Amidst the cheers of the entire arena, the younger members of the Shrek Academy team, who were about to take the stage, turned pale, clearly frightened.
This was in front of hundreds of thousands of live spectators and the entire continent.
If they lost and Shrek Academy was eliminated, they couldn't even imagine the consequences.
"Don't panic. Remember, this is the glory of Shrek Academy, and it's your glory too. Moreover, it's your opponents who should be nervous, not you," said Ma Xiaotao, her fiery red hair tied up in a bun, her figure striking.
"That's right. These cheers belong to you. Go out there and claim victory. Prove the strength of Shrek Academy with your power. Face your supporters," added Dai Yueheng, his tall frame and golden hair making him stand out.
Encouraged by their seniors, the seven members of Shrek Academy's reserve team gradually calmed down.
Though still nervous, their palms sweaty, they were no longer gripped by fear.
In the past, Shrek Academy had never sent its reserve team to compete in the elimination rounds, as the psychological pressure was too great for them.
But now, Shrek Academy had no other choice.
At that moment, the announcer's voice rang out, "Let us first welcome the team from Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy!"
From the back of the competitor area, a group of pale-faced young team members walked out.
As they stepped out of the competitor area, their footsteps seemed unsteady, almost as if they were floating.
In front of the soul screen, Tang San, Hu Liena, Xue Qinghe, and others looked puzzled.
Was Shrek Academy really that terrifying?
The members of Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy seemed to have already lost half their courage before the match even began.
Ma Xiaotao chuckled and looked at the reserve team members.
"See? That's your opponent. Their legs are shaking so much they can barely stand. What are you afraid of?"
The reserve team captain, Bei Bei, nodded. "I understand, Sister Xiaotao. Shrek will prevail."
"Shrek will prevail."
Ma Xiaotao strode over to Bei Bei and extended her right hand.
The others followed suit, and eleven hands stacked together.
The Shrek Academy team instructor, Wang Yan, adjusted his glasses and said in a low voice, "Yuhao, you'll be in charge of commanding the battle once you're on stage. The others will coordinate according to your Spiritual Detection Sharing. Yuhao, if possible, make good use of your second soul skill."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up, a spark of inspiration flashing in his mind.
He nodded heavily. "Understood, Teacher Wang. Seniors, don't worry. We won't let Shrek Academy down. Shrek will prevail."
"Good. The team from Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy has already taken the stage. At this moment, watched by millions, let us welcome the true king of academies, the number one academy on the continent, Shrek Academy!" The announcer's voice soared, and the Star Luo Plaza erupted into a sea of cheers for Shrek Academy.
As Shrek Academy entered the arena, everyone present was filled with confusion.
The competitors from Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy were also stunned.
What was Shrek Academy doing? This was the elimination round. Was it really okay to send out the reserve team?
"What's going on? They look about the same age as us," Ning Rongrong said, looking at the Shrek team on the screen.
The so-called number one academy on the continent was sending a team of teenagers, no older than fourteen, to compete in such an important match?
Even Xu Jiawei, standing atop the imperial city, looked bewildered. "What is Shrek Academy doing? Why didn't they send their main team? Why isn't Dai Hao's son playing?"
But a match was a match. No matter how many people were confused, the competition had to go on.
"Shrek Academy is indeed bold, but they wouldn't send their reserve team if they were just giving up, right?" Liuxing was also puzzled. This was the elimination round.
One loss and they were out. Didn't Shrek still have three main team members? Were they really not going to play any of them?
"Their three main team members are all injured," Liuying whispered into Liuxing's ear.
Liuxing suddenly understood. No wonder they were only sending the reserve team.
The three main team members were all injured.
"Even so, Shrek Academy shouldn't have much trouble in this match," Liuxing said, looking at the still-pale faces of the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy team.
Facing Shrek Academy, they were already intimidated by the reputation of the continent's top academy.
Shrek sending out their reserve team only made them more suspicious and increased the pressure on them.
Countless past events had proven that facing Shrek Academy in the first round meant an early exit from the tournament.
"Losing courage before the battle even begins, the outcome is already decided," Gu Yuena nodded in agreement.
The referee sent by the Star Luo Empire took his position and gestured for both teams to step forward.
The seven members from each side quickly gathered at the center of the arena.
The referee said in a deep voice, "First round, elimination match, team battle. Both sides may use most soul tools during the match. However, if one side surrenders, the other must cease attacking. Soul engineers may not use fixed soul tools or other high-destructive equipment. Understood?"
"Understood," Bei Bei replied solemnly.
The captain of Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy was a tall, slender young man around twenty years old.
Among his team, he was the only one who still looked relatively composed. He also responded with a nod.
The referee nodded. "Good. Both teams retreat to their respective sides. The match will begin at my command. Before I announce the start, no one is to release their soul rings prematurely, or they will be disqualified."
Both teams began to retreat, setting up their formations.
Soon, they reached the edges of the arena.
As the referee raised his right hand, the entire Star Luo Plaza, filled with hundreds of thousands of people, fell silent.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the expansive competition stage.
The referee raised his right hand, and the soul masters below the stage channeled their soul power into the soul tools in front of them.
Beams of white light shot into the sky, arcing and converging at a point twenty meters above the stage.
A white dome-shaped barrier formed, enveloping the entire competition stage.
With the protective barrier in place, the opening match of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was about to begin.
Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy adopted the traditional formation for tournaments: a 3-2-1-1 setup.
But everyone's attention was not on them. Instead, all eyes were on Shrek Academy.
As Shrek Academy arranged their formation, the crowd erupted in gasps of surprise.
Because Shrek Academy had formed a formation that no one could understand.
A black-haired boy stood at the very front of the formation.
His youthful face was filled with pride, while the other six members stood behind him in a fan-like arrangement, as if they were stars surrounding the moon.
What kind of formation was this?
Every advanced soul master academy participating in the tournament had a reputation on the continent and had studied team battle tactics extensively.
Yet, no academy had ever researched such a formation before.
"What is Shrek Academy up to?" Xiao Hongchen frowned.
Ma Rulong and others also shook their heads in confusion. Such a bizarre formation was a first for them.
Looking at the black-haired boy at the forefront of Shrek Academy, Xue Nu felt a sense of familiarity. She sensed a familiar aura from him.
"This is interesting," Liuxing said, already identifying the protagonist.
Even the referee was momentarily stunned by Shrek Academy's formation.
"Referee, can we start?" Hu Yuhao asked calmly.
Though young, his voice, caught between childhood and adolescence, carried a hint of hoarseness.
Yet, standing at the forefront, he had become the focal point of the entire arena.
The referee snapped out of his daze and finally lowered his raised hand, shouting, "Begin the match!"
No matter the formation, it wasn't his concern. His job was to ensure the match proceeded smoothly.
As the referee's voice echoed, both teams released their soul rings almost simultaneously.
The seven members of Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy were not weak, five Soul Ancestors and two Soul Elders.
Seeing this lineup, the live audience wasn't particularly impressed, but those watching from another world via the soul screens were shocked.
In their world, Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy's lineup would be strong enough to reach the top eight!
Such a powerful team was terrified of Shrek Academy!