It was no secret that Blue Tyrant Academy was effectively under the control of the Clear Sky Sect, so other soul master academies kept a respectful but distant attitude toward it. This made the students and teachers of Blue Tyrant Academy somewhat displeased.
In the rooms assigned to Blue Tyrant Academy, Tang San, as the designated team captain, met his teammates thoroughly for the first time.
The members of this team included Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai from the original Shrek Academy, and Yu Tianheng, who had transferred to Blue Tyrant Academy after being impacted by Chen Ming during his time at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
In addition to these transfers, four students from Blue Tyrant Academy were also part of the team: Tai Long, a power-type Soul Elder with the Great Strength Gorilla martial soul; Jing Ling, an agility-type Soul Master with the Skeleton martial soul; Huang Yuan, a strong-attack Soul Master with the Lone Wolf martial soul; and Jiang Zhu, a support-type Soul Master with the Healing Scepter martial soul.
Lastly, a heavyweight guest who had joined the team temporarily just a few days ago was Bai Chenxiang, an agility-type Soul Master with the Swift-Tailed Swallow martial soul.
Although many people had reservations and muttered inwardly about Tang San taking on the role of captain, no one dared to voice their objections due to Tang San's status. Outwardly, they could only show their support.
Apart from Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai, who were already close to Tang San, the two most welcoming members of the team were Tai Long and Bai Chenxiang, both from the Four Attribute Clans of soul masters.
After Tai Tan, the leader of the Strength Clan, was trapped in the Blacksmith Association, the clan's situation deteriorated. When Tang Hao caused additional trouble, the Strength Clan dared not align themselves with or speak out against the Clear Sky Sect. Under pressure, Tai Long was forced to push himself to his limits, which allowed him to reach the Soul Elder level earlier than in the original timeline.
When Tang Chen returned, Tai Nuo, the acting patriarch of the Strength Clan, immediately took Tai Long to pledge their loyalty to the Clear Sky Sect, claiming they had always supported the sect but had been too afraid to do so openly.
Tang Xiao and the elders of the Clear Sky Sect told Tang Chen about how the Strength Clan had secretly helped the sect hunt soul rings over the years. They also subtly hinted that the deaths of three elders might be linked to the Blacksmith City of Gengxin.
However, their explanation only reminded Tang Chen of what Qian Daoliu had told him: those elders had used some kind of sinister method to sacrifice their blood relatives and enhance their power to Title Douluo. Qian Daoliu, upon discovering this, had been so enraged that he killed them on the spot.
After this revelation, Tang Xiao and the three elders had their limbs broken by Tang Chen and were forced to recuperate in bed for a month before being allowed to seek healing.
As a result, the Clear Sky Sect refused to promise any support to the Strength Clan, even showing some disdain for their attempts to curry favor. However, the Strength Clan misinterpreted this as a test of their loyalty, believing Tai Long needed to perform well in the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament to secure the sect's support.
Bai Chenxiang and the Speed Clan, on the other hand, had a simpler connection. Bai He's sister was married to Tang Zhen, Tang Chen's son, making Bai He a junior member of the Clear Sky Sect. The Speed Clan had originally risen to prominence with the sect's backing and was considered the clan closest to the Clear Sky Sect among the Four Attribute Clans.
When news of Tang Chen's return spread, many people sought to establish connections with Bai He. A mysterious merchant even paid a hefty price of tens of thousands of gold soul coins to purchase a Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng from Bai He to show support for the Speed Clan. This allowed the clan to taste the benefits of their allegiance.
After Bai He visited Tang Chen and tearfully explained the Speed Clan's struggles due to rejecting the monthly gold soul coins offered by Spirit Hall, Tang Chen, moved by Bai He's loyalty, provided the clan with significant support.
With Tang Chen's tacit approval, Bai He arranged for his granddaughter, Bai Chenxiang, to join the team. While this seemed to be for the competition, Tang Chen secretly hoped to spark a romantic connection between Tang San and Bai Chenxiang.
Although the idea of a marriage between cousins might seem questionable, Tang Chen considered it preferable to the alternative: if Tang San and Xiao Wu were to have children, their offspring would have only one-quarter human blood, potentially becoming hybrid creatures like the Wolftaken. Thus, he found the cousin match more acceptable.
The team consisted of nine members. Jiang Zhu and two other civilian members refrained from voicing opinions. Of the remaining five, most sided with Tang San, leaving Yu Tianheng as the only one with reservations. However, even he outwardly showed submission to Tang San.
This year's preliminary round hosted over sixty academies and nearly a hundred teams, making it significantly more challenging than previous years. The rules, however, remained unchanged: despite the increased number of participants, only fifteen teams from each empire could qualify for the next round.
The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Star Luo Imperial Academy, and Spirit Hall each had three teams automatically advancing to the next round. In total, thirty-three teams would proceed to the second stage in Spirit Hall City, where the champion of the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament would be decided.
Yu Xiaogang, under the alias Huang San Gui, continued his usual approach of devising strategies on paper. Although Tang San had grown less trusting of Yu Xiaogang, he lacked experience in team battles and had no choice but to rely on Yu Xiaogang's guidance.
While Yu Xiaogang's plans might be theoretical, they were still better than fighting aimlessly.
Soon, the preliminary round in Heaven Dou City began. The Heaven Dou Empire's Emperor Xue Ye, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, and two Title Douluo protectors made appearances. Yu Luomian, the second-in-command of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, also attended.
In addition to these established Title Douluo, recently promoted ones like Black Tiger Sect Master Hei Sha and Elephant Armor Sect Master Hu Yan Zhen showcased their strength, drawing significant attention.
Even the nominally reclusive Clear Sky Sect sent its leader, Tang Xiao, to the tournament's opening ceremony, demonstrating his power as a 97th-level soul master at under eighty years of age. This shocked many soul masters and even unsettled Ning Fengzhi and the Sword and Bone Douluo.
Many believed Tang Xiao, despite becoming a Title Douluo later than Tang Hao, had superior talent, making him a worthy successor to Tang Chen and a potential Ultimate Douluo.
Tang Xiao's public appearance had been pre-approved by Tang Chen during his visit to Spirit Hall to inform Qian Daoliu. Though technically the Clear Sky Sect was still in seclusion, Tang Chen didn't want to tarnish its reputation further after his recent defeat by Qian Daoliu.
While Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect were both allies and rivals, their relationship was complex. Tang Chen didn't want another humiliating confrontation or a situation where Spirit Hall might annihilate the Clear Sky Sect.
The Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop overseeing the Heaven Dou Empire's competition was Arte, a control-type soul master with the Cursed Book martial soul and a modest soul power of 82.
Previously, Platinum Bishop Salas had advanced to Title Douluo and returned to Spirit Hall headquarters, while another bishop, Kaos, was promoted for his role in tracking Tang Hao. This left Arte unexpectedly elevated to Platinum Bishop.
Surrounded by powerful figures, Arte, who wasn't even as strong as the three teaching committee members of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, could only tremble. He dared not voice any opinions, especially when facing Tang Xiao, whose resemblance to Tang Hao made Arte fearfully anticipate a sudden attack.
Amid this complex web of agendas, the first round of the tournament officially began.