The Round Robin Begins

Day Four,

At the opposite end of the stadium from the main platform, a colossal screen fifty meters tall rose from the ground. Flowing halos of light lined its edges, giving it a distinctly technological feel.

This screen had clearly been installed so that spectators outside the venue could follow the competition more clearly. Even those seated at the edge of the grounds could take in every detail on the stage.

Today's drawing ceremony was held to a particularly high standard, with a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Perhaps to ensure the rigor of the ceremony, the venue had not been opened to the public. The vast spectator stands were completely empty, making the place seem spacious and silent.

But that did not mean the ceremony had drawn any less attention. On the contrary, Li Ziming's arrival had sent its popularity steadily soaring.

Through the television broadcast, viewers from many other regions were also closely watching every movement within the stadium, waiting for the groupings to be announced. To ensure absolute fairness in the drawing process, the Skysea Alliance had specifically invited Thunder Bear Douluo, master of Skysea City's Spirit Pagoda, to oversee it.

"Greetings, young talents." At that moment, a loud and authoritative voice echoed through the stadium, instantly drawing the attention of every contestant present.

The speaker was none other than Skysea City's governor. Rather than standing beside the number-drawing machine in front of the screen, he was seated on the elevated main platform, where his image was projected clearly onto the massive screen through high-definition cameras.

"The round robin will officially begin tomorrow morning. I will not waste any more words. I believe that after a day of rest, everyone is eagerly anticipating the matches. Once the drawing concludes, please return promptly and adjust your condition so that you can face the coming challenges at your best."

Thanks to the example set by Li Ziming, this Skysea Grand Tournament had attracted many contestants from other regions to register for the individual events across all age groups.

A rough count showed that the youth and junior divisions each had nearly a thousand eligible Soul Masters.

The drawing device below operated in an orderly fashion. Round little balls continuously bounced through its intricate mechanical structure before sliding one after another into their corresponding glass tubes.

Before long, each of the ten glass tubes contained several dozen balls, signaling the official completion of the drawing.

"Next, we will announce the drawing results.

"First Group: Number One... Number Eight, Ye Xinglan; ... Number Seventeen, Zuo Qiu Lun; ...

"Second Group: ... Number Four, Yuan Tingyue; Number Twenty-Three, Zhou Mingyu..." As the host spoke, one name after another rang clearly through the arena.

The contestants whose names were called immediately perked up. Compared to the grouping itself, what they cared about more was who their opponents would be—after all, that directly affected their path to advancement in the following rounds.

The drums of the round robin were about to sound, and the intensity of the tournament had already reached a fever pitch.

Ticket scalpers quietly appeared throughout Skysea City, and the event tickets they resold became highly sought-after goods.

Under the Skysea Alliance's tireless promotion, ticket prices continued to climb, yet they still could not curb the public's fanatical enthusiasm for the tournament.

The clamor of Skysea Grand Stadium had filled the air from the moment dawn began to break.

Today was the official opening day of the round robin. The First and Second Groups would take the stage first, sounding the opening note of this grand event that had captured the entire city's attention.

Tickets for the venue had sold out several days ago. Now, spectators from every walk of life were entering in an orderly fashion through different passages.

There were richly dressed scions of influential families, chatting and laughing amid their entourages; members of Soul Master legions in uniform, marching forward in solemn ranks; and ordinary citizens, hurrying toward their seats with excitement and anticipation in their hearts.

People of every kind gathered here, filling every corner of the majestic stadium with life. Conversations, footsteps, and children's laughter intertwined into a prelude belonging to this grand occasion.

Zhou Mingyu was in the Second Group. Although his match was relatively late, he had arrived at the venue early.

He passed through the bustling crowd and entered the waiting area prepared specifically for contestants. Compared to the noise outside, it was somewhat quieter here, but an invisible tension still hung in the air.

Every Soul Master waiting here had a desire for victory shining in their eyes. Though they deliberately suppressed the fluctuations of their Soul Power, the force they held in reserve could still be felt.

"Welcome, everyone, to Skysea Grand Stadium! In today's round robin, talented young competitors from every region will take the stage and bring you thrilling clashes."

"I am today's commentator, and I will be analyzing every match for you. Now, let us welcome the First Group contestants with a round of enthusiastic applause!"

The commentator's clear, penetrating voice spread through the entire stadium via the amplification system, instantly igniting the atmosphere. As her words fell, the junior division's round robin matches of the Skysea Grand Tournament officially began.

Those who had stood out from the preliminary rounds and entered the round robin were all exceptionally gifted. Every one of them surpassed Soul Masters of the same rank in both Soul Power Level and mastery of soul skills. This tournament, which gathered the finest young talents from half the continent, was destined to be extraordinary from the very beginning.

The First Group of the junior division had ten contestants, including three Soul Ancestors and five Soul Elders. Even the bottom two were already Soul Elder-level.

The tournament organizers clearly understood how to stir up the crowd's emotions, and their scheduling was carefully arranged—the very first match directly pitted two young Soul Ancestors against each other.

When the two spirited young Soul Masters stepped into the center of the arena amid the glow of their Soul Rings, the stands immediately erupted in thunderous cheers, pushing the atmosphere to its first climax.

Everyone had expected a fierce clash between evenly matched rivals, but when the starting whistle sounded, something unexpected happened.

Zuo Qiu Lun did not even summon his Martial Soul. With a single stomp, he vanished from where he stood. The next second, he appeared before his opponent and threw one punch, deciding the outcome.

In the end, the referee's whistle sounded, and the result was settled. "The winner of the first match is contestant Zuo Qiu Lun!"

The audience fell silent for a moment before erupting into thunderous applause and cheers that lingered without end.

"My god! They're both Soul Ancestors, but the gap is actually this huge? That kid didn't even summon his Martial Soul!" A spectator waved his arms excitedly, his face filled with shock.

"What Martial Soul does he have? He did not even use a soul skill, yet he possesses such astonishing combat strength. His talent is truly incredible!" Another spectator, who knew quite a bit about Soul Masters, could not help exclaiming in admiration.

"Zuo Qiu Lun! Zuo Qiu Lun! Zuo Qiu Lun!" More and more spectators joined the cheers, their unified shouts echoing through the stadium like crashing waves.

Faced with the crowd's enthusiasm, Zuo Qiu Lun merely raised a hand in acknowledgment. As he left the arena, he gave a slight nod toward a concealed spot.

The perfect conclusion to the first match gave today's competition an excellent start.

The second match began soon afterward. However, perhaps because the first clash had been too stunning, the following matches seemed slightly less spectacular.

Still, surprises were never lacking in the arena.

In the fourth match, a Soul Elder whom no one had favored displayed astonishing battle wisdom. With exquisite coordination between his combat techniques and soul skills, he successfully defeated a Soul Ancestor despite the gap in rank, producing the day's first major upset.

That scene set the stands boiling again after a brief lull, with cries of amazement and applause rising one after another.

Aside from that upset, the other three matches proceeded relatively smoothly, and their outcomes largely matched pre-match expectations. Even so, the tactical exchanges and skill displayed in the fourth battle still drew repeated gasps from the audience and left them thoroughly satisfied.

After all five matches of the First Group had ended, the Second Group's turn came following a brief break.

The commentator's voice rang out again. "The first round of matches has officially concluded. Next is the first match of the second round: contestant Number Twenty-Three, Zhou Mingyu, versus contestant Number Nine, Lü Jun."

"Before the match begins, let me briefly analyze the difference in strength between the two sides. Contestant Lü Jun comes from Mingdu Academy and is an outstanding student there. He is a genuine Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, and his Martial Soul is the Earth Berserk Bear.

"As for contestant Zhou Mingyu, according to the available information, he is only a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. It seems this match will be very dangerous for him."

"Still, anyone who has made it this far cannot be underestimated. So in this match, will it be an absolute crushing victory through strength, or a shocking upset by a rising newcomer? Let us wait and see!"