Right now, with Heaven Dou Great Arena as its heart, practically a third of Heaven Dou City was a scene of an unbroken sea of people. Starting from several days ago, every level inn in Heaven Dou City was filled. The population of the city had gone up by practically fifty percent. This showed the attraction the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament had on people. For the sake of this tournament, Heaven Dou City had been transferred a whole five thousand city guardsmen to keep order, to as far as possible prevent disturbances.
"Wah, so much people!"
Ning Rongrong couldn't keep from crying out in surprise. Looking east or looking west, this was the first time she had seen such an amount of people. Oscar served as flower guarding emissary, guarding at Ning Rongrong's side, as far as possible keeping his head down, not letting other people see his appearance.
It wasn't just Oscar, besides a few dazzled girls, whether it was the Shrek students or the several substitutes, right now they all kept their heads down. Because, the clothing they wore really made them blush from shame.
The official Shrek Academy uniform wasn't any common green, but rather a color somewhere between yellow and green. Using Dai Mubai's words to describe it, snot green.
For the sake of this Academy tournament, dean Flender had these uniforms specially made according to his strange sense of aesthetics. The fabric was actually pretty good, and it was also comfortable. But besides the snot green, each person's chest was also practically covered by a large Shrek monster design, and the color of this design was a bright emerald green.
This still wasn't much, most out of the ordinary was on each person's back, several big words embroidered in red silk, 'Looking for advertisers'.
Below these big words was still a row of smaller ones, 'For advertising fees please call on Shrek Academy's dean, mister Flender, for a personal meeting'.
Grandmaster used his position as Academy representative to along with Flender refuse to wear such a uniform, and they only had a small and very inconspicuous Shrek design on their left lapels. It was precisely because of this unusual attire that just as Tang San and the others were about to enter the crowd, they immediately attracted special attention.
"What academy is that? Heavens, did they just crawl out from a latrine?"
"I'm dying from laughing, that green monster design on their chests is really too adorable. Why do the ears look like trumpets."
"Look, look, on their backs they're still recruiting some advertising? Is an advanced Spirit Master academy like this real? Can they still participate in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament? It's too funny. The really are all kinds of birds in the woods."
Be quiet, they're still Spirit Masters. Only, I expect they're only going through the motions, look at that fatty, it's like he's growing into a ball."
Unable to change their appearance, JoyBoy was the first to pull out the Shrek mask they originally brought when participating at the Spirit Arena tournament, and the Shrek Seven Devils hastily copied him one by one. The pitiful late members with Tai Long didn't have such equipment, and could only cover their faces with their hands, like that getting more and more embarrassed.
Flender walked forward with an 'I don't know these people behind me' appearance, and bore into the crowd with big steps, the speed of Grandmaster and Liu Erlong following behind him not a bit slower.
Fortunately there were very many teams that came to participate in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, representing close to thirty academies, and the majority of the crowd's interest was still attracted by those groups, allowing the Shrek party to squeeze into the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena after their hardships.
All the teams that came to participate were for the most part dressed bright and neat. Even though they were all dressed in their academy uniforms, none were as out of the ordinary as the Shrek Academy. Dressed up in those beautiful golden, silver, red, white, with all sorts of decorations, designs and academy insignia uniforms, each and every one of the young Spirit Masters stepped forward to enter the Great Spirit Arena like heroes with their heads held high. With imposing appearance and displaying bravery, abundantly looking disdainfully at the world.
"When leaving the tournament, no matter what you say I won't wear this. Too damaging to my heroic image."
Ma Hongjun took off the mask from his face and complained. This tournament didn't permit covering their faces, and right now everyone had the urge to immediately leave this place because of their clothes. Participating when attired like this was really too embarrassing.
Fortunately, today was the opening ceremony, and the first day of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. Apart from the opening ceremony there would only be one match. The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy secondary team would conduct the first match of the round robin tournament against the first opponent they drew. It could also be considered to be a spirit fight with something of a show nature. Otherwise, with only the opening ceremonies it clearly couldn't attract the interest of the audience.
This Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament had a cash prize, and moreover unusually direct. Each preselection match victory would award five hundred gold spirit coins, and entering the promotion competition would reward an additional three thousand gold spirit coins. If they could enter the finals, Heaven Dou Empire would not only award the title of baron, but would also reward each member of the team one thousand gold spirit coins, regardless of whether they were regular or reserve members. As for the bonus of the last finals, it would be even higher.
For the sake of the advertisements on the back of the Shrek Seven Devils, Flender had already renounced this income. In other words, any reward would be returned to the team members.
Tang San comforting said
"Anyway, the odds of us appearing on stage today is low. After returning we'll talk it over with dean Flender again, and no matter what is said we won't wear these clothes tomorrow. We have to at least drop the letters on the back."
Right now, the Shrek Academy party stood in a specially arranged rest area for competing academies within the main arena. They weren't the first to enter, but also weren't the last here. Within the expansive rest area were more than a thousand seats, split into sections, to be used for the Spirit Master academies to rest and wait.
Not long after, Flender came waltzing back.
"Huh, what are you doing running into a corner like this?"
Seeing the student's unkind gazes, Flender coughed somewhat awkwardly,
"En, then we'll be here. The signup formalities have already been completed, and in a moment you will enter for the opening ceremonies. Each and every one of you be a bit spirited, don't lose face for our Shrek Academy. You must be the champion team."
"Champion? Toads still want to be champions?"
At this moment, a disharmonious voice came from the side. The Shrek Academy students nursed a bellyful of anger, and suddenly hearing this voice they immediately turned sharply to look in its direction.
That was an academy team standing close to them. Speaking of, by true coincidence, among this team were some the Shrek Seven Devils recognized. It was precisely the ones they encountered when they originally left for the Star Dou Great Forest to get their third spirit rings: students from Blue Sunshine Academy.
They still had those moon white Spirit Master robes, the two words 'Blue Sunshine' embroidered within a circle on their shoulders in blue-green. What was different was that this time their team uniforms all had silver decorations, appearing even more dazzling than before.
JoyBoy observed their failed attempt at making Shrek students attack them in anger before they themselves were angered by Tang San and Dai Mubai and were about to attack Shrek students.
"What are you doing?"
On hearing this voice, the Blue Sunshine Academy students' complexion immediately turned ingratiating, and hastily separated. A sixty year old man came walking up from behind them, also wearing moon white Spirit Master attire, only his embroidery was golden. Flender had always kept aside as a cool eyed bystander, but on seeing this person he couldn't keep the expression in his eyes from pulsing.
Ma Hongjun whistled
"Oh, the little white dog's owner came. Quickly take away these dogs of yours. They're noisy when left here. It wouldn't be good if they happened to piss in a public space."
Against the Shrek Academy group's expectations, that old man only swept his gaze across Ma Hongjun without flaring up, but on the contrary shouting in a deep voice.
"Go."
Finished speaking, he turned and headed towards the other side of the rest area. The Blue Sunshine Academy students all looked at each other, but none dared say anything and they obediently followed him away. Fatty laughed loudly, saying
"The owner is sure enough different, really obedient."
"Fine, Fatty."
Flender glared at Ma Hongjun. The latter shut his mouth, but there was a somewhat unreconciled light in his eyes. Flender's brows furrowed, saying
"I didn't expect that old fellow to actually have gone to Blue Sunshine Academy. It seems that the quality of the Blue Sunshine Academy's students in this competition should be pretty good. Don't tell me that impetuousness just now was an act?"
Ma Hongjun was the closest to Flender and hastily asked
"Teacher, who was that old man just now? You know him?"