Deep in the forest outside Spirit Hall City, after finishing his cultivation, Ye Yu returned to the city.
At this time, Zhu Zhuqing had already come back.
"You're back?" Ye Yu asked with a light smile. "How did it go? What did your sister say when she called you over?"
Zhu Zhuqing sat on the sofa, a trace of complex emotion flashing through her beautiful eyes as she spoke softly:
"She asked me how I managed to evolve my Martial Soul, and hoped I'd tell her. She said that our Hell Spirit Cat family has always pursued the evolution of the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul."
"Now that I've achieved that evolution, the family and my father surely wouldn't want me to die for Dai Mubai."
"Originally, from our family's s standpoint, if someone successfully evolved the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul, that person would be named the new Hell Duke, and their bloodline would become the family's main lineage—guiding the Hell Spirit Cat family to become stronger."
"The ordinary Hell Spirit Cat Spirit Masters would be classified as a branch family, continuing their alliance with the Star Luo Imperial Family, and maintaining the Spirit Fusion Ability: Hell White Tiger."
"But obviously, the Star Luo Empire doesn't want our family to grow too strong and usurp their position."
"So now, I can't go back, and I can't be named the Hell Duke either."
"But my sister said she'd return to the family and inform our father and the elders about what I've accomplished."
"She promised that my descendants would be named the main lineage of the Hell Spirit Cat Family."
"And because my Martial Soul evolved, the family would protect me—they wouldn't let the Star Luo Empire harm me. Even if they couldn't stop them, they'd at least give us an early warning."
"Also, because of my evolved Martial Soul, I'll no longer be seen as a disposable sacrifice in the family's survival-of-the-fittest inheritance method. I no longer have to compete with her for the right to live."
"She told me that her feelings toward me never changed… that in her heart, I've always been her beloved little sister."
"But even the best little sister can't compare to her own life."
"Still, because she cared about me, she didn't want me to give up resisting. So after I awakened my Martial Soul and was engaged to Dai Mubai, she purposely changed her attitude."
"She hoped I would compete with her—to fight for survival."
"To make it fair, that's why she always held back against me."
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes began to redden, and her voice grew choked with emotion.
"There, there… don't cry," Ye Yu comforted her gently, pulling the girl into his arms. "Isn't everything fine now?"
"You and your sister don't have to fight to the death anymore. The misunderstanding between you two has been resolved."
"It's a good ending, isn't it?"
Though Zhu Zhuyun hadn't explicitly said she would surrender her right to live, that was only human. Even ants struggle to survive—how could a person not?
It was already rare for her to stimulate Zhu Zhuqing's fighting spirit… and still give her fair opportunities to compete.
That was more than enough.
After the third round of elimination matches ended, only six teams remained in the competition:
Spirit Hall Team
Heaven Dou Imperial Team (Ye Yu's team)
Godwind Team
Thunderclap Team
Blazing Team
Wargod Team (representing the Star Luo Empire)
In the fourth round, Zhao Wuji drew lots on behalf of the Heaven Dou Imperial Team and ended up matched against the Blazing Team.
Ye Yu went on stage, but this time, he didn't even need to act.
Zhu Zhuqing, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, and Yu Feng easily defeated the Blazing Team on their own.
With the conclusion of the fourth round, only three teams remained:
Spirit Hall Team
Heaven Dou Imperial Team
Godwind Team
The Final Championship was next.
Because there were three teams entering the finals, the rules were adjusted for fairness:
Final Championship Format
Upper Bracket: A free-for-all solo Spirit Battle, using king-of-the-hill rules. The team with the last fighter standing wins the upper bracket and advances.
Lower Bracket: The two losing teams from the upper bracket will engage in a team battle. The winner also advances.
Final Match: The two winners (one from upper bracket, one from lower bracket) will face off in a team Spirit Battle to decide the overall champion.
The day before the finals, within Spirit Hall City...
The Shrek Team, having defeated the Silvis Team in the first round, had advanced to the second round of eliminations.
But in the second round, they once again encountered the Blazing Team.
This time, without Tang San having the chance to cultivate his Ice-Fire Body Tempering with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul did not gain the dual-attribute immunity to extreme elements.
As a result, the Shrek Team lost again to the Blazing Team, and were eliminated in the second round of the knockout stage.
However, even after being eliminated, they did not leave the city.
Instead, they remained in Spirit Hall City—desperately searching for Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
Before departing from Heaven Dou City, Yu Xiaogang had clearly stated he was heading to Spirit Hall City to help Tang San uncover the secret of cultivating a Twin Martial Soul safely.
But after they arrived, Yu Xiaogang was nowhere to be found.
After days of searching, and with the final championship about to begin, Liu Erlong could no longer contain herself.
"That's it! I'm going to confront Bibi Dong and get answers!"
Even though Flender tried to stop her again and again, pleading earnestly, he couldn't hold Liu Erlong back.
During the fourth round of the eliminations, Liu Erlong made her way to the base of the hill where the Hall of the Pontiff was located—and waited there for Bibi Dong to return.
That evening, after the conclusion of the second match of the day, Bibi Dong, accompanied by Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, returned from the Great Spirit Arena of Spirit Hall City toward the Pontiff's Hall.
From a distance, Bibi Dong spotted Liu Erlong waiting below the hill.
Her elegant, mature face, both noble and icy, immediately furrowed into a frown, and her amber eyes flickered with a cold, killing intent.
Liu Erlong, however, charged up with fierce momentum, her handsome, mature face full of rage.
Pointing at Bibi Dong, she shouted furiously:
"Bibi Dong! Speak! Where are you hiding Yu Xiaogang?!"
Bibi Dong was stunned.
She, too, had noticed Yu Xiaogang's absence from the Shrek Team during the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament finals.
She had thought perhaps… he didn't want to see her.
After all, she was still carrying the blame for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's extermination.
So she'd simply assumed he didn't want to come to Spirit Hall City at all.
But now? What did Liu Erlong mean?
Bibi Dong's brows knitted tighter, a flicker of unease creeping into her heart as she snapped coldly:
"Liu Erlong, what are you implying?"
"Wasn't Yu Xiaogang supposed to be with you?"
"What do you mean I've hidden him?!"