Facing Xue Ye's inquiry, Ning Fengzhi smiled with feigned composure to hide his inner embarrassment.
He originally favored Shrek Team the most, thinking that with the genius youth Tang San, Shrek Team could go much farther.
Reaching the Soul Ancestor level at fourteen was indeed rare, with unlimited potential.
However, upon seeing the martial souls and soul rings of Shui Bing'er and her teammates, Ning Fengzhi felt as if something had struck his heart, bringing shock along with a twinge of pain.
Fortunately, he hadn't told Xue Ye yesterday that he favored Shrek Team the most, or he would have been slapped in the face right now.
"Your Majesty, I said before that the final championship of this Soul Master Tournament belongs to the empire."
Xue Ye was even happier.
"Sect Master Ning, it turns out you already knew the strength of Skywater Academy Team. This is the fourth Soul Master Tournament, and our Heaven Dou Empire has never had participating contestants at the Soul King level. Moreover, Skywater Team has solid overall strength, with almost all members being Soul Masters at the Soul Ancestor level and above. Good! Absolutely wonderful!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Let us enjoy the match."
"Mm, there are still two rounds of matches ahead, and perhaps even more outstanding young soul masters will emerge."
Ning Fengzhi nodded and smiled, offering no further response.
Sitting on the other side of Xue Ye, Platinum Archbishop Salas wore an unsightly expression.
He simply couldn't believe that Skywater Academy Team possessed such strength.
One Battle Soul King, five Battle Soul Ancestors, and one Battle Soul Elder, all sharing the same elemental attribute—entering the Finals with such a lineup was enough to secure a top-three finish.
However, this lineup was still not enough to threaten the luxurious lineup of Spirit Hall Academy Team, which featured three Battle Soul Kings and four Battle Soul Ancestors above level 45.
Hmph! The championship must belong to Spirit Hall Academy!
On the other side.
Tang San and the people from Shrek were all dumbfounded when they saw the martial souls and soul rings of Shui Bing'er and Skywater Team.
Oscar dropped his jaw in shock.
"What is going on?! She actually reached the Soul King level!"
"Yeah! And there are five Battle Soul Ancestors in the team."
Ma Hongjun rubbed his eyes for a careful confirmation.
"What's up with these Skywater Beauties? Isn't this a bit outrageous?"
Dai Mubai glanced at the silent Tang San beside him and said softly:
"Xiao San, it seems your intuition was right. The strength of Skywater Academy Team really shouldn't be underestimated."
Tang San nodded slightly and looked toward Xiao Han, who was watching the match.
"What's even scarier is that the strongest person in their team hasn't even stepped into the arena yet."
"So, their team has at least two Battle Soul Kings?"
"That's right. Also, that support master hasn't fought yet either. With her support, Skywater Team's overall strength will become even more terrifying."
Ma Hongjun sighed.
"I didn't expect this year's Skywater Team to be so strong. It seems there is another stumbling block on our path to the championship."
Tang San's gaze suddenly turned sharp.
Facing an even stronger opponent, whatever was lost, confidence must not be.
"No team can stop us from winning the championship. Spirit Hall has three Battle Soul Kings and four Battle Soul Ancestors above level 45, and we fear no challenge, let alone Skywater Team with their single element."
Dai Mubai echoed:
"Xiao San is right. Before meeting them, we had no chance to understand Spirit Hall Academy Team, but we can figure out the situation of Skywater Academy Team by watching their matches. What does it matter if their ranks are higher? Overcoming the strong while being weak is the specialty of us Shrek Seven Devils. As long as we find their weaknesses and flaws, we can still defeat them."
"Big Brother Dai said it well!"
The Shrek Seven Devils were full of confidence, feeling capable again.
In an inconspicuous corner of the spectator stands.
Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brows and sighed in his heart:
Is the strength of this year's Skywater Academy Team really this formidable? That person hasn't even taken the stage yet. If we run into them, I'm afraid...
A minute had already passed, and on the central arena, Skywater Team had not taken the initiative to launch an attack.
Their opponents, Cangnan Academy Team, did not have a single member above Level Forty, and every one of them was shivering from the cold.
More likely, they were scared.
Suddenly, the lead teacher of Cangnan Academy raised a white flag and shouted loudly:
"Referee, our Cangnan Academy concedes!"
The audience burst into an uproar.
They originally wanted to watch a thrilling, crushing performance, but they didn't expect the opponents to surrender voluntarily before the battle even began.
Still, this was indeed a wise decision.
Facing such a powerful Skywater Team, it would be a miracle if Cangnan Academy didn't get beaten to a pulp.
Compared to yesterday's crushing defeat inflicted by Shrek Team upon Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team Two, the opponents' surrender without a fight under Skywater Team's intimidation was even more impressive.
Xiao Han stood beside Lin Zhiruo and smiled.
"Mom, wasn't I right? That way, teams lacking strong strength will obediently surrender like Cangnan Academy when they see us. I'm afraid there aren't many teams that would dare to go head-to-head with us."
"Stop acting so smug. Do you know why I didn't send you out?"
"I guess it's because you were afraid I'd be too dazzling and attract Dugu Bo's attention."
"Hmph, as long as you know."
Xiao Han smiled dismissively.
"Mom, you can't keep a paper wall from burning. Even if I don't make a move in the Preliminary Round, I'll still debut in the Advancement Round and the Finals. He'll find out about my strength sooner or later. Besides, how would he know this is related to absorbing an Immortal Herb? He doesn't understand Immortal Herbs at all."
"What you say makes some sense, but it's still best to be cautious."
"Mom, since you're so worried, I might as well find a helper."
"What helper? Are you referring to the Crown Prince?"
"Mm. He is my only connection in Heaven Dou City."
Xiao Han knew that although Dugu Bo didn't recognize those Immortal Herbs, Tang San did.
However, those Immortal Herbs had already been absorbed into their bodies, and without Yue Guan's level of spiritual power, Tang San couldn't sense them.
With Skywater Team possessing such formidable overall strength, it was bound to arouse Tang San's suspicion.
Tang San was a petty person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals; he might very well share his suspicions with Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo was vicious and merciless—even without solid evidence, he would kill.
To be safe, he still needed to visit Qian Renxue and ask her to send people to protect them in secret.
After the match, Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wushuang found Xiao Han.
Feng Xiaotian sighed and said:
"Your Skywater Team is simply too strong, and today two Battle Soul Kings didn't even take the stage. It looks like Blazing Fire Academy and us have no choice but to concede."
Xiao Han smiled.
"Two brothers, you flatter us."
Huo Wushuang said:
"Since you're this strong, go win the championship and let them witness the strength of our Element Academies."
"Alright. With the support of our brother academies, we will definitely secure the final victory."
Divine Wind and Blazing Fire voluntarily forfeited, leaving among the remaining powerful teams probably only Thunder and Shrek Academy daring to challenge Skywater Academy.
Before you continue