Team battles were inherently chaotic, making it difficult to observe many things clearly. The advancement rounds were different, however. Every student would showcase their individual strength under the watchful eyes of the crowd. This was also the best opportunity to evaluate how strong a Soul Master truly was.
Along the outer perimeter of the grand arena, a full ten thousand royal knights had encircled the entire grounds so tightly that not even a drop of water could seep through, their armor gleaming brilliantly. The front ranks of the Royal Knight Corps stood on the ground, while the rear ranks sat mounted on their warhorses, forming an enormous circle.
This level of defense could be called airtight. Of course, just as
Between the grand circle formed by the knights and the competition grounds, all fifteen participating teams had already arrived at the scene—even the teams given a bye today. Even if they didn't have to fight, they needed to observe their opponents' strength firsthand.
The competition rules were simple. Each side would send seven members to compete, and each combatant would fight until defeated. The winner would then face the next opponent, continuing until all seven members of one side had fallen.
The drawing of lots had already been completed the night before. Shrek Academy had not drawn a bye in the first round. Their opponents were an advanced Soul Academy from the Balak Kingdom, slated as the third match of today's seven.
The teams that had passed the preliminaries from various divisions were all grouped together, and Tang San naturally spotted the familiar faces from the Four Elements Academy. When those teams looked toward Shrek Academy, several gazes lingered particularly on Tang San.
Among them were Shenfeng Academy team captain
Tianshui Academy team captain
The Great Master summoned everyone to his side, his gaze sweeping across all eleven members of the Shrek team. "Now I'll announce the lineup.
The others were still waiting, but the Great Master's words had already ended.
Dai Mubai couldn't help but ask, "Great Master, aren't we supposed to send seven people?"
The Great Master smiled faintly. "Do you three not have the confidence to end the match on your own? The opponents in the advancement rounds are somewhat stronger, but they won't be stronger than the Four Elements Academy. In a one-on-one fight, no coordination is needed—only raw strength."
A simple statement, yet it immediately rekindled the fighting spirit of every Shrek Academy student. Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes they saw an unshakable belief in victory.
Emperor Xue Ye rose from the VIP seats and spoke through a Soul Guide, his voice booming across the grounds. "The advancement rounds officially begin today. Over the next fourteen days, I hope every academy team will fully display their strength and demonstrate the spirit that Soul Masters should possess. Begin."
The moment his words fell, shouts erupted in perfect unison like an avalanche crashing down or a tidal wave roaring ashore. "Long live! Long live! Long live!"
The Royal Knights raised their lances high, and the clanging of their armor combined with their thunderous cries startled the participating Soul Masters. The magnificence of a great nation was on full display.
The first match had already begun. The first team to take the field was, as it happened, Chihuo Academy. Their opponents were a team from an academy called Fabia.
Representing Chihuo Academy, the first to step forward was none other than their team captain, Huo Wushuang. Clearly, Chihuo Academy's instructors shared a similar philosophy to the Great Master's—they not only wanted to win this first match but also to secure as large a point margin as possible.
In the advancement rounds, the final rankings depended not only on overall match wins but also heavily on individual bout points. In the event of a tie in overall match scores, the rankings would be determined by individual bout points.
Tang San wasn't paying attention to the ongoing match. Instead, he stood beside Xiao Wu and spoke to her in a low voice. "When our match comes, you'll be going first. If you find yourself countered by the opponent, don't force it. You cannot get hurt. Understood?" Tang San had originally wanted to go first himself, but the Great Master had chosen Xiao Wu instead. He couldn't argue with that decision, so he could only offer Xiao Wu a few words of caution.
Xiao Wu smiled gently and gave Tang San's hand a squeeze. "Don't worry. Are you really that concerned about my one-on-one abilities? If I can't win, I'll just concede."
Tang San patted her head. "Better safe than sorry. Our opponents are only going to get stronger from here—we can't afford the slightest bit of carelessness."
The matches progressed quickly. Between Soul Masters, once there was a gap in strength, victory or defeat was often decided in an instant. Whichever side had the more powerful Soul Skills and the higher level of Soul Power could easily overcome their opponent. Cases involving Soul Bones were, after all, exceedingly rare.
In a one-on-one format, there was no possibility of a Martial Soul Fusion Technique. Everything depended on one's own strength.