The competition at St. Freya Academy had come to an end, but the round-robin tournament was still ongoing.
During the following rounds, Shrek Academy faced an exceptionally powerful opponent—Zheng Tian Academy.
Zheng Tian Academy could not be underestimated; it had three formidable Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors, making it a strong contender for the top eight in every previous Soul Master Tournament.
In this match, Shrek Academy's true strength was laid bare for all the audience to see.
This was because the battle was exceedingly tough for Shrek Academy; every step was fraught with difficulty.
Although, after a fierce struggle, Shrek Academy managed to win the match by the narrowest of margins, several trump cards were exposed: Bei Bei revealed the power of the Radiant Holy Dragon, Xu Sanshi showcased his Xuanwu martial soul, and Jiang Nannan used her trump card—various soul tools prepared by Ningguang—which played a critical role at a key moment.
It could be said that Shrek Academy's victory was extremely hard-fought—by far their toughest battle since the start of this tournament.
Except for the three strong members—Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan—the other four were left severely depleted in both body and spirit.
If it weren't for the miraculous and effective healing soul tools of Haiyuan City, they might not even have been able to continue in the upcoming matches.
Nevertheless, the valiant performance of Shrek Academy's reserve members aroused the fighting spirit of the main team, including Ma Xiaotao.
Even Chen Zifeng and Gongyang Mo, who had lost an arm and a leg respectively, were inspired by their juniors' struggles to regain their morale and recover from the blow of their injuries.
If their juniors and juniors could fight with everything they had, how could they give up and wallow in self-pity?
However, during this match, Huo Yuhao's performance on the field also attracted the attention of certain individuals.
To help his academy secure victory, Huo Yuhao invoked the Ice Empress's power at a critical moment.
That aura, belonging to a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, drew the attention of many.
"Is it him? I sense Bing'er's aura from him, but he's just a lowly Soul Grandmaster. How could he possibly absorb Bing'er's soul ring and soul bone?"
In a hidden corner of the Eye of the Sea Abyss, a woman with snow-white hair stood silently.
She was graceful and stunning, like a goddess of ice and snow descending to the mortal world.
This was the Snow Empress. At that moment, her gaze toward Huo Yuhao was filled with undisguised killing intent, though a hint of confusion flickered in the depths of her eyes.
"So, you want to make a move? Now's not the time, you know!"
Just then, an ethereal, teasing voice sounded in the Snow Empress's ear—Mobius's voice.
"I know. This is his territory. I won't act here," the Snow Empress replied calmly and coolly.
She was not anxious. Now that she knew who held the Ice Empress's power, and that the Ice Empress was still alive, she could make her move at any time—there was no need to rush.
"Heh, things are getting more and more interesting. I really can't wait to see what happens next!" Mobius's voice was full of delight—she was clearly very interested in how things would develop.
After all, she knew the Ice Empress had willingly become Huo Yuhao's second martial soul. She was very curious whether the Snow Empress could take the Ice Empress back.
After all, Shrek Academy's foundations ran deep, and the Dragon God Douluo was still alive, while the Sea God watched everything from afar in the God Realm.
She was eager to see what the Snow Empress would choose to do under such circumstances.
"This isn't any of your business," the Snow Empress responded, frowning slightly.
After several encounters with Mobius, she had come to know her somewhat obnoxious personality, and felt rather helpless about it.
"Heh, I suppose so," Mobius replied indifferently. While she was interested in the Snow Empress's affairs, what mattered more was her own experiments.
Recently, she had set her sights on a new little test subject, and she believed this new subject would bring her a surprise.
…
Time flowed quietly by. The round-robin stage of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament continued in full swing; one match after another, without pause.
After the first few rounds concluded, the overall tournament situation gradually became clear.
Those traditional powerhouses with deep foundations and great reputation quickly stood out among the many academies, advancing smoothly.
As for Shrek Academy, a team under much scrutiny and suspicion, they finally sent forth their main team, to much anticipation.
The main team's Soul King, Ling Luochen, was first to recover to peak condition, and immediately displayed stunning prowess upon entering the field.
On the battlefield, she easily and decisively defeated her opponents with absolute advantage.
This victory not only restored Shrek Academy's former prestige in the eyes of all but also smashed the hopes of those academies that had hoped to take advantage of the reserves' injuries, making it clear that Shrek's heritage was not to be underestimated.
In the first group, where St. Freya Academy was located, apart from the powerful Dou Ling Royal Academy, the other teams were not much stronger than Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy; some were even weaker in some aspects.
During the following knockout rounds, St. Freya Academy advanced with unstoppable momentum, winning match after match with ease.
During this time, Ye Guiyi, Lan Susu, and the Lan Luoluo sisters all gained valuable experience and further improved their strength.
In the end, St. Freya Academy maintained a perfect record with seven wins in seven matches, securing first place in their group and advancing to the top sixteen.
As expected, Dou Ling Royal Academy finished second, with six wins and one loss, also advancing to the top sixteen.
Although the quotas for the first group were already decided, other groups' matches were still ongoing.
Thus, the academies that had secured advancement enjoyed a rare three-day break.
"Xiao Ming, Sister Ningguang is going to host a large-scale auction. Shall we go take a look?"
March 7th's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Though she posed it as a question, her excited expression betrayed her real feelings—she clearly wanted to join the fun.
In truth, she didn't really want to buy anything; she just wanted to experience the lively atmosphere of the auction—a bit of fun.
After all, this time was different. Previously, the auctions were small; this time, Ningguang had invited all participating academies and prepared twelve precious lots. The excitement was far above any previous auction.
That was why March 7th was interested; she loved lively events—they were the most fun.
Lu Jingming thought for a moment. With two or three days until the next round, they really had nothing urgent to take care of.
Going to the auction for some excitement would allow everyone to relax and satisfy March 7th's curiosity—a good choice.
Moreover, since Ningguang was hosting the auction and they represented St. Freya Academy, they should go to show support, even if they didn't buy anything.
"If March 7th wants to go, then let's go together. If there's anything you want, just buy it. Don't worry, I'll pay for it," Lu Jingming decided, addressing Ye Guiyi, Lan Susu, and the Lan Luoluo sisters as well.
After all, March 7th and the others' expenses were always reimbursed by the City Lord's Mansion.
In Haiyuan City, there was also a Jade Chamber.
It was located at the heart of Haiyuan City, with architecture showcasing the beauty of classical Eastern aesthetics—every detail exuded elegance and refinement.
The Tianquan auction was held within this pavilion full of oriental charm.
The auction venue was divided into three levels: the first was the common area—anyone could enter for a hundred gold soul coins to enjoy the atmosphere.
The second level was the box area—for those with standard invitations, where most academies were arranged.
The third floor was for VIPs—only those with special invitations could enter, such as Shrek Academy, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, or Star Luo Royal Academy.
Lu Jingming and his party, of course, did not need any invitation. They were respectfully led by staff to VIP Room No. 1.
Upon entering, besides seeing the graceful Ningguang, they also noticed a surprising guest.
Lu Jingming's gaze fell on the blonde girl beside Ningguang. Though he had seen many beauties, even he was stunned for a moment.
This girl was, in the original novel, lauded as "the most beautiful girl in Shrek's Outer Court"—Jiang Nannan.