The next morning on the original world's timeline, when the first ray of sunlight shot into Star Luo City, this capital of the Star Luo Empire revealed a solemn atmosphere.
All the streets around Star Luo Plaza were completely blocked off by a mighty procession of soldiers in bright armor. Near the Star Emperor Grand Hotel, there were even more than a thousand soldiers stationed. The street leading from here to Star Luo Plaza had been completely placed under martial law. Only the participating team members from the various academies coming out of the Star Emperor Grand Hotel could pass through here.
The competition stage for this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was not built in the center of Star Luo Plaza, but in front of the main gate of the imperial city. This way, His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire could watch the battles directly from the top of the imperial city wall with his civil and military officials. Not only was the view the best, but it was also safe.
The entire competition stage was one hundred meters in both length and width, and five meters high. Around the outer edge of the stage were a total of one hundred and eight metal pillars. This was not a decoration, but a real, trash-tier protective-type soul tool—the kind that the Sun Moon Empire would sneer at.
After the competition began, one hundred and eight soul masters would preside over the protection of the stage. These metal pillars would form a protective shield to block all soul skills from spilling out, so as not to damage the imperial city or harm the innocent.
Just to build this competition stage, the country had spent a huge sum of money. Plus, to deploy one hundred and eight soul masters to serve the tournament for more than a month, it was indeed difficult to do this without national-level power.
At this time, Star Luo Plaza was a sheet of emptiness. Besides the soldiers in the distance, there was no one in the plaza.
The last time the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was held in the Star Luo Empire, a comical stampede incident had occurred. So this time, the Star Luo imperial family attached great importance to it. Not only had they dispatched a large army to be responsible for maintaining order, but they had also come up with many new dirty tricks.
The plaza was lined with iron fences. These iron fences, about one and a half meters high, just so happened not to affect the line of sight of the vast majority of people, yet they divided the plaza into different areas. Whether the audience was entering or exiting, there were different entrances and exits. This made it convenient for the soldiers to maintain order, but the number of people that could be accommodated in each area was also clearly limited.
The imperial city was on the north side, sitting north and facing south. And on the west side of the competition stage, a luxurious rest area had also been set up, specially provided for the use of the participating team members from the various academies. However, the rest area could only accommodate about seventy academies. It was clear that the Star Luo Empire had not prepared seats for the academies that were eliminated in the first round.
This could also be considered not being wasteful. To put it nicely, it could further inspire the fighting spirit of the participating students!
Ever since the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament had switched to the current competition system, besides the matches in the final stage, the most exciting part was actually this first round of the knockout tournament. Its brilliance and even tragic degree far surpassed the subsequent round-robin tournament.
The round-robin tournament could still have tactical arrangements, and even allowed for tactical surrenders and defeats. But this first round of the knockout tournament, if you lost, you had to leave. No matter which participating academy, they had to pass this hurdle, even the perennial champion, the never-setting Shrek Academy, was the same. The tournament had byes in the draw, but no academy could directly enjoy the privilege of a bye.
Early in the morning, the leading teachers of the various academies had already arrived at the imperial city first, drawing lots with the participation number plates they had received during registration.
Long before this, the drawing ceremony had already been completed. The Star Luo Empire's side had its own officials to count the results of the draw. When the order of the competition came out, this final step of the pre-tournament work was also considered completely finished.
The sun rose slowly from the distant east towards the high sky. Star Luo City, located in the central part of the continent, immediately rose with a refreshing warmth.
On the top of the imperial city wall, a middle-aged man in a bright yellow long robe, wearing an eight-treasure purple-gold crown, stood with his hands behind his back. His every move revealed an air of kingly dominance. The position he stood at was the very center of the main gate's city wall, and also the best position to watch the competition stage below.
Beside him was a beautiful woman in magnificent palace dress, respectfully and gently accompanying him. A few steps behind the two of them were the civil and military officials of the Star Luo Empire.
"Your Majesty—" A eunuch dressed in a great red official's robe quickly came forward and respectfully saluted the man. From the embroidered python pattern on his robe, one could see that this eunuch's status was extremely noble. It could be described as being at the pinnacle of officialdom.
"Prime Minister, how are your arrangements?" His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire asked with a smile.
The Prime Minister said with the utmost respect, "Everything has been arranged properly. The draw is over, and the order of the competition has been arranged. The crowd on the periphery is orderly. We can let the common people enter the venue."
The Star Luo Emperor nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile, "Good! Pass on my imperial decree. Let the common people begin to enter at each pass. Remember to control the speed and maintain good order. If another comical stampede incident like last time occurs, it will be severely punished!"
"Yes." The Prime Minister retreated a few steps in fear and trepidation, and only then did he turn and leave.
The Star Luo Emperor then whispered to the beautiful woman beside him, "Empress, We have waited twenty years for this grand event. It really fcking makes me miss being young! The fcking royal rules are too many. Otherwise, I really f*cking wanted to participate once back then."
The Empress forcibly held back her laughter and said with a slight smile, "Your Majesty has always had the heart of a warrior..."
The Star Luo Emperor laughed loudly. "Look, those little ones from the participating academies have already entered the venue first. But today they can't use the rest area. Our national treasury doesn't have that much money. Only those who win the knockout tournament have the qualification to enjoy the rest area. I heard that among the people who came from Shrek Academy this time, many of the contestants are very young. The one leading them should be the eldest son of that old bastard Dai Hao. I had originally wanted to recall that old bastard Dai Hao to watch the competition. After all, it's only once in our country every twenty years. But then I thought about it, and decided against it. The restlessness of the Sun Moon Empire is increasing. It's better to leave him to guard the western frontier."
The Empress could only listen gently and did not make any comment. Even if this emperor's mouth was full of foul language, as the mother of the nation, she also could not interfere in politics, especially with so many civil and military officials on both sides. Those military officials were all powerful soul masters. Their hearing was very strong.
And just at this time, from all directions of Star Luo Plaza, common people began to enter the venue. Under the guidance of the soldiers, they gathered in the venue like long dragons.
To watch the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was not free. The Star Luo Empire was also taking the opportunity to make a big profit. Although the daily entrance fee was not too expensive, only about two gold soul coins, two gold soul coins was just the most basic price. The closer the area was to the competition stage, the more expensive the entrance fee would have to be. For the circle of viewing areas closest to the competition stage, each person had to pay a hundred gold soul coins to enter. Star Luo Plaza had already strictly controlled the number of people entering, yet it could still accommodate more than two hundred thousand people to watch the battle at the same time.
For the common people, this was a large sum of money. But for some merchants and nobles who ate human blood steamed buns, it was nothing.
The Star Luo Empire adopted the method of "equal treatment" for spectators. The rich masters at most just had a position closer to the front. But the treatment was the same. They could only stand and watch the competition. There were no seats. And only in this way could more people be accommodated and more money be earned.
Just from the daily entrance fee of Star Luo Plaza, the imperial treasury could receive about two million gold soul coins. According to this calculation, after a month, it would be sixty million gold soul coins. After deducting military expenses and investment, the empire could also make a big profit.
This was also one of the reasons why the four great empires were very willing to host the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. One must know, the annual tax revenue of the technologically backward Star Luo City was only about this number.
Just as the audience was entering the venue, the Shrek preparatory team had already come to the contestant area and stood ready.
Today, all the members of Shrek Academy were in the traditional shit-green school uniforms. This was the standard color of Shrek Academy, the best color custom-made for the students by the dean ten thousand years ago. The position they stood in was also in the first row of all the academies. In this regard, at present, no academy had any objection. This was the glory that their Shrek Academy had accumulated over thousands of years by squeezing its students!
However, the contestants from the academies standing behind looked at Shrek Academy's lineup at this time and couldn't help but show some surprise.
It was one thing to have only brought about twenty people. Among these twenty-odd people, more than half looked to be far from twenty years old. Even without assessing their bone age, one could completely see their youth. Only the two people at the very front looked to be about the right age, but they were both wearing cloaks, covering their faces.
For most academies, they were now silently praying in their hearts not to run into a strong team like Shrek Academy or the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy in the first round. Otherwise, it would be almost equivalent to announcing that they had been eliminated.
The contestants from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy stood right behind Shrek Academy, which also made it more convenient for them to observe the Shrek Academy students in front.
The youngest in Shrek Academy were Cao Jinxuan, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao. Cao Jinxuan was a little better. As a disciple of the Body Sect, his figure was not thin and weak. On the contrary, he looked very sturdy, about the same as a fourteen or fifteen-year-old youth. But Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao still had a bit of childishness on their faces. Especially Xiao Xiao, her figure was relatively short, and she looked just like a little loli. Even the arrogant Xiao Hongchen was full of doubt in his heart at this time. What on earth was Shrek Academy trying to do by sending such a lineup?
The audience took a full half an hour to enter the venue. After all, the number of people was simply too large.
The originally empty Star Luo Plaza was now overcrowded. Fortunately, there were those iron fences to separate them, dividing it into different areas. Plus the soldiers maintaining order, it didn't seem so chaotic.
At this time, the sun was already high in the sky.
"Silence," a huge voice suddenly spread throughout the entire venue. Hearing this voice, all the soldiers stood at attention and at the same time raised the long spears in their hands. In an instant, a murderous aura spread throughout the entire venue. The originally somewhat noisy Star Luo Plaza instantly became quiet.
"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived—" an extremely disgusting eunuch's voice sounded.
"Hooray—" The commoners immediately had to kneel down in large swathes. Tens of thousands of people performing the same neat action at the same time—the scene was indeed extremely spectacular.
The soldiers were kneeling on one knee, while all the participating academies had been accurately notified beforehand. They were specially permitted not to kneel, but needed to bow ninety degrees to show respect to the emperor.
"All my subjects, you may rise," the Star Luo Emperor's voice was amplified by a sound-amplifying soul tool and transmitted out. Only then did the commoners rise one after another. The students of the participating academies also straightened their backs. Everyone's gaze was cast towards the top of the imperial city wall in front.
The Star Luo Emperor had already brought his empress and his civil and military officials to the very front of the city wall, his gaze roguishly handsome yet not without majesty as he surveyed his subjects.
"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is the most important grand event in the soul master world of our Douluo Continent. This year, it is our turn to host it in our Star Luo Empire, and We are very happy. Here, We, on behalf of the Star Luo Empire, welcome the representatives from the various academies, led by Shrek Academy, who have come from afar. We hope that in the competition in the next month, you will show the style you ought to have!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The leaders and students of the one hundred and thirty-three academies all bowed again in salute.
The Star Luo Emperor also smiled and nodded towards their direction.
"Good! We announce that the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament officially begins!" With the loud announcement from the Star Luo Emperor, the curtain was raised on this grand event.
"Long live, long live, long live!" the commoners shouted in unison, their emotions almost instantly stirred up.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." The sound of cannons roaring sounded from the top of the city wall, continuing for a full one hundred and eight blasts before stopping. Star Luo Plaza had already become a sea of excitement and cheers.
The Star Luo Emperor led his hundred officials to retreat slightly. The noble seats had already been set up. He and his empress took their seats and waved to the Prime Minister at the side. The Prime Minister immediately understood and issued the order for the tournament to begin to his subordinate.
"According to the competition rules of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the first round will be a knockout tournament. In this year's tournament, a total of one hundred and thirty-three advanced soul master and soul tool master academies have registered. After the draw, one will have a bye in the first round. A total of sixty-six matches will be held. The first round of the competition will be a knockout system. The loser will directly end their journey in this year's tournament. Now, the first match will begin immediately. The two sides of the competition are the representative team of the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Dou Ling Empire, and the representative team of the continent's number one academy, which has countless honors and has won almost all the championships in the past nearly thousand years, Shrek Academy."
With this announcement from the competition host, the atmosphere of the entire Star Luo Plaza directly boiled to its peak.
"Shrek, Shrek, Shrek..."
"Shit-rek! Shit-rek! Shit-rek!" Xiao Hongchen, standing in the back, deliberately changed his tone and shouted along. It was just a pity no one paid attention to him.
The voice shouting for Shrek Academy echoed in almost every corner of the plaza.
Facing such a situation, the five from the preparatory team who were about to go on stage were somewhat dumbfounded. They had all encountered such a situation for the first time. For a moment, each of their faces seemed somewhat pale. This was, after all, an audience of tens of thousands!
If, if they lost this match and Shrek Academy was eliminated, they simply couldn't imagine that kind of situation—
"Everyone, don't panic. This is the glory that belongs to our Shrek Academy. And it is also the glory that will soon belong to you. Back then, during the last tournament, we also faced such a situation. I can tell you that our opponents will definitely be ten times more nervous and panicked than us, because we are Shrek Academy," the voice of the unable-to-participate Dai Yueheng entered the ears of every preparatory team member.
Facing the current situation, even the leading teacher Wang Yan was experiencing it for the first time! Only Dai Yueheng and Ling Luochen had faced it before when they represented Shrek Academy as a preparatory team in the last tournament. At this time, Dai Yueheng's words were naturally the most persuasive.
Yao Haoxuan immediately chimed in, "Yueheng is right. These cheers are all for us, for the glory of our Shrek Academy. What is needed now is your explosion. After you get on stage, use your strength to prove to everyone the powerful strength of our Shrek Academy. Go on, hold your chests high, and use your best spiritual appearance to thank these supporters!"
Under the encouragement of the two seniors, the agitated mood of the crowd finally calmed down a little, but each of their palms was still sweating. Of course, they didn't know that in the history of Shrek Academy, there had never been a case of a preparatory team being sent out in the first round. Because this first match represented the face of Shrek Academy. And, facing such an enthusiastic audience, it was the first time for the preparatory team members to encounter this. Their minds would definitely be affected. So generally, the first match would definitely be fought with the full main team.
But now, they simply had no other choice!
Just then, the host's voice sounded again. "Let us first welcome the team members of the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy onto the stage."
In a position relatively towards the back of the contestant area, a team of pale-faced young contestants walked out. When they walked out of the contestant area, their footsteps even seemed to be somewhat unsteady.