Chapter 119: Five Years Gone in a Flash
In Wuhun City, far from Tianxing Academy, the statue of the Seraph Goddess in the Shrine of Offerings radiated a calming holy light. Qian Daoliu, the Angel Douluo and High Priest, noticed the unusual glow with a mix of reverence and apprehension. The ancestral deity hadn't responded to his prayers in years, so why now?
"Ancestral God, are you warning me?" he wondered aloud. "It seems Douluo Continent is in for more unrest."
Interpreting it as a signal, Qian Daoliu summoned the guardians of Spirit Hall to prepare. Yet he misunderstood the source entirely. The Seraph statue was reacting to Qianqian's extraordinary awakening an awakening that granted her the potential to undergo the Angel's Divine Trial. But with the Angel God long since fallen, this statue could no longer provide guidance.
Meanwhile, in the final days of the year 2621, Qian Daoliu welcomed his first grandchild, giving her a name that reflected her destined challenges: Qian Renxue.
At Tianxing Academy, everything had settled into place, with the school's teaching model quickly becoming a standard across the continent. Ye Wen's systematic guide to cultivation and development, designed to tailor training to each student's specific gifts, became a prized asset. While more labor intensive, this approach ensured students reached their fullest potential.
Ye Wen's ten core disciples continued to progress steadily over the years. Besides the initial herbs they took, Ye Wen regularly supplied them with new herb essences, purging impurities from their bodies and strengthening their inherent talents and weak spots.
The Haotian Brothers, who had repeatedly been defeated in past years, returned to the public eye. But this time, they took a more cautious approach, avoiding needless confrontations with major factions. Their journey now included a sharp witted woman, adding the moniker "Haotian Sibling Trio" to their growing reputation. One could only imagine Tang Yuehua's reaction upon hearing about her two brothers traveling with another woman.
"So the wheels of fate start to turn once more," Ye Wen mused. "They still crossed paths with a woman even after I intercepted Ah Yin's encounter. But is this mysterious woman even a spirit beast?" he pondered. "Only seeing her in person would reveal the truth. If another spirit beast surfaces, perhaps it will be more than mere coincidence."
Though Haotian's power was impressive, the fact that it consistently produced so many Titled Douluos raised Ye Wen's suspicions. In an ordinary generation, the sect could expect a few talented soul masters to reach Contra, maybe even Titled Douluo. But the line of Haotian Douluos was curiously abundant, and its Titled Douluos had comprised more than half the allied forces during the Wuhun Hall conflict.
"Is this your doing, God of Shura?" Ye Wen's gaze narrowed. "Tang Chen, Tang Hao, and Tang San all have the Killing God Domain. Perhaps it's not luck but the result of careful manipulation."
Yet Ye Wen knew all this had little to do with him directly. This realization strengthened his resolve to grow a powerful neutral force. No matter how strong a fighter is, they can only do so much alone. To train a Titled Douluo without any divine intervention would take decades, and any misstep could leave even a formidable figure like himself vulnerable.
In the three years that followed, the Academy flourished. Tianxing's entrance exams became a major event each year, with the Rising Dragon Tournament drawing out numerous overlooked prodigies from among commoners, much to the envy of other factions.
True to his word, Ye Wen had promised freedom after graduation, so many of these gifted soul masters signed early agreements with major powers, swayed by tempting offers. This didn't trouble Ye Wen much; his goal was to cultivate elites. As long as he could retain those he valued most, he was content. For those of middling talent, going to the empires or other factions wasn't a loss.
Because of this, Ye Wen's popularity with the common folk rose, yet the two empires remained unthreatened.
Time passed quickly, and five years since Tianxing Academy's founding had already gone by. As a six year program, primary, intermediate, and advanced academies generally graduated soul masters at around age twenty five, when they were fully qualified. The time had come for the prestigious All Continent Advanced Soul Master Tournament.
Ye Wen's personal disciples were well prepared. His top students were close to reaching the Soul Saint level, with his least advanced students nearly at Soul King. With this lineup, it almost felt like unleashing a group of apex predators in a pond of small fish.
Given that Tianxing was recognized by both empires, Ye Wen was technically eligible to compete in both divisions. To avoid directly undermining either empire's pride, he decided to field teams in both divisions, with his teams split by nationality.
Among Ye Wen's disciples, only Dao Ba and Chen Youyu were from Star Luo, while the rest were from Heaven Dou. Naturally, Dao Ba and Chen Youyu became the captain and vice captain of the Star Luo team, with other members chosen through sparring trials from among the academy's Star Luo students.
As for tactical strategies, Dao Ba's Soul Power had reached level 62, so even with only Soul Power, he could effortlessly overpower Star Luo's current lineup.
On the Heaven Dou side, Ye Wen decided to field only Huo siblings and Du Gu Xin. His younger disciples would compete in the next tournament cycle, as the tournament's age limit was twenty five.
A squad like this was bound to attract attention, even envy, from the other empires, so holding back some talent felt wise. As a side note, the Huo siblings had reached levels 68 and 69 respectively, practically knocking at the door of Soul Saint true heavyweights in this competition.
Ye Wen would lead the Heaven Dou team, while Dugu Bo would handle Star Luo. And after five years of diligent training, the academy's healer soul masters were about to graduate as well, a perfect opportunity for them to gain field experience.
It was the ideal moment to strengthen team bonds and solidify loyalties.
(End of Chapter)
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