Time flowed by, and a week quietly passed.
For several days, the entire Star Luo City had been completely enveloped in a warm and grand atmosphere.
In the streets and alleys, colorful banners could be seen fluttering in the wind everywhere.
Every banner was clearly inscribed with the exclusive emblems of top Spirit Master academies and Sects from across the continent.
The banners snapped in the breeze, silently displaying the style of various major powers, giving this imperial capital a sense of solemnity for the approaching grand event.
Today was the day of the long-awaited opening ceremony of the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Combat Competition.
Star Luo Plaza, located at the very center of Star Luo City, was already packed to the brim with crowds surging in from all directions.
From the early morning, countless Spirit Masters, ordinary citizens, and merchants and dignitaries from all over had been continuously gathering here.
On the incredibly vast plaza, heads bobbed and shoulders rubbed; the clamor of voices and cheers intertwined, reaching straight into the clouds.
Although there were many people, under the control of the Star Luo Empire's Imperial Guard maintaining order on-site, it was quite orderly.
The viewing platforms and stands around the plaza were completely filled, and everyone's face was brimming with anticipation and excitement.
Their gazes were tightly locked onto the competition area in the center of the plaza, for fear of missing even a single brilliant moment of this top-tier youth Spirit Master event on the continent.
The process of this opening ceremony still followed the conventions of previous years.
The first part to take place was the entrance ceremony for each competing team in turn.
Teams of young Spirit Masters, dressed in uniform team outfits and full of spirit, marched in unison from the plaza entrance into the arena.
They stood tall with sharp gazes, fully displaying the vitality and edge of the younger generation of Spirit Masters.
The host standing on the high platform had a loud and passionate voice, introducing the origins, past achievements, and core members of each competing team one by one.
Every time a powerful team was mentioned, it would draw waves of cheers and applause from the audience, continuously pushing the lively atmosphere to a climax.
After all the competing teams had entered and lined up, the atmosphere on-site suddenly became solemn.
Star Luo Empire's Emperor Xu Jiawei, dressed in magnificent imperial robes and wearing a flat-topped crown, slowly walked onto the high platform to deliver the opening speech on behalf of the Star Luo Empire.
His tone was steady and his words sincere; he first expressed his welcome to the arrival of the various Empires and Sect powers.
He then emphasized the significance of this Soul Master Combat Competition, encouraging all participating young Spirit Masters to go all out and show their style.
He hoped these young Spirit Masters would achieve a Breakthrough in the arena and demonstrate the strength of the new generation in the Spirit Master's world, finally wishing for the competition to reach a Perfection conclusion.
Following that, representatives from several top-tier first-rate Sects within the Star Luo Empire also took the stage to speak, each offering their blessings for the event, their words filled with expectations for the younger generation.
On the VIP seats at the very front of the plaza with the best view, top figures who held weight across the entire Douluo Continent were gathered.
Besides the Star Luo Empire's royal relatives, civil and military officials, and high-ranking military officers,
there were also high-level officials and important ministers from the Heavenly Soul Empire and Dou Ling Empire who had traveled from afar.
Although there was power maneuvering between the various Empires, they still maintained a surface level of peace and respect at this Spirit Master event.
Even more striking was that those top powerhouses and rulers of powers on the continent, who were famous but rarely appeared in public, were all present here now.
Shrek Academy's Spirit Department Dean Yan Shaozhe, Sun Moon Empire's Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen, the Clear Sky Sect's Second Elder, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Third Elder, the Tianlong Gate Sect Leader...
These big figures, who were usually elusive and only existed in street rumors and power records, were all gathered in the VIP seats at this moment.
As these people sat down casually, they brought with them a powerful aura that made everyone on-site feel awe and respect.
This was enough to see the weight of this All-Continent Elite Soul Master Combat Competition.
It was worth mentioning that the Star Luo Empire upheld an attitude of equal treatment in the reception of this event.
They did not treat the people from the Sun Moon Empire differently because of the usual power disputes.
Whether it was seat arrangements or etiquette reception, everything was handled fairly and appropriately.
In addition, Duke White Tiger, Dai Hao, also specifically set aside military affairs at the front line to rush back to Star Luo City from the border.
As a core figure in the Star Luo Empire's military, he was stationed at the border year-round to resist foreign enemies.
This return was for nothing else but to be present on-site and see the top young Spirit Masters from all over the continent with his own eyes.
To appreciate the style of these young juniors and witness the growth of the new generation in the Spirit Master's world.
Among all the participating teams, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team was particularly eye-catching; they were arranged in the center of the very front row of the plaza.
This position had always been the exclusive seat for the champion team of the previous competition.
In the crowd, Xu Tianhao stood quietly in place, his gaze indifferently scanning the lined-up teams, finally slowly coming to a stop on the Clear Sky Sect's representative team.
His gaze then locked onto a particularly conspicuous figure in the team.
It was a girl with a tall and upright figure and an exquisitely beautiful, stunning face.
The number of people in the Clear Sky Sect team that came to participate this time was very small, only seven in total, and they weren't even equipped with any backup substitute members.
Among these seven people, six were male Spirit Masters with robust builds and steady temperaments.
At a glance, that lone girl became the most dazzling presence in the Clear Sky Sect team.
Without even needing to think, this girl was definitely Tang Wutong.
However, the Tang Wutong before him was worlds apart from the appearance in the original work in Xu Tianhao's memory.
This huge contrast couldn't help but cause a bit of surprise to arise in his heart.
At this moment, Tang Wutong was standing tall at the very front of the Clear Sky Sect representative team, her expression calm and composed, her eyes bright and firm.
She exuded an innate pride and confidence all over, her entire body radiating the powerful aura of a favored daughter of heaven, her every move showing composure and grace.
This was a completely different person from the weeping image in the original work.
The current Tang Wutong, whether in temperament, demeanor, or the aura flowing around her, could be called top-tier.
Even when compared to Ye Guyi, Xu Tianzhen, Meng Hongchen, and Nana, she was still a cut above.
That confidence and edge belonging solely to the strong made it impossible to ignore her.
As if sensing the gaze Xu Tianhao had placed on her, Tang Wutong's gaze, which had been looking straight ahead, shifted slightly, and happened to meet Xu Tianhao's gaze in the air.
If it were anyone else, facing such a direct stare from Tang Wutong, they might have already flurriedly looked away.
But Xu Tianhao's expression was calm, without the slightest dodge, nor any extra small movements.
He just indifferently looked back at Tang Wutong from a distance, his gaze clear and steady, without a hint of frivolity or offense.
In all her years growing up, this was the first time Tang Wutong had encountered someone who dared to look back at her so calmly and without any avoidance.
A stubborn streak of refusal to lose immediately rose in her heart; her delicate brows arched slightly as she also stared straight at Xu Tianhao, her eyes carrying a bit of stubbornness and competition.
The gazes of the two silently confronted each other in the air, neither being the first to back down.
In the midst of this deadlocked eye contact, Xu Tianhao's eyes suddenly curved, and a genial smile slowly curled at the corners of his mouth.
That smile was clean and warm, without the slightest aggression, yet it carried a strange penetrative power that fell directly into the depths of Tang Wutong's eyes.
This sudden smile made Tang Wutong's heart skip a beat.
Her originally firm gaze instantly rippled, and a faint blush rose on her cheeks.
In the end, it was her Heart-Nature as a young girl; she couldn't hold out against such a calm gaze.
Tang Wutong was the first to turn her head away, withdrawing her gaze and quietly ending this silent contest.