Chapter 103 The 103rd Star Luo Team
Morning!!
The Shrek Academy team, clad in dark green outfits, appeared on Star Luo Square, eliciting a deafening roar of cheers.
From over a hundred teams at the start of the competition to the final four, the tournament had lasted for over a month.
For the remaining four teams, each had at most two more matches to play. The decisive moment had arrived, and so had the moment for all-out battle.
The rest area had been renovated, leaving only four sections, each team spaced far apart.
With nearly half an hour until the start of the matches, all four teams had arrived.
Occasionally, sparks flew between the teams in eye contact; their fighting spirit was high, and the atmosphere in the rest area became solemn, tense, and even somewhat deadly.
The first day of the semi-finals: team battles.
Unexpectedly, a ten-meter-wide red carpet stretched from the direction of the imperial city gate all the way to the front of the competition stage. Ten minutes before the draw began, the gates of the imperial palace swung open. His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, surrounded by palace guards, strode out and headed straight for the competition arena.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" All the soldiers maintaining order raised their weapons and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
The crowd, also noticing the Emperor's arrival, joined in the shouts.
The members of the four teams rose to their feet, paying their respects to His Majesty.
Beside the Emperor stood four elderly men, forming a square, with the Emperor at the center. Behind him followed only twenty guards. It didn't seem extravagant.
However, the members of each participating team knew perfectly well that this guard was extremely prestigious. Those four elderly men were likely titled Douluo-level powerhouses revered by the Star Luo Empire.
A cheer erupted in Star Luo Square, demonstrating the Emperor's immense popularity among his people.
The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire did not try to stop the commotion, but simply looked calmly and smiled at the commoners in the distance. Only when the square gradually quieted down did he smile and say, "The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament is a grand event held every five years on our Douluo Continent. It is a great honor for me that this tournament is being held in our country.
First, I want to thank the more than one hundred academy teams from various countries; it is they who have presented so many wonderful matches, allowing us to witness the rapid development of the continent's soul master and soul master professions. They have also given me the opportunity to share in the joy with my people."
"Today, the semi-finals will begin shortly, and this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament will come to a close. The draw for the top four is also the last draw of this tournament; therefore, I have decided to personally preside over this draw. I hope that Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Imperial Academy, and our Star Luo Empire's Star Luo National Academy will present even more exciting matches in the final games."
The Emperor's words were grand and humorous, yet concise, and as soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers of "Long live the Emperor!"
Of the four elders who followed him onto the stage, the one on the left took two steps forward, facing the rest area, and said in a deep voice, "Please invite the captains of the four teams to come up to the stage for the draw."
An indescribable powerful aura suddenly erupted from this elder, the astonishing pressure even making everyone in Star Luo Square feel as if the sky had darkened.
The Star Luo Emperor smiled and said, "To ensure the safety of the team members in the semi-finals and finals, I have decided that in every match to come, the Imperial Guardian Douluo will serve as the referee and preside over the competition. Today's draw and the first match will be presided over by Senior Huang Jinxu, whose title is Heavenly Fiend."
Sending a titled Douluo as referee serves two purposes: first, to protect the lives of the students in the upcoming matches, since the four participating academies all have astonishing backgrounds, and if anything goes wrong and students are seriously injured or killed, it will more or less implicate the Star Luo Empire.
Second, it is naturally to demonstrate national power and show strength.
The four team captains representing the four finalists have already come up to the stage.
Shrek Academy's representative was Ma Xiaotao, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's was Ma Rulong, and Imperial Academia's was a young man of medium build with broad shoulders and a wide back. However, the representative from Star Luo National Academy was a young girl:
Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire. Star Luo National Academy's competition attire was a light yellow, fitted outfit. Today, this princess was different from the elegant and noble woman she was at the auction; her demeanor had completely changed in this fitted outfit. She exuded a spirited and heroic aura. Her long golden hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, and a faint smile graced her pretty face. The well-tailored yellow outfit perfectly accentuated her delicate figure. Ma Rulong only glanced at the princess, a slight hint of surprise in his eyes before immediately turning his gaze elsewhere. The captain of Imperial Academia, however, stared intently at Princess Jiujiu for several moments before averting his gaze.
Looking at Xu Jiujiu on the stage, Wang Yan frowned deeply, because before today, Princess Xu Jiujiu had never appeared in Star Luo National Academy's camp. However, according to the information he received, the Star Luo Empire did indeed have a vacancy for a reserve team member.
As if suddenly remembering something, Wang Yan's mind jolted, and a look of sudden realization appeared in his eyes. "I remember now, Yao Heng. The direct descendant of the Xu family, the royal family of the Star Luo Empire, should have the Star Crown Martial Soul, right? Could it be that this princess's Martial Soul is also..."
Dai Yao Heng, standing beside Wang Yan, nodded solemnly.
"Teacher Wang, your guess is correct. Although the Xu family of the Star Luo Empire's royal family has a thin bloodline, their powerful Star Crown Martial Soul has been passed down through generations. My father once commented on His Majesty's cultivation level, saying only four words: unfathomable. His Majesty is the most outstanding cultivator in the royal family in the past three hundred years. Jiu Jiu also inherited the royal family's Star Crown Martial Soul, but she has rarely shown her true cultivation level in public over the years. I came to Shrek Academy to study when I was eleven years old, so I am not very clear about Jiu Jiu's specific cultivation level. However, when Jiu Jiu awakened her Martial Soul, she had innate level nine soul power, and with the various resources of the royal family, she should have at least reached the Soul King level by now."
Wang Yan took a deep breath and said with a solemn gaze, "Let's see how the lottery is drawn."
The four captains representing the four academies had arrived on the stage, and the draw began.
Under the watchful eyes of the four Title Douluos, the four captains approached Emperor Xingluo. Emperor Xingluo smiled slightly and said, "It's a pleasure to see you young talents. The competition is about to begin. I hope you can uphold the principle of 'friendship first, competition second' and complete this tournament. I will throw out four balls with their assigned positions written on them shortly. You will all rush to grab them at the same time. Are you ready?"
Ma Xiaotao narrowed her eyes, glanced at Princess Jiujiu beside her, and said, "Ready."
Princess Jiujiu smiled slightly and nodded. Ma Rulong and the captain of Di'ao Academy also nodded.
"Pay attention." Emperor Xingluo's eyes narrowed slightly, and then, before anyone could see how he made his move, four golden lights simultaneously rose into the air.
Ma Xiaotao had already been waiting in ambush. As soon as Emperor Xingluo made his move, she leaped into the air. Whether it was her, Di'ao Academy, or Ma Rulong, the choice was the same: to rush towards the golden balls in the air at top speed.
Only Princess Jiujiu remained motionless, still standing there with a smile on her face.
When Ma Xiaotao began to fall, the captain of the Imperial Academy and Ma Rulong both succeeded. The last golden ball fell from the sky, and Princess Jiujiu simply reached out and caught it.
A faint smile appeared on the princess's pretty face. She glanced at the ball in her hand; although she was the last to catch it, she was the first to announce the result.
"I am number one," Ma Rulong said in a deep voice. "Number two,"
Ma Xiaotao's gaze fell directly on Princess Jiujiu's pretty face, "number one."
At this point, although the Imperial Academy hadn't announced their numbers yet, the draw results were already in. Shrek Academy, also number one, would face Star Luo National Academy today. And the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy would naturally face Imperial Academy.
The Star Luo Emperor personally checked the draw numbers and announced the results to the people. When the people of the Star Luo Empire heard that their team would face Shrek Academy, gasps of surprise rang out from the crowd.
The rules for the semifinals and finals follow the previous elimination rounds, also taking place over two days, consisting of team battles and individual elimination rounds. The difference is that both matches must be won to advance. If each side wins one match, a tiebreaker using a 2-2-3 strategy will be necessary. In other words, winning the team battle no longer provides any advantage.
The semifinals are not completed in one day, but the finals will feature a continuous series of team battles, individual elimination rounds, and 2-2-3 strategies. At that point, it will be a test not only of strength but also of sustained fighting power, endurance, and willpower.
The Star Luo Emperor smiled and said, "I wish all four teams the best of luck in the upcoming matches. The draw is complete; please prepare yourselves. Today's first team battle will be Shrek Academy versus Star Luo National Academy, and the second will be Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy versus Imperial Academy." The matches are about to begin, and the players from both sides begin to take the stage.
Ma Xiaotao led the way, followed closely by Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Ling Luochen, with Wu Xuan, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi bringing up the rear.
This was the first time Shrek Academy had fielded its strongest lineup, and the cheers from the audience instantly resounded through the sky—a truly awe-inspiring scene.
Unlike previous occasions where most of the audience in Star Luo Square cheered solely for Shrek Academy, this time it presented a picture of Shrek Academy and Star Luo Royal Academy locked in a fierce battle.
The vast majority of the audience were from the Star Luo Empire, and supporting their own country's academy was only natural.
On the other side, the seven students from Star Luo Royal Academy remained calm.
One by one, the team members about to go into battle stepped forward. Xu Jiujiu walked at the very front.
However, her gaze only lingered briefly on Ma Xiaotao before settling on Wu Xuan in the center of the Shrek Academy group. Her bright azure eyes radiated a faint golden light, her gaze serene. But upon closer inspection, one would discover a vastness within them, as boundless as the ocean.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes blazed like two fiery infernos, their intense aura exerting immense pressure on her opponents.
The Heavenly Fiend Douluo's gaze swept over Ma Xiaotao, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, but he quickly regained his composure, coldly declaring, "Both sides retreat. No one may release their Martial Soul before I announce the start of the match."
Both teams retreated simultaneously, their eyes fixed on each other. During the retreat, their formations shifted rapidly.
Shrek Academy changed their usual formation. At the forefront remained Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Ma Xiaotao, but behind them were Wu Xuan and Bei Bei, with Xu Sanshi standing at the very back beside Ling Luochen.
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