At exactly eight in the morning, as a vigorous and resonant horn sounded, the clamor within Heavenly Spirit Plaza gradually subsided.
To the host's impassioned and powerful voice, the participating teams of the All-Continent High-Level Soul Master Academy entered the arena in succession.
One hundred and thirty-six teams, each dressed in their academy's distinctive uniforms, marched with steady steps, slowly entering from the passage on one side of the plaza.
Some academy teams possessed a majestic aura, with members holding their heads high and chests out, their bodies radiating strong spirit power fluctuations, fully displaying the demeanor of the strong.
Other academies were low-key and reserved, their members' expressions calm and their steps steady, yet inadvertently revealing a resilient temperament.
Still other academy teams were full of exotic flair, with peculiar clothing and Spirit auras that were completely different from the mainland mainstream, drawing bursts of curious discussion from the spectator stands.
As each team entered, the host would briefly introduce the academy's history, past achievements, and the core members participating this time.
When introducing those prestigious old-brand powerhouses, thunderous applause and cheers would erupt from the spectator stands.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team walked in the second position, the members' expressions solemn and their steps perfectly synchronized.
Their platinum-colored uniforms shimmered under the sunlight, drawing awe-filled and curious gazes from the spectators along the way.
Xu Tianran walked at the front of the team; he had a tall, straight build and a handsome face, though his eyes carried a trace of hard-to-detect arrogance and coldness.
His gaze swept over the cheering crowds around him, without the slightest ripple in his heart.
At this moment, in his mind, there was only the upcoming competition and that championship trophy symbolizing strength and glory.
To him, this tournament was not just a contest of strength, but a stage for the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tools to prove their power to the entire continent.
He wanted everyone to know that the era of spirit tools had arrived, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy would surely become the leader of this era.
The team entry ceremony lasted for nearly an hour, and when the last academy team reached their designated position and stood still, the entire Heavenly Spirit Plaza became silent.
Subsequently, the Emperor of the Dou Ling Empire, surrounded by a crowd of princes, ministers, and top powerhouses of the Spirit Master's world, ascended the VIP platform on the east side of the plaza.
The Emperor was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, wore a crown, and had a majestic face, his entire body radiating a kingly aura from long-held high status.
He held a roll of golden imperial decree and read the opening oath in a vigorous and solemn voice.
His words contained both welcome and expectations for the various participating teams, as well as wishes for the prosperous development of the entire continent's Spirit Master's world.
He further emphasized the tournament's principle of fairness and justice, hoping all contestants would compete with style and skill, showcasing the elegance of contemporary Spirit Masters.
After the swearing-in, the Emperor introduced the invited guests present one by one.
These guests were all top powerhouses from across the continent; each time a name was announced, it would trigger a significant stir in the spectator stands.
The guests sat in the VIP seats on one side of the high platform with varying expressions; some closed their eyes to rest, appearing not to care at all about the grand occasion before them.
Others sized up the participating teams below with great interest, their gazes filled with scrutiny and evaluation.
Still others spoke in low voices to each other, seemingly discussing the favorites to win this tournament.
The long and grand opening process continued until eleven o'clock.
When the host announced the official end of the ceremony, the spectator stands immediately erupted with long-suppressed cheers; everyone was impatient to see the long-awaited matches.
Clearly, the Dou Ling Empire's officials understood the audience's psychology well; without any delay, as soon as the opening ceremony ended, they immediately announced the official start of the competition.
The host held a spirit tool microphone and said in a voice full of passion: "Dear audience friends, thank you for waiting!"
"Next, let us use our warmest applause to welcome the first clash of this All-Continent High-Level Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament!"
As soon as the words fell, deafening applause and cheers rang out in the plaza, and the atmosphere was instantly pushed to a climax.
Since the opening ceremony had taken up quite a bit of time, the morning schedule was very tight, with only one match, but the weight of this match was enough to ignite the entire venue.
According to the official match list announced by the tournament, the two sides of the first match were respectively the defending champion of previous tournaments, Shrek Academy, hailed as the number one academy on the continent.
And the Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy from the Sun Moon Empire, famous worldwide for its spirit tools!
Such a match arrangement was undoubtedly the result of careful planning by the tournament officials.
Although the officials claimed externally that the matchups were randomly drawn, anyone with a discerning eye could see the deeper meaning within.
Among the hundred thousand spectators present, over ninety percent came from the original three Empires of the Douluo Continent.
Regarding the Sun Moon Empire, many of them harbored a trace of wariness and defiance in their hearts.
And Shrek Academy, as the representative of the three Empires' Spirit Master's world, had long established an unshakable image of the strong in the people's hearts.
Therefore, when they learned that the first match was Shrek Academy against the Sun Moon Empire's Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy.
The audience's passion was completely ignited; everyone looked forward to Shrek Academy relying on their powerful Spirit Master strength.
To fiercely suppress the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tools and let the opponent know who the true king of the continent's Spirit Master's world was.
The Dou Ling Empire officials had naturally premeditated such an arrangement.
The tournament, held every five years, was not only a grand event for the Spirit Master's world but also an important opportunity to enhance the Empire's influence and drive economic development.
An opening battle with enough buzz and excitement could greatly enhance the tournament's viewership and reputation, attracting more people to follow subsequent matches.
For the Empire, this was undoubtedly beneficial in every way.
Therefore, arranging Shrek Academy and Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy for the first match both satisfied the audience's expectations and got the tournament off to a flying start, truly killing two birds with one stone.
However, such a premeditated arrangement actually didn't matter to Xu Tianran.
At this moment, Xu Tianran was standing in the rest area of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Listening to the bursts of cheers from the surrounding audience for Shrek Academy, not only did his face show no dissatisfaction, but it instead curled into a cold smile.
He raised his head, his gaze falling upon the Shrek Academy team ahead, his eyes filled with undisguised fighting intent and contempt.
He would have preferred if the Dou Ling officials had arranged for them to meet in the first round of the knockout stage for a one-on-one showdown with Shrek Academy.
That way, they could defeat Shrek Academy in the most direct and sharpest manner right at the start of the competition.
Letting this team, hailed as the continent's number one, suffer the shame of a first-round exit and completely fall from their pedestal.
This would not only greatly strike at the morale of other participating teams but also highlight the powerful strength of the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tools, paving the way for his subsequent plans.