Chapter 377 The Quarterfinals Begin.
After seeing off Xu Jiujiu and the other two, Wu Xuan and the other three naturally began to discuss among themselves without any reservations. Wu Xuan also told Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao about the war reserve warehouse near the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
Because cooperation is required, these messages must be shared.
At this moment, the two women finally understood why Wu Xuan had agreed to the other party's actions so easily.
If they were to acquire this enormous amount of rare metals and a large quantity of soul tools, even if the assassination attempt failed, it would still deal a severe blow to the entire Sun Moon Empire.
Elder Xuan and the others naturally had no objections to Wu Xuan's arrangements and followed his orders in everything. This was one of the benefits of becoming the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion!
Two days have passed quietly!
Mingyue Grand Hotel, Grand Ballroom. Eight teams stood in eight rows, and on Shrek's side, Wu Xuan was naturally at the very front.
On the podium at the front, Zheng Zhan, the chief referee of this competition, was prominently seated. Several other officials from the Sun Moon Empire were also present, responsible for organizing the competition.
Yesterday, Titan's slap only destroyed two level-nine triggered defensive soul tools on his body, so he was not seriously injured. Therefore, Xu Tianran gave Zheng Zhan some compensation and sent him away. He would still be in charge of the subsequent matches.
Tang Ya, from the Holy Spirit Sect group, was wearing a long black robe today, her pretty face hidden behind a veil, but no matter how she tried to conceal it, she couldn't hide it from Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, and the others. Bei Bei was even so excited that she wanted to move forward, but Huo Yuhao held her back.
Wu Xuan couldn't help but scoff at this. The other evil soul masters deserved to die, but those he knew who became evil soul masters didn't deserve to die? If you can't treat everyone equally, what right do you have to flaunt your so-called good and evil?
At this moment, one of the officials, who was of a plump build, stepped forward with a broad smile.
"First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone present on making it into the top eight of this competition. This year's competition has included sects, making the competition unprecedentedly fierce. And you have all managed to stand out from the crowd..."
After a full fifteen minutes of official, polite platitudes, they finally got to the point.
"Next, we will conduct the draw for the quarterfinals. First, the four teams that finished first in their respective groups will draw lots. The quarterfinals will be divided into upper and lower brackets. Teams from the same group in the round-robin stage will not be drawn. The two winning teams from the upper and lower brackets in the quarterfinals will compete in the semifinals, and the winners will then compete in the final."
The rules of the lottery are simple, but they are full of uncertainties.
The four teams that finished first in their respective groups quickly sent representatives to the stage. Wu Xuan naturally represented Shrek Academy. Wang Dong'er represented the Tang Sect. After all, at level 78, she was currently the strongest member of the Tang Sect.
Absorbing seven spirit rings over 50,000 years old in a short period of time, it has to be said that the methods left behind by Tang Buddha are truly extraordinary.
As the champion of the previous competition, Shrek Academy was naturally the first to participate in the draw. No matter how much the Sun Moon Empire disliked Shrek Academy, they still had to give them face.
Wu Xuan stepped forward and pulled out a note from among them.
"Shrek Academy, Upper Division," the official in charge of the draw immediately stepped forward and announced.
Wang Dong'er followed closely behind and also completed the draw.
"Tang Clan, lower half of the bracket."
Upon hearing this result, everyone from the Tang Clan breathed a sigh of relief.
This draw means that they will not face Wu Xuan and his team until the semifinals.
"Proud Sword Sect, Upper Bracket!"
"Holy Spirit Sect, Upper Division!"
"Mingdu Soul Master Academy, Upper Division!"
As for the teams from the remaining two empires and the Snow Demon Sect team, it's known without even drawing lots that they're in the lower bracket.
Apart from Snow Demon Sect, the other three group winners were all placed in the upper bracket, which was a huge relief for the weaker teams.
"The draw for the quarterfinals will now take place. Shrek Academy will have priority in drawing the lots."
Wu Xuan stepped forward again and then spread out the creed.
"Shrek team's opponent in the quarterfinals is the Sword Sect."
Wu Xuan felt quite sorry to hear this, saying that the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Sect could only let them live for two more days.
"The Holy Spirit Sect's opponent in the quarterfinals is... Mingdu Soul Master Academy."
A sudden wail came from one of the groups.
"The Snow Demon Sect will now draw lots."
"The Snow Demon Sect's opponent is... the Tang Sect."
With the quarterfinal opponents now largely clear, the teams from the two great empires, Xingluo and Douling, will compete for the last qualifying spot.
Upon seeing the match schedule, Xu Jiujiu clenched his fist in excitement. They were extremely confident of defeating the Royal Academy of Fighting Spirits, so advancing to the semifinals was practically guaranteed for them.
"Alright, the draw is complete. The quarterfinals will be held the day after tomorrow. The upper bracket matches will be in the morning, and the lower bracket matches will be in the afternoon. Please prepare yourselves. As the competition reaches its final stage, every match is crucial. I hope you can give it your all and achieve good results." After the draw ceremony, the officials left.
"Let's go back to the hotel!" Wu Xuan said to the group.
Before they had taken more than a few steps, a melodious voice rang out. "Captain Wu."
When Wu Xuan turned his head, he saw Mu Xue and Vina walking over together. Vina said with a look of surprise, "Captain Wu, I never thought that after we parted ways in the Star Dou Great Forest, we would meet again in such a setting."
Wu Xuan chuckled, "Princess Vina, it's been a long time! I hope we can meet again in the semifinals."
Vina's eyes lit up, and she said, "That's exactly what I wanted to say. Captain Wu, you'd better go easy on me then!"
"must."
The two sides talked as they walked out. Once outside, Mu Xue and Vina led the Snow Demon Sect members to bid farewell to the Shrek Academy group.
Two days gave all the top eight teams a chance to rest and recuperate.
The quarterfinals of this year's All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament will officially begin today.
The entire capital city of Ming was bustling with activity early in the morning, as large numbers of people poured out of the city. The match hadn't even started yet, but the stands were already packed with people.
As the first rays of dawn appeared in the distance, the eight elite teams, comprised of the most outstanding young Soul Masters on the continent, marched out of the city, protected by a human wall of soldiers.
Shrek Academy team led the way. Their first battle of the day was also initiated by Shrek.
Wu Xuan stood quietly outside the VIP lounge, his eyes coldly watching the Holy Spirit Sect team enter the arena. Tang Ya followed closely behind Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, walking in the second position of the team. This prominent position clearly demonstrated Tang Ya's extremely high status within the Holy Spirit Sect team.
"Blue Silver Saintess, hehe~! Well done! You are not worthy of the deep affection of Elder Mu's great-grandson. I will personally destroy you later, and then personally wake him up."
On the platform, Regent Xu Tianran had arrived early. Ju Zi sat down next to him and served him a cup of fragrant tea.
Xu Tianran took a sip of tea and asked Zhongli Wu on the other side of the orange, "Grand Preceptor, did that Limit Douluo from the Tang Sect really leave the Mingdu area yesterday?"
"That's right, that person left that night and hasn't returned yet. I guess it was Uncle Long who made the move," Zhongli Wu said smugly.
"That would be truly a joyous occasion." Xu Tianran finally breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving confirmation. With a potential enemy, a Limit Douluo powerhouse, in his capital city, constantly threatening his safety, he couldn't even sleep at night.
"Your Highness, we should not intercept the Tang Clan's team in the subsequent plans, lest it cause unnecessary complications," Zhongli Wu advised.
"The Imperial Advisor is right; I had the same thought," Xu Tianran nodded.
Titan's sudden departure from Mingdu was naturally due to Wu Xuan's hostile attitude towards the Tang Clan, which left this fool indecisive for a moment. So he went directly back to Haotian Fortress to ask his good brother.
(End of chapter)