Chapter 83: First Round.
For the finals of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition, Spirit City has specially designated a venue. This venue is located in the heart of Spirit City. The massive arena is a hundred meters in diameter, constructed entirely of granite.
This massive arena is reinforced with numerous spirit guides to prevent damage. According to information provided by the Spirit Hall, this arena is capable of withstanding any attack from spirit masters below the rank of Spirit Emperor.
Upon hearing this, Shi Yi became extremely interested in the spirit guides used to reinforce the arena. While the Crystal Gold Guard he designed for Ning Rongrong could also do the same, the hair crystals were too expensive, and the Spirit Hall's spirit guides clearly had a much greater coverage area than his own.
Directly in front of this arena is the Pope's Palace. From here, the hill where the Pope's Palace is located is less than a kilometer away. The Spirit Hall has posted a notice announcing that the final three teams will compete in front of the Pope's Palace.
The Pope will personally appear and crown the champion.
Early in the morning, Shi Yi and the others followed the Spirit Hall's guide to the competition venue. Upon arrival, before they'd even settled in, Flanders was summoned to draw lots.
Flanders returned quickly, and Shi Yi could clearly see that Zhu Zhuqing was getting nervous, or perhaps even excited.
Looking at Flanders' cheerful expression, Shi Yi knew without question that the lot was likely a good one. Theoretically, as long as they didn't draw the recognized strongest Spirit Hall team, the other teams wouldn't pose much of a challenge to Shrek right now.
Flanders looked at the crowd and said calmly, "Your first round opponent is the Kamikaze Academy, a school that's forced to forfeit upon seeing us all. Needless to say, now that we're in the finals, they're likely not going to forfeit again. It's up to you."
Yu Xiaogang then slowly stepped forward and said, "This competition is also your stage before you leave the academy. I hope you can dance this final number perfectly."
The Shrek crowd nodded.
Shi Yi couldn't help but smile at Yu Xiaogang's profound words. He knew exactly who he was referring to.
There were thirty-three teams in total, and excluding the three seeded teams that were guaranteed to advance, the field was cut in half after one round. Therefore, the Spirit Hall had arranged a very tight schedule for the finals.
Shi Yi had a rough idea: based on the rankings in the qualifying rounds, as long as Shrek defeated Shinfeng Academy, they would receive a bye in the second round. Who else would receive a bye? Shi Yi didn't bother to hear how the rounds were arranged. With half of the thirty-three teams eliminated in one round, Shi Yi figured it wouldn't take many rounds; it would just be over.
The Spirit Hall competition wasn't as lively as the Heavenly Dou, but rather simple, without the expected grand opening ceremony. A Spirit Hall cardinal took the stage to announce the start of the finals, along with the starting lineup and bye list. The match began under the direction of a referee specially selected by the Spirit Hall.
Shi Yi thought about it and agreed. In the first few rounds, these elite spirit masters from various academies, though considered rare talents on the continent, were merely ordinary talents in the hands of a behemoth like the Spirit Hall. Only the teams that made it to the final rounds were considered geniuses by the Spirit Hall.
Soon, Shi Yi led the six Shrek members onto the stage. Those from the various academies familiar with Shrek were surprised to see three unfamiliar faces: Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun.
On the other side of the stage, another group of seven slowly entered. Feng Xiaotian, the leader, was also astonished by the Shrek lineup.
"Captain Shi Yi, it seems you've got a lot more hidden," Feng Xiaotian said solemnly.
Shi Yi smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing much. We've just raised our limits a bit. It's not much different from usual."
The referee then signaled both teams to release their spirits.
Suddenly, a vibrant azure light shone from the Divine Wind members, and Shi Yi and the Shrek members released their spirits and spirit rings.
Below the stage, the elites from both Xingluo and Tiandou academies were filled with turmoil. Those from Xingluo were unaware of Shi Yi's spirit ring configuration, while those from Tiandou were impressed by the spirits of Ning Rongrong and Oscar.
"With a Food-type and the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda as dual support, who could possibly defeat Shi Yi? Feng Xiaotian seems useless, so it seems we can only rely on the Spirit Kings of the Spirit Hall," Huo Wu remarked bitterly as she watched Shi Yi in the scene.
Huo Wushuang, standing nearby, also expressed frustration.
Xuewu, who was not far away, also had sharp eyes at this time. She noticed Shi Yi's wrist and whispered jokingly to Shui Bing'er beside her, "Bing'er is quick. She has even given him the token of love." Shui Bing'er blushed and whispered coquettishly, "Sister Xuewu, it's just a gift. What kind of token of love is it?"
"Then why don't you work harder? You have a lot of competitors. Can't you see that the girl from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tower and the girl from Xingluo are both interested in Xiaoyi?" Xuewu chuckled.
Upon hearing this, Shui Bing'er snorted softly, "Just as philandering as Daddy. And, Sister Xuewu, you've observed so carefully, do you like Xiao Yi too?"
Xuewu smiled and said, "Isn't that just for us, Bing'er? Xiao Yi is indeed very outstanding. With such excellence, I'm afraid few women would say they don't like him."
In the Spirit Hall Academy's rest area, a red-haired man looked at Shi Yi with disdain, "Nana, no matter how beautiful his spirit rings are, he's just a Spirit Master. Why would you come all this time to watch their match?"
Another silver-haired man remained silent, staring at Shi Yi on the stage with a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Hu Liena glanced at Yan calmly and said, "Teacher's judgment is correct. If you don't want to watch, you can go back."
Yan quickly smiled and said, "Yes, of course I do."
"The match begins," the cardinal said slowly. Though his voice was low, it was clearly heard by everyone.
"Tang San, be prepared to suppress him. Oscar, keep the sausages ready. The rest of you are free to play," Shi Yi said calmly. Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing were the only three who nodded in response, but Shi Yi didn't care.
With a familiar explosion, the Kamikaze Academy, to the astonishment of the audience, glowed with a brilliant green light, sprouting wings from their backs, and soared into the air, leaving Shi Yi with a blank.
Tang San couldn't help but frown. The Kamikaze Academy had also prepared for him. With Kamikaze's speed, even he would have difficulty hitting them.
Shi Yi instantly dodged Oscar's side, and Oscar, understanding his intention, handed Shi Yi some mushroom sausages.
Even then, Shi Yi still didn't want to reveal Xiao Yi's true identity.
Feng Xiaotian, seeing Shi Yi approach Oscar, assumed he was returning to assist, so he didn't immediately signal a dive attack to his teammates.
Seeing Shi Yi's wings appear on his back after consuming the mushrooms, his expression fell. Drawing Shi Yi in the first round was bad enough, but Shi Yi actually had a hidden skill that could allow his teammates to fly.
"They even have a flying skill," Feng Xiaotian exclaimed in surprise, but his surprise quickly turned to delight.
"Shi Yi, we're no match for you on land, but in the air, hmph..."
Shi Yi's incredibly fast speed was propelled by the reaction of his own strength and the ground, but in the air, Shi Yi had no way to leverage his power.
"Surround!" Feng Xiaotian shouted softly.
Immediately receiving the command, the Kamikaze team members surrounded Shi Yi from different directions, circling around him.
Below, Tang San couldn't help but frown. Even if they all took to the air, Shrek's aerial combat prowess was practically nonexistent. With just two supporters, they wouldn't necessarily be able to defeat the Kamikaze team. If they launched to rescue Shi Yi, the supporters would be chased away by the Kamikaze team. His only option now was to let Shi Yi consume as much of their spirit power as possible, waiting for the Kamikaze team to land and reap the rewards.
"Foolish! With his strength and the support of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, he only needs to wait on the ground. The opponent's Wind Spirit Skill will consume a lot of spirit power," Xie Yue, who was sitting next to Hu Liena in the audience, said calmly.
Hu Liena also frowned at this, but she still believed that the person her teacher had chosen would not be so simple.
"Attack!"
Shi Yi could clearly feel the Kamikaze team's circling speed increase as Feng Xiaotian commanded.
With this in mind, Shi Yi softly called out, "Rongrong!"
Ning Rongrong unhesitatingly raised the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Instantly, three rays of colorful light emanated from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, instantly pouring into Shi Yi's body.
"The Seven Treasures transform into Glazed Glass. The Seven Treasures have names: one: Strength, two: Speed, and three: Soul."
Feeling the surging power within him, Shi Yi sighed inwardly, "This assistance is truly beyond expectations. Soul Master has already increased by 40 percent."
As Shi Yi sighed, several wind blades attacked him from different angles.
"Brother Feng, you're getting a little anxious. Let me prepare," Shi Yi chuckled.
As he spoke, Shi Yi's second soul ring instantly illuminated. "Second soul skill, Thousand-pound Shock!"
An invisible wave surged from Shi Yi's body, and in an instant, the wind blades dissipated into azure light.
"Let's see how many times you can unleash it! First Soul Skill: Wind Blade Formation!"
For a moment, the Shinfeng Academy members, like a shot of chicken blood, launched wind blades at Shi Yi. Even though they knew defeating Shi Yi wouldn't secure victory, it still offered a chance—a chance to defeat Shi Yi.
Shi Yi concentrated, his mind calmed, his body relaxed. In his world, the wind blades grew clearer and slower, so slow that he could even faintly sense the ripples they created in the air.
Suddenly, Shi Yi's mind found openings, and his relaxed body slipped through them.
"You dodged them all? Is that a coincidence?" Feng Xiaotian frowned.
The next second, a light, muffled sound echoed, and Shi Yi suddenly appeared in front of a Shinfeng member.
"Although your speed is significantly reduced without the support of the ground, the short-range acceleration of your wings, coupled with Rongrong's assistance, is still too much for you to react to." With this, Shi Yi launched a Shinfeng member out of the arena.
Feng Xiaotian couldn't help but grimace. Even in aerial combat, the Shinfeng Academy's forte, they still couldn't defeat Shi Yi.
It wasn't that their aerial skills were inferior to Shi Yi's, but rather that Shi Yi's immense strength deterred them from engaging in close combat, forcing them to resort to ranged attacks. Obviously, while safe, ranged attacks still held potential for Shi Yi.
Shi Yi's most powerful ultimate attributes nearly made up for his shortcomings, not to mention the support of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
With one player eliminated, the Shinfeng Academy players' ability to put less and less pressure on Shi Yi. The slightest mistake would have seen him thrown from the ring.
Soon, the Cardinal reappeared on the stage. The match had moved faster than he'd imagined, and he loudly announced, "Shrek Academy wins!"
"Let's go," Hu Liena said to her brother.
"Your Holiness's judgment is correct. Shi Yi is indeed someone we should keep an eye on," Xie Yue whispered.
Shi Yi's performance just now made him reflect. If he had the aid of flight and the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, he doubted he would have been able to defeat his opponent as quickly and decisively as Shi Yi.
He couldn't even match Shi Yi's speed on the ground, so it was clear that Shi Yi's speed would be even faster on the ground.
"Hey... Nana, wait for me," Yan said, eagerly following.
In the rest area of the Xingluo Empire Academy, Davis and Zhu Zhuyun's expressions darkened. Putting Shi Yi aside, even the spirit rings of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were enough to make them feel a strong sense of danger.
They felt Dai Mubai's fear firsthand.
"That little bastard is so lucky! He even managed to find a good team like this," Davis gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening as if he was trying too hard.
Zhu Zhuyun remained silent, filled with deep regret. Chasing Zhu Zhuqing was the most foolish decision she had ever made, and it only made her a powerful figure.
Of course, she also understood that the clan would not let her kill Zhu Zhuqing so easily; in a sense, this was what the clan wanted.
With her influence within Xingluo, it would have been incredibly easy to bring down a Great Spirit Master, yet Zhu Zhuqing, despite her pursuit, had survived and reached Heavenly Dou.
During the pursuit, Zhu Zhuyun felt she was the only one truly pursuing, while the others were more like chasing her away.
Thinking of this, Zhu Zhuyun's eyes flashed with resentment. Such a fate seemed absurd to her. Why had they become such losers? Davis was clearly old enough to become the Crown Prince of Xingluo, but the family only needed the outcome of this tournament.
Zhu Zhuyun watched Zhu Zhuqing slowly step off the stage, her eyes filled with resentment.
"No... We haven't lost yet, Zhuyun, we haven't lost yet," Davis suddenly stood up, holding Zhu Zhuyun's shoulders and shouting.
Zhu Zhuyun looked at the frantic Davis, and Shi Yi's words flashed through her mind.
"My taste in men is poor... I never have the chance to choose," Zhu Zhuyun thought to herself.
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