Kapitel 153: Entry
The sun was already high in the sky as both participants and spectators gathered inside the Grand Spirit Arena.
Speaking of the Spirit Arena, it was not a weak force by any means.
It was established by eight hidden noble families, each possessing a Soul Doulou-level expert. Their influence extended throughout the entire Douluo Continent.
The Spirit Arena was an absolutely neutral power, refusing to take part in any of the continent's conflicts.
This was why, even when the Spirit Hall later took on and defeated most of the major powers across the Douluo Continent, the Spirit Arena remained untouched.
At that moment, in the VIP section:
The Emperor Xue Ye sat at the highest position of honor, with Ning Fengzhi, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master, seated to his right.
This seat was originally reserved for the Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop, Salas, but with Zhongli's arrival, the seating arrangements had to be adjusted.
Following the principle that the left is superior to the right, and with Ning Fengzhi sitting on the right, it was obvious that the left seat could not be given to Salas.
Seated there, instead, were Zhongli and Paimon.
Salas felt somewhat displeased with the seating arrangement. Of course, his displeasure wasn't aimed at Zhongli but rather at the Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi.
Zhongli's position here was unquestionable; even if the Pope, Bibi Dong, or the Spirit Hall's Grand Priest had come, they wouldn't dare voice any objections to it.
As for Salas, a mere Platinum Bishop and Soul Doulou-level Spirit Master, he definitely couldn't raise any objections.
His dissatisfaction with the Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi, however, stemmed from the fact that, despite his status and representation of the Spirit Hall, he was relegated to the second row!
Had he only been representing himself, he wouldn't have dared nitpick, but today, he was representing the Spirit Hall!
Could this be seen as disrespect toward the Spirit Hall? Was it an insult?
With a dark expression on his face, Salas couldn't vent his frustration openly.
After all, it was said that Lord Martial God, valued "courtesy" greatly. A rash outburst could not only fail to bring him any advantage but might also offend this revered figure.
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin, sitting on the Emperor Xue Ye's right, glanced at Salas with a hint of disdain in their eyes but chose not to comment further.
If Zhongli hadn't come, they wouldn't be seated here either. But how often do things go as planned in this world?
Not only had Zhongli arrived, but he had also brought the acting leader of the Body Sect!
Due to the seating arrangement, a quiet storm was brewing in the VIP section—far more interesting than the Soul Battle itself.
Zhongli calmly sipped his tea, observing the atmosphere around him and occasionally glancing at the contestants' rest area, completely unconcerned about the tension between the others.
Meanwhile, Paimon's cheeks puffed out as she enjoyed a large array of delicacies that had been specially prepared for her by "Xue Qinghe."
Had it not been for this little one, Zhongli might not have even bothered coming to watch the preliminary matches.
"So tasty, so tasty..."
Everyone around chose to pretend they didn't notice Paimon, focused as she was on her food.
In such a formal setting, it seemed that only this little one was granted such "privileges."
In the contestants' rest area, most of the competitors were focusing their attention on the surrounding teams.
Of course, a few of them couldn't help but glance up at the VIP section.
They couldn't help but think—Wouldn't it be great if one day they could sit up there too?'
After arriving at the rest area, there was still a "reveal" segment left—the formal entrance of the contestants.
During this entrance, the host would briefly introduce the basic information about each team, giving the audience some context.
After all, there were a total of twenty-nine teams participating in the preliminary rounds!
And if you included the Royal Team, which had a guaranteed spot, that made a total of thirty teams.
"Please welcome the entrance of Heaven Dou Royal Team Two..."
"Please welcome the entrance of the Divine Wind Team..."
It was uncertain if it was due to the protagonist's fate, but when introducing the other teams, the host seemed fairly composed and professional.
However, when it came time to introduce the Shrek Academy team, the host couldn't help but pause for a moment.
This... these uniforms were simply beyond words!
For a prestigious advanced spirit master academy, did they really have to dress like this? Were they trying to draw attention by acting like clowns, or were they actually clowns?
The host was at a loss. In all his years of hosting, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
"Ugh..."
The disdain from the audience echoed throughout the arena, causing Shrek's members to feel their faces burn with embarrassment. Their fists clenched tightly.
They couldn't do much about it, though. After all, it was their dean, Flender, who had this particular sense of aesthetics.
The design of the Shrek Academy uniforms wasn't the issue; they were actually rather trendy. But the color...
"Damn it, you'll regret this!" Dai Mubai's face flushed with anger, but there was nothing he could do. The color of the uniform was bad enough, and to top it off, it was covered in advertisements!
"Everyone, don't get upset. We'll use our strength to shut them up!" Tang San said, his face dark and determined.
Being looked down upon? Then they would prove themselves through sheer power!
Why were they being ridiculed, anyway? The All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament was held every five years, a sacred competition that all young spirit masters aspired to participate in.
Shrek Academy could have easily avoided this whole situation, but they chose to say no!
Wearing these garish green uniforms with random ads, was it really a surprise they were looked down upon?
While everyone else came dressed in their finest, they deliberately chose to stand out, yet were upset when others sneered at them...
"Exactly!" Ma Hongjun chimed in, though his eyes were glued to where the girls from Skywater Academy had exited.
Those girls were really beautiful!
Many people thought Ma Hongjun's personality was due to the evil fire controlling him. However, even in the original timeline, after consuming immortal herbs and resolving the issue of the evil fire, his personality didn't change much!
He remained just the way he was.
Despite all this, Tang San still introduced his cousin to Ma Hongjun, which really raised eyebrows and seemed to clash with common sense!
Brotherhood aside, knowing Ma Hongjun's character and his past behavior, Tang San still did this. It was a testament to...
On second thought, it wasn't too surprising. After all, Xiao Wu was a 100,000-year-old Soft-Boned Rabbit in human form, and during this period, who knows how many descendants of the Soft-Boned Rabbit were running around in the Star Dou Forest.
After Shrek Academy's team left the stage, the host finally continued, saying, "Now, please welcome the Empire's direct finalist, Heaven Dou Royal Team One!"
"I'm sure many of you may not be familiar with Heaven Dou Royal Team One..."
Upon hearing this, the audience rolled their eyes.
Unfamiliar?
They might indeed be unfamiliar, but who hadn't heard of the name Heaven Dou Royal Team One!
That team was made up of a group of absolute powerhouses, each one more formidable than the last.
As Chi Yu and the others from Heaven Dou Royal Team One entered, the host continued, "Leading the team is Xiao Feilian, the team captain."
"Not only is she the captain of Heaven Dou Royal Team One, but she is also the Holy Maiden of the Body Sect and the disciple of all three education deans of Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
"At just under sixteen years old, she broke the record for the youngest Soul King in history!"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein