After the grand Heaven Dou banquet and several days of rest, the Pan-continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament entered its next phase—the Advancement Battle.
The atmosphere in Heaven Dou City was solemn this day. All fifteen qualified teams and relevant important figures gathered at the vast square before the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace. Banners fluttered across the square, armored guards stood in orderly rows, creating a dignified and majestic ambiance.
Emperor Xue Ye personally attended, standing atop the high white jade steps dressed in imperial robes that commanded authority without anger. Beside him stood Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School Leader Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, Spirit Hall Platinum Bishop Salas, and other imperial elites and prominent figures from the Soul Master Realm. Below them, young soul masters from the fifteen teams stood in neat formation, all spirited with eyes filled with anticipation and fighting spirit.
Marco didn't position himself conspicuously with the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy second team, instead standing casually among the crowd. Remarkably, he was surrounded by familiar members from Heaven Water Academy, Divine Wind Academy, and Blazing Academy. Shui Yue'er chirped happily like a little sparrow beside Marco, whispering something to him, while Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu stood slightly behind with calm expressions. Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu, and others were also nearby. After their interactions during the banquet, the core members of these teams had developed a subtle familiarity. Though Marco spoke little, his mere presence naturally made him the center of this small circle.
Emperor Xue Ye's gaze swept across the young, vibrant faces below, a gratified smile appearing on his dignified face. He cleared his throat, his resonant voice amplified by Soul Power to echo clearly across the entire square:
"Young talents, elites of the various academies! We are greatly pleased!"
The square fell completely silent as everyone listened attentively.
"The Heaven Dou division preliminary matches have concluded successfully. You fifteen teams, having emerged victorious through fierce battles, are all future pillars of the empire's Soul Master Realm! Today, we hereby declare the Pan-continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament Advancement Battle officially open!"
Thunderous applause erupted. When the applause subsided, Emperor Xue Ye continued: "The Advancement Battle differs from the public arena duels of the preliminary matches. To ensure tactical secrecy for each academy, protect the safety of you talented soul masters, and avoid prematurely revealing your full strength to the world, it has been jointly decided by the empire and Spirit Hall that this year's Advancement Battle will be relocated to—the Heavenly Dou Royal Hunting Grounds!"
"The Heavenly Dou Royal Hunting Grounds?" Murmurs rose from below. The Heavenly Dou Royal Hunting Grounds was an exclusive royal area for hunting and military exercises, located in the suburbs of Heaven Dou City, covering vast terrain with rolling hills and dense forests where ordinary people were strictly forbidden entry.
Emperor Xue Ye explained: "The Royal Hunting Grounds have been meticulously modified with multiple combat platforms specially constructed for the Advancement Battle, each with different environments to better simulate actual combat and test your adaptability and combat capabilities across various terrains. Furthermore, during the Advancement Battle period, the hunting grounds will be completely sealed off. Except for participating teams, judges, and essential staff, no external visitors will be permitted entry to observe the matches!"
Upon hearing these words, the reactions among the audience varied. Some team members breathed a sigh of relief, as they wouldn't have to reveal all their trump cards under the watchful eyes of the crowd; others felt slightly disappointed, as the absence of cheers from the audience seemed to diminish the excitement. However, most understood the deeper meaning behind this arrangement—the ranking in the advancement round directly influenced the schedule advantages in the finals, making it especially crucial to conceal one's strength and conduct targeted research on opponents.
Emperor Xue Ye's voice rang out once more: "Remember well the rules of the advancement round!"
Everyone perked up, straining their ears to listen.
"First, the advancement round will involve fifteen teams. Aside from the five teams from your Heaven Dou City division, the remaining ten are the top academies selected from the four great kingdoms and one duchy under the empire!" Emperor Xue Ye's gaze swept over the Soul Masters in the crowd wearing different styles of team uniforms. They hailed from places like the Barak Kingdom and the Silvers Kingdom, and their presence here undoubtedly marked them as the elite of their respective kingdoms. Naturally, this also included the second team dispatched by the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy.
"Second, the advancement round will adopt a single round-robin format. Each team must compete once against the other fourteen teams. In each match, both sides will send seven members to participate in an individual arena competition format. The winner remains on the stage, while the loser steps down and is replaced by another teammate. This continues until all seven members of one side are defeated! Ultimately, the rankings from first to fifteenth will be determined based on the total number of victories!Individual Arena Competition! The eyes of many Soul Masters skilled in one-on-one combat lit up. This format better showcased individual absolute strength, with relatively lower demands for team coordination, making it highly advantageous for teams with super-talented members.
"Third, and this is of utmost importance!" Emperor Xue Ye's tone grew heavier. "The advancement round itself does not eliminate any teams. All fifteen teams will ultimately qualify to proceed to Spirit City for the finals!"
This was already common knowledge and came as no surprise to anyone.
"However!" Emperor Xue Ye scanned the crowd, his voice steady and forceful. "The final ranking in the advancement round will directly impact the schedule of the finals! The higher the ranking, the greater the advantages enjoyed in the finals! According to convention, higher-ranked teams will receive byes in the early stages of the finals, allowing them to avoid facing strong opponents too soon and conserving their strength! Specific rules regarding byes will be announced uniformly by the tournament committee upon arrival in Spirit City!"
A buzz of discussion immediately erupted below. Byes! This meant better rest periods, later exposure of tactics, and even the opportunity to directly observe the strength of potential opponents! The importance of ranking was self-evident! Every victory, every rank, could determine how far one ultimately progressed!
Emperor Xue Ye looked upon the suddenly intense and solemn gazes below and nodded with satisfaction. "Therefore, I hope you will cherish every match, give your all, and strive for the best ranking—not only for personal and academy glory but also to secure a more favorable position for our Heaven Dou Empire in the finals!"
"We heed Your Majesty's guidance!" the members of all fifteen teams responded in unison, their voices resounding to the skies. The flames of fighting spirit burned in everyone's eyes.
Emperor Xue Ye nodded slightly and waved his hand grandly. "Excellent! Now, all team leaders step forward to receive your advancement round credentials and hunting ground access tokens! Subsequently, the Royal Guards will escort you to the Heavenly Dou Royal Hunting Ground!"
Deans and teachers from various academies stepped forward one after another. Below the platform, team members began murmuring among themselves.
Feng Xiaotian stroked his chin and grinned at Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and Marco beside him. "Individual Arena Competition?" This competition format is quite intriguing. Brother Marco, it seems you'll be 'working hard'." His tone carried playful teasing, as everyone knew that in such a format, someone with Marco's exceptional individual combat prowess would essentially be a devastating weapon.
Huo Wushuang spoke gravely, "We mustn't be careless. The teams sent by the kingdoms might very well have masters among them." His gaze swept over the teams from the various kingdom academies, filled with scrutiny.
Huo Wu looked at Marco, her beautiful eyes flashing with fighting spirit. "Hmph, the arena competition is even better!" This gives us a perfect chance to compete one-on-one!" She clearly still harbored some resentment toward Marco's indifferent attitude during the banquet.
Shui Bing'er's voice remained cool and detached. "With the format changed, our tactics need adjustment as well. We must proceed with caution." She prioritized practicality.
Shui Yue'er tugged excitedly at her sister's arm. "Sister, arena competition!" We might get to watch Marco single-handedly defeat all seven opponents from the other team! That would be so dashing!"
Listening to their discussions, Marco remained composed. The individual arena competition was indeed more straightforward for him. He didn't need to consider team coordination, could display his power more directly, and it was more convenient for... observation. His gaze swept casually across the venue, lingering momentarily on the Shrek Academy contingent, where Tang San's steady figure caught his eye, along with several students from the kingdom academies whose auras seemed deliberately concealed. This advancement round might reveal some interesting developments.
Soon, the credentials and tokens were distributed. Under the strict escort and guidance of the Royal Guards, the fifteen teams, comprising over a hundred members in total, departed Heaven Dou City in a grand procession, heading toward the royal hunting grounds in the suburbs.
A ranking battle without spectators—yet more brutal, more demanding of individual strength and willpower—was about to quietly commence within that royal forbidden ground. And Marco, the most dazzling genius of the Heaven Dou division, what astonishing dominance would he display in this advancement round? Everyone awaited with anticipation.