At the Heaven Dou Imperial Hotel, a single plate of boiled shredded potatoes on the menu could cost up to a thousand gold soul coins. The exorbitant prices were enough to make even minor nobles balk.
But that also made it a comfortable social hub for the true upper class of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Inside Ning Fengzhi's private room, five people had gathered: Bone Douluo Gu Rong, Ning Fengzhi himself, Xue Qinghe representing the Heaven Dou Empire, Yu Xiaomen representing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and Huo Qiqiang representing the Body Sect.
"Master Huo, Young Master Yu—welcome." Ning Fengzhi greeted them warmly.
Looking at Yu Xiaomen, he remarked with admiration, "Young Master Yu is truly a hero among youths—his bearing is no less than the twin stars of the Clear Sky Clan in their prime. I believe it won't be long before the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan returns to the ranks of the Top Three Sects."
Yu Xiaomen took a seat and replied, "Sect Master Ning, my father told me that with just the two of us, we could already defeat the Dragon Elephant Sect and reclaim our place among the top three.
But ever since Bibi Dong elevated the Dragon Elephant Sect into that position, she's shown no intention of revising the sect rankings."
Ning Fengzhi chuckled, "Whether or not the Spirit Hall acknowledges it is secondary. Strength is what truly matters.
You're already a Titled Douluo, and in the future, you're likely to become a Super Douluo. You might even reach the level of an Ultimate Douluo. When that day comes, if the Spirit Hall still refuses to acknowledge your clan's status, their so-called standards will become a joke."
He added, "Besides, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has only ever recognized your clan as one of the top three. We do not acknowledge the Dragon Elephant Sect in that role."
Yu Xiaomen responded, "Then allow me to thank the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Huo Qiqiang then asked, "So, Sect Master Ning, what is the reason for inviting us here just before the tournament begins?"
Ning Fengzhi replied, "I'd like to introduce someone—Qinghe."
Xue Qinghe stepped forward from behind Ning Fengzhi and said respectfully, "Teacher, Qinghe is here."
"This is Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and also my disciple. I wanted to formally introduce him to you," Ning Fengzhi said.
Xue Qinghe bowed toward Yu Xiaomen and Huo Qiqiang: "Greetings, Master Huo, Young Master Yu."
After everyone had gotten acquainted, Ning Fengzhi got straight to the point:
"Ever since the Spirit Hall began its reforms, it has grown increasingly powerful. Its ambition has become deeply troubling. I invited you all here today to discuss this uncertain factor."
He said gravely, "It's easy to foresee that the Spirit Hall will soon disrupt the balance of the continent. That will be a catastrophe. The various factions across the continent—the top three sects and the two great empires—must begin preparations now."
Following this, Ning Fengzhi began to promote his theory of "united roots and shared breath." Huo Qiqiang and Yu Xiaomen both seemed somewhat persuaded. Although no formal alliance was reached, it was a promising beginning.
After the meeting ended and the representatives of the Body Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had departed, Ning Fengzhi sighed, "I have a feeling that the next ten to twenty years will be a time of great upheaval."
Xue Qinghe asked, "Teacher, even if we unite the top three sects and the two great empires, can we really rival the Spirit Hall?"
Ning Fengzhi replied, "I'm not certain either. But right now, we're in the best position we've ever been.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has the once-in-a-generation talent Yu Xiaomen. The Body Sect has emerged. And I've seen hope for the future in Shrek Academy. Whether we can curb the Spirit Hall's ambition depends on what happens over the next two decades."
At this, Ning Fengzhi thought of the Clear Sky Sect—of the Twin Stars Tang Hao and Tang Xiao.
Both had been geniuses with innate full soul power. How great it would've been if internal conflict hadn't weakened the Clear Sky Clan.
If their strength were added to this alliance, and they stood together as one, then no matter how great the Spirit Hall's ambitions, it wouldn't dare act recklessly. This thought filled Ning Fengzhi with deep regret.
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy, things were aligning with Ning Fengzhi's hopes. At first, his attention had been drawn to Tang San, a dual-spirit genius.
But over time, Shrek's overall potential shocked him. In just two years, the academy had produced three Soul Kings, and their main lineup was comprised of Soul Ancestors. That kind of roster truly represented the future.
Unfortunately, Ning Rongrong seemed somewhat overshadowed within this powerful lineup.
At the Royal Spirit Arena, every seat was packed—the opening ceremony was underway.
Teams from various academies were entering the venue. When Shrek Academy was announced, all eyes turned toward them.
They appeared in a hideous shade of green, and their uniforms were plastered with advertisements—an utter eyesore!
"Ugh, what's that? Those uniforms are horrible!"
"Shrek Academy? What an awful name."
"Look at those ads on their clothes. Don't tell me they're broke? That's hilarious!"
The arena echoed with laughter and disdain toward Shrek Academy.
Flender simply pushed up his glasses and smiled mysteriously.
Regarding the issue of the uniforms, Liu Erlong had been extremely displeased. But back then, Flender had explained:
"Erlong, if we wear ordinary uniforms, no one will even notice Shrek Academy. Only by doing something outrageous can we grab attention. Once our little monsters win a stunning first match, the entire tournament will become our stage."
Sure enough, Flender's plan was progressing smoothly. The crowd's eyes had been successfully captured by the ugliest uniforms imaginable.
Shrek stood like a rodent among chickens, attracting contemptuous stares from every direction.
Ning Rongrong, Yu Tianheng, and Xiao Wu were clearly uncomfortable.
Er Ming, being a brute, didn't care.
But the four reincarnated members had already lived through this once. Dai Mubai grinned grimly:
"I can't wait to see how those people laughing at us now will react after our first match."
Ma Hongjun asked, "By the way, who are we up against in our first match?"
Oscar said, "If I remember correctly, it's the Heaven Dou Team's second squad."
"Oh, them? If I'm not mistaken, we wiped them out in under a minute last time. Guess we'll do it again," Dai Mubai laughed.
"Last time was a minute," Tang San said. "How about we do it in half a minute this time?"
"Yeah, half a minute sounds good."
Then the announcer spoke:
"Now entering the arena—Spark Academy!"
Led by Snow Empress, the Spark Team entered the venue. Unlike Shrek, they wore standard, well-ordered uniforms like most academies. As a result, their appearance didn't cause much stir—only the top powers of the continent paid them any real attention.
Dai Mubai nudged Tang San with his elbow and said, "San, the team from Spark Academy has arrived."
Tang San replied, "I saw them."
"So, what should we do about them?" Ma Hongjun asked teasingly.
Tang San answered, "Let's wait until we face them."
"Hmph, we'll make sure they understand that Shrek Academy is no longer what it used to be," Dai Mubai declared.
"Exactly. So what if all their soul rings are thousand-year ones? Early soul rings don't matter that much. Plus, we've got three Soul Kings on our side. A ten-thousand-year soul ring alone is enough to outmatch all those flashy thousand-year rings," Oscar added, sneaking a glance at Tang San beside him.
Sure enough, hearing their conversation made Tang San's mood sink. It was true — Shrek Academy had indeed changed, but what did that have to do with him, Tang San?
Yu Tianheng, Xiao Wu, and Er Ming had all shot ahead to become Soul Kings. Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun had also caught up and become high-level Soul Sect members. But he… after two years, had only just managed to progress from Soul Ancestor to Soul Sect.
Thinking of this, Tang San felt no joy from vengeance, only emptiness.
At the VIP platform, five people were seated in the front row:
Sect Master Huo of the Body Sect,
Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire,
Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect,
Yu Xiaomen, young sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan,
Salas, Bishop of the Spirit Hall.
From one side of the platform, the master of ceremonies loudly announced,
"Now inviting His Majesty the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire to declare the opening of the tournament!"
Wearing a crimson-golden robe, Emperor Xue Ye slowly stood up amidst thunderous applause. He raised his right hand and lightly waved toward the audience and participating soul masters below. The applause gradually faded, and silence fell over the square.
"I, Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, on behalf of the empire and as the host of this tournament, officially declare the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament open!"
The applause erupted once more. After it quieted, the emperor continued,
"Here, I hope all participating soul masters will give their best and achieve great results. You are the pride of the Heaven Dou Empire. For the glory of the empire, shine brightly!"
Applause rang out again. The emperor then sat back down.
Next, Huo Qiqiang, Yu Xiaomen, and other honored guests gave speeches.
When it was Ning Fengzhi's turn, the host asked,
"Sect Master Ning, as the most powerful support-type soul master, on behalf of the audience, may I ask: among the twenty-eight teams participating in the Heaven Dou City division, which team do you favor the most?"
"I do have a team in mind," Ning Fengzhi replied. "But I'll keep it a mystery for now. What I can guarantee is this — they're definitely a top contender to win this year's Soul Master Tournament."
Upon hearing this, Shrek Academy immediately held their heads high. They clearly understood — Ning Fengzhi was talking about them.
"Then Sect Master Huo, which team do you favor?" asked the host.
Huo Qiqiang replied, "I also have a team in mind. Like Sect Master Ning, I'll keep it a mystery."
Next was Yu Xiaomen — and his answer was the same.
"What a shame! We couldn't get any of our esteemed sect leaders to reveal the team they're backing. Next, let's invite Salas, the Bishop of the Spirit Hall, to conduct the first round draw for the preliminary matches. After the draw, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's vice team will face their first-round opponent in today's only match."
Salas slowly stood up. As he passed by the host, Huo Qiqiang gave him a subtle signal with his eyes.
Salas: "OK!"
He began drawing lots.
"Preliminary Match Round One: Canghui Academy vs. Zixing Academy!"
"Round Two: Auckland Academy vs. Radiant Flame Academy!"
The Shrek team's reincarnated members relaxed, enjoying Salas's announcements. They assumed Shrek Academy would be held until last and then matched with the Heaven Dou Royal Academy — just like in their previous life.
But Salas suddenly paused, then continued:
"Round Three: Shrek Academy vs. Spark Academy!"
Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were all stunned.
"It's different from our past life again… I didn't expect we'd face Spark in the very first match," Dai Mubai muttered.
Oscar doubted, "Will we really have such an easy win in our first round?"
Tang San responded firmly, "Spark Academy is strong — but we've improved, too. We can win, and we must win."
Below the stage, Flender said, "I originally thought the kids would face a warm-up opponent in their first match. I didn't expect them to run into an old rival right away."
"Is this team really that strong?" Liu Erlong asked.
Flender replied seriously,
"The little monsters have only ever lost one team match. That single loss… was to Spark Academy."
He then began explaining Spark Academy's background to Liu Erlong. Hearing this, she was shocked to learn that Spark's team included:
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda,
The Golden Clear Sky Hammer,
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul,
A unique fusion user possessing White Tiger and Nether Spirit Cat martial souls who could single-handedly use the Netherworld White Tiger fusion technique,
A top-tier auxiliary soul master known as the Emerald Swan, comparable to the Nine Treasure Pagoda,
The Angel martial soul,
The Bone Dragon martial soul,
And all members uniformly possessing three purple soul rings.
"With a team like this… can our little monsters really win?" Liu Erlong couldn't help but ask.
Flender calmly analyzed:
"Our kids have improved greatly in the past two years. Normally speaking, Spark's members should all be Soul Sect level now.
But our little monsters have martial soul fusion techniques and higher spirit power levels. I don't think victory will be a problem."
He added optimistically,
"Have some confidence in them. This is a good chance to wash away the shame of their past defeat."
Back on the VIP platform, Ning Fengzhi adjusted his glasses and said,
"I didn't expect them to face off so soon."
"Oh? Sect Master Ning, are you especially interested in these two teams?" Huo Qiqiang asked.
Ning Fengzhi replied in a low voice,
"I won't keep it a secret anymore — I'm rooting for Shrek Academy. But Spark Academy is no pushover. They're practically a fusion of the top three clans and the two great empires."
"Then who do you think will win this match?" Huo Qiqiang pressed.
"Of course… Shrek Academy," Ning Fengzhi smiled.
He knew that Shrek had three Soul Kings — with that lineup, in past tournaments, they would've been near-guaranteed champions.
Finally, the last match drawn: Heaven Dou Royal Academy vs. Opules Academy.