Chapter 217: The Final Champion and Choices

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The intense steam was hot enough to scald skin. In fact, steam can damage skin more severely than direct exposure to fire or water.

"Whoosh—"

With a single breath, Tianfeng blew away the white smoke, revealing the collapsed figures of Hu Liena and Yan.

Their skin was red, and their eyes were glazed over, as if they had been boiled alive. If it weren't for the fact that they were still breathing, no one would have believed they were alive.

"Can they still compete with these injuries?" Huo Wu wondered. Even with Jiuhao's addition, she expected the match to take a while, but she didn't anticipate that three Soul Emperors would be defeated so quickly.

The transformation of the Haotian Hammer into a beast truly defied logic.

It seemed as though Jiuhao understood Huo Wu's words. Tianguang and Tianshui exchanged glances, their eyes glowing in unison. Two unique patterns formed in front of their mouths, resembling water-like beams of light that gently fell onto Hu Liena and Yan, soothing their scalded skin and restoring their damaged tissue.

Seeing this, almost every spectator was convinced that Tang San's second spirit wasn't the Haotian Hammer. After all, what Haotian Hammer could transform into a beast and even heal people?

Hu Liena and Yan woke up, but their spirit power was completely depleted from the battle against the fire tornado, light rain, and steam.

"We lost." Hu Liena's face was full of bitterness. She knew she was no match for Tang San, but she had never imagined she couldn't even compete against one of his spirits.

What's more, this spirit had been acting on its own, without Tang San's direct control.

Yan, similarly dejected, looked at Huo Wu and said, "We concede."

On the other side, Tang San was facing off against Yu Tianxin and Feng Xiaotian. Despite being outnumbered, he was holding his own with just the Mysterious Jade Hand and the art of redirecting force.

"Damn it, is the gap really this big?" Yu Tianxin gritted his teeth, his chest heaving as the lightning coiling around him flickered. His spirit power was clearly running low.

"Sorry, you two. I need to conserve my spirit power for later." Tang San had no intention of dragging out the fight. With a single step, he covered a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

It was speed at its peak!

Only Bibi Dong could discern the subtlety of this move, her eyes filled with seriousness. "At that speed, even ordinary Titled Douluos would struggle to avoid a sneak attack!"

With a light tap on the back of Yu Tianxin's head, Tang San rendered him unconscious.

Feng Xiaotian immediately backed away, keeping his eyes locked on Tang San.

But in an instant, Tang San vanished.

"Where did he go?"

Feng Xiaotian halted and looked around, only to find himself bumping into someone from behind. Sweat beads formed on his forehead.

Bang!

A blow to the back of the head blurred Feng Xiaotian's vision and caused him to lose control of his body. He collapsed on the ground, stiff as a board.

"Now it's just Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuyun, and Shui Bing'er, along with Shui Yue'er."

Looking back at the volcanic region, he saw Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue already defeated by Jiuhao; with boundless grass to aid him, Yu Tianheng would soon take care of the Soul Ancestor.

Meanwhile, Xiaowu—

The fusion technique of Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er had transformed into a nearly solid ice phoenix. Its wingspan covered about sixty meters, and the area around it was coated in snow, indicating a domain-like ability they called "Snow Drift."

Perhaps because Yu Tianxin and Feng Xiaotian had been defeated, the ice phoenix decided to go all out. With a mighty flap of its wings, it unleashed a barrage of icy feathers at Xiao wu.

However, Xiao Wu was no longer the same person she used to be.

With the agility granted by the Waist Bow, she had incredible flexibility, which, combined with her long braid, made her nearly unstoppable. The Listening Wind skill allowed her to sense air fluctuations, enhancing her perception and enabling her to anticipate events three seconds ahead. The True Spirit Bone gave her a unique combination of flexibility and strength, reinforcing her physical attributes. Lightning Flash provided incredible speed, while the final skill, Blazing Fist, significantly increased her punching power, allowing her to attack at both close and long range.

As the thousands of icy feathers from the Ice Phoenix rained down, Xiao Wu soared through the air, skillfully dodging the barrage while using the incoming feathers to propel herself upward.

In a flash of lightning, she reached the Ice Phoenix's head. Activating her True Spirit Bone, she swung her scorpion tail braid, wrapping it around the Ice Phoenix's neck, then twisted her waist, delivering a powerful kick that struck its neck like a mountain being split in half.

"Go down, you big bird!"

With a burst of energy, Xiao Wu's kick forced the massive Ice Phoenix, with a wingspan exceeding ten meters, down by seven or eight meters.

As she released her scorpion tail braid, she used the momentum from the kick to momentarily pause in mid-air. The fifth spirit ring on her belt lit up.

"Fifth Spirit Skill: Blazing Fist!"

Xiao Wu clenched her fists, channeling the power of fire. The flames grew intense, morphing into a fiery rabbit over ten meters in length.

Blazing Fist had two primary uses when wielded by Xiao Wu. The first was to infuse her hands with fire for rapid punches. The second, as she was doing now, involved concentrating the fire into her fists and launching it as a flaming rabbit-like projectile.

The Ice Phoenix had barely recovered from Xiao Wu's initial attack when the Blazing Fist struck its back, delivering immense impact and searing heat. The shock of the blow, combined with the intense heat, caused the Ice Phoenix to shatter upon impact with the ground.

Bang!

The Ice Phoenix crumbled into pieces, leaving Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er lying on the ground, entirely incapacitated.

Xiao Wu performed a graceful mid-air somersault before landing smoothly on her feet.

Now, the only fight left was between Zhu Zhuqing and the Netherworld white tiger.

During the preliminary elimination rounds, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun had demonstrated the power of the Netherworld White Tiger, but the current one was far more formidable.

This one was over twenty meters tall, its eyes gleaming with intelligence, its body enveloped in swirling black-and-white energy, and its wingspan stretched over fifty meters.

To call it awe-inspiring was an understatement.

"Dai Weisi is no pushover," Yu Tianheng remarked as he joined Tang San, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling, gazing at the imposing white tiger in the distance, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.

If it weren't for Zhu Zhuqing's request not to interfere, and the fact that this was a matter between the Starluo Empire's noble families, Yu Tianheng would have jumped into the fray himself to challenge Dai Weisi and experience the full might of the Netherworld White Tiger.

If the Netherworld White Tiger truly belonged to a family, then the title of top beast spirit might well shift from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon to this majestic spirit.

"Roar!"

At that moment, Jiuhao came running over with Huo Wu, letting out a loud roar. All five of his eyes gazed at the Netherworld White Tiger with contempt.

How could this mere Netherworld White Tiger possibly compare to him?

Tang San patted each of Jiuhao's five heads, signaling for him to remain calm and not interfere in the contest between Zhu Zhuqing and the Netherworld White Tiger.

"San Ge, do you think Zhu Zhuqing can win?" Xiao Wu asked with some concern.

"Yes, she can," Tang San replied confidently. "In this battle, she's also practicing her own spirit skills, likely gaining insights from the Netherworld White Tiger."

As Tang San suspected, Zhu Zhuqing had been avoiding the Netherworld White Tiger's attacks while studying its energy flow, comparing it to her own Netherwoeld Spirit Cat. After absorbing the soul ring of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, her spirit gained the power of darkness, a property that seemed similar to the dark energy within the Ghostly White Tiger.

What if she channeled her soul power along the same path as the Netherworld White Tiger's dark energy? Would it work?

Zhu Zhuqing was someone who acted on her ideas without hesitation. Once she thought of something, she would immediately try it without overthinking.

As she mimicked the energy flow, she sensed the "refinement circuit" and "maintenance circuit" within her spirit, the "pivot point" between them. Usually, during soul power cultivation, Zhu Zhuqing could vaguely sense it, but now she could clearly perceive it, noticing that her spiritual power was flowing into it.

"It feels like a key," she mused as she dodged the Netherworld White Tiger's claws. Her eyes turned completely black, with only a faint blue hue, giving her an almost otherworldly appearance.

In this state, Zhu Zhuqing felt as if she were seeing a different world—the sky, clouds, earth, and trees seemed to be filled with unseen energy.

This was the energy that soul masters could use to convert into their own soul power!

When she looked at the Netherworld White Tiger, Zhu Zhuqing saw it as two intertwined energy forms—one part was light, forming the skeletal framework of a white tiger, while the other was dark, resembling a spirit cat that provided the muscle and flesh.

"So this is why the Netherworld White Tiger and Netherworld Spirit Cat can fuse."

"It's not about the specific spirits. It's about achieving a balance between light and dark. The higher the balance, the greater the compatibility for spirit fusion."

With this understanding, Zhu Zhuqing activated her Dark Demon Bone Armor and leaped into the air, her soul power surging as she drew in energy from the surrounding environment, covering a large portion of the arena.

Most people couldn't sense much, thinking she was about to unleash a powerful spirit skill. However, those at the level of Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo were stunned.

Zhu Zhuqing, with her Soul Ancestor-level soul power, was manipulating the natural energy in the environment, covering a significant portion of the arena!

Even those with soul power exceeding level 95 couldn't control natural energy—they could only disrupt it or use special soul ring skills to affect it.

But Zhu Zhuqing was breaking the norm!

How was she able to do it?

"It seems Zhu Zhuqing has found some kind of key," Tang San noted, watching her with a satisfied smile. "She can use her internal soul power to leverage the external world's energy, achieving control over natural energy." He nodded, confirming his suspicion that the "pivot point" was closer to the "maintenance circuit."

Inside the Netherworld White Tiger, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun felt completely exposed, with no secrets left.

They tried to resist, but the Netherworld White Tiger didn't respond to their control!

The Netherworld White Tiger trembled.

The Netherworld Spirit Cat howled in despair.

The feedback from their spirits felt like facing divine wrath. Not only could they not resist, but they didn't even dare think about escaping, gripped by overwhelming fear.

Spirits have their own sentience, carrying ancient memories from the bloodline. The Netherworld White Tiger, born from the fusion of the White Tiger and Spirit Cat, did not dare to move an inch.

"Scatter!"

Zhu Zhuqing roared, manipulating the surrounding natural energy to form two enormous claws, each several meters long. One claw swirled with spiral-shaped wind blades, while the other was entirely made of lightning.

Both claws grabbed the Netherworld White Tiger and pulled in opposite directions.

Riiip!

The Netherworld White Tiger was torn in half!

The energy of light and darkness dispersed, revealing Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, who had been forcibly separated from their spirit fusion technique. Both were severely injured and unable to continue fighting.

With that, the Tian Dou Royal Team had defeated the Godwind Academy, Star luo Royal Team, and Spirit Hall Team, claiming victory in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament!

The entire stadium erupted in cheers, and the viewers watching via the mother-child spirit-guided image balls were equally ecstatic.

"Tang San won!"

"The Tian Dou Royal Team won!"

"The tournament's champion is no longer from Spirit Hall!"

"Come to think of it, the Tian Dou Royal Team has quite a mixed lineup—members from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, nobles from Star luo, commoners, and even a 'sinner'..."

"A sinner?"

"That Tang San..."

"He's a master of spirit theory. What does he have to do with Haotian Sect? Maybe that hammer just looks like the Haotian Hammer. Who's ever seen a Haotian Hammer that can turn into a five-headed dragon?"

"I heard Tang San's innate spirit power was only at level six."

The audience buzzed with speculation, but no one believed that Tang San's success was solely due to his second spirit.

After all, Tang San's primary spirit was the Blue Silver Grass/Emperor.

"Ye Lingling, it's your turn to help everyone recover," Tang San signaled to Ye Lingling, allowing her to demonstrate her ability—a precaution to prevent long-term injuries that might cause grudges in the future.

"Watch me, Captain!" Ye Lingling stepped forward, cupping her hands. All four soul rings of her Nine-Hearted Begonia spirit lit up simultaneously.

Nine petals, eighteen petals, thirty-six petals, and seventy-two petals.

A total of 135 petals of the Nine-Hearted Begonia appeared, forming interlocking rings.

Then, the 135 petals merged into one giant Nine-Hearted Begonia that gently descended to the ground.

From above, it looked like a radiant and sacred flower blooming on the Douluo Continent, beautiful and magnificent.

"Bloom in an instant!"

"In a moment, and also for eternity!"

Everyone on the battlefield who had been defeated felt the soothing touch of the flower petals. They awoke, their bodies restored to their best condition, including their soul power.

The Nine-Hearted Begonia's unique healing power only worked as a single-target skill, but when combined into a formation, it could gather natural energy and refine it, making it easier for soul masters to absorb.

This meant that while treating a soul master's injuries, the formation also infused them with natural energy, aiding in the rapid recovery of their spirit power.

However, Xu Xing remained severely injured.

Due to the shockwave from Tang San's hammer strike, he was sent out of the arena and had already been taken away by members of the Star Crown Academy, missing out on the perfect healing provided by the Nine-Hearted Begonia.

Considering the force behind that hammer, even the residual shockwave was enough to keep Xu Xing bedridden for at least half a year.

After all, not every healing spirit could match the potency of the Nine-Hearted Begonia.

"No wonder the Nine-Hearted Begonia is unrivaled in healing. If it weren't for the fact that its effect is different from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda and that it has a defect in its spirit inheritance, it would be a serious threat to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect," commented Ning Fengzhi, impressed by the powerful healing results achieved by Ye Lingling with Tang San's help.

However, Ning Fengzhi didn't see the Nine-Hearted Begonia line as a threat—since it was a spirit with limited hereditary transmission, it could never grow as large as sects with stable spirit inheritance, like the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Unless they adopted Spirit Hall's mode of growth... but Spirit Hall wouldn't allow any family to replace them. Therefore, the Nine-Hearted Begonia line could only remain a small family.

After the championship was decided, the fight for second and third place began.

Thanks to Ye Lingling's exceptional healing ability, all three teams had recovered to their best condition (except for Xu Xing, the unfortunate one). Bibi Dong didn't delay and allowed the three teams to battle each other in a round-robin format to determine the runners-up.

Eventually, Spirit Hall Academy took second place.

The Star luo Royal Team secured third place, thanks to their powerful spirit fusion technique, with decent coordination, outmatching the Divine wind Academy team, which was more of a temporary arrangement.

Even though Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er could perform spirit fusion, they couldn't match the Netherworld White Tiger from Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun.

Thus, Divine wind Academy settled for fourth place.

This edition of the All-Continent Elite Tournament had been one of the most exciting in history and also the quickest to end. The entire competition wrapped up before noon.

With the tournament over, Bibi Dong instructed her aides to bring out three ten-thousand-year-old spirit bones, placed on a jade tray, and addressed the members of the Tian Dou Royal Team standing on the "Douluo Continent" stage: "Please, winners, come forward to receive your prize."

With the eyes of the entire Tian Dou Royal Team and other onlookers on him, Tang San took a deep breath, adjusted his focus, and slowly walked toward Bibi Dong, who stood in front of the Pope's Hall.

One step.

Two steps.

When Tang San reached Bibi Dong, she raised her scepter, causing the three spirit bones on the jade tray to float toward him, held aloft by her soul power.

However, Tang San's gaze was not on the spirit bones.

This prompted a look of approval from Bibi Dong.

"Congratulations, Tang San, for leading the Tian Dou Royal Academy to victory and earning the championship," Bibi Dong said. "The future of the soul master world belongs to you!"

"Would you be interested in joining Spirit Hall?"

Tang San replied, "Aren't I already an Honorary Elder of Spirit Hall?"

Bibi Dong shook her head, "That's not the same. I mean truly joining Spirit Hall, becoming a member. If you're capable, the position of Pope could eventually be yours."

At that moment, everyone was watching Tang San. Some hoped he would join Spirit Hall, while others didn't want him getting too close to the organization...

(End of chapter)