Skysea Grand Tournament

One year later, Eastsea City

Liu Tianran and his group arrived at the director's office of Eastsea Academy. Director Long said he had something important to tell them.

But everyone understood what the director was going to announce this time.

The group walked down the corridor, with Liu Tianran subtly at the forefront.

After a year of cultivation, Liu Tianran had become a forty-second-rank Healing System Soul Ancestor. The Lightfeather Pegasus had also advanced into a ten-thousand-year Spirit Soul, granting him an attribute-enhancement soul skill called Holy Protection.

Although he was a Healing System Soul Master, his physical strength was no weaker than that of a six-ring Soul Emperor.

Combined with the combat experience and techniques his second clone, Xie Jiayun (Healing), had tempered on the battlefield, he was practically invincible in close combat.

Xu Xiaoyu walked beside Liu Tianran and said, "Captain, the director is probably going to tell us about the Skysea Grand Tournament, right?"

"What are we afraid of? With the captain here, we'll definitely win the championship this time," said a blue-haired youth.

"Yeah, Captain." *5

These were precisely the teammates Eastsea Academy had arranged for Liu Tianran. Aside from Liu Tianran and Xu Xiaoyu, they were the most outstanding students in Eastsea Academy's senior division.

The blue-haired youth was named He Qing. He was a thirty-eighth-rank Soul Elder, and his Martial Soul was the Thunder Wolf. He was the team's Strong Attack System Soul Master.

The two to his left were Liu Cheng and Liu Lang, a pair of twin brothers. Their Martial Souls were both Azure Wave Shields, and their Soul Power had both reached rank thirty-six. They were the team's Defense System Soul Masters.

On the right was Yun Qian. His Martial Soul was the Wishful Disk, and he was an Auxiliary System Soul Master. Like Xu Xiaoyu, he was a thirty-fifth-rank Soul Elder.

The one at the back of the group was Yao Yuan. His Martial Soul was the Scarlet Feather Falcon, and he was a thirty-seventh-rank Soul Elder and an Agility Attack System Soul Master.

Thanks to Eastsea Academy's generous allocation of resources and intensive training, the strength of Liu Tianran's seven-person team had already surpassed Eastsea Academy's teams from previous years.

After a year of coordination, training, and occasional battles in the Ascension Platform, the seven of them could already cooperate seamlessly.

After the group waited for a while, Lin Yue finally arrived at the office.

"We leave tomorrow for Skysea City," Lin Yue told the five students.

The seven exchanged smiles, immediately understanding. He Qing could not help raising his hand. Lin Yue glanced at him. "Speak."

"Teacher Lin, what competition are we going to participate in?"

Lin Yue said, "The youth division's seven-person team competition. The Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament is huge, with many different categories of events, especially for Soul Masters. There are individual competitions and team competitions.

"The team competitions are further divided into three-person, five-person, and seven-person team events. The seven-person team competition receives the most attention.

"You will be entering the seven-person event. The academy has great confidence in you this time and places high hopes on you.

"I hope you will not disappoint the trust and training the academy has given you over the past year.

"As for the individual and three-person events, you may decide for yourselves whether to participate, as long as it does not affect the later matches.

"To preserve his strength, Tianran will not compete outside the team event. This is also his personal decision.

"So, as vice-captain, you must also think more about how your team can achieve good results in the team competition. Your goal is the championship."

No matter what kind of Soul Master competition it was, the seven-person team event was always the most eye-catching. Not only did it better demonstrate a team's ability to coordinate, it also honed mutual trust and the overall perspective of the controlling Soul Master.

More importantly, it carried special significance. The legendary Shrek Seven Monsters had consisted of seven people.

According to historical records, the first-generation Shrek Seven Monsters had relied on their talent and strength to defeat the evil Spirit Hall Team two thousand years ago. That was also the beginning of Shrek Academy's fame across the continent.

Then, ten thousand years ago, the second-generation Shrek Seven Monsters had defeated the Sun Moon Team of the Sun Moon Empire, the predecessor of the Federation, despite the enormous gap in age and Soul Power, defending Shrek Academy's honor.

Thus, the seven-person team competition had always held a special status on Douluo Continent.

Afterward, Teacher Lin briefed them on the approximate strength and key players of the various academies this year, as well as the format and rules of the Skysea Grand Tournament, before dismissing them.

"So, what do you think? Are you going to enter the individual competition and the three-person team event?"

Facing Liu Tianran's question, He Qing said, "Captain, I plan to enter the individual competition. But I'll definitely keep an eye on my condition and make sure it doesn't affect my performance or the team's performance in the team event.

"By the way, Teacher Lin said that if we make the top sixteen in the team event, we'll receive a fairly generous prize.

"The top thirty-two in the individual competition can also receive prize money. Are you going to participate?"

"I'm entering the individual competition too," Yao Yuan said seriously.

Xu Xiaoyu declared proudly, "Me too!"

Yun Qian shook his head. "Not me. I'll just take part in the team event and support you guys."

Yao Cheng and Yao Yuan said, "We're not going either."

He Qing chuckled. "Say, if we win the championship, do you think Shrek Academy might send us invitation letters and invite us to join?"

Liu Tianran curled his lip. "Stop dreaming. Even if we win the championship, it will only be a regional title in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament.

"If it were that easy to join Shrek Academy, then at least twice as many people would get into Shrek Academy every year."

Xu Xiaoyu said seriously, "The captain is right. I've heard my family talk about it. That place is already on an entirely different level from the world of ordinary people like us.

"Shrek Academy publicly recruits students once every three years. Each time, no fewer than a thousand people qualify to register, but fewer than a hundred usually manage to enter Shrek Academy's Outer Court. Sometimes, there are only twenty or thirty.

"Among those people, fewer than one in ten will qualify to enter the Inner Court in the future. Just imagine how high their standards are.

"At our age, we are already no longer qualified to enter Shrek."

Seeing the others looking somewhat dejected, Liu Tianran said, "All right. No matter what, this is a good opportunity for us.

"Don't think too much about it. As long as we do our best, it will be excellent practical combat training.

"As long as we can become strong, what does it matter whether we join Shrek or not?"

"That's right. Let's work hard together!"

Yun Qian strongly agreed with Liu Tianran. After speaking, he was the first to extend his hand.

Liu Cheng quickly stretched out both hands, pressing one onto the back of Yun Qian's hand while pulling Liu Lang's hand over with the other and placing it atop his own.

The others also placed their hands together one after another and exchanged smiles.

"Victory! Victory!"