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When the first ray of morning sun appeared in the east on the second day, the streets of Mingdu were already a bustling scene.
The vast arena was already packed with people, and soldiers maintained order, dividing the crowd into sections, isolated from the competition area to prevent accidental injuries once the battles began.
On the north side of the competition area, there was a high platform, a rostrum constructed from metal panels.
The arena looked magnificent, with a light yellow light curtain rising high into the sky, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The sky gradually brightened, and the morning sun shone upon everyone, as if plating all the contestants with a layer of gold.
There were too many teams and contestants; just the opening ceremony took half an hour, and a constant cacophony of sound emanated from the audience.
This surge of sound reached its peak with the arrival of a massive procession.
Led by Xu Yunxiao, with Mu Mengyu and Xu Tianyang standing on either side, a large number of Sun Moon Empire officials in their uniforms approached from a distance.
"Greetings, Your Majesty… Greetings, Your Majesty… Greetings, Your Majesty…"
Once Xu Yunxiao and the two others stood on the platform, the waves of sound, rising and falling, surged into the sky. The people of the Sun Moon Empire cheered hoarsely, their expressions excited.
As the emperor who had practically unified the Douluo Continent, Xu Yunxiao's prestige in the Sun Moon Empire was beyond Xu Tianyang's reach. Even though the Empire's high-ranking officials almost treated Tianyang as a standing Vice-Emperor, in the eyes of the Sun Moon Empire's populace, he was merely an exceptionally talented Crown Prince with a promising future.
"Is this what a monarch is like…" Among the Shrek Team, Tang San watched this scene with shock. Being here, the overwhelming momentum around him made him feel an impulse to kneel.
"Sun Moon Empire…" Dai Weisi felt the atmosphere around him and looked at Xu Yunxiao's figure, a flicker of fear in his eyes. It was he who, years ago, had defeated his 'invincible' parents in front of countless eyes, bringing the Xingluo Empire a humiliation it hadn't experienced in hundreds of years.
"Seven Titled Douluo. The high-tier combat power of the Sun Moon Empire is gradually being revealed, not inferior to the Clear Sky Sect at all." Ning Fengzhi gazed at Xu Yunxiao, Mu Mengyu, and the others on the high platform, sighing softly, once again recalling what Ning Linglong had said in Seven Treasure City.
The strength of the Sun Moon Empire far exceeded everyone's imagination.
"The level of danger that person gives me is no less than Big Brother…" Guang Ling Douluo and Qingluan Douluo were the ones accompanying the Spirit Hall this time. Seeing Xu Yunxiao, they felt as if they were seeing a giant dragon filled with destructive aura. That oppressive feeling was no weaker than Gold Crocodile Douluo.
"Tianyang…" Qian Renxue's gaze also fell upon Xu Tianyang above, her eyes sparkling, filled with fighting Spirit.
"Is he Xu Tianyang?!"
The eyes of the contestants participating in this Soul Master Competition were mostly on Xu Tianyang. For this renowned top genius of the continent, whether they acknowledged him or not, everyone had 'admired him for a long time.'
In the crowd, an old man in his sixties, wearing a moon-white Spirit Master uniform, calmly looked at Xu Tianyang on the high platform, a hint of distortion deep within his eyes.
"Hmm?" On the high platform, Xu Tianyang seemed to notice this gaze. His eyes swept over, and a terrifying mental force instantly locked onto the source of the gaze, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
Qian Renxue, who had been constantly observing Xu Tianyang, also noticed the other party's abnormality. Her golden eyes swept over, and her brows furrowed slightly: "Is that Shi Nian, the one with the illusion Spirit? He's targeting Tianyang? He's courting death!"
As Qian Renxue, who controlled the Tiandou Empire and the Spirit Hall, the strong individuals on the Douluo Continent held no secrets for her. Originally, a Spirit Saint wouldn't be enough to leave a deep impression on Qian Renxue, but Shi Nian's Spirit was special.
After seeing it, it left a considerable impression on her.
Thinking of the other party's little-known Hobbies , and then recalling the other party's gaze just now, even knowing that the other party was courting death and Xu Tianyang would not be harmed, a strong killing intent still rose in Qian Renxue's heart.
"Young Master…" Qingluan Douluo felt the chill emanating from Qian Renxue and swept her gaze over.
"Help me kill someone…"
"Silence."
Just as Xu Tianyang was unaware that Qian Renxue had already decided to swat that fly to death prematurely, Xu Yunxiao gently raised his hand amidst the cheers of the crowd.
A deep voice suddenly rang out from his mouth, and a powerful pressure spread throughout the entire venue.
The moment this voice appeared, everyone felt their vision go black, an overwhelming sense of oppression like dark clouds covering the sky rushed over, and their breathing involuntarily became rapid.
The whispers were extinguished by this deep voice. The hundreds of thousands of military and civilians in the spectator area fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
"My citizens of the Sun Moon Empire and guests who have traveled from afar, I welcome your arrival. Here, I declare…"
"The current All-Continent Advanced Youth Spirit Master Elite Competition officially begins!"
"Whoosh!"
Amidst the cheers, Xu Yunxiao swiftly concluded the opening ceremony and led the civil and military officials to their seats.
The referee stepped onto the stage to read the rules. There were a total of forty-nine teams, four of which were the seeded teams from the three great Empires and the Spirit Hall, while the rest were qualifiers from their respective Empire divisions.
The forty-nine teams would compete in a knockout format, with individual matches and team matches. Individual matches were worth seven points, and team matches five points, for a total of twelve points.
The sixteen teams with the highest scores would then compete for the final championship.
Due to the odd number of participating teams, there was one bye spot in the first round. As the champions of the previous competition and the host, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy naturally took this spot, winning with a full twelve points, and no one had any objections.
More than twenty matches of the first round proceeded consecutively, with every participating team fighting to their utmost ability, leading to incredibly brutal scenes. Not until dusk fell did the referee step onto the stage and shout:
"Preliminary Round Match 22: Spirit Hall Team versus Thunder Academy. Both teams, please prepare. The battle will commence after the venue is repaired!"
The match between the two famous teams immediately caused a stir in both the spectator and contestant stands.
The various teams aspiring for the top three instantly became solemn. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, as one of the Upper Three Sects and the world's number one Beast Spirit, had long-established prestige. The Spirit Hall was even more powerful; before the emergence of the Sun Moon Empire, the Spirit Hall had always monopolized the competition's championship.
"Spirit Hall!" At Thunder Academy, upon hearing the opponent's name, everyone subconsciously shivered.
Yu Tianxin, as the team leader, gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, saying in a deep voice, "So what if it's the Spirit Hall? The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon never yields to anyone in its life. Even if we lose, we'll take a piece of them."
"Tianxin is right, so what if it's the Spirit Hall? Why don't we ask them if they're afraid of us?"
"It's getting late, and I don't want to miss dinner…"