Kapitel 140: I might disappoint
As the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament approached, Heaven Dou City became increasingly lively, with people coming and going. The city had banned "carriages" from all but the royal family, so there was naturally no traffic congestion.
Spectators from afar, along with the contestants from the participating academies, had all arrived early in Heaven Dou City.
For the preliminary rounds, the Heaven Dou royal family did not provide accommodations for the contestants. They had to take care of their own food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
Academies with prior experience had booked hotels in Heaven Dou City well in advance. Those without experience had no choice but to set up tents outside the city. Of course, most academies with experience wouldn't arrive so late.
In a private room of a restaurant, a woman's face was solemn. Her red lips parted, but she hesitated to speak. After a while, she finally said, "This year's preliminary round will be much harder to qualify for than before."
Her skin was as white as snow, and her long, water-blue hair was tied up in a bun.
Around her were other women, each as pleasing to the eye as the next. Perhaps due to their attributes, all these women had water-blue hair. However, their hair color was secondary.
Each of them possessed beauty, grace, and elegance that could be considered among the best of their time. Individually, if one were to rate them on a scale of 100, each would score at least a 90.
"Xue Wu, don't worry!"
This group of people was none other than the current generation of the Skywater Academy's female team.
Skywater Academy was a academy that only admitted students with water or ice attribute martial spirits and only accepted beautiful female students. If they weren't beautiful, they couldn't enroll, even if their martial spirit met the requirements.
Because of this criterion, Skywater Academy had no unattractive students. It was one of the favorite academies of noblemen and a target for those in power.
"Even if we have to face the former Heaven Dou Royal Team, getting into the top five shouldn't be a problem for us."
The top five represented spots in the qualifying matches and the final tournament. Dozens of advanced soul master academies participated in the preliminaries because of these five slots.
Yu Tianheng and his team were part of the guaranteed entry teams. However, due to the presence of even stronger teams, they had to use the Heaven Dou Royal Team 2's spot for the competition. But unlike being guaranteed a spot in the finals, they would have to fight their way from the preliminary rounds to the finals.
This created another issue. The former Heaven Dou Royal Team, Yu Tianheng and his teammates, had well-known strength and were practically guaranteed to advance. By taking part in the preliminary round with the Heaven Dou Royal Team 2's spot, they were essentially taking up one of the qualifying slots. With one less spot available, the competition would become even fiercer.
"It's fine dealing with them, but if we have to face those maniacs from the Body Sect..."
As Shui Yue'er said this, her face turned pale. Just thinking about it made her feel uneasy.
The fate of the Elephant Armor Academy students had already spread widely, and among the more experienced academies, it was no secret.
The mighty Elephant Armor Academy, one of the Five Elemental Academies known for its defense, had its captain and vice-captain seriously injured in a one-on-seven fight after just one strike. A seven-on-one, with two seriously injured— and it was their two strongest members!
Even though Elephant Armor Academy was one of the Five Elemental Academies and had considerable strength, it highlighted just how terrifyingly powerful the maniacs from the Body Sect truly were.
Hearing this, the other girls nodded instinctively. Even the proud Shui Bing'er fell silent. It was clear that the overall strength of the current Heaven Dou Royal Team was not something the Skywater Team could match.
Especially their captain— that terrifying girl who had reached the Soul King level before turning sixteen.
Over a year had passed since then; what level had her strength reached now?
Even if they faced her at her level during the disciple recruitment ceremony, they wouldn't necessarily win, even if they used all their trump cards, including their martial spirit fusion skill!
"Alright, stop scaring yourselves. Let's just wait and see until the preliminaries are over."
First, they needed to pass the preliminary round and then fight through the qualifying matches to earn the right to face Yu Tianheng and his team.
"At this point, overthinking is just scaring ourselves for no reason. It's pointless."
Shui Bing'er, the captain of the Skywater Team, truly lived up to her role, and her words were effective. After the girls calmed down, Shui Bing'er continued, "It's still early. Let's go find Feng Xiaotian and spar with him for a bit."
Sparring was fine, but they wouldn't reveal any of their true combat strength or tactics. If the opponent believed that this was all they had, then their "strategy" would be halfway successful.
"Yes!"
Among the Five Elemental Academies, aside from the Elephant Armor Academy, the other four academies often interacted, organizing sparring sessions for the younger generation. They were all quite familiar with each other.
It wasn't just Skywater Academy that was anxious; many others were as well. Apart from the confident Feng Xiaotian, other academies were also worried. Even Thunderclap Academy felt the same.
Yu Tianheng's capabilities were well-known, especially to his cousin, Yu Tianxin. He had to admit that Yu Tianheng was indeed a bit stronger than him. Moreover, the overall strength of Yu Tianheng's team was superior.
The "dual dragon" rivalry was tied to the competition for the successor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. While Yu Tianxin himself didn't mind, his grandfather, Yu Luomian, had high hopes for him.
"I might disappoint my grandfather…" Yu Tianxin murmured, then fell silent. In the preliminary rounds, it was inevitable that he would face his cousin.
The outcome of that match would determine which side the clan members would support, choosing the more promising heir.
Meanwhile, Zhongli, Paimon, and "Xue Qinghe" were walking down the street. The three of them had just left the Seven Treasures Hotel.
Recently, "Xue Qinghe" had been quite busy, as she was responsible for the preparations for the preliminary rounds as the crown prince.
Despite her busy schedule, she still made time to visit the guest elder of her residence, even though this guest elder had never actually been to her manor.
"It has to be you..." "Xue Qinghe" thought to herself. She had assumed that after Zhongli became the leader of the Body Sect, he would change his "laziness" and become very busy.
But to her surprise, after a month or two of busyness, he had returned to his old habits—if not becoming even more laid-back.
She truly envied such a lifestyle! Yes, envied! She had never experienced such a relaxed pace of life, especially while holding a high position.
"Guest elder, may I ask you a question?"
Suddenly, "Xue Qinghe" seemed to have thought of something, paused, and asked.
Hearing this, Zhongli turned his head slightly and replied, "What might the crown prince wish to ask?"
Earlier at the hotel, they had discussed many topics, especially regarding ordinary academies for commoners.
Bibi Dong was true to her word; after returning to Spirit Hall, she began to implement this plan.
Over a year had passed, and there were now many academies for commoners across the Douluo Continent, with students gradually enrolling.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein