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The preliminary rounds had concluded. Over the past few days, Instructor Zhou Yi was in an unusually good mood and even praised her students—a rare occurrence. After all, every single student in Class One of the freshman year had successfully advanced to the next stage, with no one being eliminated.
There were even two teams that achieved a perfect record in the preliminaries: Yuwen Tuo's team and Huo Yuhao's team.
Although Huo Yuhao wasn't as strong as he was in the original storyline, his auxiliary abilities from the million-year soul ring were still extraordinary. Coupled with Wang Dong's overwhelming power, they managed to dominate their matches effortlessly, even without Xiao Xiao.
In Xiao Xiao's place, another member joined their team—not particularly weak either, having reached the second soul ring level. This individual specialized in defense, making them a reliable guardian for Huo Yuhao while allowing Wang Dong to focus on unleashing powerful attacks upfront. It was a solid strategy.
Yuwen Tuo thought privately that the entire class advancing wasn't entirely due to Zhou Yi's teaching methods. While it was true that her high-pressure training regime helped improve those who could endure it, the fact remained that only the exceptionally talented students could survive under her strict policies. She essentially filtered out the weaker ones, retaining only the elite. If these naturally gifted students couldn't pass the preliminaries, then Zhou Yi's coaching skills would indeed be questionable.
From the sixth match onward, Yuwen Tuo's team began facing opponents from other districts. However, this posed no real challenge for him. The enemies were far too weak, and victory came easily—often with just a single strike. On the other hand, Huo Yuhao's team faced stronger opponents, such as Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, twin sisters whose martial souls were their hair—an example of body-originating martial souls. However, not all body-originating martial souls were equal. The strength of such a martial soul depended on its importance to the body. Hair could regrow if lost, but what about eyes? Eyes were irreplaceable, especially when paired with mental attributes like Huo Yuhao's. His martial soul, which connected his eyes to his brain, made it a top-tier body-originating martial soul.
Despite this, the Lan sisters possessed a formidable fusion technique called Heavenly Net, which added considerable strength to their arsenal.
Unfortunately for them, they were still no match for Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao. During their battle, Huo Yuhao drew inspiration from the sisters' teamwork and began experimenting with Wang Dong on developing their own fusion technique.
After ten preliminary matches, Yuwen Tuo suspected that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong might have already perfected their signature move:Â Brilliance Amidst Desolation - Golden Path.
"Could it be a martial soul fusion skill?" Yuwen Tuo mused silently. Given the nature of his own martial soul, forming a fusion technique with someone from this world seemed unlikely… but there was always a possibility.
"Tuo-tuo, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Xiao patted Yuwen Tuo's shoulder. She'd called his name multiple times, but he hadn't responded.
"Is Yuwen worried about the upcoming elimination rounds?" Lian Yue asked.
Earlier during class, Zhou Yi had briefed them on the performance of other groups in the round-robin stage. This year's batch of Shrek Academy freshmen was exceptionally outstanding, with three students achieving the rank of Soul Emperor—a remarkable feat given their age. All freshmen were under twelve years old, and reaching Level 30 by that age was unheard of unless one was extraordinarily talented.
"Yuwen, don't feel pressured. We've already passed the assessments. Even if we lose later, we won't be expelled from the academy," Lian Yue reassured him, assuming Yuwen Tuo felt bitter about falling behind others.
After all, both he and Wang Dong had once been at the top of the class, but now they'd been surpassed by several peers. Wang Dong, at least, was only eleven and would likely reach Soul Emperor status by the time she turned twelve, matching those prodigies. But Yuwen Tuo was truly overshadowed; at twelve, he lagged seven or eight levels behind the three Soul Emperors.
"Tuo-tuo isn't afraid of them! If only..." Xiao Xiao trailed off, anger simmering in her heart. If Yuwen Tuo hadn't lost six years of cultivation, becoming a Soul Emperor would have been child's play—even against all three prodigies combined.
"Lian Yue, thank you for your concern. And Xiao Xiao, don't be upset. Even now, I'm not going to lose to them," Yuwen Tuo said with a smile.
Three Soul Emperors? They wouldn't bring him any pressure.
"But I heard that those three come from prestigious families. Since childhood, they've enjoyed the best food and medicine, enabling them to achieve such heights. Their physiques are stronger than average Soul Emperors, and they possess family-inherited soul skills. How can we possibly compete...?" Lian Yue voiced the doubts typical of an ordinary person, lacking the fiery determination to fight back.
Her sole goal in staying at Shrek Academy had already been accomplished, and she harbored no ambition for the championship title—unlike Xiao Xiao, who burned with competitive spirit. Perhaps that explained why Xiao Xiao became part of the protagonist group while Lian Yue remained little more than a background character.
Seeing her lack of confidence, Yuwen Tuo didn't grow angry. Not everyone possessed an indomitable will. Most people were ordinary, after all.
"Lian Yue, if you're scared, just stand in the corner of the arena during the match and provide support buffs for me and Xiao Xiao. If anything goes wrong, jump off the stage immediately. Your safety comes first. Leave the rest to us," Yuwen Tuo said with a reassuring grin.
Lian Yue nodded. "Thank you, Yuwen. I'll do my best not to burden you and Xiao Xiao."
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Two days later, the elimination rounds officially began. Sixty-four teams, each excelling in the round-robin stage, gathered to compete. The instructors quickly called out names, followed by the drawing of lots—a simple process without elaborate ceremonies. As captain, Yuwen Tuo represented his team in the lottery draw. Sixty-four teams would face off in thirty-two matches, with one loss resulting in immediate elimination.
After a day of rest, the competition zones were expanded into sixteen larger areas—each significantly bigger than those used in the preliminaries. This allowed participants more space to showcase their abilities.
The rules were straightforward: one match in the morning and one in the afternoon. Losing teams would leave the tournament and return to classes, while winning teams advanced. Within three days, the top three teams would be determined.
It was a tight schedule.
Once the draws were completed, the sixty-four matches began simultaneously. Such an arrangement ensured efficiency and gave victorious teams ample time to recover before their next bout.
Yuwen Tuo's team was assigned to Zone Fourteen.
When the draw results were revealed, disappointment filled the air. Opponents were unknown until stepping onto the field, and upon arrival, their first-round matchup turned out to be against one of the feared teams led by a Soul Emperor. Lian Yue felt despair wash over her—they had drawn the very opponent she dreaded most.