With its unmatched absolute strength, Shrek Academy achieved the first-ever twenty-seven consecutive victories in the history of the preliminaries. With that, the preliminary tournament in Heaven Dou City officially came to an end.
According to the process, the award ceremony would be held in the afternoon to present the qualification certificates for the advancement tournament to the top five teams.
The ceremony was not complicated. Under the host's announcement, the captains and vice-captains of the top five teams walked onto the main stage.
Naturally, the team that ranked first in the preliminaries was Shrek Academy, who had claimed first place with a perfect winning record.
At this moment, everyone was surprised to discover that the ones walking onto the stage were not Dai Mubai, the level fifty-five Soul King who had been the center of attention throughout the tournament, nor Tang San, who had mastered the essence of a control-type soul master.
Neither of them were actually the captain or vice-captain of Shrek Academy. The ones stepping onto the stage were a man and a woman, both unfamiliar faces.
As the champions of the preliminaries, Shrek Academy's captain Oscar and vice-captain Dugu Yan walked side by side onto the stage.
Dugu Yan was now twenty years old, with her figure and beauty at their peak. She was dressed in a bright green qipao slit up to her thigh, her straight and smooth legs drawing countless gazes as she walked. Her face was expressionless, her chest full and prominent, and she exuded an aura of maturity and authority.
She wore the qipao not only because Oscar liked it, but also because when she used her martial soul possession, she would grow a dragon tail. The qipao made movement easier, so she had adopted it as her regular attire.
Oscar, sixteen years old, had medium-length silver hair tied back in a ponytail and silver-white eyes that were calm and unreadable. His handsome face and sharp features were in no way inferior to Dugu Yan's beauty. With his arm linked with hers, the two of them stood together like an otherworldly couple.
Just by walking onto the stage, the pair drew countless eyes. Their beauty and presence were so striking that to have even one of them would be enough to make one die without regret , though of course, this sentiment applied to admirers of the opposite sex respectively.
As the host read out the names of the five advancing teams, their captains and vice-captains all stepped onto the stage.
First place: Shrek Academy.
Second place: Godwind Academy.
Third place: Thunderclap Academy.
Fourth place: Tianshui Academy.
Fifth place: Blazing Academy.
Just like in the original story, four of the five elemental academies advanced, except Elephant Armor Academy, though the ranking order had changed.
It was worth noting that Canghui Academy's Seven-in-One Fusion Skill could have given them a chance to advance, but because they injured Huo Wu earlier, when Godwind Academy faced them, Feng Xiaotian immediately went all out, giving them no chance to use their fusion skill. This resulted in Canghui's team suffering heavy injuries, affecting their later performance.
After their weakness became known, the other academies also launched full-on assaults from the start, defeating them quickly.
Tang San and Dai Mubai, the two most eye-catching figures among the Five Element Academies, sat calmly in the rest area without a trace of displeasure.
Oscar had already thought it through. When they registered, he and Dugu Yan signed up as captain and vice-captain.
Their decision to step onto the stage was deliberate, meant to draw more attention to Dai Mubai and Tang San. After all, if those two were so strong, then what kind of people must the captain and vice-captain be?
The other four teams had similar thoughts. When they saw Oscar and Dugu Yan on stage, Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian, Shui Bing'er, and Yu Tianxin all felt a jolt in their hearts.
Could it be that Shrek Academy still had not used their full strength? Otherwise, how could someone as strong as Dai Mubai not even be the vice-captain?
However, since they had never interacted with Oscar or Dugu Yan before, they did not dare to approach them rashly.
Besides, Oscar and Dugu Yan's looks and aura were so dazzling that they created a natural sense of distance.
Some suspected that this might be Shrek Academy's strategy , to make them think the team still had hidden strength.
But judging from Oscar and Dugu Yan's presence and demeanor, it did not seem fake. And if it was an act, then it was far too convincing.
When Ning Fengzhi and Dustless Heart saw Oscar appear in public for the first time, they both gave him a small nod, to which Oscar responded with a polite smile.
Once all ten representatives were on stage, the host announced: "Next, His Majesty, Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Platinum Bishop Salas will personally present the qualification certificates and rewards to the five advancing teams."
The qualification certificate was just a handwritten letter, and there was no fear of forgery, since both Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire kept close records of which teams advanced.
The top five academies each received the same reward: ten thousand gold spirit coins from the Heaven Dou Empire. For Oscar, this amount was trivial, but for most soul masters, it was a significant fortune.
For the finals, the top three prizes would be provided by Spirit Hall.
In addition, Emperor Xue Ye had previously promised Shrek Academy land and noble titles, which naturally drew envy from the other academies.
After the rewards were distributed, the host handed the floor over to the most honored guest present , Emperor Xue Ye.
The emperor's gaze swept over the ten representatives, lingering a few seconds longer on Oscar and Dugu Yan.
After all, these two had not fought at all during the preliminaries. Dai Mubai was a level fifty-five Soul King, Tang San was level forty-four, Zhu Zhuqing was level forty-five, and Xiao Wu was level forty-three. What, then, were Oscar and Dugu Yan's levels?
The thought made the emperor take special interest in this team that had made its first appearance and immediately claimed twenty-seven victories.
If Shrek Academy had still not shown its full strength, then its true power was worth contemplating.
After a moment, the emperor smiled and spoke: "First of all, children, I want to congratulate you."
"You have successfully earned the qualification to advance in this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. As the supreme ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire, I am proud of you. You are the future of the empire."
"As captains and vice-captains, your strength has been critical to your team's performance. Therefore, I have decided to grant you ten the noble title of viscount, and your teammates the title of baron."
"After you graduate, the royal family's gates will always be open to you. Your lands will be allocated once you graduate."
This announcement caused a commotion. To directly grant noble titles and fiefs meant these young people were no longer commoners but nobles.
Some might not care, but they were few. After all, not everyone's father was a sect master of an Upper Three Sect, nor was everyone's grandfather a Title Douluo.
A viscount was entitled to own land and have attendants, along with an annual stipend from the empire , enough to live comfortably.
Even though these young people had seen a lot, Emperor Xue Ye's series of rewards left them somewhat dazed.
While many soul masters held noble titles, titles granted by kingdoms and principalities were easier to obtain. Gaining one from the empire was much harder, especially one as high as viscount. A viscount's territory could be as large as a small city.
What was even more valuable was that the emperor promised they would receive real land, not just an empty title.
Oscar and Dugu Yan's rewards were not counted with the previous promise Emperor Xue Ye had made to Dai Mubai's group of seven, yet they too received land despite not having fought in the preliminaries.
At this moment, Salas interrupted, daring to speak while the emperor was talking , a testament to Spirit Hall's current power.
Emperor Xue Ye glanced at him indifferently. "Is there a problem, Bishop Salas?"
Salas said, "There has never been a precedent for awarding noble titles in previous tournaments. The rewards for Shrek Academy were already exceptional, and now Your Majesty wishes to reward others as well? And are these titles not too high?"
In both the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, noble ranks were duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron.
To suddenly grant seventeen viscount titles for just qualifying in the preliminaries was enough to shock anyone.
Emperor Xue Ye silenced Salas with a single sentence: "Bishop Salas, the conferral of noble titles is an internal affair of the empire. It has nothing to do with Spirit Hall or this tournament. This is simply my personal reward for these children."
"They represent my Heaven Dou Empire in this tournament. I will give you one more promise , whichever team wins the final victory, the entire team's titles will be elevated by one rank, and their academy's name will be prefixed with 'Royal,' with full imperial funding."
Salas's face turned ugly, but he said no more. His expression darkened slightly.
The captains and vice-captains of the five teams were all the elites of their generation, intelligent and perceptive. They could sense the tension between the empire and Spirit Hall.
Ning Fengzhi simply stood aside, smiling as though none of this concerned him.
Oscar sighed inwardly. Spirit Hall wasn't bad in itself , it was just ruined by that fool Bibi Dong. Otherwise, how could someone as useless as Salas, who didn't even know how to hide his arrogance, become a platinum bishop?
Still, Bibi Dong truly did want to destroy Spirit Hall, and in that regard, her methods were effective.
Damn it, if I ever get the chance, I'll make that crazy woman pay.
If it weren't for her madness, would I have to work so hard every day and live in constant fear?
On stage, Emperor Xue Ye ignored Salas's unpleasant expression and continued with a smile: "The advancement tournament will still be held within the empire, but the venue will shift from the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena to the Royal Hunting Grounds."
"At that time, the ten teams that passed their own preliminaries from the four kingdoms and principalities will come to compete with you. I hope that the five of you will achieve top ranks so that you have an advantage going into the finals."
"The advancement tournament will also be the best stage to demonstrate your individual strength. The top three students with the most victories will be granted a soul beast of their choice for their next spirit ring. The empire guarantees that any soul beast below thirty thousand years will be available for selection."
This declaration made everyone except Shrek Academy extremely excited. Even Feng Xiaotian's heart was racing.
After all, these ten were all around level forty. Their next breakthrough would be to level fifty.
Level fifty might not be as critical as level thirty , the first thousand-year ring that lays the foundation , but it was the first time they could obtain a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
Choosing the perfect soul beast would greatly benefit their future development. It would save them time, danger, and allow them to maximize their martial soul's potential.
From level fifty onward, cultivation would slow drastically. Having a ten-thousand-year spirit ring early on would ensure they remained strong through the journey to level sixty.
Seeing the growing passion in their eyes, Emperor Xue Ye smiled slightly. "The advancement tournament will be held in one month. I hope you all make further breakthroughs in that time."
"Well, I will say no more. You are all clever children. I trust you will make wise choices."
He glanced briefly at Salas before turning to leave with his officials.
Salas's expression smoothed over, revealing nothing more.
As Emperor Xue Ye had implied, though he had not said it directly, the academy teams now understood: they must choose between the empire and Spirit Hall.
Finally, the award ceremony ended, and everyone left the venue in an orderly fashion.
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