Robin kept humming as she massaged, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Sigh! Sometimes it feels like Xiao Ming is the team's favorite, don't you think, Divine Fox?" March 7th said, scooping up the little pink fox and burying her face in its fur, inhaling deeply as if in bliss.
The little fox seemed to enjoy the affection, closing its eyes contentedly.
"Squeak squeak!"
The fox waved its paw, agreeing wholeheartedly.
"Ah, soft and fragrant—Divine Fox is still the best. I'm going to snuggle with her tonight," March 7th declared, then dashed off to her room, clutching the fox and determined not to let anyone else steal her sleeping companion.
"So childish," Gu Yue muttered, glancing at Lu Jingming on Robin's lap before returning to her room.
Soon, only Robin and Lu Jingming remained in the lounge.
Resting on Robin's soft lap, Lu Jingming inhaled her scent, enjoying the gentle pressure on his forehead and the clear, pleasant humming. He felt utterly content, wanting to shout, "Robin, number one in the world!"
As he basked in this gentle comfort, his eyelids grew heavy, and he soon fell into a deep sleep, defenseless and cradled on the sofa.
…
"Robin, Xiao Ming, the two of you...?"
The next morning, golden sunlight streamed through the window.
March 7th emerged, yawning, still half asleep—until she saw the sofa.
She instantly snapped awake, staring wide-eyed in shock.
Robin and Lu Jingming had somehow ended up cuddled tightly together, sleeping soundly.
Hearing the commotion, the other doors opened, and several pairs of eyes turned to the sofa.
Robin and Lu Jingming woke up, becoming aware of their extremely intimate posture.
Robin's face turned bright red, like a ripe apple. She quickly disentangled herself, sitting off to the side and hurriedly fixing her messy hair and rumpled clothes.
Thankfully, their clothes were intact—it was obvious nothing inappropriate had happened; they'd simply slept together.
Robin tried to recall last night.
After Lu Jingming fell asleep, she'd planned to move him to his room but was afraid of waking him. She didn't want to leave him alone on the sofa, so she decided to stay with him. Since their next match was in three days, time was plentiful.
She must have fallen asleep herself, and in her sleep, they'd naturally ended up hugging on the sofa.
Remembering how she'd been nestled in Lu Jingming's arms made Robin blush even deeper. She lowered her head, not daring to meet anyone's eyes.
Lu Jingming, on the other hand, looked quite composed—after all, he was the one who benefited. He even wore a faint, satisfied smile.
"What are you all staring at? Aren't you hungry? I'll have breakfast sent up," he said, giving March 7th and the others a glare before calling for breakfast.
Finding no more gossip to witness, March 7th and the others returned to their rooms to freshen up.
Robin also hurried to her room to tidy herself, leaving Lu Jingming alone, smiling as he recalled the previous night's warmth.
…
Time flew by, and three days passed in a flash. The intense knockout rounds ended, and the round robin was about to begin.
The brutality of the knockout stage was still fresh in everyone's memory, but the round robin would be less fierce.
After three days of fierce competition, sixty-seven teams remained.
They were split into eight groups—three groups of nine teams each, and five groups of eight.
Each team would play at least seven matches in the round robin, with points determining advancement.
The rules: two points for a win, zero for a loss, one each for a draw.
With sixty-seven teams, the round robin would last about half a month.
Unlike the single-elimination format, the round robin featured diverse modes: individual elimination, team battles, and two-vs-three. The format for each match would be decided by drawing lots.
While other academies were busy strategizing in their hotel rooms, Lu Jingming's team was unusually relaxed.
In the tense pre-tournament atmosphere, they even went out shopping and strolling, showing no signs of nerves.
Haiyuan City was bustling and lively during the tournament.
March 7th and the others enjoyed themselves thoroughly in this festive atmosphere.
Ten people—one man, nine women—each holding bubble tea, sauntered back to the Daydream Hotel.
As they exited the elevator at the hotel's top floor, a white-haired boy and girl about their age approached.
At the same time, two more youths stepped out of a nearby suite.
It was Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong of Shrek Academy.
Thus, the top contenders for the championship unexpectedly met in the hotel corridor.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, but the tension quickly dissipated. Lu Jingming's group remained calm and walked toward their suite.
Passing Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, the siblings showed contrasting attitudes.
Xiao Hongchen's gaze was full of challenge and fighting spirit—eager for a showdown.
Meng Hongchen smiled warmly, waving at Lu Jingming.
Lu Jingming, ever polite, smiled and nodded in return.
As he passed Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, Lu Jingming noticed a subtle change in Huo Yuhao's demeanor—he seemed a bit more delicate, less masculine, drawing closer in aura to Wang Dong.
Lu Jingming guessed this was a side effect of Huo Yuhao's injuries, though he wondered if Huo Yuhao himself had noticed.
From a distance during matches, the change was less apparent, but up close it was obvious.
Lu Jingming nodded politely and led his team back to their suite.
All three academies were staying in top-level suites; they just hadn't met before.
On Douluo Continent, the Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was the soul master world's premier event, drawing attention from across the land every five years.
This year's tournament began with a bang.
The debut of the hundred-thousand-year soul ring was far more shocking than the appearance of Soul Sages in the previous tournament, instantly igniting everyone's enthusiasm.
As the host city, Haiyuan City became a holy land for countless fans, thanks to the miracle of the Eye of the Abyss.
The building's allure drew crowds from everywhere.
To get tickets for the next day's matches, people queued through the night, braving the darkness for a precious ticket.
Ticket prices soared in the buying frenzy, reaching staggering heights.
Yet nothing could dampen the crowd's enthusiasm; people dug deep into their pockets just for a chance to set foot on the Eye of the Abyss and witness the tournament up close.
The knockout rounds were more intense and brutal than ever.
Every academy knew how cruel the tournament was—no one wanted to be eliminated in the first round and become a laughingstock.
Thus, every academy gave their all, each match a life-and-death struggle.
Fortunately, Haiyuan City had made thorough preparations.
The referee, Dan Heng, was extraordinarily powerful; even if matches got out of hand, he could always save contestants in the nick of time.
Haiyuan City also equipped rest areas with advanced healing pods, harnessing the city's top soul-guided technology.
As long as contestants weren't killed instantly, no matter how severe their injuries, the pods could heal them quickly, preventing any fatal tragedies.
Thanks to this, while many were injured in the knockout rounds, not a single death occurred.
This unprecedented achievement earned Haiyuan City great praise and goodwill among the academies.
After all, the contestants were the best and brightest of every academy—their future and hope. Losing even one was a heavy blow.
Haiyuan City's arrangements preserved every contestant's life, winning widespread gratitude.
In previous tournaments, deaths were common—especially in the brutal knockout stage.
But Haiyuan City broke the curse, creating a miracle: zero accidental deaths in the knockouts.
With the best referees, the most advanced healing soul tools, and the most timely care, Haiyuan City's tournament support was flawless.
Because of this, even defeated academies stayed in the city to watch the remaining matches and enjoy the tournament's atmosphere.
Many also planned to explore the city's unique charms.
Haiyuan City, for its part, showed great generosity—eliminated teams weren't evicted from the Daydream Hotel, but allowed to stay free until the tournament's end.
This further boosted their goodwill.
During the tournament, the city was packed—finding a room was nearly impossible. Without free lodging, defeated teams would have to leave the city or camp outside.
Now, as the knockout rounds ended and the round robin was about to begin, the tournament's tone shifted.
Though less brutal, the round robin was more strategic, raising audience excitement even higher.
After the knockout battles, only the top teams remained.
Clashes between these elites would make every match thrilling and full of suspense—giving everyone something to look forward to.