The Ill-Mannered Zhang San

Three days later, the Grand Finals the Continental Elite Tournament for Advanced Soul Master Academies officially began!

Before dawn, team leader Qin Ming gathered all the members of the Shrek Academy Team together.

The group sat together, with Qin Ming standing at the front, holding the Grand Finals schedule he had just received from the Spirit Hall, his expression solemn.

"The Grand Finals consist of only five rounds, which is shorter than the Qualifying Tournament and Promotion Rounds. However, because the competition is fierce, there will be a one-day rest and adjustment period between each round. Before the final fifth round, there will be a three-day adjustment period."

Qin Ming's voice was deep and clear as his gaze swept across the faces of each team member.

He paused, then continued, "We have to take it one step at a time. Let's start with the first round. In the first round, the three seeded teams will receive a bye, and the remaining thirty teams will compete for fifteen qualifying spots. The losers will be eliminated. In other words, half the teams will be eliminated in the first round, leaving no room for error."

Qin Ming's tone became more serious, his eyes filled with solemnity. "Therefore, we cannot be careless in the slightest, and we can no longer hold back. We must treat every Grand Finals, winning if we can and finishing as quickly as possible. We absolutely cannot give our opponents any chance."

Everyone nodded, their expressions turning serious.

Tang San leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking completely confident.

After breakfast, the contestants from various academies, dressed in their team uniforms, left the hotel in twos and threes and, guided by the staff of the Spirit Hall, headed towards the competition venue in the center of the city.

Along the streets, many early risers had already gathered to watch the battle, whispering amongst themselves as they scanned each passing team, wondering who would emerge victorious.

For the Grand Finals the Continental Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies, the Spirit Hall specially set aside a dedicated venue.

This site is located in the center of Spirit City, less than a kilometer away from the hill where the Pope's Palace is located.

The enormous arena is a hundred meters in diameter and is constructed entirely of solid granite.

Directly in front of the competition platform stands the majestic Pope's Palace.

The Spirit Hall has announced in its posted notice that Grand Finals final three finalists will compete in the square in front of the Pope's Palace.

The Pope will personally appear and crown the final champion.

The Pope personally presented the award, which is extremely rare in the history of the Spirit Hall.

Everyone is speculating about what kind of exciting showdown this year's Grand Finals will bring.

All participating academies arrived at the competition venue under the guidance of designated personnel from the Spirit Hall.

Teams from each college entered the venue in their designated areas.

Upon arrival, before everyone could even settle in, Flender was called away to draw lots.

Tang San and the others stood in the designated area of Shrek, waiting for Flender's message.

Not long after, Flender returned from the drawing area.

He walked briskly, unable to suppress the smile on his face; his mouth was practically stretched to his ears.

Everyone could tell from his expression that the draw results must have been good.

Holding up the draw results, Flender's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement. "Our first opponent was Blazing Fire Academy, but Blazing Fire Academy forfeited! We advance directly from the first round, a victory without a fight!"

A commotion erupted among the crowd; some were delighted, while others remained skeptical.

Tang San understood perfectly. Just like in the original story, Huo Wu Blazing Fire and Divine Wind Feng Xiaotian, that pair of sworn enemies, would eventually come together.

Although Blazing Fire Academy is not weak overall, it really has little chance of winning against opponents of the level of Shrek and Spirit Hall.

Rather than being crushed in the arena, it's better to conserve strength, merge outstanding students into the Godwind Academy, and strive for a better ranking with a stronger lineup.

Qin Ming took the draw results from Flender, glanced at them, nodded, and then turned to everyone, explaining, "The bye in the second round has been awarded to the academy that won first place in the Promotion Rounds of each of the two empires' regions. The first place in the Promotion Rounds of the Heaven Dou Empire region is our Shrek Academy. Therefore, it's equivalent to us getting byes in both the first and second rounds, and directly advancing to the third round."

Qin Ming paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, a smile curving his lips, "The reason Dean Flender was so happy just now is precisely because of this. Two byes mean we can rest for four more days, observe the other opponents' matches, conserve our energy, and wait for the opportune moment."

Tang San's heart stirred slightly. Two byes were indeed a huge advantage.

But Shrek did not choose to return to the hotel to rest. Flender and Qin Ming discussed it and decided to stay in the stands to watch the other academies' matches.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Although Shrek is already strong enough, watching more matches and learning more about the opponents' tactics and strengths can never hurt.

The group walked up the steps to the audience seats and took their assigned seats.

Tang San sat in the middle, with Dugu Yan on his left and Xiao Wu on his right. Ye Lingling sat next to Xiao Wu.

Shortly after the Shrek team took their seats, a commotion arose on the other side of the audience.

A group of people dressed in dark blue and gold team uniforms walked out of the passage.

Their steps were unhurried, and each of them carried an innate confidence and pride on their face.

The three people at the very front are the core of the Spirit Hall Academy Team: Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan.

Behind them followed a relatively short boy, Zhang San.

The Spirit Hall Academy also came to the stands, and whether it was intentional or not, the staff arranged for them to sit not far from the Shrek Academy.

The two stands are separated only by a narrow aisle.

Yan was the first to notice the direction of the Shrek Academy.

His gaze swept over Tang San, a disdainful smile curving his lips. He said nothing, only letting out a cold snort.

Zhang San sat down next to Hu Liena, his gaze sweeping indifferently in the direction of the Shrek Academy.

His gaze lingered on Tang San for a moment, carrying a scrutinizing and indifferent tone.

Then, Zhang San shifted his gaze from Tang San to Xiao Wu, who was standing next to Tang San.

Xiao Wu's rabbit ears twitched on her head, and her eyes were bright and lively.

Her profile was exquisitely beautiful, with a faint smile on her lips, as she whispered something to Ye Lingling.

Zhang San's expression changed instantly.

His pupils contracted slightly, and his lips parted slightly. His gaze was fixed on Xiao Wu as if drawn by a magnet, not wavering for even a moment.

Zhang San felt a strong sense of familiarity with Xiao Wu, a feeling that was hard to describe, like a face he had seen countless times in his dreams.

Xiao Wu also noticed that gaze.

That gaze was so intense, it was impossible to ignore it.

She turned her head and followed that gaze, meeting Zhang San's complex eyes.

Xiao Wu frowned, her eyes filled with discomfort and disgust.

This unfamiliar young man was staring at me with an almost rude look. What was he doing? Didn't he see I was holding Third Brother's hand?

How rude!

Xiao Wu glared fiercely at Zhang San, her eyes filled with warning and dissatisfaction.

Then she leaned closer to Tang San, tightened her grip on Tang San arm, and buried her face in the crook of Tang San shoulder.