The Victors (2)

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Yu Xiaogang's line-up proclaimed four Spirit Kings including himself, two Spirit Emperors, and one Spirit Sage.

Kun Chen, Rank 71 Spirit Sage was the vanguard of Yu Xiaogang's team with a beast-type martial soul— Diamond Duck that excelled in strength and defense. A healing-type auxiliary spirit master constantly assisted the group but it wasn't enough. Weaker than the average Spirit Sages they definitely were but it was not to the point that any Spirit King could simply walk over them.

What really tipped the favor to Yu Xiaogang's side, made his father clench his fist in rising frustration, and surprised Bibi Dong's group was a single fact that Golden Crocodile went through a great deal to hide. It was true that based on sheer talent, Yuehua was better than Xiaogang for her martial soul had a domain from the very beginning. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang confirmed one of the popular speculations that Ja Sun wanted to know beforehand by trying to converse with the man.

*Boom*

*Crackle*

Nine pillars of lightning expanded in a circular formation around the mighty Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon that instantly suppressed all the other elements within its domain while the pillars of lightning supported without any metal pole moved erratically, attacking the opponents with a sizzling shock.

Yu Xiaogang's victory still wasn't an easy one. The battle was merely slightly more favorable. It soon ended with a whip-like dragon's tail smashing the last opponent and after regaining their composure, the group bowed towards the Supreme Pontiff and left. On the other hand, a team of medical spirit masters took away the defeated team.

According to Bibi Dong, once healed, the group would be instantly sent out to their various duties. Keeping all these Spirit Sages insides the Spirit City where there was already a great concentration of Titled Douluo meant nothing but poor management of resources. It was clear that Qian Xunji wanted to make use of every resource under his name.

---

"Huff... nervous?" Walking through the corridor extending to the exit for the stage, Bibi Dong looked at Liu Erlong. Presently, aside from Ah Yin, the two were purebred fighters. Of course, Bibi Dong's area of expertise lied in control but Bibi Dong meant something else as she glanced at Liu Erlong's head.

"At least Ka-ul isn't here to make fun," Liu Erlong grunted before shaking her head, "It will grow back... I hope."

"Don't worry, if Ka-ul can grow it back, so can you." Jun'er smiled.

"I can still provide you a grass wig," Ah Yin spoke up with an eerie stare while Hu Lana broke into chuckles.

"No, thanks," Liu Erlong's lips twitched. All the way in the back was Oscar. He couldn't enter the conversation as easily as before. Xie Xan would be the one to start the fun conversation and Ja Sun would be the one to end it with a resounding bang. Oscar would act like a lubricant that transitioned the conversation from its beginning to end smoothly.

'What can I talk about hair... without offending them...' He also had other concerns. Ja Sun didn't care about the offense. Xie Xan never really poked that much against the nest of demise himself fully aware of his limits. So, at the moment, he only followed awkwardly.

"Stop spacing out," Hu Lana patted Oscar's back, "It makes you look like you're the one who's really worried about them,"

Oscar couldn't help but sigh, "It's just weird."

"Anyway, it won't be weird once we have our first victory. Nothing better than a little blood on your fists to warm you up," Liu Erlong smiled coldly.

"Don't worry, I'll be near you," Jun'er tiptoed behind and smoothly brushed off Hu Lana's hand, causing the fox to chuckle in amusement before she held Oscar's hand. The group smiled and walked out. Their opponents were already stepping up the stage. A total of fifteen minutes have passed since Yu Xiaogang's victory and the stage had been cleaned, too.

Now, aside from the Two Titled Douluos and a Spirit Douluo at the central viewing platform, there were two more Titled Douluos interested in the battle. For the most part, the core strength of Spirit Hall had always remained hidden but to other clans, it wouldn't come as a shock that the Spirit Hall had multiple Titled Douluos. Though threatening, due to various treaties between the two empires and the Spirit Hall, the former's existence is tolerated and not pulled into a war surrounded by the alliances of various clans.

Qian Daoliu's personal strength and Qian Xunji's mind deterred such circumstances.

As they stepped up the stage, Bibi Dong compressed her voice and informed calmly, "Keep to the plan. No need to reveal more than intended since this isn't our final stage. And Erlong, you'll get your chance for satisfaction later."

Erlong nodded.

Completing the formalities, the Spirit Douluo finally issued loudly.

"Prepare your martial souls!"

The opponent team of seven Spirit Sages all were quick to activate their spirit transformation but everyone held back their True Spirit Avatar yet. In reality, as amazing as a True Spirit Avatar is to a spirit master, it drains too much spirit energy and isn't used often unless fully confident in finishing a battle quickly or too hard-pressed that they have to use this ability as a last resort.

Aside from Bibi Dong, those who could activate their spirit transformation did, and the others too their position. Surprising her father and the Patriarch greatly, Liu Erlong revealed her new form. Her loss of hair, again, hardly mattered to the tempered Spirit Masters. It was her strength and a similar pressure that hit them. Fully clad in crimson scales, her limbs now sharp claws and a fleshy draconic wing grown on out of her right side of the back, the horned Liu Erlong stood out clearly.

'Ultimate... fire attribute,' Qian Xunji narrowed his eyes. Due to his martial soul, Qian Xunji has always been more perceptive of various fire attributes. Currently Liu Erlong represented a pure state of an element in his eyes.

Jun'er, too, activated her spirit transformation. Her ears elongated and grew fuzzy black fur while a tail grew out of her back and with an appropriate space already revealed, the furry tail hung out.

Liu Erlong stood in the front with Ah Yin and Bibi Dong behind her. In the end, was Oscar who refused to reveal his martial soul at the moment alongside Jun'er.

"Ready!"

The referee began.

"Start!"

The moment he shouted, Hu Lana and Yuehua stepped down of the stage.

Bibi Dong would have been kicked in the head if she risked a pregnant woman and a clearly weaker teammate just for show. The rule stated that seven members were needed to step into the ring, it didn't state anything else.

To Bibi Dong, Hu Lana had become a valued friend and she hoped wellness for her situation.

'Growth,' Ah Yin's Blue Silver Goddess gave an ethereal glow as Blue Silver Variants grew around the team and her yellow spirit ring quietly floated behind her. The grass didn't stretch out towards Liu Erlong as she exhaled deeply. Their opponents were well-prepared but overall, even with five of them, Bibi Dong was sure at her team's chances.

However, not wanting more complications than necessary, she had to go rougher than usual.

Two spirit masters with Boar-type enhancements rushed towards Erlong. A flying-type spirit master took to the sky and the remaining four quietly approached with measured steps while trying to find weaknesses.

Bibi Dong sneered seeing this.

Gesturing others to take care of the flying-type spirit master who was already preparing an attack by the looks of his spirit ring, only Erlong's fifth spirit ring appeared behind her.

Previously, she would grow a set of flaming horns but now, two extremely tiny horns began growing at a quick rate while Liu Erlong shot forward herself. Her claws were covered in flames. This wasn't her first spirit skill but a feat of pure element control that she now obtained after absorbing the Infernal Delicate Apricot. Ultimate Fire coursed through her body as it began collecting in the center space of the two sharp horns now thirty centimeters long each.

"Careful!" One of the boar brothers shouted and their purple spirit rings glowed while defending against Liu Erlong's claw.

"Ugh," one of them grunted with his furs torn and skin slightly charred.

"Quickly stop her!" The leader shouted as he felt tremendous spirit energy being focused in that point of crimson glow in between Erlong's horns.

"Beak Drill!" The flying-type spirit master shouted coldly, a black ring glowing while his feathers individually turned into dangerous drills. Hundreds of feather drills focused on Liu Erlong when she smirked.

Horn Obliteration.

Instead of directly attacking those nearest to her and killing them, which was strictly warned against by Bibi Dong, the other person who had managed to gain Liu Erlong's respect by helping her get a spirit bone from Ja Sun, the dragon aimed the dangerous beam of pure ultimate fire attribute towards the other four members still quite far away.

A mistake on their part since the objective of the competition for Bibi Dong and others was to simply end things quickly.

The fiery beam struck the stage instead. The stage couldn't be broken easily. In fact, it could bear the full might of a Spirit Douluo and only crack.

But Liu Erlong could set the stage on fire, right? Especially a fire that cannot be extinguished by anyone but her.

On the other hand, before the drills could incapacitate Liu Erlong who also fought the boar brothers revealing her martial talent cultivated through years of relentless training, hundreds of equally sharp and corrosive pink thorns shot out from beside Bibi Dong that struck every feathered drill with greater force.

"Let's do it, then!" The spirit master in the air scowled and let out a piercing cry. His body began to grow and shift into an even bestial form while his seventh spirit ring gave a dangerous glow. At his action, others did the same.

Liu Erlong was caught by Ah Yin using her stretched-out Blue Silver Goddess and she pulled the growling dragon back.

"Come on! It was only getting better!"

"Keep your mind in check," Ah Yin replied calmly. Her task was simple: to keep Liu Erlong within limits.

*Grrr*

The remaining six spirit masters all used their True Spirit Avatars, too. Boars, Vulture, Wolves, and a particularly strong Bear.

Understanding that the True Spirit Avatar would only boost their opponent's greatest quality to the next level, the group grew serious themselves.

Out of all the teammates, there were four individuals who could now use a domain. Ah Yin, Bibi Dong, Tang Yuehua, and Liu Erlong.

Of them, Tang Yuehua's is particularly impressive but it is much too weak. Ah Yin's domain, too, is useful but until now, nobody aside from the team has known to its greater abilities. In fact, the act of camouflaging her spirit ring was not known to anyone besides Ja Sun. And for this reason, Bibi Dong had Ah Yin and Erlong keep their domain as hidden as possible.

Meanwhile, Bibi Dong's domain was simple.

Pure, unadulterated killing intent.

Her soft pink pupils turned deep red as a frosty white domain spread out. The opponents instantly felt their bodies shivering while the cold also served to rouse her teammates.

The battle turned much easier then.

{A/N: I understand that I haven't written the group battles particularly well, and while Ja Sun is away, I don't intend to either. Now, I know that this would glaze over all the benefits I have written over the months for the group's advancement but I don't intend to use all the descriptions and words on a competition that doesn't matter at the time. Without spoiling, I can tell you that aside from Yu Xiaogang, only a few other battles matter during the finals and a little... hehe, secret.}

---

Only five teams remained after the first round. Since the last portion of the qualifiers was supposed to end quickly in the first place, the teams got picked to fight the next day itself. Once again, deliberately, Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong's team matched against the teams of Soldiers while the remaining one was allowed to rest.

The two guests from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan decided to stay to view the entirety of the event. It was a great risk on their part for they would be leaving the clan unguarded but with what the two elders of the clan considered one of the best of 'their' clan, they felt it was worth their while.

Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul's awakening had long been reported back by the youth's older brother the very same night during the war that Xiaogang decided to join the Spirit Hall. What the Patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan did not know was that his youngest son would be taken in by the most famed spirit master of the generation older than Qian Daoliu— Golden Crocodile.

Even as a reclusive elder of the Spirit Hall, the elder was well-known to those who have survived years of weathering.

Unlike Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong was more active. Her reputation already known to be bloody and unkind amongst other clans and her act of killing a clan member unable to be contained. She lived only because of her talent and thirst for strength, something that was steered to a much more complicated yet simple direction after one unsightly encounter with Violet and Ja Sun. But the two elders did not expect Liu Erlong's martial soul to evolve.

It was evolution, they were certain of it. Mutations hardly ever bring a further awakening of the martial soul because a weaker mutation means a lack of innate potential from the Martial Soul's side and the process of awakening in itself is considered ignition of latent potential.

Liu Erlong added on to her martial soul instead, evolving her martial soul into Infernal Dragon King with qualities far surpassing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Due to these two, the negotiations between the two factions had already begun only for the two elders to find themselves completely shut off from their efforts.

It was clear that neither Golden Crocodile nor Bibi Dong would give their treasures: A pupil and a reliable friend.

---

"Just throw it away, it's useless," Ja Sun replied calmly while keeping his eyes closed. He sat in a meditative stance in front of Xie Xan. Around Ja Sun revolved the sheer killing intent filled in this location that also masked his presence. Many spirit masters: guards, roamed the streets of the Slaughter City after his act. With no witness alive, Ja Sun, of course, remained quite carefree. He hadn't left the confines of the outer city yet.

"I can participate in the Slaughter arena with the ID card. It's useful for the moment," Xie Xan remained relatively calm but the sheer killing intent was affecting him greatly.

"The people outside say the more someone kills, the greater the killing intent surrounds them and the harder it is to control unless they drink bloody mary," Xie Xan breathed roughly as he recalled the sight of lava-like blood in a small glass.

"It's like saying the only method to peace is by blood," Ja Sun rolled his eyes and harshly slapped Xie Xan.

*Pah*

Xie Xan's eyes snapped open as he glared at Ja Sun while the more experienced killer frowned, "Bitch, you said you were here to have an experience of your life. You can't have an experience while being in a drug-addled state. It's just killing intent. Don't absorb it. Don't restrict it. Let it flow into one pore and escape through the other!"

"Easy for you to say!" Xie Xan crossed his arms while Ja Sun raised his index, "Now you listen carefully. I will give you the experience you wanted while coming here. Bibi Dong said that it took her two years to leave this place, we'll do it in one."

"Really?" Xie Xan remarked while the killing intent around him dispersed for the most part.

"Yes, I won't spend more than a month in this location for now."

Ja Sun smiled and Xie Xan's lips twitched.

[Objective: Breakthrough the Slaughter City and find an enclosed space privately to pump your fist.

Optional Objectives:

1) Complete the task in 9 months.

2) Complete the task in 6 months.

3) Complete the task in 3 months.

4) Complete the task in 1 month.

Mission Rank: C/B/A/A/A

Mission Rewards: The Ring Scriptures/ Spirit Ring Sublimation Array/Spirit Bestowal Array/Spirit Bestowal Array/Spirit Bestowal Array.

Time Limit: 12/9/6/3/1 Months]

Ja Sun was well aware that his experience in understanding the natural arrays had developed greatly once he cracked the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. This lowered the supposed difficulty. And the creation of a mission any lower than 30 days didn't seem possible. It was likely that a restriction was placed on the land for some reason to avoid any spirit master to leave too quickly.

As he entered the city, Ja Sun had already affirmed this location to be influenced by unnatural Spatial Attribute and the act of a very familiar form of energy, a type of energy that Yu Xiaogang's martial soul had dropped once Ja Sun killed it— the soul origin— being sucked by the moon fascinated him.

To make matters even easier, the killing intent did not affect Ja Sun but supported him. It wasn't a poison to him but a great source of spring water.

"You want to participate in that competition right? Hu Lana will have my head if something did happen to you... well, I have a weapon for you. We have waited in here for a day so it's time we enter the inner section of the city."

Ja Sun remarked with a smile and Xie Xan groaned, lying down on his back on the cold floor, "Man... I already miss Nana."

Standing up, Ja Sun kicked Xie Xan again, "Remember, let the killing and slaughter energy pass. That's how you will become the real deal."

"And where are you off to?" Xie Xan inquired.

"Taking measurements of the outer section of the city."

"I'll join," Xie Xan quickly stood up and both of them stared at each other.

"Why?" Ja Sun inquired. A little weirded out. He never recalled being chummy with Xie Xan aside from the relaxing walk and exploration of the Heaven Dou City alongside Oscar.

"Why... not? The killing intent here is definitely worthy of exploration. Even my control of spirit energy is increasing here..."

"No, seriously. Why?" Ja Sun blinked.

"Fine... I saw a few rapists out there... I wanted to kill them," Xie Xan pursed his lips.

"Oh, fine then," Ja Sun shrugged. It would be unsightly of him to stop a man on a crusade.

Anyway, Ja Sun was planning to kill a few people to test the effects on this land in the first place.