Ch.31: End of Qualifiers

After the intense showdown between Hollow Beast Academy and Thunderclap Academy, the stage was set for the final matches before the highly anticipated finals. Thunderclap Academy had faced defeat at the hands of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, while Skywater Academy secured a victory against Blazing Academy, only to be defeated by Wind God Academy. Star Dou Imperial Academy continued its dominance with an easy win against the Botanic Academy. Other academies, including Windgod Academy, Botanic Academy, Armored Academy, and Spirit Hall Advanced Academy, also battled it out in fierce competition.

However, on the fifth day following these matches, the focus shifted to an entirely different scene. Yu Tianxiang slowly opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of Dugu Xin sleeping on a nearby couch. An enormous, five-meter-long white purplish snake was coiled protectively around him. This unexpected view left her momentarily speechless. As Dugu Xin stirred awake, accompanied by his loyal companion, the snake, he noticed Yu Tianxiang was conscious.

"Why are you here?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"You've been in a coma for four days and four nights," Dugu Xin replied, gently patting his snake companion, Xiao Cai who returned to her home. "I was concerned that you might have lingering injuries from my poison, so I stayed to ensure there weren't any problems."

Yu Tianxiang was taken aback by his unexpected concern, and although she couldn't explain it, a warm feeling spread through her. "Now that you've confirmed there are no hidden injuries, thank you," she said.

Dugu Xin nodded and prepared to take his leave. "I'll be going now. Take care."

"Um," Yu Tianxiang replied, still processing the unusual emotions swirling within her.

As Dugu Xin left Yu Tianxiang's room, Yao Yuan, the escort teacher from Thunderclap Academy, entered. His face lit up with happiness upon seeing her awake.

"Teacher Yao," she began, attempting to rise from her bed, but Yao Yuan gently stopped her.

"It's okay. I'm just glad to see you awake," Yao Yuan said warmly. "That young man stayed by your side the entire time you were unconscious. Haha..."

"He did?" Yu Tianxiang inquired, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Yes, indeed," Yao Yuan confirmed. "He's a good kid with great talent. If you were to choose him as your partner, I'm sure your father wouldn't object. He might be strict, but he'd accept it."

"Uncle Yao!" Yu Tianxiang exclaimed, her face turning red with embarrassment as her uncle's words triggered memories of her father's strict criteria for a potential partner.

Her father's voice echoed in her mind, "If anyone wants to marry my Xiang'er, they must be at least an entire realm above her, not older than her by four years, and must have her approval! And even then, they must be personally tested by me before they even think about my daughter!"

"Uncle, get out!" she playfully threw a pillow at her uncle's face, who left the room with a smile, leaving Yu Tianxiang alone with her thoughts.

"Sigh... youth," Yao Yuan chuckled to himself. "Still, to think that kid managed to capture the heart of my niece, a battle maniac nicknamed 'Angry Dragon' due to her personality, and make her act all cute like that... Hahaha."

Meanwhile, after leaving Yu Tianxiang's room, Dugu Xin met up with his teammates. Ma Jun spotted him and excitedly called out, "Boss Dugu is finally here! Everyone, come quickly!"

Luo Tian, another teammate, joined in, teasing Dugu Xin, "Have you finally finished fooling around with that girl from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan? I hear those women are quite feisty."

Dugu Xin retorted with a grin, "Old man, what do you know? I wouldn't be surprised if your back gave out just from trying to shift a little to the left."

The banter continued, but Luo Tian eventually suggested that they all head to the arena, where the final four semifinalists would be officially announced. The qualifiers for the final matches had concluded, and it was time for the three titled Douluo to reveal the four semifinalists. Jin Yang, representing Spirit Hall, stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Congratulations to all the academies for their outstanding performances!" he began. "But now, it's time to announce the semifinalists. The semifinals and finals will take place in Spirit City one month from now."

With a dramatic pause, he continued, "And now, the semifinalists are Hollow Beasts Academy, Haotian Grand Battle Academy, Star Dou Imperial Academy, and Spirit Hall Advanced Academy!"

The arena erupted in cheers as the names of the academies were announced. Xuan Qingyun, watching from the stands, couldn't contain his joy at seeing two Heaven Dou Empire academies among the final four. Meanwhile, Dai Tianxing, although outwardly composed, seethed with frustration that only one academy from his empire had made it to this stage.

'Hmph! Be glad while you can,' he muttered to himself. 'Once our plans are set in motion, you'll be grateful to have an empire.'

The dean, who had been observing the proceedings, addressed the victorious students, "Alright, kids, for the next month, I will personally train you. Just because you've made it to the top four, don't think you can slack off. Xin, Teacher Luo has a special training regimen prepared for you."

Unanimously, the students couldn't help but groan inwardly at the prospect of more rigorous training. However, the dean had a surprise in store.

"But," he continued, "I'm not heartless. You can enjoy the ending festival for the rest of the day. Training starts tomorrow."

With that announcement, even Dugu Xin couldn't hide his relief. As everyone dispersed to enjoy their temporary freedom, Dugu Xin decided to visit the market in hopes of finding hidden treasures or items of value. Disappointment washed over him as he scoured the market, finding nothing of particular interest.

"I guess I expected too much from this place," he muttered to himself as he prepared to leave. However, just as he was about to exit, he noticed Yu Tianxiang waving at him.

"What are you doing here, Dugu Xin?" she asked with a smile.

"I was exploring," he replied, "and since we're friends now, you can call me Xin'er. Dugu Xin is too long, don't you think?"

A faint blush graced Yu Tianxiang's cheeks as she remembered her uncle's teasing. "You can call me Xian'er in that case."

Seated in a nearby cafe, the two engaged in a lively conversation. Dugu Xin couldn't help but ask, "So, what are your plans now that you didn't make it to the semifinals?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Yu Tianxiang replied thoughtfully. "I suppose I'll continue to train and eventually defeat you. But just how strong are you, really? Did you even break a sweat in this tournament? Don't give me any excuses; I saw you fight, and I'm convinced that your poison and your third spirit skill alone could defeat most opponents."

Dugu Xin chuckled, recognizing her curiosity. "I could have, but that would have deprived my teammates of valuable experience and challenges. They need those to grow. As for my third spirit skill, it's an entirely different matter. If it had directly hit you during our fight, you would have either died or been left with crippled meridians due to the poison."

Yu Tianxiang's eyes widened as she realized that Dugu Xin had held back much more than she had initially thought. "I see..."

Soon, they parted ways, and Dugu Xin returned to the Hollow Beast Academy. As he arrived, a scene of intense training met his eyes. Meng Shu and the others were already engrossed in rigorous exercises. Teacher Luo Tian noticed Dugu Xin's arrival and greeted him with a hint of reproach, "You're late, Xiao Xin."

Addressing Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang, he instructed, "Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang, continue practicing the martial soul fusion technique. Even if you haven't needed it so far, it's essential for our upcoming battle against the Star Dou Academy. Ma Jun and Yao Chen, forget about eating unless you conquer the wood behind you today. Grind it halfway through, and I'll assess your progress. Dugu Xin, come with me."

They made their way to the training area near the waterfall. Luo Tian turned to Dugu Xin and inquired, "Tell me about that armor you used during the last fight. At first, I thought it resembled the dragonization of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but if that were the case, wouldn't your Dugu Clan have a record or reputation in this regard?"

Dugu Xin responded, "Teacher, do you recall the technique I used to create soul cores?"

"Yes, the one that allows you to create soul cores using external methods," Luo Tian replied.

"Exactly," Dugu Xin affirmed. "Because my soul cores are not created conventionally but condensed using external methods, they have the potential to develop a unique spirit skill, which, in essence, is 'Real Guard.'"

Luo Tian nodded in comprehension. "I see. Now it's time to teach you the final technique of the Hollow Beast Academy: Spirit Ring Fusion Mending. It utilizes one spirit ring as a base and fuses all the others into it temporarily. The age of the base spirit ring becomes the sum of the ages of all the spirit rings combined. The effectiveness of the Spirit Ring Skill increases in accordance with the age of the ring. This technique essentially allows you to create your own spirit skill fusion."

Dugu Xin was bewildered by the concept. "What kind of technique is that?"

Luo Tian explained, "This technique will guarantee our victory. Even if Tang Hao completes all 81 swings of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, as long as you use Spirit Ring Fusion Mending on your fifth spirit ring, victory is assured."

Teacher Luo Tian sighed and continued, "Even with a month of training, only Meng Shu has the potential for a qualitative leap. That's only possible if he quickly breaks through to level 40 and acquires his fourth Spirit Ring with the dean's assistance. For the others, making such progress is impossible at this stage. Their best bet is continuous training and gaining combat experience. As for you, the most effective way to increase your combat power this month is to learn Spirit Ring Fusion Mending. I'll teach it to the others after the tournament."

Dugu Xin acknowledged, "I understand."

Luo Tian elaborated on the process of Spirit Ring fusion and patiently answered Dugu Xin's questions for the next hour. When they were ready to begin practical training, Luo Tian's soul power erupted. The eight soul rings under his feet gleamed, and the seventh spirit ring shone brightly, transforming Luo Tian into a fearsome Black Flame Lion. An imposing aura enveloped Dugu Xin as Teacher Luo Tian declared, "Boy, I'm going to stimulate you with external forces. Your task is to keep attacking me until you learn to fuse your spirit rings and deliver a blow far beyond your current limits."

Dugu Xin's expression turned serious, and he nodded silently. His soul power surged, and the five spirit rings under his feet glowed, completing his martial soul possession as he entered the "Real Guard" state.

With all his might, he unleashed his fifth spirit ring, Earth Ant-Serpent Emperor Slash. Blood-red moonblades, each measuring ten meters, materialized from his fingertips. The slashes carried the weight of his entire being and streaked toward Teacher Luo Tian. However, they were effortlessly deflected by Luo Tian's claws.

Luo Tian scolded, "No, try again."

Dugu Xin attacked repeatedly until his soul power was depleted. After five days of intense practice, Dugu Xin entered the "Real Guard" state once more. This time, he encountered a massive Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor within his spiritual sea, reminiscent of the martial soul of his father, Dugu Bo. Yet, this time, Dugu Xin shattered the memory with a punch.

He stared at the colossal Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor before him, larger than his father's martial soul. Dugu Xin spoke with determination, 'I won't fear you anymore, because now I've surpassed you.'

As he lifted his head, his eyes transformed into golden snake pupils. The enormous Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor fragmented into countless small jade shards, all of which entered Dugu Xin's eyes. In Teacher Luo Tian's view, Dugu Xin's momentum peaked, and a colossal Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's head shadow manifested behind him before transitioning to that of the Monochrome Serpent Emperor. All five spirit rings under Dugu Xin's feet illuminated simultaneously and began to spin, emitting a dazzling radiance.

Teacher Luo Tian smiled with satisfaction. "That's it! This is Spirit Ring Fusion Mending." Dugu Xin's eyes opened wide, and brilliant golden light emanated from them. Teacher Luo Tian chuckled, "Now, show me Spirit Ring Fusion Mending."

Dugu Xin concentrated a dazzling blood-red light in his hands, temporarily replacing the sunlight. He roared, "Earth Ant-Serpent Emperor Slash!" Blood-red moonblades, each measuring thirty meters, surged from his fingertips, blotting out the sky with crimson arcs.

Teacher Luo Tian, no longer casual, employed his full soul power to deflect the attack. He managed to repel it, but his martial soul avatar displayed cracks and ultimately collapsed. A panting Luo Tian appeared, but he couldn't help but laugh. "Impressive! This strike has reached the level of a High Rank Spirit Saint. Even a lower-level Spirit Saint might struggle to resist it."

As he watched Dugu Xin, who was panting while recovering his soul power, Luo Tian reflected, 'Regardless of the outcome this time, Dugu Xin will inherit my mantle and lead the Hollow Beast Academy. Since he has expressed a desire to establish a sect and include the Hollow Beast Academy in it, it's a perfect fit.'