Two days had already passed since the start of the tournant, and the first round of preliminaries had been completed by all participating academies. Without a doubt, the most unfortunate group among the twenty-eight teams was the second squad of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Although they had healing-type spirit masters tending to their injuries, broken bones and torn muscles were not sothing that could be healed within a re day or two. Their chances of advancing from the preliminaries were already slim. If even their main lineup was this weak, it was hardly worth ntioning the substitutes of the second team.
Today marked the beginning of the second round of the preliminaries. When the mbers of Crimson Rose Academy arrived outside the Great Spirit Arena of Heaven Dou City, they imdiately noticed the difference in treatnt compared to before.
As the crowd of spectators, gathered outside the arena, saw their team dressed in crimson uniforms, they instinctively parted to make way. Though whispers and discussions still rose, they were far fewer than before. What lingered in the air now was admiration, envy, and even a touch of fear.
As the very first match of the preliminaries, Crimson Rose Academy had left an unforgettable impression. The battle itself had been brief, yet Li Chang’an’s overwhelming burst of power, along with his rciless attacks, had shaken the hearts of the audience.
With such strength displayed, no one dared to dismiss this team as a group of pampered nobles any longer. A support-type spirit master above the fortieth rank, and a man who could annihilate an entire team without even using his martial soul—Crimson Rose Academy had already secured a place among the qualifiers.
Led by staff into the rest area for participating teams, they once again attracted the eyes of many. With fourteen matches held each day since yesterday, the arrival of Crimson Rose Academy drew particular attention. Most gazes inevitably fell upon Li Chang’an—the man who had decided his battle in a single move. After all, strength was the most convincing proof.
"Dean, who will we face today?" Ning Rongrong turned to Liu Erlong and asked.
"Your opponent in the second round is quite strong," Liu Erlong replied with a faintly serious expression. "You’ve all heard of the Elephant Armored Sect, haven’t you? Ranked sixth among the Seven Great Sects. Today’s opponents co from the Elephant Armored Academy, which was founded by them. All seven participants are direct descendants of the sect. Three are already at the fortieth rank, while the other four are close behind. In short, they represent the new generation of the sect’s elite."
Though her tone carried a trace of solemnity, it was only a touch. After all, her team possessed too many trump cards. The only question was which one they should play.
The Elephant Armored Sect?
Li Chang’an, Mu Xi, and Hu Liena’s expressions shifted slightly. They all still rembered the incident when Li Chang’an had caused the two young masters of the Elephant Armored Sect to humiliate themselves publicly, and he had been the chief culprit behind it.
Seeing the strange looks on their faces, Liu Erlong frowned in puzzlent.
"Why do the three of you look like that? Did I say sothing wrong?"
Ever since her own embarrassing slip in front of Hu Liena and ng Yiran, Liu Erlong had felt a bit guilty around them. Now, seeing Hu Liena’s odd expression, her nerves only worsened.
"Ahem, it’s nothing, nothing, Dean Erlong. Please continue," Hu Liena said with a perfectly straight face.
"The Elephant Armored Sect’s ancestral martial soul is the Diamond Mammoth—an exceptionally powerful defensive martial soul. Its traits lie in sheer strength and defense. Among spirit masters of the sa rank, almost no one can break through their defenses.
"If not for the fact that the Elephant Armored Sect lacks a Title Douluo, their ranking among the Seven Great Sects would never be as low as sixth. Even so, the sect master—an eighty-seventh rank Spirit Douluo—can rely on his trendous defense to withstand even non-core attacks from so Title Douluo. That alone shows how formidable their martial soul is."
After briefly explaining the sect’s strength, Liu Erlong’s gaze fell upon Li Chang’an. As captain of Crimson Rose Academy’s team, the tactical decisions would rest in his hands.
"This ti, Lingling, you won’t need to go up," Li Chang’an said simply. "Their defense is thick enough that healing won’t be necessary."
Ye Lingling, her face veiled in black, nodded coolly. Among all present, her relationship with Li Chang’an was the most neutral and proper, so they still maintained so asure of courtesy.
"Just follow my lead once we’re on stage. With a bit of planning, this battle might end very easily." Li Chang’an’s sly smile sent an involuntary chill down the spines of his teammates.
Hu Liena, however, who knew his past antics well, guessed his intentions and allowed herself a small smile as well.
For her and Li Chang’an, their tacit understanding ran so deep that even the subtlest cues needed no explanation.
With that, the third day of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournant officially began.
Ten teams out of the twenty-eight marched into the arena. The massive grounds had been arranged differently from the first day. While the central stage remained the sa, four additional platforms of equal size had been built around it.
Even with five large arenas in place, the imnse Great Spirit Arena of Heaven Dou City—capable of holding eighty thousand spectators—still did not feel crowded.
The teams were once again split into three groups for today’s matches. Crimson Rose Academy was in the first group. Given Li Chang’an’s dazzling performance in the opening round, and the fact that their opponent was none other than the highly favored Elephant Armored Academy, their match was arranged on the central stage.
As a grand event held only once every few years, and with so many participants sought after by the great powers, the stands were filled once again with nobles and dignitaries. On the imperial dais, seated in the center, was Emperor Xue Ye himself. Beside him were not just two, but four honored guests today.
In addition to Ning Fengzhi, master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Platinum Bishop Salas, two new figures had joined. One was Bone Douluo Gu Rong, one of the sect’s two Title Douluo.
The other, however, was far more unusual. His appearance drew countless stares not only from the nobles nearby, but even from spectators seated far away. The reason was simple—his body was far too massive. Even seated, he lood taller than most n standing. Bone Douluo was already an imposing figure, yet compared to the man beside Platinum Bishop Salas, he seed almost small.
This giant was none other than Huyan Zhen, sect master of the Elephant Armored Sect—the very sa man who had nearly been scared into a heart attack by Li Chang’an in Spirit City.
At that mont, Salas was clutching a bottle of "Instant Heart Relief Pills" while conversing with him.
"Tell , Sect Master Huyan, have you considered withdrawing your team? Don’t bla for not warning you if things turn humiliating."
His words were carefully phrased, but the intent was clear—he hoped the old man would wise up.
Yet Huyan Zhen, as stubborn as an ox, rumbled back:
"Bishop Salas, you ask to pull my disciples from the match without giving a reason. That’s not reasonable. At least tell why, shouldn’t you?"
Salas pressed his hand to his forehead. Finished. The Elephant Armored Sect was destined to lose face today. Fortunately, he had prepared a bottle of pills in advance. As long as the Holy Son didn’t go too far, it should be enough.
But then he rembered how Spirit Hall had only managed to recruit the Elephant Armored Sect through a series of sches, and how this so-called Holy Son had a tendency to cause absolute chaos. Alard, Salas quickly turned to his attendants.
"Hurry—bring another bottle of Instant Heart Relief Pills!"
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