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In the Heaven Dou Empire, within Heaven Dou City, the sky was just beginning to brighten in the early morning hours before sunrise.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Teacher! Teacher! Get up! If you don't get up soon, we're going to miss the opening ceremony for the qualifiers!" Ning Rongrong pounded heavily on the gate to Ye Lan's courtyard.
Xiao Xue yawned. "Rongrong, why are we going so early? What's so interesting about the qualifying rounds?"
Zhu Zhuqing chuckled. "The Great Spirit Arena has been closed for renovations this past month. Rongrong has been incredibly bored. Now that there's a lively event like the qualifiers, of course she's excited."
"Our idol has been sleeping in every single day recently! I don't get to see him at the training grounds until noon," Dugu Yan pouted, clearly displeased that Ye Lan's lazy habits were interfering with her idol-worship.
Ye Leng Leng added with a smile, "Yanyan, if your meditation efficiency was as good as Ye Lan's, you could sleep in too!"
The group was incredibly envious of Ye Lan's ability to sleep in every day while his cultivation speed remained astonishingly fast. While they had to spend their evenings in deep meditation in addition to their daytime training, Ye Lan, ever since absorbing his third spirit ring, only needed to meditate for an hour a day to satisfy his martial soul's spirit power requirements.
Consequently, Ye Lan had transformed from the most diligent student in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to its biggest lazy cat.
Still in his pajamas and yawning repeatedly, Ye Lan pushed open the gate.
"Rongrong, why so early?! It's not like we have to compete in the qualifiers," he said, rubbing his eyes.
Ning Rongrong replied with dissatisfaction, "My father is attending the opening ceremony at the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena today, and Xiao Xue and Leng Leng have never met him! So, of course, we have to leave early! If we miss the ceremony, there's no guarantee we'll be able to run into him."
Seeing that Ye Lan was still in his sleepwear, a flicker of spirit power appeared in Xiao Xue's palm, and a neatly folded black outfit materialized in her hands. She then began to naturally dress Ye Lan.
The other young women watched in astonishment as Xiao Xue dressed him. Xiao Xue, why do you have Ye Lan's clothes?
Only after she had finished did Xiao Xue notice the strange looks from the others. She realized how odd it was for her to have his clothes, and her ears instantly turned bright red.
"Last time, Ye Lan was drinking and left his clothes at my place," she explained hastily.
Ye Lan didn't think anything of it. He did indeed remember losing a set of clothes at Xiao Xue's home. He just hadn't expected her to have kept them in such pristine condition; they had clearly been washed carefully, and he could even detect a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Xiao Xue's explanation only made things seem more suspicious. Dugu Yan grew anxious and grabbed Ye Lan's arm.
"Idol, you... you and Xiao Xue, you didn't...?!"
Ye Lan gently pinched Dugu Yan's cheek. "Have you already forgotten that we all had a sleepover at Xiao Xue's house just a few days ago?"
"Oh! Now I remember! I was singing with my arm around Rongrong that night!" Dugu Yan said, embarrassed.
Hearing Ye Lan's reply, the other girls breathed a collective sigh of relief.
With a flash of spirit power in her palm, an exquisite ticket appeared between Ning Rongrong's fingers.
"Zhuqing, Xiao Xue, you bad woman, Sister Leng Leng, Ye Lan, these are VIP tickets for the opening ceremony that I had my clan arrange. Here, take one!" Ning Rongrong said, handing them out one by one.
Dugu Yan laughed. "For the sake of this ticket, I'll forgive you for the nickname today!"
Ning Rongrong huffed. "Hmph, bad woman, bad woman!"
Ye Lan placed a hand on Ning Rongrong's head. "Don't push your luck, Rongrong! Let's all go to the Great Spirit Arena together! It's been a while since I was last there!"
Afterward, the group began their walk toward the city center, eating the packed lunches that Ye Leng Leng had prepared.
As the sun began to rise, they arrived in the heart of Heaven Dou City. The commercial district around the Great Spirit Arena, which had been deserted during the recent closure, was now a stark contrast. The streets were thronged with people, and the shouts of countless vendors hawking their wares filled the air.
In addition to the merchants and the spectators and spirit masters heading into the arena, there were also many nobles and young men and women who had come simply to watch the spectacle. They lined the roads, eagerly sizing up the neatly uniformed academy teams as they passed. Many nobles had even posted recruitment notices, hoping to enlist talented spirit masters for their families. After all, the members of the teams competing in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament were the undisputed prodigies of their generation. Participating in the tournament meant that nearly all of them were Spirit Ancestors under the age of twenty-five.
These brilliant talents were not only courted by the nobility; countless young men and women, full of romantic hopes, also dreamed of catching the eye of a genius spirit master. If they could latch onto one of these prodigies, their futures would be set, representing a meteoric rise in not just wealth, but also a fundamental leap in social status.
Although Ye Lan wasn't wearing the uniform of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, many of the young women still recognized him as the "Azure Emperor." They erupted in shrieks, and one fan standing nearby got a clear look at his face and promptly fainted.
Ye Lan remained completely unmoved by their reactions. These girls couldn't even begin to compare to Leng Leng or Xiao Xue. Besides, if he so much as glanced their way, Xiao Xue would surely do something to him instantly.
Ignoring the cacophony of screams, Ye Lan looked up at the Great Spirit Arena in the distance. After the renovations, it had become even more massive, now reportedly capable of holding over a hundred thousand people. The original three main stages and numerous smaller stages had been merged to form three primary competition zones, each with a capacity of about fifty thousand spectators.
To manage the massive influx of people for the tournament, thousands of Heaven Dou City's garrison soldiers had been deployed throughout the area to maintain order. Anyone causing trouble in the city today would be directly disrespecting the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and would be swiftly suppressed by the military.
The group followed the flow of the crowd, slowly making their way into the Great Spirit Arena.
"Lord Azure Emperor?! What brings you here? Please, this way!" a host in a tuxedo exclaimed excitedly the moment he saw Ye Lan.
Ye Lan gave a slight nod. Under the host's guidance, they were escorted through an unobstructed private passage to the VIP seats in the number one competition zone. It wasn't that Rongrong's VIP tickets were useless; there were simply too many people today, and even the VIP entrances had long queues.
Their seats were located directly opposite the center of the three giant stages, providing an exceptional view of the competition.
Before long, the circular seating area of the number one zone was completely full, without a single empty seat. The roar of the crowd was deafening, a sea of humanity buzzing with excitement. Amid their anticipation, the colorfully dressed teams began to enter from their respective rest areas one by one.
The appearance of the first twenty-seven academy teams, each exuding strength, charisma, and style, greatly satisfied the audience's admiration for genius spirit masters. However, when the twenty-eighth team made its entrance, the arena erupted in a chorus of boos.
The Shrek Academy team walked out wearing uniforms of a nauseating, shit-green color. But the tacky, earthy tone of their outfits wasn't the strangest part. The most bizarre feature was the six large characters stitched in bright red thread on the back of each uniform: "Seeking Title Sponsorship Advertisement!"
"Shrek Academy?! More like Shit-rek Academy! Are they here to be a joke?"
"They're absolutely obsessed with money! Aren't the stipends from Spirit Hall enough for them?"
"Some rich fool should sponsor the Shit-rek team! I recommend they stitch a turd on their backs!"
"And they have the nerve to wear masks?! Do they have any shame at all?"
"Get out of here!"
"Booo! Boooo!"
Tang San's face was ashen, his fingers digging so deeply into his palms that they drew blood. The crowd's ridicule was clearly inflicting real damage.
Xiao Wu clung to Tang San's arm, complaining, "Third Brother, this is all Flender's fault! Forcing us to get a sponsor... these uniforms are just hideous."
Dai Mubai said resentfully, "This bunch of snobs. In a little while, we'll show them what real monsters are!"
Ma Hongjun added, "Boss is right! The other academies are all dressed up like pretty boys, just so they can sell themselves to the nobles for a good price!"
Dai Mubai grinned. "Now that's what I like to hear. We'll make these spectators eat their words soon enough."
Oscar remained silent, his eyes scanning the crowd, searching for the figure he had been dreaming of. Before long, he spotted a white-robed silhouette in the VIP section across the arena, standing gracefully, exuding a lively, elven charm.
In a year and a half, Ning Rongrong had transformed from a twelve-year-old girl into a fourteen-year-old goddess. But when he saw the goddess of his dreams laughing while holding the arm of a blond man, a sharp pain seized Oscar's heart. It was an agony of pure regret—regret for what he had done to Ning Rongrong in the past.
After the Shrek team's entrance, the countless lights in the arena suddenly focused on the main VIP stage. A few moments later, several important figures appeared.
In the center sat a man in a long, golden-red robe, wearing a dazzling golden crown. His face was aged, and he bore a slight resemblance to Prince Xue Xing; this was clearly the Heaven Dou Emperor, Xue Ye.
To Emperor Xue Ye's right sat an even older man, completely covered in a magnificent red robe and wearing a five-pointed platinum crown. The red-robed elder was as thin as a spear, but one should not be fooled by his frail appearance. He was a Platinum Bishop, a Spirit Douluo-level expert.
To the Emperor's left was a middle-aged man in a white robe, wearing the Seven Treasure Purple Gold Crown. He appeared refined and gentle, completely unaffected by the Emperor's powerful aura. This was the Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Ning Fengzhi.
"Dad! Look over here!" The moment Ning Rongrong saw Ning Fengzhi, she began waving and shouting excitedly.
Sensing her call, Ning Fengzhi looked over. When he saw Ning Rongrong holding onto Ye Lan's arm, a look of deep satisfaction appeared on his face, and he gave Ye Lan a knowing nod.
Zhu Zhuqing remarked, "Rongrong, your father seems very approachable!"
Ning Rongrong laughed. "He's not approachable at all! But I don't see Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone. Zhuqing, they're really nice! I'll introduce you to them later!"
On the main stage, Emperor Xue Ye asked, "Clan Master Ning, which team in these qualifiers do you believe will ultimately win this year's championship?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Your Majesty, isn't that a question you already know the answer to? The team I favor is not among these twenty-eight."
Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye laughed heartily, clearly aware of which team Ning Fengzhi was referring to. His son—and Ning Fengzhi's disciple—Crown Prince 'Xue Qinghe' had managed to recruit the 'scholar' Ye Lan, causing the strength of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main team to skyrocket over the past two years. When 'Xue Qinghe' had first shown him the team roster, he hadn't paid it much mind. What's so special about a few Spirit Ancestors leading some Spirit Elders? But after glancing at the list, Xue Ye thought he was dreaming. Only after confirming the details with 'Xue Qinghe' multiple times did he finally believe how powerful the team had become.
Knowing their strength, Xue Ye was confident that the championship of this year's tournament belonged to them. This confidence had led him to grant 'Xue Qinghe' full authority, certain that having such a wise and capable Crown Prince was a great fortune for the empire.
Platinum Bishop Salas inquired, "Clan Master Ning, are you referring to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main team?"
Ning Fengzhi gave Salas a strange look. "Indeed, that is the team. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing them on stage for the next few months."
"I wonder what their current strength is. They haven't competed in quite some time, have they?" Salas feigned ignorance, though inwardly he was ecstatic. The captain of that team was Ye Lan, a key asset being cultivated by Spirit Hall, constantly protected by the new 'Star' Titled Douluo. Furthermore, Spirit Hall's true heir, 'Xiao Xue,' was also a member of that team. The Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main team? It should be called the Spirit Hall Main Team!
Originally, Salas had not been privy to the details about 'Xue Qinghe.' However, after the individual impersonating the prince was replaced, Salas, as the Platinum Bishop of Heaven Dou City, was briefed on many secrets by the Spirit Temple and instructed to lay the groundwork for the 'Steal the Heavens Plan.' Only then did he realize the horrifying scale of Spirit Hall's ambitions. The current Heaven Dou Empire was merely a paper tiger, already rotten to the core.
The oblivious Emperor Xue Ye chuckled smugly. "What does it matter how strong their main team is? They still can't compare to Spirit Hall's Golden Generation."
At that moment, an announcer at the side of the VIP stage declared in a resonant voice, "Let us welcome His Majesty, the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, to announce the opening of this year's tournament."
Amid thunderous applause, Emperor Xue Ye used a sound-amplifying spirit tool to project his powerful voice to every corner of the arena: "I, Xue Ye, Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, on behalf of the empire, declare the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament now open!"
After another round of applause, the announcer took over and proclaimed the specific rules: "We are now commencing the Heaven Dou City qualifying rounds of the tournament. The qualifiers will use a single round-robin format. The twenty-eight teams will participate in a total of twenty-seven rounds of seven-on-seven team battles. A win earns one point, a loss earns zero. After twenty-seven rounds, the five teams with the highest scores will advance to the ranking tournament and the finals!"
"The qualifiers will be held over twenty-seven days. The matches are divided among three main competition zones, each with three stages. Each stage will host one seven-on-seven battle in the morning, afternoon, and evening."
"I now announce the start of the first round! In the first zone, on the first stage: Canghui Academy versus Violet Star Academy!"
"In the first zone, on the second stage: Oakland Academy versus Blazing Radiance Academy!"
"And in the first zone, on the third stage: Heaven Dou Royal Academy versus Shrek Academy!"
Ning Rongrong, who was facing the VIP stage, asked blankly, "Teacher, can you explain the rules simply? He spoke too fast!"
Ye Lan chuckled. "I think you just weren't using your brain at all. Simply put, twenty-eight academies will compete for five advancement spots. Each team has to fight every other team once."
"Okay, okay, I get it now!" Ning Rongrong nodded.
The others couldn't help but laugh at her adorable, dazed expression.
At the very back of the twenty-odd teams stood the members of Shrek Academy. When Ma Hongjun heard the announcer's words, a cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. "What do we do?! Our first match is against the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team!"
Dai Mubai, who had been arrogantly planning to vent his anger and silence the audience, also fell silent. The memory of their last defeat at the hands of the main team was too brutal. It had taken half a year for his hair to grow back! Xiao Wu's hair had only just reached her neck. Her body trembled slightly; her fear of Ye Lan was palpable.
Oscar's eyes lit up. Does this mean I'll get to see my goddess up close?
When Tai Long heard the name 'Heaven Dou Royal Academy,' his eyes instantly turned blood-red. His father, Tai Nuo, was still bedridden, relying on the support of their clansmen. And his grandfather, Tai Tan, was still missing. Although Tai Long had no proof, he was convinced that his grandfather's disappearance was inextricably linked to Ye Lan.
Jing Ling's sharp voice piped up, "Is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy really that terrifying? Mubai and Little San are Spirit Ancestors!"
Tang San pulled the trembling Xiao Wu closer, trying to encourage her. "It's just the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. If Ye Lan dares to step on that stage, I'll show him what a true assault-type Spirit Ancestor is!"
Just then, Yu Xiaogang walked over. "Little San, you're going to be disappointed. The team participating in the qualifiers is not their main team, but their second team."
Hearing this, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Oscar, on the other hand, looked utterly dejected and said nothing.
"Good, very good. The 'second team'!" Tang San muttered. He then turned to his teammates, his voice rising with intensity.
"Mubai! Ma Hongjun! Oscar! Xiao Wu! Do you remember that day?"
"The humiliation of Teacher Zhao's severed arm!"
"The humiliation of you, Mubai, being forced to kowtow on the ground!"
"The humiliation of you, Ma Hongjun, kneeling and begging for mercy!"
"Oscar, do you still want to win Rongrong back?"
"And Xiao Wu's injuries!"
"All of this was brought upon us by the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!" Tang San seethed with hatred.
Dai Mubai's face contorted with rage. His dignity as a prince had been utterly trampled by Ye Lan that day. And Zhu Zhuqing had abandoned him for Ye Lan, transferring to that very academy.
"Damn the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to hell! If I don't cripple their second team today, my name isn't Dai!" Dai Mubai roared.
Ma Hongjun didn't dare to provoke Ye Lan, but today they were only facing the second team. Seeing his boss's towering rage, he quickly pounded his chest and declared, "The humiliation their first team gave us, we'll take it all back from their second team today!"
"Third Brother, I'm with you! If I, Sister Xiao Wu, am afraid of a mere 'second team,' then I have no business being at this academy!" Hearing they were only fighting the second team, Xiao Wu's spirit instantly returned.
Tai Long said fiercely, "Tang San, I'll follow your lead. We must not let the Heaven Dou Royal Academy off easy!"
Jiang Zhu, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling looked at Tai Long in surprise, not understanding why he, too, harbored such a deep resentment.
Tang San nodded, then noticed that Oscar hadn't spoken. He saw his friend staring absently at a certain spot in the VIP section. Following his gaze, Tang San instantly spotted Ye Lan's group in the crowd.
Ye Lan? Heh, today is the day we shatter the prestige of your Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
As Tang San locked eyes with Ye Lan across the arena, a smirk curled his lips. He slowly raised his right hand and drew it across his neck in a throat-slitting gesture.
Seeing Tang San's expression, Ye Lan knew there was trouble.
"Leng Leng, keep a close watch on the match between our second team and the Shrek team. If anything looks wrong, immediately release your Nine Heart Sacred Begonia at full power and heal our team," Ye Lan instructed.
"Alright, I'll be watching," Ye Leng Leng nodded.
Dugu Yan said in annoyance, "It's this swarm of flies again. They're everywhere. So irritating."
Xiao Xue asked, confused, "Yanyan, what's the dispute between that Shrek team and us?"
Dugu Yan immediately explained everything: the relationship between Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the Shrek team; the conflicts between Shrek and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy; and the personal clashes between the Shrek team and Ye Lan.
After hearing the explanation, Xiao Xue felt a wave of disgust. How could such a vile team exist in this world? Does Shrek Academy not cultivate its students' character at all? It was a good thing that Zhuqing and Rongrong had left. Otherwise, she feared Ye Lan's students would have been corrupted by that place.
"The morning session of the first round, in the first zone, on the third stage, now officially begins!"
"Shrek Academy versus Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
On the main VIP stage, Bishop Salas said, "Your Majesty, who do you favor in this battle?"
Xue Ye chuckled. "The Royal Academy's second team, of course. While they are mostly descendants of nobles, their strength is quite respectable. They may not be on par with the five elemental academies, but they are not to be trifled with. Shrek Academy? I've never even heard of them. I have no idea who approved them to compete in this tournament."
Ning Fengzhi, sitting beside him, added with a smile, "Your Majesty, the Shrek Academy team was formerly Blue Tyrant Academy. Their current team leader is none other than Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang."
"Oh? I heard the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy was the 'Fire Dragon' of the Golden Iron Triangle. Have those two reconciled now?" Xue Ye asked, his expression curious.
Ning Fengzhi simply smiled without speaking. The drama of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was a juicy piece of gossip that only those in the highest Spirit Master circles were privy to. He hadn't expected Yu Xiaogang to be so bold. Where did he find the courage? For the famously cowardly Grandmaster to take the lead of the Blue Tyrant Academy team? Ning Fengzhi instantly felt that there was something more to this situation and decided to pay very close attention to Shrek Academy.
(End of Chapter)