Zhuyun explained to the confused Zhu Zhuqing their plan, which they had discussed with Zhu Guohu, to abolish the bad habit of vying for the throne after Davis ascended to the throne.

"However, the previous Star Luo Emperor is probably still a long way from now, so after the Soul Master Competition, Zhu Qing, you should go to the Heaven Dou Empire first."

The speaker was Zhu Zhuyun, who resembled Zhu Zhuqing in appearance, but her voice was distinctly different. It lacked Zhu Zhuqing's aloofness, instead possessing a natural, alluring charm. As she spoke gently, she effortlessly captivated Zhu Zhuqing.

"Five years, at most five years, and Father and I will be able to completely control the Star Luo Empire. Then, you can come back." Zhu Zhuyun gently stroked Zhu Zhuqing's cheek with her right hand.

While the sisters were showing their affection for each other, the match between Canghui Academy and Shenfeng Academy on the stage was also coming to an end. Unsurprisingly, the winner was Canghui Academy, which only had one member participating in the team battle.

Thus, the Soul Master Competition has finally determined the three teams that can enter the finals!

*

Before the Papal Palace, two rows of paladin knights stretched from the palace down the mountain, their gleaming silver armor and heavy swords adding to the imposing grandeur of Papal Mountain. The eliminated teams had already left, not even permitted to watch the final two days of battle; only the truly young and powerful were qualified to step onto this plaza before the Papal Palace.

Under the rising sun, the contestants from the top three teams stood in three rows in the center, with the mentors positioned on the periphery. Everyone was quietly waiting for the final moment to arrive.

"His Holiness the Pope has arrived!"

As the cardinals leading the way in front of the Papal Palace shouted, a cheer as loud as a landslide and a tsunami resounded throughout the entire Spirit City.

The massive palace doors slowly opened.

Looking around, a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties walked slowly at the head of the procession. She wore a long, glittering gold gown adorned with numerous gemstones, a purple-gold crown, and held a long, jeweled scepter. Her expression was solemn, and her demeanor dignified.

Five people followed behind her, four of whom were Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo.

As for the last person...

'Level 99? The legendary Sendou Ryu?'

Before the gate opened, Xiao Yan's gaze fell on the old man. After the gate opened, Xiao Yan's gaze swept back and forth between Qian Daoliu and the leading Pope.

He was eager to know whether the person who had heard the oracle of the angel and relayed it to the outside world was this malevolent pope or the holy and solemn Qian Daoliu.

Xiao Yan's lips curled up slightly. The relationship between this Pope and Qian Daoliu... doesn't seem to be good.

Yu Xiaogang, standing in the group, seemed to recognize this peerless Douluo. However, he seemed to feel only fear in his heart. The moment he saw Qian Daoliu, he lowered his head, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!" The members of the Spirit Hall knelt on one knee the moment Pope Bibi Dong appeared, and respectfully greeted her.

Xiao Yan and Lin Dong made no move. Seeing their captain's reaction, the others hesitated briefly before standing still as well.

Among the crowd kneeling on one knee, the dozen or so people standing stood out, so Bibi Dong's gaze fell directly on them.

However, the gazes only lingered briefly on everyone else before moving away. But when Xiao Yan, Lin Dong, and Tang San felt the gazes fall on them, a very obvious pulling force was generated.

"Humph!"

Before Lin Dong and Tang San could react, Xiao Yan snorted coldly, and his fierce spiritual power burst out of his body. The spiritual power from Bibi Dong was severely injured and returned directly to its owner's body without stopping.

'As expected of someone about to become a Celestial Talisman Master...' Lin Dong, who clearly sensed what Xiao Yan had done, looked envious. He could naturally do the same, but as a mere Three-Seal Celestial Talisman Master, he couldn't do it so easily.

"Is Dad nearby?" Tang San's face lit up with joy. In that instant, he almost felt his soul being ripped away. But he didn't expect that before he could activate his Purple Demon Eye to protect himself, the spiritual power from the Pope was repelled.

Having suffered a hidden loss, Bibi Dong immediately held her breath. After a moment, the feeling of her head almost bursting was relieved.

"Are you Tang San, the disciple of the Grandmaster?"

Under Qian Daoliu's calm gaze, Bibi Dong looked at Tang San with a faint smile on her face.

"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope." Tang San was slightly startled by being called out abruptly, but he quickly composed himself and answered calmly.

“Not bad, you are very good. You have some of the spirit of your teacher back then.” Even though Qian Daoliu behind her had a mocking smile on his lips, Bibi Dong still said this without changing her expression.

"I dare not compare myself to the teacher," Tang San replied humbly, bowing his head.

"Rise." Bibi Dong's calm voice reached the ears of the Soul Masters kneeling on one knee.

With a faint smile, Bibi Dong's gaze swept over the twenty-one young Soul Masters, "From you, I see hope..."

As she gave her speech, Bibi Dong lightly waved her cane, and three soul bones appeared out of thin air, silently floating in the air.

Upon seeing what was floating in front of Bibi Dong, a greedy glint flashed in the eyes of all the Soul Masters present. If this were not in front of the Pope's Palace, perhaps some foolish people would have rushed forward to snatch it.

"The three soul bones are..." Ghost Douluo Ghostly began to introduce the three soul bones in a deep voice.

"There isn't one that's 100,000 years old." Xiao Yan looked utterly bored.

'The highest age is only around 50,000 years?' Lin Dong was also bored. The highest age among the three soul bones was the skull, but this age was not comparable to the soul bone that Xiao Yan gave him, which he then gave to Shi Nian, and which Shi Nian finally handed over to the principal of Canghui Academy.

"There can only be one winner, and the same goes for the champion. Therefore, these three soul bones will belong to the final champion team. I hope you can give it your all and win this honor."

After Ghost Douluo finished explaining the soul bones, Bibi Dong's voice rang out again.

"The morning's competition is an individual elimination tournament, with each of your three teams sending seven players..."

Similar to the qualifying rounds, this is an individual elimination tournament. However, this time three teams will participate, and no roster needs to be submitted. In addition, and most importantly, there will only be one winner in this individual elimination tournament. The other two losing teams will be relegated to the team competition in the afternoon. Only the winner of the team competition in the afternoon can compete with the winner of the individual competition for the final championship.

In other words, this is a competition among those who can get enough rest time.

"Now, each team, please arrange your first member to go on stage."

At Xiao Yan's signal, Jing Ling slowly stepped forward.

"Wait a minute." Yu Xiaogang, who had been keeping his head down since Qian Daoliu appeared, suddenly called out.

"?"