Wang Yan continued discussing some important details about the All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle and then instructed everyone to return and rest.
For them, the most important task at the moment was to help Bebe, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou recover to their best conditions to prepare for the intense rounds of the tournament following the elimination matches.
Next were Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yaoheng, Chen Zifeng, and Gongyang Mo. As long as they recovered, Shrek Academy would still be a strong contender for the championship in this All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle.
As for Jiang Nannan and Wang Dong, they seemed still immersed in guilt and shame for having been bystanders when the Death God's Messenger bandit group attacked. With their current abilities, they couldn't contribute much, and their moods were even more depressed.
Amidst the tense atmosphere, even Xu Sanshi didn't pester Jiang Nannan like he usually did. After Wang Yan announced the meeting's dismissal, he, along with Bebe and He Caitou, headed straight to their rooms to focus on healing their injuries.
Among everyone, the ones who seemed the calmest were Xu Zhihuang and Ning Tian. They were the last to leave the meeting room, walking together toward the restaurant at the end of the hallway.
There were two representative teams staying at the top floor of the Star Emperor Hotel, the champions and runners-up from the previous All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle.
Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
To avoid conflicts, the Star Luo Empire organizers arranged the contestants from the two academies to stay on opposite sides, with the stairway as the dividing line. At the end of both corridors, there were top-tier restaurants prepared for the contestants and teachers from the two academies.
These two academies were the only ones among the 133 participating institutions who enjoyed such special treatment.
Ning Tian walked beside Xu Zhihuang, her eyes gazing into his bright blue ones, filled with determination.
The boy she admired was a presence that would attract attention anywhere.
Even in this competition, which gathered the continent's best young soul masters, the boy's radiance could not be overshadowed.
She had to become more excellent, or else she might not even deserve to stand beside Xu Zhihuang in the future.
From a young age, she had trained under the strictest demands of her family. She had to carry the responsibility entrusted to her by her family. This life was monotonous and hollow.
But now, she felt a strange sense of sweetness. Xu Zhihuang had brought color into her dull life.
At the entrance to the restaurant, four young girls dressed in white gowns respectfully greeted the two.
"Welcome, esteemed guests from Shrek Academy."
The four girls wore charming smiles that made them seem incredibly approachable, with no flaws in their etiquette. Their beauty was even higher than the reception girls Xu Zhihuang had seen at the Treasure Pavilion.
Their clothing was modest, exuding an air of elegance.
"Please follow me." One of the girls stepped forward with a smile, bowing and making an inviting gesture.
As they entered the restaurant, the first thing that caught their eyes was the dazzling golden decorations. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, scattering soft light. The restaurant's area was at least five hundred square meters, extremely luxurious.
At this time, the only sounds in the spacious restaurant were the footsteps of the three.
The girl guided Xu Zhihuang and Ning Tian to a beautifully crafted table made entirely of purple crystal. She then took a menu out of her silver storage ring and presented it to them.
Xu Zhihuang took the menu and passed it to Ning Tian.
"You order first."
"Mm." Ning Tian smiled elegantly, nodding.
The two had become very comfortable and natural in each other's presence.
Afterward, Xu Zhihuang also ordered a few exquisite dishes made from rare ingredients sourced from soul beasts, all cooked to perfection.
The Star Luo Empire's treatment of Shrek Academy was indeed generous.
Each dish on the menu used ingredients from at least a thousand-year-old soul beast.
Among the dishes Xu Zhihuang ordered, the most precious was the Clear Stewed Thousand-Year Sea Dragon Tendon. The sea dragon wasn't a true dragon, but rather a sub-dragon type soul beast living in the sea. It had dragon blood and was highly regarded for its nourishing effect on the body, enhancing one's blood circulation and improving overall physical health. Soul masters with sub-dragon type martial souls could even see their martial soul evolve positively after consuming this tendon's essence for a long time.
However, the sea dragon, like the magic whale soul beasts, lived deep in the ocean, making it extremely risky to catch.
Even though the Star Emperor Hotel had the backing of the royal family of the Star Luo Empire, the supply of sea dragon tendons for Shrek Academy's participants was limited, indicating its rarity.
Xu Zhihuang gently stirred the golden-colored sea dragon tendon in the sweet and clear broth with his silver spoon. Suddenly, he thought of something and looked up at Ning Tian.
"By the way, Ning Tian. Didn't you mention that your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had some contact with the Body Sect? Do you have any connections with the Body Sect?"
"I've only heard occasional mentions from the elders in my family." Ning Tian met Xu Zhihuang's gaze, not surprised by his question.
After all, Xu Zhihuang's martial soul, the Golden Eyes, was the most top-tier body martial soul. It was normal for him to be interested in learning more about the Body Sect.
"The Body Sect grew rapidly in the thousands of years after the destruction of Spirit Hall. When the Body Sect was first founded, our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan helped them somewhat. But after the collision between the Douluo and Sun Moon continents, both the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Body Sect went into hiding, and the connections between us gradually faded."
Xu Zhihuang didn't continue pushing on this topic. He had only asked casually.
Moreover, he knew that during this All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle, there were people from the Body Sect watching the competition.
He would just need to show his strength with his martial soul, and the Body Sect would naturally come looking for him.
The two chatted while they ate, and the dinner lasted nearly half an hour.
But when they returned to their rooms, ready to rest, two people approached them from the other end of the hallway.
These two appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. The one in the front was a handsome young man dressed in moon-white attire. His left eye was blue, and his right eye was green. His dual-colored eyes made him even more handsome. His snow-white hair flowed over his shoulders like his proud nature.
Behind him stood a beautiful young girl with deep wine-red hair, darker than Ma Xiaotao's, resembling the rich hue of fine wine. Her eyes, however, were ice blue.
The four of them locked eyes.
Upon seeing the handsome Xu Zhihuang, who seemed even more impressive than her older brother, the girl's ice-blue eyes lit up with excitement and a bit of shy complexity.
The handsome boy gazed arrogantly at Xu Zhihuang. Although he sensed a slight threat from him, his pride remained unshaken.
"My name is Xiao Hongchen, remember it. I don't know whether you Shrek Academy is too confident or for some other reason, but you've only sent four main team members. In this All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle, I will personally end your undefeated legend."
"I hope you can achieve your wish." Xu Zhihuang smiled gently, his expression unchanged.
After saying this, he didn't look at Xiao Hongchen again. He gave Ning Tian a nod and then went back to his room.
In Xu Zhihuang's eyes, Xiao Hongchen and others like Dai Huabin and Wang Dong were no different. They all had one inevitable outcome: their pride would be ruthlessly crushed by him.
On the other side, Ning Tian also returned to her room, but before doing so, she glanced deeply at the girl standing next to Xiao Hongchen.
Xiao Hongchen's gaze narrowed as he stared thoughtfully at his sister, Meng Hongchen, who had been staring at the other end of the hallway, lost in thought.
"Meng, you can't be serious, right?" Xiao Hongchen's pride suddenly disappeared as he looked at his sister in shock.
"He's our opponent."
"What about it?"
Seeing that her brother had noticed her thoughts, Meng Hongchen's face flushed red, and with a huff, she opened her room's door.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, leaving Xiao Hongchen standing dumbfounded in the hallway.
The next morning, the golden dawn bathed Star Luo City in light, highlighting the grandeur and ancient beauty of the thousand-year-old city.
Today was the day the All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle officially began.
Star Luo Square, in front of the imperial palace, was divided into several sections with rows of iron fences over five meters tall, creating the spectator areas.
Tens of thousands of soldiers in standardized armor guarded the square to maintain order.
Only the contestants and teachers staying at the Star Emperor Hotel were allowed to enter the square.
The tournament's stage had been built in the northern part of Star Luo Square, right in front of the imperial palace gates. This allowed the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire and his officials to watch the matches from above in the city, enjoying the best view.
Under the leadership of Wang Yan, the representatives of Shrek Academy arrived at the contestant area and took their places.
Today, everyone was dressed in Shrek Academy's traditional dark green uniforms. As the defending champion of the last All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle, their seats were naturally placed in the front row.
No one objected to this arrangement, as Shrek Academy had earned this position through years of hard work and countless honors.
One hundred thirty-three academy teams had now taken their places, and the audience, under the guidance of the soldiers, had begun to enter. The atmosphere in the entire Star Luo Square grew louder.
At the same time, Wang Yan and the other academy leaders began the drawing for the first round of elimination matches.
Without their instructors by their side, the other academy contestants behind Shrek Academy looked surprised when they saw Shrek Academy's line-up.
He Caitou, with his mature appearance and robust build, looked fine. However, Xu Zhihuang, Bebe, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan, despite appearing close to adult height, clearly had younger faces—no older than fifteen years.
Ning Tian and Wang Dong were even more noticeable.
What exactly was Shrek Academy trying to do by sending this line-up?
This question arose in the minds of the other contestants.
Despite this, no one dared to underestimate Shrek Academy. The title of the top academy in the continent was too powerful.
Most of the contestants silently hoped they wouldn't draw Shrek Academy in the first round of elimination matches.
Soon, Wang Yan returned to the Shrek Academy team, a somewhat amusing expression on his face.
"We've drawn our opponent for the first round: the Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Douling Empire. This academy is ranked among the top three in the Douling Empire and has sent numerous talented students. At least one of their members is a Soul King. That means, Tianhuang, you'll be facing a team led by at least one Soul King and comprised of soul masters above Soul Sect rank. Our luck isn't great."
In the entire competition, only about one-tenth of the participating teams had Soul Kings or higher. Achieving Soul King level before twenty was rare, even in Shrek Academy, where the graduation requirement for the outer academy was only Soul Master rank. A Soul King of twenty years or younger had the talent to enter the inner academy.
"Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy?" Xu Zhihuang's mind stirred as he recalled information about this team.
"Dual control with the Thousand Strike Spear."
Ma Xiaotao had mentioned this casually in the pre-match meeting yesterday, but now, even she couldn't help but furrow her brows.
Dai Yaoheng, Chen Zifeng, and the others shared Ma Xiaotao's sentiments. If they lost this match, everything would be over.
For now, they had no choice but to trust Xu Zhihuang.
As Wang Yan explained, a middle-aged man wearing a bright yellow robe and an eight-treasure purple gold crown walked onto the city wall. He stood proudly in the center, offering the best view of the competition.
This man was Emperor Xu Jiawei, the current ruler of the Star Luo Empire. Behind him stood the civil and military officials of the empire.
"Silence!" An elderly official in bright red robes stepped forward and shouted.
The booming voice echoed across the square, and the soldiers in silver armor slammed the butts of their spears onto the ground, creating a sound like metal clashing, filling the air with a tense atmosphere.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
The crowd knelt in unison, hundreds of thousands of people performing the same gesture, creating a truly spectacular sight.
The soldiers kneeled on one knee, while the participating contestants and their teachers bent at the waist in respectful bow.
"Rise." Emperor Xu Jiawei's gaze was soft but carried undeniable authority as he scanned his people.
Everyone stood and shifted their gaze back to the city wall.
"I, on behalf of the Star Luo Empire, welcome you all. The All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle is a grand event for the entire continent. This tradition has lasted for tens of thousands of years, and I am happy that this year's tournament is being held here in Star Luo City. I hope you all display the best of your abilities in the upcoming month of competition."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The participants and their teachers from 133 academies bowed again.
Emperor Xu Jiawei smiled and nodded in their direction. Then, with a loud announcement, the grand event began.
"Now, I declare the official start of the All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle."
The sound of cannons firing, mixed with the cheers of the crowd, filled the air.
Emperor Xu Jiawei and the civil and military officials retreated a few steps to their prepared seats.
The Prime Minister representing Emperor Xu Jiawei stepped to the city wall again, raising his voice to announce.
"The first round of this competition will be an elimination round. There are 133 participating academies, and one academy will receive a bye. In total, 66 matches will need to be played. The first match is about to begin."
"The first match will feature the Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy against Shrek Academy, which has won countless honors and nearly claimed every championship in the All-Continent Senior Soul Master Academy Soul Battle over the past millennia!"
His words immediately sparked an explosive reaction in the crowd.
"Shrek—"
"Shrek—"
"Shrek—"
"..."
Shrek Academy's reputation had already become legendary. In a sense, it was an invincible symbol.
Xu Zhihuang turned calmly, surveying the crowd.
Then, he turned and walked with firm steps toward the competition arena.
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