The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament third day competition officially began.
Only ten of the twenty eight competing teams walked into the arena. The spacious arena was already arranged differently from the first day. Besides the original stage Tang San and the others used in the first match, another four equally sized platforms were built to the sides. Despite the size of these five stages, this Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena that was capable of holding eighty thousand people still didn't appear crowded.
The twenty eight teams fighting on this third day were split into three series, and Shrek Academy was part of the first to go on stage. As a result of their terrifying display in the first match, as well as the expectations for the Elephant Armored Academy to be able to compete for the first place, the match between them was arranged for the central main stage.
JoyBoy observed his surroundings. Since he increased his cultivation ranks by two in last two days, he didn't returned to his room to cultivate to give himself time to adjust to his new cultivation rank. He believed that two or three days should be enough for time since, he didn't depend on some external treasure to increase his cultivation rank and used the spirit power cultivated by his clones to increase it which is basically his own spirit power.
Today the VIP's present on the viewing platform was practically nothing like the first day opening ceremonies. Not only was the upper crust of the Empire all here, emperor Xue Ye still sat in the center of the front row.
However, today the people at his side had changed from two to four. Besides Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School master Ning Fengzhi and platinum bishop Salas, there were another two people. One was one of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's two Title Douluo, Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
The other was comparatively strange. Let alone attracting the gazes of a lot of the people in the VIP section, even comparatively distant spectators on both sides paid attention to him.
This person's body really was too enormous. Even sitting he was a lot taller than most people standing up. The Bone Douluo's build was already very lofty, but compared to this person next to platinum bishop Salas, he was still a bit inferior.
Estimating this person's height by eye, he was at least two meters fifty or more, he occupied three of the spacious VIP seats by himself. Just like a mountain of meat. His skin was dark, and he had large eyes like bells. His dark skin seemed to release a special radiance, and just sitting there he gave a very powerful impression. His hair and beard were all white, apparently more than seventy years old.
"That's a huge person"
JoyBoy thought. Then he thought about the Spirit Hall and the seven great schools.
The reason why Spirit Hall was known as the most powerful on the Continent, even to the extent where they could compare to the two Great Empires, was inseparably linked to the support of the lower four sects of the seven great schools. Among the seven great schools, of the upper three sects Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School always backed Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family, while Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan remained neutral, and Clear Sky School secretly supported Star Luo Empire's imperial family.
But the lower four sects had a close relationship with Spirit Hall. Even though they weren't affiliated, they were still absolutely intimate. The Elephant Armored School wasn't located far from Heaven Dou City, and the mountain of meat now sitting next to platinum bishop Salas was precisely the Elephant Armored School master, Heaven Elephant Hu Yan Zhen. If he wasn't the master of a school, how could he be entitled to sit in the front row of the VIP section?
When the Shrek Academy team appeared on the stage, JoyBoy observed everyone's reaction. When he saw cold ferocity flit through Salas's and Hu Yan Zhen's eyes, he was angry and thought
"They really won't spare even kids! Just how many lives have they destroyed just because they felt couldn't recruit them ?"
He quickly controlled his emotions and calmed himself. He faintly understood that the Shrek Academy meeting this opponent in this match apparently also wasn't due to bad luck.
The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament was organized by Spirit Hall, assisted by the two great empires. Even though the rules embodied the two words 'Absolute Impartiality' to the greatest extent, right now the words the came to Ning Fengzhi's mind were: Hidden Manipulation.
It seems that Salas had seen that recruiting them was hopeless, and clearly intended to beat down Shrek Academy's reputation from before. Perhaps the Elephant Armored School's methods today would be the same as Shrek Academy's last fight.
Soon, JoyBoy saw the Elephant Armored School's team appear on the stage. When the Elephant Armored School's seven members stepped onto the stage, the whole platform constantly trembled along with their pace. What stepped onto the stage basically wasn't seven people, but more like seven giants.
They were all black clothed, and the shortest of the Elephant Armored Academy's seven team members was already two meters tall. The tallest surpassed two meters fifty. Standing in front of the Shrek Academy team, all of them had to look down.
Compared to height, even more frightening was their weight. Estimating it by eye, Tang San guessed that the smallest one weighed more than one hundred and fifty kilograms, while that tallest one perhaps exceeded two hundred and fifty kilograms.
The same black hair, shaved short on both sides, with only the hair in the middle combed into a strange pony tail, with black skin not much different from the clothes they wore. The seven of them standing in a line was like a solid city wall, blocking the view of the Shrek Academy team.
Standing in the middle was that particularly doughty giant. He took a step forward, and as his feet landed, the entire stage made a booming sound, shaking violently.
"Elephant Armored School team, captain, Hu Yan Li. Forty third ranked defense system Battle Spirit Ancestor."
This captain spoke in a muffled voice, his fat seemingly quivering along with his voice. A pair of small eyes glared at Dai Mubai, glinting ominously. Rather than taking it lying down, Dai Mubai took a step forward. Even though his body weight wasn't enough to produce vibrations, his imposing manner was accurate to perfection,
"Shrek Academy team, captain, Dai Mubai. Forty fourth ranked power attack system Battle Spirit Ancestor."
"Both teams, salute."
The referee called out. Led by Dai Mubai and Hu Yan Li, the altogether fourteen competing members of both sides bowed to each other. The mood in the ring became serious in practically a split second.
"Qualifiers second round, first match, officially begins."
The five simultaneous matches under way were pronounced started at practically the same time. Also at that moment, the seventy members of ten academies in five matches simultaneously released their spirit rings. Suddenly, the entire Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena became dazzlingly beautiful. The cheers of the spectators also erupted at this moment.
The seven direct disciples of the Elephant Armored School in front of the Shrek Academy team simultaneously threw off their jackets, exposing their fat. Very quickly, they used their body enhancement to show the audience why they took of their jackets.
The originally already imposing bodies, swelled up once again with explosive shouts of spirit body enhancement. Somewhat flabby fat unexpectedly stretched out, becoming exaggerated muscles, a layer of deep yellow keratin appeared over the skin, flickering with metallic luster. Making them seem even more inhuman was their noses extending, growing longer, and at the same time their upper lips rose, two fierce tusks extending.
The three in the middle all had two yellow and two purple spirit rings, and the four on the side each had two yellow and one purple.
From the opponents JoyBoy noticed hat among Elephant Armored School disciples, the bigger their bodies the more powerful they were. Their strength could be determined by their outside appearance. Then he ignored the battle happening on stage for now and focused on the conversation happening in the front row of the V.I..P seats on the viewing platform.
Soon Emperor Xue Ye asked Ning Fengzhi at his side
"School master Ning, you're quite familiar with this Shrek Academy, do you know who the academy's dean is? I'm rather curious as to just what person could raise such outstanding disciples."
Ning Fengzhi smiled
"Your majesty, Shrek Academy's dean is called Flender. Perhaps you haven't heard this name, but you certainly heard about the triple nova that shone brilliantly in the Spirit Master world with their spirit fusion ability twenty years ago. They were called the Golden Iron Triangle. This Flender was the flying corner of the Golden Iron Triangle. This current Shrek Academy was founded by the three of them, and these children should be growing under the instruction of the wisdom corner, Grandmaster. The most outstanding of them is Tang San, Grandmaster's only direct disciple."
"Grandmaster?"
Emperor Xue Ye didn't have any impression as he heard this name, but the expression of platinum bishop Salas to his side changed enormously. Even so much that he immediately undisguised passed a few low sentences to Heaven Elephant Hu Yan Zhen next to him.
Hu Yan Zhen looked at him with shock, muttering
"But, the match has already begun, there shouldn't be enough time."
Salas's expression immediately turned ugly, talking to himself
"Why would it be him? Why him?"
Seeing his reaction about Grandmaster, JoyBoy was relieved. This was another reason why he was here. He wanted to confirm that the relation between the Spirit Hall and Grandmaster was just like in the novel and Salas's reaction just confirmed it. After confirming that, JoyBoy ignored them and watched the Shrek Academy's battle against the Elephant Armored School with a relaxed attitude.
The fight went just like it was described in the novel. JoyBoy was really impressed by how well Tang San was controlling the flow of battle. He thought
"Although, I had knowledge about how the fight was supposed to go, seeing it first hand is a completely different experience. Well done brother San."
Soon, the referee had no choice but to declare the winner of this match.
"Second round, first qualifiers match, Shrek Academy defeats Elephant Armored Academy."
Bang. A bursting sound was heard in the VIP seats, as the Elephant Armored School master Hu Yan Zhen crushed the handrails on his seat, bell like big eyes looking like they were about to shoot flames.
"You're very fierce, only, before long, we'll definitely meet again."
Even if Hu Yan's body was well developed, his mind wasn't simple. Even though he had been beaten by the Hell White Tiger, he clearly understood just whose hand had defeated him. Tang San smiled calmly, saying
"You're welcome at any time."
As JoyBoy saw their exchange, he smiled and thought
"At least the young generation still has hope, even if the old people have become corrupted."
Both sides bowed simultaneously. The difference was that the eyes of the Shrek Academy's seven members all expressed the excitement of defeating a powerful enemy, while the gazes of the Elephant Armored School's seven were brimming with unreconciliation.
From start to finish, they'd all had a kind of helpless feeling, encountering such an opponent was somewhat difficult to bear. Even though they'd lost this fight, as Hu Yan Li said, they still believed their strength was greater than the Shrek Academy. However, they'd still forgotten that wisdom was equally a part of strength. The strength of spirit power and spirit abilities didn't represent everything.
The crowd was already boiling the instant the fight ended. At the start, only a small number of people shouted Shrek Academy's name, but just like a lit fuse, more and more joined in. As the Shrek Academy seven stepped down from the ring, the crowd had already forgotten that there were still several matches that hadn't ended, and a cheer of 'Shrek' rose from the stands like a wave.
With the extreme disparity in body size, the audience had seen Shrek Academy as the weaker side, and ordinary people could most easily sympathize with the weak. When the Shrek Academy ultimately prevailed over their opponents, in the eyes of the audience, it was a classic battle of winning from a position of weakness.