Nearly every participating academy secretly prayed that they wouldn't face powerhouses like Shrek or the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy in the first round. If they did, they might as well accept that they were already out.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's team stood right behind Shrek's, ready to keep an eye on them.
The audience filed in for a full half hour. The vast Star Luo Plaza was packed with people, but the iron railings kept the different sections orderly, and the soldiers maintained tight control. The crowd remained calm.
During those thirty minutes, Jiang Che made his way to the top of the Imperial City walls and met the Star Luo Emperor.
"Your Majesty! Dragon Ice Douluo of Shrek has arrived." The Prime Minister, who had been arranging various aspects of the tournament, came over again.
"Oh? Is he the Dragon Ice Douluo everyone across the continent has been talking about lately?" The Star Luo Emperor asked with interest.
"That's the one," the Prime Minister replied.
"What brings him here?"
"I heard Shrek's team was personally escorted by Dragon Ice Douluo, so we planned to appoint him chief referee for the tournament. He's probably here to pay you a visit on Shrek's behalf."
The Star Luo Emperor looked displeased when the Prime Minister calmly said that Jiang Che was there to "pay him a visit on Shrek's behalf," but his expression quickly returned to normal.
Everyone considered this sort of thing normal, so the emperor couldn't very well lose his temper.
The Star Luo Emperor laughed heartily. "Of course I must meet a promising young talent like him. Bring him over at once."
"Jiang Che of Shrek Academy pays his respects, Your Majesty!" A little while later, Jiang Che arrived on the wall. As a