Chapter 159: The Champion’s Reward
The banquet was drawing to a close.
Qian Renxue set down the wine glass in her hand and gently clapped her hands together.
The crisp sound of her applause echoed through the hall, instantly silencing all conversation.
Hundreds of gazes turned in unison toward the seat of honor—toward the stunningly beautiful woman clad in a long gown of gold and crimson, wearing a magnificent crown upon her head.
A smile gracing her lips, Qian Renxue’s gaze slowly swept across the entire assembly.
"All of you gathered here tonight are representatives of the two great empires, leaders of the major sects, and the deans or vice-deans of the various advanced soul master academies."
Her voice was cool yet melodious; amplified by her soul power, it reached every ear in the hall with perfect clarity: "Tonight, I wish to take this opportunity to speak with you all regarding..."
She paused briefly. "...the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."
At these words, the atmosphere within the hall shifted ever so slightly.
The leaders of the major sects—figures such as Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen—who had previously been watching the proceedings with a somewhat detached, spectator-like mindset, now visibly relaxed.
The Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?
That was a matter concerning the academies; what did it have to do with their sects?
The Elephant Armored Sect, admittedly, did possess an affiliated institution—the Elephant Armored Academy—so they listened with a modicum of interest.
They nonchalantly raised their wine glasses, preparing to resume their idle chatter.
However, the representatives of the two great empires and the numerous academy deans instantly snapped to attention!
Xue Luochuan, the Third Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Your Holiness, may I ask if you are referring to the venue for the finals of the upcoming tournament?"
Qian Renxue nodded: "Precisely."
Her gaze swept over the crowd once more as she spoke, enunciating every word distinctly: "I have decided to designate... Spirit City as the venue."
As her voice faded, a ripple of hushed murmurs instantly swept through the hall.
Spirit City?
The finals are to be held in Spirit City?
In previous iterations of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, the finals had always been hosted in rotation along the borders of the two great empires.
If the tournament was held in the Heaven Dou Empire one year, it would be the Star Luo Empire’s turn the next—such was the established custom.
Yet now, Qian Renxue intended to hold the finals in Spirit City?
Spirit City was situated at the very junction of the two great empires, yet it belonged—in its entirety—to the Spirit Hall. Neither of the two great empires held any claim of ownership over it.
Although most of those present harbored no particular animosity toward the Spirit Hall—indeed, quite a few even maintained clandestine dealings with it—Qian Renxue’s sudden move still caught everyone slightly off guard.
The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves, murmuring in low tones.
A moment later, Davis was the first to step forward.
"Your Holiness, the Star Luo Empire consents to this choice of venue."
Xue Luochuan followed immediately: "The Heaven Dou Empire also consents to this choice of venue."
With both great empires having given their nod, the others naturally raised no objections.
Qian Renxue gave a slight nod, the smile on her face deepening: "Good. I thank you all for your support!"
She paused briefly, then raised her voice slightly: "As this is the very first tournament to be held since my ascension to the throne, I intend to spare no effort in ensuring its resounding success!"
Upon hearing this, everyone inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
So that was it—she was simply looking to build up her political credentials.
It is a common adage that a new official always "lights three fires" upon taking office; this was perfectly normal behavior.
Hosting the grand finals in Spirit City would serve a dual purpose: it would both showcase the majesty and authority of the Spirit Hall and allow her to accumulate personal prestige. It was a win-win situation.
They quickly plastered smiles back onto their faces and vied with one another to offer their flattery: "That goes without saying!"
"With Your Holiness personally leading the Elite Tournament, its splendor is bound to surpass that of any previous year!"
"Indeed, indeed! With Your Holiness presiding over the event, this year’s tournament is sure to be nothing short of spectacular!"
"Spirit City is truly the most fitting venue imaginable for the grand finals!"
Qian Renxue listened with a smile; only after the chorus of compliments had gradually died down did she speak again: "However..."
She paused once more, her tone remaining gentle: "The venue for the grand finals will require some additional expansion."
"As it happens, Spirit City is also in need of expansion, so we can conveniently carry out both projects simultaneously."
"But as for the cost..."
The smiles on everyone’s faces froze instantly.
???
Wait a minute!
Weren’t we just discussing the Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament?!
How did the conversation suddenly pivot to money?! Don’t you know that talking about money ruins friendships?!
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions a priceless blend of shock and bewilderment.
Could this, too, be just another calculated step in your quest to build up your political achievements?
To host a grand tournament—not only holding the finals in Spirit City, but also seizing the opportunity to rake in a fortune to fund Spirit City’s expansion?!
This... this is simply too...
Some felt an urge to speak up and voice their doubts, but just as the words reached their lips, they swallowed them back down.
For the words Qian Renxue spoke next silenced them completely.
"For the sake of this tournament..."
Qian Renxue’s voice echoed through the hall: "I, the Empress, am willing to offer nine treasured ten-thousand-year Soul Bones from my personal collection as the prize for the champion of the grand finals!"
As her words fell,
The entire hall plunged into a deathly silence!
How many?!
Did she say how many Soul Bones?!
Nine?! Nine ten-thousand-year Soul Bones?!
Everyone’s eyes went wide as saucers!
Ten-thousand-year Soul Bones!
They were the ultimate treasures that countless Soul Masters dreamed of possessing!
A single ten-thousand-year Soul Bone was enough to tempt even a powerhouse at the Titled Douluo rank!
What, then, was the concept of nine ten-thousand-year Soul Bones?!
This was no longer merely a prize; it was a windfall—a fortune fallen from the heavens!
While the crowd remained immersed in their shock, Qian Renxue turned her head to look at Jiang Bai, her gaze signaling: It’s your turn.
Jiang Bai gave a slight nod and stepped forward.
With a wave of his right hand, six beams of dazzling light shot forth, hovering suspended in mid-air!
They were six Soul Bones!
A left leg bone, a right arm bone, a left arm bone, a right arm bone, a skull, and a torso bone!
Each Soul Bone radiated a soft, lustrous glow; even the lowest-grade among them boasted a cultivation age of over thirty thousand years.
Terrifying fluctuations of Soul Power rippled outward like a surging tide!
"Th-this... this is..."
Someone couldn’t help but gasp aloud!
Jiang Bai’s voice remained calm and clear: "Here are six ten-thousand-year Soul Bones; both their quality and cultivation age are of the highest caliber."
"The remaining three are not present here, but their quality is fully on par with these."
Nine! It really was nine!
Everyone’s breathing grew rapid and ragged!
That was a complete set of ten-thousand-year Soul Bones! Tell me—what Soul Master could possibly look upon such a sight without their heart racing with desire?!
Gazing at the greed and desire burning in everyone’s eyes, Jiang Bai’s lips curled upward slightly: "If any of you are still concerned about the quality of these Soul Bones..."
"Then let me put it this way: these six Soul Bones all belonged to the Clear Sky Douluo—Tang Hao."
"As the heir to the Clear Sky Sect, how could the Soul Bones he possessed be anything but extraordinary?"
As his words fell,
The grand hall plunged once again into a deathly silence!
What?! Whose Soul Bones did he just say these were?!
The Clear Sky Douluo?! Tang Hao?!
That legendary man?!
His Soul Bones?!
Only then did the crowd realize that these six Soul Bones—covering the limbs, the head, and the torso—actually constituted a complete set!
A complete set of six Soul Bones!
Could it be... were they truly extracted from the body of that legendary Clear Sky Douluo?!
But...
Everyone’s gaze converged simultaneously upon the skull and the torso bone.
Soul Bones from the limbs could be extracted through amputation—at the cost of severing the limb and permanently forfeiting ten levels of Soul Power.
However, the skull and torso bones were inseparable!
To remove them meant instant death for the host!
Does this mean... Tang Hao... is dead?!
This thought exploded in every mind like a peal of thunder!
Ning Fengzhi’s hand, gripping his staff, trembled ever so slightly.
He took a step forward, his voice laced with an almost uncontrollable tremor: "Your Excellency Jiang Bai... regarding the Clear Sky Douluo...?"
Jiang Bai offered a faint smile—a smile as light and breezy as drifting clouds, as if he were merely remarking on the pleasant weather: "Naturally, he is dead."
Deathly silence.
The entire hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
The Clear Sky Douluo who had shaken the entire continent with his might... the man whose mere name struck terror into the hearts of countless Soul Masters...
Dead?!
Killed by this youth who appeared to be no older than eighteen or nineteen?!
Although they had harbored suspicions all along, hearing the answer confirmed with their own ears still sent tidal waves of shock crashing through everyone’s hearts!
At this moment, the representatives of the great sects and the deans of the major academies looked at Jiang Bai with an expression that transcended mere awe; it was sheer terror.