The first round of eliminations spanned three days.
From the 133 participating academies, only 67 teams advanced to the round-robin stage of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
In the two free days that followed, the mood in Xingluo City shifted. The city remained lively, but tension eased—for everyone except Wang Yan, who spent those days planted at the Soul Arena, analyzing data and tracking performance. He reviewed each academy's strength, crafting matchup strategies tailored for Shrek's reserve team.
The others?
They were enjoying the city.
Even Chen Junting and Ning Tian disappeared into their own quiet world. For two days, no one dared to interrupt them.
Still, Junting didn't let the time go to waste. He made a quiet visit to Jiubao Pavilion, one of Xingluo's premier merchant guilds, seeking intel on the upcoming Starlight Auction.
One item in particular had caught his attention.
He needed to make sure the Snow Empress embryo didn't vanish unnoticed.
---
The night before the second round, Wang Yan finally called the team into the conference room. He reviewed the round-robin format, briefed them on tomorrow's logistics, and urged everyone to reset mentally.
The next morning—
As dawn broke, Xingluo Square was once again packed. Despite the Empire charging extra ticket fees for the round-robin matches, crowds swarmed in.
Emperor Xu Jiawei, seated in the imperial booth, was visibly delighted. Ticket sales were through the roof.
The cause?
Shrek.
Just like the elimination round, Shrek Academy had drawn the opening match. The name alone was enough to ignite excitement. The atmosphere buzzed with energy.
And then they appeared.
Clad in dark green uniforms, the Shrek team entered through the contestants' gate. The crowd roared to life. The four remaining core members split off toward the rest area, while Wang Yan led the reserve team to the holding zone.
Their opponent: Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineering Academy, a second-tier school from the Xingluo Empire.
Compared to the rest of the tournament field, Yunluo's reputation was modest. Not weak, but no threat to Shrek. That made it the perfect warm-up for Shrek's outer courtyard students.
The host climbed the stage, voice booming through the soul guide amplifiers, hyping the match to a fever pitch.
"Let us welcome the team captains from Shrek Academy and Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineering Academy to draw lots and determine today's competition format!"
---
Chen Junting stepped into the light.
His calm, composed demeanor instantly drew the crowd's attention. The image of that sword strike from three days ago was still etched in every mind.
He glanced at his opponent.
The captain of the Yunluo team was a stocky, golden-skinned youth—muscular and broad, somewhat like He Caitou in build. But his nerves were visible. Sweat beaded at his brow. He wasn't just nervous. He was rattled.
Yet despite the pressure, there was no cowardice in his eyes.
That earned Junting's respect.
He nodded slightly and said, sincerely,
"Please advise."
The Yunluo captain blinked, stunned.
A Shrek student—especially that one—just said that?
But he recovered quickly and bowed in return.
"Please advise."
Suddenly, a thin, sharp-eyed man stepped onto the stage. He wasn't flashy, but his presence had weight.
This was Cheng Gang, titled Giant Strength Douluo, an priest from Worship Hall of the Xingluo Empire and a 91st-rank Title Douluo.
He'd been sent to serve as referee after the events of the previous round—specifically, the part where Chen Junting nearly cut a referee in half.
Xu Jiawei wasn't taking chances this time. Cheng Gang was the weakest of the priests—but still a Title Douluo.
"Draw lots," he said, holding out a traditional lottery tube.
Both captains stepped forward.
Junting hung back by a beat, deliberately letting Yunluo's captain take the lead. They both held the tube briefly—then tossed it into the air together.
A small yellow orb dropped out.
Cheng Gang caught it and turned to the crowd.
"Shrek Academy versus Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineering Academy… one-on-one individual battles!"
The audience murmured.
No special reaction—just another match format.
But among the participating academies, whispers rippled fast.
This format meant every reserve member from Shrek might show up, one after another.
It was a goldmine of intelligence.
Across the field, the Yunluo captain's expression fell. A one-on-one match meant no backup.
What if Shrek just sent Chen Junting seven times?
It wouldn't be a fight—it'd be a massacre.
Then, just as the referee prepared to continue, something strange happened.
Yunluo's captain paused… and then nodded.
Chen Junting responded the same way.
The two exchanged something quietly—via soul power transmission—but standing that close, Cheng Gang caught the whole thing.
His brow furrowed.
That… wasn't in the rules.
They weren't hiding it either.
Chen Junting had just negotiated a match modification—on the fly.
---
Back in the waiting area, Wang Yan immediately asked, "Well? Who's first up?"
Chen Junting nodded. "Already decided. I spoke with Yunluo's captain."
The entire team froze.
"You did what?"
Wu Feng reached over and touched Junting's forehead. "You feeling alright? Fever messing with your brain?"
Smack.
Chen Junting slapped her hand away.
"You don't get it," he said calmly. "Yunluo's a soul engineering school. Their overall strength isn't bad, but their students are mostly Soul Grandmasters. They're under-leveled and outgunned."
He glanced around the room.
"They didn't come to win. They came for experience."
He continued, "So when the format came up, I made him a proposal. We go one for one. His students rotate through, and so do ours. No power crushing. No seven straight knockouts. Everyone gets to fight opponents around their level."
Silence.
Then—understanding.
One by one, heads nodded.
For Shrek, this was nothing. But for Yunluo, it was a rare chance to stand under the spotlight without being humiliated. It was real experience.
And for Shrek's reserves, it was live testing.
Junting wasn't just strong.
He was thinking long-term.
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(End of Chapter)
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