Though filled with reluctance, losing to St. Freya Academy, the powerful reigning champions, was hardly a disgrace. In fact, at this very moment, the spectators erupted in applause, thanking them for the thrilling battle they had just witnessed.
"Round one of the group stage, St. Freya Academy wins!"
As Dan Heng's clear, resonant voice announced the result, the name of Thousand Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy gradually dimmed on the large screen, leaving only St. Freya Academy's name shining brightly. Cheers, like surging waves, thundered through the arena following Dan Heng's declaration. Both Thousand Spirit Academy's performance and Firefly's astonishing destructive power had captivated the audience, igniting their excitement and turning the entire venue into a roaring spectacle.
With their victory over Thousand Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy, St. Freya Academy's first group stage match concluded successfully. They secured their opening win, earning two points and provisionally taking the lead in their group. The group stage schedule dictated one match every other day, so St. Freya Academy's next game was set for two days later.
Two days passed in a flash, and the first round of the group stage was entirely complete. Compared to the elimination rounds, the intensity of the group stage had noticeably softened. Academies across the board adjusted their tactics. After all, unlike the elimination rounds where a single loss meant immediate disqualification, the group stage offered more leeway. For example, even though Thousand Spirit Academy lost their initial match to the powerful St. Freya Academy, they still had a chance to advance from the group stage if they remained undefeated in subsequent matches. However, unfortunately for them, their group not only contained the formidable St. Freya Academy but also the renowned Dou Ling Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy. Otherwise, with Thousand Spirit Academy's own strength, they might have had a chance at qualifying in other groups.
Precisely for this reason, various academies began to hold back in the group stage, no longer exerting themselves to the fullest as they had in the elimination rounds. Although many contestants were injured during the elimination rounds, thanks to the advanced healing soul tools provided by Hǎiyuān City, these injured participants received timely and effective treatment, preventing their participation in the subsequent group stage from being affected.
In summary, during the first round of the group stage, most academies intentionally conserved their strength, with the exception of those like Thousand Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy, who, seeing little hope of advancing, chose to go all out. But it was clear to everyone that this first round of the group stage was merely a calm prelude before the storm. As the competition progressed, the intensity of the group stage was bound to escalate, potentially even reaching or surpassing the fierceness of the elimination rounds.
Amidst the fierce progression of the elimination and group stages, the dazzling performances of the Soul Master academies certainly drew attention, but some Soul Engineer academies were equally impressive. They shone brightly with their soul tools, showcasing the immense power these devices possessed. Coupled with Hǎiyuān City, the host of the event, being the most developed city for soul tools—where advanced soul tools were ubiquitous and various high-tech soul devices frequently appeared in the arena—this series of demonstrations gave many academies a new and profound understanding of the power of soul tools, realizing that their influence in the soul master world was growing daily.
Ningguang shrewdly spotted this business opportunity. Capitalizing on the high excitement of the competition, she hosted a small auction every evening, specializing in various soul tools. Notably, Ningguang had returned to Hǎiyuān City for the Soul Master Grand Competition and personally took charge of the city's commercial operations. Her skillful management made the small auctions held by the Jade Chamber famous. Every evening, when the auction began, the venue was packed and bustling. Even Shrek Academy and Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy heard about it and came to participate.
Shrek Academy attended the auction primarily to compensate for their weaknesses. With their main team members incomplete and some still recovering from injuries in the initial group matches, they were forced to use substitute members. To bolster their team's strength, they urgently needed to acquire powerful soul tools through the auction to enhance their members' combat capabilities, hoping for better results in subsequent matches. Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, on the other hand, came specifically for Herta's soul tools. After all, everyone knew the Jade Chamber was backed by Hǎiyuān City, and Lady Herta of Hǎiyuān City was a legendary figure in the field of soul tools. The soul engineers of Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had long coveted these soul tools, naturally not missing such a rare opportunity as the Jade Chamber auction, hoping to find Lady Herta's creations there.
However, Lu Jingming and his team had no need to participate in their own auctions. If they wanted anything, they could simply take it directly; there was no need to bid and compete like others.
"Grand Net!" Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo cried out, unleashing their martial soul fusion skill. In an instant, countless blue strands of hair extended, densely covering the void, like an invisible, massive net, completely sealing off all escape routes for their opponent. The opponent was caught off guard by this sudden attack; their body was instantly tightly bound by the blue strands, unable to move, only struggling fruitlessly on the spot. With the successful execution of this skill, the second group stage match concluded, and St. Freya Academy secured the victory without any suspense.
In this second group stage match, St. Freya Academy's opponent was a soul engineer academy from the Dou Ling Empire. From their performance, they were clearly a newly established academy, not particularly strong, with their most powerful members being only three Soul Sects. Considering the opponent's strength, Lu Jingming specifically dispatched Ye Guyi along with Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo to participate, allowing them to gain practical combat experience in the widely watched arena.
In the first match, Lu Jingming arranged for Gu Yue and Ye Guyi to participate. Gu Yue, being a Soul King, was exceptionally powerful. Although Ye Guyi was only a Soul Sect, her strength was also not to be underestimated. With Gu Yue providing support, Ye Guyi took on two opponents, two Soul Sects, and forcefully secured the victory.
In the second match, the twin sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo stepped onto the stage. Although these twin sisters were only at the Soul Grandmaster level, under St. Freya Academy's meticulous guidance and training, their strength far surpassed that of soul masters at the same level. Facing an opponent team composed of one Soul Grandmaster and one Soul Sect, the sisters responded calmly. At a crucial moment in the battle, they unleashed their powerful martial soul fusion skill, successfully defeating their opponents and securing St. Freya Academy's victory in the second round of the group stage.
Since they had won their first two matches, according to the competition rules, St. Freya Academy did not need to compete in the third match.
As the competition continued, while Shrek Academy also achieved consecutive victories, Huo Yuhao's earlier disguise was gradually exposed. People discovered not only that his six hundred-thousand-year soul rings were fake but also that his other teammates were not Soul Emperors, with the highest actual cultivation in the team being only Soul Sect.
Shrek Academy's unusual performance made many academies eager for a challenge. Although Shrek Academy had lost its championship glory in the previous competition, it had, after all, been glorious for ten thousand years, possessing immense prestige and deep heritage in the soul master world. For many academies, defeating Shrek Academy in the arena would undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity to gain fame and distinction, not only securing great reputation and prestige but also elevating their academy's standing in the soul master world. Therefore, Shrek Academy had now become a target for all. Regardless of what internal issues it faced, other academies viewed defeating it as a goal, hoping to achieve unprecedented gains for their own academy through this victory.
The scorching sun hung high, its light pouring unreservedly onto the Daydream Hotel. Lu Jingming led his team out of the hotel entrance and towards the Eye of the Abyss. Their opponents for the day had already been confirmed.
The beach was as crowded and bustling as ever, with tourists in light summer clothes, some comfortably sunbathing on the sand, others playing in the shallow waters, laughter echoing between the sea and the sky. Today, the audience's spirits were exceptionally high, and an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation permeated the crowd, because today's match at the Eye of the Abyss would feature an exciting showdown between St. Freya Academy and Dou Ling Royal Academy. The clash between the reigning champions and last year's top eight contender—how could it not ignite passion and stir the hearts of all?
As Lu Jingming led his team onto the Eye of the Abyss, the entire arena erupted in thunderous cheers. Spectators had arrived early, their eyes gleaming with excitement, waving flags and glow sticks, welcoming St. Freya Academy. In their previous matches, St. Freya Academy had defeated opponents with a powerful, dominating, and invincible presence, leaving an extremely deep impression on the audience. Everyone was full of anticipation, eager to see them once again display their exceptional strength in today's match.
By custom, whenever St. Freya Academy competed, their match was always scheduled first. This was not only the privilege that the reigning champions deserved but also a consequence of being the host. As the match time drew closer minute by minute, the atmosphere in the stands grew even more fervent. This was the first direct confrontation between strong teams since the start of this competition, and everyone's gaze was firmly fixed, eager to witness this peak showdown.
"Teacher Wang Yan, who do you think will win this match?" Xiao Xiao asked softly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, as she turned to Wang Yan beside her.
"St. Freya Academy!" Wang Yan answered without hesitation, his tone full of certainty. He then patiently explained, "Dou Ling Royal Academy is indeed strong, but compared to St. Freya Academy, they should still be slightly inferior. Moreover, in a match with two qualification slots, they won't easily reveal their hidden cards, nor will they choose to fight St. Freya Academy to the very end."
"The outcome of this match is almost without suspense. However, Dou Ling Royal Academy is not without threat. They might be able to force out some of St. Freya Academy's hidden strength, as several of St. Freya Academy's members have yet to display their full power."
Bei Bei and the others listened, nodding in agreement. They also believed that Dou Ling Royal Academy would lose this match. Everyone was simply very curious: to what extent could Dou Ling Royal Academy push St. Freya Academy, and how much of their true power could they force out?