As Xue Qinghe finished his speech, the venue erupted into enthusiastic applause, with many in the audience shouting praises like "Long live the Crown Prince!"
Li Xun suspected that these people might have been planted by Qian Renxue in advance.
Otherwise, given the benevolent spy's usual style, what notable achievements could he possibly have to earn such recognition? The only substantial work he had done recently was with Li Xun's assistance.
After Qian Renxue's speech, it was Ning Fengzhi's turn to address the audience as a prominent figure in the Soul Master world.
Although his words were somewhat repetitive, the audience remained enthusiastic. After all, as ordinary people, they usually only interacted with low-level Soul Masters.
Now, having a renowned figure from the entire Soul Master community speaking to them so amiably on stage, how could they not feel a sense of goodwill?
"Thank you, Sect Master Ning, for your wonderful speech," the host applauded. "Sect Master Ning, before you go, as a famous Soul Master on the continent, I would like to ask on behalf of the audience, which of the twenty-eight participating teams do you favor the most?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled and faced the audience: "Of course, it's our Heavenly Dou Royal Academy team. I admit I have a personal bias here, as the team's captain and leader is my most accomplished disciple, Li Xun."
"And my precious daughter and some core disciples from our sect are also in this team," Ning Fengzhi added proudly. "If you find their performance impressive in the upcoming battles, you are welcome to visit our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to discuss the path of Soul Master cultivation."
As Ning Fengzhi finished, the venue buzzed with excitement, which soon turned into fervent cheers.
It was noteworthy that in the three editions of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Competition held so far, apart from one championship won by the Star Luo Empire, the other two were claimed by the Spirit Hall.
Although the Heavenly Dou citizens seemed supportive of the Royal Academy team on the surface, much like football fans, everyone knew the underlying reality.
Now, with Ning Fengzhi suddenly announcing that most team members were from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, including his personal disciple, the audience's desire for victory was ignited.
After all, that was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, one of the strongest sects on the continent. Could disciples from such a sect be anything but exceptional? If the previous Heavenly Dou Royal Academy teams were like militias, then those from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School were the regular army.
More importantly, Ning Fengzhi had just invited them to discuss the path of Soul Master cultivation.
"Heavenly Dou... Heavenly Dou Seven Treasure..." the audience began chanting, which soon simplified to just "Seven Treasure."
Watching the roaring crowd from a distance, Ning Fengzhi felt a surge of satisfaction. It was only at this moment that he truly understood what Li Xun meant by guiding public opinion.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had enjoyed such public support earlier, the number of Soul Masters in the sect might have multiplied several times over.
As the noise gradually subsided, led by palace maids, Chrysanthemum Douluo slowly approached the microphone and reached into the draw box: "The first round of the preliminaries: Shrek Academy versus Heavenly Dou Royal Academy."
"The first round of the preliminaries: Heavenly Dou Royal Academy versus Shrek Academy."
As Chrysanthemum Douluo announced the names of the competing teams one by one, the atmosphere in the arena gradually intensified.
However, it seemed as though none of this concerned the members of Shrek Academy. Although their expressions were grave, their fighting spirit was undiminished.
"Could it really be such a coincidence?" Ye Lingling looked incredulously towards the direction of the Heavenly Dou Team.
Yu Feng also nodded: "It does seem a bit too coincidental. Out of twenty-eight teams, how could we just happen to face each other directly?"
He had no grudge against Li Xun. Although the atmosphere at Shrek Academy fostered some animosity towards Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, deep down, he didn't want to confront his former school.
"Why is it a coincidence? Isn't this great?" Ma Hongjun shook his head, pressing his fingers and grinning as he heard the cracking sound of his knuckles.
"They say a gentleman's revenge is ten years late, but I think the sooner the better."
"Fatty's right. Haven't we been training hard all this time just for today?" Dai Mubai's face was dark, his gaze fixed on Zhu Zhuqing, who was being intimate with Li Xun.
Yu Tianheng and Tang San also nodded, their fighting spirits high.
They had all shed unimaginable sweat for this moment. It was time for Li Xun to pay for what he had done.
As Chrysanthemum Douluo finished announcing the draw, the arena erupted in uproar. Many were shouting that Heavenly Dou Royal Academy had cheated by picking an easy opponent.
In their eyes, compared to the unknown Shrek Academy, Heavenly Dou Royal Academy's chances of winning were overwhelmingly high. In contrast, the Shrek team didn't seem like a group of Soul Masters but more like a bunch of clowns.
Facing the overwhelming shouts, Chrysanthemum Douluo scanned the crowd with a sneer, suddenly unleashing a wave of pressure.
"As an elder of the Spirit Hall, I swear by my title that this draw is absolutely fair. Furthermore, I announce that any participant who makes it to the finals will be exceptionally allowed to join the Spirit Sacred Hall directly."
"An elder of the Spirit Hall? This pressure… he's a Titled Douluo!"
Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from Chrysanthemum Douluo, the audience fell silent. After a moment of thought, they began to whisper among themselves.
"It must be true. A Titled Douluo wouldn't lie about something so trivial!"
Some spectators still felt it was unfair: "But Heavenly Dou Royal Team fighting Shrek Academy is just too one-sided, isn't it?"
"I don't care about that," one spectator shook his head. "Do you think I should join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School or the Spirit Sacred Hall?"
"You're dreaming."
Unlike the audience, the Soul Master teams present actually had a choice. Upon hearing Chrysanthemum Douluo's announcement, their minds began to race.
Unlike the Pope's Hall, there are only two Spirit Sacred Halls, located in the capitals of the two great empires. If they could advance to the finals, they would undoubtedly secure a prestigious position in Heavenly Dou City.
But then they faced a dilemma, as Ning Fengzhi had also extended an olive branch to them earlier.
Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue nodded upon hearing Chrysanthemum Douluo's words, showing little reaction. After all, they were all part of the Spirit Hall's forces, albeit belonging to slightly different factions.
"Alright, let's thank Elder Yueguan for his wonderful speech. Next, we will proceed with the first match of the preliminary round, featuring Heavenly Dou Royal Academy versus Shrek Academy."
The host excitedly gestured to the audience, introducing the two teams: "The match will begin shortly. All participating academies, please exit the arena now. The two academies competing next, please prepare yourselves. The match will officially start in half an hour."
As the host finished speaking, the remaining twenty-six teams slowly exited the arena, leaving the field noticeably more spacious.
"Brother, isn't this too much of a coincidence? We ended up drawing those scoundrels right away," Ning Rongrong remarked, pursing her lips as she watched the Shrek Academy members eagerly preparing for the match.
Li Xun laughed heartily and ruffled Ning Rongrong's hair. "The audience is right—there's no such thing as pure coincidence. I was afraid we wouldn't draw them, so I cheated."
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