NOVEL NEXT Chapter 117: Chapter 117: First Match Against Shrek Academy
Chapter 117: First Match Against Shrek Academy
Upon arriving at Spirit City, the sixteen teams representing the Heaven Dou Empire were accommodated under the arrangements of the Spirit Hall.
Accompanying these teams were numerous representatives from various sects, especially those affiliated with the academies participating in the tournament.
Among them, the most notable was undoubtedly the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Ning Fengzhi, the clan master, had personally arrived with two Titled Douluo elders.
Joining them was Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, representing the Heaven Dou Empire, as Emperor Xue Ye did not make the trip. Su Mo strongly suspected that Qian Renxue had taken advantage of this opportunity to visit her mother and grandfather back in the Spirit Hall.
The next day, the sixteen teams from the Heaven Dou Empire and the sixteen teams from the Star Luo Empire gathered in front of the Pope's Palace in Spirit Hall.
The two empires' teams entered the square one after the other, introduced by the Spirit Hall's tournament announcer.
"And now, please welcome the final team of this tournament, representing our Spirit Hall—the Spirit Hall Team!"
Following the announcer's introduction, the Spirit Hall team stepped out.
Leading the group were the so-called Golden Generation: Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, followed by their four teammates.
The Spirit Hall team exuded an overwhelming aura of confidence. Their strong presence filled the square with an undeniable sense of power.
"What astonishing confidence—this must come from an accumulation of countless victories!"
"As expected of the Spirit Hall Team, their entire presence radiates strength, sharpness, and invincibility!"
"That woman is stunning…"
"Their aura is overwhelming! Could it be that this year's championship will once again belong to the Spirit Hall Team?"
The other teams were awestruck as the Spirit Hall team made their entrance, feeling the oppressive might of their competitors.
"No wonder they're called the Golden Generation. The three at the front are incredibly powerful!"
"Our team doesn't have this kind of presence at all…"
"It looks like the championship is going to Spirit Hall again this year."
"Spirit Hall is clearly confident—otherwise, they wouldn't offer three soul bones as the championship reward!"
The competitors and their accompanying representatives were equally shocked by the Spirit Hall team's aura.
"What an incredible presence!"
"Do you think the three members of the Golden Generation could really be Soul Kings?"
Within the Heaven Dou team, Yu Tianheng couldn't help but feel uneasy about Spirit Hall's strength.
"Yeah, their aura is overwhelming!"
"I hope we don't face them too soon."
Shi Mo and Shi Mo's brother echoed Yu Tianheng's concerns.
"What's the point of worrying? Even if the Spirit Hall team has three Soul Kings, it's not like we don't stand a chance! When the time comes, we'll just fight them head-on!" Ning Rongrong countered indignantly, clearly dissatisfied with their apprehensive attitude.
"Rongrong's right—what's the use of worrying? Our goal is the championship, no matter how strong the opponent. We just need to defeat them!"
"Exactly! Rongrong's absolutely right!"
Compared to the boys, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were much more confident and immediately supported Ning Rongrong.
"That's right. At worst, just protect Lingling during the match and leave the rest to Rongrong and me!" Su Mo added confidently.
"You're right, Rongrong. My lack of confidence in our strength was my mistake," Yu Tianheng admitted, realizing his error.
At that moment, Pope Bibi Dong made her appearance, stepping out onto the high platform above and looking down on everyone present.
"Pay respects to the Pope!"
"Pay respects to the Pope!"
The Spirit Hall guards around the square dropped to one knee as Bibi Dong appeared.
Su Mo and the others stopped their discussion and looked up at the Pope.
When Bibi Dong emerged, Su Mo took a moment to carefully observe her from afar.
Having seen Bibi Dong countless times before, Su Mo didn't feel the usual reverence most people did when faced with the Pope. Instead, he compared the present Bibi Dong to the one residing within him.
The Pope before him appeared colder, exuding a loftier, more commanding presence. However, this wasn't because her aura was inherently stronger but rather because the Bibi Dong within Su Mo had grown accustomed to him and didn't display such an overwhelming demeanor.
"Hmm?"
Perhaps sensing Su Mo's bold gaze, Bibi Dong turned her sharp eyes toward him. Startled, Su Mo quickly averted his gaze and lowered his head.
Satisfied, Bibi Dong shifted her focus elsewhere, her eyes eventually landing on Yu Xiaogang in the audience. Yu Xiaogang met her gaze with calm indifference, but Liu Erlong, sitting beside him, immediately grabbed his hand and stared at Bibi Dong defiantly.
Bibi Dong's gaze turned icier, but given the circumstances, she refrained from reacting. She coldly looked away and refocused on the gathered competitors.
"Being here proves you are the elite of the younger generation!" Bibi Dong declared, her voice resonating across the square. "I look forward to seeing your performances in the finals! To honor your efforts, Spirit Hall has prepared rewards befitting champions."
After her brief speech, Bibi Dong handed over the proceedings to the announcer.
"Now, as you are all familiar with the rules of the finals, I'll keep this brief," the announcer said. "In the first round, the Heaven Dou Royal Team, the Star Luo Team, and the Spirit Hall Team will have byes. The remaining 30 teams will face off in paired matches."
"Please send one representative from each team to draw lots to determine your first-round opponents!"
Representatives from each team quickly stepped forward to draw lots. The results were soon announced.
"The first match will be Blazing Academy vs. Barak Academy!"
The announcer declared, "The two teams for the first match, please remain on the field. All others, please proceed to the spectator area."
The first match of the finals was an internal showdown between two teams from the Heaven Dou Empire. Barak Academy, the team representing the kingdom previously associated with Shrek Academy, stood no chance against the stronger Blazing Academy and was eliminated in the first round.
Blazing Academy advanced, and the matches continued.
After three days of intense competition, the first round concluded. Fifteen teams were eliminated, leaving 18 teams in total, including the three seeded teams.
Shrek Academy was fortunate, avoiding strong opponents in the first round and advancing to the second round without much difficulty.
In the second round, the Thunderclap Team from the Heaven Dou Empire and the top-ranked team from the Star Luo Empire had byes. The remaining 16 teams were paired off for the next round of matches.
"Finally, it's our turn!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed eagerly, volunteering to draw lots for their team.
"We got number one—we're in the first match!" she announced excitedly upon returning.
"Great! We're first up!" the Shi brothers cheered, brimming with enthusiasm.
"I wonder who our opponent will be?" Yu Tianheng muttered as he entered preparation mode, scanning the other teams for clues.
"The first match of the second round will be the Heaven Dou Royal Team vs. Shrek Academy!" the announcer declared.
"Now, Both Teams, Please Take the Stage!"
The announcer quickly revealed Su Mo's team's opponent.
"Our opponent is the Shrek Team?"
"Great! Now we can finally avenge ourselves!"
"We're not afraid of Shrek this time!"
The announcement left Yu Tianheng and his teammates both surprised and exhilarated.
Except for Su Mo and Ning Rongrong, everyone still remembered their previous defeat at the hands of the Shrek Team. The loss had been a bitter one, with Shrek overwhelming them without much resistance.
Although Su Mo and Ning Rongrong had since explained that Shrek's victory was largely due to special tactics—such as Tang San's use of hidden weapons and Su Mo's soul tool fusion—the memory of the crushing defeat still felt like a stain on their pride.
"Let's give it our all. This time, we'll defeat Shrek!"
Even Ye Lingling, usually calm and reserved, was fired up for revenge.
"Our opponent is Zhuqing and the others…" Ning Rongrong muttered, her earlier excitement waning into hesitation.
For Ning Rongrong, personally eliminating the Shrek Team felt a bit awkward. However, she remained confident in their current team's strength and didn't believe Tang San's Shrek Team stood much of a chance.
"It doesn't matter who the opponent is; our goal is to defeat them all!" Su Mo said, rubbing Ning Rongrong's head with a smile. "Besides, if they're bound to lose eventually, wouldn't it be better if we were the ones to take them out?"
Su Mo's enthusiasm lifted Ning Rongrong's spirits, her hesitation fading. She nodded firmly. "You're right. Let's beat them ourselves! And let's show Yu Xiaogang that Su Mo is the real talent here!"
Yu Tianheng felt a bit awkward at Ning Rongrong's comment but chose to ignore it. He led the team toward the stage, calling out, "Let's go. Time to fight!"
On the other side, Shrek Team also learned their opponent.
"Heaven Dou Royal Team? Our luck is terrible…"
The announcement turned the mood heavy in Shrek's camp. Tang San and the others knew how formidable the Heaven Dou Royal Team had become. Their coach, Qin Ming, had already briefed them on the team's strength—every member except Ye Lingling was a Soul Elder, far stronger than the Shrek Team, which only had two Soul Elders: Tang San and Dai Mubai.
Moreover, they were well aware of the Heaven Dou Royal Team's ultimate weapon: the martial soul fusion technique between Su Mo and Ning Rongrong, a trump card that had once been Shrek's own secret weapon. Now, they were on the receiving end of it.
Even before the battle started, Shrek's confidence was shaken. Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others were filled with frustration. Losing to a team they had once defeated felt unacceptable, especially for Tang San, who had personal stakes in the outcome.
Tang San glanced at his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, whose sour expression mirrored his own feelings. Yu Xiaogang's frustration was palpable, as though he had swallowed something bitter.
"Don't overthink it," Yu Xiaogang finally said, regaining his composure. "Just give it your all. Use everything you have—we don't need to hold back this time. If we don't use our trump cards now, we may not get another chance."
The Shrek Team nodded in unison, bracing themselves for what was sure to be their toughest battle yet.
The stage was set, and the crowd held their breath. The clash between Heaven Dou Royal Team and Shrek Academy was about to begin.
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