As the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Spirit Dueling Tournament entered its final stages, the atmosphere in Sea Abyss City grew increasingly fervent.
After the semifinals concluded, both St. Freya Academy and Shrek Academy had a two-day rest period.
Due to the surge in visitors, Sea Abyss City urgently increased the number of troops maintaining order. Emperor Xu Jiawei also grandly issued an order, dispatching large quantities of supplies from surrounding cities to fill Sea Abyss City's shortages.
This Spirit Master Tournament, lasting over a month, brought comprehensive and profound benefits to Sea Abyss City.
Whether it was the city's rapid surge in popularity, attracting countless eyes, or its economic income achieving exponential growth, driving the prosperity of various industries.
All these achievements truly made Lu Jingming's previous efforts to secure the tournament for Sea Abyss City worthwhile.
Now, the final stage was set, and only two teams remained in the spotlight: Shrek Academy and St. Freya Academy.
Shrek Academy, undoubtedly the strongest academy in the Spirit Master world, possessed the illustrious reputation of being "Number One for Ten Thousand Years," with an astonishing number of fans.
St. Freya Academy, as the local academy of Sea Abyss City and the dark horse champion of the previous Spirit Master Tournament, also had a large group of fervent supporters.
The fan bases of the two teams argued fiercely, each asserting their views, engaging in intense debates over who would ultimately claim victory.
They both firmly believed that their supported team possessed unparalleled strength and would undoubtedly triumph in the finals.
Finally, the grand curtain of the competition officially rose.
On the day of the finals, the entire coastline was already packed with enthusiastic spectators from early morning.
The crowd was dense, like a surging sea of people, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The members of St. Freya Academy and Shrek Academy slowly descended onto the Eye of the Abyss, each aboard cool, technologically advanced spirit tool airships.
The airships sliced through the clear blue sky, leaving dazzling trails, as if opening a magnificent prelude to this ultimate showdown.
The schedule for this Grand Finals was tight and rigorous: three matches—the team battle, individual elimination, and the two-two-three battle—would all conclude on this single day.
This high-intensity competition format thoroughly tested the contestants' physical endurance, spirit power, willpower, and teamwork, ensuring that the team that ultimately emerged victorious was truly the strongest of the strong.
As a result, the contestants would have no chance to catch their breath; every battle had to be fought with full effort, allowing no room for complacency.
St. Freya Academy maintained its original lineup, without any personnel adjustments.
Shrek Academy, on the other hand, fielded Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yaoheng, Ling Luochen, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Beibei, and Xu Sanshi.
Xi Xi, one of Shrek Academy's main team members, had largely recovered after a month of treatment. However, considering the importance and brutal nature of the finals, she chose to give this valuable opportunity to Beibei and Xu Sanshi.
Beibei possessed the powerful Radiant Holy Dragon state, and Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Turtle spirit was also formidable. The strength of these two was no less than Xi Xi's; in fact, they even had advantages in certain aspects.
And Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong possessed a unique spirit fusion skill, which was Shrek Academy's secret weapon for this competition.
As Huo Yuhao ascended the competition stage with his team, his body suddenly jolted uncontrollably, and his gaze was instantly fixed on a figure on the main platform.
The person had golden hair and blue eyes, a tall and sturdy build, dressed in a sharp military uniform, exuding the unique dignity and domineering aura of a seasoned soldier.
This person was none other than Duke White Tiger Dai Hao, who commanded the Mingdou Mountain Range defense line. He stood quietly beside Emperor Xu Jiawei, his gaze directed towards the competition stage.
Duke White Tiger Dai Hao was renowned throughout the Spirit Master world. He had long been stationed at the Mingdou Mountain Range defense line, confronting the Sun Moon Empire, accumulating countless military achievements.
This time, he took time out of his busy schedule to specifically attend the finals of this Spirit Master Tournament.
The main reason was that his son, Dai Yaoheng, was participating in one of the two final teams.
As a father, he also wanted to see Dai Yaoheng's growth and progress at Shrek Academy, to see how much achievement Dai Yaoheng had made under the academy's cultivation over the years.
However, Duke Dai Hao did not recognize his other son, Huo Yuhao, who stood on the stage, completely unaware that this young man was also his son.
In fact, he didn't even know he had such a son!
Dai Yaoheng also quickly noticed his father Dai Hao's presence. In an instant, his face surged with an uncontrollable excitement, and his eyes immediately ignited with fierce fighting spirit.
Both Dai Yaoheng and Dai Huabin, despite often appearing arrogant and imperious to outsiders, deep down held immense reverence and admiration for their father—the formidable Duke White Tiger Dai Hao.
His father's arrival was like a powerful stimulant for Dai Yaoheng, filling his heart with strength.
He secretly swore that no matter how difficult the match, no matter how powerful the opponent, he absolutely could not lose this match in front of his father. He had to give his all to win honor for Shrek Academy and bring glory to his father.
At this moment, in Huo Yuhao's mind, various negative emotions surged wildly.
He knew very well that this was another side effect of that dark red gemstone flaring up.
This gemstone always subtly eroded his mind, stirring up painful and sad memories from the depths of his heart.
Although he tried to control his emotions, Dai Hao's appearance made it difficult for him to do so. Gradually, his face turned extremely somber, and his entire being exuded a suppressed and cold aura.
This abnormal change filled Wang Dong, who had been constantly watching him, with worry.
"Yuhao, are you okay?" Wang Dong anxiously whispered, his eyes showing concern.
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to be completely submerged by these negative emotions, a golden flash suddenly appeared in his eyes. Immediately after, a sensation of coolness, like a flowing clear spring, surged from the depths of his heart, instantly spreading throughout his body, chilling him to the core.
It turned out that the Tian Meng Iceworm, sensing Huo Yuhao's dangerous situation, unhesitatingly used its foundational power to pull him back from the brink of collapse.
"Yuhao, that gemstone is too sinister. Let's just get rid of it!" The Tian Meng Iceworm's voice was filled with worry and unease.
In its long life, it had witnessed many things, but it had never encountered anything so bizarre and unpredictable.
This gemstone seemed to possess its own consciousness, knowing how to seize opportunities. It would always subtly induce negative emotions within Huo Yuhao when his willpower was weakest, attempting to draw him into an abyss of degradation.
"It's fine, Brother Heavenly Dream. I was careless just now. It won't happen again. Besides, these negative emotions aren't entirely bad. After being tempered by them, my mental power has actually become purer."
Huo Yuhao gently shook his head, disagreeing with the Tian Meng Iceworm's suggestion.
In his opinion, although this dark red gemstone brought many troubles and annoyances, as the saying goes, "misfortune is intertwined with fortune." The power it contained was not entirely harmful.
On the contrary, in the process of confronting these negative emotions, his mental power had received unprecedented exercise and tempering, becoming more resilient and pure.
This gemstone not only helped Electrolux recover his power but also subtly boosted his cultivation speed, allowing him to continuously refine his mental power amidst negative emotions, pushing it to higher realms.
In Huo Yuhao's view, such a rare treasure should never be easily discarded due to some superficial drawbacks.
Moreover, he was not facing all of this alone.
He had Electrolux, the Tian Meng Iceworm's million-year spiritual essence, and the Ice Empress.
He believed he would definitely be able to resist the erosion of negative emotions and not be completely consumed by them.
In Huo Yuhao's eyes, the negative emotions merely brought forth some past painful memories.
He had experienced life's hardships since childhood, tasting all the bitter and sweet of the human world. These experiences had long forged his unyielding character and indomitable spirit.
Huo Yuhao was full of confidence in himself. He firmly believed he had the ability to control this mysterious gemstone, use its power to gradually grow stronger, realize his dreams, and become a true powerhouse.
"Alright then!" The Tian Meng Iceworm nodded helplessly. Although a trace of unease still lingered in its heart, it chose to trust Huo Yuhao.
After all, it had full confidence in its own million-year spiritual essence, and it also deeply believed in Electrolux's abilities. With them present, they would be able to protect Huo Yuhao.
"I'm fine, Wang Dong. We absolutely cannot lose this match!" With the timely assistance of the Tian Meng Iceworm, Huo Yuhao broke free from the surging tide of negative emotions.
He slowly averted his gaze from Duke White Tiger Dai Hao on the main platform. The gloom on his face gradually dissipated, his expression returned to normal, and his eyes showed firm resolve as he spoke in a deep voice.
Seeing Huo Yuhao return to his usual calm and steady demeanor, Wang Dong let out a long sigh of relief.
He knew Huo Yuhao's background very well, as Huo Yuhao had never hidden it from him.
He understood how much of an impact Duke White Tiger Dai Hao's sudden appearance had on Huo Yuhao.
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao hadn't been too affected by it, which finally put Wang Dong's anxious heart at ease.
At this moment, as both teams' members orderly ascended the competition stage, Dan Heng's figure appeared punctually at the center of the stage.
His expression solemn, he scanned the entire venue, then began to enunciate the rules for the finals, word by word.
As the competition rules were gradually announced, the previously lively and bustling atmosphere of the entire venue suddenly became tense, and millions of spectators instantly fell into a complete silence.
Everyone listened intently to the rules, afraid of missing any detail, for they knew that the upcoming showdown would undoubtedly be a thrilling, decisive battle for glory.
"I've stated the competition rules once. Both sides retreat and prepare to begin." As soon as Dan Heng finished speaking, both teams' members uniformly retreated backward.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a hint of provocation, as she stared directly at Lu Jingming.
Although she knew very well that they didn't have an advantage in this match, on the surface, she would absolutely not allow herself to be at a disadvantage. Her inherent pride and stubbornness made her display a fearless stance even in this tense moment.
Facing Ma Xiaotao's provocation, Lu Jingming's lips curved slightly, returning a confident smile.
In his opinion, the outcome of this match was already predetermined. No matter how Shrek Academy struggled, they couldn't change the final result; St. Freya Academy would absolutely not lose this match.
Because he already knew all the information about every Shrek Academy contestant, even the spirit fusion skill that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had never used in public, he was fully aware of it.
Besides that, absolute strength was his true confidence.