The tournament grounds.
The round-robin stage was drawing to a close. Sixty-eight academy teams had competed for just sixteen qualifying places. Those who emerged from those sixty-eight teams were unquestionably among the continent's finest young Soul Masters, with boundless prospects ahead of them.
The round-robin stage lasted roughly half a month. Toward the end, most teams no longer competed every day. Today was its final day, and the qualifying picture was relatively clear-with one exception: Group Four. East Cang Academy's dark-horse rise had made this final match against Dou Ling Academy the most important battle in deciding who would advance from their group.
Meeting in the final match was a good thing for both sides. It meant they could fight with all their strength, without distraction, rather than risk serious injuries by holding back and let someone else swoop in to reap the rewards. After the round-robin stage, there would generally be several days of rest, allowing every qualifying team to recover to peak condition for the final contest.
In the Dou Ling Team's rest area, their supervising teacher wore a grim expression. He had never expected their round-robin group to contain three top-tier teams at once. Now they had even been driven into a corner. Losing this battle would mean losing their chance to advance altogether. Even if they won, an additional playoff awaited them. Their opponents could stake everything on this fight, but they had to prepare for the playoff afterward. If their losses here were too severe, Tianlong Academy would enjoy an almost natural advantage in that next match.
The Dou Ling Team's leader said gravely, "You all understand the situation we're facing now, don't you? If we lose today's match, it won't just be you who become the laughingstock of the entire Douluo Continent-it'll be our