Chapter 192: Time for You to Catch Up 2.0

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"Originally, in the Continental Elite Tournament, the two major empires needed to select their respective advance teams first, and finally, the grand finals were held in the Spirit City... However, with the emergence of the Parent-Child Soul Guide Camera Ball and the rapid spread of information, in order to ensure fairness, the Spirit Hall decided to hold the tournament in the same location."

Qin Ming explained slowly, "This is not only for the fairness and justice of the competition but also to demonstrate the Martial Soul Hall's powerful influence. This time, it's in the Spirit City, next time it could be in the Tiandou City, or it could be in the Star Luo City, or it could still be in the Spirit City, depending mainly on the situation of each country."

"Returning to this time."

"The Martial Soul Arena in the Spirit City is only the venue for the preliminary and qualifying matches, while the final showdown takes place elsewhere."

"The front of the Pope's Hall..."

Members of the Tiandou Team couldn't help but look towards the direction of the Pope's Hall, which was situated on a mountain peak a kilometer high, with the Pope's Hall built halfway up the mountain.

"It is said that, on the Pope's order, a brand-new tournament venue has been established in front of the Pope's Hall, with a length and width of a kilometer, covering all possible terrains available at the moment—"

Qin Ming continued, his face filled with amazement.

"Deserts, grasslands, forests, rivers, snow and ice, volcanoes, and even oceans."

"There are even rumors that it is a miniature version of the Douluo Continent!"

Listening to Qin Ming's description, everyone was amazed.

"This is truly exaggerated."

"However, when it comes to fighting at that scale, it will be difficult to determine a winner, right?"

"Fool, there must be rules in place, such as passive combat leading to disqualification."

As they discussed, Xiao wu walked up to Tang San's side, quipping, "If what Teacher Qin Ming said is true, then the Martial Soul Hall is indeed wealthy and generous."

"Any power, once it expands to the point of being able to build a city, having this kind of money is not surprising." Tang San shook his head, "In terms of wealth, the Martial Soul Hall is still not as rich as the two major empires. However, if what Teacher Qin Ming said is true, then I am curious about how they created that miniature Douluo Continent venue."

Grasslands, deserts, forests, these are manageable, just regular upkeep and maintenance; but snow, ice, volcanoes, and the like, how did they manage that?

Soul Master assistance?

This is unfair.

So, it must be some kind of soul device assistance.

With the Martial Soul Hall's immense power and resources, possessing some powerful soul devices is not impossible...

...

When the teams from nearly a hundred advanced academies entered and took their seats, and the audience who had entered the Spirit City by purchasing tickets also arrived, on the side of the Pope's Hall, Bibidong stood up from her seat.

At this moment, all the audience in the Spirit City fell silent.

The participating teams from the Tiandou and Star Luo Empires' advanced academies also closed their mouths, not daring to make too much noise.

The current Pope of the Martial Soul Hall, at this moment, declared her own authority and prestige to the world.

Everyone across the continent who saw this scene through the Child Soul Guide Camera Ball couldn't help but marvel at Bibidong's beauty and dignity.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Spirit City, to participate in this grand event of the entire continent. Here, I would also like to thank Tang San, the grandmaster of Martial Soul Theory, and his disciple, 'Gaungling', for inventing and designing the Parent-Child Soul Guide Camera Ball, which can record images and broadcast them, allowing people across the continent to witness this feast of soul masters."

Bibi dong's voice was clear, cold, yet gentle and majestic.

"At this moment, I, Bibi dong, the contemporary Pope of the Martial Soul Hall, sincerely announce the Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies across the continent!"

"Formally begins!"

As soon as the words fell, the whole arena erupted in cheers.

Warm applause and shouts resounded through the sky.

Everyone was exhilarated for this moment!

Boom!

However, the weather was uncooperative.

At this supposed thrilling moment, the overcast sky became even heavier, and thunder rumbled.

Rain seemed imminent. Seeing this, the Emperor Xueye beside Bibi dong stood up and asked, "Your Holiness, should we postpone to tomorrow?"

"No need."

The cold voice seemed to possess a magical power, spreading throughout the venue, quieting everyone down.

Then, Bibi dong herself didn't release his martial soul but directly revealed her spirit rings.

Yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!

Nine spirit rings, shining brightly against the gloomy weather.

Second ring for a thousand years, ninth ring for a hundred thousand years!

All the soul masters present could feel the majestic soul power emanating from Bibi dong, like surging waves.

Bibidong didn't even use soul skills, just raised his right hand, pointing his slender index finger towards the sky, condensing his soul power.

Swish!

With just one strike, the purple soul power bead shot into the sky, exploding within the heavy clouds.

No one in the audience could hear any sound, but they saw a large hole opening up in the dark clouds, rapidly dispersing.

In an instant.

The cloudy sky hammer turned clear.

The warm sunlight shone down, warming everyone in the Spirit City.

But for some people, Bibi dong's move truly frightened them.

Changing the weather with just one person's power!

How terrifying is that?

Next to him, Ning Fengzhi secretly transmitted to Sword Douluo, "Uncle Sword, what kind of strength has the Pope of the Martial Soul Hall reached?"

Sword Douluo quietly responded, "Previously, we speculated she was only at level ninety-five or ninety-six, but now it seems at least level ninety-eight! I even suspect she might be the youngest Title Douluo on the continent, but it hasn't been publicized, hence why that position has always been occupied by Tang Hao."

"At least level ninety-eight? So, is it possible she's level ninety-nine?" Ning Fengzhi asked again.

"Not sure. Just from that momentary display, I can't make an accurate judgment, and I've never seen a level ninety-nine powerhouse with my own eyes." Sword Douluo shook his head, his gaze towards Bibidong completely different now. Initially, he only thought of Bibi dong as a remarkable woman with means and talent, but now he saw her cultivation talent far surpassed ordinary people's, with a touch of admiration in his eyes.

It's not about allegiance; it's just respect for the strong...

...

On the side of Shrek Academy.

Witnessing Bibi dong's ability to "clear the skies," Yu Xiaogang was deeply shocked, muttering to himself, "Is this the strength of a Titled Douluo above level ninety-seven? No wonder she··· we're simply not on the same level··· But my disciple, Oscar, will definitely reach that level!"

"Those who look down on me, just wait!"

"I, Yu Xiaogang, will prove it to you all!"

Sensing Yu Xiaogang's tremble, Liu Erlong held his hand and said, "Xiaogang, don't be angry. It's not worth it for that woman."

"Yes, I've let it go······" Yu Xiaogang tried to calm himself. Regarding Liu Erlong's feelings for him, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. After all, they were cousins...

...

The leader of Thunderclap Academy, Yu Luomian, snorted coldly after witnessing Bibi dong's scene, muttering to himself, "The contemporary Pope of the Spirit Hall does have some real skills. Such strength at this age is truly incredible."

Just as Yu Luomian was thinking about returning and doubling the training of the youngsters in the family, his gaze swept towards Shrek's direction. Seeing Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang together, holding hands, he suddenly became furious.

"Ungrateful woman!"

"And the son of my good brother, Yu Xiaogang, is also a disobedient brat!"

But in the end, Yu Luomian suppressed his temper and refrained from probing further.

In this grand assembly, with so many people and distractions, and many spectators equipped with soul-guided cameras, soul-guided photography boxes, and mother-child soul-guided photography spheres, if this matter were recorded and spread, it would damage the reputation of the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family...

...

"So powerful!" Xiao Wu couldn't help but marvel. "Such a powerful female soul master is truly an example for us!"

Tang San glanced strangely at Xiao Wu, thinking to himself: You won't react like this once you realize she's the one who killed your mother.

But Xiao Wu's mother's soul is within Bibidong's spirit rings and spirit bones, right? It's just that it's in the seventh ring of her second martial soul?

No wonder Xiao Wu can't sense it now.

"Such soul masters as the Pope are the ones we should aspire to." Huo Wu also expressed her opinion, her eyes full of admiration. "Captain Tang San, what level do you think the Pope's soul power has reached?"

"At least level ninety-eight," Tang San's tone was somewhat uncertain. After all, he couldn't accurately judge the level of a Title Douluo's soul power. He could only rely on the original text — because of the restrictions of the Spirit God's Trial, the originally level ninety-nine strength was suppressed to level ninety-eight.

Honestly, changing the weather had already exceeded Tang San's expectations. Now he understood why each level increase for soul masters above level ninety-five was a qualitative leap.

Like Bibi dong now, although she isn't at level one hundred yet, for ordinary people, such ability is no different from that of legendary gods.

However, Tang San also understood that Bibi dong's move was just to condense soul power and shoot it into the clouds, causing it to burst open. It relied solely on majestic soul power.

If he wanted to do it himself, he could.

It just took a bit more effort.

"Elder Yi, what do you think of Bibi dong's talent?" Tang San inquired secretly.

"My surname is Eli, not Yi," Electrolux corrected somewhat speechlessly, then began his assessment. "This woman has innate talent, with a deathly aura, and fluctuations resembling those of deities. She must have received some inheritance from a deity, and a rather dark one at that... But, in my opinion, her compatibility with that deity isn't high. The deathly aura and soul aura she naturally carries suggest she's more suitable for receiving an inheritance from a god like the God of Death."

"Perhaps there's no God of Death in this world," Tang San mused. In the novel's setting, there was indeed a God of Death, who was the predecessor of Destruction, but later the original author changed the setting, turning the God of Death into the God of Destruction.

Tang San had already met the God of Destruction.

So, it's likely that there's no God of Death in the divine realm. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for the souls to be under the jurisdiction of the God of Death. In the original work, Ma Hongjun, who became a god, didn't need to be so sentimental about it...

"No God of Death? It's possible," Electrolux pondered for a moment. "I haven't sensed any death-related aura in the space channels connecting the divine realm and this plane. It seems that the divine realm isn't perfect."

After the clear weather, the preliminaries began!

Different from the usual points system, this time, the preliminaries of the competition adopted an elimination system. In each round, two teams would compete, and the winner would advance to the next round, while the loser would be directly disqualified.

After all, with no separate divisions like the Tian Dou and Star Luo Empires, more than a hundred high-level academies were gathered together. If they were to use a points system, it would probably take more than half a year to complete the competition.

Therefore, they adopted the elimination system.

This rule was also discussed and established by Bibi dong, Emperor Xue Ye, and Emperor Dai legao in a temporary discussion for two days.

(Lone Star: Did my information go out of date?)

However, if they lost to the main teams of the Tian Dou Royal Academy, Star Luo Royal Academy, or Martial Soul Hall, they could participate in the resurrection match.

The so-called resurrection match was for the teams that lost to these three teams, who wouldn't be completely eliminated. They would have another round of matches among themselves, and the winners would advance to continue participating in the elimination matches.

"The pairing for the first round of the preliminaries has been arranged!" Ju Douluo, acting as the referee, completed the arrangement of matches for more than a hundred teams and displayed it on the curtain raised at the edge of the arena using the mother-child soul-guided photography sphere, available for everyone to watch.

"Now, please invite the two teams from the first group of the first round to come onto the stage!"

"One team is from the Tian Dou Empire Royal Academy, one of the three teams directly advancing to the finals."

"And their opponents, also from the Tian Dou Empire, are the Shrek Academy Shrek Team!"

"Both sides, please take the stage within three minutes."

"It's our turn in the first round. Which of us will go on stage? For Shrek's team, it must be Dai Mubai, Oscar, Mutian, Ma Hongjun, Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, etc. The last one, Tai Long, might replace Mu tian or Dai Mubai." Qin Ming began to analyze for Tang San and the others.

Although he graduated from Shrek Academy, he is now the leader of the Tian Dou Royal Academy and must be responsible.

"I, Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, Yu Feng, Oslo, Shi Mo, Shi Mo." Tang San arranged.

"You're going to play in the first round?" Qin Ming was surprised. "Generally, aren't the trump cards hidden until the end?"

"That's true, but my theories are all published through the Martial Soul Daily. Others don't know me, but the Spirit Hall knows me well, so there's no need to hide." Tang San explained, "And, as a Martial Soul Theory Grandmaster, my identity should be truly revealed now."

"Well, since you have your own plan, I won't say much." Qin Ming couldn't stop Tang San's thoughts, so he could only accept them. "And, I also want to see what level your fifth spirit ring is."

After both teams took the stage, Ju Douluo began to select the battlefield.

The prairie!

With the ground trembling, a grassland measuring a hundred meters in length and width slowly rose from below.

This type of terrain, compared to solid ground, was just grassy and somewhat slippery, but much better than desert terrain.

"Oh? Tang San is the first to take the stage?" Bibi dong saw Tang San stepping onto the stage, his eyes brightening. In his heart, he thought, "A young talent, and also a Martial Soul Theory Grandmaster, indeed he should be this confident."

After both sides stepped onto the actual competition stage, under Judo Spirit Master's signal, they approached each other, standing about ten meters apart.

"I declare that the first match of the first round is officially beginning!"

"Now, both sides have one minute to activate their martial souls, reveal their spirit rings, and adjust themselves to their optimal condition."

Instantly, both sides released their martial souls, underwent soul fusion, and the yellow, purple, and black soul rings shimmered.

Especially the black ten-thousand-year soul rings, much to the delight of the audience.

Although the effect of whale gel had been revealed, those with ten-thousand-year fourth spirit rings were still extremely rare. No one expected the Tian Dou Royal Academy team to have three of them directly.

What's more, two of them were Soul Kings!

However, there was something even more surprising — the team leader of the Tian Dou Royal Academy had a fifth spirit ring that was red, with a deep red and ice blue pattern on it, extremely eye-catching.

"One hundred thousand year soul ring!"

Bibi dong's pupils suddenly contracted, unconsciously tightening his grip on the scepter in his hand, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice. "What a Tang San! What a Martial Soul Theory Grandmaster!"

"Actually being able to cultivate to this level with just Blue Silver Grass!"

"And, being able to withstand one hundred thousand year soul ring

at the level of a Soul King... How many did this guy secretly acquire before announcing the effect of whale gel? Has his body strength already reached the level of a Titled Douluo?"

Although he said that, Bibi dong didn't think Tang San had done anything wrong.

If there's an advantage, it's only natural to enjoy it first.

On the side of the Martial Soul Hall team, Hu Liena's eyes trembled, involuntarily clenching her fists. "Truly worthy of Tang San, the legendary Martial Soul Theory Grandmaster. I thought my sixth spirit ring, able to withstand over fifty-thousand years, was already very powerful, but I didn't expect you to withstand hundred-thousand-year level soul rings."

After the initial shock, Xie Yue quickly calmed down, saying, "Although a hundred-thousand-year soul ring is good, he's only a Soul King after all. We also have our own trump cards."

Yan also reassured her, "Yes, Nana, the fusion of your martial souls with Brother Xie Yue can already reach the level of a Titled Douluo."

"That's right, I shouldn't be so pessimistic. In terms of soul power level, I'm higher than Tang San, and I also have martial soul fusion skills." Hu Liena encouraged herself, but her confidence on the surface didn't reflect her true feelings —

A hundred-thousand-year soul ring meant that Tang San had killed a ten-thousand-year soul beast, and even the weakest ten-thousand-year soul beast was at the level of a Titled Douluo.

Did this mean that Tang San was already capable of confronting a Titled Douluo?

Hope Tang San just stumbled upon a heavily injured hundred-thousand-year soul beast...

The red hundred-thousand-year soul ring shocked everyone present, especially Yu Xiaogang, who stood up from his seat, his eyes glaring with rage. "Impossible!"

"A fifth soul ring withstanding hundred-thousand years!"

"What kind of monster is this?!"

Flander and Liu Erlong wanted to comfort him, but didn't know where to start.

After all, Tang San on the field had broken the norm.

Aside from those from Shrek, even Xu Xing from Star Crown Sect and Wang Chen from the second team of Tian Dou Royal Academy were filled with shock...

On the grassland battlefield...

Ju douluo looked at the red soul ring and secretly swallowed his saliva, recalling his thoughts of accepting Tang San as a disciple, feeling a twinge of embarrassment in his heart.

This kind of guy was beyond what he could teach.

"The battle begins!" With that, Ju douluo left the stage, leaving it to Tang San.

"Wow, Captain, you're amazing! You've kept it hidden for so long, I didn't expect your fifth soul ring to reach the level of hundred thousand years!" Yu Feng raised his thumb, his eyes filled with admiration.

The other team members also showed admiration, including Xiao Wu and Guang Ling who had known about it for a while.

"Stay calm." Tang San smiled, but his gaze fell on Ma Hongjun across the stage. Seeing him gritting his teeth, Tang San's lips moved slightly, forming a line, and he transmitted his voice, "I've said before, those surpassed by me are never seen as opponents. I'll give you time to catch up until you can no longer see me."

The original Death God appeared in "Wine God," alongside Life, as both are enforcers. However, after that, it never appeared again and was changed to Destruction, corresponding to Life. It makes sense, as if Death God really existed, it would have the power to control souls, and there would definitely be many deities from the mortal world seeking its help, and there would be a realm specifically for storing souls, like the underworld. But since there isn't, to fix the inconsistency, Death God was changed to Destruction... I can't even believe what I'm saying. It's definitely a set-up! After all, he also wrote "The Kind Death God," where the fool and the other gods from the divine realm, along with the Douluo Divine Realm, formed a large divine circle together.

(End of this chapter)