The Pan-continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, Heaven Dou Empire Division Preliminaries, finally commenced amidst the eager anticipation of the masses.
Early in the morning, the area outside the Heavenly Fight Grand Arena was already packed with a massive crowd. The spectator stands, capable of accommodating eighty thousand people, were completely filled, the noise deafening. In the VIP seats, a constellation of stars had gathered: Emperor Xue Ye sat with dignified authority, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe smiled with scholarly elegance, Sect Leader Ning Fengzhi appeared refined and cultured, while Sword Douluo Chen Xin, though meditating with closed eyes, exuded an imposing presence. Platinum Bishop Salas of the Spirit Hall maintained a calm expression with sharp eyes, and the newly promoted Titled Douluo "Godly Spear" Ye Zhaoyan possessed a keen yet restrained aura.
Below the stands, in the rest area for the participating academies, teams from various major academies had gathered, the atmosphere tense yet fervent. Among them, the two teams from the host academy, Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, were the most eye-catching.
"Look! It's the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy! With the guidance of the continent's top genius, Lord Marco, our team is sure to win the championship this tournament!"
In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye watched Marco walking alone toward the Soul Arena below, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. He whispered to Meng Shenji beside him, "With Marco here, our Heavenly Dou Royal Academy has hope of winning this tournament. This young man's strength is unfathomable; even the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall would likely struggle to match his edge."
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of meaningful implication, "Your Majesty speaks truly. Brother Marco's talent and strength are truly once-in-a-century. With him anchoring the team, the championship is already within our grasp. I just wonder what astonishing power he will display, having chosen to lead the team alone this time."
Ning Fengzhi gently stroked the replica of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in his hand, his gaze profound. "This young man is indeed a dragon among men. Observing his demeanor, he is as steady as a mountain, his sharpness is restrained. If he exerts his full power, I fear no one in this tournament can rival him. The championship position seems almost predestined."
Even the usually arrogant Bishop Salas wore a grave expression, inwardly pondering, "This youth's strength indeed far surpasses his peers. Intelligence gathered by the Spirit Hall suggests he may have already reached the Soul Emperor realm... If that's true, even the Golden Generation... Hmph, but victory in the tournament doesn't solely depend on individual strength." Though reluctant to admit it, he had already marked Marco as the biggest variable in this tournament.
Though Sword Douluo Chen Xin remained silent, his gaze lingered on Marco for a moment, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod. With the discernment of a ninety-sixth-ranked Titled Douluo, he could naturally perceive the deep and vast fluctuations of Soul Power within Marco, far beyond that of an ordinary Soul King.
Below the stage, the members of the Royal Team Two were even more confident in Marco.
In one corner of the rest area, the seven members of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy team stood in orderly formation, their presence remarkable. Captain Lu Zhou held the long blade "Night," his expression cold and stern; Vice-Captain Yu Tianheng appeared imposing and spirited; Dugu Yan, Shímò, Shímó, Ye Lingling, and Osler were all full of vigor and combat readiness.
Not far from them, Marco leaned against the wall alone, also clad in the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy team uniform, his demeanor calm and composed, forming a stark contrast with the bustling surroundings. This unique configuration drew countless curious and puzzled glances.
"Brother Marco is really going solo..." Ye Lingling whispered to Li Qiuyao beside her, her eyes filled with concern and admiration.
Li Qiuyao blinked her large eyes: "Brother Marco is the best! He can defeat everyone even by himself!"
Osler leaned close to Yu Tianheng and said quietly: "The boss's presence is too overpowering. Standing there alone, he draws more attention than all seven of us combined."
Yu Tianheng smiled wryly and shook his head: "Brother Marco's strength is indeed beyond our comparison. But we can't fall behind either—we must fight our way to the finals to meet him!"
A determined gleam flashed in Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes: "That's right, we can't hold him back."
Lu Zhou hugged his sword, his gaze sweeping over the solitary Marco, the fighting spirit in his eyes burning brighter. He wanted to prove that the second team he led was equally worthy of the Royal Fight Team's prestige!
In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye watched the two unique teams below and nodded slightly, whispering to Meng Shenji beside him: "That boy Marco always manages to surprise people."
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's eyes held profound meaning: "One person as a team is truly unprecedented. But with his strength, he might actually create a miracle."
Ning Fengzhi watched Marco with great interest: "This young man possesses an extraordinary temperament, and his strength is unfathomable."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had opened his eyes at some point, let his gaze linger on Marco for a moment, a trace of surprise flashing through them.
Bishop Salas maintained a calm expression, but deep in his eyes lay scrutiny and calculation.
Ye Zhaoyan looked at his son standing alone, his eyes full of pride and trust. He knew that if his son had chosen this path, there must be a reason for it.
At that moment, the announcer's voice rang out clearly: "Next will be the first round draw of the preliminary matches! After the draw concludes, the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy representative team will compete against their first-round opponents!"
The lottery drum spun, drawing out the names of various teams one by one. The leaders and members of every academy watched nervously.
"Preliminary round one: Heavenly Dou Royal Academy Second Team versus—Canghui Academy!"
"Preliminary round one: Heavenly Dou Royal Academy First Team versus—Flame Radiance Academy!"
As the draw results were announced, the entire venue erupted in uproar!
"Both Heavenly Dou Royal Academy teams are competing in the opening matches!"
"The second team against Canghui Academy—that's a tough battle!"
"The first team... wait, the first team only has one person? Against Flame Radiance Academy? This..."
All eyes focused on Marco. Although Flame Radiance Academy wasn't a particularly strong team, they were still a complete seven-member team. Was Marco going to fight one against seven?
The members of Flame Radiance Academy exchanged glances, then showed expressions of anger. Being looked down upon like this made them feel humiliated.
"How arrogant! Does he think he can challenge our entire team alone?"
"Heavenly Dou Royal Academy is looking down on us too much!"
On the Royal Fight Second Team's side, everyone also showed concern.
"Brother Marco has to fight one against seven in his very first match..." Ye Lingling clenched her small hands.
Osler scratched his head: "The boss is starting at maximum difficulty."
Yu Tianheng said gravely: "We must believe in Brother Marco's strength."
Lu Zhou, holding his sword, said coldly: "Since he made this choice, he must be confident."
Marco remained standing there calmly, as if the surrounding discussions had nothing to do with him. His gaze swept over the seven members of Flame Radiance Academy, his eyes indifferent. In his view, this truly wasn't much of a challenge.
In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi showed an interested expression: "One person against a full team—how intriguing."
Emperor Xue Ye laughed heartily: "Haha, this is the style of the continent's number one genius!"
Bishop Salas curled his lips into a faint, cold smile, seemingly waiting to watch a good show.
Ye Zhaoyan, on the other hand, wore a gentle smile, filled with confidence in his son.
"Competitors from Heavenly Dou Royal Academy Team Two and Canghui Academy, please enter the arena!"
"Competitors from Heavenly Dou Royal Academy Team One and Flame Radiance Academy, please enter the arena!"
The referee's resonant voice rang out, signaling the imminent start of two matches simultaneously!
The atmosphere in the entire venue instantly reached its peak! Everyone's eyes shifted back and forth between the two battle stages, eagerly anticipating how the Royal Academy's second team would display the host's strength, and even more so wanting to see how Marco, standing alone, would handle a seven-on-one siege!
Lu Zhou led the members of the Royal Academy's second team toward Battle Stage One, his steps resolute. As he passed by Marco, he paused slightly and whispered, "Be careful."
Marco smiled faintly: "You too."
Watching his teammates take the stage, Marco took a deep breath and walked alone toward Battle Stage Two. His steps were unhurried, as if he weren't heading into a difficult one-versus-seven match, but rather taking a leisurely stroll.
In the stands, the audience buzzed with discussion:
"He's really going up alone!"
"That's too arrogant! Even if he is a Soul Emperor, one against seven is too risky!"
"But he's the ace of Heavenly Dou Royal Academy—maybe he really has some hidden trump card!"
In the VIP seats, all the important figures turned their attention to Battle Stage Two. Even Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had kept his eyes closed, slightly opened them.
Standing on the battle stage, facing the seven fully prepared members of Flame Radiance Academy, Marco calmly flexed his wrist. His gaze swept over his opponents before finally settling on his father in the VIP seats, giving a slight nod.
"Match—begin!" The referee's command rang out!
In an instant, on both battle stages, Soul Rings lit up simultaneously! A highly anticipated two-front battle officially commenced!
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