Douluo: My Teacher Is Supreme Pontiff-Chapter 252: The Holy Son Is Cheating

From the side of the VIP platform, the master of ceremonies announced loudly:

"Now, let us welcome His Majesty, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, to declare the opening of this tournament."

Seated at the very center of the first row, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire slowly rose to his feet. He was dressed in a crimson-gold robe, and as thunderous applause erupted, he raised his right hand in a gentle wave to both the audience and the participating spirit masters below. At once, the applause ceased, and silence filled the enormous plaza.

His deep and resonant voice carried across the arena through the amplification of soul tools:

"I, Xue Ye, Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, representing both the Empire and the hosts of this event, hereby declare the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament open."

The crowd once again burst into deafening applause, cheers echoing from all directions. Yet, amid the excitement, Li Chang’an noticed that the Emperor’s smile appeared somewhat forced, as though he himself felt no joy in presiding over this competition.

It was understandable. Even though the two great empires had secretly begun cooperating and many old sects and noble houses had aligned with them, the Spirit Hall’s influence was expanding at an astonishing pace under Li Chang’an’s subtle machinations. The pressure upon Emperor Xue Ye was unimaginable.

Still, Li Chang’an mused,

’if they are willing to give up resistance, I don’t mind granting them a few token positions in future councils so they can live out their years in peace.’

When the cheers died down once more, the Emperor continued:

"Here, I hope that every spirit master participating in this tournament will display their full strength and achieve great results. You are all the pride of the Heaven Dou Empire. For the glory of the Empire, show the world your brilliance!"

The applause came yet again, the third time, but now the eyes of the young spirit masters in the central arena were ablaze with passion. For them, this tournament was the stage on which they could shine brightest.

After the Emperor retook his seat, the master of ceremonies spoke once more:

"Next, let us invite Sect Master Ning Fengzhi—ah, pardon me, Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—to deliver his address."

This deliberate correction was nothing more than flattery, meant to emphasize Ning Fengzhi’s recent elevation and make it widely known.

As Ning Fengzhi rose, applause filled the air once again, along with countless curious gazes. He was, after all, the strongest auxiliary spirit master in the world. Who wouldn’t want to glimpse his demeanor? By now, he had already reached the level of Spirit Douluo and was soon to become the continent’s only Title Douluo in the auxiliary system.

With a gentle smile, Ning Fengzhi raised his hands slightly to quiet the applause.

"I am honored to be invited as a guest for today’s opening. As Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, I have witnessed countless spirit masters grow. Spirit masters hold the noblest profession on the continent, and every path to strength is forged through trials and hardships."

"But let me be clear: there is no such thing as success gained easily. All of you who stand here today are the elites of the younger generation. As His Majesty has said, I hope you will bring glory not only to the Empire, but to the entire continent—and also to your own academies. The continent needs talents like you. Thank you."

Hearing these words, Emperor Xue Ye finally revealed a smile that was more genuine, pleased by the reminder of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan’s long-standing support for the Empire. Yet he did not notice the subtle emphasis in Ning Fengzhi’s speech: bring glory to the continent, not to the Empire.

The master of ceremonies, still eager to flatter, asked:

"Sect Master Ning, as the greatest auxiliary spirit master alive, on behalf of the audience, may I ask—which of the twenty-eight teams in the Heaven Dou Division do you most favor?"

Ning Fengzhi’s smile did not falter.

"Besides the seeded Heaven Dou Imperial Academy First Team, I do favor another team. In my view, not only do they have the ability to pass the preliminaries, but they also stand a very real chance of winning the entire tournament."

This was, in truth, Ning Fengzhi being cautious. In his heart, he was certain that with Li Chang’an’s strength, victory was guaranteed. For now, however, he preferred to remain neutral, watching and waiting.

"Oh?" the master of ceremonies asked with surprise. "And which academy has earned Sect Master Ning’s confidence?"

Ning Fengzhi chuckled and shook his head.

"As to which academy it is, allow me to keep that secret for now."

With that, he returned to his seat. Salas, however, remained unmoved. No matter how strong the other academies were, compared to the Holy Son’s team, they were destined to fall short. And he hardly believed Ning Fengzhi was not referring to his own daughter’s team.

Meanwhile, the crowd buzzed with speculation. Many tried to guess which team Ning Fengzhi favored. The sharp-minded quickly realized it could not possibly be the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy’s second team. Their strength did not match up to the seeded first team, so how could they be considered future champions?

Still, with twenty-eight teams in the preliminaries and only five advancing, it was hardly easy to deduce which one Ning Fengzhi had meant.

The master of ceremonies smiled again:

"Alas, it seems we could not coax Sect Master Ning into revealing his choice. Very well, let us now invite His Excellency Salas, Platinum Bishop of the Heaven Dou City Spirit Temple, to conduct the draw for the first round of the preliminaries. Following the draw, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy’s Second Team will face their assigned opponents in today’s sole match."

Platinum Bishop Salas slowly rose. Guided by court attendants, he stepped to the master of ceremonies’ side and began the draw. He clearly wished to say as little as possible, handing each result to the announcer for declaration.

"First-round preliminary match: Cang Hui Academy versus Purple Star Academy."

"First-round preliminary match: Auckland Academy versus Radiant Flame Academy."

"First-round preliminary match: Heaven Dou Imperial Academy versus Crimson Rose Academy."

"..."

Instantly, boos and jeers filled the air. Many spectators shouted accusations of cheating. To them, it was obvious that Heaven Dou’s Second Team had drawn the weakest possible opponent. Crimson Rose Academy did not even seem like a real spirit master team—more like a group of children come to play, and mostly girls at that.

When the drawing concluded, Salas swept his gaze over the arena and said coolly:

"This draw is genuine. I swear upon the honor of the Spirit Hall. Furthermore, I hereby announce that any academy reaching the finals will be granted the unprecedented privilege of directly joining the Spirit Temple."

With that, he returned to his seat.

But inwardly, Salas was seething.

’What nonsense is this, swearing by honor? I clearly felt a familiar and powerful force interfering with my draw. Who else could it be but the Holy Son?’

’And as if that weren’t enough, he even pushed me to openly recruit talent in front of everyone! Does he want the conflict between Spirit Hall and the empires to escalate beyond control? I swear, if Emperor Xue Ye decides on the spot to have me executed, it will be his fault!’

The audience, however, hardly understood the weight of these words. To them, it was just an announcement. But among the academies, the reaction was explosive.

The Spirit Temple! Second only to the Pope’s Hall, the Douluo Hall, and the Worship Hall, it was the highest institution of the Spirit Hall. There were only two such temples on the entire continent, one in each imperial capital.

The Pope’s Hall was reserved for the Pope alone. The Douluo Hall was largely symbolic, and the Worship Hall was forbidden to any who were not Title Douluo. Thus, in practical terms, the Spirit Temple was the highest authority in Spirit Hall.

For a spirit master, direct entry into the Spirit Temple was a golden path to advancement. With the best treatment, cultivation resources, and unrivaled prestige, the allure was irresistible.

What Li Chang’an did not realize, however, was that not every genius spirit master was tempted. Many sect-born geniuses had already been promised far more by the Heaven Dou Empire: titles, fiefs, women, and wealth.

This was no mere tournament. It was a hidden battlefield, a clash of powers beneath the surface, with each side scheming and maneuvering in secret.

Truth be told, Li Chang’an hadn’t intended to cheat—but with such a large crowd on the opening day, it was the perfect chance to flaunt himself and rake in system points.

After all, he was strapped for resources. Having consumed two Supreme Fruits, his costs had skyrocketed, and his system upgrades were nowhere near enough.