After Xuanzi left, with the help of flight-type soul tools, the Shrek Academy group finally arrived at the host city of this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament,Star Luo City,by dusk.
Following the crowd, they passed through the city walls, each over a hundred meters tall and thick. They looked imposing, emphasizing national strength and historical heritage, but to true high-level soul masters, they were little more than decoration with no real defensive value. After that, everyone entered Star Luo City.
Due to the upcoming tournament, the population flow in Star Luo City had already surpassed ten million.
Even as the capital of a nation, Star Luo City felt crowded under such pressure.
Because of the sudden surge in population, the city's original security forces were stretched to their limits. Even with additional troops transferred from other regions, they could barely maintain order on the surface.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, outsiders from various countries and factions,each harboring their own schemes,were naturally gathering here, drawn by the continent's grandest event.
Although the recent Death God mission had ended with limited results,losing Dai Yueheng, a powerful Soul Emperor, and leaving several core team members injured,it did not dampen the Shrek students' spirits.
In their view:
Other than the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the main teams of the three original Douluo continent empires, Shrek's current lineup had little to fear from the rest.
And for the sake of entertainment value, although not publicly stated, the tournament had an unwritten rule:
The top academies of the original Douluo Continent would not be matched against Shrek Academy or the Sun and Moon Academy during the early stages.
Under Wang Yan's guidance, Huo Yuhao and the others first arrived near Star Luo Plaza. This enormous plaza could accommodate all competing participants and a vast number of spectators.
Because of the importance of the event, one-third of the city's defensive forces had been assigned here. They patrolled day and night to prevent anyone from sabotaging the tournament.
Several Titled Douluo were secretly stationed nearby as well. This place was currently the safest location in Star Luo City,safer even than the Imperial Palace where the emperor himself resided.
But since the tournament had not yet begun, and to maintain fairness, Shrek and the other academies were only allowed to observe the venue from outside. They could not enter for an on-site inspection.
Although Ma Xiaotao and the other core members had participated in the tournament five years earlier, that tournament was not held in Star Luo City, so this venue was unfamiliar to them. Wang Yan brought them here to scout the area and observe the other competitors.
Besides Shrek's group, the outer area of the plaza was filled with teams from other countries and academies with similar intentions.
Seeing the uneven strength of other teams, reserve team members Beibei and Xu Sanshi,who had been feeling some pressure,finally relaxed.
Xu Sanshi grinned. "Hey, I thought this would be tough. But look,most teams' core members aren't stronger than me. Some are even weaker."
"Maybe senior brothers and sisters won't even need to fight. Beibei and I could sweep through the early rounds with a few punches and kicks."
Beibei rolled his eyes. "Get lost. Don't drag me into your nonsense. How are you already celebrating before the fights even start? If you mess up, you'll lose face completely."
"Hehe, I'm not scared. Even if we mess up, you'll be right there with me. If we lose face, we lose it together," Xu Sanshi said shamelessly as he put an arm around Beibei's shoulder. "We're a team, after all."
Because of Dai Yueheng's accidental death, and because Ma Xiaotao's current mental condition made her unsuitable to lead, Wang Yan appointed Gongyang Mo,the strongest remaining soul master in the core team,as the temporary captain.
With his slightly soft voice, Gongyang Mo smiled and said, "Alright, you two junior brothers, don't make a scene."
After separating the bickering pair, the lighthearted exchange eased some of the gloom that had been hovering over the Shrek group since the failed mission.
"Alright, the tournament venue doesn't seem to have any special terrain. Since there are no unconventional simulated environments, let's return to the hotel. Everyone should rest well."
"We'll have a strategy meeting after dinner," Wang Yan said.
After inspecting the area, the weight on Wang Yan's heart finally eased somewhat.
Although they had yet to see the core teams of the four major empires, at least from the ordinary teams he observed, none seemed to be dark horses.
Most academy members only had three soul rings. A few stronger ones had four rings, but five-ring Soul Kings were rare, let alone Soul Emperors.
Although the observation wasn't absolute, it did ease Wang Yan's tension. After all, Shrek's core team still included one Soul Emperor and four Soul Kings.
With Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan,all Soul Ancestors,the substitute lineup was more than sufficient.
Soon, everyone returned to the hotel arranged for the competing academies.
The hotel, named Star Emperor, belonged to the Star Luo royal family. It had seven floors, each luxuriously furnished, with complete facilities and top-tier meals.
As defending champions and the continent's top academy, Shrek's students were given rooms on the top floor,the most lavish accommodations.
Only the four peak academies of the major empires enjoyed similar treatment.
After a luxurious dinner, the students took time to meditate and restore their depleted condition from the long journey.
Then Wang Yan gathered several of them in the meeting room assigned to Shrek Academy for tactical planning.
Standing up, Wang Yan smiled. "I have great confidence in this tournament. I believe that with your abilities, we can continue Shrek Academy's glory."
"Although we suffered losses, that doesn't mean our opponents have become stronger. Based on today's observations, Soul Kings are extremely rare, let alone Soul Emperors."
"At least before the elimination rounds end, we shouldn't meet the strongest teams. Therefore, to hide the core team's abilities and give them time to recover, I plan to let the reserve team handle the early elimination rounds."
He turned to Beibei.
"Beibei, as captain of the reserve team, I want your team to take the field in the early elimination rounds and secure as many victories as possible."
"You will personally be responsible for deployment, strategies, and lineup decisions."
Beibei was startled, but quickly nodded. "Understood, Teacher Wang. But… what if the opponents have Soul King-level strength?"
Wang Yan waved his hand. "I trust your strength. You're Shrek students. Not every academy can provide optimal soul ring configurations."
"Killing thousand-year soul beasts isn't easy. Most academies don't even have Soul King-level teachers. Their soul ring setups can't compare to yours."
"And it's not necessary for you to defeat every opponent. If you encounter someone too strong, I will send in core team members."
"Your main task this year is to gain experience and prepare for the next tournament."
Beibei relaxed and nodded. "Yes, I'll complete the mission."
Gongyang Mo then asked in a soft voice, "Teacher Wang, is there any news from the academy? Tomorrow is the deadline for registration. With only five core members, is Elder Xuan sending reinforcements?"
Wang Yan's smile stiffened, but he shook his head.
"The academy has already contacted me. When the core team needs extra members for team battles, Beibei and Xu Sanshi will fill the vacancies."
"With their strength and ring configurations, they can absolutely support the formation."
Xu Sanshi pointed at himself in surprise. "Me?"
Wang Yan nodded. "Relax. With your abilities, you're already at the level of the main fighters in other academies. Just coordinate properly and wait for openings."
Gongyang Mo also nodded to show approval.
Beibei and Xu Sanshi finally breathed out in relief.
Wang Yan continued, "That's all I needed to say. Beibei, the rest is up to you. Core team members should rest and recover as much as possible."
The core team, except Ma Xiaotao, left the room. Ma Xiaotao remained seated in silence, ignoring Wang Yan's instructions,something expected given her current state.
Wang Yan said nothing more. He couldn't command her, after all. And as the team's last remaining ace, she needed careful handling.
Beibei cleared his throat, stood up, and addressed the reserve team.
"Since we will lead the opening battles, we must show Shrek Academy's style."
"Our mission is to minimize how often the core team needs to appear. That means we can fight with full strength and don't need to hide anything."
"Go all out and show them that even Shrek's reserve team is stronger than their main lineup!"
"The first match is the opening elimination round. As defending champions, we will fight first,definitely a team battle. Although it's called an elimination match, it's more of a performance."
"With Shrek's reputation, they need us to ignite the atmosphere of the entire tournament. So they won't assign us overly strong opponents."
"This is our opportunity."
"Sanshi, no matter who our opponent is, you'll target their strongest member. Use Mysterious Underworld Replacement on their captain at the start."
"You hold the rest back. When your skill becomes usable again, swap me in immediately."
"And then…"
While Shrek strategized, the other academies were also preparing for battle,though that is a story for later.
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