"Yes."

"Did she personally say she is the successor to the National Preceptor?"

"No, she didn't." Ji Ru also understood what Gu An was thinking.

The Gu Family flourished because of the first National Preceptor, Gu Wei.

Even after Gu Wei left this world, the Gu Family's status remained stable.

But there's a saying...

Wealth doesn't last beyond three generations.

The succession of power is similar.

Although the Gu Family has passed through several generations, each generation is indeed weaker than the previous one.

The most direct reason is that the Gu Family rose to prominence through the National Master's Institute, and now, if they want to rise again, they must control the National Master's Institute once more.

Gu An was not someone pushed by the Gu Family, but he was one of the core members of the Gu Family, and he understood this very well.

So the moment he received this news, he immediately sent it to the Celestial Capital.

His mind was nearly blank.

He knew that Zhong Nan always had his reasons for his actions.

Previously, when Ji Ru noticed Bai Ling, he sent someone to investigate Bai Ling's connections.

The data at the time showed that Bai Ling was a person of fortune.

Now, it seems that Zhong Nan indeed took notice of this person.

But she has no backing, and her personality is straightforward. How can she ascend to the position of National Preceptor?

Gu An was somewhat puzzled, but he knew...

The assassination attempt on Zhong Nan exposed his vulnerability, and now by taking Bai Ling as a disciple openly, it was equivalent to announcing the start of the competition for the position of National Preceptor.

"Do we need to do anything?" Ji Ru asked.

"No need," Gu An said, "This assassination attempt was already very risky; there's no need for us to make another move."

"Besides, the Gu Family is not the most anxious, if we don't act, others will act on their own."

...

After Zhong Nan's departure, there wasn't much impact on White Emperor City, as everyone was fully engaged in the final competition.

The city's casinos had already made their early prediction of a 91 to 1 odds.

This prediction was also in line with people's expectations.

The Youlan Empire was already a champion for multiple years, and now with two participants from Cangling Ancient Country unable to compete, the chances of winning were even lower.

Time flew by, and seven days passed in a flash, with new upheavals occurring each day.

Tyler seemed to realize he had done something foolish before, and after seeing Dick's method effectively diverting attention, he too began to publicly declare that the Youlan Empire was invincible and didn't need to resort to tricks.

Subsequently, the entire Youlan Empire team stepped up, with some mocking and others making proclamations, making the people of Cangling Ancient Country very uncomfortable.

The discomfort was felt not just by ordinary citizens, but also by students like Wu Chen who were participating in the competition.

"Do they really think they're bound to win?" A third-year student gritted his teeth in hatred.

Even now, the students hadn't stopped their doubts.

The attack specifically targeting Lin Chen still couldn't be explained clearly, and the assassination case investigation team hadn't given up on investigating the Youlan Empire.

Wu Chen, being the senior brother, was usually good-tempered, but now he was holding back his frustration. He glanced around and said to everyone, "Although the chance is slim, I still hope everyone can give it a try, after all, we're here already. Even if we can't win the championship, we need to show others that we're not pushovers."

"Yes." The others nodded in agreement.

The next day was the final competition. Lin Chen's mindset was quite positive. Liu Gu had been staying there for some time, also helping with guidance.

Liu Gu was very interested in Xiaobai's Demon Bull Appearance, and after some research, he sought out Lin Chen the night before the competition to have a sit-down talk.

Seeing Liu Gu's serious expression, Lin Chen asked, "Is there something, teacher?"

Lin Chen assumed Liu Gu might be concerned about Bai Ling, but unexpectedly he bluntly said, "Remember how I watched Xiaobai's Demon Bull Appearance the night we moved in?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"You should remember you once mentioned that Xiaobai lost control when awakening its Barbaric Bloodline?" Liu Gu asked.

"Yes." Lin Chen nodded.

Liu Gu then said, "I've studied some materials. Previously, I thought Xiaobai changed because it felt the Divine and Demonic Power during its evolution. But now I have a new perspective."

"Please, teacher, go ahead."

"The Soul-Calming Hoof, Barbaric Bloodline, Eternal Damnation Demon Horn, and Demon Bull Appearance aren't skills that the bloodline of a Plowhorn Beast can typically access," Liu Gu said. "The reason it's like this is that it began along the path of Divine and Demonic Power when awakening the Soul-Calming Hoof."

Lin Chen nodded.

He had actually thought about this too.

Divine and Demonic Power is one of the world's most powerful forces.

"You should thank that senior in Jiuxing City..." Liu Gu said, "She pointed you to a very crucial path."

Lin Chen was taken aback, recognizing that Liu Gu meant Qin Shaoshao.

"The skills Xiaobai possesses are enough to prove it is on the path of a Demon God," Liu Gu said, and Lin Chen replied, "But teacher, isn't this world supposed to not distinguish between divine and demonic?"

"Indeed, when the heart is righteous, it is divine; when the heart is wicked, it is demonic," Liu Gu said. "But you should also know why the Celestial Spirit Body is feared by people."

Lin Chen suddenly realized and completely understood Liu Gu's implied meaning.

He thought for a moment and said, "Xiaobai can already control it."

"That's the key point I want to make," Liu Gu said. "Without discussing whether Xiaobai can control its Barbaric Bloodline in the next stage, what I want to tell you is that as Divine and Demonic Power is overwhelmingly powerful, and Demonic Power more easily erodes the human heart, I'm very concerned that as Xiaobai continues to grow stronger, it will still face a continual erosion of Demonic Power."

Lin Chen exhaled and nodded.

Liu Gu's analysis was correct.

"So, Xiaobai's spiritual power training should never be interrupted, understand?" Liu Gu said.

Lin Chen nodded.

Then Liu Gu said, "You performed excellently in this competition. When we go back, I'll report to the dean and see if you can meet the Tree Ancestor."

"Is there really a Tree Ancestor in the Spirit Academy?" Lin Chen was surprised.

Liu Gu nodded.

He told Lin Chen that the Tree Ancestor had an extraordinary origin, living in this world for many years. It's said to have existed since Gu Wei's time and was later sent to the Spirit Academy by Gu Wei, becoming the academy's Guardian Spirit Beast.

"Get some sleep; there's a competition tomorrow," Liu Gu instructed Lin Chen to observe any changes in Xiaobai, and then he left.

Lin Chen turned around, thinking the three little guys had already fallen asleep, but as soon as Liu Gu left, their heads popped up.

"Gu!" Little Fox was the first to speak, telling Lin Chen that Xiaobai is so kind that it wouldn't turn evil.

Lin Chen also nodded, patted Xiaobai's bullhead, and said, "The teacher's words aren't without reason, but he also said you've taken the most important step and gained one of the most powerful forces. But the road ahead is still long."

"Moo!"

Xiaobai nodded emphatically.

Lin Chen squinted with a smile and said, "Sleep, and we'll win the championship tomorrow."

"Gu!"

"Moo!"

"Roar!"

Lin Chen then patted White's head before laying against its belly, and one person and three beasts drifted off to sleep.

....

The next day, the final match arrived, punctual as expected.

In White Emperor City, the distribution of resources on Celestial Beast Island, as well as the honor of the nation, depended on the outcome of the Beast Fighting Conference finals.

However, under the current circumstances, many people felt that this year's championship hung by a thread.

"Lin Chen is clearly the most promising among the freshmen, but Zhang Suqing's overall strength is weak and won't score much."

"As for the second-years, there's no need to say anything more."

"The real competition is in the third year category, where they might secure two points."

Spectators buzzed with discussion.

They had high praise for Lin Chen and believed that his teammates were weighing him down this year.

After seeing Xiao Hong and Lin Chen's performances earlier, the audience had already moved Lin Chen's ranking from third to first among the first-years.

Even Dick had to be ranked lower.

In the final battle, all members of the Beast Fighting Conference, whether previously defeated by Lin Chen like Gao Ben, or from the Ancient Kingdom of Xijun, were all present.

Even those from the Beiming Country were very calm; Balke's two Spirit Beasts were also injured, but he admitted defeat willingly.

He came here today because he wanted to see how Lin Chen and Dick would compete.

"""

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