The crowd wasn't as grand as expected. Despite claims of thousands of Royal Knights spectating, Dai Mubai glanced around and sighed—there were maybe a few hundred at best.
Tired of this… just let it all end already.
"Plant Academy, enter…"
"Heaven Water Academy, enter…"
"Divine Wind Academy, enter…"
One by one, the teams entered the arena. Emperor Xue Ye delivered a few formal remarks, and the opening ceremony of the Advancement Tournament concluded swiftly.
Without ordinary spectators, the venue remained relatively quiet. Aside from brief exchanges among competitors and instructors, there was little noise.
"Hey, that blonde guy looks pretty good. Wonder how strong he is?"
A young lady from Plant Academy eyed Dai Mubai with interest.
In the anime version, Plant Academy was vastly different from its novel counterpart. Here, all their contestants were tall, striking young women.
This starkly contrasted with the novel version, where the Plant Academy team wasn't particularly memorable.
No wonder Li Si envied Lin Fan—anime worlds seemed to overflow with beautiful people.
The team leader of Plant Academy raised her hand, signaling the others to focus.
"Don't underestimate them. They're the top team from the Heaven Dou Division, so their strength shouldn't be ignored!"
"Maybe Heaven Dou is just weak?" another member suggested, rolling her eyes.
"Look at Shrek Academy. They've got a few older contestants. That must mean Heaven Dou's teams are weak!"
"Well, even if our team isn't great at group battles, we dominate in 1v1…"
The competitive banter began even before the matches started.
Such cattiness was common. Though the elemental academies often claimed solidarity, this camaraderie quickly evaporated when Blazing Academy was swept by Shrek Academy during the qualifiers. Tianshui and Thunder academies couldn't help but mock their counterparts.
Solidarity? Only when weak. Once strong, it was every academy for itself.
Hearing this chatter, the faces of Divine Wind, Thunder, Tianshui, and Blazing Academy contestants darkened.
"Hmph, you'll understand when you face those monsters," muttered Yu Tianxin.
He had no fight left in him. Against Shrek Academy, surrender seemed the wisest course.
"Is it that hard to admit you're just trash? Shrek Academy is nothing special!"
"Exactly! Watch us from Barak Academy teach Shrek a lesson!"
These words came from the overconfident members of Barak Academy, who were full of bravado and utterly underestimated Shrek Academy.
"You can keep telling yourselves that," Feng Xiaotian muttered, glancing at the Barak Academy members in exasperation.
These clueless fools… what are they even thinking?
Shrek Academy had already revealed four Spirit Kings during the qualifiers.
No, scratch that—even without Spirit Kings, Tang San alone—a 49th-level Spirit Ancestor—was more than enough to handle most teams. His second martial soul was none other than the Clear Sky Hammer, the most powerful tool spirit in the world!
"Just don't cry too hard when you lose," Fire Dance remarked coldly, arms crossed.
Was it that other teams were weak?
No.
Shrek Academy's members were simply monsters—utterly inhuman in their abilities.
"Shrek Academy and Barak Academy, please send out your contestants," the referee announced.
Match Rules
Unlike the qualifiers, the Advancement Matches focused heavily on individual strength.
Before the match, both teams submitted their contestant order to the referee. Once set, the lineup couldn't be changed.
The match proceeded as a series of 1v1 battles. The winner stayed on until they lost, while the losing side rotated through their members until all were defeated.
Shrek Academy's first contestant was their resident "tool," Tang San.
Protagonists usually made dramatic last-minute appearances to turn the tide, but Dai Mubai wasn't giving Tang San that chance.
Oh, you love fighting, don't you? Well, here's your moment. Enjoy it—because your time is running out.
Watching Tang San step onto the stage, Dai Mubai muttered under his breath, "Savor this final bit of happiness, Tang San…"
Too bad Tang San, laser-focused on his opponent, didn't hear him.
Barak Academy's first contestant glanced at Tang San and sneered.
"Kid, with that scrawny build of yours, just step down. No need for us adults to bully you!"
He eyed Tang San dismissively, noting the faint handprint on his face. Clearly, someone had slapped this kid before the match.
The large screen displayed both contestants' basic information.
The jeers and doubts from earlier fell silent.
Even those mocking Tang San moments ago were struck speechless.
"Is this screen broken?" someone murmured.
"It must be. There's no way such a young boy is Level 49!"
"Look! His martial soul is the Clear Sky Hammer!"
A collective gasp echoed through the audience as they realized the truth.
The four elemental academies now gazed at Barak Academy with pity.
Having endured one beating in the qualifiers, they were about to suffer another in the Advancement Matches.
"Begin!"
Tang San stepped forward, gripping the Clear Sky Hammer in his left hand. The hammer, over a meter long, radiated power as four purple spirit rings rose around him.
The Barak contestant froze, his confidence evaporating.
The Clear Sky Hammer wasn't just a weapon—it was a symbol of raw, unrivaled power.
As Tang San advanced, his steps deliberate and his eyes glowing with purple light, his aura grew more oppressive with each stride.
The Barak contestant gulped, instinctively retreating a few steps to create distance. But the stage was only so large—where could he possibly go?
Back in Barak Academy's rest area, the once-confident team members now sat in stunned silence.
"Captain, we…"
"Enough! I don't believe all their members are Spirit Ancestors!"
"Fight! Even if we lose, we won't let them sweep us!"
Losing was inevitable, but a total defeat—being "swept"—was unacceptable. Barak Academy still had its pride!
"Understood!"
The team glared at Tang San, resentment simmering.
His right cheek bore a handprint, and they wished nothing more than to slap his left cheek to match.
The Battle
The first Barak contestant felt immense pressure.
I can't just sit here and lose! If I can't win, I'll at least deplete his spirit power!
With this resolve, he launched his second spirit skill without hesitation.
Time passed, and Tang San had already defeated five members of Barak Academy.
His expression remained stoic, but internally, he felt drained.
The Clear Sky Hammer was powerful, but it consumed an enormous amount of energy.
"Kid, your winning streak ends here!"
(Chapter ends.)