The host, riding his hovering disk, circled high above Heaven Dou Plaza, his voice booming with excitement,
"Now, let's welcome the representative teams of the Heaven Dou Division! First, give a warm round of applause to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's First Team!"
Led by Ignaz, the seven members of the Royal Academy's First Team marched proudly into the plaza. In an instant, the crowd's eyes locked onto them.
"Wait, isn't the Royal Academy's First Team a guaranteed finalist? Why are they in the preliminaries with everyone else?"
"Brother, you're way behind the times. Don't you know how strong they've become? Two Spirit Kings and five Spirit Ancestors! With a lineup like that, they don't need a free pass. To me, this year's championship is already theirs."
…
Thanks to Ignaz's help, half a year had transformed the team. Shimo and Shichen, who had both been Spirit Elders, broke through to Spirit Ancestor with the aid of two Mystic Water Pills.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, once the lowest-ranked in spirit power, soared from Rank 34 to Rank 43 after taking a Mystic Water Pill and a Narcissus Pill crafted from the rare Jade Bone Narcissus. She now ranked fifth in the team.
As the Royal Academy's First and Second Teams entered, the five great elemental academies followed. Four of them—excluding Elephant Armor Academy—remained strong as ever, each boasting at least four Spirit Ancestors.
Finally, when the host's introductions were nearly done, a team dressed in ridiculous green uniforms plastered with advertisements strutted onto the stage. They looked like clowns, and the surrounding crowd snickered.
"Which academy is that supposed to be? All that green—are they gardeners instead of Spirit Masters?"
"What an eyesore. Whoever designed those uniforms should be fired."
Hearing the ridicule aimed at Shrek, Dai Mubai clenched his fists in fury. If not for the ceremony, he would've charged into the stands and taught those hecklers a lesson.
"Third Brother, look up there," Ning Rongrong whispered, pointing. "On the central throne is Emperor Xue Ye. To his left is Platinum Bishop Salas from Spirit Hall, and to his right… that's my father. You've all met him before."
Tang San's gaze fell on Salas, his brows knitting tight. Rage welled up in his chest. His mother's death, his father's downfall, his own struggles—all of it, the fault of Spirit Hall. Without them, his family could have lived in peace.
Meanwhile, Emperor Xue Ye studied Ignaz and the Royal Academy's First Team with great interest. He leaned toward Ning Fengzhi and asked,
"Clan Master Ning, do you have a favorite among these teams?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly.
"Besides the First Team, there's another group I'm keeping my eye on. But let me keep that secret for now, Your Majesty."
"Oh?" Xue Ye chuckled.
Once all the teams had entered, the host proclaimed,
"Now, let us welcome His Majesty Emperor Xue Ye to deliver the opening speech for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament!"
The Emperor stepped forward, microphone in hand, and with a commanding voice declared the tournament officially open.
That afternoon, the drawing of lots determined the first matchups. Ignaz's Royal Academy First Team drew a small, unknown academy. Before the fight even began, their opponents conceded. Just like that, the First Team advanced with hardly any effort.
But when Tang San drew lots for Shrek, the mood turned tense. The card read *Heaven Dou Royal Academy*.
"Please, not the First Team… not the First Team," Ma Hongjun muttered nervously.
Just then, Salas tossed two golden-edged plaques onto the floor. Seeing the marks on them, the Shrek team finally sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness—it's only the Second Team."
By late afternoon, four matches had already finished. The fifth was set: Shrek Academy versus the Royal Academy's Second Team.
The Shrek Seven were brimming with confidence. A year or two ago, they'd already beaten this exact squad. Facing them again only fired them up.
"Boss Dai," Tang San said calmly, "work with my spirit skill later. Let's finish this within a minute."
"Got it. Shrek will win."
Both teams stepped onto the arena platform at nearly the same moment.
"Tang San, isn't it? Last time, you only won because we underestimated you. This time, we'll crush you and end your little tournament dream early."
Ma Hongjun spat on the ground.
"Yeah? We'll see about that."
The host's voice rang out,
"In the fifth match of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament preliminaries: Shrek Academy versus Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team. Let the battle begin!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Dai Mubai barked,
"Brothers, release your spirits!"
The seven Shrek members revealed their rings, each displaying a standard configuration. Then, from the center of the formation, a faint black glow rose at Tang San's feet. His fourth ring shimmered into view—pure black.
The crowd gasped. Chairs scraped as spectators leapt to their feet, eyes wide.
"A ten-thousand-year fourth ring!"
Even Emperor Xue Ye was astonished. For him, it wasn't unprecedented—Ignaz also had a ten-thousand-year fourth ring—but it was still remarkable.
Ignaz himself frowned. Without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well or any immortal herbs, how on earth had Tang San managed this?
The truth was simple: Tang San's fourth ring came from a Crypt Demon Spider deep within the Blue Silver Forest. Without the help of the Blue Silver King, his body could never have survived absorbing a beast that had just crossed the ten-thousand-year threshold.
The Second Team froze in shock. Tang San seized the opening. The black ring spun beneath his feet, channeling into his hands.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Blue Silver Prison!"
Blue-and-red vines erupted from the ground, twisting into seven towering cages, each three meters high. Before the Royal Academy's Second Team could react, they were locked inside.