The current captain of Tianshui Academy's tournament team, Shui Bing'er, furrowed her graceful brows. At sixteen years old, she was known for her intelligence and calm demeanor. Rational and composed, she rarely showed overt emotion—neither joy nor anger easily colored her expression.
Moments earlier, she had noticed subtle changes in expression from her teammates and the surrounding teams. She recognized Feng Xiaotian, and precisely because she knew him, she was already beginning a logical assessment of what this newly appearing Wujie Academy team was truly capable of.
"Oscar!!" Unlike the rest of the crowd, the teachers of Shrek Academy, led by Flender, were utterly stunned the moment they saw Oscar in Wujie Academy's lineup.
Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had also come to the venue. Though he didn't recognize Oscar himself, he followed the direction of the others' gazes and looked toward the Wujie Academy team with growing curiosity.
Suddenly, someone in the audience exclaimed:
"Oh! I know who that is now!"
"I can't believe I didn't recognize him right away. My mistake—'Thunder Dragon' once earned me a ton of money at the Grand Spirit Arena!"
"Wujie Academy just entered—you all know them?"
"Well, I don't know the academy, but I do recognize several people in their lineup!"
"Look at the one in front! He used to be super famous at the arena. Nicknamed 'Thunder Dragon,' his martial spirit is a mutated Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon! But I haven't seen him in over two years."
"That woman behind him is even more famous. Ever heard of the Bi-Phosphorus Snake martial spirit? Yep, that's Title Douluo Dugu Bo's only granddaughter."
"That man behind Thunder Dragon—I'm not sure who he is. But the three after that? They've been active in the arena lately too."
Yu Xiaogang didn't know the individuals in Wujie Academy personally, but he was sharp. From the reactions around him and the whispers in the stands, he sensed this team warranted deeper investigation. He made a mental note to gather more intel on Wujie Academy later.
Like Shrek Academy, Wujie Academy's background was sparse and hard to find.
The most eye-catching part of the entire arena was undoubtedly a special VIP section—an expansive, ornately decorated space with only a dozen exquisitely crafted chairs, each radiating opulence and authority.
The cushions were a brilliant red, symbolizing status and reverence. The armrests and trim of each chair were inlaid with golden filigree—sleek, elegant, and rich with splendor. This area was more than just seating; it was a display of absolute prestige.
Seated at the center was none other than the supreme ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye, currently indulging in fruit offered by Prince Xue Xing, who was fawning over him.
To the emperor's right sat a man in a white suit and fur cloak, wearing rectangular glasses—Ning Fengzhi, current Patriarch of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"So that little fellow I encountered the other day was him, huh? Interesting…" Ning Fengzhi murmured, eyes gleaming with intrigue as the corners of his lips curled into a subtle smile.
"Oh? Does the Sect Master know someone down there?" Emperor Xue Ye turned to him with a casual smile.
Ning Fengzhi gave a relaxed laugh.
"Not exactly, Your Majesty. Let's just say we crossed paths once."
"I've heard your daughter is participating in this tournament. Might I ask which academy she's representing?" the emperor asked, popping another fruit into his mouth.
"For even Your Majesty to be aware of such a trivial matter... Haha, my daughter is rather willful. She insisted on venturing out on her own. I didn't stop her. Her participation in this tournament is nothing more than a youthful experience."
"Haha! It's good for the young to have such a spirit. I hope she performs well," Emperor Xue Ye chuckled.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's kind wishes," Ning Fengzhi replied politely.
At that moment, the host's voice rang out across the stadium:
"Today marks the first day of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, and we will begin with just one Opening Match."
"This match will be between one of the host teams—Heaven Dou Royal Academy's secondary team, and a team selected by random draw!"
"We believe this will be an exciting duel!"
The audience had great confidence in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. After all, this was a national-level institution established by the empire itself, and its main team would even face off against Spirit Hall in the finals.
"Your Majesty, the secondary team consists of hand-picked elites trained by our royal family—each gifted and brilliant!"
"With Your Majesty's boundless luck, our young nobles are sure to achieve victory and glorify the empire!" Prince Xue Xing showered flattery like it was free, making Emperor Xue Ye beam with satisfaction.
"Hahaha, good! Excellent! Very good!"
Meanwhile, Meng Shenji, headmaster of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, sighed silently from behind.
He didn't openly mock Xue Xing anymore. After all, it wasn't entirely the prince's fault that Shrek Academy left. While Xue Xing did try to obstruct them early on, he hadn't succeeded. Shrek had voluntarily withdrawn after enrolling.
Meng Shenji had long sensed that the teachers from Shrek were not ones to bow to others—but he still regretted their departure.
Even if Shrek had stayed, they couldn't have joined the secondary team. Meng Shenji simply lacked the political sensitivity to grasp that some things—especially within noble academies—weren't for him to decide.
No one mentioned Shrek again. Ning Fengzhi, with his usual tact, didn't bring them up either. His wisdom lay in following the flow of conversation. Initiative was not always a virtue—sometimes it revealed too much intent. That would be a mistake unbefitting a sect master.
"Sect Master Ning and His Majesty seem to be enjoying themselves. Might I join as well?"
A tall man in red robes with a white collar, golden hair glistening in the sun, walked over with a polite smile. In Spirit Hall, only a Platinum Bishop had the right to wear red.