"What a coincidence?"
"The first match is against our Peach Blossom Spring Academy?"
"We're fighting Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Great, great! We can't fight their first team now, but we can take out our anger on the second team!"
Upon hearing that the only match today against Heaven Dou Royal Academy was drawn for their own Academy, Ning Rongrong and Meng Yiran showed no fear, but instead, were very excited.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also glanced at Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, a hint of disgust in their eyes. "Teacher, then we'll go up."
Su Ran seemed to have anticipated this match order and didn't show much emotional fluctuation. He just nodded faintly:
"Go. This Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team is likely here to be a vanguard, wanting to test your current strength. But their strength isn't high, just perform at your normal level."
"Okay!"
"Teacher, just watch our performance. Even without our ultimate skills and Cultivation Techniques, we can still crush them!"
"Let's go, let's vent some anger for Teacher! Hmph!"
Watching his seven students ascend the Spirit Master Grand Competition stage, Su Ran sat behind, a gratified smile appearing on his handsome face beneath the mask.
This feeling was like parents watching their beloved children walk into the examination hall for their junior or senior high school entrance exams.
"Preliminary Round 1, Match 1, officially begins."
At the referee's signal, this first preliminary match, marking the official start of this year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition, officially began.
Similar to a Spirit Fighting match, the competition allowed one minute for both sides to activate their Spirits.
In the VIP section, Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Dream Machine, and others focused their gazes, paying close attention to this first match.
Arranging Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team for the first match was also to assert the royal prestige.
Platinum Bishop Salas intently watched the members of the Peach Garden Team, very curious about this new team that Grandmaster wanted to test. What kind of strength did they possess?
To make Grandmaster attach such importance to them, even going so far as to personally bring the Supreme Pontiff's order to discuss it with him...
"Follow the tactics Grandmaster arranged."
"We cannot underestimate this team, but there are no defense-type Spirit Masters in their team. We must scatter one of them at the start with lightning speed, prioritizing attacks on Ye Lingling or Meng Yiran."
Last night, Grandmaster had already foreseen everything and given them a pre-match briefing on the Peach Blossom Spring Academy team.
Although the second team didn't know what was so formidable about this unknown Peach Blossom Spring Academy, since Grandmaster took them so seriously, they naturally couldn't ignore them.
"Spirit Possession!"
The Heaven Dou Academy's second team members generally had spirit power around level 36, consisting of five assault, one control, and one support. Their Spirits were Battle Lion, Berserk Bear, Fiery Tiger, Blood Leopard, Black Wolf, Control Ring, and Roaming Deer, a standard spirit ring configuration.
However, the members of Peach Blossom Spring Academy performed an action that shocked everyone.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling directly retreated to the very back of the team, showing no intention of using their Spirits, adopting a posture of watching a show.
The other five teammates of Peach Blossom Spring Academy formed a 'pin' formation with a 1-2-2 arrangement.
Wang Sheng, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Meng Yiran, and Xiao Wu activated their Spirit Possession:
Wang Sheng, Spirit Storm Fiend Tiger, a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor, spirit ring configuration: Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black!
Zhu Zhuqing, Spirit Nine Nether Spirit Cat, a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor, spirit ring configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black!
Ning Rongrong, Nine Treasure Golden Body Glazed Tile Pagoda, a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor, spirit ring configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black!
Meng Yiran, Spirit Undead Snake Staff, a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor, spirit ring configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black!
Xiao Wu, Spirit Two-Phase Soft Bones Rabbit, a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor, spirit ring configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black!
Boom!
The moment the spirit rings on the five students of the Peach Garden Team flashed, all the spectators in the Great Spirit Arena in Heaven Dou City widened their eyes. After a brief moment of stunned silence, everyone erupted:
"Holy cow, black spirit rings?!"
"I didn't see wrong, did I? Their fourth spirit rings are black spirit rings? Aren't black spirit rings ten-thousand-year spirit rings?!"
Even Emperor Xue Ye, sitting at the highest point of the VIP section, twitched his face and couldn't help but look at Ning Fengzhi:
"Whose team is this? So fierce?"
"School Master Ning, the team you just said you favored for the championship, wouldn't it be this Peach Blossom Spring Academy?!"
Platinum Bishop Salas of Spirit Hall, upon seeing the spirit ring configuration of Peach Blossom Spring Academy, his mouth twitched violently, somewhat incredulous. What was going on?
Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty, my daughter Rongrong is also in this team, and she is the commander of this team, so I am very optimistic about this team."
After speaking, Ning Fengzhi also gave Salas a deep look.
Smart people could understand the meaning behind his words: my precious daughter is also in the Peach Garden Team, so if you try any more tricks against this team, don't blame me for turning hostile.
He had just said he couldn't disclose it because he didn't want the Peach Garden Team to be known by too many people and thus be targeted. Now, by admitting it, he intended to protect them, carrying a warning.
"So, this Peach Garden Team was cultivated by your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? The fourth spirit rings of all five teammates are ten-thousand-year spirit rings. How astonishing is this? School Master Ning has truly secretly cultivated an extraordinary team."
Emperor Xue Ye's tone was full of surprise, and a hint of reproach.
Such excellent Spirit Masters, you don't pledge loyalty to the imperial family, but instead cultivate them privately. What are your intentions?
"Your Majesty, you are mistaken. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School does not have the ability to cultivate such excellent students. This Academy was founded by my close friend. He is an unparalleled teacher. If Your Majesty wishes to meet him, I can certainly introduce him."
"Moreover, Poison Douluo is also a friend of this Peach Garden Team's teacher."
Ning Fengzhi said to Emperor Xue Ye calmly.
"Oh? Poison Douluo even knows this teacher?"
Emperor Xue Ye was even more surprised. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School merely commanded respect and had a deep foundation, then Dugu Bo's name inspired fear.
Especially the larger the power, the more they feared him. He was a being who could poison thousands of people with a mere wave of his hand, impossible to guard against. No power wished to provoke such a being, including Emperor Xue Ye, and moreover, Dugu Bo also had a close relationship with the imperial family.
Immediately, Emperor Xue Ye's tone was full of wonder: "It seems that to be able to cultivate five students like this, he is indeed an extraordinary teacher. I must meet him. After the competition, I will have to trouble School Master Ning to arrange it."
Ning Fengzhi nodded: "It would be my honor."
Meanwhile, Platinum Bishop Salas's eyes darted around, wondering what he was thinking, and he said sinisterly:
"I heard that the Royal Academy found that theoretically unrivaled Grandmaster to teach them. Even if their spirit power is a bit weaker, the Royal Academy students should still have outstanding performances. What's more, the Royal Academy's main force is a seeded team, so Your Majesty need not worry."
...
"Five ten-thousand-year spirit rings? What a joke! How is this possible?!"
In the spectator stands for the competing teams, Grandmaster gripped the railing, his eyes nearly popping out.
Tang San, Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, and the others also drastically changed their expressions:
"In just one year, they've all Advanced to the Spirit Ancestor Realm?"
"Little San barely survived to absorb a ten-thousand-year spirit ring, and they all have one?!"
"Is this Su Ran even human? If he is, I'll eat my words! One or two students having ten-thousand-year spirit rings could be attributed to their exceptional talent, but how do you explain all students having ten-thousand-year spirit rings?"
"Grandmaster, do we really have a chance to win against them?"
Even though he wasn't on the stage, Oscar felt his legs go weak just seeing those five dark fourth spirit rings.
"Xiaogang (Grandmaster), do you think... we still have a chance to win?"
Flender and Qin Ming both tremblingly looked at Yu Xiaogang. All black rings? Grandmaster, did you anticipate such an opening?
Yu Xiaogang felt as if someone had punched him hard in the head, making him dizzy. He quickly pinched his philtrum to avoid fainting:
"Don't panic… Don't panic, stay rational. Look, the Peach Garden Team is still the same as they were over a year ago, letting two members retreat to the back and not participate, arrogant and always wanting to fight with fewer numbers. This is their fatal flaw."
"Ten-thousand-year spirit rings are not invincible. As long as the second team can follow my tactics and probe all their Spirit Abilities, we will find an opportunity to counter them."
Though he said this, Zhao Wuji and Flender still felt it was a bit unreliable:
"Xiaogang, your tactics… will they really work?"
Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang with a strange expression:
"Uh, Grandmaster, is there something wrong with your spirit ring age theory?"
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