When Lingyuan heard that Guang Ling had gone off to Skywater Academy pretending to be some sort of "Elder," she couldn't help but hold her forehead in exasperation, staying silent for quite a while.
"Sigh… whatever, as long as he's happy."
Her current feelings were a mix of amusement and speechlessness. Back when she served as a bishop, she was far removed from the Elders and rarely had the chance to interact with them.
However, ever since marrying the Pope, Qian Xunji, her status had risen accordingly, giving her the opportunity to get acquainted with the Elders. And she discovered that while each Elder was undeniably proud, their personalities weren't nearly as cold as she once assumed.
Especially the Fifth Elder—Guang Ling—whom she had the most contact with. After all, this Elder was constantly hanging around Gu Han and Bibi Dong. It was hard not to run into him.
During their interactions, her impression of the Elders as lofty, cold, and formidable had been completely shattered—at least when it came to Guang Ling.
After getting to know him better, she even began treating him like a mischievous child.
And now, seeing him pull off this stunt, she found herself at a complete loss.
Still, the reason he gave was technically legitimate, and given his identity, she couldn't say anything against it. All she could do was shake her head with a resigned smile.
---
The Next Day
In the grand arena, Lingyuan stood on the judging platform. Her gaze swept over the crowd from Skywater Academy and landed on that silver-haired pipsqueak trying to blend in. She couldn't help but chuckle quietly, choosing not to say anything.
Ning Fengzhi raised a brow, but just as he was about to speak, he heard Guang Ling's voice through sound transmission:
"Clan Head Ning, please don't blow my cover. Just pretend you don't know me."
Ning Fengzhi gave a subtle nod, saying nothing more.
"Fengzhi, that person…"
Bone Douluo Gu Rong had naturally noticed the oddity as well. Guang Ling stuck out like a sore thumb among the crowd of women—it was impossible not to notice.
He couldn't clearly sense the man's cultivation, which meant that at the very least, he was a Titled Douluo—and likely even more powerful than Gu Rong himself. Otherwise, there would have been some trace to detect.
"Uncle Bone, no need to draw attention. That man is the Fifth Elder of the Spirit Hall."
Ning Fengzhi quietly passed this along via voice transmission.
Gu Rong gave a slight nod, but his expression remained grave as he fixed his gaze on Guang Ling.
Sensing the pressure from Gu Rong's stare, Guang Ling calmly raised his eyes to meet it and responded with a friendly smile.
Seeing no hostility, Gu Rong nodded slightly in return before withdrawing his gaze.
Of course, it wasn't just Lingyuan, Ning Fengzhi, and Gu Rong who were paying attention. Even the spectators—including Crown Prince Xue Ye—looked puzzled at the white-haired boy nestled among the women of Skywater Academy.
Fortunately, no one from the Clear Sky Clan had shown up. Otherwise, they would have recognized Guang Ling at a glance.
"What's going on? Why is there a man in Skywater Academy?"
"Maybe his talent's insanely high, so they made an exception for him?"
"Damn, I'm so jealous! I want to go to school with all those Skywater girls too!"
There was a buzz of chatter, but Guang Ling paid no mind. With his hands clasped behind his back and an aura of mysterious wisdom, he walked to Skywater's designated seating area surrounded by the girls and sat down.
Seeing that the others were still a little stiff, he casually patted the seats beside him.
"Sit. No need to be so reserved when you're with me."
"Yes, senior."
Only then did the girls take their seats.
---
The other three Elemental Academy heads and their students were also confused. Clearly, that man wasn't a student. Judging by how respectfully Shui Qingxin was treating him, his status and rank had to be significant.
For a high-level Soul Sage to show such respect, he had to be at least a Soul Douluo, or Rank 80+.
Still, with the current situation, they felt it inappropriate to ask on the spot. They decided they'd inquire privately once they returned to Element City.
---
"The first match: Skywater Imperial Academy Team versus the Wind Sword Academy Team. Will both sides please enter the arena."
With the referee's call, the two teams entered the battlefield.
"Now announcing the members of the Skywater Imperial Team:
—Yang Feng, 24 years old, Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear. Rank 41, Attack-Type Soul Ancestor.
—Lin Yan, 22 years old, Martial Soul: Fire-Splitting Serpent. Rank 36, Attack-Type Soul Elder.
—Mo Yu, 24 years old, Martial Soul: Cheetah. Rank 37, Agility-Type Soul Elder.
—Ye Shao, 23 years old, Martial Soul: Healing Staff. Rank 35, Support-Type Tool Soul Elder."
The remaining three included a control-type soul master and two defense-type soul masters. It was a perfectly balanced team composition.
Their opponents: six disciples from the Wind Sword Sect, plus one support-type soul master.
Compared to Skywater, Wind Sword Sect only had one Soul Ancestor at Rank 43. The rest were Soul Masters between Ranks 35 and 39.
---
"They're from the Wind Sword Sect. All their soul masters wield sword-type martial soul. Their Sect Master is a Rank 81 Soul Douluo and is considered the most promising candidate in their history to break through to Titled Douluo."
Bibi Dong stood in the spectator seats, briefing Gu Han on the Wind Sword Sect's background.
Gu Han already knew of them. Having lived in Spirit Hall for four years, he was quite familiar with the major powers of the continent—their existences and the styles of their martial soul.
As for the current Wind Sword Sect Master, Gu Han's gaze swept over to a man with a white veil over his eyes—clearly the same character who had appeared in the original series.
Although Bibi Dong said he had the best chance of reaching Titled Douluo rank, Gu Han knew the eventual outcome: the man would never break through, and ultimately perish during the Battle of Jialing Pass decades later.
---
"Hm? Senior Sister, who do you think has the upper hand in this match?"
Gu Han's eyes locked on the soul master wielding the Soul Breaking Spear. Judging by his martial soul, he was clearly a member of the Breaking Clan—one of the Four Single-Attribute Clans. At his age, reaching Soul Ancestor level was extraordinary.
It was just that this person had never been mentioned in the original work. Among the Four Single-Attribute Clans, only the Strength and Agility Clans had any notable characters. The Breaking and Defense Clans only had brief mentions of their clan leaders.
But a prodigy like this wasn't anything strange. Given the power of the Soul Breaking Spear, which ranked quite highly even among martial souls on the continent, it was no surprise that the clan would produce a few gifted talents.
Judging from this young man's performance, in thirty years' time, he could very well become a high-level Soul Sage.
However, reaching Soul Douluo would be unlikely—if he had made it that far, surely the original story would've mentioned him.
---
Bibi Dong continued observing the field. That Yang Feng was exceptionally powerful. With support enhancements, he was able to hold off a Soul Ancestor and two Soul Masters from the opposing team on his own.
His offense was overwhelming. The Soul Breaking Spear whirled in his hands like an impenetrable shield, leaving the Wind Sword team struggling to respond.
And he wasn't alone—his teammates were equally competent. Each locked down an opponent, allowing their Agility-type member to freely break through the backline and eliminate the enemy support.
The result was already becoming clear.
"In this situation, it looks like the Wind Sword Team has no chance of winning."
"Not necessarily." Gu Han gently shook his head. "Senior Sister, did you forget about the Wind Sword Sect's Sword Formation?"
~~~
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