Wu Ling's order went out, and Spirit Hall branches across the Polaris Empire, and even across Soul Land, began moving at once. Because of the Elite Tournament, advanced Spirit Master academies everywhere had been unusually active, and once Spirit Hall started looking into them, no small number of problems surfaced.
On top of that, Shrek Academy's recent eye-catching performance had naturally irritated certain people. Spirit Hall's cleanup of the academy world had also angered many groups. As one of the sparks that helped set everything off, Shrek became an easy target for that resentment.
Under those circumstances, several academies began boycotting Shrek. After losing to Shrek in the tournament, they jointly filed a protest with the tournament committee and demanded severe punishment.
The matter caused quite a disturbance. The main issue was Tang San. In order to win, and because he had wanted to vent some of his anger, he had used a number of sinister Tang Sect methods. Many opponents had lost without even understanding what had happened. Worse, those methods could not be explained away as spirit tools. Since Tang San had no clean explanation, the defeated academies were naturally unwilling to accept it.
Even without those tricks, the miscellaneous academies protesting together would not have been Shrek's match. In the end, Shrek was not truly sanctioned. They received a verbal warning, and Tang San was banned from several matches.
A week slipped by. The preliminary rounds continued in full swing. Once Tang San's suspension ended, he led the Shrek team through several impressive comeback victories. Although they lost their winning streak in the end, they still advanced.
Soon, all twenty-seven preliminary rounds approached their end. The teams that had qualified were already settled. The teams with the strongest records included Divine Wind Academy, Heavenly Water Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, Elephant Armor Academy, and Shrek Academy.
After Emperor Noctis delivered his encouragement, the academy teams began leaving the venue. Those who had advanced went to rest and prepare. Those who had failed could finally relax.
Between the preliminary rounds and the finals, there was still a promotion round. Compared with the rest of the tournament, this stage was the easiest and least tense.
The promotion round was essentially a ranking round for teams that had already entered the finals. Their ranking would decide the order of matches in the final stage. Since it did not involve elimination, many academies would not send out their strongest lineups and cared far less about winning or losing.
The rules were simple. It was a ring battle. Each team sent seven students forward one by one. The winner stayed on the field. The losing side sent the next student. The match continued until all students on one side were defeated.
In other words, the promotion round was a stage for individual strength. Its main purpose was to let the upper ranks of the two empires and Spirit Hall identify especially outstanding young Spirit Masters among the contestants.
But now that Spirit Hall had risen again, that purpose mattered much less. In the past, Spirit Hall had needed to fight the two empires for talent. Now it could afford to be casual. Spirit Hall already controlled the general trend, and the two empires did not have many days left to keep jumping around.
"Tang San."
Just as the Shrek team was preparing to leave, a group in blue uniforms blocked their path. The young man at the front called Tang San by name.
"Isaac Gale."
Tang San frowned at the youth who had come looking for him. Isaac's blue uniform made him look especially imposing, and the dangerous aura in his body gave Tang San a powerful sense of pressure.
Most importantly, during their last match, Tang San had only managed to force a draw by using the Clear Sky Hammer. The next second, Isaac had jumped off the stage and surrendered, claiming, "A Spirit King tying a Spirit Daoist means you win this time."
"Captain Gale, what do you want?"
"His Highness Son will soon leave. Before that, I want to show what I have learned over the years. It can be considered my way of proving that his cultivation of me was not wasted."
Tang San's brow tightened slightly. The moment this involved the Saint, he felt the situation become troublesome.
"Relax. This is my own idea," Isaac said. "I only want to spar with you using self-created Spirit Skills. I can suppress my Spirit Power to level forty and fight only with self-created skills. I want to see the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method of your Clear Sky Hammer."
"If you accept this fight, then from now until the finals, I will not appear in any match between Divine Wind Academy and Shrek Academy."
Tang San's eyes narrowed. He thought for a long time. According to Isaac, as long as Tang San fought him once, Divine Wind Academy would essentially give up victory against Shrek during the promotion round. Although the promotion round was not that important, a win was still a win.
"Fine."
After thinking it over, Tang San accepted the challenge. Being able to observe Isaac's self-created Spirit Skill did not count as a loss.
News that Tang San had accepted Isaac Gale's challenge spread quickly. The Great Spirit Arena, which had been preparing to close, suddenly became lively again.
Although this was only a private duel between two students, Divine Wind and Shrek were both seeded teams in the Polaris City division. Isaac and Tang San were also core members of their respective teams. Naturally, the match attracted a great deal of attention.
On the arena stage, Tang San and Isaac faced each other and released their Martial Souls.
"Awooo!"
A wolf's howl came from Isaac's mouth. Faint blue light emerged from his body, and two yellow, two purple, and two black Spirit Rings appeared as his muscles and bones expanded.
Two wolf heads stared coldly at Tang San, making him feel a faint chill. Isaac's mutated Martial Soul, the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf, had improved through his years of cultivation and the medicines Wu Ling had given him. Its quality had already reached the level of a top-tier beast Martial Soul.
Black light surged in Tang San's left hand. A hammer with three purple and two black Spirit Rings appeared in his grasp. As soon as that hammer emerged, every gaze in the arena gathered on it unconsciously.
Because this was a Martial Soul that had created countless legends in the Spirit Master world. Among tool Martial Souls, it stood at the absolute peak. It represented a sect, countless powerhouses, and the most tyrannical strength and attack power.
It was the Clear Sky Hammer.
"So this is the Clear Sky Hammer. It truly is impressive. That almost tangible pressure is worthy of the number one tool Martial Soul under heaven."
Across from Tang San, Isaac's voice carried a faint trace of envy.
"Tang San, we were both born with innate full Spirit Power, yet from birth, you possessed far more than many others. Things that countless people risk their lives to obtain were within easy reach for you."
"The number one Clear Sky Hammer, the inherited self-created Spirit Skill called Disorder Splitting Wind. What an enviable inheritance."
"Do you know? Back then, in order to create my own Spirit Skill, I even delayed my cultivation. During that year, I completely wasted my own talent."
"That is why I feel fortunate that I met the Saint, and why I am grateful for his cultivation. He gave me resources and knowledge of martial techniques. He allowed my self-created Spirit Skill to succeed and rise to a higher level. What I need to do is give His Highness Son my loyalty and display my ability."
"Hmph. Spirit Hall spent quite a lot to make you a dog," Tang San sneered.
His relationship with Spirit Hall had long since reached the point of irreconcilable hatred. Naturally, he felt no goodwill toward Isaac.
"With His Highness Son's cultivation, I have broken through level sixty. Even so, among Spirit Hall's current generation, I can barely enter the top five."
Isaac did not care about Tang San's mockery. After so many years, his temperament had already been tempered.
"Tell me, among all powers in this age, which can compare with a Spirit Hall this strong? The future belongs to Spirit Hall. Our choice is correct. Your talent may stand above mine, but you no longer have time."