Douluo: The Peerless Tang Sect - The Ordinary Life of a Supporting Character

Chapter 101 The Competition Begins

Upon hearing this, Wang Nan got up and followed the waiter downstairs, where he indeed saw Ma Xiaotao standing in the lobby on the first floor.

"Sorry I'm late."

"No, you've come at just the right time." Wang Nan smiled and led Ma Xiaotao upstairs. "How was it? Did acquiring the spirit ring go smoothly?"

"Of course." Ma Xiaotao moved slightly closer to Wang Nan. "Just you wait and see, you'll scare them so much their eyes will pop out."

"Senior sister." The conference room door opened, and Dai Yueheng stood up, giving up his seat.

Seeing this, Wang Yan nodded. "Perfect, let's take this opportunity to get to know each other. This is the last official member of this Soul Fighting Tournament."

"Hello everyone, my name is Ma Xiaotao." Ma Xiaotao gave a brief self-introduction to the few pre-selection team members, and then sat down at the table with Wang Nan.

"Ahem." Wang Yan coughed lightly to draw everyone's attention to himself. "Alright, now I'll talk about the personnel arrangements for the first round of the competition."

"If our opponents aren't too strong after the draw, Xiao Tao shouldn't play yet. Bei Bei, go back and prepare. You'll likely be sent out for the first round."

Beibei nodded upon hearing this.

"Wait a moment."

"What's wrong, Xiao Nan?"

"In the first round, Ye Xiaosheng shouldn't rush to go on stage. Everyone here is a core disciple and should have a soul tool made by the academy. Don't rush to use it."

"In previous Soul Battle Tournaments, we didn't have any Soul Masters participating. Even if Xiaosheng appeared as a reserve member, other academies wouldn't have thought so quickly that we would also promote a combat style that combines Soul Masters and Soul Instructors. It might have a surprising effect then."

Wang Yan lowered his head, looked at the materials on the table and pondered for a while before nodding, "Okay, then let Xu Sanshi get ready too, so he can go on stage with Bei Bei."

"Alright, there are still a few days before the official start of the competition, so everyone should take this time to get some rest."

"In addition, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime. If any of the pre-selection team members have any questions about cultivation, you can also take this opportunity to ask the senior brothers and sisters in the inner court for answers. This is also a hidden benefit for you to participate in this Soul Battle Competition."

"Alright, meeting adjourned."

The disciples filed out one after another, with Wang Nan, as usual, walking at the very end.

"Xiao Nan".

"What's wrong, Second Uncle?"

"You didn't show up in the last Soul Fighting Tournament. Why don't you wait until the later matches to make your appearance?"

"I think I'll go on," Wang Nan shook his head. "I'm the captain, so I can make some tactical arrangements on the spot. Besides, it wouldn't be good if something unexpected happened if too many of the pre-selected players went on."

Of course, Wang Nan had another reason: he knew what the prize for this Soul Fighting Tournament was. Although the chances of him keeping the prize weren't high, he still wanted to try.

"Okay, you're not wrong. After all, we still have Xiao Tao to fall back on. Let's do it your way."

"Then you should get some rest, Second Uncle. You should be able to relax a bit these next few days."

"Okay, I'll go rest after I've finished reading these things."

Helpless, Wang Nan could only turn around and leave the meeting room. As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Ma Xiaotao standing outside.

"You've just gotten back, so you probably haven't been to your room yet. Come on, I'll take you there."

Ma Xiaotao leaned closer and glanced furtively into the conference room. "Wang... cough, is Teacher Wang your second uncle?"

"Yes, our martial souls are all the Coiling Dragon Staff, so it shouldn't be hard to guess, right?"

"I grew up in the inner courtyard, how would I know about the martial spirit of an outer courtyard teacher?"

Wang Nan smiled at Ma Xiaotao's expression. "Alright, stop looking. I'll take you back to your room first. You just acquired your soul ring, so you should use this time to consolidate your cultivation."

……

Today is the busiest day in Xingluo City.

All the streets around Xingluo Square were blocked by soldiers, and the road from Xinghuang Hotel to Xingluo Square was completely under martial law.

Despite this, it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators. From before the sun had fully risen in the morning, the area around the Star Emperor Hotel was already bustling with activity.

Wang Nan got up early and changed into his Shrek Academy dark green uniform. Looking out the window, he saw that the nearby streets were packed with people, densely packed and bustling with activity.

Arriving at the main gate of the imperial city, the arena for the Soul Battle Tournament was set up here. The arena was 100 meters long and 108 meters wide, surrounded by 108 metal pillars. Soul Masters were already waiting nearby, ready to form a protective shield to separate the inside and outside of the arena once the competition began.

Wang Nan and the rest of the Shrek members stood in the first row of the preparation area, waiting for the draw results for the first round of the competition.

Looking around, through a fence about a meter high, countless spectators were gathered around the edge of the ring, waiting with them for the match to begin. Wang Nan even saw his parents; thanks to their help in building the venue, they were standing in the front row of the stands.

Soon, Xu Jiawei appeared on the city wall with the Empress of the Star Luo Empire and a group of ministers. Instantly, all the spectators around knelt down. The participating Soul Masters, however, were not required to perform this grand ceremony.

Xu Jiawei stepped forward, gesturing for everyone to rise, before slowly beginning to speak, "The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament is the most important event in the Soul Master world of Douluo Continent. This year's tournament will be held in our Star Luo Empire, right here..."

On the imperial city wall, Xu Jiawei was giving an opening speech for the Soul Fighting Tournament, but Wang Nan's mind was elsewhere.

He could feel several pairs of eyes scrutinizing him ever since he stood there. Some were trying to be discreet, while the people from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy behind him were quite brazen.

Wang Nan glanced behind him and saw a handsome young man, not yet fifteen years old, with a tall and slender figure and a pair of blue eyes staring at him.

Even when Wang Nan turned his head, he didn't look away, but stared straight at him until an old man with a face as red as a date looked over, at which point he calmed down a bit.

On the city wall, Xu Jiawei's speech was coming to an end.

"Alright, then I hereby declare the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament officially open!"

The booming of the cannons and the cheers of the surrounding audience rang out together, and Xu Jiawei and a group of ministers took their seats in the positions arranged on the city wall.

Only after the surrounding sounds gradually subsided did another loud voice ring out.

"According to the rules of this year's Soul Fighting Tournament, the first round will consist of 66 elimination matches between 133 teams. The winners will advance to the next round, while the losers will have to end their journey in this year's Soul Fighting Tournament with regret."

"So, the first team to perform is—"

The host drew out his voice, and the cheers from the audience began to boil over, with the sound of "Shrek" echoing in every corner of the square.

(End of this chapter)