The referee, upon hearing Tianshui Academy's voluntary forfeit, announced loudly and excitedly, "Final round of the preliminary tournament: Shrek Academy versus Tianshui Academy—Shrek Academy wins!"
As his voice echoed through the arena, the audience erupted into cheers. The supporters of Shrek Academy especially roared in celebration.
As the announcement ended, Lin Jie and Xiao Wu prepared to leave the stage.
"Lin Jie—your name is Lin Jie, right?" Shui Bing'er suddenly called out.
"Hm? What is it?" Lin Jie paused mid-step and turned to face her.
"You're strong—the strongest opponent I've ever faced. But I won't give up on defeating you. I hope we meet again in the next round. And next time, I'll give it everything I've got to beat you," Shui Bing'er said with firm resolve.
"Growth comes through failure—that's the foundation of becoming strong. I look forward to facing you again," Lin Jie replied calmly, then walked off the Spirit Arena with Xiao Wu.
"'Growth comes through failure'..." Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu murmured the phrase to themselves.
"Next time... I definitely won't lose," Shui Bing'er whispered, clenching her fists, determination lighting her eyes.
Back in the lounge, under Jiang Zhu's healing, Lin Jie and the others had mostly recovered from the battle.
They had won. Everyone was in high spirits.
However, having witnessed the strength of Tianshui Academy today, Dai Mubai and the others now understood they could no longer afford to underestimate any opponent.
With the conclusion of the Shrek vs. Tianshui match, the preliminary round of the Heaven Dou City qualifiers officially came to an end. According to the schedule, the awards ceremony should have been held immediately afterward to grant advancement credentials to the top five teams.
However, due to the significant damage to the main Spirit Arena, the ceremony was simplified.
Only the top five teams were asked to proceed to the VIP platform to receive their qualification documents. The remaining teams did not participate in the final ceremony.
The top five ranked teams were:
Godwind Academy
Thunderclap Academy
Shrek Academy
Blazing Fire Academy
Tianshui Academy
Godwind and Thunderclap both held records of 26 wins and 1 loss, but Godwind had defeated Thunderclap head-to-head, so they were ranked first. Shrek Academy followed with 25 wins and 2 forfeits, placing them third. Blazing Fire narrowly edged out Tianshui for fourth by half a win, leaving Tianshui in fifth.
Because of the simplified process, each team's captain and vice-captain were called forward to receive their advancement credentials.
Representing Shrek Academy were Dai Mubai and Lin Jie.
Shrek Academy had two vice-captains. Lin Jie had originally wanted Tang San to go in his place, but Tang San firmly refused. His reason was simple: "You're the vice-captain." Lin Jie had almost retorted, "Aren't you a vice-captain too?" But seeing Tang San's resolute attitude, he didn't press the issue.
And so, Lin Jie went up with Dai Mubai.
As Lin Jie and Dai Mubai stepped onto the VIP platform, they immediately felt several gazes fall upon them.
Among them were Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian. Huo Wu's eyes held unresolved defiance—she still wanted a rematch. Feng Xiaotian's gaze, on the other hand, was sharp and calculating. He was still strategizing how to defeat Lin Jie.
Shui Bing'er also looked up as Lin Jie approached. Her expression was calm now, a faint smile on her face. The frustration from her earlier defeat was gone—her eyes held only quiet determination.
Once all the captains and vice-captains were present, the host announced loudly, "Now, His Majesty the Emperor, Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Platinum Bishop Salas of the Spirit Hall will present the qualification tokens and prize money to the five teams advancing to the promotion tournament!"
Dai Mubai received a gold soul coin card worth 10,000 gold soul coins. While a significant sum for most, this was nothing to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Lin Jie received the promotion tournament qualification certificate, which was, in essence, a signed document.
Once the awards had been distributed, the host gave the floor to the most senior official present: Emperor Xue Ye.
Emperor Xue Ye's gaze swept over the ten students. When it landed on Lin Jie, it lingered for a few seconds before he spoke:
"First, allow me to congratulate you on earning your qualifications to advance in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. As the ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire, I am proud of you. You are the future of our empire.
"Therefore, I have decided to bestow upon you a special honor: each of your teams' captains and vice-captains shall be granted the title of Viscount, while your teammates will each be granted the title of Baron. Once the tournament concludes and you graduate from your academies, your fiefs will be formally granted to you. The gates of the empire will be open to you always."
Hearing this, Platinum Bishop Salas's expression darkened. If Emperor Xue Ye succeeded in drawing these talents into the imperial court, it would be a major setback for the Spirit Hall.
Salas immediately interjected, "Your Majesty, don't you think this is a bit excessive?"
The emperor turned to him calmly. "Is there a problem, Bishop Salas?"
Salas, backed by the Spirit Hall and strong in his own right, replied bluntly, "There has never been a precedent for conferring nobility during the tournament. And Viscount is... quite a high rank."
He was right. Both the Heaven Dou and Star Luo empires used the same noble hierarchy: Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron. The tournament had only just concluded its preliminary round, and now the emperor was offering ten Viscount titles? The intention was obvious—he was trying to win over the entire top five teams.
But Emperor Xue Ye only gave Salas a cold glance. "Titles are the internal affairs of the empire. They have nothing to do with you—or with the Spirit Hall. I simply admire these students. They are fighting under the banner of my empire, and I'm merely rewarding them.
"However, I can make you another promise. Should any of your teams win the tournament championship, I will grant the entire team a promotion in rank. Your academy will also receive the prefix Royal, and be fully supported by the empire's treasury."
Dai Mubai remained calm upon hearing this, showing no reaction.
Lin Jie, though not particularly interested in noble titles, noted that the others were visibly excited.
After all, noble titles in the Heaven Dou Empire came with real power. Even the lowest rank, Baron, came with land, retainers, and an annual stipend. That stipend alone would be enough to live comfortably for life. As Viscounts, they would receive even more. A Viscount's smallest domain was a small city—and this was an imperial title, far superior to those granted by local kingdoms.
Salas's expression darkened further. His influence here was limited—this was Emperor Xue Ye's territory, not the Spirit Hall's.
Standing nearby, Ning Fengzhi simply smiled without comment, as though none of this concerned him.
Although Emperor Xue Ye saw the Bishop's displeasure, he paid it no mind. He continued, "The promotion tournament will still be held within the empire, but the participating teams will include those from the five duchies and kingdoms. Thus, the venue will move from the Heaven Dou Grand Spirit Arena to the Royal Hunting Grounds.
"I hope you all continue to strive for excellence and earn high placements. The top three performers in the promotion round will each be granted a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, chosen freely from a curated list to assist in your next Spirit Ring advancement."
As he finished, the emperor smiled at the clearly moved students before him.
Whether it was Dai Mubai or the elite students of the elemental academies, Emperor Xue Ye's promises struck a powerful chord.
All of them were Spirit Ancestors at over Rank 40, aiming for the next major breakthrough—Spirit King. At that level, having a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring or not made a huge difference. If they could avoid the danger of hunting one themselves and receive a suitable Spirit Beast selected for them, it would save both time and risk, greatly enhancing their Martial Soul's potential.
Seeing the fiery light in their eyes, Emperor Xue Ye smiled. "That's all, children. The promotion tournament will begin one month from now. I won't say more—you're all smart. I trust you'll make the right choice."
He then turned toward Salas, nodded slightly, and departed the stage with his entourage.
Salas stared coldly at the emperor's retreating figure, the malice in his eyes briefly flashing before vanishing. He bowed his head, his thoughts unknown.
Everyone present was smart enough to understand the message: choose between Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire.
Lin Jie's mind stirred. What he heard from Emperor Xue Ye was more than just rewards—it was a warning, directed at Salas. Clearly, the conflict between the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall ran deeper than he had imagined.
As for the nobility and spirit beast rewards, Lin Jie wasn't interested in the slightest. He had his own path—and perhaps, one day, he might even become the enemy of the Heaven Dou Empire.
After Emperor Xue Ye left, the others also departed the stage.
Lin Jie and Dai Mubai exited the arena. Outside, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and the others were waiting for them.
Just then, a voice suddenly called out to them—