377. Missing Ah Jue

“Xiao Jue, are you sure this thing is reliable?”

Inside the Worship Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo stared at the item in Qian Daoliu’s hands, almost in disbelief. He couldn’t help but confirm again with Qian Renjue.

Faced with the curious gazes of all the worshippers, Qian Renjue chuckled softly.

“Grandpa Crocodile, can’t your discerning eyes tell whether it’s real or fake?”

“It’s not about distinguishing authenticity, Xiao Jue,” Azure Luan Douluo said with a wry smile before adding with admiration, “It’s just surprising that you managed to obtain something like this. It’s beyond our expectations.”

Before Qian Renjue could respond, Glowing Feather Douluo interjected with a retort.

“Third Brother, you’re old, but don’t drag me into it!”

“Haha!”

Mighty Lion Douluo burst into hearty laughter, while Azure Luan Douluo frowned slightly, a hint of irritation crossing his face.

“Feather, stop being shameless. This is a serious discussion.”

Jiang Mo Douluo shook his head in amusement, then turned to Qian Renjue with a smile.

“Xiao Jue, where exactly did you get this? You know, this technique is usually passed down in strict secrecy.”

Just as Qian Renjue was about to reply, Qian Daoliu’s calm voice broke through the room.

“This is indeed authentic.”

Though the tone was quiet, it immediately silenced the entire Worship Hall.

Qian Daoliu’s energy seemed to surge, his expression filled with both nostalgia and awe.

“To think that the secret technique Tang Chen used to defeat me would appear here.”

“Xiao Jue, how exactly did you manage to pull this off?” Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renjue, his eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

“I took it from Tang Hao,” Qian Renjue replied with a smile.

“Tang Hao?!”

Jiang Jun Douluo froze for a moment before nodding in realization.

“That makes sense. After Tang Chen disappeared and the previous sect leader of the Clear Sky Sect died of anger, only Tang Hao would know the Great Sumeru Hammer.”

“Haha!”

Qian Daoliu suddenly burst into laughter, his voice filled with relief and pride.

“Tang Chen, Tang Chen... I may have lost to you, but my grandson will uproot your Clear Sky Clan!”

Qian Renjue scratched his head, thinking Qian Daoliu was exaggerating.

The reason he acquired the Great Sumeru Hammer’s training method was for its core secret—the Ring Detonation. By removing this advantage, he aimed to negate the opponent’s explosive potential in high-level combat.

While this would weaken their top-tier strength, the Clear Sky Clan's foundation—the Clear Sky Hammer martial spirit—was still formidable.

It produced more Titled Douluos than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Tang Chen himself was the only one among the three peerless Douluos to reach Level 99 purely through his own strength.

However, without the edge provided by the Ring Detonation technique, the Clear Sky Clan would find it impossible to regain its former glory or rival the Spirit Hall again.

Not a chance.


---

Three days later, Heaven Dou City

The preliminary rounds for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament were underway, bringing an unprecedented level of excitement to the city.

Inside the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, the air was filled with thunderous cheers and screams.

The preliminaries were in full swing, with five sturdy arenas in the center and an ever-enthusiastic crowd surrounding them.

At the highest platform of the VIP section sat the three most influential figures of the Heaven Dou Empire: Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and Salas, the Platinum Bishop of the Spirit Hall.

Behind Ning Fengzhi sat Sword Douluo, his sharp sword-like eyes focused on the opposite VIP section, where Salas sat calmly.

Salas glanced at Emperor Xue Ye beside him and let out a cold laugh.

“Heh, things aren’t looking good for the second team of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.”

“It’s just a temporary setback,” Emperor Xue Ye replied, his majestic gaze calm yet piercing, as if capable of seeing through everything.


————

Contestant Rest Area

In the section designated for the Blue Tyrant Academy, the seats were almost empty, with only a few teachers standing by.

Among them, a stunning woman in a black dress stood out, drawing attention with her presence. Her delicate, almost sculpted features exuded a hint of sharpness and confidence.

Her hair was neatly pinned up, with two unusual hairpins intertwined. Her simple black dress tightly wrapped around her curvaceous figure, a silhouette unattainable by most.

Her voluptuous frame, ample and well-defined, was perfectly proportioned. Her waist curved into a round shape reminiscent of a ripe summer peach, radiating a mature, sensual charm from every inch of her being.

Her deep, black pearl-like eyes were fixed on the central stage among the five platforms.

Today, the Blue Tyrant Academy team faced off against the Royal Academy's second team.

From the looks of it, victory was already in their grasp.

As cheers erupted from the audience in support of Blue Tyrant Academy, the bespectacled female teacher beside the woman in black couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Dean, we’ve won!”

“Haha! Who says children of commoners can’t compare to noble heirs? This victory will be enough to boost our enrollment!”

Despite the teacher's joy, Liu Erlong wasn’t moved. She didn’t appear to share in the excitement of her team’s triumph.

Instead, her lips tightened, and her brows furrowed with worry.

She was conflicted.

With the Blue Tyrant Academy team's current strength, it was unlikely they could stand out in the preliminaries. Without success, she wouldn’t have a legitimate reason to travel to Spirit City to see him—her Ah Jue.

Would she have to return to her family and rely on that man’s influence?

Liu Erlong frowned deeper at the thought, feeling helpless.

If there was no other way, she could only choose to follow the Thunderclap Academy team’s path.

She missed Ah Jue.

Raising her hand, she touched the round bead hidden in her clothing, as if sensing something.

Her gaze lifted to the highest seats in the audience, where a golden shadow seemed to flash for an instant.


---

In the Audience Seats

Two beautiful girls leaned against each other, their unique fragrances mingling in harmony. One had long purple hair cascading down her shoulders, while the other’s soft blue locks framed her face.

“Lingling, are you sure His Highness will come to watch the match with us tomorrow?”

Dugu Yan’s purple hair draped over her shoulders as her light green eyes focused on the stage below. She rested her head on the shoulder of the girl beside her.

“Mm, Ah Jue sent a message to the Ye family this morning,” Ye Lingling nodded lightly.

Her face was veiled in black, her eyes calm and composed. She added, “He even asked if we’d like to go to Spirit City to watch the finals.”

At her words, a faint blush colored her otherwise tranquil face.

Miss Xue was already difficult to deal with; she couldn’t imagine how to face the Pope herself.

“Really?”

Dugu Yan’s eyes lit up, and she turned to Ye Lingling with excitement.

“Lingling, do you want to go?”

“I… I think we should wait a bit. Showing up unannounced doesn’t seem appropriate,” Ye Lingling said softly, lowering her gaze with a shy expression.

“Hmm~”

Dugu Yan blinked, feeling a little disappointed, though part of her was relieved.

“Then let’s wait for the next Soul Master Tournament. By then, we can go with a proper reason!”

“Mm, I think so too,” Ye Lingling said with a faint smile.

Sensing a familiar gaze, she instinctively turned toward it, glancing upward.

At the highest point of the stands, she thought she caught a glimpse of something familiar.