Was that... the Canghui Team?
As Ye Yu noticed the group currently arguing with the Shrek team, he quickly made the connection.
The leader of the Canghui Team was Shi Nian, known in the novel as Phantom Dreamer.
In the original story, Shi Nian possessed a ten-thousand-year Illusory Wisdom Skull Bone.
Its Spirit Bone Ability seemed to be called "Illusory Space," a domain-type Spirit Ability.
Its effects allowed all allies within the domain to receive a 20% increase to their Spiritual Power,
and it also formed a shared spiritual network, letting them communicate telepathically and preventing them from becoming lost in illusions.
Meanwhile, enemies trapped inside would suffer powerful hallucinogenic effects—
losing their sense of direction,
and having their Spiritual Power continually suppressed the longer they remained.
It was, in short, an extremely valuable spirit-type Skull Bone.
Ye Yu mused that it would be a perfect fit for either Ning Rongrong or Ye Lingling.
'Once the tournament begins...'
'Will Shi Nian from the Canghui Team follow the same path as in the novel—'
'targeting Tang San in order to secure advancement for his team?'
Ye Yu thought silently.
Regardless, that Illusory Wisdom Skull Bone was something Ye Yu definitely had his eyes on.
So he decided he'd be keeping a close watch on both the Shrek and Canghui teams.
If Shi Nian still targeted Tang San as in the original plot,
Ye Yu intended to follow along and observe the situation firsthand.
At present, Tang Hao had already been turned into a cripple, unable to resist, and was stored inside the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse.
Tang San had also lost the opportunity to inherit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and didn't possess the Yama Invitation.
If Shi Nian really locked onto him—
Tang San would be facing a near-certain death.
But Ye Yu hadn't finished learning the full Mysterious Heaven Skill yet.
And more importantly—
Tang San's half-human, half–Blue Silver Empress bloodline had shown signs of evolving a self-generated Spirit Ring
that scaled with his body's growth and potential.
That was too valuable to lose.
Ye Yu didn't want Tang San to die—not yet.
Plus, if Shi Nian really went after Tang San,
Ye Yu could use it as an opportunity to test a certain hypothesis he'd long suspected—
Was Tang San the pawn of the Asura God?
If Shi Nian attacked Tang San—
and Tang San was on the verge of death—
but no unexpected figure intervened, no one appeared out of nowhere to rescue him...
Then it would strongly suggest that Tang San was not the Asura God's pawn.
At the very least, the Asura God wasn't keeping constant watch over him.
But if Shi Nian's assassination attempt was interrupted by something unforeseen—
if Tang San pulled off an unlikely reversal, or someone like Flender or Liu Erlong arrived out of nowhere to help—
then it would imply that the Asura God really was protecting him from the shadows.
'Hmm… following them directly still feels a bit risky.'
'It would be better to secretly plant fragments of the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree, silver flowers, and pollen on Tang San's body…'
'Then later, I can remotely activate the External Spirit Bone – Demon Willow Fluff, forcefully releasing Spirit Power from inside him.'
'That'll scatter those fragments and pollen onto the ground—'
'Allowing the seedlings of the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree to take root.'
'Then, I can observe everything from afar through the Blue Silver Space.'
Ye Yu considered this strategy carefully.
With such precautions, even if the Asura God really was paying attention,
there'd be no way he'd detect Ye Yu's surveillance.
Half an hour later—
The opening ceremony was finally about to begin.
"Excuse me—are you the Team One from Heaven Dou Emperial Academy?"
A tournament staffer approached Ye Yu's group with a warm and courteous smile.
"Yes, that's us. Is it time for the opening ceremony?"
Zhao Wuji stood and responded politely.
"Yes! Teacher, students, please follow me. I'll escort you to the venue."
Ye Yu rose as well, following the staff member.
Under Zhao Wuji's leadership, along with Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and the rest of the team,
they made their way into the ceremonial grounds.
What lay before them was a vast and open plaza.
Around the plaza, tens of thousands of spectators filled the stands—
a true sea of people.
At the front stood a golden ceremonial platform.
On it were three thrones—
From left to right sat:
Ning Fengzhi,
Emperor Xue Ye, and
a thin, dignified old man with a stern, chiseled face, silver-white hair and beard,
dressed in opulent gold robes—
Platinum Bishop Salas of the Heaven Dou Empire's Spirit Hall.
Behind the main platform were multiple rows of seats—
Ye Yu immediately spotted several familiar figures:
Qian Renxue, currently disguised as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe
The three Heaven Dou Imperial Board of Education members: Meng Shenji, Zhi Lin, and Bai Baoshan
Ye Zhilian and Ling Zhantian
Prince Xue Xing
And even Xue Beng
As Ye Yu and the others entered,
a man in a black tailcoat on the main stage picked up a Sound Amplification Soul Tool and began speaking passionately.
"Entering first is the pride of our Heaven Dou Imperial Capital—"
"—the elite prodigies of Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
The crowd exploded in thunderous cheers.
"Go, Heaven Dou Team One!"
"You're the best!"
"Win glory for the Empire!"
Among the loud roars, everyone except Ye Yu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ye Lingling
stood tall with pride and confidence.
Ye Yu and his team stood at the very center of the plaza, directly facing Ning Fengzhi, Emperor Xue Ye, and Platinum Bishop Salas.
Behind them, the Team Two of Heaven Dou and the five Elemental Academy teams also entered.
And finally—
Shrek Academy stepped onto the field.
Their notorious shit-green uniforms, already widely mocked online in Ye Yu's past life, drew sharp disgust from the crowd.
"What team is that?! That uniform is hideous!"
"Yeah! That color looks like literal dung!"
"Ugh! Absolutely revolting!"
Amidst the sea of ridicule, even Shrek's students were visibly uncomfortable.
Only Flender, thick-skinned as ever, managed to hold his head high.
The rest—Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, Qin Ming, Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, and Tang San—all bowed their heads in embarrassment, not daring to look up.
Once all participating teams were assembled,
the host raised his voice once more:
"Now, let us welcome His Majesty, Emperor Xue Ye, to officially declare the opening of the tournament!"
As the crowd erupted in thunderous applause,
Emperor Xue Ye—seated at the center of the platform, adorned in radiant red-gold royal robes and wearing a white-gold imperial crown—slowly stood up.
He lifted his Sound Amplification Soul Tool, and with a clear, steady voice, he declared:
"I, Xue Ye, Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire,
on behalf of the Empire and the tournament's hosts,
hereby declare the official opening of the
Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament!"
Another round of overwhelming applause rang out.
Then, as expected of a leader, Emperor Xue Ye began a speech full of familiar platitudes.
He encouraged all Spirit Masters to give it their all, to showcase their full strength and talents.
To win glory for themselves, their families, their academies—
and above all, for the Empire.
"You are the pride of the Heaven Dou Empire. Let your brilliance shine for the Empire!"
To Ye Yu, it all sounded like those dull and formulaic speeches school principals used to give in his previous life.
It bored him to the point that he almost dozed off.
But for everyone else—
Whether it was Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yufeng,
or Feng Xiaotian's Godwind Team,
Huo Wushuang's Blazing Fire Team,
or even the brawny Elephant Armored Team—
Their eyes were ablaze with fire, passion stirred deep in their hearts.
Among them, Ye Yu—too calm, too lucid—felt strangely out of place.