Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 151: Spirit City

After twenty days on the road, the group finally arrived at the venue for the finals: Spirit City.

The soldiers stayed outside the city, while Crown Prince Xue Qinghe led the sixteen teams inside. Although Spirit City covered less ground than Heaven Dou City, its grandeur was unmatched. The city walls towered eighty meters high, with a thickness exceeding thirty meters. Unlike typical cities, Spirit City was constructed on what seemed to be a flattened mountaintop, giving it a naturally fortified position far surpassing that of Heaven Dou City.

Unlike most cities, where patrols were conducted by ordinary soldiers, Spirit City's patrols were exclusively soul masters, each dressed in a uniform that conveyed strength and unity. From what Yang Potian could observe, most patrols consisted of Soul Elders, with a scattering of Soul Kings and Soul Emperors, and occasionally even a Soul Sage.

Observing the immense city, the fortified defenses, and the powerful soul masters patrolling, Yang Potian couldn't help but feel admiration. Spirit Hall indeed deserves its reputation as the pinnacle of the soul master world, he thought. Their strength surpasses all expectations.

On closer inspection, Yang Potian noticed that Spirit City was hexagonal and built around a central hill. Two striking structures dominated the hill: halfway up was an expansive building with a gold-topped dome supported by a ring of columns. Even from afar, its radiant surface caught the sunlight, making it impossible to miss. Yang Potian surmised this was the Papal Hall, along with the Elder Hall, where Spirit Hall's top-level operations were controlled.

The other building, on the very top of the hill, was considerably smaller than the Papal Hall, about a third of its size. Its design was similar, though its outer facade gleamed with a smooth, white, jade-like surface. Compared to the Papal Hall, it was understated, yet still a commanding presence. Yang Potian speculated that this must be the Douluo Hall, potentially home to the Angel Temple, and the ultimate symbol of Spirit Hall's power.

Upon entering the city, they noticed that Spirit City was quieter than Heaven Dou City, but the businesses and clientele here were anything but ordinary. The shops catered exclusively to soul masters, offering soul tools, rare beast materials, and even prized items like rhino horns and soul beast hides. Spirit City was populated almost entirely by soul masters, with few ordinary citizens in sight.

From the moment they set foot in Spirit City, Yang Potian felt a subtle change in his aura and even in his spirit. There was a sense of reverence in his heart, almost like a subconscious respect for the divine. He attributed this to the influence of the Angel God's power, which enshrouded Spirit City. Unlike the bloodthirsty aura of Slaughter City, the Angel God's power had a purifying effect. Cultivating here might well provide soul masters with a clearer mind and greater serenity.

A red-robed bishop greeted the group and guided the 200-strong delegation to a large inn. Once inside, Yang Wudi and Niu Gao exchanged glances, nodded, and discreetly left together.

Their purpose in Spirit City was also to be formally recognized as Titled Douluo. The two first headed to the Papal Hall to meet with Pope Bibi Dong, who then led them to the Douluo Hall to conduct the official ceremony.

When they returned to the inn, they brought Yang Potian, Niu Mang, and Dugu Bo into a private room with them.

Observing his grandfather and granduncle's serious expressions, Yang Potian sensed something unusual. Both men wore faint, wry smiles as they presented golden seals engraved with their titles, accompanied by a token of authority: the Pope's Decree.

According to the seals, his grandfather's title was "Po Soul Douluo" and his granduncle's was "Plate Armor Douluo." Yang Potian examined the seals and raised an eyebrow. "What's with the Pope's Decree? That's not normally part of a Titled Douluo's recognition."

After a pause, Yang Wudi explained, "Normally, no, but the Pope insisted we receive them, as we're not affiliated with the three top sects and each lead our own factions. This decree is meant to signify that."

Yang Potian's expression darkened. "The Pope has quite the subtle mind, doesn't she? By giving us this decree, she's trying to elevate us to the same level as the top three sects and expose us to their rivalries."

"Why didn't you refuse it, Grandfather?"

Yang Wudi shook his head. "Refusing it might have suggested that we still had ties to the Clear Sky Sect. Accepting this decree is a statement of independence from them."

After some thought, Yang Potian replied, "There's no harm in this for us; it doesn't conflict with our plans. It's not like people take the Pope's Decree too seriously these days, anyway."

Niu Gao nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We're not getting mixed up in Spirit Hall or Clear Sky Sect politics. Whatever they decide to feud over, we'll stay out of it."

After arriving in Spirit City, they had three days to rest before the finals began. Teacher Li Xiang explained the tournament rules in detail.

The rules were straightforward. The first stage was a knockout round, with winners advancing and losers eliminated. Matches were held with only a day of rest between rounds. In total, thirty-three teams from both empires and Spirit Hall would compete: fifteen from Star Luo Empire, sixteen from Heaven Dou Empire, along with one team each from Star Luo and Spirit Hall that had been seeded directly into the second round.

The two seeded teams and the top team from the Heaven Dou region would receive a first-round bye, while the remaining thirty teams would compete in head-to-head matchups, halving the field to eighteen.

In the second round, the top team from Star Luo's preliminary rounds and the second team from Heaven Dou's rounds would receive byes, leaving ten teams for the third round.

In the third round, the third-ranked team from Heaven Dou and the second from Star Luo would receive byes, leaving six teams for the fourth round.

Should any teams be eliminated early, the byes would roll down to the next available team.

In the fourth round, the remaining teams would compete in head-to-head matchups, determining the final three teams.

After four intense rounds, three teams would advance to the finals.

After the fourth round, the teams were granted a three-day break before the final, fifth round. For this last round, only three teams remained in contention. The format was straightforward: each team would select seven players to compete in a series of individual elimination matches to determine which team had the strongest individuals. The two losing teams would then engage in a team battle, with the winner challenging the victor of the individual matches for the title of ultimate champion.

As the top team from the Heaven Dou Empire's qualifiers, Team Heaven Dou Two automatically advanced to the second round and would begin competing then.

Gathering the team together, Yang Potian addressed them with a somber tone, his demeanor more intense than ever. "As you all know, my grandfather Yang Wudi and my granduncle Niu Gao have recently been formally recognized as Titled Douluo. From now on, our families are established as formidable forces in their own right. I want to claim the championship in this tournament as a way to honor their achievements."

"Starting from the very first match of the finals, I will be stepping onto the battlefield myself. But none of you can afford to hold back either. In this tournament, we must only know victory—there is no room for failure."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "As you're all aware, the prize for the championship is three spirit bones. So, I'll say it one last time: for the sake of our clans, I want those spirit bones. And more than that, I want the championship. Victory is our only option."

The team fell into a solemn silence, fully understanding that this competition was no longer a matter of personal pride but a defining moment for both clans.

Yang Potian refrained from saying that the significance of winning the tournament went far beyond the prize. Since they had accepted the Pope's decree, it had become apparent to both the Po Clan and the Yu Clan that they could no longer afford neutrality. Their status as independent clans was now clear, fully separate from any other sect, especially from the traditional alliances with the top three sects.

Securing a championship title at the Spirit Master Tournament would be a way of formally declaring their emergence as a new powerhouse on the continent, demonstrating their strength to the world. After reaching this point, a straightforward path forward was the only choice.

In the first round of the finals, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred. Among the thirty teams, aside from Heaven Dou's Team One, none had more than four Soul Elders or Spirit Masters with spirit power exceeding level forty-five.

The Heaven Dou region displayed considerable strength, with four of its teams advancing to the next round. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and the officials from the Heaven Dou Empire were visibly pleased.

One surprise, however, came when Godwind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy formed a new team together, as in the original story—the so-called New Godwind Battle Team.

But Yang Potian was unimpressed. Even combined, this team had only four Soul Elders, with their highest-ranking member, Feng Xiaotian, at level forty-four. In the original story, these two teams united due to dissatisfaction with Tang San's Shrek Academy, thinking a joint team might give them a winning chance. However, given the strength of Team Heaven Dou One and Team Two, the New Godwind Battle Team likely stood no chance, making the alliance seem unnecessary.

In the second round, Team Heaven Dou Two was finally set to compete. To everyone's astonishment, their opponent turned out to be the New Godwind Team. This unexpected draw left the crowd buzzing with surprise.

Generally, strong teams rarely faced each other so early in the tournament, yet here was the newly formed Godwind Team, drawn against one of the tournament favorites, Team Heaven Dou Two.

Yang Potian let out a slight scoff. It seems that Spirit Hall is trying to gauge our true strength. They probably approved the merger of Godwind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy just to test us. I wonder what other plans they might have in store once we reveal our capabilities.

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