No one was too worried about tomorrow's first round of matches, as it would be the least suspenseful of all.
The teams from the two countries will be matched in order of their rankings in the qualifying rounds, from highest to lowest, against the opposing team from lowest to highest. That is to say, the first place team from the Heaven Dou Empire will play against the fifteenth place team from the Star Luo Empire, the second place team will play against the fourteenth place team from the opposing side, and so on.
The importance of the qualifying round rankings is evident here, and that's not all. In the second round, the team that finishes first in the qualifying round gets a bye, while in the third round, the team that finishes second in the qualifying round gets a bye.
Although tomorrow's match is practically a sure win, it is undoubtedly a very important one, as everyone can get a preliminary understanding of the opponent's level from it.
However, just like the teams from the Heaven Dou Empire, whose strengths vary considerably, the teams from the Star Luo Empire are likely also highly polarized. Facing weak opponents, it's uncertain how much strength they can discern.
Under the guidance of the Grandmaster, the Shrek team began their final battle preparations, while the Qilin Team returned to their rooms to adjust their tactics.
Since Yu Feng has already gone to the Godwind Academy, the Qilin Team now has a total of seven members, including Qi Ling. Starting from tomorrow's competition, Qi Ling will participate in every single match.
The overall battle strategy remains to minimize the opponent's knowledge of our strength in order to better prepare for the later stages of the match. Therefore, Qi Ling provided guidance on how everyone should fight, how much Soul Power to use, and even which Soul Skill to employ.
After the guidance session ended, Qi Ling said, "Alright, that's all we need to be careful about. My strength has probably already been thoroughly investigated by them, so there's nothing to hide. You're the ones who need to be careful."
"Most importantly, although this is the most important competition you've participated in, don't be too nervous. Just give it your all! Understand?"
Dugu Yan laughed, "Hehe, with you here, how could we be nervous? It's a bit unfair to say this to Xiao Fengfeng, but the Qilin Team with you and without you are completely two different teams!"
Tuoliya added, "That's right, Qi Ling, this is your first time participating in a competition with us! At this moment, we feel absolutely no fear or terror, only boundless joy and an unwavering determination to win!"
Qi Ling said helplessly, "Honestly, you lot, do you really trust me that much? No matter how strong I am, I'm still just a mortal. There are so many strong people in this competition; there might even be someone stronger than me."
"No, perhaps you haven't realized it, but in our eyes, you are an omnipotent god!" Dugu Yan laughed. "With you here, I can't even imagine us losing."
"That's right, that's right, Lord Qi Ling!" The Hua Yimeng Hua Yidie, walked over with smiles, each taking one of Qi Ling's arms, and said with a laugh, "Why don't we plan out how to distribute the rewards if we win this competition!"
"Oh! That's a good suggestion!" Dugu Yan immediately became interested upon hearing their conversation. "I heard that the Spirit Hall is so confident in their team that they've already decided on the champion, and the rewards are incredibly generous—it seems like there are three top-grade Soul Bone!"
"Wow?! Really? Three Soul Bone?" Everyone was surprised. After all, it goes without saying how precious Soul Bone are, especially three top-grade Soul Bone at once. It made people marvel at their wealth.
"But how are we supposed to divide the three Soul Bone?" Dugu Yan said. "There are seven of us, what are we going to do?"
Qi Ling looked at them with interest and said, "How should we divide the three Soul Bone? Each of you, please share your thoughts. Be bold; even if some of you want all three, I won't mind."
In the end, this world is still about strength. Without strength, you can't get everything you want, and you can't even protect what you have. Therefore, pursuing strength is not a shameful thing in this world.
Because of these values, Qi Ling made it clear that they should decide for themselves who would own the three Soul Bone. He wouldn't be surprised or blame them for whatever genuine feelings they expressed.
Faced with the temptation of three Soul Bone, everyone was momentarily speechless. After all, it was impossible not to be tempted, but it was also impossible for each person to have one.
"What's there to hesitate about? It's just Soul Bone." As the vice-captain, Dugu Yan naturally stepped forward first. "I have my grandfather's support. If I need a Soul Bone, he will help me. So let's use these three Soul Bone to meet everyone's needs first."
"Me too," Tuoliya said. "Although my family has declined, I believe we can still afford just one or two Soul Bone."
Hua Yimeng and Hua Yidie exchanged a glance and said, "Our Martial Soul are too unique, so we don't know how to develop them. In that case, we'll leave it entirely to Lord Qi Ling to decide! If you think it suits us, then we'll accept it; if not, we won't mind."
"Me too!" Luna said nervously. "As long as you, Lord Qi Ling, think it's good, I'm fine with anything."
Finally, only Ye Lingling remained. This girl, who would never speak unless someone mentioned her, spoke up at this moment, "My Martial Soul doesn't require any Soul Bone."
"So, my dear," Dugu Yan stepped forward and hugged Qi Ling's neck, saying, "We've decided to give you all three Soul Bone to distribute! If you can use them, we won't mind if you take all three!"
Qi Ling glanced at the others and asked, "Do you all think so too?" She received unanimous affirmation from the others.
This outcome was quite unexpected for Qi Ling, because they all undoubtedly understood the importance of teamwork and didn't put themselves first, which was the most important thing.
So Qi Ling smiled and said to them, "I won't take any of these three Soul Bone, because I've already decided on the Soul Bone I can use, so they will all be yours."
"Furthermore, I assure you that as long as you achieve final victory, I will find a suitable Soul Bone for each and every one of you!" Qi Ling said. "So, girls, do your best!"
The competition only offers three Soul Bone as prizes. Qi Ling's statement undoubtedly indicates that he will provide at least three more Soul Bone, ensuring that each person receives one.