"The preliminaries are different from the promotion matches. The preliminaries will be conducted in the team battle format you're most familiar with, using a single round-robin system. The team with the highest winning points in each regional division will advance to the promotion matches. The promotion matches, however, will be held in a special format. Although each team will still send out seven members, the battles will be conducted one-on-one. The victor remains on the field, while the losing side continues sending out new members until all members of one team are defeated."
"The preliminaries showcase team strength, while the promotion matches highlight individual prowess. The reason the promotion matches exist is to allow the higher-ups of the two great empires and the Spirit Hall to identify exceptionally talented young Spirit Masters."
"There will be a total of thirty-three teams in the finals, which will follow a brutal elimination format based on draws."
"Wait, isn't it supposed to be thirty-two teams? How did it become thirty-three?"Oscar asked in confusion.
"There aren't just two seeded teams in the finals—there are three. The third team is directly admitted by Spirit Hall. You could say it's the strongest team. Spirit Hall has a dedicated institution for training Spirit Masters. In the past three iterations of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, aside from Star Luo Empire winning once, the other two championships were won by Spirit Hall. That should give you an idea of how powerful this team is—they're far stronger than the Heaven Dou Royal Team!"
Flender explained.
Everyone in Shrek, except for Zhang Fan, looked at one another in shock.
"We have Zhang Fan, so there's nothing to be afraid of!"Xiao Wu said, pursing her lips.
"Yeah, after all, Fan-ge is over level 50!"Ning Rongrong nodded.
"Fan-ge is invincible!"Zhu Zhuqing was also incredibly confident in Zhang Fan.
"Yes, with Zhang Fan around this time, we can definitely compete with that Spirit Hall team!"
Flender smiled and continued, "The promotion rankings will be determined in the two great empires, with fifteen teams emerging. The finals will be in an elimination format. In each round, some teams will get a bye. The teams getting a bye will be the three seeded teams, while the other teams face off. The fifteen winners proceed to the next round."
"In the second round, including the three seeded teams, there will be eighteen in total. The top two will get a bye, and the remaining sixteen will compete to determine eight who move on to the third round. Then only ten teams will remain. The top two get another bye. After three rounds, six teams will be left. From the fourth round onward, no more byes. These six will draw lots and compete, determining the top three. The final ranking will be based on both team battles and individual elimination battles."
"Individual elimination battles are the same format as the promotion matches. Each of the three teams will engage in a 'king-of-the-hill' format. Each side sends out their seven members in turn. The losing side is eliminated, continuing until all members of the other two teams are defeated."
Once Flender finished, everyone nodded in agreement.
"We're definitely going to be the champions of Heaven Dou!"Xiao Wu said confidently.
After all, Fan-ge was with them.
In her heart, Fan-ge was simply unbeatable.
Moreover, they had exactly nine members, so there was no need for much adjustment. Tai Long was only a backup for the backup.
And everyone was already above level forty.
Three days later, in the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire—Heaven Dou City.
The opening ceremony of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament's Heaven Dou regional division was held with grandeur.
As the most prestigious event in the Spirit Master world, it attracted enormous attention—from royalty to commoners. Every citizen in Heaven Dou City treated the tournament as the grandest festival.
The opening ceremony took place inside the Heaven Dou Grand Spirit Arena.
Tickets for the opening ceremony had sold out a month in advance, with prices matching those of top matches at the Arena.
It was an unimaginably large stadium.
Apart from the VIP area reserved on the north side, the renovated Spirit Arena could accommodate eighty thousand spectators.
Before sunrise, Heaven Dou Grand Spirit Arena was already packed with people.
Zhang Fan and his team arrived at the arena as well.
Five thousand city defense troops were deployed to maintain order.
"Wow… so many people!"Ning Rongrong exclaimed in wonder, looking around curiously.
"Pretty awesome!"Xiao Wu bounced alongside Zhang Fan.
Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly.
They were all dressed in flowing Shrek Academy uniforms.
Along the way, they encountered students from other academies, all casting envious glances.
"Wow… their uniforms are gorgeous!"
"It's the first time I've seen such elegant and beautiful uniforms!"
"Yeah, these uniforms are so unique!" The Shrek team's attire drew a lot of admiration.
Everyone was praising their uniforms.
"Kid, you really know how to design!"Flender, standing next to Zhang Fan, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses. If he had been the one to design them, Shrek would have become a laughingstock—he was well aware of his own "unique" taste.
Today was the opening ceremony, and there would only be one match—a performance team battle by Heaven Dou Team Two. Every victory in the tournament awarded five hundred gold spirit coins, with an additional three thousand for reaching the promotion stage. Reaching the finals would earn a baron title and a reward of one thousand gold spirit coins per person, even for substitutes.
The prize for the grand finals would be even better.
Soon, the draw began.
Flender returned from the side, having completed the registration process.
Right in front of them, not far away, arrived a team of Spirit Masters wearing moon-white robes embroidered with the words "Canghui".
"What a waste of that outfit on a big oaf!" sneered a small-eyed youth. Among the dozen or so members of Canghui Academy, only two had seen Zhang Fan and the others before, so the small-eyed one didn't recognize them.
"What did you say?"Tai Long flared up upon hearing the insult.
"Don't start anything here!"Zhang Fan reminded Tai Long not to act rashly.
"Fine!" The hot-headed Tai Long fell silent for now.
"Let's just crush them on stage later!"Xiao Wu grinned mischievously at the Canghui Academy members, who weren't wearing masks.
"What the hell are you barking at?!" a Canghui Academy member shouted.
The two who recognized Zhang Fan and the others felt that they looked familiar but couldn't place them right away—it had been a long time, and their outfits had changed, not to mention they themselves had changed a lot.
"What are you all doing?"
At that moment, a white-haired elder in his sixties walked over. The Canghui Academy students immediately quieted down. The elder wore a moon-white Spirit Master robe.
Flender stood silently nearby.
"The little white dogs' master has arrived! Tell them to stop barking already—they're too noisy!"Ma Hongjun sneered coldly.
"You disgusting bearded fatso!"
"Haha, a beard guy, a hairy-chested one, and a bald one—what a freak show! No matter how nice your uniforms are, it can't hide how disgusting you are!"
The Canghui Academy members were clearly provoked.
"Silence!" the elder glared at the Canghui students, then gave Ma Hongjun a stern look before leading his team away.
"Once the owner showed up, the dogs quieted down. Typical mutts!"Ma Hongjun muttered darkly, though he refused to back down.
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