Black curtain?
That was also the first thought that flashed through Li Yu's mind—was Qian Renxue's secret identity exerting its influence again?
But soon after, he realized something was off.
If they really had that kind of influence, they wouldn't have met Godwind Academy, which ranked second in the second round of the qualifying tournament…
Wait a minute…
The qualifying tournament rankings.
Li Yu suddenly understood and smiled, saying,
"According to the rules, in the third round of the finals, the team ranked second in qualifying points from both empires will get a bye."
"And Godwind Academy was ranked second in the Heaven Dou division qualifiers—they were originally supposed to skip the third round."
"But now that we defeated Godwind and eliminated them early, this bye slot falls to us, doesn't it?"
As he spoke, Li Yu smiled and looked toward Qian Renxue.
"Exactly," Qian Renxue nodded with a smile, giving Li Yu a thumbs-up.
"So that's how it is!" Dugu Yan exclaimed in realization, then glanced at Li Yu and "Xue Qinghe" flirting with each other. She nearly gritted her teeth into pieces out of jealousy.
She wanted to link her arm with Li Yu to assert her importance in his heart.
But—
Just as she was about to act, Li Yu took a step forward, almost as if he had anticipated it, smoothly dodging the arm Dugu Yan had lifted.
"You… You two!" Dugu Yan fumed.
"What's wrong?" Li Yu and Qian Renxue looked at her with confused expressions.
"Hmph!" Dugu Yan puffed her cheeks, turned around, and stormed off as if she'd been grievously wronged.
Li Yu watched the scene with a smile.
Qian Renxue also found it amusing, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Li Yu.
"All right," Li Yu said, shifting the topic. "I gave you the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid a while back and haven't seen you since. What have you gained from it?"
He asked in a friendly tone, intending to get her to stay.
Because of Dugu Bo, Li Yu genuinely regarded Dugu Yan as a little sister, and thus always treated her with respect, never prying into her cultivation.
Only then did Dugu Yan stop, the anger on her face mostly gone when she turned around.
Then, with a proud look, she released her aura.
Level 49!
Just one step away from advancing to a five-ring Spirit King!
Even Li Yu was a bit surprised at that result.
After all, Zhu Zhuqing also consumed theDaffodil Jade Flesh Bone, yet her current spirit power was only around level 47.
But soon, he understood.
When he "detoxified" Dugu Yan, her spirit power was already at level 38. Although it had slightly decreased after the toxins were removed, she had quickly regained her level through cultivation.
Later, after some time had passed, Li Yu killed the Thorn Dragon and obtained his sixth spirit ring. Upon returning, he was affected by the Elemental Dissolution side effect, prompting everyone to come visit.
During that time, he took the opportunity to gift the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and the Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone.
That had already been nearly half a year ago.
With her body completely detoxified by Li Yu, Dugu Yan's innate talent had improved, and she fully absorbed the herb's effects.
Gaining six or seven levels of spirit power from the Immortal Herb was quite normal.
Including the natural breakthrough to level 41 after absorbing her fourth ring, she was probably around level 46 already.
And that's being conservative.
The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid could also enhance her martial spirit's flaws and solidify her foundation, further boosting her cultivation speed.
So, reaching level 49 in about half a year wasn't surprising.
"How about that, Big Sis Yu? Didn't let you down, huh!" Dugu Yan said proudly, tilting her chin up.
"Not bad," Li Yu replied with a calm smile—neither overly flattering nor dismissive.
"Hehe." Qian Renxue chuckled.
"Agh! Big Sis Yu! Would it kill you to give me a little praise!?" Dugu Yan stomped in frustration.
"Forget it! Visiting you two lovebirds is just asking for trouble—I give up!" Dugu Yan stomped her foot and ran off without looking back.
"HAHAHA!" Li Yu and Qian Renxue burst into laughter.
…
The next day.
Just as Li Yu had expected—
Because Qianyu Academy had eliminated Godwind Academy early, they inherited the bye slot meant for the second-ranked team in the qualifying points.
As a result—
Qianyu Academy advanced directly to the fourth round, entering the top six without fighting.
The drawing results for several highly anticipated teams were also released:
First, the team Li Yu paid most attention to: Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team 1. Their opponent was also an old acquaintance—Skywater Academy.Next was Shrek Academy, facing another championship contender: the Star Luo Empire's seeded team, Star Luo Royal Academy.Finally, Spirit Hall Academy's team, whose opponent remained weak—a team from the Star Luo Empire.
…
On the third day,
Li Yu and Qian Renxue arrived at the viewing stands and sat with the Qianyu Academy team.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Captain!" everyone stood up in salute.
The "Captain" title was specifically requested by Li Yu—he felt weird being called "Princess Consort" and didn't want his team members to become distant from him.
He didn't enjoy feeling superior or lofty.
After some brief greetings, everyone took their seats to await the matches.
"Li Yu really approachable, huh?"
"He even brought the Crown Prince to sit with Qianyu Academy—so down-to-earth!"
"So jealous…"
Since the spectator seats weren't partitioned, everyone shared the same arena space like a grand gladiator stadium, and could all see each other.
At this moment, most eyes were on Li Yu.
As the Princess Consort, Li Yu had long gotten used to being watched or talked about, and felt no discomfort under everyone's gaze.
Calm and collected, he wore a faint smile beneath his veil as he whispered with Qian Renxue.
Soon—
The third round of matches began.
The early matches involved no strong teams, so Li Yu paid them little attention.
Until the third match finally brought two strong teams together—
It was none other than Dugu Yan's team, Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team 1, versus Skywater Academy.
As both teams took the stage, Dugu Yan's gaze quickly found Li Yu in the audience. She raised her fist at him with a playful expression.
Li Yu responded with a faint smile and waved, giving her silent encouragement.
Spectators noticed the interaction and began digging for gossip.
Very quickly, the rumor that Dugu Yan and Li Yu were close friends spread like wildfire—prompting many to view her differently.
Not only did she have a Titled Douluo grandfather, but now also a close friendship with Li Yu. Naturally, people began to pay her more attention.
Moreover, under such circumstances, Dugu Yan's strength was likely also significant.
Unfortunately, although Heaven Dou Team 1 was a seeded team, they hadn't faced strong opponents in the first two rounds. So few had paid attention to them, and they hadn't showcased their full strength yet.
Thus, everyone looked forward to this match.
"Who do you think will win?" Qian Renxue suddenly asked.
"Hard to say," Li Yu replied after a moment of thought.
Though Dugu Yan had made great progress, Skywater Academy wasn't a pushover.
Also, although Dugu Yan was still part of Heaven Dou Team 1, Li Yu already knew that ever since the tavern incident, she and Yu Tianheng had had a falling-out, and shortly afterward they broke up.
While it may seem trivial and didn't cause a big scandal, in critical moments, such internal conflict could become a fatal weakness.
"Match start!" the referee announced.