"The final winner of this All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the team advancing to the Top Eight is—Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!!"
"Shrek Academy—Eliminated! Stopped at the top sixteen!"
As the referee's high-pitched and passionate announcement fell, even slightly cracking due to excessive excitement, the atmosphere of the entire Star Luo Plaza was pushed to its absolute climax.
At this very moment, a figure rushed out from the Waiting Area of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy like an arrow leaving a bow.
It was Jing Hongchen.
This Dean, who usually maintained a dignified air, had now completely abandoned all restraint and poise.
His slightly round body actually erupted with astonishing speed at this moment, stumbling onto the stage just like that.
"We won... we really won! Hahahaha!"
Jing Hongchen rushed to the center of the stage, looking at these young faces before him, his old face flushed with excitement, and his gray beard trembling violently.
He first hugged Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, who were closest to him. Before his two grandchildren could react, he let go and rushed straight toward Liu Yuan, who was standing at the very front.
"Good boy! Well done! You are all well done!"
Jing Hongchen grabbed Liu Yuan's shoulders, and a hazy tearful light actually flickered in his eyes.
No one knew the weight of this victory better than him.
This was not just the outcome of a single match; this was the counterattack from a desperate situation after the Sun Moon Empire had been suppressed by the three original countries of the Douluo Continent and Shrek Academy in the Spirit Master world for thousands of years!
How many years had it been?
In every tournament, the Sun Moon Team came with the confidence to win the championship, only to return with the humiliation of being the runner-up.
That was a massive mountain weighing down on the heads of the entire Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool world, a nightmare they couldn't shake off.
And today, this mountain was forcefully shattered by the iron fists of the young man before him!
"Dean, please take it easy, you're about to crush my bones." Liu Yuan looked at the incoherently excited Jing Hongchen and smiled helplessly.
"Crushed? Where is it crushed? Let me see!" Jing Hongchen was startled and quickly let go, only to realize Liu Yuan was joking, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hahaha! Good! Good! After we return, I will reward you handsomely! Whatever you want, I will give you! Even if you want the stars in the sky, I'll fly up in ninth-rank soul tools to pluck them for you!"
Led by Jing Hongchen, the members of the Sun Moon Team enjoyed the glory belonging to the victors. With heads held high, they slowly walked off the stage under the gaze of countless complex eyes.
...
The competition had to continue.
According to the process, there were still duels between other academies.
However, when the next group of competing teams—two high-Rank Spirit Master academy teams from the Star Luo Empire—walked onto the stage, they encountered an unprecedentedly cold reception.
Normally, a duel between Spirit Kings would be enough to ignite the audience's passion.
But now?
Watching the two Spirit Kings on stage summon their Spirits and release brilliant Spirit Abilitys back and forth, the hundreds of thousands of spectators below were all lacking interest, and some even couldn't help but yawn.
"What kind of fighting is this? It's so weak, like they haven't eaten."
"Exactly, compared to the match just now, this is like children playing house."
"Sigh, after seeing the scene of Liu Yuan shattering an eighth-rank soul tool with one punch, watching these matches between ordinary Spirit Masters is simply tasteless and boring!"
The audience's threshold had been completely raised by the earth-shattering battle just now.
The clashing Spirit Abilitys that used to amaze them were now, in their eyes, nothing more than meaningless light and shadow effects.
Nobody cares who wins or loses this match..
In the stands, people were in groups of three or five, spitting and discussing the details of just now:
"Did you see that punch clearly? It was too terrifying! That was an eighth-rank soul tool!"
"What kind of monster is Liu Yuan? The Sun Moon Empire is really going to rise!"
"Shrek really lost face this time; being eliminated in the top sixteen is definitely the biggest news in ten thousand years!"
Compared to the audience's discussion, the media reporters who were supposed to stay at their posts reacted even more directly and crazily.
They didn't even glance at the match on stage. Without even waiting for today's schedule to fully end, they were like a pack of sharks smelling blood, clutching their notebooks and Image-recording soul tools, rushing madly toward the exit of Star Luo Plaza.
"Quick! Go back and write the draft!"
"Headline! Absolute headline! 'The Collapse of the Shrek Dynasty!'"
"I also need to think of a sensational title—'Hand of God! Sun Moon Team's Liu Yuan Decides the Outcome with One Punch!'"
"Tell the layout department to pull all the original pages! Even if it's Your Majesty the Emperor's speech, push it back a bit! Today, there can only be one protagonist on the entire page, and that is Liu Yuan!"
For a moment, major newspapers and news agencies were in a mess.
Everyone knew that whoever could send out this news first would hold the traffic code for at least the next month!
...
At the same time.
The Scouts planted in Star Luo City by various major forces also took action immediately.
Countless carrier pigeons took to the sky, and countless lights from transmission spirit tools pierced through the air, carrying this news enough to cause an earthquake across the entire continent to all directions.
Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
Deep in the Imperial Palace, inside the Imperial Study.
The Sun Moon Emperor was pacing back and forth in the vast hall with his hands behind his back.
Although he was the ruler of a country and had long developed the poise of remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, today, his heart could not settle down no matter what.
Because today was a crucial battle of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament—the Sun Moon Team against the Shrek Team.
"Calculating the time, the results should be out by now..."
The Emperor stopped his steps, looking deeply toward the direction of Star Luo City, his brows furrowed.
"Shrek has a deep foundation after all, and their Spirit Master Ranks are too high... Even if we won the Round-robin Tournament last time, who will win the team battle is still unknown..."
Just then.
"Report—!!!"
A hurried and sharp announcement broke the silence of the Imperial Study.
A Messenger wearing Royal Guard armor, tightly clutching an urgent secret report, scrambled into the hall. He even nearly tripped over the threshold because he was running too fast.
"Your Majesty! Great news! Wonderful news!"
The Messenger knelt on the ground, holding the secret report high with both hands, his voice hoarse from excessive excitement.
The Sun Moon Emperor's heart skipped a beat. Disregarding his imperial dignity, he stepped forward quickly, snatched the secret report, and his hands actually trembled slightly.
He quickly unfolded the letter, his eyes like lightning, swiftly scanning the content.
First line: "The Sun Moon Team won a great victory against the Shrek Team in the Individual Elimination Match!"
Second line: "Shrek Team captain Ma Xiaotao is injured, the eighth-rank soul tool is shattered, the entire team has lost their Battle Intent and voluntarily surrendered!"
Third line: "Shrek Team stopped at the top sixteen! Our Sun Moon Empire wins!"
"Good! Good! Good!!!"
The moment he finished reading the last word, this Your Majesty the Emperor, who ruled the strongest Empire on the continent, actually jumped up from the ground like a child who had received a favorite toy!
He really jumped up!
"We won! I won! The Sun Moon Empire won!"
"Hahaha! Shrek! You also have this day! The so-called ten-thousand-year glory, the so-called invincibility, today is all stepped under my feet!"
The Emperor laughed wildly, his laughter shaking the entire hall, sweeping away the pent-up frustration accumulated in his heart for many years.
This was not just a victory in an academy competition; it represented the national fortune of the Sun Moon Empire and that spirit tool technology had finally defeated traditional Spirits!
After calming his excited mood slightly, the Emperor immediately looked at the Messenger and asked urgently:
"Quick! Tell me in detail! How exactly did we win?"
The Messenger quickly kowtowed and said in a reverent tone:
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this battle was all thanks to Captain Liu Yuan!"
"Liu Yuan?" The Emperor's eyes lit up. "Him again?"
"Exactly!" The Messenger swallowed and described vividly, "According to reports from the Scouts, Captain Liu Yuan, on the stage, relied on his own strength to perform a single-point demolition and defeated the Shrek Team's captain, Ma Xiaotao!"
"Moreover, after defeating Ma Xiaotao, he was basically still at full health."
"Therefore, the rest of the Shrek Team saw no hope of winning, and that's why they surrendered."
Listening to the Messenger's description, the Sun Moon Emperor's breathing became rapid again.
"So that's how it is..."
The Emperor walked back and forth in the Imperial Study, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"To have Liu Yuan is truly a blessing for my Sun Moon Empire!"
"My previous thoughts were correct; we must keep him! He is the future hope of my Sun Moon Empire!"
The Emperor stopped abruptly and muttered to himself, "However, what can I do to do even better..."
He began to think continuously.
Finally, a flash of decisiveness and ruthlessness crossed the Sun Moon Emperor's eyes, which then turned into deep desire.
"Pass my decree!"
"Draft the edict!"
"On the day Liu Yuan returns in triumph, I will personally go ten miles out of the city to welcome him!"
"At the same time, announce Liu Yuan's leading the team to victory over the Shrek Team to the entire country! Let all the citizens know that Liu Yuan is the young hero of my Sun Moon Empire!"
...
On the other side, while the Sun Moon Empire was celebrating nationwide and Your Majesty the Emperor was preparing to lavish rewards.
Douluo Continent, Shrek City.
At this time, Shrek Academy was still bathed in the afternoon sunlight, peaceful and serene.
The Sea God Lake sparkled, the Outer Court students were sweating on the training grounds, and the Inner Court Disciples were also Cultivating step by step.
Everything looked so beautiful.
However, at this moment, a piece of news reached Shrek's Communications Department...
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