"Team Chen Junting wins!"
The referee's voice echoed across the arena.
As the announcement fell, the oppressive murderous aura around the Lan sisters dissipated. The ominous character for "Kill," carved into the battlefield, slowly faded.
Chen Junting stepped toward the twins.
"You two alright?"
Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo instinctively shook their heads.
But as they regained their senses and caught sight of the deep groove left by the "Kill" slash, fear flickered in their eyes. The memory of being trapped in that suffocating aura came rushing back.
Their gaze toward Chen Junting was now laced with dread.
"They're fine. Me, not so much."
Qin Lan, supported by Gao Ming, forced a wry smile. She had tried to disrupt the sisters' fusion skill but ended up caught herself, and later, Chen Junting's own murderous aura had washed over her during the final assault.
"You did well," Chen Junting said, walking over and sheathing the Seven Killing Sword. He offered a rare encouraging smile. "At least you remembered to go for their fusion skill. You just missed the timing."
"Alright, alright, Boss Chen, stop rubbing it in," Qin Lan sighed, half laughing, half helpless.
The three of them checked on their opponents. Thankfully, the Lan sisters were only exhausted, suffering from soul power depletion and backlash from their broken fusion. Huang Chutian, though he'd taken a serious hit, had been spared heavy injuries thanks to Chen Junting's restraint and the referee's timely intervention. After healing, he was already on the mend.
With this victory, Chen Junting's team advanced to the quarterfinals.
Up in the viewing platform, Yan Shaozhe watched the tournament unfold. With the fallout from Zhou Yi's scandal still fresh, he had been paying closer attention to the academy's inner workings — and today, to the students in the top sixteen.
Chen Junting's team had finished early, naturally drawing his focus.
"Wei Lun," Yan Shaozhe said, turning to his colleague, "that's Chen Junting from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, isn't it?"
Du Weilun nodded. "Yes, that's him."
He sighed deeply. "Even two soul masters using fusion skills couldn't push him to his full strength. Unbelievable."
Before he could finish, Yan Shaozhe let out a soft laugh.
"The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect really is fortunate. With his talent, Chen Junting is guaranteed a place in the inner courtyard. Back then, Bowen and Zihan just missed the cut."
Du Weilun offered a tight smile but said nothing.
Inside, he felt a pang of nostalgia. Ning Bowen and Yang Zihan had been his classmates once, both rising stars. After graduation, Ning Bowen had married Yang Zihan and gone on to lead the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.
"Wei Lun, aside from Chen Junting, who else is worth keeping an eye on?" Yan Shaozhe asked, turning his attention back to the other teams.
Du Weilun didn't hesitate.
"As far as soul masters go, Xie Huanyue shows excellent defensive capabilities. His martial soul potential isn't quite at Xu Sanshi's level, but his cultivation talent might even surpass it. Then there's Cao Jinxuan from Class 10 — his martial soul is the Time Flies Bell, with rare time attributes. Unfortunately, soul beasts with time elements are nearly extinct, so his development will be limited by his soul ring choices."
Du Weilun continued listing names, breaking down strengths and potential.
Yan Shaozhe nodded along in approval.
"If we can get these students into the semi-finals," he said, "we'll mark them as core disciples — or at least reserves."
"Understood."
Soon, the matches wrapped up, and the top eight were finalized.
—
That afternoon, the quarterfinals began.
Until now, the four soul master–level teams had avoided clashing. But the draw for the final four was different.
"The Xie Huanyue team and the Dai Huabin team got matched," Qin Lan noted, watching the lineup for arena one. She turned to Gao Ming, who was pretending not to care, and teased, "Who do you think wins?"
"Seriously?" Gao Ming rolled his eyes. "Dai Huabin's team has a martial soul fusion skill. Once they use it, they'll toss Xie Huanyue around like a toy."
"Agreed," Qin Lan replied, nodding.
They both knew — no one, apart from their own captain, could stand against the Netherworld White Tiger, a martial soul with centuries of fierce legacy.
"Stop jinxing them," Chen Junting chided lightly as he stepped forward to draw lots.
Luck favored them.
They avoided an internal match and, even better, drew a team weaker than Huang Chutian's from the morning. Victory came swiftly, propelling them into the semi-finals.
The other results unfolded as expected.
Huo Yuhao's team played it close, hiding their full strength but still pulling off a win.
Ning Tian's team faced Zhou Sichen's squad. Under the overwhelming amplification of Ning Tian's Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, Wu Feng at level 27 fought like an elite assault-type master. Red dragon flames roared, claws slashed, and with Nanmen Yuner's support, they crushed Zhou Sichen's team.
As for the much-anticipated match between Xie Huanyue's team and Dai Huabin's — Gao Ming had been right. Xie Huanyue's squad never even forced Dai Huabin's team to reveal their trump card, the Netherworld White Tiger.
"A shame," Qin Lan murmured.
Chen Junting said nothing, but his eyes darkened slightly.
Arrogant, domineering, petty... but strong, he thought, sizing up Dai Huabin. Still, no matter how strong, some things are inevitable.
—
After the matches, outside the arena, Ning Tian and her team joined Chen Junting's group. Huo Yuhao and his teammates followed shortly after.
Almost immediately, Huo Yuhao suggested a celebration.
"Oh? A dinner party?" Chen Junting raised a brow.
"Exactly!" Wu Feng cut in before Huo Yuhao could answer, with Wang Dong eagerly nodding beside her. Clearly, this had been their idea from the start.
"We're all in the top four! Three of the teams are from Class Nine — if that's not worth celebrating, what is?" Wu Feng grinned.
"She's not wrong," Chen Junting admitted with a laugh. "We've earned it."
Ning Tian suggested they book a proper banquet in Shrek City, but Wu Feng and Wang Dong objected at once.
"No way," Wu Feng said firmly. "A celebration like this needs to be homemade."
Chen Junting chuckled. "You just want Huo Yuhao's grilled fish."
Wu Feng smirked but didn't deny it.
Chen Junting's eyes shifted to the viewing platform. "Xiaotian, go invite Teacher Mu Jin. Even if she declines, it's only polite."
"Understood."
Ning Tian nodded, smiling. She knew Mu Jin was unlikely to come — but an invitation was still the right move.
—
(End of Chapter)