Bi Bidong was clearly also paying attention to Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, who were whispering to each other...
However, even when she extended her spiritual power to sense their surroundings, she couldn't make out the words of their conversation...
Therefore, she had no choice but to watch the competition stage with an unchanged expression, pretending she hadn't noticed anything...
In contrast, Emperor Xue Ye sighed with a look of regret on his face, "Ah, Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy have always been at odds due to their opposing elements. This time, neither side will likely hold back in the slightest!"
"Regardless of the outcome, I still hope it doesn't lead to a major conflict!"
Even as the emperor tried to mediate behind the scenes, he still couldn't change the attitudes of Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy towards each other!
Upon hearing this, Bi Bidong couldn't help but interject, "Emperor Xue Ye, are you saying that even you have no solution to the relationship between Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy?"
Emperor Xue Ye seemed to sense something amiss and frowned, "Pope, what do you mean by that?"
He always felt that the former was insinuating something, using indirect words to hint at the royal household's incompetence!
Bi Bidong was not offended by this, and in a casual tone she said, "It means nothing, just that if Emperor Xue Ye finds it troublesome, Spirit Hall would be very happy to handle the situation for you!"
"I'm sure we could foster a harmonious coexistence between Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy!"
Emperor Xue Ye sneered internally and flatly rejected the offer, "The Pope's kind offer is appreciated, but matters concerning the Five Great Elemental Academies should still be personally managed by the royal household, to avoid falling prey to others' criticisms!"
Handing over control of Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy to her would likely lead to a complete cleanout, from principals to teachers, all replaced by Spirit Hall's people!
That would be tantamount to severing the future of the royal household!
After all, most graduates from the Five Great Elemental Academies would choose to serve the royal household!
Bi Bidong retracted her gaze, noncommittally remarking, "Is that so? It seems Emperor Xue Ye has a way to deal with the conflicts between academies; I apologize for saying too much!"
She didn't expect him to agree in the first place, it was just a jab at him!
Emperor Xue Ye directly ignored the comment and changed the subject, "If I remember correctly, the Pope recently recruited a young Soul Master who, due to his extraordinary talent, was designated as the Saint Heir, right?"
Suddenly, her pupils constricted sharply...
Catching this reaction, Emperor Xue Ye said lightly, "It seems that is indeed the case. Where might this Saint Heir be at the moment? Has he participated in this friendly match?"
He was, in fact, curious to see who had been designated as Spirit Hall's Saint Heir.
Bi Bidong, of course, couldn't just reveal such information easily, "My apologies, Emperor Xue Ye, but the Saint Heir has recently encountered some major issues with his training, so he has not taken part in the friendship match!"
"Should the opportunity arise, you will meet him!"
Based on his words, he likely had already detected Xu Sheng's presence, and even the matter of Innate Soul Power Level Ninety might have been exposed!
However, to be cautious, it was still worth testing his attitude!
Emperor Xue Ye's gaze grew serious, "I see, that is unfortunate, especially since I've heard his talent far surpasses that of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, and I have always wanted to meet him."
"However, since the Saint Heir is having problems with his training, I won't insist!"
He indeed had heard of the new Saint Heir designated by Spirit Hall, but his identity was still completely unknown to him!
The words he just said were meant to elicit some useful information from Bi Bidong.
However, it was clear that he had failed!
Bi Bidong gave a light laugh, "If Emperor Xue Ye is interested, you are welcome to visit Martial Soul City another day. By then, the Saint Heir should have overcome his training issues and be able to meet with you!"
"On this snowy night," Emperor Xue Ye raised an eyebrow, "is that so? Then it seems I indeed need to find some time to visit Martial Soul City again to see this mysterious Saint Heir!"
"But for now, let's focus on the Friendship Competition first!"
Unnoticed, the students from the Blazing Fire Academy and Skywater Academy on the battle stage were already going at it hammer and tongs...
They continuously unleashed soul skills, launching intense attacks at each other...
However, due to the restraint of attributes, the Blazing Fire Academy had been at a distinct disadvantage all along...
Huo Wu gritted her teeth and cursed, "Dammit, the students from Skywater Academy are so strong, several times stronger than the previous ones!!"
Huo Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded in agreement, "That's right. If we continue like this, we'll definitely lose due to exhaustion of Soul Power. We must find a way to finish them in one strike!!"
Huo Wushuang clenched his teeth, "Wanting to finish those three on the opposite side in one strike, how is that possible!!"
However, Huo Wu's eyes narrowed as she said in a deep voice, "No... it's possible. But if we do that, the secret weapon I have prepared for the Continent-wide Elite Soul Master Contest will be revealed!"
She did have a way to crush the opponent in one fell swoop!
Huo Wushuang seemed to think of something and exclaimed, "Huo Wu, are you thinking of..."
Huo Wu confirmed, "Mhmm, there is no other way!"
Huo Wushuang strongly objected, "No way, that's your trump card, you must not expose it!!"
Huo Wu argued back, "But brother, if we don't do this, we will..."
The former cut her off again, "There's no 'but.' as your brother, I absolutely disagree!"
Hearing these discussions, Gu Qingbo sneered, "What nonsense are those people from Blazing Fire Academy talking about, claiming they have a way to crush us in one go!"
Yu Hairou let out a cold laugh, "Exactly, if they really could do that, why would they fall into such a disadvantageous position, it's ridiculous!"
Shui Bing'er chastised softly, "Don't be careless, Blazing Fire Academy is also an academy with profound heritage; these students may have some techniques that they haven't used yet!"
She had a feeling that the other side really had a way to turn the tide of battle!
Still, she seemed to be worried about something...
Seeing this, a Spirit Hall Executive couldn't help but raise his voice, "In this matchup, Skywater Academy holds absolute dominance, while Blazing Fire Academy, despite their desperate resistance, seems to be on the brink of collapsing!"
"Will there be a reversal in this contest??"
The civilians and Soul Masters in the spectator stands were also stirred up by these events...
"Damn it, Skywater Academy is so despicable, actually relying on attribute restraint to defeat Blazing Fire Academy. Winning like this is not glorious at all!!"
"Exactly, Blazing Fire Academy is obviously stronger than Skywater Academy; they shouldn't be eliminated here!"
"Get real, it's their own fault for not drawing a good lot. If they can't accept that, why even bother to compete?"
"This is a competition, everything is for victory, all else is nonsense, with absolutely no meaning at all!!"
"Haven't you heard the phrase 'victory belongs to the king'? If you lose, you are nothing, let alone attribute constraints!"
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