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

Including his disciple Tang San, all the students of Shrek Academy looked at him with doubt, just hoping that he would finish speaking quickly. The starting members of the other two teams were almost walking to the side of the cardinal who was acting as the referee.

"If you don't get a bye, just forfeit the first half of the individual elimination rounds." Yu Xiaogang still didn't look up. It seems that Qian Daoliu on the podium... or rather, someone who looks a lot like Qian Daoliu, has left him with a strong psychological shadow.

"If you get a bye, then you should leave the game after defeating the winner of the previous round."

Upon hearing Yu Xiaogang's order, Jingling looked at Xiao Yan with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Several students from Shrek Academy knew one thing: tomorrow's final match would definitely be a one-on-one battle between Xiao Yan and Lin Dong. This morning's individual match and this afternoon's team battle might be their only chance to showcase themselves in front of the Papal Palace.

If they give up the individual competition, and someone else wants to challenge Xiao Yan to a duel in the afternoon, then most of them will have no chance to show their abilities in Wuhun City!

"Ignore him, just go for it. I'm your strongest support."

Xiao Yan smiled at Jing Ling.

After nodding heavily, Jing Ling walked to the Cardinal's side. The Spirit Hall and Canghui Academy's representatives were not the strongest, so he would have a chance to show himself!

Chapter 123 Yu Xiaogang and his wife exit the stage.

The draw was conducted by three people to determine the order in which the three academies would appear. After the students from the first two academies to appear fought, the winner would fight against the student from the third-ranked academy, and so on.

Jing Ling was incredibly lucky, drawing a bye. This meant he could wait until the battle between the two students from Canghui Academy and Wuhun Hall Academy was over before going on stage. If he could understand the strength of both sides in the first round before going on stage, he could at least guarantee that he could defeat one of them.

“It’s a bye,” Yu Xiaogang finally raised his head with Liu Erlong’s help. After hearing Jing Ling’s report, he looked like he had seen it all before. “As long as Jing Ling does what I say, we have already won the individual battle!”

That's right. As long as he does what he thinks, Jingling will withdraw and concede defeat after defeating the previous winner, without consuming the soul power of the students from the two teams that will appear next. Then, the people who appear after Jingling will only encounter the winners who are not in full condition. With similar soul power levels, victory will naturally be within reach!

Moreover, Lin Dong from Canghui Academy will definitely be the last to appear, and Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Yan will definitely be the last two on their side. As long as the students can exhaust the soul power of the two Soul Kings of the Spirit Hall before Zhu Zhuqing appears, or even just exhaust the soul power of one of them, then when Zhu Zhuqing finally appears, they will be able to defeat one of them head-on and then leave the stage with ease.

Lin Dong was fully capable of defeating a Soul King, but by then, Lin Dong's soul power would have been almost exhausted, right? So, in the end, Xiao Yan only had to face Lin Dong, whose soul power was almost completely depleted, and an ordinary Soul King.

'With the effect of Xiao Yan's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he could easily defeat the last person...'

Having spent decades at the Great Soul Master level, and even now having become a Soul Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang thought smugly that his knowledge was still pitifully shallow.

Although the Soul Master from Canghui Academy didn't deplete much of the Spirit Hall student's soul power, Jing Ling still managed to defeat the Spirit Hall student through his fierce fighting.

'All I have to do now is admit defeat...' Yu Xiaogang looked smugly at Jing Ling, who was panting heavily and whose soul power seemed to be nearing its lowest point.

However, Yu Xiaogang did not hear Jing Ling utter the words of surrender until the second contestant from Canghui Academy walked to the center of the field.

Just as the cardinal raised his arm, almost announcing the continuation of the match, Yu Xiaogang finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up from the Shrek Academy rest area, his gaze fixed on Bibi Dong in front of the Papal Palace. Although his gaze visibly shrank back when it met Qian Daoliu behind Bibi Dong, he still firmly uttered one sentence—

"Please wait a moment before the match begins!"

The moment he opened his mouth, the gaze that Qian Daoliu cast at him made Yu Xiaogang tremble violently, to the point that his words were somewhat hesitant.

The cardinal, acting as the referee, was about to loudly reprimand Yu Xiaogang for interrupting the match when Bibi Dong raised her hand to stop him. Her gaze towards Yu Xiaogang was very calm, but only she knew whether she truly felt that way inside.

"Please state your reasons," Bibi Dong said calmly.

“Jingling can’t hold on any longer. As his teacher, I admit defeat on his behalf,” Yu Xiaogang said calmly, controlling his body to stop trembling. “Jingling, come back.”

Jing Ling on the stage pursed her lips, unmoved.

As soon as he said that, the cardinal on the stage looked at Yu Xiaogang with a strange expression. As a Soul Saint, he was quite certain that this student, who was panting heavily and looked like he might collapse at any moment, was actually in excellent condition. Not to mention that Canghui Academy had only sent a Soul Venerable, even if it had sent a Soul Master, this cunning student might still be able to win.

"Why?" Bibi Dong remained calm and asked indifferently.

"For no particular reason, I think it's our right to admit defeat on behalf of our students." Yu Xiaogang put his hands behind his back and looked up at the Douluo Hall behind the Papal Palace.

'...That's really tough. So arrogant in front of the Pope, aren't you afraid of being torn to pieces by the Spirit Hall?'

Xiao Yan glanced at Yu Xiaogang, then prepared to tell him that Jing Ling was in good condition...

“You’re right, that’s your right. I apologize for asking, Elder Yu.”

But, unexpectedly, Bibi Dong actually stood up, nodded to Yu Xiaogang, and even uttered the word "elder".

'Elder?'

Xiao Yan subconsciously glanced at Qian Daoliu behind Bibi Dong; the meaning behind that look couldn't be clearer—

This level 41, one of the biggest jokes on the entire continent, is actually an elder of your Spirit Hall?

The look from Xiao Yan made Qian Daoliu almost lose his composure. Others might not know how Yu Xiaogang obtained the Elder's Token he had shown in the Papal Palace, but as the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall, how could he not know it?

There are only a few Elder Tokens in total, and each one has its own owner. Neither Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan nor Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would give the Elder Token to Yu Xiaogang. Therefore, the only person who could give the Elder Token to him is Tang San's father, Tang Hao.

Regarding Bibi Dong's behavior of protecting Yu Xiaogang, Qian Daoliu felt it would be better to discipline her.

"Elder? Your Holiness, among all those who hold the Elder's Token, there isn't anyone at level forty-one, is there?"

Qian Daoliu's cold voice rang out. Although he addressed the Pope with great 'respect,' anyone with a normal mind could hear the coldness in his voice, and... the fact that the person who spoke these words was clearly of a higher status than the current Pope.

"Of all the elder tokens, only two did not appear today," Qian Daoliu said, his icy gaze falling on Yu Xiaogang before Bibi Dong could even speak up for him. "One is in the hands of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the other is in the hands of the Haotian Clan. Which one do you have?"

'Using Elder Tokens to determine elders?' Xiao Yan's face twitched violently. 'Normally, even disregarding the holder's status, shouldn't their rank be a prerequisite?'

Level 41...

Xiao Yan's expression was slightly strange.

As for Yu Xiaogang, he trembled all over when Qian Daoliu's gaze fell on him. If Liu Erlong hadn't stepped forward to support him, Yu Xiaogang might have already collapsed to the ground in a sorry state.

"Blue Lightning..."

Even so, Yu Xiaogang still didn't forget that Tang Hao was a wanted criminal, and subconsciously wanted to throw the blame on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

“Tell me where the token came from, or… die!”

Qian Daoliu wasn't going to listen to Yu Xiaogang's nonsense and directly interrupted Yu Xiaogang's attempt to tell a lie.

"...Tang Hao."

After a brief struggle, Yu Xiaogang let his arms fall limply and slowly uttered two words.

Xiao Yan also knew this method of getting people to tell the truth. The only thing that surprised him was that Qian Daoliu's mental strength, which was not even at the level of a spirit talisman master, could so easily restrict other people's minds and force Yu Xiaogang to tell the truth.

"Dad...?" Tang San stared wide-eyed in bewilderment. He had never heard of his father possessing an elder's token from the Spirit Hall!

However, Tang San quickly remembered that more than seven years ago, when Yu Xiaogang led him to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain his first soul ring, the token that Yu Xiaogang held in his hand at that time... seemed to be the Elder's Token?

"Colluding with the most wanted criminal on the entire continent and impersonating an elder of the Spirit Hall is an unforgivable crime. Take him away."

Qian Daoliu ignored Bibi Dong's resentful gaze. He was just following the rules and procedures. Did he allow Bibi Dong to tarnish the reputation of the Spirit Hall with her hypocrisy, but not allow him to uphold the dignity of the Spirit Hall?

After Qian Daoliu said those words, Liu Erlong was furious when she saw Bibi Dong standing there, not intending to refute him. At this moment, she was absolutely certain that this old man was sent by Bibi Dong to break her up with Yu Xiaogang.

"Bibi Dong, you bastard, you can't stand it..."

The moment the curse was uttered, the oppressive aura of the peerless Douluo Qian Daoliu descended upon Liu Erlong, causing her to kneel directly on the ground—

“Insulting the Pope is the same crime as Yu Xiaogang. Take them both away,” Qian Daoliu coldly pronounced Liu Erlong’s crime. “If anyone commits this offense again, Shrek Academy will be disqualified from the competition.”

Upon hearing the charges against Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, Tang San pursed his lips. He wanted to intervene and save them, but…

Tang San glanced at the cardinal on the platform, then at the two rows of Templar Knights, whose lowest rank was said to be level 30. He silently lowered his head, pretending not to see the soldiers who had gone to the rest area to capture Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.

'Teacher, wait for me. As soon as the competition is over, I will have my father come to save you...' Tang San said silently in his heart.

When Flander discovered that the people who came to take away Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang were just Soul Sect members, he had a momentary hesitation. These two were his close friends, and he really couldn't bear to see them being sent to prison by the henchmen of the Spirit Hall.

That fleeting thought vanished upon seeing Xiao Yan and the others standing in the arena. Even he understood that the reason they hadn't been implicated by Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang was entirely because the Spirit Hall might still harbor hope of recruiting Xiao Yan.

"Your Holiness, please carefully examine such offenders."

Watching the two being dragged away, Qian Daoliu left a calm remark and sat down, completely ignoring Bibi Dong's expression as if she was about to crush the scepter in her hand.

"...The game continues!"

After a long silence, Bibi Dong finally managed to squeeze out four words, "You Shrek Academy student on the stage, what are you still standing there for? Didn't you hear your teacher say that he has already admitted defeat on your behalf?"

Jingling, who had thought she could still play another match, swallowed hard after hearing those words, which were full of resentment.

"Okay, okay!"

Even though she was in good condition, Jingling still left the ring decisively after hearing those words, afraid that if she stayed even a second longer, she would experience what Yu Xiaogang went through and be dragged off the stage.

As Jing Ling left the stage, filled with resentment, the members of the Spirit Hall Academy team hurriedly went up on stage. With His Holiness the Pope filled with anger, everyone acted with extreme speed and caution.

Although the soul power levels of students from Shrek Academy and Canghui Academy are generally lower than those of students from Spirit Hall Academy, and even the highest-level students from the two academies, except for a few Soul Kings, are not as high as the lowest-level students from Spirit Hall Academy.

However, even with such a complete crushing of soul power levels, the number of students from Shrek Academy, Canghui Academy, and Spirit Hall Academy remained the same until the first Soul King, Yan, whose martial soul was the Flame Lord, appeared.

"Fatty, you're next." Seeing that the Soul Master from Canghui Academy had lasted less than ten seconds in Yan's hands, Xiao Yan silently changed the planned order of appearance.

"Huh? Me?" Ma Hongjun's eyes widened in disbelief. "Boss Xiao, you don't expect me to beat him, do you? Although my flames are also very hot, there's a six-level difference in soul power between us!"

"Don't want to go? Fine, then when Xie Yue appears later, you can hold him off and deplete his soul power," Xiao Yan rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Only Xiao Wu, with her invincible golden body, is qualified to deplete Xie Yue's soul power!"

"So... Xiao Wu will be next in line?" Ma Hongjun blinked after understanding Xiao Yan's words.

“No, Fatty, I’m the one who goes up after you,” Tang San shook his head. “Even if you exhaust Yan’s soul power to the limit, that Soul Master from Canghui Academy still can’t win. So, I’m the one who needs to go up and finish off Yan.”

“But Xiao San, your martial soul…” Xiao Wu looked at Tang San with concern.

"I will try to avoid direct confrontation with him," Tang San said with a smile and shook his head. "I won't joke around with my own body."

After deciding on the order, Ma Hongjun sighed and slowly walked towards the stage.

"Xiao Yan, are you still going to stick to what you said before the competition and not go on stage for the individual competition?" Tang San hesitated for a moment before asking, looking at Ma Hongjun fighting against Xiao Yan.

"You guys said before the individual competition that you hoped I wouldn't have to play!" Xiao Yan said speechlessly. "Besides, this order of battle isn't very advantageous for us. After I face Lin Dong, the Spirit Hall will still have a level 59 Soul King left. If I fight Lin Dong and then another level 59 Soul King, I probably won't win..."

Indeed, if Xiao Yan were to also make an appearance, Lin Dong, as the last member of Canghui Academy, would face Xiao Yan directly after defeating Zhu Zhuqing and the penultimate contestant from the Spirit Hall. In that case, the Spirit Hall would undoubtedly be the one to take advantage of the situation.

"Too……"

Tang San sighed. Although he was very unhappy with Xiao Yan and Lin Dong, what he didn't want to see even more was that the Spirit Hall Academy team would be the first to advance to the finals.

"Xiao Wu and I will try our best to deplete their soul power without getting injured," Tang San said, looking at Xiao Yan. "No matter what, we need to prepare for the loser's bracket final this afternoon."

Xiao Yan smiled indifferently.

And so, the individual competition continued.

However, after seeing that Zhu Zhuqing was not the sixth player from Shrek Academy to appear, there was a slight commotion in the Spirit Hall Academy. In the end, inexplicably, the Spirit Hall Academy team... gave up the individual competition and became the first to fall into the loser's bracket.

Looking at Zhu Zhuqing, the last to appear from Shrek Academy, Lin Dong was completely bewildered. How did he... inexplicably advance to the finals without even fighting a single 'hard battle'?

'Compared to Lin Dong, I definitely prefer to fight you first.' Qian Renxue, who ordered the Spirit Hall team to concede, stared intently at Xiao Yan in the Shrek Academy area.

Chapter 124 Qian Renxue vs. Xiao Yan