At this moment, on the competition field.
Xin had already drawn the match-up. The finals would be much faster than the preliminaries and advancement rounds because it was an elimination system: 30 into 15, 16 into 8, 8 into 4. By the time of the grand finals, a team would only have three or four matches.
Xin returned to Heart of Fire Academy's waiting area, where Ning Rongrong and the others had already gathered around him:
"Teacher, which academy are we fighting?"
"It's a shame that Spirit Hall Academy and Heaven Dou Royal Academy both got byes as seeded teams in the first round. I've been enduring them for a long time!"
Xin said indifferently: "Your first opponent is a team from Star Luo Empire, Fire Leopard Academy. Their strength is average, so you can win as long as you play normally. In the second round, we will get a bye, which means if you win this match, you can directly advance to the quarter-finals."
The fifteen advancing teams from Star Luo Empire were not strong, most of them weaker than the Four Elemental Academies, so Heart of Fire Academy had no pressure to win.
Most of the teams that would eventually advance to the top sixteen and top eight should be Spirit Master teams from Heaven Dou Empire.
From the high vantage point of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the entire Douhun Arena could be overlooked.
Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong's gaze fell upon the teams of Heart of Fire Academy and Heaven Dou Royal Academy, wondering what she was thinking.
"Heart of Fire Academy's roster: Teacher Xin, Xin, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Meng Yiran, Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, Bell, Ye Lingling. Only seven members, no substitutes. Every member has shown excellent performance in the preliminaries and advancement rounds. Ning Rongrong's 'Iron Body' is impenetrable. Xiao Wu's Two-Form Boxing uses leverage to become stronger against stronger opponents. Dugu Yan's potent poison is even more terrifying..."
Platinum Bishop Salas respectfully reported the situation of the Heart of Fire Team to Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong from behind her.
"Indeed, an extraordinary teacher. Her mere presence is ethereal. No wonder Yue Guan and Gui Mei suffered losses at his hands."
"However, their spirit power is still a bit weak."
"Your Holiness must not be careless. The techniques learned by these Heart of Fire Academy students are all unpredictable and unheard of."
"Enough. This Supreme Pontiff will observe their performance from now on."
Bibi Dong said indifferently. Seeing Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang emerge from the corner shortly after, another beautiful woman walked out from where he had left. The beautiful woman looked a bit disheveled, her hair messy, as if she had been tormented by something. The hand holding the Supreme Pontiff's scepter immediately tightened, and her face darkened:
Good heavens, Yu Xiaogang, is this what you call 'once loved'? To have the mind to do such a thing at a critical moment in the competition!
Hmph! Disgusting!
When Yu Xiaogang returned to the Heaven Dou seating area, a cold voice transmitted to him:
"Who is she? Your new lover?"
Yu Xiaogang said in a deep voice: "Like you, an old acquaintance with whom I once had feelings, but she is no longer the same as before."
"Is that so?"
...