The All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament continued in full swing, even after the shocking upset that lasted just twenty-seven seconds in the opening match.
The cheers at Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena rang out day and night as one exciting match after another unfolded. Yet Shrek Academy, which had become the laughingstock of the opening match, seemed to have been forgotten by the entire arena.
In the next two rounds of the Preliminary Tournament, Shrek Academy had managed to scrape out wins against two mediocre academies, thanks to Tang San's all-or-nothing assault and Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon fighting with everything he had. But each victory had been a close call, nothing like the unstoppable dominance they had shown in his previous life.
Ning Rongrong's departure had dealt Shrek a devastating blow. Without the all-attribute boost of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the power of Dai Mubai's White Tiger Martial Soul had been cut nearly in half. Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix couldn't even fly steadily, and even when Oscar's Sausages provided boosts, they couldn't come close to matching the immediacy and versatility of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
More fatal still, the entire team had long since fallen apart.
Zhu Zhuyun was silent all day, growing ever more cold toward Dai Mubai. After every narrow victory, Yu Tianheng looked at Tang San with a little more suspicion in his eyes. Even the most loyal Xiao Wu, whenever she saw Tang San's increasingly sinister expression, would often clutch the hem of her clothes without thinking, a trace of unfamiliarity hidden in her eyes.
In the fourth round of the Preliminary Tournament, Shrek Academy's opponent was Nebula Academy, a veteran academy native to the Heaven Dou Empire.
In the pre-match lounge, Dai Mubai punched the wall,