Chapter 52: Ning Fengzhi's Unease
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"Tian-ge, it's almost time for your Godwind Academy to take the stage."
"I wonder how they'll react when they see you have two ten-thousand-year spirit rings."
"It's not just them—we're all looking forward to it too!"
"Yeah, after half a year, Tian-ge's strength must have improved significantly, hehe~~"
Listening to everyone's chatter, Feng Xiaotian smiled calmly.
"Whether I'll step in for this match is still uncertain. Let's first see what the opponents are like."
The five matches of the first round had just concluded.
The central arena was damaged in the previous match, and it's currently being repaired, which will take about half an hour.
The audience was growing impatient.
People were still buzzing with excitement, unable to fully recover from the spectacular battle between Shrek Academy and the Elephant Armor Academy.
Most believed that the upcoming matches in the second and even third rounds wouldn't be nearly as thrilling.
After the first two battles, the previously unknown Shrek Academy had suddenly become the top contender to advance from the qualifiers.
And Tang San's name was being remembered by more and more people.
In the VIP section, Huyan Zhen was restless.
His eldest grandson had already lost the match, so he didn't want to stay here any longer.
But he was invited by Salas as a guest, and out of respect for Emperor Xue Ye and Salas, he had no choice but to remain in his seat.
Salas's face was ashen. Once again, he had miscalculated, severely underestimating the strength of Tang San and the others from Shrek Academy.
Even the powerful Elephant Armor Academy was defeated by Shrek Academy—who else could possibly stop them?
Salas closed his eyes, recalling the few academies that had made an impression on him during yesterday's matches.
"Some teams won their matches easily, but compared to Shrek Academy, they all seem to fall short."
As Salas was deep in thought, Ning Fengzhi suddenly spoke to Emperor Xue Ye.
"Your Majesty, this year's Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is teeming with talent. Many young elites have emerged, and the level of competition has surpassed previous years. It is truly a blessing for the empire."
Emperor Xue Ye was still reeling from the last match.
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's praise, he laughed heartily.
"Master Ning, you are absolutely right! Let's hope the next matches will be just as spectacular."
Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.
"I believe they will be."
"Haha~~"
Though Ning Fengzhi spoke optimistically, his thoughts were far from it.
Tang San's ten-thousand-year spirit ring, the martial soul fusion skill of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar's flying mushroom sausage—all had deeply shocked Ning Fengzhi.
Moreover, they were still holding back their true strength.
Ning Rongrong, from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the most powerful auxiliary sect on the continent, hadn't even participated in the first two matches.
Among the young spirit master teams, who could possibly be more outstanding than them?
The answer was clear: almost no one.
Therefore, Ning Fengzhi wasn't expecting much from the upcoming matches.
He was merely following custom, keeping Emperor Xue Ye company for a little while longer.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Tang San and the others had recovered some of their spirit power with the help of Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
They didn't leave the arena but instead moved to the spirit master stands, preparing to watch the next matches.
They were accompanied by Yu Xiaogang.
Aside from the Wind, Water, and Fire elemental academies, Thunderclap Academy was also a key opponent to keep an eye on.
Half an hour quickly passed.
Feng Xiaotian led Godwind Academy, fully prepared to enter the arena at any moment.
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the stadium.
"Would the ten teams in the second group please enter the arena!"
Amid the cheers of the audience, all ten teams entered the arena simultaneously.
The referee then arranged the order of appearances.
The ten teams were distributed across five platforms.
Thunderclap Academy and another academy were placed on the central platform for their match.
Meanwhile, Godwind Academy and their opponent were assigned to a less prominent side platform.
Although each platform was identical in size, the teams on the central platform were clearly given more importance and attracted greater attention.
Seeing this, Huo Wushuang was visibly frustrated.
"How is it that Thunderclap Academy, one of the five elemental academies, gets placed on the central platform while Tian-ge's Godwind Academy is relegated to a side platform? What gives?!"
Shui Bing'er responded, "Thunderclap Academy is backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the top three sects. The Tian Dou royal family wouldn't ignore that kind of prestige."
Xue Wu added, "And I've heard that Thunderclap Academy's captain possesses the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the continent's most powerful beast spirit. His spirit display is bound to captivate the audience even more."
"Xue Wu is right; that's part of the reason," Shui Bing'er agreed.
But Huo Wushuang still wasn't satisfied. "Tian-ge's Stormwind Double-Headed Wolf is also a top-tier mutated beast spirit. It's not necessarily inferior to that Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Just wait, when Tian-ge reveals his two ten-thousand-year spirit rings, they'll know what a real surprise looks like!"
On the platform, Feng Xiaotian remained unfazed.
To him, it didn't matter which platform he competed on.
Once he revealed his two ten-thousand-year spirit rings, everyone would be shocked.
He was destined to be the brightest star in the arena.
After all, out of the 28 participating teams from the Tian Dou Empire, he was the only Spirit King-level spirit master with a rank above 50.
A contestant with such status would be enough to leave everyone in awe.
The matches hadn't officially begun yet, but most of the audience's attention was already focused on the central platform.
Just half an hour ago, an intense and thrilling battle had taken place there, with Shrek Academy defeating the incredibly strong Elephant Armor Academy.
Everyone was eager to witness another match of similar excitement.
Ning Fengzhi pointed to the central platform and smiled as he spoke to Emperor Xue Ye.
"That Thunder Academy isn't simple. Their spirits and abilities are mostly related to lightning, and they're students cultivated by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of our top three sects."
Emperor Xue Ye was delighted by this news.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan again? Haha~~"
When Ning Fengzhi had introduced Yu Xiaogang to Emperor Xue Ye earlier, he had already mentioned that Shrek Academy's predecessor was Blue Tyrant Academy, and that former headmistress Liu Erlong and Master Yu Xiaogang both came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Their conversation served as a subtle reminder to Platinum Bishop Salas not to attempt recruiting talent from Thunder Academy.
Salas's expression darkened, and he narrowed his eyes, feigning indifference.
With the referee's announcement, all five matches on the platforms began simultaneously.
In an instant.
The ten teams, consisting of 70 participants, summoned their spirits.
Unsurprisingly, the center stage immediately drew everyone's attention to the blue dragon.
It was none other than the beast spirit of Thunderclap Academy's captain, Yu Tianxin—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
To conserve his strength, Yu Tianxin hadn't participated in the matches the day before, making this his first appearance today.
Seeing the scene unfold, Emperor Xue Ye was thrilled.
But Ning Fengzhi remained calm, his attention drawn to an inconspicuous corner.
"That's a top-tier mutated beast spirit, the Stromwind Two-Headed Wolf."
(End of chapter)