Undercurrents Stirring
As the applause and cheers from the audience gradually subsided, Xue Ye returned to his throne in the center of the VIP section.
The emcee's voice rang out again. "Next, please welcome the Sect Leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to give a speech for the competition."
"A fine Jian Feng is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold."
As the strongest Support System Soul Master on the continent, and also the Sect Leader of one of the Upper Three Sects, he immediately recited a poem as soon as he stood up, allowing all the Soul Master present to witness his brilliance.
"The path of Soul Master's cultivation is never smooth sailing. Every Soul Master needs to undergo various trials and tribulations to grow stronger, but I believe—"
"You are all the elite of the elite, and you will surely become powerful Soul Master in the future!"
"We also hope that you can bring glory to the Heaven Dou Empire!"
Immediately, thunderous applause erupted.
But Tang San pursed his lips and said, "That statement isn't quite accurate for this occasion."
"What did you say?"
Xiao Wu was puzzled.
"A fine Jian Feng is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold." Tang San never expected that such an ancient poem existed in this world.
However, the trials and tribulations cannot be conducted in a manner similar to the "imperial examination" like this Continental Elite Tournament.
In order to stand out and acquire the corresponding skills, they deliberately seek out "hardships" to hone themselves, even enduring hardship when it's not necessary.
In Qing Ge's words:
That kind of person is insane!
"You're so artsy," Xiao Wu rolled her eyes.
At this moment, the emcee asked again, "There are a total of twenty-eight teams participating in the Heaven Dou City competition. Sect Master Ning, which team do you favor the most?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly and said, "Besides the Heaven Dou Royal Team, which can directly enter the Finals, I also have high hopes for two other teams among the twenty-eight teams this time."
Two?
The audience and the teams offstage speculated about which two teams Ning Fengzhi valued.
"Oh? Which two teams are you referring to?"
The emcee scanned the crowd below, trying to make a clear distinction.
Platinum Archbishop Salas of the Spirit Hall, grinned, naturally knowing which two teams Ning Fengzhi was referring to.
Heaven Dou Royal Second Team.
And that Nuoding Team.
Ning Fengzhi couldn't possibly be unaware that the Nuoding Team had defeated the Heaven Dou Royal Second Team and secured a spot in the competition, and he also wanted to understand just how far Zhou Qing and the others had grown.
Secondary Soul Ring Refinement?
All three Soul Rings are millennia old?
Crushing Imperial Fighting Team Two?
Ning Fengzhi did not witness any of these things firsthand, but that did not diminish his anticipation for Zhou Qing and the others.
There was just one thing that puzzled Ning Fengzhi—
Why was Zhou Qing in such a hurry to participate in the Continental Elite Tournament? When he told the other party how to participate in the Continental Elite Tournament at the time, he really didn't expect that the other party would appear now, three years later!
Is the child impatient?
Zhou Qing isn't that kind of person; there must be other reasons...
"Well, please allow me to keep you in suspense for now. But I believe that the champion of this Continental Elite Tournament will definitely belong to an academy within the Heaven Dou Empire!"
Ning Fengzhi snapped out of his thoughts and returned to the VIP seats.
"Haha! Sect Master Ning is so certain, he can't possibly be wrong! Let's wait and see!"
The emcee enlivened the atmosphere, and amidst another burst of applause and cheers from the audience, invited Salas to come on stage to draw lots for the captains' teams in the first round of the Preliminary Competition.
Salas doesn't particularly like speaking in such a crowded setting, so the draw results are read aloud by the emcee.
"First round of the Preliminary Competition: Blazing Radiance Academy vs. Exotic Beast Academy!"
"First round of the Preliminary Competition: Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team 2 vs. Godwind Academy!"
"First round of the Preliminary Competition: Elephant Armored Academy vs. Nuoding Academy!"
"·····"
The previous academies were all fine, but the match between the Elephant Armored Academy and Nuoding Academy has raised questions among many viewers.
After all, they didn't know the strength of the Nuoding Academy team. They thought that the reason they were able to qualify for the competition was not because they defeated the Heaven Dou Royal Second Team, but because the Second Team thought they were remarkable and therefore recognized them.
In the minds of most viewers, Nuoding Team was the weakest team in the entire competition.
And what about the Elephant Armored Academy?
The Elephant Armored Sect, one of the Lower Four Sects, was established. The entire group, including substitutes, consisted of eleven people, and all of Martial Soul the direct inherited martial Martial Soul of the Elephant Armored Sect: Diamond Mammoth.
This is one of the teams that could win the championship!
Moreover, some viewers also know that the Elephant Armored Sect and the Spirit Hall have had frequent exchanges in recent years, and its Sect Leader Huyan Zhen and the Platinum Archbishop Salas seem to be quite close, making it hard not to think that Salas is intentionally cheating.
However, Salas remained expressionless and spoke through the Amplifying Soul Tool: "My draw was absolutely genuine! At the same time, I hereby announce that anyone who can pass the Preliminary Competition and enter the Finals will be able to directly join the Martial Soul Hall."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
The Spirit Hall is divided into offices, branch halls, subsidiary halls, Holy Hall, Papal Palace, elder (Douluo) halls, and Worship Hall, with the latter three located in Spirit City.
Therefore, for ordinary Soul Master, and even for some small and medium-sized families, the Holy Hall is the pinnacle they can reach.
Once you join the Martial Soul Hall, you will not only enjoy the best cultivation resources, but also gain prestigious honors, status, and power.
For example, Salas, the Platinum Cult Leader, holds a position in the entire Heaven Dou Empire comparable to that of the Sect Leader of the Upper Three Sects.
How could Soul Master not be excited?
But for Zhou Qing, Tang San, and others, this was essentially the same as the Two Great Empires —recruiting outstanding Soul Master, only the focus of the benefits offered was slightly different.
The Two Great Empires preferred actual titles and power, while the Spirit Hall could only provide resources to assist Soul Master in their cultivation.
The choice depends primarily on whether the Soul Master prefers enjoyment or is more willing to pursue a higher realm.
Upon hearing Salas's words, Xue Ye's expression darkened slightly, but the change was fleeting. In his view, the Spirit Hall merely sought more resources; further development would at most lead to establishing a nation. Currently, the Heaven Dou Empire's primary potential enemy was still the Star Luo Empire ...
VIP seating.
The Sect Leader of the Elephant Armored Sect, Huyan Zhen, who was also the old man who had previously given instructions to Huyan Li, showed a hint of confusion in his eyes:
Why would Salas assign an intermediate-level academy team to the Elephant Armored Academy?
Huyan Zhen didn't know the specifics of the Nuoding Team. Like most people, he just thought they were a lucky team whose strength was far behind that of other Advanced Academy.
If the Spirit Hall wants to put the Elephant Armored Sect, would they use such a team?
Could it be that Salas has backed down?
Huyan Zhen considered this possibility.
With the retreat of the Clear Sky Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects, Huyan Zhen wanted to use the power of the Spirit Hall to develop the Elephant Armored Sect and replace the Clear Sky Sect as the new one of the Upper Three Sects.
After all, his own Soul Power Level is about to reach Level 90, and he will definitely be able to break through to the Titled Douluo within ten years!
However, he was unwilling to concede to the Spirit Hall on certain issues, so the matter remained unresolved, and both sides continued to test each other.
Therefore, he reminded his grandson to be careful before the Preliminary Competition began.
I never expected to be assigned such a weak team...