Time flashed by. The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament had already begun. Notably, this tournament had one more rule than previous years. During matches, the use of any spirit tool was forbidden.
Yes. After Wu Ling and Bibi Dong discussed the matter, and after Spirit Hall released a portion of its Spirit Adept level and lower weapons, the tournament rules gained this new restriction.
The reason was the portability and lethality of spirit tools. Even a Spirit Adept level spirit tool could threaten a Spirit Meister if seven attacks struck at once. For the sake of contestant safety, this rule had been added.
Several days had passed since the tournament began. In the imperial capital of the Polaris Empire, the qualifiers had reached their climax.
"Now, both competing teams, enter the arena!"
At the referee's call and amid thunderous cheers, two teams walked out from opposite sides of the stage.
The referee seized the moment to explain and stir the crowd. "The team from the north is Thunderclap Academy! The team from the south is Divine Wind Academy!
"As expected, two of the Five Elements Academies have made it to the end again. This will surely be an evenly matched battle. Although both sides can enter the promotion round, there can be only one first place!
"So who will take the qualifier championship? Will last year's champion Thunderclap Academy continue its legend, or will Divine Wind Academy climb to the peak?
"Now, let the match begin!"
As the referee's voice fell, the blue and green waves of fighters clashed.
On the high platform, Emperor Noctis sat in the central seat. On one side sat Alistair Jewel, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. On the other sat Salas, the bishop of the Spirit Temple in the Polaris imperial capital.
Behind the three seats stood the members of the Polaris Imperial Academy board and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
"Sect Master Jewel, which of these two teams do you think has the greater chance of winning?" Emperor Noctis asked Alistair Jewel as he watched the battle below and ate a grape offered by Prince Sirius.
Alistair Jewel, seated beside Emperor Noctis, had a face as refined as jade, straight brows, and a gentle, scholarly air. His spotless white robe made him look less than forty, with mild eyes and the bearing of an ordinary man. His smooth black hair fell loose behind him, and everything about him seemed effortless, without the slightest affectation.
Hearing Emperor Noctis's question, Alistair Jewel stroked his chin and studied the battle below seriously. After the last tournament, when his cooperation with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had still failed to win the championship, he had not continued that cooperation this time. Because of that, he was not entirely certain about Thunderclap Academy's current state.
After a dozen breaths, Alistair Jewel had a rough judgment.
"The overall strength of the two teams is about the same. Aside from the two captains, both sides have four level forty-one Spirit Meisters and two Spirit Adepts. It seems the two academies had the same idea. They both want to use quantity to make up for quality.
"As for the odds of victory, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is the world's greatest beast Martial Soul. In terms of Martial Soul quality, no one on Divine Wind Academy's team can compare. The remaining factors do not differ enough to change the outcome. So overall, unless Divine Wind Academy has a hidden card, Thunderclap Academy should have the greater chance of winning."
After hearing Alistair Jewel's analysis, Emperor Noctis smiled and nodded. Prince Sirius, holding the grapes nearby, seized the chance to speak.
"Your Majesty, Thunderclap Academy's captain is actually the younger of twin brothers. One member of our main team is his elder brother.
"And when it comes to resource allocation, our imperial academy spared no effort. Of course, this also includes the materials Sect Master Jewel provided. During the final half month, we successfully raised all seven members of our main team to the Spirit Meister tier.
"Those seven main-team members are all elites of our Polaris Empire, each talented and brilliant. With Your Majesty's blessing reaching the heavens and the imperial disciples possessing such extraordinary strength, the foundation of the empire will surely flourish through every generation. This tournament will certainly sweep away all opponents and display our national might!"
Hearing Prince Sirius's praise for the seven main-team members, Emperor Noctis's previously poor mood, caused by the Polaris second team being crushed by Elephant Armor Academy, gradually cleared.
"Good, good, good." In excellent spirits, Emperor Noctis glanced almost imperceptibly toward Salas.
"Bishop, how does your temple's team compare with our main team this year?" Now that he knew his main team had all reached the Spirit Meister tier, Emperor Noctis tested him with great confidence.
In the previous two tournaments, Spirit Hall had won because of its numerical advantage of seven Spirit Meisters. According to intelligence brought back by spies one year ago, Spirit Hall's team this time was probably inferior even to the last one. Supposedly, it had five Spirit Meisters and two Spirit Adepts.
But the stubborn denial Emperor Noctis imagined did not appear. He looked over in confusion and saw Salas wearing a relaxed, disdainful expression without the slightest attempt to hide it. Alistair Jewel and Emperor Noctis both noticed this, and their hearts sank.
"Hehehe. Your Majesty, if this were any previous year's team, then yes, your side might have a chance at the championship. But this year is different.
"Several days ago, I received notice from His Holiness. After the qualifiers end, I am to return to Spirit City with the competing team.
"As for the reason, I heard that His Holiness's disciple will personally enter the field."
Emperor Noctis froze.
Alistair Jewel froze.
Xue Qinghe froze.
Aurelia, disguised as Xue Qinghe, froze along with everyone else who could hear. To the outside world, especially the royal houses of the Polaris Empire and the Star Stripe Empire, Wu Ling had already become a key target of attention. The reason was not his status as the Pope's disciple, but the offensive spirit tools.
Even a Spirit Master with only a white ring could use a spirit tool as long as he knew how to operate Spirit Power. Even ordinary people could use them if they had Spirit Power blocks as an energy source.
What was the difference between Spirit Hall and the two great empires? Spirit Hall had more top-tier combatants, while the two empires had more low-tier manpower.
But what if they possessed the spirit tools Wu Ling had invented? If tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even several hundred thousand Spirit Adept level attacks fired at once, forget one Titled Sage. Even ten Titled Sages would not be enough.
Along with the cultivation methods that had already attracted countless Spirit Masters, Wu Ling's name had long since spread across the world. No matter which faction he belonged to, he could affect the entire continent's power structure. That was why every power treated him as a priority target.
But now Salas, a Spirit Hall bishop, had said that Wu Ling would personally enter a tournament match.
Information about that man was extremely scarce outside Spirit Hall. Yet now Spirit Hall had, for reasons unknown, decided to send him into the tournament. Was that not an open chance to gather intelligence?
In the face of that information, Emperor Noctis paid little attention even to Thunderclap Academy's eventual victory. He had only one thought now. What method could he use to obtain more information about Wu Ling?
And it was not just him. Alistair Jewel, the Star Stripe Empire, and every other power that received the news had all begun thinking and preparing ways to probe Wu Ling's true foundation.