As the Chief Referee's majestic voice faded away, the once-noisy Star Luo Plaza instantly fell into a solemn, tense silence.
One by one, the captains of each academy—dressed in their respective uniforms—were guided by the ceremonial staff to line up and step onto the high platform in an orderly manner.
At the center of the platform sat an enormous lottery box, like a bottomless black hole, devouring the heartbeats of everyone present.
Every captain who stepped forward wore an extremely tight expression.
After all, this was a knockout tournament!
Under such a cruel format, the quality of one's luck in the draw could sometimes matter even more than raw strength.
Everyone hoped to draw a "top-tier lot"—to be matched against some small academy that was only there to make up the numbers—so they could advance easily and preserve their strength.
And everyone feared drawing the nightmare-tier lot: Shrek Academy or Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
If they ran into either of those two behemoths in the very first round, they might as well book their tickets home in advance.
---
Meanwhile, below the stage.
Unlike the other team leaders, who were busy analyzing matchups and tactical possibilities, Xuan Zi was doing none of that.
At this moment, he was fiercely gnawing on a chicken bone that had long since lost all flavor, while fixing his turbid yet sinister gaze on Liu Yuan standing off to the side.
That gaze was filled with malice and calculation.
"Hmph…" Xuan Zi snorted coldly to himself, unable to stop his imagination from running wild.
"If the heavens have eyes, let that Liu Yuan crash straight into us, Shrek, in the first round!"
"If we can draw the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy during the knockout stage, that would be perfect!"
Excitement flickered in Xuan Zi's eyes, as if he had already seen the scene play out before him.
In his mind, Shrek Academy was invincible.
With the Shrek Team at full strength, dealing with a Soul Engineer academy that relied on external tools would be child's play.
"As long as we meet them…" Xuan Zi clenched his teeth in his thoughts.
"With Shrek's overwhelming strength, we will definitely win!"
"When that happens, I'll kick them out of the tournament in the very first round, right in front of the entire continent!"
"I want to watch that dog Liu Yuan roll off the stage like a stray, losing all his face! I want him to understand that leaving Shrek was the biggest mistake of his life!"
Just imagining himself trampling Liu Yuan beneath his feet made every pore on Xuan Zi's body seem to expand with pleasure.
---
Just as Xuan Zi was indulging in his sweet fantasies—
"Next, representative of Shrek Academy!" the referee announced.
On Shrek's side, their captain, Ma Xiaotao, took a deep breath and strode onto the high platform with her long, slender legs.
Though her personality was fiery, at a moment involving honor and reputation, her expression was exceptionally serious.
She reached into the massive lottery box, stirred it a few times, then suddenly grabbed a numbered ball.
"Shrek Academy, draw position…" The referee glanced at the ball and announced loudly, "Number Six!"
As his voice fell, large characters immediately lit up on the massive spirit tool screen behind the platform:
[First Round, Sixth Match: Shrek Academy VS To Be Determined]
"Number Six, huh…" Xuan Zi narrowed his eyes from the audience and glanced at the screen.
So far, all the previous academies had drawn different numbers. No one had drawn Number Six yet.
In other words, Shrek's opponent had not appeared.
"Very good!" Xuan Zi's spirits soared. His once-clouded eyes instantly sharpened as he stared intently at the drawing platform.
Now, all that remained was to wait for the prey to step into the trap.
---
Time passed.
One team captain after another went up to draw lots.
"Number Twelve!"
"Number Three!"
"Number Twenty-Eight!"
Each time a number was announced, Xuan Zi's heart skipped violently.
He was waiting—waiting for the figure he hated so much his teeth itched.
Finally, after more than ten minutes, the referee's voice rang out once more:
"Next, representative of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"
"It's here!" Xuan Zi abruptly straightened, not even caring about the wine flask in his hand. His eyes widened like copper bells as he locked onto Liu Yuan walking slowly toward the platform.
Liu Yuan's steps were steady, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy uniform on him made him look tall and upright.
Facing the gazes of tens of thousands, his expression remained calm and indifferent, as though he hadn't come to draw a lot that would decide his fate, but merely to take a casual stroll.
That unhurried demeanor only made Xuan Zi even angrier.
"Keep pretending!" Xuan Zi cursed inwardly. "Once you draw Number Six, let's see if you can still smile!"
The moment Liu Yuan's hand reached into the lottery box, Xuan Zi's heart rate surged to its peak.
Inside his mind, he screamed like a madman:
"Number Six! Number Six! Number Six! Draw Number Six for me!"
That intense resentment almost seemed tangible, as if it could interfere with the outcome itself.
On the platform, Liu Yuan seemed to sense something. The corners of his mouth curled into a faintly playful smile as he casually grabbed a ball and handed it to the referee.
At that moment, the entire audience's eyes were fixed on that small numbered ball.
The referee glanced at it, paused briefly, then announced loudly:
"Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, draw position…"
Xuan Zi's breathing stopped.
"Number One!"
As the words fell, brilliant characters immediately appeared at the very top of the spirit tool screen:
[First Round, First Match: Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy VS Heavenly Spirit High-Rank Soul Master Academy]
"Boom—!"
The entire venue erupted in an uproar.
The first match was the Sun Moon Royal Team?!
The opening battle!
---
Below the stage, Xuan Zi instantly went limp in his chair like a deflated ball.
"Damn it!" He couldn't help but curse, slamming the chicken bone in his hand onto the ground.
"How is it Number One?! Why not Number Six?!"
His face twisted with disappointment and rage.
It was so close!
Just a little more, and he could have personally crushed that ant in the first round!
"They really escaped disaster…" Xuan Zi glared viciously at the matchup table on the screen, grinding his teeth.
"Consider yourself lucky for not running into us right away."
"But it's only a matter of dying early or dying late. I don't believe you can hide forever!"
---
On the other side, Liu Yuan stepped down from the platform calmly and returned to the Sun Moon team.
"Phew…" Seeing the result, Ma Rulong and the others finally let out long breaths of relief.
Though they had boldly talked about avenging Liu Yuan and slapping Shrek in the face, that was strategic contempt.
Tactically, however, they still regarded Shrek with extreme seriousness.
If they truly met Shrek in the first round, it would be a brutally difficult battle. It was far better to wait, gather more intelligence, and manufacture spirit tools specifically designed to counter them.
Drawing Number One and facing the unfamiliar "Heavenly Spirit High-Rank Soul Master Academy" was undoubtedly an excellent start.
"Great, a top-tier lot," Xiao Hongchen said relaxedly as he waved his folding fan. "I've never even heard of this Heavenly Spirit Academy. Probably second-rate trash—perfect for warming up."
However, Meng Hongchen beside Liu Yuan looked a little pale, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.
"But… Brother, Brother Liu Yuan," she said nervously, glancing at the words First Match on the screen. "We're the opening match…"
"That means we'll be on stage as soon as the opening ceremony ends? Th-this feels too fast. I haven't fully prepared myself mentally…"
It was her first time participating in such a top-tier, continent-wide event—and as the opening match, no less. Nervousness and pressure were unavoidable.
Seeing her unease, Liu Yuan smiled gently.
He naturally reached out and patted her shoulder, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Relax, Meng. It's just a normal match. There's nothing to be nervous about."
His gaze swept over Meng Hongchen, then across the rest of the team—relaxed, yet still holding a trace of tension.
"The opponent isn't strong," Liu Yuan said evenly. "With our strength, winning will be easy."
His eyes narrowed slightly, his voice lowering with calculated calm.
"However, since this is the first match, the entire continent is watching us—especially…"
He glanced meaningfully toward Shrek's direction in the distance.
"That old man over there is staring hard, trying to probe our limits."
Everyone immediately understood.
"Therefore," Liu Yuan raised a finger, speaking decisively, "to avoid revealing too much of our strength, we shouldn't fight as a full team this match."
Turning his head, his gaze settled on Ma Rulong and Xiao Hongchen.
"Rulong. Xiao. This match is for the two of you."
"You go all out. End it as quickly as possible and display the prestige of the Sun Moon team."
Ma Rulong and Xiao Hongchen's eyes lit up simultaneously.
"No problem!"
Xiao Hongchen snapped his folding fan shut, excitement blazing in his eyes. "I've been itching to fight. Perfect chance to test my newly developed spirit tool tactics!"
Ma Rulong nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Captain. Leave it to us. We'll win cleanly and beautifully."
Satisfied, Liu Yuan turned to Meng Hongchen, Mi Jia, and the others.
"As for the rest of you, once you're on stage, just go through the motions or assist with defense."
"Use conventional spirit tools as much as possible. Hide your core Spirit abilities and trump cards."
A glint of wisdom flashed in Liu Yuan's eyes, and a cold smile curved at his lips.
"Doesn't Xuan Zi want to see our strength? Then let him see. Let him believe this is everything we've got."
"Only then… when we meet Shrek later in the round-robin or finals, we can strike them with a fatal blow and catch them completely off guard."
Admiration filled everyone's eyes as they listened. This was their core—not only powerful, but calm, far-sighted, and always thinking several steps ahead.
"Understood!" Meng Hongchen's nervousness faded, replaced by a sly smile. "Hee hee, Brother Liu Yuan is really devious—setting a trap for Shrek. But… I like it!"
"Alright." Liu Yuan adjusted his collar and looked toward the competition stage bathed in sunlight.
"Prepare to go on stage."
"Let the entire continent witness the glory that belongs to the Sun Moon Royal."
-------------Author---------------
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