Only by truly stepping into the grand coliseum of Sun Moon Royal Academy could one feel its grandeur and magnificence. Even in Shrek Academy, there was no structure of this scale, let alone a venue used for competitions.
This was a competition arena styled exactly like the ancient coliseums. Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy had rightfully named it the Grand Coliseum. The main part of this coliseum, the combat area, was a massive plaza over 1,500 meters in diameter. The spectator areas surrounding the combat zone were even larger, capable of accommodating at least 150,000 people simultaneously.
Without a doubt, this Grand Coliseum was one of the largest universal venues in the Douluo Federation. The silhouettes of tall buildings could be seen on the outermost perimeter, indicating that this was located in the central area of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
At this moment, while the spectator seats weren't completely full, at least two-thirds were occupied. These spectators were either current or former students of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, along with some who were naturally hostile towards Shrek Academy, totaling nearly 100,000 people.
Over 100,000 pairs of eyes filled with malice stared down at Jing Shaoyu and his six companions from above. Although the venue had fallen silent upon their entry, Jing Shaoyu and his team seemed to hear countless venomous curses.
From the central area of the spectator seats, multiple heavy, mountain-like auras converged on the seven of them simultaneously. These auras undoubtedly belonged to the higher-ups of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. While they had no interest in troubling a few juniors, it didn't stop them from observing Jing Shaoyu and his team to study Shrek Academy. It could be said that from the moment Jing Shaoyu and his team entered Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, they were destined to be under scrutiny.
After a brief silence, the spectator seats erupted with intense malice. Such a powerful and surging wave of hostility crashed towards Jing Shaoyu and his team. Despite being seasoned players who had experienced major scenes, facing such a large-scale verbal assault inevitably affected their mental state.
A few thousand instances of verbal bullying could shatter someone's psyche, let alone nearly 100,000 people hurling curses at them.
Xu Xiaoyan and Wu Siduo's faces turned pale, Ye Xinglan and Na'er's expressions showed anger, and even Mo Hentian, who was usually slow to react, looked bewildered. Only Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue remained calm in the face of such a situation.
Jing Shaoyu glanced towards the VIP area, a mocking smile on his face. He knew those people could see it clearly; he was smiling for them. Then, he extended his right arm, and a soft, warm golden light emanated from his body.
"Clang—"
Following that, a crisp footstep sounded. Accompanying the footstep, a majestic, sacred, golden beast with a single horn on its head slowly emerged from the void. It circled Jing Shaoyu, spreading a pair of flawless wings. With a gentle flutter of its wings, countless white feathers drifted down, landing on everyone.
Instantly, everyone felt a sense of tranquility, the surrounding noise completely vanishing. It was as if the world had become vast and pure.
The sudden appearance of the Sacred Unicorn momentarily stunned the spectators. The higher-ups of Sun Moon Academy on the VIP platform also noticed An Ya, their gazes probing.
"Sacred Unicorn?" An elderly man seated in the center frowned slightly.
"Judging by its aura, it seems to be a ten-thousand-year Soul Spirit, which aligns with Shrek Academy's style," a middle-aged man beside him said, a trace of surprise on his face. "However, this Sacred Unicorn seems somewhat familiar."
"It's that indomitable Soul Spirit from the Federation!" the elderly man said, his tone filled with annoyance and indignation.
The relationship between Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and the Federation was only average, but the higher-ups of the academy had close ties with the Federation's leadership. Thus, they immediately recognized An Ya's origin and were deeply angered.
To them, it was like their girlfriend had been taken by a rascal, who then brought her to their doorstep to provoke them. Unbearable!
At this moment, the higher-ups of Sun Moon Royal Academy felt their cultivation minds wavering. They began to suspect whether the Federation had already struck some deal with Shrek Academy, selling out Sun Moon Royal Academy. Otherwise, how could a Soul Spirit originally belonging to the Federation appear on a Shrek Academy student?
These elderly and middle-aged individuals fell into deep thought. Meanwhile, in the farthest corner of the VIP platform, there was an empty seat. This was the position originally arranged for Shen Yi, but she merely glanced at it before turning and leaving without a second thought.
She now represented Shrek Academy. Giving her such a marginal position was clearly intended to slight her, and she naturally wouldn't show them any courtesy. She turned and returned to the waiting area, awaiting the conclusion of Jing Shaoyu and his team's match.
The appearance of the Sacred Unicorn silenced the spectators' curses for a few seconds, but then they retaliated with even more intense backlash and criticism. However, their venomous words could no longer affect Jing Shaoyu and his team.
Jing Shaoyu affectionately patted An Ya's forehead. An Ya, feeling comfortable, straightened her neck and transformed into a beam of light, entering his body. Then, the seven of them ignored the spectators and strode confidently towards the center of the arena.
At this moment, he saw that in the central area of the Grand Coliseum, seven individuals were already standing there. They all wore the white uniforms of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, each standing tall with a solemn demeanor. However, their ages seemed to be similar to Jing Shaoyu and his team.
These seven were undoubtedly the students sent by Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy to face them, the Radiant Seven Stars from the original story.
Besides the seven students, a middle-aged man hovered in the air at the center of the arena. He appeared to be in his early forties, clad in a magnificent suit of armor. Judging by the aura he emitted, he was actually a Titled Douluo, a Three-Word Battle Armor Master!
Was he the referee? Jing Shaoyu immediately made this judgment and also thought of another layer: this was also a show of intimidation from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
Jing Shaoyu wasn't worried about this guy pulling any underhanded tricks on them. After all, they now represented Shrek Academy. If something happened to them at Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, it would likely require the deaths of several Titled Douluos and Three-Word Battle Armor Masters to resolve the matter.
Any underhanded tactics required the strength to prevent the opponent from flipping the table. Clearly, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy didn't possess such strength, while Shrek Academy truly would flip the table without hesitation.
If Shrek flipped the table, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy would have to consider not just sacrificing a few scapegoats, but where to rebuild a new academy.
They walked to the front of their opponents, the seven of them lining up in a row. The dark green uniforms of Shrek Academy and the white uniforms of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy created a stark visual contrast, dimming the light in other areas of the arena.
"Now announcing the match rules," the middle-aged man in the air said with a serious expression.
"Do you know how the Sun Moon Empire fell?" Jing Shaoyu asked Gu Yue beside him, as if the man hadn't spoken.
"How did it fall?" Gu Yue cooperatively asked.
"Too many vermin," Jing Shaoyu said with a light laugh, pointing at the spectator stands. "Look, aren't the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy filled with noisy bugs?"
"They really are!" Gu Yue exclaimed with a look of surprise.
Their back-and-forth immediately caused the middle-aged man's expression to darken. He could clearly hear the mockery in Jing Shaoyu's words. "Silence!" he said coldly.
An invisible sound wave instantly spread throughout the spectator stands. The spectators immediately seemed as if their throats had been grabbed, and the previous clamor and noise vanished. The world finally fell silent.
The middle-aged man raised his hand again, and a transparent white barrier slowly rose from the surroundings, finally converging into a dome shape a hundred meters in the air. A massive hemispherical energy shield enveloped the Grand Coliseum, cutting off any external interference.
"Not bad. It seems the people of Sun Moon Royal Academy have learned from the fall of the empire and know how to deal with pests," Jing Shaoyu said with a light laugh.
"That's right!" Gu Yue continued to agree. "Just clear out the vermin. Though, they do have quite a lot of them. It seems there aren't many Sun Moon people left in Mingdu!"
Killing with words!
The middle-aged man's facial muscles twitched violently. Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue's husband-and-wife act was truly killing with words. If not for the truth that lay behind them, keeping him calm, he really wanted to rush down and slap these two to death.
After all, this was a live broadcast. Their conversation wasn't just heard by him and the people on the scene, but also broadcasted by Sun Moon TV. Originally, they just wanted to give these Shrek students some pressure, but unexpectedly, they ended up shooting themselves in the foot. Not only did they fail to pressure the students, but they also caused their own people to lose face.
Hateful!
"Now announcing the match rules!" The middle-aged man, after all, was a Titled Douluo and quickly stabilized his mindset.
Jing Shaoyu smiled at him, no longer taunting. After all, the goal had been achieved, and there was no need to further provoke the other party. They were here to compete, not to cause trouble.
"This match is primarily for sparring, but to allow both sides to fully display their true strength, I will only stop the match or eliminate a participant if there is a threat of severe injury, disability, or death," the middle-aged man said coldly. "The final victory will be determined by which side still has fighters standing after the other side is completely defeated. Understood?"
"Quite straightforward rules," Jing Shaoyu said with a light laugh. "Then I hope you can intervene in time, lest your academy demands compensation for medical expenses from us."
Upon hearing this, the seven opponents glared at him, but none dared to respond.
The middle-aged man's eyes flashed coldly. "Rest assured, I will ensure you do not die!"
"Then I hope you won't go back on your word and deceive a child like me!" Jing Shaoyu said with a playful tone.
"Humph!" The middle-aged man no longer wished to waste words with Jing Shaoyu. He directly ascended into the air and loudly declared, "Prepare to begin the match!"
Hearing this, Jing Shaoyu smiled slightly and stepped forward, addressing the student from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy standing opposite him. "Jing Shaoyu, first-year student of Shrek Academy's Outer Academy."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man in the air was startled, nearly falling from the sky. As a teacher of Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, which viewed Shrek Academy as its greatest rival, how could he not be familiar with Shrek Academy's educational system? Thus, when he heard Jing Shaoyu say he was a first-year Outer Academy student, his first reaction was shock, followed by immense joy.
First-year Outer Academy students meant they had only been enrolled for a year. Shrek Academy had actually sent seven freshmen to challenge them. Was this arrogance? Or sheer hubris? The middle-aged man pondered silently.
"Long Chen!" The student from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy standing opposite Jing Shaoyu was a tall, youthful-looking young man with a handsome appearance and a radiant, holy aura. He bore a striking resemblance to Snow Sky River, the captain of Sky Shroud Academy.
This guy must be the Soul Master with the Holy Light Dragon Martial Soul from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Jing Shaoyu thought as he observed Long Chen. His impression of this guy was quite deep, as he was a severe victim of Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King bloodline, making him a veritable tragedy.
Despite possessing a top-tier Martial Soul like the Holy Light Dragon, he had the misfortune of encountering Tang Wulin, a cheater-like player, causing him to fall into obscurity before he could even rise to fame. The reputation of the Holy Light Dragon Martial Soul had been tarnished ever since.
At this point, Long Chen, who had yet to meet Tang Wulin, was brimming with confidence and an unshakable belief in his invincibility.
Gu Yue walked to Jing Shaoyu's side. "First-year student of Shrek Academy's Outer Academy, Gu Yue."
Opposite them, a girl stepped forward to stand beside Long Chen. "Snow Frost."
This girl named Snow Frost was extremely beautiful, the only one in recent days whose looks could rival theirs. Standing beside Long Chen, they made an unexpectedly well-matched pair. However, her gaze fell on Jing Shaoyu, her eyes lingering on him as if she was quite interested.
"Jing Na'er," Na'er walked to Jing Shaoyu's other side, her radiance immediately overshadowing Snow Frost.
"You Dingqi!" The third student from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was a boy of average height with broad shoulders and strong arms, a typical physique for a blacksmith. This guy was undoubtedly a Soul Master specializing in strength.
"Xu Xiaoyan," Xu Xiaoyan stepped forward, standing beside Gu Yue.
"Jian Mochen!" This was a hefty heavyweight, whose sheer size surpassed that of anyone in Shrek Academy. Only Xu Lizhi could possibly match him in Shrek Academy.
"Wu Siduo," Wu Siduo stepped forward, standing beside Na'er.
"Kuang Zhan Tian!" This was a petite girl with a fierce expression and a wild look in her eyes, exuding a rebellious aura.
"Ye Xinglan," Ye Xinglan walked to Xu Xiaoyan's side.
"Weng Daimin!" This was a gentle-looking girl with a pure expression and short blue hair.
"Mo Hentian," Mo Hentian walked to Wu Siduo's side.
"Xu Empress!" The final student from Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was also a girl. Her name was quite domineering, and her appearance and aura matched it perfectly. She had a dignified and radiant appearance, exuding an elegant and noble demeanor.
She was likely a descendant of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, Jing Shaoyu thought as he glanced at Xu Empress. She didn't appear in the original story, so she was probably the last of the Radiant Seven Stars.
A royal descendant, he wondered if she had any of Huo Yuhao's bloodline. If she did, she should be called Huo Empress, or rather, Dai Empress, Jing Shaoyu mused with a touch of mischief.
After both sides had introduced themselves, the atmosphere between them grew tense. There was no pretense of friendship first, competition second; such a notion was meaningless here.
"Both sides, step back and prepare for the match," the middle-aged man announced. "Distance: one hundred meters!"
As his words fell, both groups immediately moved, each retreating. Jing Shaoyu and his team's expressions grew serious as they retreated. The adage "despise the enemy strategically, but respect them tactically" was perfectly applicable in this situation.
"Sun Moon Eternal, Seven Stars Radiant!" From the spectator stands, where Jing Shaoyu and his team couldn't hear, the audience had already begun chanting in unison.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy intended to use this match to promote the fame of the Radiant Seven Stars. This was one of their main objectives for making such a grand spectacle. They were completely confident that the Radiant Seven Stars would not lose, as only they knew just how terrifyingly strong their Radiant Seven Stars were.
On the arena, both sides had already taken their positions.
For the Radiant Seven Stars, Long Chen stood at the forefront, flanked by You Dingqi and Jian Mochen, both positioned slightly behind him. Behind them was Snow Frost, positioned directly behind Long Chen but also slightly behind You Dingqi and Jian Mochen. Finally, Weng Daimin, Xu Empress, and Kuang Zhan Tian stood at the rear, with Xu Empress in the center, forming a straight line with Long Chen and Snow Frost.
For Shrek Academy, Jing Shaoyu stood at the forefront, with Na'er, Ye Xinglan, Wu Siduo, and Mo Hentian behind him. Finally, Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan stood at the rear.
The two sides stood two hundred meters apart, staring intently at each other.
"Match, begin!"