Chapter 521: True Combat Competition

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"May I ask who you are?" The Spirit Hall team's captain stammered, feigning nervousness.

"Listen up! Standing before you is the young master of the Hongchen family from the Sun and Moon Empire: Fu Hongchen." Fu's declaration was powerful, his voice carrying over the sounds of waves crashing against the ship's hull, making him seem all the more heroic. Then he gestured to the young woman beside him. "And this lady here is none other than the Emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire's own sister: Lady Xu Huang. Bow before her!"

"So, they're allies of those savages!" The Spirit Hall team captain shook with exaggerated "fear," limbs flailing in a ridiculous display that caused the other team captains' eyes to widen in surprise.

Are they really going all out with this?

Only the Spirit Hall team members knew their captain well—this was him fully embracing the act. During his free time, he often visited the Soul Guide Cinema to watch films, harboring a strong interest in acting and portraying various roles. Besides being a Spirit Master, he belonged to a Spirit Hall division specializing in intelligence gathering and even worked as a spy on occasion.

"How dare you! You will address her as Her Highness, the Princess!" Fu Hongchen scolded.

"No need to get so worked up. You're scaring them," Xu Huang said, stopping Fu Hongchen with a wave. She scanned the members of the five teams, chuckling as she spoke. "I know you may have some misunderstandings about us, but you'll eventually understand this is for your own good. Now, I won't ask who you really are. The moment you stepped onto this ship, you became my slaves."

The Spirit Hall team captain boldly declared, "We escaped so that we wouldn't be slaves. Don't think you can enslave us again!"

The Tian Dou team captain chimed in, "We're far more resilient than you realize!"

The Star Luo team captain added, "And we have courage!"

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan team captain stared Xu Huang down. "We only submit to justice!"

And the Four Elements Academy captain, embodying a dramatic flair, gazed skyward and shouted, "Power and wealth may be precious, but life is even more so. For the sake of freedom, we would sacrifice both!"

The string of flamboyant declarations from the five captains had the audience in Spirit City cheering, though a few couldn't help but feel the theatrics were over the top.

Tang San, for one, wasn't impressed.

As for the Four Elements Academy captain, Tang San had to wonder if he'd been taken over by a time-traveling soul.

Nearby, Xue Qinghe glanced at Ning Fengzhi, who cleared his throat and explained, "He's the nephew of one of our clan's elder Soul Douluo. He has a fondness for reciting poetry, though it's rarely serious or refined."

Meanwhile, some in the audience weren't focused on the five teams at all; their attention was on Tang San, quietly speculating on his current strength.

After all, Xiaohai City was no short distance from here, and the image hovering above the arena wasn't from a Soul Tool projection; it was more like a manifestation of spiritual power. Could Tang San observe anyone's secrets whenever he wished?

Terrifying!

Tang Xiao, especially, looked at Tang San with grave eyes, wondering:

Does Tang San know about the inner workings of the Haotian Sect?

Does this mean the Spirit Hall has already gained insight into every move the Haotian Sect makes?

No wonder the Spirit Hall remains indifferent to our reemergence. It turns out Tang San has kept a watchful eye on everything…

...

Onboard the Yue Trading Ship, Xu Huang was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected these "fishermen" to respond with such bold words. It seemed—

"Although the ruling powers on Douluo Continent are primitive, they do have a way of rallying the people. Back on the Sun and Moon Continent, there are still plenty of folks who don't care in the slightest about who governs the Empire."

"Still, I like your spirit."

"Become my servant!"

Faced with Xu Huang's demand, the Spirit Hall team's captain suddenly made his move. Three purple and two black spirit rings flared to life, and in a single leap, he closed the distance so fast that Fu Hongchen barely had time to react.

Smack!

In an instant, Xu Huang, who hadn't expected the attack, found herself with a hand around her neck, held firmly by the captain.

"You traitor!" Fu Hongchen shouted, furious at the ambush and shocked by the captain's powerful three-purple, two-black spirit ring array. He wasted no time and activated his own spirit. His body became rough and coarse, and five spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—rose around him, marking him as a Spirit King.

But the captains and members of the other teams revealed their own strengths, quickly subduing the surrounding guards. Fu Hongchen, just a Spirit King himself, struggled to fend them off.

The commotion on the ship soon attracted attention.

Three Spirit Douluos rushed over from the rear. Seeing Xu Huang held hostage, they erupted in anger. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The Spirit Hall captain, slipping fully into his role, sneered and tightened his grip on Xu Huang's neck. "Haha! We're pirates! Hand over all your valuables!"

As an added precaution, the other Spirit Hall team members unleashed their spirits, aiming their attacks at Xu Huang's head, neck, heart, and other vital points.

Throughout their prior exchange, they had confirmed that Xu Huang was indeed the Emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire's sister—a high-ranking figure. With her as their hostage, their opponents, even if powerful, would be hesitant to act rashly.

Unless the enemy could eliminate all seven of them at once.

But was that even possible? Every team member was tense and alert, ready to react to even the slightest disturbance.

This risky move also conveniently saved them from the effort of stealthily investigating the entire ship. Now they could easily assess the number of people aboard, how many were Spirit Masters, and identify those who were Spirit Saints or higher.

It turned out there were three Spirit Douluos, six Spirit Saints, and about a hundred others, half of whom were Spirit Masters at the Spirit King level or below.

The Spirit Hall team felt a surge of relief.

Given the strength on the other side, staying as "captives" would have been the real risk. Now, with one bold move, they had exposed the enemy's cards.

And besides, with Xu Huang and Fu Hongchen as hostages, they could effectively control the situation.

The Spirit Hall captain was emboldened by the competition among the teams, knowing that exposing the enemy's information as quickly as possible was part of the challenge.

The other four teams understood this as well…

It was all part of the game: gathering intelligence and being the first to return to Spirit City would secure victory.

In other words, during the return to Spirit City, all seven teams would compete for speed. They could clash with each other, cooperate, or slow each other down. Teams without information, like the Haotian Sect team and Shrek team, could also try to challenge other teams to seize information and make their way back first.

This final round of the competition was designed to test participants' intelligence-gathering skills, strategic ability, individual strength, and team coordination.

Of course, this intricate setup was only possible because Tang San had the power to oversee the entire event and ensure the safety of all participants. Without him, the teams would have competed in a more traditional battle.

This competitive setting allowed the upper echelons of various forces in Spirit City, along with other knowledgeable observers following the tournament, to see clearly which team stood out.

(End of Chapter)