Heaven Dou Empire, Imperial Palace.
Ning Fengzhi suddenly stood up, his expression filled with excitement as he gazed at the screen displaying Ma Rulong and the others.
He could clearly see that Ma Rulong and his team were not using soul skills but were merely channeling their soul power to activate the soul tools in their hands.
Yet, they were able to unleash power even more terrifying than soul skills.
How could Ning Fengzhi not be excited?
The Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo understood Ning Fengzhi's excitement well.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was known as the number one support system in the world, its soul masters had no combat capabilities of their own.
If they could equip themselves with these soul tools, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile soul masters would also be able to fight, and the strength of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would multiply.
"These soul tools... they feel even stronger than Tang San's hidden weapons, don't they?"
Dai Mubai and the others turned to look at Tang San.
They had all witnessed Tang San's hidden weapons before, even Zhao Wuji, a Soul Sage, had fallen victim to them.
But in terms of sheer destructive power, they paled in comparison to the soul tools displayed on the screen.
Tang San also furrowed his brow. Ordinary hidden weapons were undoubtedly no match for those soul tools.
Perhaps only the top five legendary hidden weapons of the Tang Sect could surpass them.
But crafting those legendary hidden weapons was incredibly difficult, requiring exceptional skill and cultivation.
Soul tools, on the other hand, were different! Any soul master with soul power could use them.
In terms of accessibility and convenience, they completely outclassed the Tang Sect's hidden weapons.
"Does the Tang Sect in that world also have hidden weapons? How do they survive in a world where soul tools exist?"
A trace of doubt arose in Tang San's heart.
The first day of the elimination round quickly came to an end.
After the matches concluded, many academies began to reflect on the shocking performance of Shrek Academy in their first match.
Once they calmed down, they suddenly realized that six 100,000-year soul rings were simply too unbelievable.
If it had been just the sixth soul ring that was 100,000 years old, they might have been able to accept it.
But all six soul rings being 100,000 years old? That was just insulting their intelligence.
The more astute individuals had already figured this out, but the scene at the time had been so overwhelming that they hadn't been able to process it immediately.
It wasn't until the matches ended and they began reviewing the day's events that they realized the black-clad youth from Shrek Academy had completely fooled them all!
The most regretful were the members of Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy.
They had been utterly terrified at the time, but after being carried off the stage, they discovered that the so-called "sealing" effect had lasted less than ten seconds and hadn't caused them any injuries.
This was completely unlike the power that a fusion skill unleashed by two Soul Emperors should have had.
While it was still strong, it shouldn't have been so underwhelming.
The instructor of Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy had thought his students would be lucky to escape with their lives, but in the end, it had been all bark and no bite.
...
Time flew by, and soon it was the evening of the third day.
The elimination round of the Soul Master Tournament consisted of only one match per team.
With over 130 participating teams, even with matches running non-stop, it still took three days to complete.
During this time, Liuxing and the others spent their time either watching the matches of other academies or meditating and cultivating in their rooms.
It was worth noting that although Shrek Academy was right next to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, for these three days, the members of Shrek Academy seemed to have gone into seclusion.
Aside from the bespectacled instructor who occasionally went out to watch matches and gather information, the others didn't appear to have left their rooms at all.
Since the next morning would mark the start of the round-robin matches following the elimination round, Elder Ma gathered everyone in the meeting room to discuss tactics.
"The round-robin matches are different from the elimination round. There are three types of battle modes: team battles, individual elimination matches, and 2-2-3 battles. The mode will be randomly selected."
"Currently, 67 teams have advanced to the round-robin matches, divided into eight groups. Three groups will have nine teams, and five groups will have eight teams. Each group will play at least seven matches, and only the top two teams from each group will advance."
"For each match won, the team earns two points. No points are awarded for a loss, and in the case of a draw, each team receives one point. The top two teams with the highest scores will advance."
"Each day, four groups will compete. With two days per round, and after seven rounds plus additional matches for the nine-team groups, the round-robin matches are expected to last 15 to 16 days."
Elder Ma explained the rules in detail and then looked at Liuxing and the others. "Any questions?"
Ma Rulong and the others had participated in the previous tournament and were familiar with the rules, so his explanation was mainly for Liuxing and the newcomers.
"No, Elder Ma," Liuxing and the others shook their heads.
Elder Ma took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and continued, "For the round-robin matches, I plan to have Ma Rulong and the others take the lead. If any of you want to participate, let me know in advance."
Liuxing and Liuying shook their heads. The opponents in the round-robin matches weren't particularly strong, and even if they were matched against a strong team, the opponents wouldn't go all out, as they would only be competing for the second qualifying spot.
The two of them weren't very interested.
They believed in making a grand entrance rather than wasting their efforts on weaker opponents.
They would only step in when facing a royal academy or a team of similar caliber.
Meng Hongchen, Gu Yuena, and Xue Nu also showed little desire to participate. Xiao Hongchen, on the other hand, wanted to make a name for himself, but he was picky about his opponents!
In the end, only Ye Guyi raised her hand, expressing her desire to participate in the round-robin matches. Although Ye Guyi was also strong, she was still young and her soul power level wasn't particularly high.
Unlike Liuxing and the others, who were all extraordinary beings, the average Soul Ancestor-level opponents in the round-robin matches were just right for her.
After all, she had come all this way to participate in the tournament. She couldn't just sit on the sidelines the entire time.
The later matches would be too intense for her, so the round-robin matches were the perfect opportunity to shine.
"Alright, the meeting is adjourned. Everyone, get a good rest tonight."
Old Ma clapped his hands, bringing the meeting to an end.
Everyone stood up and filed out of the conference room.
As soon as they pushed open the door, they saw the door of the diagonally opposite conference room also opening, and the people from Shrek Academy walked out.
It was clear that the Shrek Academy members were also surprised, looking at Liuxing and the others with unexpected expressions.
Liuxing was equally surprised, but he quickly smiled and nodded at the Shrek Academy members as a greeting, then without hesitation, led Liuying back to their room.
The others also had no intention of engaging in conversation with the Shrek Academy members and returned to their respective rooms.
Only Xiao Hongchen shot a provocative look at the black-clad youth, Huo Yuhao, in the Shrek team.
"Wait! Something's not right!"
Just as Huo Yuhao and the others were about to leave, they heard Teacher Wang Yan's grave voice.
"What's not right, Teacher Wang?"
A petite, lively girl looked at Wang Yan with confusion.
The others, including Ma Xiaotao and the two other inner court disciples who were preparing to return to their rooms to recuperate, also turned their attention to Wang Yan.
Wang Yan's recent performance had earned the respect of the inner court disciples, and they valued his opinion.
"That's the conference room of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, right? That white-haired boy was the first to come out!"
"Huh? What's the problem with that?"
The petite girl, Xiao Xiao, blinked her eyes in confusion, completely lost.
"Think about it, who always leaves first after our meetings?"
Wang Yan adjusted his glasses and said solemnly.
Hearing this, everyone instinctively looked at Ma Xiaotao.
At that moment, they all realized the issue. In a formal setting like a conference room, it was customary for the highest-ranking person, usually the captain or the teacher, to leave first.
So, Ma Xiaotao was always the first to leave the conference room.
But what was going on with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy?
That white-haired boy had ignored the captain and the teacher, leaving first.
Wang Yan bit his thumb, his mind racing as he analyzed the situation: "The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy must have fielded their main team in the elimination rounds. That six-ring Soul Emperor is their captain. Dai Yueheng and Ling Luochen both know them and wouldn't mistake them for anyone else. They are definitely the reserve team from the last tournament."
"But why? Why is that white-haired boy the one in charge? Judging by his age, he is about the same as Yuhao and the others. Even if he's the captain of the reserve team, his status shouldn't surpass that of the main team members!"
"Teacher Wang, maybe we're overthinking this. What if he holds a high status in the Sun Moon Empire?"
Huo Yuhao speculated.
Listening to Huo Yuhao's words, He Caitou secretly shook his head.
Having hidden at the back earlier, he had seen several familiar faces.
Although they might not recognize him, he could recognize them.
He knew a bit about Liuxing, a super genius whose first soul ring was purple. It had been a few years, and he had no idea how strong Liuxing had become.
But he did know about Liuxing's background. However, no matter how high his status was, it couldn't surpass that of the teacher and the main team captain.
At the very least, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's backgrounds were no less impressive than Liuxing's.
"Why bother overthinking it? When we face the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, we'll probably be fully recovered by then. Are we really going to be afraid of a little kid?"
Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms, completely unconcerned.
Dai Yueheng and Ling Luochen both nodded. As inner court disciples, how could they possibly fear a boy who was clearly only twelve years old?
Even Huo Yuhao, the most prodigious among them, wouldn't be a threat to Ling Luochen if it weren't for his ability to counter her. And that was without mentioning Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao.
Hearing this, Wang Yan could only reluctantly set aside his speculations. Ma Xiaotao's words made sense, but he still had a bad feeling about the situation.
But no matter how much he speculated, it was useless. They could only observe their opponents closely in the upcoming matches.
----------
On the morning of the fourth day of the tournament, Star Luo Square was packed with people, the sound of discussions echoing throughout the square.
The reason for such a lively atmosphere before the matches even began was, of course, because their favorite Shrek Academy was set to make an appearance again today!
The weather wasn't great, with a gloomy and oppressive overcast sky.
The clouds weren't dark, but they stubbornly blocked the sun. Fortunately, the air was still fresh, and there was no rain.
At this moment, all sixty-seven teams that had advanced were already in the rest area, waiting for the matches to begin.
Even the teams that weren't scheduled to compete today were present.
They were all waiting, waiting for Shrek Academy to take the stage.
They wanted to see with their own eyes whether the boy with six hundred-thousand-year soul rings was real or not.
After all, Shrek Academy was the number one academy on the continent, with a ten-thousand-year legacy that couldn't be faked.
Every academy took them seriously, and even the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, which knew Shrek Academy was putting on a strong front, didn't miss the chance to observe.
When the dark green competition uniforms appeared at the entrance of the participant tunnel, the entire Star Luo Square erupted in cheers, starting from the area closest to the tunnel, with shouts of "Shrek" echoing throughout.
"Such popularity!"
Liuxing lay on the sofa in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's rest area, eating a grape that Liuying had peeled for him, and sighed.
Xiao Hongchen grabbed Meng Hongchen, who was eager to join in, and rolled his eyes. This guy really knew how to enjoy himself.
Ma Rulong and the others kept their eyes fixed on the competition field, completely ignoring the scene before them.
So what if the childhood sweethearts were showing a bit of affection?
If Liuxing's fists weren't so strong, Ma Rulong and the others would have long since lost their patience. They were here to compete, not to go on a picnic!
Damn it, when I get back, I'm going to find a girlfriend too.
Xiao Hongchen gritted his teeth, determined to find a beautiful girlfriend once he returned to the Sun Moon Empire and flaunt her in front of Liuxing every day.
"Liuying, if you spoil him like this, he'll be ruined sooner or later."
Gu Yuena said with an expressionless face.