Upon hearing Ma Hongjun's lecherous voice, a handsome young man with peach-blossom eyes beside him sneakily glanced at Ning Rongrong, who stood ahead with her noble demeanor and exquisite beauty.
He instinctively took a step back, distancing himself from Ma Hongjun.
Liuxing and the others were unaware that, aside from people from their own world, various major forces from another world were also closely watching this competition.
The venue for the Soul Duel Competition was set up at the city gate of the imperial city, specifically the western side of Star Luo Plaza.
The entire competition stage spanned several hundred meters in length and width, standing five meters tall.
It resembled the soul tool trial platform of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, but its soul tool defenses were far inferior, requiring specialized soul masters to operate the protective soul tools.
The first round of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Competition was the thrilling elimination round, where the stakes were simple: win and advance, lose and go home.
There was no room for weaker teams to slip through unnoticed, and if any academy let their guard down, they could easily suffer an upset.
The intensity of the elimination round far surpassed that of the subsequent round-robin matches.
At least in the round-robin stage, there was more room for manipulation, but the elimination round was purely about the strong advancing and the weak being eliminated.
At this moment, Star Luo Plaza was eerily empty, with only distant soldiers in sight. The plaza itself was devoid of people.
In past competitions, stampedes had occurred, so the Star Luo Empire placed great emphasis on maintaining order.
Moreover, since this competition was being broadcasted across the entire continent, any mishap would turn the Star Luo Empire into a laughingstock.
Early in the morning, the lead instructors from various academies, except for the previous champion, Shrek Academy, had already arrived at the imperial city.
They used the registration numbers obtained during sign-up to participate in the draw.
According to the competition rules, the reigning champion always took the stage first, so Shrek Academy didn't need to participate in the draw.
…
As the spectators queued up to enter, Liuxing and the others arrived at the rest area prepared for them by the Star Luo Empire.
Due to the unique nature of this competition, the Star Luo Empire had spared no expense.
Each academy had its own private rest area, complete with luxurious seating, fruits, beverages, cakes, and desserts, everything was provided.
The arrival of Liuxing and the others drew the attention of most present.
Dressed in their Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy uniforms, they immediately outshone the other academies.
Compared to the uniforms of other academies, the uniforms of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy are much more refined.
Whether it's the material or the overall design, they far surpass those of other academies.
In terms of daily expenses and image, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy has also put in a lot of effort.
The wealthy academy is not afraid to spend money.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy lacks many things, but it certainly doesn't lack money.
So, when students from other academies see the luxurious uniforms of Liuxing and others, and then look at their own simple uniforms, they immediately feel at a disadvantage in terms of presence and demeanor.
Liuxing finally caught sight of the long-awaited Shrek Academy.
Seeing the familiar green uniforms, Liuxing's expression turned peculiar.
Ten thousand years have passed, and the uniforms of Shrek Academy haven't changed at all.
Are they really that respectful of tradition?
The appearance of Shrek Academy also sparked discussions among other academies, mainly because the number of their members was off, and they were too young.
Not all academies have a powerful intelligence network like the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to get the latest information.
Not only were people from other academies observing Shrek Academy, but Liuxing was also scrutinizing them, his gaze sweeping over the noticeably younger students.
'Who among them is the main character?' Liuxing wondered silently.
The one who looked most like the main character was the handsome youth with short blue-pink hair.
If not for the Adam's apple, Liuxing would have thought he was a girl.
Next was the black-haired youth. Though he seemed ordinary at first glance, the more unremarkable someone appears, the more likely they are to be the main character.
...
The sun was high in the sky.
All the spectators and academy teams had entered the arena.
"Silence!"
As soon as the command was given, the soldiers, as if rehearsed, raised their spears simultaneously.
Immediately, a solemn atmosphere spread across the field, and the previously noisy Star Luo Plaza fell silent.
"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!"
Under the gaze of thousands, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire arrived late.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators knelt in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor" towards the figure atop the imperial city.
The soldiers knelt on one knee, while all participating students only needed to bow at a ninety-degree angle to show respect to the Emperor.
"Rise, my citizens."
The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei, stood at the forefront of the city wall, his voice gentle yet commanding.
Xu Jiawei's voice was amplified and projected by a sound-amplifying soul tool.
The citizens then rose to their feet, and the students from the participating academies straightened up.
All eyes turned to the front of the imperial city wall.
"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Competition is the most important event in the soul master world of the Douluo Continent. This year, it is our Star Luo Empire's turn to host it, and I am very pleased.
Here, on behalf of the Star Luo Empire, I welcome the representatives from various academies, led by Shrek Academy, who have come from afar. I hope you will showcase your deserved brilliance in the upcoming month of competitions."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the leaders and students from the 133 academies bowed once again.
"Shrek Academy?"
At this moment, hearing the voice coming from the soul tool, Tang San and others turned to look at Dean Flender and Vice Dean Zhao Wuji.
Flender and the other academy teachers also looked puzzled.
"Ahem, it must be a coincidence. After all, it's not the same world, so having an academy with the same name is normal. Look, there's even a Star Luo Empire over there," Flender coughed twice and explained, though he too felt a surge of curiosity.
He really wanted to communicate with the people from Shrek Academy to see who had come up with the same name representing monsters.
"There really is someone who thought of the same name as our dean! People from another world are quite... peculiar," Ning Rongrong commented helplessly.
"Very well, I declare the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Competition officially open," Xu Jiawei announced passionately, marking the beginning of the competition.
"Long live, long live, long live!" The citizens shouted in unison, their excitement instantly ignited.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." The soul tool cannons roared from the city wall, continuing for 108 shots before stopping.
Star Luo Plaza had turned into a sea of excitement and cheers.
"According to the rules of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Competition, the first round will be a knockout stage.
This year, 133 advanced soul master and soul engineer academies have registered. After the draw, one academy will get a bye in the first round.
There will be 66 matches in total, and the first round will follow a knockout format. The losing teams will be eliminated from this year's competition."
"Now, the first match is about to begin. The competing teams are the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Dou Ling Empire and the continent's top academy, Shrek Academy, which has won nearly all championships in the past millennium."
As the host announced this, the atmosphere in Star Luo Plaza reached a boiling point.
"Shrek, Shrek, Shrek..."
The chants for Shrek Academy echoed throughout every corner of the plaza.
Tang San and the others looked at each other in surprise. Is Shrek Academy over there really that amazing?
The popularity is overwhelming!
Thinking of their own Shrek Academy, with fewer than a hundred people including teachers, located in a remote countryside with a dilapidated campus, and then looking at the Shrek Academy on the soul screen, receiving such attention, they felt that although both are called Shrek Academy, the one over there is the real monster academy, while theirs seems like a fake.
"Although they're not cheering for us, I can still feel a surge of excitement!"
The chubby Ma Hongjun clenched his fists, his face turning red.
"We will also be in the spotlight like them one day," Xiao Wu said with longing.
"That day will come, Xiao Wu. I promise you," Tang San said confidently, patting Xiao Wu's head.
"I believe you, Brother Tang."
Just from the host's introduction, one could sense the uniqueness of Shrek Academy.