Chapter 70: Subdue or Destroy
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Among the five teams from the preliminaries, the captains and vice-captains were all elites among young soul masters.
Both the Xue Ye Emperor and Platimun Bishop Salas of the Spirit Hall were eager to recruit them.
With a fourth soul ring at the ten-thousand-year level, and being the only Soul King among the 28 participating teams, Feng Xiaotian and Tang San were undoubtedly the most sought-after recruits for both factions.
Feng Xiaotian knew that his ten-thousand-year soul ring would attract trouble.
Among the participants in this Tournament, his soul rank was the highest, surpassing even Tang San and other young talents, making him a highly coveted figure.
When it comes to geniuses, the Spirit Hall has only two methods: recruit or destroy.
If they cannot have someone, they will ensure that person is eliminated.
Feng Xiaotian suspected that his information had already been sent to the Spirit Hall.
Their methods are numerous, and to them, the rules of the tournament are meaningless; everything is at their discretion.
If they wanted any student to fall, they could easily arrange it, whether on or off the field.
Aware of this impending danger, Feng Xiaotian would find ways to protect himself.
Unlike other captains and vice-captains, Feng Xiaotian remained unmoved by the generous offer from the Xue Ye Emperor, showing no interest at all.
This slightly relieved Salas.
From the Xue Ye Emperor's promises and Salas's interventions, one could sense a certain tension.
Ning Fengzhi stood by silently, merely smiling.
The Xue Ye Emperor then promised to award the top three students with the most wins in the finals with soul beasts under 30,000 years old.
The captains and vice-captains were thrilled, as this was exactly what they needed.
At their current levels in their 40s, they would be able to obtain a ten-thousand-year soul ring once they reach level 50.
Being able to choose soul beasts according to their needs would save them a lot of trouble and avoid the risks and time spent searching for soul beasts in the soul beast forest.
By offering such substantial rewards, the Xue Ye Emperor was also signaling to these young talents to choose between the Tian Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall.
Although both sides presented enticing conditions, Feng Xiaotian refused to align with either.
He would not become a slave of the empire nor a pawn of the Spirit Hall.
He wanted to be himself, a man as free as the wind.
In a world where the strong prey on the weak, achieving this was not easy.
Thus, he needed to continually enhance his own strength.
Only by growing stronger could he ensure his own safety and stand over those who threatened him.
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The upcoming finals would also be held in the Tian Dou Empire, but at a different venue: the Royal Arena.
Apart from the Four Elemental Academies and Shrek Academy, ten teams from the five great duchies and kingdoms that advanced through the preliminaries would also participate.
There was still one month before the finals.
This time could be used for rigorous training and breakthroughs.
~~~~~~
The month passed quickly.
From the start of the preliminaries to now, in these two months, Feng Xiaotian's soul power had risen by two levels, reaching level 55.
Little Ro also broke through level 40. With Feng Xiaotian's help in obtaining his fourth soul ring, his soul power had reached level 41.
On the other side, Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, and others were also diligently training.
Currently, Huo Wu was at level 45, Huo Wu was at level 46, Shui Bing'er was at level 46, and Xue Wu was at level 45.
Additionally, Shui Yue'er had also reached level 40. After acquiring her fourth soul ring, her soul power had risen to level 41.
After a month of closed-door cultivation, Tang San had made significant progress, and the rest of Shrek Academy had also improved considerably under Yu Xiaogang's special training.
Feng Xiaotian and his team returned to Tian Dou City.
The playoffs were not as lively as the preliminaries.
To protect the privacy and safety of the soul masters, the playoffs were closed to the public.
The playoffs were still divided between the two great empires.
The 30 teams that advanced from the preliminaries competed within their respective empires.
The three teams that had already qualified for the finals did not participate in the playoffs.
The format remained a round-robin system.
With only 15 teams, the competition would last for half a month.
After the playoffs, there would be another half-month break before the final match, held at the border between Tian Dou and Star Luo Empires.
All participating teams were gathered at the playoff venue.
This time, the management of the teams was stricter. The 15 teams were assigned to different resting areas.
The members of the Godwind Academy were placed in a large military camp, with several barracks designated for their rest.
The Blazing Academy and the Tianshui Academy were also housed in different parts of the military camp.
The next day marked the beginning of the official matches.
There was no opening ceremony; the matches started immediately.
Unlike the preliminaries, which featured multiple arenas, the playoffs had only one competition area.
The 15 teams in the playoffs would play 14 rounds of matches, with 7 matches per day and one team getting a bye each day.
All matches were held in the same venue, proceeding sequentially.
The competition area was quite spacious, with a diameter of 100 meters, providing ample space for the soul masters to display their abilities.
Temporary VIP and referee stands were set up beside the arena.
As in the preliminaries, the Xue Ye Emperor, Ning Fengzhi, and Platinum Bishop Salas were seated in the VIP area.
The preliminaries had been team battles, with many participants, and some teams had not sent their strongest members to keep their strength hidden.
Thus, the preliminaries had been somewhat chaotic, with weaker participants often relying on stronger teammates to secure victories.
In contrast, the playoffs featured one-on-one battles, making it easier to discern the strength of each contestant.
Therefore, the playoffs were a true test of a soul master's individual strength.
All 15 teams had arrived at the venue.
Each team that made it through the preliminaries was formidable in its own right.
With the round-robin format, each team would face all 14 other teams.
The principle of "know yourself and know your enemy" applied here.
One-on-one battles allowed teams to clearly observe the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.
Thus, regardless of whether they were scheduled to compete on a given day, teams would stay to watch other matches and gauge their opponents' strengths.
The rules for the playoffs were simple: each side fielded 7 team members, with each participant fighting until defeated. The victorious team would face the next opponent, continuing until one team had all 7 members defeated.
A particularly strong participant could potentially achieve a "one against seven," which was one of the highlights of the playoffs.
The draw for the matchups had already been completed the previous night. Godwind Academy did not draw a bye in the first round; their opponent was a team from the Tajik Kingdom.
Teams from different regions that advanced through the preliminaries were now grouped together.
This time, Shrek Academy and the Four Elemental Academies were closer to each other.
Tang San's gaze naturally fell on Feng Xiaotian.
No matter what, the two were bound to face each other in the playoffs.
(End of Chapter)