The following morning, the Spirit Hall Tournament arena was bustling with activity as teams from various academies entered the venue, officially commencing the first round of the finals.
As soon as the group from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy arrived at the entrance of the arena, they ran into the team from the Star Luo Empire Royal Academy.
Leading the group were Captain Dai Weisi and Vice-Captain Zhu Zhuyun, followed by five core team members. The group exuded composure and confidence.
Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun's eyes immediately fell on Shen Yifeng, their eyes filled with obvious surprise.
During this time, Shen Yifeng's name had already spread throughout the entire competition circle.
The incident of the ambush at Soulfall Valley and the forceful demand for an explanation from the Color Dragon Sect were constantly circulated and almost mythically exaggerated.
The two had expected that such a prominent figure would be imposing and sharp, but to their surprise, Shen Yifeng was tall and upright, with a calm expression, handsome features, and an aura of composure.
He secretly sighed to himself, realizing that the rumors were indeed true; this person truly possessed extraordinary bearing, with appearance and temperament far surpassing ordinary people.
Dai Weisi stepped forward first, suppressing his surprise, and said solemnly, "You must be Shen Yifeng? I've heard so much about you. I didn't expect that we would have the honor of facing your Heaven Dou Academy in the first round. I look forward to the upcoming match."
He had already mentally prepared himself for a tough battle. Anyone who could make the Spirit Hall wary and the Color Dragon Sect back him up was definitely no ordinary person.
Shen Yifeng nodded slightly, his tone calm and composed. "Me too."
Zhu Zhuyun smiled gently, her eyes filled with clarity and certainty. "Everyone in the industry knows that among all the teams in this competition, our Star Luo Academy's overall strength is firmly among the top."
She paused, then continued, "If we lose today, your Heaven Dou Academy can basically advance smoothly to the finals. If you can beat us, the other teams are simply not a match for you."
Zhu Zhuyun did not deliberately show weakness, but simply objectively stated the difference in strength between the various parties.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yifeng's lips curled slightly, but he didn't say anything more.
He knew perfectly well that Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun were among the top young Soul Master, far surpassing ordinary contestants, but that was all. Apart from the two of them, the rest of the Star Luo Academy team members posed no threat whatsoever.
The outcome of today's match was predetermined from the very beginning.
The stands quickly filled up, and the noise was deafening.
Faculty and students from various academies, along with prominent figures from the Soul Master World, entered the arena one after another, all their eyes focused on the central arena.
The Star Luo Empire Academy students entered first, their seven steps perfectly synchronized, exuding an impressive aura that drew cheers from the audience.
Following closely behind, the team from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy entered the arena.
Shen Yifeng walked at the front, his expression calm, while the team members behind him all maintained a steady demeanor.
On the referee's stand, Yue Guan had just picked up the roster when he caught a glimpse of Qian Renxue in the team. His hand suddenly froze, and the roster almost slipped from his grasp.
He turned his head to look at the Gui Mei, who also looked completely astonished.
Why is the young master in the participating team? Both of them felt a sudden jolt of surprise.
With the young master and Shen Yifeng present, this match was a foregone conclusion, a complete rout.
Yue Guan coughed lightly, trying to appear calm as he announced the start of the competition, though inwardly he was already sweating bullets for the Star Luo Academy.
The bell rang, and the battle erupted instantly.
Dai Weisi activated his White Tiger Martial Soul first, with his first three Soul Ring lighting up simultaneously, and the White Tiger Intense Light Wave rushed straight towards him.
Zhu Zhuyun disappeared into the shadows, launching a surprise attack from the flank. The other five also unleashed their Soul Skill, their attacks flowing seamlessly together, demonstrating their well-trained nature.
But Heaven Dou wasn't really serious at all.
Lan Xuanyu took half a step forward, and the phantom of the Dragon Ascension Pillar crashed down, causing the arena to tremble, and her frontal attack instantly collapsed.
With a slight twitch of her fingertips, Qian Renxue silently released her golden Soul Power, breaking Zhu Zhuyun's invisibility and causing her to stagger and reveal herself.
Seeing this, Dai Weisi gritted his teeth and was about to activate his Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Zhu Zhuyun.
But Shen Yifeng simply raised his hand and waved it lightly, and a gentle yet domineering barrier of Soul Power suddenly spread out.
The seven members of the Star Luo Empire were sent flying backward as if they had crashed into Copper Wall Iron Bastion, landing heavily on the edge of the arena, unable to get up for a long time.
The battle was over in no more than a dozen breaths.
Yue Guan paused for a moment before snapping out of his daze, then loudly announced, " The Heaven Dou Royal Academy has won this match!"
Stepping off the field, Lan Xuanyu pouted in the tunnel, her face full of lingering satisfaction. "They were too easy to beat. It was over before I even warmed up."
Shen Yifeng chuckled lightly, "What's the rush? There are plenty of opponents ahead."
Qian Renxue walked beside him, her eyes lowered to hide the surprise in them.
Shen Yifeng's move just now, seemingly effortless, revealed a strength far greater than she had anticipated.
When Dai Weisi ran into the dejected Star Luo Empire team members, his face turned pale, but he couldn't utter a single word of protest.
The gap is obvious, and we accept our defeat wholeheartedly.
Back at the rest area, everyone sat down to rest.
Qian Renxue sat down next to Shen Yifeng with her teacup in hand, and casually asked, " Yifeng, what are your true thoughts about the ambush on the way?"
Shen Yifeng traced the rim of his cup with his fingertips, his tone indifferent. "What else can we think? Just sit and watch. Bibi Dong refuses to admit anything and can't produce any evidence to prove her innocence. In the end, the Worship Hall will naturally have to clean up the mess. They have no other choice but to offer sufficient compensation to settle things peacefully."
Qian Renxue paused slightly in her teacup, secretly surprised.
He has a clear understanding of things, and his calculations were exactly the same as his grandfather's.
She originally thought Shen Yifeng would press the matter or take the opportunity to make exorbitant demands, but she didn't expect that he had already figured out the Spirit Hall's response perfectly.
Suppressing her surprise, she continued, " The Spirit Hall is always very concerned about its reputation. They are indeed in the wrong this time, and I doubt they will let us suffer in vain."
Pope Palace, Bibi Dong sat alone on the throne, her fingertips tapping the armrests, her expression cold and somber.
With pressure coming from all sides and the Worship Hall watching from the sidelines, continuing to resist would only bring trouble upon themselves.
After pondering for a long time, she finally made up her mind: to pin all the blame on Ghost Leopard Douluo, saying that he was greedy for credit, acted on his own initiative, and left the city to ambush and kill her. Since the man was already dead and there was no way to verify the story, as long as she stubbornly denied it, no one could produce any evidence to convict her.
Thinking of the failed ambush, Bibi Dong's anger intensified.
She had planned everything meticulously, but she never expected Xiong Jun to suddenly interfere.
It was truly unexpected that Shen Yifeng alone could provoke the Ferocious Beast of the Color Dragon Sect to come to their doorstep.
Ghost Leopard Douluo was utterly useless; he couldn't even handle a young junior, and instead lost his life, making the matter known to everyone.
The current turmoil is difficult to quell; without offering some benefits, it simply cannot be contained.
Bibi Dong pondered for a long time, weighing the options repeatedly in her mind.
She couldn't bear to part with such a precious treasure, but such meager compensation wouldn't silence the gossip.
After much deliberation, he finally gritted his teeth and decided to offer two Thousand-Year Soul Bone and one Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone as compensation.
She felt a pang of heartache.
Soul Bone are extremely rare, and the Pope Palace has a limited inventory; these two are the most she can offer.
She felt aggrieved that she had given it to Shen Yifeng for nothing.
But now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to swallow the pain and take drastic measures to quell the storm first.
"Do it this way." Bibi Dong said coldly, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.
She made a note of it.
Once things calm down, she'll have plenty of ways to settle things with Shen Yifeng.