Skysea Grand Tournament

A year later, Eastsea City

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

But everyone understood what the director was about to announce.

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

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

Though he was a Healing System Soul Master, his physical strength rivaled that of a six-ring Soul Emperor.

Combined with the combat experience and techniques his second clone, Xie Jiayun, 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 talk to us about the Skysea Grand Tournament, right?"

"What's there to fear? With the captain here, we'll definitely win the championship this time," said a blue-haired youth.

"Yeah, Captain!" the other five echoed.

These were 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, a level thirty-eight Soul Elder. His Martial Soul was the Thunder Wolf, and 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 level thirty-six. They were the team's Defense System Soul Masters.

On the right was Yun Qian. His Martial Soul was the Wishful Disk. He was an Auxiliary System Soul Master, and like Xu Xiaoyu, he was a level thirty-five Soul Elder.

Bringing up the rear was Yao Yuan. His Martial Soul was the Scarlet Feather Falcon. He was a level thirty-seven Soul Elder and an Agility Attack System Soul Master.

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

After a year of adjustment, training, and the occasional battle they encountered in the Ascension Platform, the seven of them could now work together seamlessly.

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

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

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

"Teacher Lin, what competition are we entering?"

Lin Yue said, "The youth division, seven-man team event. The Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament is massive, with many different categories of competition. Soul Master competitions in particular are divided into individual and team events.

The team events are further divided into three-man, five-man, and seven-man team events.

The seven-man team event receives the most attention.

You'll be competing in the seven-man event. The academy has great confidence in you this time and holds high expectations for you.

I hope you won't disappoint the academy's trust and training over the past year.

As for the individual event and the three-man event, you may decide for yourselves whether to participate, as long as it does not affect the later competitions.

To conserve strength, Tianran will not compete outside of the team event. That is also his personal decision.

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

No matter what kind of Soul Master competition it was, the seven-man team event was always the most closely watched. It not only better demonstrated a team's coordination, but also trained 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 of the Shrek Seven Monsters had relied on their talent and strength to defeat the evil Spirit Hall Team twenty thousand years ago. That was also the beginning of Shrek Academy's rise to fame across the continent.

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

Thus, the seven-man team event had always held a special position on Douluo Continent.

After Teacher Lin explained the approximate strength and key competitors of the various academies this year, as well as the format and details of the Skysea Grand Tournament, he dismissed them to go their separate ways.

"So? Are you going to enter the individual event and the three-man team event?"

Faced with Liu Tianran's question, He Qing said, "Captain, I plan to enter the individual event, but I'll definitely pay attention to my condition and make sure it doesn't affect my own performance or the team's performance in the team event.

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

Those who make it into the top thirty-two in the individual event can also receive a prize. Are you guys entering?"

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

"I am too!" Xu Xiaoyu declared proudly.

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

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, it'll only be a local championship in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament.

If it were that easy to join Shrek Academy, the number of people admitted every year would at least double."

Xu Xiaoyu said earnestly, "The captain is right. I've heard from my family that place is already on a completely different level from the world ordinary people live in.

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

And among those people, fewer than one in ten will qualify to enter the Inner Court in the future. You can imagine how high their standards are.

At our age, we're already no longer qualified to enter Shrek Academy."

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

Don't overthink it. As long as we give it our all, it'll be an excellent practical combat exercise.

As long as we become strong, what does it matter whether we join Shrek Academy 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 extended both hands, placing one over 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 all placed their hands together as well, smiling at one another.

"Certain victory! Certain victory!"