Heaven Dou City, Royal Great Spirit Arena.
This magnificent structure, with a capacity for eighty thousand spectators, was currently a roaring ocean of noise and excitement. High above, sunlight streamed through a special crystal dome, casting brilliant beams of light onto the enormous Spirit Arena at the center. The stage gleamed, ready for Spirit Masters to showcase their power. The very air was charged with anticipation, excitement, and a brewing tension that promised fierce competition.
In their designated rest areas, teams from the various academies waited. Each wore their splendid, unified uniforms, looking like proud legions preparing for a grand battle. Among them, the Shrek Academy team stood out. They were still dressed in their peculiar, shit-green advertising uniforms, which looked completely out of place amidst the other elegantly attired teams. However, because of this, they were impossible to miss.
"Yin Ge, Little San, Fatty, Zhuqing, Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Boss Dai…" Oscar said, rubbing his hands together. His eyes were wide with wonder as he stared at the incredible Spirit Arena and the cheering thousands that surrounded them. His voice trembled with an excitement he couldn't contain. "Did you see that? This is it! The All-Continent Spirit Master Elite Academy Tournament! We… we have to win this! The championship is ours!"
"That's right! The championship has to be Shrek's!" Ma Hongjun declared, puffing out his chest with a booming voice.
"Let's show everyone who looked down on us what we're made of," Dai Mubai added, crossing his arms with a look of disdain for any who would challenge them.
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, but a fiery determination burned deep within her cold eyes. Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu nodded along eagerly, sharing the sentiment.
Just then, a harsh, mocking laugh echoed from a nearby rest area.
"Pfft! Hahahaha… Did you guys hear that? Did you hear what those 'Shrek' people just said?" one student sneered.
"Is that the team that looks like they sell vegetables for a living? You guys? You really think you can win the championship dressed in those raggedy green outfits?" another chimed in, his voice dripping with contempt. "I think you're just here to be the joke of the tournament. You'll probably get beaten so badly in the first round that you'll run home crying to your mommies!"
The taunts came from the Canghui Academy team. They were dressed in sharp, silver-grey uniforms, and the students at the front stood with their arms crossed, their faces masks of open provocation. Their sense of superiority was obvious, especially as they eyed Shrek's garish advertising uniforms.
"What did you just say?!" Ma Hongjun immediately flared up, his chubby face flushing a deep red.
Dai Mubai's eyes grew cold, and a powerful aura began to radiate from him, pressing down on the rival team. Oscar's playful expression vanished, replaced by a hostile stare.
"What? Don't like being called country bumpkins?" a student from Canghui Academy with parted hair sneered, pointing a finger at their uniforms. "Just look at what you're wearing. Anyone who knows you're Spirit Masters might give you the benefit of the doubt, but everyone else probably thinks you just crawled out of a dumpster! You want to reach the top in that trash? You must be dreaming."
"I bet you're not even as good as the dogs from Spirit Hall," another student added cruelly. "At least their leashes are made of gold!"
"Fatty, calm down!" Tang San said, grabbing Ma Hongjun's arm just as he was about to charge forward.
Dai Mubai let out a cold snort. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to the ears of the other team. "A bunch of frogs in a well, making all this noise. We'll settle this in the arena. I just hope your skills are as strong as your stinking mouths!"
"Who are you calling stinking mouths?!"
"Are you looking for a fight?!"
The members of Canghui Academy grew angry as well. The atmosphere between the two teams became incredibly tense as their spirit power began to fluctuate subtly. The air crackled with hostility, on the verge of igniting into a full-blown conflict.
"Silence! All academy teams, prepare to enter!"
A majestic voice, amplified by a spirit tool, boomed from the main stage. It washed over the entire venue like the toll of a great bell, instantly silencing all the noise and putting an end to the confrontation.
The students from Canghui Academy shot Shrek one last threatening glare, adjusted their uniforms, and walked proudly toward the entrance tunnel.
"Let's go," Flender said in a low, serious voice as his gaze swept over his students. "Use your strength to shut them up for good."
The members of Shrek Academy collected themselves, their expressions hardening with new resolve. They followed their guide into the exclusive passage that led directly into the Spirit Arena.
As the elite teams from every academy marched into the massive arena to the sound of stirring music, the entire stadium erupted. The atmosphere reached a fever pitch! Countless banners waved frantically in the air, while shouts, cheers, and thunderous applause crashed through every corner like a tsunami.
Colorful lights from spirit tools swept across the audience, illuminating thousands of excited, passionate faces. The team uniforms of the various academies shimmered under the lights, each a symbol of glory and power. This was the grandest stage for young Spirit Masters, a peak display of talent and ambition. It was spectacular, fervent, and utterly magnificent.
Directly opposite the arena floor, seated in the VIP section on the highest platform with the best possible view, were the true powers of the Heaven Dou Empire. In the very center sat the emperor himself, Emperor Xue Ye. He wore a bright yellow, dragon-patterned robe, his expression majestic and his gaze deep as he surveyed the bustling scene below.
To his left was Salas, the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall. He was dressed in a luxurious, cardinal-red robe trimmed with gold. His eyes were sharp yet indifferent, and a faint, almost unnoticeable smile played on his lips, as if he were looking down upon all creation. To the emperor's right was Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. He had an elegant demeanor and a gentle smile, looking more like a refined scholar than a powerful Spirit Master, but no one dared to underestimate his status.
Below them sat the three committee members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy: Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhilin, three powerful Spirit Douluos sitting perfectly straight. Prince Xue Xing was seated slightly behind them, his expression uneasy. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was also in the same row, maintaining a humble and refined bearing, perfectly playing his role as the heir to the throne.
When Shrek Academy's unique, shit-green uniforms appeared among the teams entering the arena, almost every gaze in the VIP section shifted toward them.
"Shrek Academy…" Emperor Xue Ye's eyes lingered on Flender and Yu Xiaogang for a moment before he sighed softly. He turned to Prince Xue Xing and whispered, "What a pity. If they had remained at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, carefully nurtured by our three committee members, they would surely be a great asset to the Empire today."
Prince Xue Xing looked a bit awkward and replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. It's just that back then… alas, I handled some things improperly. However, I still don't understand why they left without a word."
At that moment, Xue Qinghe leaned forward slightly. "Father Emperor, you needn't have any regrets," he said gently. "Although Shrek Academy is now independent, your son has personally reached out to their dean and core disciples. Our relationship with them is still friendly. Dean Flender is an honorable man, and his students are all exceptional individuals. Even though they don't serve the Empire's academy system, I believe their hearts are still with the Empire."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted down to the arena, seemingly by chance, and landed on Ye Yin, who was standing at the front of the Shrek team. For a brief moment, their eyes met across the distance.
Ye Yin offered a slight smile and a nod as a greeting.
[Resentment from Qian Renxue +99!]
Ye Yin fell silent. Her temper is really something else, he thought to himself. She's just been spoiled. A few more massages in the future should sort that out.
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