Douro Continent

Chapter 317 The First Match of the Preliminaries Begins (Part 2)

Tang San nodded without ceremony and said, "Those who will appear later are Dai Mubai, myself, Xiao Wu, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, Jiang Zhu, and Tai Long. We will attack according to the first plan. Back then, we suffered such humiliation at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Although it was Prince Xue Xing who brought it upon us, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy symbolizes the royal family. Dean Flander and the teachers are not here, but I understand their meaning: if we want to have a good life in the future, then we must completely crush our opponents today. I think, for us, one minute is enough."

Dai Mubai clapped his tiger paws together, his evil eyes flashing with a fierce light. "That's right, we only need one minute."

An invisible, chilling aura quietly spread from Tang San and Dai Mubai. The scene of their helpless retreat from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy in front of Dugu Bo would never be erased from their minds. Although Tang San didn't say it explicitly, everyone understood that they not only wanted to defeat the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team, but also to prevent them from passing the preliminary rounds.

Before long, the designated staff arrived, urging everyone to make their entrance. The organizers clearly didn't have high hopes for them; there was only one staff member to guide them. Just as they reached the exit, the Shrek Academy students heard the master of ceremonies loudly announcing the names and martial spirits of each participant from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. A special golden beam of light shone down from a high platform erected on one side of the Great Soul Arena, escorting each member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team onto the field.

Regardless of their actual strength, the members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy were already quite impressive in appearance. Their light gold uniforms featured the characters "Heaven Dou" embroidered on the left chest and seven silver stars on the back—the symbol of the Heaven Dou Empire. Each member was dashing and looked to be in their early twenties. Bathed in the light of their soul tools, even in daylight, they seemed to radiate a dazzling brilliance, like miniature golden suns, captivating the audience's attention.

"Damn it, they're obviously using us as foils to highlight these main characters," Huang Yuan said angrily. This lone wolf soul master, while not as burly as Tai Long, was still quite robust and, like Dai Mubai, was a power-attack type soul master. Because of his straightforward personality, he was quickly accepted by the Shrek Seven Devils.

Jing Ling, standing to the side, muttered in a sinister tone, "That's not right. We're not supporting characters, we're being used as dung. Wouldn't a beautiful flower shine even brighter stuck in dung?" Unlike Lone Wolf, this somewhat sleazy-looking, slender agility-type Soul Master had a rather feminine air. Being with him made anyone uncomfortable. His chilling aura was like a venomous snake watching over you. Even during sparring sessions, he never allowed himself to be at a disadvantage. He was always there when everyone was attacking together, but when it came to taking the hits, he was nowhere to be seen. He was called a coward by the fierce boys like Dai Mubai, Huang Yuan, and Tai Long. Fortunately, this guy was just a bit eccentric; his strength was quite remarkable.

"We'll show them who the real dung is later." Tyrone clenched his fist hard.

Dai Mubai said coldly, "Let's go. It's our turn to make our appearance."

The lights went out, and the Shrek Academy contestants slowly entered the arena amidst a chorus of boos.

The venue had changed. In the short span of half an hour, the prepared arena had been erected. The arena was ten meters high, circular, and over thirty meters in diameter, covering a considerable area. Of course, this was only one arena. When the preliminary rounds truly began tomorrow, five arenas would be set up simultaneously. Twenty-eight teams would compete in twenty-seven rounds of the preliminary rounds. Each team would face twenty-seven opponents. A win would earn one point, while a loss would yield no points. After twenty-eight rounds, the top five teams would advance to the qualifying rounds. Advancing to the qualifying rounds was equivalent to entering the finals. This month-long preliminary round was a test for any academy's team. Twenty-eight consecutive days of competition would be enough to wear down teams with poor stamina.

The preliminary rounds will take up half of the entire Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. The qualifying rounds and the finals will both be held in the grand square in front of the Papal Palace, at the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. The final champion will be awarded the prize personally by the Pope. What an honor!

As expected, they were being treated differently. Tang San narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression remaining calm. Together with Dai Mubai, he led a total of eleven members of Shrek Academy in a row in the center of the arena, facing off against the members of the second team of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

The second team from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had a total of sixteen members. Shrek Academy's stay at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was very short, so these people naturally didn't recognize Tang San and his companions. These noble-born scions naturally looked down on the Shrek Academy members' attire. If this weren't on a fighting stage, many of them would probably have burst out laughing.

"What a bunch of toads. They think they can participate in the Soul Master Competition like this?" Standing at the front of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team was a petite boy. He had fair skin and was quite pretty, looking almost like a girl. Even his voice was rather effeminate.

"Captain, how did we get picked such an opponent? It's like a toad landing on our feet; it doesn't bite, but it's still a problem. Look at their academy's logo, it's hilarious!" A flamboyant girl next to the petite boy whispered, covering her mouth and nose. She seemed afraid of smelling the Shrek Academy students.

The captain nodded in deep agreement, his gaze drifting somewhat lecherously towards Xiao Wu. "It's just a pity about such a beautiful girl."

Xiao Wu snorted coldly, "A hermaphrodite and a brothel girl, how did we end up with such opponents?"

"You little slut, who are you calling a prostitute?" The voluptuous female student immediately erupted in anger. The male student, who was referred to as the hermaphrodite, also turned ashen-faced.

Dai Mubai laughed heartily, "Xiao Wu, you're so talented! I couldn't think of such a perfect description. A hermaphrodite paired with a courtesan. Truly a perfect match!"

The petite captain of the second team of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy coldly said, "Fine, very well. Although killing opponents is prohibited in the competition, injuries are indeed unavoidable. Since you've brought this upon yourselves, you can't blame us."

Before the match even started, the two sides were already on edge, and the tension was palpable.

Dai Mubai was clearly annoyed that his lines had been stolen by the other person. At this moment, the referee walked over.

"Both parties bow to each other, and non-competitors step down from the ring."

Both the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Shrek Academy reluctantly bowed to each other. The extra team members left the arena, leaving only the seven members from each side who participated in the first round of the preliminaries.

On Shrek Academy's side, standing at the very front were Dai Mubai, Tailong, and Huang Yuan. In the Tang San episode, Xiao Wu and Jing Ling were on either side. Jiang Zhu stood at the very back.

On the side of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, apart from the man and woman who had spoken earlier, the remaining five people were all robust individuals. They stood in a row at the front, forming a wall that blocked the two behind them. The one standing in the center was the petite captain; without a doubt, he was the control-type Soul Master in this team. The voluptuous girl stood at the very back.

VIP seating.

Emperor Xueye smiled as he looked at the arena, then said to Ning Fengzhi beside him, "Sect Master Ning, it seems this first match will be a foregone conclusion!"

Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

On the other side, Platinum Bishop Salas suddenly asked, "Sect Master Ning, could you tell me which of the twenty-eight Soul Master teams you previously favored is the champion contender you mentioned?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Lord Salas, isn't it good to be a little mysterious? I imagine you must have a team you support."

Salas said with a forced smile, "So, Sect Leader Ning is unwilling to reveal it?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled calmly and said, "This is our sect's own secret, and it seems to have nothing to do with Lord Salas."

"You..." Salas's expression clearly darkened. Their gazes clashed with Ning Fengzhi's before Emperor Xueye, neither giving way in the slightest.

Emperor Xueye, seated in the middle, frowned slightly and smoothed things over, saying, "You two don't need to be impatient. The results will naturally come after this competition ends. Bishop Salas and Sect Master Ning are right; it's their own business who they favor. You see, I shouldn't ask that question, although I'm very curious myself."

Platinum Bishop Salas glanced at Emperor Snow Night and said calmly, "Your Majesty is right. Then let's watch the match."

Sitting in the second row, Prince Xuexing proudly said to those around him, "Look, His Majesty and Sect Master Ning have already realized that this match is a foregone conclusion. Our students from the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy are the true elites. This is only the second team. This time, our main team has only one goal: the final championship."

(End of this chapter)