Shortly after, the teachers leading the teams from each academy arrived at the square. They drew lots based on the competition numbers they received during registration. The draw took half an hour.
During this time, Huo Yuhao also saw the missing Spirit Sound Douluo. The latter, upon noticing Huo Yuhao's gaze, playfully winked. This made Huo Yuhao's lips twitch.
"Your Majesty." A middle-aged man in a scarlet python robe came before Xu Jiawei and respectfully saluted.
The representatives of several factions, including Huo Yuhao, turned their gazes to the middle-aged man. Not just anyone could wear a python robe; this person's identity was likely not simple.
The next moment, Xu Jiawei's words revealed the man's identity.
"Prime Minister, how are the arrangements?" The Star Luo Emperor asked with a smile.
The Star Luo Emperor had previously been full of imperial majesty, but when he spoke, he gave everyone a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze, making them want to get close to him.
However, no one present was a simple character, and they all remained composed.
The Prime Minister respectfully replied, "Everything has been arranged. The competition order is set, and the Imperial Guard is in place, ensuring no chaos. We can begin."
The Star Luo Emperor nodded slightly. "Good. Allow the participating students and spectators to enter. Maintain order."
"Yes." The Prime Minister took a few steps back before turning to leave, showing extreme respect.
Shortly after the Prime Minister's departure, teams of participating students entered through various entrances, led by their teachers.
Leading the way, as always, was Shrek Academy, the champion of previous competitions. Everyone's attention, including the Star Luo Emperor's, was focused on them.
However, upon seeing the composition of the Shrek team, everyone was somewhat surprised. The requirement for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition was that participants be under twenty years old.
Therefore, the contestants from all academies tried to be as close to the age limit as possible.
But what's the situation with Shrek now? There are only ten people, and of those, three look to be around eighteen years old. The remaining seven look to be only twelve or thirteen, maybe fifteen at most.
Too arrogant. Everyone thought this after seeing Shrek's lineup. Are they planning to use their younger students as practice fodder?
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered. It seems this is another masterpiece of the Strongest Evil Soul King. Shrek's Supervisory Group? With our Holy Spirit Cult's Elder, Chicken Leg Douluo, in charge, you can all rest easy on the way.
The Shrek group wore dark green school uniforms. This was Shrek's tradition, dating back to their first participation in the Continental Elite Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition ten thousand years ago.
Back then, people mocked it as "shit green." However, nowadays, no one would dare to laugh. Shrek represented glory, it represented faith.
Huo Yuhao saw many familiar faces: Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong, Wang Qiu'er, and He Caitou. Besides the three older ones, they were all familiar faces.
Huo Yuhao was looking at them, and the Shrek members also saw Huo Yuhao. They couldn't help but be surprised. What exactly was his identity to be sitting next to the Emperor?
Among them, Wang Dong and Wang Qiu'er were the most conflicted. Huo Yuhao had left without a word, and everyone thought he had taken another leave of absence, since it wasn't the first time. But Huo Yuhao had been gone for three months without a trace.
It wasn't until Wang Dong found Wang Qing, the owner of the Jun Zailai Restaurant, that he learned Huo Yuhao had withdrawn from school.
The thought of meeting again under these circumstances filled everyone with complex emotions. Beibei was the most affected. He had known Huo Yuhao the longest among them. He had once thought Huo Yuhao would join the Tang Sect or enter Shrek Academy's inner court. However, he never expected that when they met again, they would be on opposing sides.
Yes, opposing sides. The former sect master of the Body Sect, Du Bisi, had been killed by the Sea God Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy. The two sides were deeply仇大恨, with no possibility of reconciliation.
And the Sea God Pavilion Master was his great-grandfather, though Beibei was still unaware of Huo Yuhao's affiliation with the Body Sect.
After all the students entered, the spectators followed. The number of spectators from the participating academies was too large. It took half an hour just for them to enter.
At this moment, the Star Luo Plaza was filled with spectators. Looking around, there was a sea of people, a true sea of humanity. The number of people on the plaza had already exceeded two hundred thousand. Fortunately, the Star Luo royal family had made ample preparations. A large number of imperial guards and pre-set iron railings divided the plaza into multiple areas, so the scene wasn't too chaotic.
Unlike the participating students, the audience had to pay an entrance fee. However, there were no seats prepared for them in the plaza, meaning they could only stand to watch. Even so, the people were happy to do so.
"Silence." A deep voice resonated throughout the entire plaza. Upon hearing this voice, the imperial guards stood at attention, their spears held straight.
The Star Luo Empire was known for its military strength. Although these imperial guards guarding the capital had never been on the battlefield, they still gave off a sense of killing intent.
The noisy crowd gradually quieted down. They knew that someone important was about to speak.
"The Emperor's arrival!"
Clang! The entire Imperial Guard dropped to one knee in unison, their movements precise. The armor on their bodies clattered.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty! May you live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years!" The soldiers roared, their voices echoing like thunder.
Following them, the masses of people also knelt down, chanting their respects.
The participating students had been notified that they were exempt from kneeling, only required to bow. This was a gesture to preserve their pride, and it certainly earned them some goodwill.
The Star Luo Emperor walked to the edge of the viewing platform, where the soul tools for amplification were placed.
The Emperor stood up. Huo Yuhao and the representatives of the other factions naturally didn't remain seated. They rose and followed behind the Emperor, along with several civil and military officials.
"Rise," the Emperor announced, his arms spread wide. His imposing voice echoed through the amplification soul tools, reaching everyone present.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Everyone then stood up one after another.
"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition is the most important event on our Douluo Continent. This year, it's our Star Luo Empire's turn to host. I am very pleased. On behalf of the Star Luo Empire, I welcome the representatives from the various academies who have traveled from afar. I hope that you will display your talents in the coming month."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The representatives of the various academies bowed again as a team.
After a long speech, the Emperor finally gave the order to begin the competition. The previous voice sounded again, "According to the rules of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition, the first round will be a knockout round. This year's competition has a total of one hundred and thirty-four advanced soul master and soul engineer academies registered, with a total of sixty-seven matches. The first round of the competition is a knockout system. The losers will directly end their journey in this competition. Next, please welcome the two sides of the first match. They are from the Douluo Empire's Tianling Academy, and the number one academy on the continent, with countless honors, almost encompassing all the championship titles of the past nearly thousand years, Shrek Academy. Let us welcome them with enthusiastic applause."
(End of this chapter)