The semifinals of the Continental Elite Youth Soul Master started under such an atmosphere.
The weather today was a little gloomy. Clouds filled the sky, and it felt a little oppressive. It seemed like it might rain at any time.
If it were any other normal time, no one would have left their houses in such weather unless they had something important to attend to. However, it was different today.
In the early morning, Radiant City was already bustling. There were huge crowds gathering towards the suburbs.
The Sun Moon Empireâs military, which was in charge of maintaining order, had already begun their job at the tournament venue in the wee hours of the morning, trying to prevent a stampede. Today, there would be a record-breaking crowd.
There were simply too many people. It was impossible to see the end of the crowd!
When there were ten thousand people, it would seem as if the crowd was infinite, but right now, there were far more than ten thousand people!
Several hundred thousand spectators were crowding around the tournament stage. Those furthest from the stage were a good two kilometers away. They had to rely on a telescope to see what was going on. Even so, everything still wasnât clear to them.
Four teams entered the venue simultaneously. All of them had gone through several rounds to be able to be present today. It was already the highest honor to be among the semifinalists. However, only one team would win!
Who would be the victor? No one was thinking about this question yet. The most important question right now was⦠which teams would qualify today?
The Tang Sect and Shrek Academy were finally seated together. Even though Dai Huabin, Wu Feng and the others didnât like the Tang Sect, they were even more unwilling to get close to evil soul masters or their direct opponents, the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Shrek Academy came without their teacher. Only their eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, was here with them. Everyone looked very serious. They were going to fight a strong opponent today.
There were eight people on the Holy Ghost Sectâs team. From her figure, it was easy to recognize that Tang Ya was seated in the front. Behind her, every member of the Holy Ghost Church had covered themselves up with huge black cloaks. The lady furthest back gave Huo Yuhao the familiar feeling he had experienced earlier.
When the Tang Sect came to the waiting area, the members of the Holy Ghost Sect shot them cold and eerie looks.
On the Tang Sectâs side, everyone was already in their best condition apart from Xu Sanshi, who was still a little pale. They were under more pressure than Shrek Academy in todayâs semifinals.
Against evil soul masters, it wasnât just about victory or failure anymore. Their lives were on the line. This was also why Zhang Lexuan had warned Bei Bei to take care of their own safety.
Before they moved off in the morning, Bei Bei had also warned his teammates. However, were they able to control themselves when they really fought? No one was sure about this. For victory and the glory of Tang Sect, Shrekâs Seven Monsters were very determined. So what if they were evil soul masters? Theyâd beaten evil soul masters before!
The stage had already been repaired and returned to its former appearance. To prepare for the semifinals, it hadnât just been rebuilt. It was also reinforced with steel plates! Even the protective barriers were re-arranged so that they wouldnât be damaged like they were before.
The twenty-thousand-strong military division in charge of maintaining order today were all fully equipped with weapons and helmets.
No matter the rank of the soldiers, everyone from the military was wearing the same white armor. The only difference was in terms of patterns. Officers of different ranks had different patterns on their armor. For the highest-ranking officers, there was an additional feather on their helmets.
The color of the feather also varied depending on the rank of the officer.
Order was maintained through this military presence. Anyone who dared to defy the military was courting death!
---
On the main stage, Xu Tianran had already arrived. Many officials were there with him. The mysterious Imperial Tutor was also here. He sat to Xu Tianranâs left, while Ju Zi sat to Xu Tianranâs right.
Xu Tianran appeared very relaxed today, wearing a smile on his face. The sun had just risen. Even though the weather wasnât very good, that didnât seem to affect his mood.
Xu Tianran smiled after receiving a cup of tea from Ju Zi. âJu Zi, who do you think will win in the morning round?â
Ju Zi was startled, and slowly shook her head. She replied, âI donât dare to make any wild guesses. However, I believe that the leaders of both teams will be crucial in determining the victor. Iâve heard that the both of them are the strongest dragon-type soul masters in this tournament. Wang Qiuâer is the backbone of Shrekâs team. If she loses, Iâm afraid Shrekâs fighting strength will drop greatly.â
âItâs also roughly the same for the Heavenly Dragon Sect. Yu Tianlongâs abilities seem better than the rest of his teammates. Heâs also the next sect leader of the Heavenly Dragon Sect. He holds a high status in his sect.â
Xu Tianran nodded satisfactorily and said, âThen letâs guess ; will they meet in the individual elimination round?â
Ju Zi smiled and said, âI shall make a guess then.â
Xu Tianran laughed and said, âAlright, you can guess first. However, whatâs our stake going to be?â
Ju Zi shook her head and answered, âI wonât bet. Iâm only making a guess to entertain Your Highness. Everything that I have belongs to you. What can I use to bet against you?â
After hearing her words, Xu Tianran was in an extremely good mood. He opened his arms to hug her waist. âYou are very right. No wonder you are mine, Ju Zi. Tell me, whatâs your guess?â
Ju Zi said, âI think theyâll meet in the first individual elimination round.â
âOh?â Xu Tianran was a little stunned as he looked at her. He asked, âWhy?â
Ju Zi replied, âThey are both very proud individuals. They need a fair fight to prove themselves. I think this is especially true for Yu Tianlong. Wang Qiuâerâs individual reputation has been outstanding in this tournament! Sheâs also the first to compete in every fight. Heâs a man with a dragon-type martial soul, too. Thereâs no way he wonât compete against her! If Wang Qiuâer doesnât fight first, Shrekâs momentum will be very weak. She relies on momentum to fight, and Iâm sure sheâll want to continue that. Thatâs why I think theyâll meet in the first fight.â
âGreat! Intelligent! It seems like I donât have to worry about passing the military to you,â Xu Tianran nodded as he smiled.
Ju Zi was delighted. She wanted to bow, but Xu Tianran stopped her.
âJu Zi, you must remember this. You are no longer my subordinate. You are my wife. You donât have to bow to me. Didnât I tell you that before? Everything that you have belongs to me. Iâve also treated you as an important part of my life. No matter what I give you, you deserve it. Moreover, I must help you fulfill your wish. You are still inexperienced, but itâs fine for you to be a lieutenant now. Work hard. Once you gain some merit, youâll soon control the entire military. Iâll be relieved to hand the military over to you.â
âThank you, Your Highness.â
Xu Tianran smiled and replied, âAlright. Letâs watch the fight. Itâs about to start.â
---
In the waiting area...
Wang Qiuâer was sitting in the main seat for Shrekâs team. Her back was very straight, and she had a dignified posture. She shut her eyes and rested for a while.
At this point, Yu Tianlong stood up and walked towards her.
After seeing what he was doing, Dai Huabin suddenly stood up behind Wang Qiuâer. There was a cold look in his eyes.
âSit down,â Wang Qiuâer instructed him.
Dai Huabin appeared quite stern, but he still obediently sat down.
The Tang Sect was seated next to Shrek Academy. When they saw how Wang Qiuâer had managed to tame Dai Huabin with just her words, even Huo Yuhao was very impressed. Indeed, there was always someone more dominant! This wasnât just based on abilities; it seemed like Dai Huabin had been truly won over by Wang Qiuâer.
Yu Tianlong stopped three meters away from Wang Qiuâer.
âWang Qiuâer.â As he looked at her, his eyes shone. He didnât even glance at Dai Huabin. His attention was completely captured by Wang Qiuâer.
She was too beautiful. The dark-green uniform that she wore accentuated her fair complexion. Her flowing, powdery-blue hair was like a waterfall behind her back. She didnât have any flaws. Although her eyes were shut, her long eyelashes still curled upward â it was a captivating sight.
Yu Tianlong believed that he was a very composed person. However, he felt his breathing getting faster and faster as he came closer to Wang Qiuâer.
âWhat?â Wang Qiuâer asked coldly.
Yu Tianlong asked, âDo you to dare to fight with me?â
âWhat are we betting with?â Wang Qiuâer asked in the same frosty tone.
Yu Tianlong said, âIâll be the first to compete in the individual elimination round. I hope to fight you. If I lose, Iâll join Shrek Academy. If you lose, you must join the Heavenly Dragon Sect. Do you dare to take this bet?â
Wang Qiuâer revealed a scornful look. âShrek Academy doesnât accept trash.â
âWhat did you say?â Everyone from the Heavenly Dragon Sect stood up. They were all infuriated.
Yu Tianlong lifted his hand and gestured towards his teammates. He suppressed some of their rage and asked, âAre you scared?â
Wang Qiuâer couldnât even bother to continue talking to him anymore. She shut her eyes, and didnât make another sound.