When everyone saw the Spirit Hall Academy team's lineup, they were stunned.
Not one of the rumored Spirit Hall "Three Geniuses"—the trio of young spirit masters who had earned the Purple Record Medal—appeared on the field.
Tang San stared intently at the team, thinking to himself:
"This is already the second round. No matter how weak the opponent is, they can't afford to underestimate them like this, right? None of the three Spirit Kings are going up? Do they trust their teammates that much? This is a single-elimination match—lose once and you go home."
Around the arena, the students from other academies shared the same confusion.
But when the host announced the start of the match and the fourteen spirit masters released their spirits and spirit rings, everyone realized they had been overthinking it.
On the Heavenly Wolf Academy's side, there were only two four-ring Spirit Ancestors; the remaining five were all three-ring Spirit Elders.
On the Spirit Hall Academy's side—every single member was a four-ring Spirit Ancestor, all with the two-yellow, two-purple ring configuration.
The gap between the two teams was enormous. The result had been decided the moment their spirits and rings appeared.
The Spirit Hall Academy team didn't even have the chance to exert any real effort before the match ended.
Seeing that scene, the other academy students were shocked.
Just as the rumors said, there was no academy capable of standing against Spirit Hall Academy. Any team that encountered them would lose—and lose miserably.
Even the Shrek Academy students found it hard to believe.
Oscar sighed:
"Spirit Hall Academy's talent pool is just too good. Even their substitutes have spirit power above level forty. How is any team supposed to compete with that?"
Ma Hongjun felt indignant and unwilling to accept it.
Dugu Bo leaned toward Tang San and whispered:
"Little monster, that's the strength of Spirit Hall Academy. And remember—the three Spirit Kings haven't even appeared yet. No team can defeat them and take the championship, unless a miracle happens."
Tang San's lips curled slightly.
"A miracle, huh? Then we'll be the ones to create it."
"You lot? Little monster, not to pour cold water on you, but when those three Spirit Kings take the field, you'll understand what a true power gap looks like."
"Is that so? Then I really want to see them appear sooner."
No matter his opponent, Tang San remained confident.
He believed that Shrek Academy's Seven-in-One Fusion Technique would cause Spirit Hall Academy serious trouble—maybe even defeat them.
And besides, he still had another trump card: his deadly spider venom, which ordinary spirit masters simply couldn't withstand.
~~~~~
Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena were waiting at the sidelines to welcome their teammates as they walked down from the stage.
Li Kai grinned:
"So? We didn't let you down, did we?"
"Not bad at all. Good work, everyone."
"It wasn't hard at all. I didn't even get the chance to do anything before they surrendered."
Xie Yue chuckled.
"Save it for later, then."
Li Kai sighed:
"Next round is the third round. You three will definitely all be going up. Where will I even get a chance to perform?"
"You will—there's still the fourth and fifth rounds."
The Spirit Hall team chatted comfortably as they left the arena and returned to the rest area to continue watching the other matches.
Today, Xie Yue and Hu Liena had specifically paid attention to Shrek Academy and Tang San's performance.
Unfortunately, their opponent was weak—just an ordinary academy from the Heaven Dou Empire.
Oscar and Ning Rongrong didn't even participate in this match, and Tang San didn't display his full strength.
The standout was Ma Hongjun, whose flight and flame power completely overwhelmed the opponent.
Of course, Xie Yue and Hu Liena didn't take Ma Hongjun seriously. He was only a three-ring Spirit Elder. Compared to Yan—who also wielded fire—he wasn't worth mentioning and posed no threat.
Thunderclap, Tianshui, and Blazing Academy had all faced weak opponents as well, securing their victories and advancing to the next round.
~~~~~~~
After a day of rest, the third round resumed.
The tournament had now narrowed down to the final top ten.
According to the rules, the academies ranked second in their two empire divisions would receive a bye in the third round, so Thunderclap Academy and a school from the Star Luo Empire would advance directly to the fourth round.
Eight teams were competing today; after the matches, four would be eliminated.
Early in the morning, the remaining teams arrived at their respective rest areas.
With fewer teams, the area felt far more spacious.
Huo Wu, holding Shui Bing'er's arm, once again came to find Yan.
Huo Wushuang and Feng Xiaotian followed behind them.
"Brother Yan."
They greeted him enthusiastically.
Huo Wu teased:
"Brother Yan, your team is really impressive. When are you going to take the field? We still want to see your big move. The further the tournament goes, the fewer chances we have to watch you fight."
By the fifth round, only three teams would remain, and the matches would be held in the square before the Pope's Palace. Teams that failed to reach the top three wouldn't even have the right to watch.
Among Divine Wind, Tianshui, and Blazing Academy, at least one would fail to enter the top three.
If any of them drew each other during the upcoming round, at least two teams would be eliminated early.
Yan smiled:
"I'll be on the field today. Whether I'll need to make a move depends on the opponent."
"True. If we run into your team, we'll just surrender immediately—then you won't get to perform."
"Let's hope we don't meet too early. I hope all of you can defeat your strong opponents and go further."
After chatting for a while longer, they returned to their own rest areas.
The results of the draw were soon announced.
Spirit Hall Academy drew another seeded team—Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Shrek Academy also drew a seeded team—Star Luo Royal Academy.
Divine Wind, Tianshui, and Blazing Academy avoided drawing each other, meaning all three still had a real chance of advancing.
The first two matches of the third round ended quickly.
Tianshui Academy and Blazing Academy both defeated their opponents and advanced.
Next was the third match:
Shrek Academy vs. Star Luo Royal Academy.
Once the host announced it, both teams walked onto the battlefield.
The students from Blazing and Tianshui stayed behind to watch.
Shrek Academy's lineup immediately drew attention.
Huo Wu frowned as she studied the group:
"Shrek has two people who have never fought before."
Shui Bing'er nodded.
"Yes. From the qualifiers until now, this is the first time those two have appeared. Looks like Shrek really has been hiding their strength all this time."
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