The second round of matches took place in the afternoon. The first match was between Jin Zi and Ci Yu. Although Jin Zi was extremely powerful, Ci Yu managed to wear him down using his mutated spirit, Explosive Boar, by constantly unleashing his third soul skill—Boar Bomb. Eventually, Jin Zi was exhausted and defeated.
The second match was between Ci Yu and Gu Chen. Right from the start, Gu Chen gave Ci Yu no chance to react. He immediately used Golden Dragon Soar to dive in and close the distance, followed by a devastating Golden Dragon Shakes the Earth, seriously injuring Ci Yu and securing victory.
The third match was Gu Chen versus Jin Zi. Both of their spirits could be used for offense and defense, but Gu Chen's Golden Dragon King spirit was far superior in quality. Under Gu Chen's relentless Golden Dragon Claw attacks, Jin Zi was ultimately defeated.
The final scores of all the candidates were quickly tallied:
Gu Chen: 14 points
Jin Zi: 8 points
Lü De: 0 points
Yu Jiu: 0 points
Ci He: 0 points
Ci Yu: 6 points
In the end, Gu Chen defeated all the other candidates and officially became the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall.
With the identity of the Holy Son, Gu Chen was like a tiger with wings in Spirit Academy. Every student who saw him had to respectfully call him "Holy Son."
After leaving the arena with Gu Yue Na, they saw Qian Jun Douluo and Jiang Mo Douluo waiting under the shade of a tree not far away.
Seeing the two approach, Qian Jun Douluo smiled and said, "While it's not too surprising that you two came out on top among those pampered heirs, we still want to congratulate you on becoming the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall."
"This bracelet not only has ten cubic meters of storage space, but it also has a calming effect. Take it as my gift to you," Qian Jun Douluo said as he took out a golden-glowing bracelet and handed it to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen smiled, "I've done nothing to earn this honor."
Qian Jun Douluo patted his shoulder. "In the future, your achievements will go far beyond this. Just consider it a token of my favor."
"Then I'll accept it with gratitude." Gu Chen put the bracelet on his left arm, feeling a refreshing sensation wash over him.
"Gu Yue Na, this pendant can amplify your spiritual power by 1.5 times. Take it as my gift," Jiang Mo Douluo said, taking a pendant out of his soul tool.
The two Titled Douluo knew that Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na were inseparable—befriending one was equal to winning over both.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Gu Yue Na said softly as she accepted the pendant.
"Next week, the Pope will hold a ceremony at the Pope's Hall, granting you the official titles of Holy Son and Holy Maiden in front of all the Spirit Hall's elders and worshippers. Be prepared," Qian Jun Douluo advised.
Gu Chen nodded and thanked them again, after which the two Douluo left.
Returning to Class One of the Heaven Grade, Gu Chen told Hua Buluo and the others, "We owe our positions as Holy Son and Holy Maiden to your support. As thanks, let's have a feast tonight in Spirit City—same hotel as last time."
The group nodded in agreement, and Xue Youyou smiled again.
Feng Ming, however, sat silently at his desk, not joining the others. He seemed to have been pushed out of the group.
At the school gate, they ran into Jin Zi and Ling Xiaojiu.
Far from looking disappointed about not being chosen, the two smiled and walked up. "What? You're throwing a feast and didn't invite us? Come on, we helped too!"
"Haha, if you want to come, you're more than welcome. Welcome to the team!" Gu Chen gave them a bear hug.
At this point, Gu Chen had built a solid faction within Spirit Hall.
After the banquet, everyone returned to their dorms and resumed cultivation.
In just a week, both Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na broke through from the peak of level 42 to level 43. Advancing two levels in just over a month nearly broke the Academy's records.
This day marked the official ceremony for Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na to be granted their Holy Son and Holy Maiden titles.
Except for a few elders and worshippers on missions, all others in Spirit City—including the level-99 Titled Douluo Qian Daoliu—were present in the Pope's Hall.
However, Bibi Dong was notably absent. While one reason was her past assassination attempt on Gu Chen, the more important reason was the recent murder of her disciple, Hu Liena. There was no doubt it was done by Qian Xunji's people.
Naturally, Bibi Dong would not attend this ceremony.
At the appointed time, Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na walked into the Pope's Hall side by side, where Qian Xunji officially granted them their titles.
They also moved out of their dormitory.
Qian Xunji had new residences built in Spirit City: the Holy Son Manor and the Holy Maiden Manor, placed so close together they practically touched. Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na agreed to merge the two, essentially living together again.
Gu Chen stayed in the third-floor bedroom, while Gu Yue Na took the fourth floor.
The second floor was a guest area, often visited by Luo Chen, Feng Xiaoyu, and Hua Buluo. According to Luo Chen, the manor was luxurious, the beds large, and sleep—blissfully comfortable.
Two months flew by like this. Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na broke through another two levels, reaching level 45.
Luo Chen's cultivation also soared, reaching level 34.
With the resources Gu Chen provided, Hua Buluo, Feng Xiaoyu, Xuan Mo, and Xue Youyou all advanced to level 39.
Jin Zi and Ling Xiaojiu, both recognizing Gu Chen as their leader, also reached level 45.
At this point, Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na were once again summoned by the Pope, Qian Xunji.
Upon entering the Pope's Hall, they greeted him. "Greetings, Your Holiness."
Qian Xunji looked at them and said, "Holy Son, Holy Maiden. Every fifty years, Spirit Hall gathers all talented new students and sends them to a place called the Death Training Camp. The mortality rate there is ninety-eight percent. But those who survive are monsters that shake the continent."
"With your statuses, entering the camp is incredibly risky. I'm giving you a choice—do you want to enter?"
Gu Chen was shocked—he hadn't known that Spirit Hall had such a place.
A ninety-eight percent mortality rate. No wonder Spirit Hall had so many geniuses, but so few actually made it to the finals of the continental tournaments.
This Death Training Camp was like a cauldron of poison, brewing only the strongest survivors—like a Gu King among insects.
It seemed in the original story, characters like Hu Liena either survived the training camp or skipped it altogether due to their status.
But if Gu Chen were to go, the potential benefits would be immense.
"Your friends will also be entering the Death Training Camp," Qian Xunji said, idly playing with a gemstone. "With their abilities, they'll likely die."
"I'm willing to enter," Gu Chen replied. Whether for the sake of growth or to save his friends, he had no choice.
Gu Yue Na looked at him and smiled. "Your Holiness, I'm willing to enter as well."
"Very good. In one month, someone from the Death Training Camp will come to take you," Qian Xunji said.
(End of Chapter)