The Tournament Begins!

The Tournament Begins!

After Ye Qingchen stepped out of the command room and casually put on his mask, he ran into a pair of siblings. The boy was under fifteen, with bright blue eyes and a tall, straight figure. Beside him stood a girl about his age, with delicate features.

The siblings noticed Ye Qingchen as well. Seeing that he had emerged from the Shrek Academy team's room, the boy's expression immediately turned puzzled.

Ye Qingchen found the two familiar-looking but could not recall their names, so he ignored them and headed straight for his own room.

But just as Ye Qingchen passed by them, Xiao Hongchen stepped sideways and blocked his path.

"Are you from Shrek Academy's team?" Xiao Hongchen asked.

"So what?" Ye Qingchen gave him a sidelong glance.

"Heh-heh, Shrek really is arrogant. You actually sent only a reserve team to compete. Are you looking down on the teams from the other academies?" Xiao Hongchen mocked.

"Whether we look down on you or not is our business. What does it have to do with you?" Ye Qingchen said as he tried to walk between the two siblings.

Just as Ye Qingchen was about to leave, Xiao Hongchen blocked him again.

"Get out of my way. I don't want to fight here." Ye Qingchen raised his head and said helplessly.

Xiao Hongchen ignored him and studied him carefully instead. "It seemed like I didn't see you when Shrek Academy's team came to register today."

"What are you trying to say?" Ye Qingchen's face darkened. Clearly, he had no interest in dealing with the two of them.

"Shrek Academy sends a seven-man team every year, known as the Shrek Seven Monsters. But this time, only three of your official team members came. So I'm guessing... did something happen to Shrek Academy's official team members on the way here?" Xiao Hongchen analyzed.

Ye Qingchen smiled disdainfully. "We just dealt with a few Evil Soul Masters. The three of us are more than enough to handle you. The others went back after finishing their business, and I'm a substitute."

Xiao Hongchen's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. "How arrogant. Do you think three official members and a few reserves can defeat us?"

Ye Qingchen said coldly, "Then how about we make a bet?"

"Bet on what?" Xiao Hongchen asked, staring at the masked Ye Qingchen.

"Whether your Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy wins the championship of this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, or whether our Shrek Academy does."

Hearing that, Xiao Hongchen smiled faintly. "And what's the stake?"

"A hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone." Ye Qingchen looked utterly confident.

Xiao Hongchen first looked disdainful, then his face abruptly changed as he exclaimed in surprise, "A hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone?"

"That's right. Just tell me whether you dare or not." Ye Qingchen said scornfully.

Xiao Hongchen did not answer Ye Qingchen's question. Instead, he asked, "It seems you're very confident in Shrek Academy's lineup?"

"Of course. Because we are Shrek." Ye Qingchen replied confidently.

"Hehe, even without you saying it, I can tell that you have complete confidence in Shrek Academy's team. But coincidentally, I have great confidence in our team as well. As for the wager, I'm willing to bet something of equal value against you."

After hearing Xiao Hongchen's words, Meng Hongchen, who had been standing to the side, finally could not sit still any longer and spoke up to stop him. "Brother, don't bet with him! Don't fall for his trick!"

Ye Qingchen smiled slightly. "What a cautious little girl. Then it's settled. As for your stake, we can discuss it after the tournament ends. I'm leaving. Remember my name: Ye Qingchen. Perhaps the continent will be thrown into turmoil because of it."

After Ye Qingchen left, Xiao Hongchen muttered, "Ye Qingchen... I'll remember that name. We'll see."

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone upon Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire exuded an air of solemnity.

Every street surrounding Star Luo Square had been sealed off by neatly armored soldiers. In particular, over a thousand soldiers were stationed around the Star Emperor Hotel. The streets leading from there to Star Luo Square were under complete martial control, and only competitors from the various academies leaving the Star Emperor Hotel were allowed through.

The tournament stage for this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament was not built in the center of Star Luo Square, but before the main gates of the imperial city. From atop the imperial city walls, His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire and his civil and military officials could watch the matches directly.

The entire stage measured one hundred meters in both length and width, and stood five meters high. One hundred and eight metal pillars stood around its perimeter.

Once the matches began, one hundred and eight Soul Masters would maintain the stage's defenses. These metal pillars would release a protective barrier to prevent any Soul Skills from spilling outside, avoiding damage to the imperial city or harm to innocent bystanders.

The imperial city stood to the north, facing south. A luxurious rest area had also been built on the western side of the stage, specifically for the competitors from the various academies.

Ever since the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament adopted its current format, aside from the final stage, the most thrilling part had actually been the first round of the Knockout Tournament. Its excitement—and even brutality—far surpassed the Round-Robin Tournament that followed.

The Round-Robin Tournament still allowed for tactical arrangements, even tactical losses. But this first round was a direct Knockout Tournament. Lose, and you had to leave. Every participating academy had to overcome this hurdle.

Early in the morning, the leading teachers from each academy had already arrived at the imperial city to draw lots using the competition number plates they had received during registration.

By now, the Drawing Ceremony had concluded. Officials from the Star Luo Empire would tally the results, and once the match order was announced, the final preparations before the tournament would be complete.

The sun gradually rose into the sky from the eastern horizon. Warmth spread through Star Luo City, located in the center of the continent, and the competitors from the various academies began entering the venue.

Today, everyone from Shrek Academy wore their traditional dark green uniforms, Shrek Academy's standard color. Their position was also at the very front of all the academies, and not a single academy objected to it.

Dark green clothes... I really can't appreciate this sense of style. Though Ye Qingchen's face remained expressionless, he had cursed it in his heart countless times.

The competitors from the academies standing behind them could not help revealing astonished expressions as they looked at Shrek Academy's lineup. It was one thing that only eleven people had come, but among those eleven, most looked far younger than twenty. There was no need to assess their bone age to see their youth. Only the three people at the front, along with the masked Ye Qingchen, appeared close enough to the required age.

For most academies, they were secretly praying that they would not encounter a powerhouse like Shrek Academy or the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy in the first round. Otherwise, it would practically mean they had already been eliminated.

The competitors from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy stood behind Shrek Academy. This also made it easier for them to observe the Shrek Academy students ahead.

The youngest members of Shrek Academy were Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao. Huo Yuhao was somewhat better off, looking like a boy of fourteen or fifteen. But Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao still had traces of childishness on their faces.

Even the always-proud Xiao Hongchen was filled with doubts. What exactly was Shrek Academy trying to do by sending such a lineup? And that Ye Qingchen I met yesterday... was he really just trying to scare me?

It took nearly half an hour for the spectators to finish entering the venue; there were simply too many people. The once-spacious Star Luo Square was now packed to the brim.

"Silence!" A booming voice suddenly rang out across the entire venue.

At this voice, all the soldiers snapped to attention and raised their spears high. A chilling, murderous aura instantly swept across the grounds, and the previously noisy Star Luo Square fell silent.

"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived."

"Whoosh..." Great swathes of the crowd immediately fell to their knees. Hundreds of thousands of people performing the same orderly motion at once created a truly spectacular sight.

"My subjects, rise." The Star Luo Empire Emperor's voice was amplified by a Soul Tool and carried outward.

Only then did the citizens rise one after another, while the students from the competing academies straightened their backs. Everyone's gaze turned toward the top of the imperial city wall directly ahead.

The Star Luo Emperor stepped to the forefront of the wall with his Empress and the civil and military officials. His gaze swept over his subjects, gentle yet dignified.

"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is the most important event in the soul master world of Douluo Continent. This year, it is our Star Luo Empire's turn to host it, and I am greatly pleased. On behalf of the Star Luo Empire, I welcome the delegations from the various academies who have come from afar, led by Shrek Academy. I hope that in the coming month of competition, you will display the bearing expected of you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The leaders and students of the 133 academies bowed once more in unison. The Star Luo Emperor smiled and nodded in their direction.

"Very well. I hereby declare that the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament has officially begun." With the Star Luo Emperor's loud proclamation, the curtain on this grand event was finally raised.