In the morning at the tournament venue, the radiance of the rising sun bathed everyone's shoulders, harmonizing with the excitement on their faces.
Today was the day of the semifinals for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. All the spectators had arrived early at the venue, eagerly awaiting the first two of the final three matches of this tournament. Today's matches were bound to be even more thrilling than those that came before.
As the time for the matches drew near, all four semifinalist teams had already entered the venue. The day's matches were divided into two sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. According to the draw, the morning match pitted Tang Sect against the Snow Demon Sect, while the afternoon match would feature Shrek Academy against the Holy Spirit Sect.
On the main platform, Xu Tianran, who had stormed off in anger two days prior, now sat in his place as if nothing had happened. Beside him were the Regent Consort Ju Zi and the black-robed Imperial Preceptor. As for Jing Hongchen, he had not reappeared since the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Mentor Academy withdrew from the tournament two days ago.
"Heh, this grouping is quite interesting," Xu Tianran remarked with a chuckle before continuing, "Imperial Preceptor, what are your sect's chances of defeating Shrek Academy in your match?"
"Eighty percent!" the black-robed Imperial Preceptor declared with great confidence.
"Oh!" Xu Tianran showed a hint of surprise before responding with keen interest, "As expected of the Imperial Preceptor. Let us look forward to this afternoon's match!"
To be honest, Xu Tianran initially hadn't wanted the Holy Spirit Sect to stand out too much. After all, he was well aware that he was destined to be an emperor, and the Holy Spirit Sect was not truly aligned with him. However, after being thoroughly humiliated by He Caitou and Ma Xiaotao two days ago, he now hoped the Holy Spirit Sect would win—or at the very least, fight Shrek Academy to a mutual defeat! Otherwise, he didn't know when he'd ever get the chance to vent his frustration.
The first half of the semifinals began: Tang Sect versus the Snow Demon Sect (Body Sect). Truth be told, the strength of these two teams was very close, and purely based on power, it was hard to predict who would win.
However, Tang Sect had a child of destiny among them, and his very presence meant the match was inherently unequal and unfair.
Sure enough, Huo Yuhao, who had kept a low profile throughout the tournament, took the stage as Tang Sect's first contestant in the individual elimination round. He then put on a spectacular performance, effortlessly defeating three of the Body Sect's contestants, securing Tang Sect's qualification for the team battle.
The team battle between Tang Sect and the Body Sect soon began. Although the Body Sect's seven-member team coordinated with great synergy, they were unable to unleash their full strength against Tang Sect's seven members.
As an observer, Zhu Ziyang clearly noticed that the Body Sect team was in a state where they had strength but couldn't use it. The reason was simple: their main control-type soul master, Wei Na, was completely suppressed by Tang Sect's main control-type soul master, Huo Yuhao, throughout the match, preventing her from fully focusing on directing the battle.
In the end, Tang Sect defeated the Body Sect and advanced to the finals.
This outcome left all the spectators in disbelief, as it meant that if Shrek Academy's team defeated the Holy Spirit Sect in the afternoon, they would face Tang Sect in the finals. This would result in both finalist teams coming from Shrek Academy—a situation the Mingdu audience found utterly unacceptable.
Thus, even those spectators who weren't fond of the Holy Spirit Sect began praying for the afternoon match, hoping against hope that the Holy Spirit Sect could win. However, based on the strength both teams had displayed so far, it seemed highly unlikely that the Holy Spirit Sect could defeat Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy's team had already revealed at least two Soul Sages, two Soul Emperors, and three Soul Kings—an lineup that could dominate all the teams in this tournament. Even more terrifying was the fact that, among the seven Shrek Academy contestants who had appeared, it seemed only four were main team members!
Three Soul Kings weren't even part of the main roster, meaning Shrek Academy likely had at least three more Soul Emperor-level contestants!
In contrast, while the Holy Spirit Sect's performances had been brutal and bloody, their revealed strength consisted of only one Soul King and two Soul Emperors. Could such a lineup really compete with Shrek Academy's team?
The Mingdu audience expressed deep concern about this.
"Imperial Preceptor, I hope your disciples won't disappoint me!" Xu Tianran said to the black-robed Imperial Preceptor from the main platform. "I cannot bear to see two Shrek Academy teams meet at the summit in Mingdu. That would be a lifelong disgrace for me!"
"Your Highness, rest assured. I have made thorough preparations!" the black-robed Imperial Preceptor nodded confidently.
Soon, amidst great anticipation, the afternoon arrived, and the second half of the semifinals—Shrek Academy versus the Holy Spirit Sect—was about to begin!
In the contestant rest area, within Shrek Academy's section, aside from the Shrek Academy members, there were also Tang Sect members, as well as Princess Wei Na and Princess Xu Jiujiu. Their presence in Shrek's rest area was simple: to cheer on the Shrek Academy team.
"Ziyang, you have to win!" Xu Jiujiu said. "I can't wait to see Xu Tianran's furious face when he loses."
"With Ziyang's strength and the efforts of everyone on the Shrek team, the Holy Spirit Sect's chances of winning are slim," Wei Na said seriously.
"Slim? They have no chance, okay?" Tang Ya couldn't help but roll her eyes and retort.
"Senior Brother, once you win this match, we can head out early, right?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"Mhm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, standing up. "Alright, we're heading to the stage. Let's talk about anything else tonight!"
With that, Zhu Ziyang led Jiang Nannan, Qian Lingyi, Di Wu Huan'er, Zhou Tianhe, Chu Hua, and Ning Tian to the waiting area. This was the first time Shrek Academy's team had fielded its full main roster. Although Zhu Ziyang had already decided to let Qian Lingyi take the lead in this match, it was always wise to be fully prepared.
On the other side, the Holy Spirit Sect's lineup had also changed slightly. The Soul King Ji Li, who had appeared multiple times before, was absent, replaced by two girls who looked strikingly similar. Their team leader had also changed, now led by someone Zhu Ziyang recognized.
Well, perhaps "recognized" was a stretch—they had met once, so they could be considered acquaintances. Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng noticed Zhu Ziyang, and his expression shifted instantly, his mouth twitching uncontrollably. He wanted to call off the match entirely. He was one of only two people in the Holy Spirit Sect who knew Zhu Ziyang's true strength—a prodigy capable of forcing even Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao to retreat. Sending the Holy Spirit Sect's disciples to fight him was tantamount to sending them to their deaths!
Zhang Peng was about to speak, but the words caught in his throat. A warning sounded in his ears, and as he looked at Zhu Ziyang, he saw the seemingly harmless, handsome young man gesturing for silence. Coupled with the warning in his ears, Zhang Peng immediately shut his mouth.
"Let others die, not me. Sacrificing my life for these disposable disciples isn't worth it!"
Zhang Peng made the wise choice, and Zhu Ziyang gave a satisfied smile.
On the main platform, the moment Xu Tianran, Ju Zi, and the black-robed Imperial Preceptor saw Zhu Ziyang, their expressions shifted. Xu Tianran's was one of jealousy and resentment—he envied Zhu Ziyang's talent, his appearance, and the fact that he was surrounded by four stunning beauties. In contrast, Xu Tianran felt powerless despite his desires!
The black-robed Imperial Preceptor felt both wariness and excitement. He had initially been skeptical about Zhu Ziyang possessing six hundred-thousand-year soul rings, but Di Wu Huan'er's soul ring configuration a few days ago forced him to believe it. Moreover, this young man was likely an Ultimate Light attribute user, so the Imperial Preceptor was eager to kill him before he could fully mature!
Seeing Zhu Ziyang possibly taking the stage now, he was naturally thrilled. In his view, no matter how extraordinary Zhu Ziyang's talent was, his current strength was at most that of a Soul Douluo. A mere Soul Douluo could never be a match for the Wu Yun and Wu Yu sisters!
As for Ju Zi, the moment she saw Zhu Ziyang's appearance, she instantly recognized his identity. A flicker of excitement passed through her eyes, but it was overshadowed by worry. She prayed silently, not wanting to witness the benefactor she had just found bloodied on the arena.
For the first time in a long while, she felt powerless again.
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