"I have not been back in two years. This place really has changed." Sitting inside a spirit-tool car, Xue Qinghe looked through the window at the street outside and sighed inwardly.
Half a month earlier, after learning that Wu Ling would participate in this tournament, Emperor Noctis had thought it over carefully and made a decision. He would send Xue Qinghe to Spirit City to observe the tournament finals.
After the tournament ended, Xue Qinghe would invite Wu Ling to a banquet as the crown prince of the Polaris Empire. After all, the two had spoken happily several years ago. Now that Xue Qinghe had become crown prince, he had come to renew old ties. Wu Ling should at least remember that old friendship and give the Polaris crown prince some face.
Of course, to protect Xue Qinghe's safety, Emperor Noctis had also had Prince Sirius contact Erasmus Graves and ask him to protect the crown prince.
That was why Erasmus Graves and the crown prince were riding in the same car.
Erasmus Graves looked at Xue Qinghe, who was still curiously observing the outside, with a complicated expression. An absurd feeling filled his heart. He had already joined Spirit Hall and could be called Spirit Hall's spy inside Polaris, yet he had been entrusted with protecting the crown prince.
Still, when he remembered the task Spirit Hall, or rather Wu Ling, had given him, helping Xue Qinghe ascend, he even began to feel a trace of suspicion toward the Xue Qinghe in front of him.
Thoughts were thoughts. The task still had to be done. He had even prepared his excuse. After this protection duty, he would claim to have recognized Xue Qinghe's excellence, then praise him tactfully in front of Emperor Noctis. That would make the job half complete.
While Erasmus Graves considered how to praise him after returning, in a spirit-tool car behind theirs, Alistair Jewel and the two Titled Sages were also observing the street scenery.
"Bicycles, spirit-tool cars, and those long poles on the road must be the streetlights from the reports. I heard they glow at night. Supposedly there are some small colored lamps too. We should bring some back for Cecilia when we return." Bone Sage Lucius Grimm always wore a faint, false smile, but only when he mentioned Cecilia did a hint of warmth appear.
Alistair Jewel listened to Bone Sage, but his eyes remained fixed on the spirit tools outside the window. At the same time, his right hand kept stroking the spirit-tool car beneath him.
"Of course we will bring Cecilia a gift. But the most important thing this time is still the offensive spirit tools in Spirit Hall's hands. For us support-type Spirit Masters, those tools are even more useful than they are for ordinary people.
"Unfortunately, Spirit Hall's supply is limited, and it prioritizes Spirit Hall's own Spirit Masters. Even after activating a few hidden pieces, we still could not obtain enough.
"And I do not believe there are only Spirit Adept level and lower offensive spirit tools. Spirit Hall definitely has stronger ones. They simply have not made them public."
After Alistair Jewel finished speaking, Bone Sage and Sword Sage both nodded slightly. As the guardians of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they naturally understood how useful offensive spirit tools would be for support-type Spirit Masters. But as for obtaining them from Spirit Hall, they had doubts.
"Fengzhi, will Spirit Hall really agree to sell offensive spirit tools to us? To put it bluntly, how is that different from raising a tiger to threaten itself?"
Alistair Jewel shook his head.
"I have already received intelligence. The true controller of the spirit-tool sector is that disciple of Bibi Dong, Wu Ling, because all of these spirit tools were made by him.
"He invented cultivation methods and spirit tools. As a genius, he is indeed astonishing, but in the end, he is still only a teenager.
"I have already made an agreement with Qinghe. At the banquet afterward, we will bypass Spirit Hall and make a deal with him directly. We will establish a condition that the tools cannot be used against Spirit Hall, add some additional bargaining chips, and I do not believe he will remain unmoved. And because Wu Ling would be trading with us as an individual, Spirit Hall would have difficulty saying much afterward.
"Even if he truly is not interested, it does not matter. I still have a second plan, and it should have a certain chance of success."
As Alistair Jewel spoke confidently, the spirit-tool car gradually stopped. The three exchanged a glance. Then Alistair Jewel stepped down first and met up with Xue Qinghe from the car ahead. As for Erasmus Graves, Bone Sage, and Sword Sage, they followed behind the two. Led by attendants, the group entered the residence Spirit Hall had built for distinguished guests.
"Young Master, the guests who have already arrived include Crown Prince Xue Qinghe of Polaris, Alistair Jewel of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the five deans of the Five Elements Academies, several Titled Sages, and Crown Prince Davis of the Star Stripe Empire..."
As Steward Li reported which guests had arrived, Wu Ling casually ate a freshly made dessert without the slightest pressure.
"Wait. I remember Davis is participating in this tournament, right?" Wu Ling suddenly interrupted and asked.
Steward Li answered calmly, then recited the intelligence directly.
"Because this tournament's championship reward is a title and fief provided by the Star Stripe Empire, this crown prince is also on the Star Stripe Empire's main team.
"It is said that the crown prince reached the Spirit Meister tier two months ago. Although his level is still low within that tier, he is the captain of this tournament's team. Among his six teammates, five are Spirit Meisters. The only Spirit Adept is Davis's fiancee, Zhu Zhuyun. Based on current estimates, the two have most likely completed a Martial Soul fusion skill.
"In addition, they have three substitute members, two Spirit Meisters and one Spirit Adept."
Hearing Steward Li report all the intelligence so clearly without even glancing at notes, Wu Ling nodded in satisfaction. As expected of the housekeeper Bibi Dong had found for him, he truly had some skill.
"Hmph. What Martial Soul fusion skill? If Brother Wu did not forbid us from entering, how would they have any chance to show off?"
On the grass nearby, Vulcan Brand was doing push-ups while enduring the severe pain in both arms, stubbornly looking down on the Star Stripe Empire's signature Martial Soul fusion skill.
Still, he was not being blindly arrogant. After Wu Ling's training, the five of them together, even with two Spirit Adepts among them, already had a real chance of taking the championship. Of course, before Wu Ling, they were still not quite enough.
Wu Ling only smiled without speaking. Serena Ivory, seated beside Vulcan Brand, said, "All right, Vulcan Brand. This tournament was basically prepared for Senior Brother Wu. The stronger they are, the better they can show how powerful Senior Brother Wu is."
"Enough. Focus on training. Next time will be your turn."
Once Wu Ling spoke, no one continued the discussion.
Outside, with the various parties arriving one after another, the finals and promotion stage of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament finally began.