Douluo Continent: The Rebirth of Huo Yuhao

Chapter 18 The Tournament Begins!

Even as a reserve team, Shrek Academy's lineup is stronger than many academies' official teams. However, if they were to draw a powerful team led by a Soul King, Shrek Academy would be highly likely to lose!

Seeing the solemn expressions on each student's face, Wang Yan sighed inwardly. Shrek Academy was going to have a very difficult time in this competition. However, he couldn't show his worry on his face, so he pretended to be relaxed and said:

"Are you all nervous? Although the situation is quite serious for Shrek Academy, I don't think you need to worry at all. You are all outstanding students at Shrek Academy. Just because you've seen so many geniuses at school, do you think the whole world is full of geniuses?"

There are far fewer geniuses in the world than you imagine. You, living in Shrek Academy, have forgotten that mediocrity is the dominant theme of the world.

Among these 100+ teams, many of the academies' official participating members don't even have a single member who has reached the fourth ring level. With four Soul Masters among yourselves, do you really need to worry about opponents like these?

"Alright, stop sulking. Go back now. Get a good night's sleep so you can face the audience tomorrow full of energy and show them the true spirit of Shrek Academy! Xiao Tao and the other two, stay a moment. I'll check your injuries to see how your recovery is going."

The reserve team members were somewhat surprised to hear Coach Wang Yan tell them to go back and rest. Xu Sanshi spoke first:

"Teacher Wang, aren't you going to give us some tactical instructions for tomorrow?"

Wang Yan glared at him irritably and said, "Is it necessary to devise tactics against such a group of opponents? We can crush them with our soul power alone. Go back and rest, don't delay me from checking Xiao Tao and the others' injuries."

Upon hearing this, the seven members of the reserve team said nothing more and turned to go back to their rooms to rest.

After watching the seven people return to their rooms, Wang Yan's feigned composure crumbled instantly, and the worry in his heart made him unable to hold on any longer. This time, Shrek Academy was facing an extremely dire situation; one wrong move and they would be unable to advance.

Seeing Wang Yan's expression, Ma Xiaotao and the other two understood him deeply. They had participated once before and experienced firsthand the intensity of the competition. Even with four Soul Masters in the Shrek Academy reserve team, a victory couldn't be guaranteed.

After calming down a bit, Wang Yan said, "Xiao Tao, I need to know the exact time when the three of you can participate in the battle. This will determine how far Shrek Academy can go in the upcoming competition!"

……

The day of the competition officially began, and early in the morning, the teams from each college brought their teams to the competition venue.

Soon, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire will personally preside over the opening ceremony of the competition and will sit on the city wall to watch the competition for the entire day.

The sun slowly rose from the eastern horizon, and its warm rays shone on each student waiting for the competition to begin. The slight warmth dispelled their anxiety.

The spectators in the stands began to cheer. The rising sun signified the start of the match, a celebration shared by people across the entire continent, who eagerly awaited the continuation of the legend. They also hoped their favorite team could go further, and if they could lose to Shrek in the finals, their journey would come to a perfect end.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. The people are seated, and the competition can begin," the Prime Minister said to the Emperor, who was speaking with the Empress.

"Very well, my beloved ministers, follow me to announce the start of the competition." The emperor rose and declared with boundless pride. A tradition spanning thousands of years had instilled in every powerful figure on the continent who walked the path of a Soul Master an infinite longing for this grand event.

Even the emperor was no exception!

The Star Luo Emperor, accompanied by his courtiers, slowly walked to the front of the stage. His gaze swept over the crowd and contestants for a moment before he proclaimed loudly, "I hereby declare the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament officially open!"

"Bang, bang, bang..." After the emperor finished speaking, the cannons began to roar, firing a full 108 shots before stopping.

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience; the grand event held every five years on the mainland was about to begin!

As the Emperor of Xingluo and his ministers retreated to the viewing platform, the host of the competition took the stage.

"This tournament features 133 teams. The first round is a knockout tournament. One team receives a bye, and the 66 winning teams advance to the next round-robin stage. Losers are eliminated!"

The host, holding a megaphone, spoke slowly, his voice carrying to the more than 200,000 spectators present. As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in cheers, demonstrating the immense enthusiasm the public had for the competition.

"The draw results are in. Soto City Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Douling Empire has a bye in the first round. The first match will be between Shrek Academy and Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Douling Empire. Both teams, enter the arena!"

"Shrek, Shrek..." Star Luo Square erupted in cheers. Everyone chanted Shrek's name.

The cheers of "Shrek!" echoed far beyond Star Luo Square, reaching even those in Star Luo City who hadn't bought tickets, who then joined in the chorus. The entire Star Luo City was filled with the shouts of Shrek's name.

The name Shrek has accumulated over thousands of years and become a belief in the hearts of all the people of Douluo Continent.

It is also a lingering nightmare in the hearts of the people of the Sun Moon Empire.

On Shrek's side, the seven reserve team members had never seen such a scene before. They were terrified by the frenzied crowd, their faces turning pale. Fortunately, Wang Yan spoke up to calm them down:

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

"Little ones, don't panic. They're cheering for your names. At this moment, you represent Shrek Academy, and the glory that Shrek has accumulated over thousands of years shines upon you today. Don't worry about failure; bring out what you've learned at the academy over the years. You can definitely defeat them."

As the seven reserve team members listened to Wang Yan's reassuring words, their fear gradually disappeared, and a sense of pride and honor rose from the bottom of their hearts.

Yes, we represent Shrek Academy in this battle. We are the most outstanding academy of our generation, and the most excellent peers on the continent! No one can defeat us, who represent the glory of Shrek!

The seven men, brimming with pride, stepped onto the battle stage!

After they took the stage, the students from Tianling Academy followed suit. However, facing the lingering power of Shrek Academy over the past ten thousand years, the students from Tianling Academy seemed somewhat unbalanced. One student even stumbled and nearly fell.

The host didn't care about the players' feelings; for him, as long as everyone was on the field, he could announce the start of the match.

"The match begins!"

The Tianling Academy team consists of seven members, including five Soul Masters and two Soul Venerables. Even among the many high-level Soul Master academies across the continent, they can be considered a formidable team.

However, as the seven members of Shrek Academy released their martial souls, everyone present was stunned.

There are only four Soul Masters, two Soul Venerables, and one Great Soul Master. This lineup is even two rings weaker than the opposing Heavenly Spirit Academy!

……

(End of this chapter)