Chapter 357 The Tournament Begins
The once-every-five-years All-Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Tournament was as grand as a festival.
At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight shone in the east, a strange scene appeared on the streets of Mingdu.
Soldiers shrouded in silver armor lined up in two rows. Starting from the entrance of the Mingyue Hotel, they stretched outwards, seemingly without end. This passage they formed was completely under martial law. The public was required to stay at least thirty meters away and not approach.
Compared to the previous tournament hosted by the Star Luo Empire, Mingdu, as the continent's premier city, could obviously accommodate a much larger number of people. It was only natural that the Sun Moon Empire would mobilize a large army to maintain order. This human wall alone, stretching out of the city, required as many as 20,000 soldiers. An invisible, chilling atmosphere permeated the streets.
The Shrek Academy team, dressed in traditional dark green school uniforms, became the focus of attention the moment they stepped out of the main entrance of the Mingyue Hotel.
Adhering to the principle of keeping a low profile, Wu Xuan did not walk at the front this time, but followed behind Zhang Lexuan and her two companions.
Next came Xiao Xiao, Wang Qiu'er, Qian Guming, Nanmen Yun'er, and others. The Shrek Academy members strode confidently, their expressions calm and unaffected by the grand occasion. This was the pride of the continent's number one academy.
Wang Qiu'er still occasionally glanced at Wu Xuan and Xiao Xiao ahead, her eyes swirling with complex emotions, like a vibrant palette of colors.
Passing by the Qingse Hotel in the distance, Wu Xuan couldn't help but narrow his eyes. According to the information Ye Guyi had gathered in the past few days, the Xishui Alliance seemed to have dispatched two more Title Douluo-level experts. Wu Xuan could only sneer at this; good, they should prepare to die!
Under the strict protection of the soldiers, the 167 participating teams, totaling nearly 2,000 people, set off from Mingdu.
The competition venue was located in the eastern suburbs of Mingdu, visible in the distance from the city's buildings.
By now, this normally deserted outskirts was teeming with people. At least 30,000 soldiers were maintaining order, dividing the crowd into sections and isolating them from the competition area. To the north of the competition area was a high platform, entirely constructed of metal, which appeared to be able to accommodate at least a thousand people.
The competition venue was truly extraordinary. The platform was ten meters high and over a hundred meters in diameter. The expansive platform itself gleamed with a silvery-white metallic sheen, appearing almost entirely constructed of metal. Extending outwards from the platform, almost every hundred meters, a massive soul-guided screen was supported by an iron frame, ensuring that even spectators far from the platform could clearly see the action.
There were over a hundred such screens.
The players' rest area was located on the east side of the platform, divided into two main sections. Near the platform was a covered pavilion, a VIP rest area capable of accommodating approximately twenty participating teams.
Shrek Academy's rest area was the first one, closest to the platform.
Teams like Huo Yuhao, representing the Tang Sect, had to sit on outdoor chairs behind the pavilion, almost at the very back.
Everyone settled into their seats on the sofas in the rest area. Wu Xuan slowly closed his eyes. According to the tournament organizing committee's announcement yesterday, the Shrek team had a bye today and didn't need to participate.
Therefore, everyone was quite relaxed.
With his aura perception fully activated, Wu Xuan sensed the presence of several powerful figures.
"Hmm? The auras of two Limit Douluo?" Wu Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, no longer calm.
"No, this unfamiliar aura is so thick, it shouldn't be Ye Xishui. If it's not Ye Xishui, then who could it be?" Wu Xuan frowned, pondering.
A moment later, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized the identity of the newcomer. "Haotian Fortress, it shouldn't be wrong."
As time slowly passed, a convoy escorted by the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Corps entered Wu Xuan's perception range.
Soon after, thirty-two horned-scaled horses pulled a dragon carriage resembling a small palace into view, followed by guards and a large number of Sun Moon Empire officials in magnificent robes.
Unlike ordinary horned-scaled horses, these thirty-two horses had brilliant golden scales, making them rare mutated horned-scaled horses. The golden scales radiated the glow of the rising sun, their brilliance complementing the golden sun and silver moon motifs on the dragon carriage.
Two maids lifted the curtain, and a wheelchair was slowly pushed out, upon which sat a dark-skinned young man.
"This must be Xu Tianran and that Ju Zi. A black man, a scheming woman—these two are quite a match," Wu Xuan remarked casually.
The next moment, a familiar figure appeared in Wu Xuan's field of vision—none other than the former Mingde Hall Master, Jing Hongchen. Wu Xuan was at a loss for words. It was truly a miracle that this old geezer, having lost the three great treasures of Mingde Hall, was still alive.
"Greetings, Regent! Greetings, Regent's Consort!" Except for the Royal Soul Master Corps on guard, all the officials present knelt and bowed to Crown Prince Xu Tianran.
"No need for formalities!" Xu Tianran waved his hand. The officials straightened up.
At this moment, Ju Zi had already pushed Xu Tianran into a soul-guided elevator. Jing Hongchen and four other elders followed. As the elevator ascended, the people in the distance could see their young Regent. Cheers erupted one after another. This Crown Prince seems to be quite popular.
The ministers, naturally, didn't get the privilege of using the elevator. They ascended the platform along the steps on one side.
Xu Tianran's arrival meant that this year's Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Competition was about to begin.
Ju Zi pushed Xu Tianran to the center of the platform; she didn't sit down but stood beside him. Since the Regent's Consort didn't sit, the other ministers, panting as they arrived, naturally didn't dare sit either, all standing on the platform. Xu Tianran nodded to Ju Zi.
Ju Zi slowly stepped forward to the prepared soul-guided megaphone. Her melodious voice quickly spread throughout the entire venue.
"Silence!" A deep voice suddenly rang out, its powerful pressure instantly filling the entire hall. The instant this voice appeared, everyone felt a darkness before their eyes, as if a dark cloud was pressing down on them. Even their breathing became rapid. All the discussions vanished instantly with that deep voice. The entire competition venue and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the spectator area fell silent in an instant, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The Dark Holy Dragon, Long Xiaoyao. Wu Xuan slowly raised his head to look at the sky. A level 99 Limit Douluo was far beyond what Wu Xuan could handle at this moment, but that day was not far off.
Ju Zi cleared her throat, her melodious voice amplified through her soul-guided device, reaching everyone's ears.
"Fellow citizens of the Sun Moon Empire and guests from afar. Here, on behalf of His Highness the Regent, I welcome you. At the same time, on behalf of His Highness the Regent, I announce that the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition now begins."
A very simple opening, without any unnecessary words or grand official pronouncements.
"Long live the Regent! Long live the Regent! Long live the Regent!" The people of the Sun Moon Empire knelt down in unison, bowing to the Regent, who, though confined to a wheelchair, was about to ascend the throne as the new emperor.
Xu Tianran, still in his wheelchair, wore a smile. He extended his right hand to Ju Zi, who had returned to his side.
"My beloved ministers, please take your seats," Xu Tianran said calmly.
Only then did the ministers of the Sun Moon Empire dare to sit down. Sitting on the other side of Regent Xu Tianran was not Jing Hongchen, the head of the Mingde Hall, but a middle-aged man in a black robe with gold trim. This man was expressionless and pale. Even more strangely, a layer of mist seemed to shroud his face, making it impossible to see his features clearly. Jing Hongchen, the head of the Mingde Hall, sat on the other side of Ju Zi.
"Now, let's read the competition rules," a loud voice rang out. Then came the reading of the rules for this competition, identical to those given to each team.
After the rules were read, an elderly man walked to the loudspeaker in front of the platform and announced loudly: "The first match of the preliminary elimination rounds. Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy versus Dragon Slayer Sect. Each side will send seven members to the waiting area."
Sorry for late update
(End of Chapter)