"Wujie Academy, I have high hopes for you! I hope you bring more glory to the empire," Prince Xue Qinghe said with a smile as he looked at Yun Yi Bai, then placed the honor badge on him.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Yun Yi Bai responded respectfully.
The selection of five spots for the ranking competition from the Tiandou City division was finalized. The other principalities of Tiandou City selected ten other advanced soul master academies, making a total of fifteen academies from the Tiandou Empire participating in the ranking competition.
Together with the Star Luo Empire, there were thirty advanced soul master academies in total participating in the ranking competition.
In the ranking competition, each side would send seven members from their academy for a 1v1 battle. The winner would stay on the platform to challenge the next opponent. If all seven members of the opposing team were defeated, the team would be declared victorious.
The top five teams with the most victories would be eligible to advance to the final round.
The five advanced soul master academies selected from this event would proceed to the Soul Master City for the finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Since this was a joint competition between the two empires, the competition venue was set at the Giant Sword Mountain, located on the border between the Tiandou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
…
After resting for a night, Wujie Academy was ready to head out. This time, the official seven members of the team, led by Yang Wudi and Niu Gao, along with two or three Soul Saints, set off. Dugu Bo was following secretly in the shadows.
Along with them were Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe, accompanied by the Royal Knights of the Tiandou Empire, led by Captain Locke Sun, whose soul power had reached the Soul Douluo rank.
There were even higher-level protectors—Sword Douluo Chen Xin, a powerful figure.
Because of Dai Mubai's condition, Shrek Academy was a little delayed in its departure.
After some time, Wujie Academy arrived at the border of the two countries, near the Giant Sword Mountain.
The Giant Sword Mountain indeed looked like a gigantic sword-shaped peak, towering over the plains.
"This is Giant Sword Mountain!" Oscar and the others exclaimed as they crossed a hill and saw the mountain in the distance.
"Indeed, it looks like a giant sword!" Yang Wudi stood beside the carriage and gazed at the giant peak in the distance.
Dugu Yan added, "Legend has it that this place was once the site of a divine battle."
As the saying goes, "Beneath the divine sword, there must be a legend." The Giant Sword Mountain is the legendary battlefield of the gods. The tale of the gods has been passed down through this land, and the Spirit Hall was originally founded by the Angel God.
The Angel God led the people to drive out the spirit beasts, establishing a homeland for humanity, freeing them from the bloodshed of the spirit beasts. The Spirit Hall then continued to lead humanity, gradually pushing the spirit beasts off the divine throne, making humanity the dominant force on the continent.
"The Giant Sword Mountain, like its name suggests, is a massive 'sword' embedded into the earth. It looks very majestic and imposing. According to legend, this giant sword is the Angel Goddess's weapon. It was here that she battled the Asura God in a war that lasted for a thousand and one nights, with no clear winner. The Giant Sword Mountain is said to be the giant sword left behind by the Angel Goddess."
"And that is how the mountain got its name."
Oscar, born of common descent, had never heard this legend before. It wasn't just Oscar, but even Niu Tian, Yang Tai, and Yun Yi Bai didn't know about it. The four great sect masters never participated in such tournaments, so their disciples knew very little about these matters.
Of course, these were just legends.
"This Giant Sword Mountain is no simple place." Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe's convoy was on the other side.
When Sword Douluo Chen Xin saw this place, a trace of sorrow appeared in his eyes, which quickly turned into a determined gaze. His eyes became sharp, like the blade of a sword. He stood as resolute as a sword on top of the carriage.
Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but feel emotional when he saw this. There was another legendary story about the Giant Sword Mountain, a story only known to a few.
Many years ago, Chen Xin's father, the 98th-level Soul King Chen Jianjun, was defeated here by Qian Daoliu.
At that time, the sword master Chen Jianjun was the strongest sword wielder on the continent, and none could rival him except for the three greatest Douluos. His peak strength as a 98th-level Soul King had made him the supreme swordsman.
But then he learned about a person named "Angel Sword," whose swordsmanship was legendary despite not practicing sword arts. This person was the terrifying Qian Daoliu.
After hearing of Qian Daoliu, Chen Jianjun began his journey to find him. He eventually did, but unfortunately, he was no match for Qian Daoliu.
"Angel Sword" was Qian Daoliu, and his weapon was the 99,900-year-old soul bone "Liangtian."
It was no wonder that Chen Jianjun couldn't defeat him. Not only did he have a one-level disadvantage in soul power, but their weapons were vastly different in power as well.
Afterward, Chen Jianjun was gravely injured, and though he told Chen Xin not to seek revenge, some things are impossible to forget.
The "revenge for his father's death" had already been engraved in Chen Xin's heart. From that point onward, Chen Xin had a deep-seated grudge against the Spirit Hall. However, he rarely showed it.
This, however, was only one of the stories beneath the Giant Sword Mountain. The battle between the two great masters, Chen Jianjun and Qian Daoliu, was not the most important story of this place.
The fact that Giant Sword Mountain has such a legend shows that it is far from ordinary. It can be said that Qian Renxue's ascension to godhood was intricately linked to this place.
Giant Sword Mountain was not only the venue for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament but also the place where Qian Daoliu and Chen Jianjun fought. It was also the site of the Angel God's legacy.
Qian Daoliu was the one who made Qian Renxue become the Angel God's Nine-Star Saint Child here. It was also from this moment that Spirit Hall fully revealed its profound foundation.
Next to the Giant Sword Mountain, there was a city called Keer City, where all the participating teams stayed.
Because the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament's qualifiers were held here, combined with the legendary tales of the Giant Sword Mountain, the flow of people in Keer City was enormous.
It was rare to see such bustling activity on the border between the Tiandou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
That evening, an unexpected guest visited Wujie Academy.
When Yun Yi Bai and the others returned, they learned of the news. Yun Yi Bai alone went to the guest room to meet the visitor.
When Yun Yi Bai opened the door, he was surprised to see Ning Fengzhi and Yang Wudi chatting. Ning Fengzhi was smiling gently, and Yang Wudi, who usually looked serious, was surprisingly not frowning. The scene caught Yun Yi Bai off guard, as he never expected to see Yang Wudi in such a relaxed state.
Indeed, Ning Fengzhi was a very formidable person.