Royal Hunting Grounds

The Royal Hunting Grounds lay fifty miles southwest of Heaven Dou City.

The Shrek group left the academy before dawn and reached the camp that morning. The journey was short, but Flender had hired only two carriages. The students were crammed together, with their luggage tied to the roofs.

Ma Hongjun was half-buried behind the bedding and spent the whole ride fighting Oscar for the window seat.

"I'll have to face flying Soul Masters in the Promotion Tournament. I need to check which way the wind's blowing."

Oscar clung to the window frame. "You're looking at the roadside barbecue stalls."

"The smoke shows which way the wind's blowing."

Xiao Wu grabbed Ma Hongjun by the collar from behind and gave the window seat to Ning Rongrong, who was nearly being squeezed off her seat.

Yuan Yu didn't squeeze in with them. He sat on the driver's bench and helped the Coachman hold the reins. Since reaching level seventy-five, his awareness of the surrounding elements had expanded again. They were still several miles from the Hunting Grounds when his Rock Pattern sensed dense earth elements in the mountains ahead.

The terrain was perfect for the Wheel Rock Aspect.

The entire Hunting Grounds had been built along the mountainside. White tents stretched for miles around its perimeter. The Royal Knights patrolled between them, their armor, saddles, and lances polished to a shine.

Common spectators were not allowed inside.

Apart from the Royal Family, tournament officials, and the academies' teachers and students, only knights on duty stood beside the arena. The Promotion Tournament did not need ticket sales. Its purpose was to let the empire's leaders assess each young Soul Master's individual combat ability.

The five teams that had qualified from Heaven Dou City were assigned to the east side of the camp.