As time passed, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament approached, and the entire continent once again grew ablaze with excitement.
Since the unification of the continent under one empire, the "Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament" was renamed the "National Advanced Elite Soul Master Battle Tournament."
In addition to all the advanced soul master academies, elite disciples from every major sect across the continent could now participate.
The age limit for the younger generation remained the same,under twenty-five years old,but the inclusion of sect disciples made this the most powerful tournament in history.
The rewards granted by the Empire were also extremely generous. The top three teams would receive extraordinary prizes, and even teams that advanced into the top thirty would be greatly rewarded.
Among these prizes were not only soul bones and heavenly treasures, but also the most coveted reward of all,one of the Eternal Emperor's personal soul skills, derived from his first martial soul, the Supreme Sausage. Merely hearing of its effects drove countless people mad with desire.
With hundreds of teams from both academies and sects, competition was more intense than ever.
Since the continent's unification, fortune itself seemed to bless the land. Hidden sects had emerged, and many ancient ruins were being explored.
The young generation of soul masters had become stronger than any before. Rumors said that among certain academies or sect teams, even Soul Kings and Soul Emperors could be found.
Within the official academies of the Martial Soul Empire alone, powerful individuals were numerous.
The Martial Soul Empire now had two official academies: the Royal Shrek Advanced Academy and the newly founded Martial Soul Empire Royal Academy.
The Royal Academy not only taught martial soul cultivation but also trained the newly emerging soul engineers.
Although soul tools were just beginning to spread across the Douluo Continent and had not yet gained much fame, traditional soul masters were still more respected. Thus, for now, soul engineer ranks remained low.
However, with the Empire heavily investing in soul tool development, the prestige of the Royal Academy would inevitably soar in the future.
Soul engineers held a decisive advantage before reaching the seventh rank. Although they became slightly weaker afterward compared to traditional soul masters, if a soul engineer was also a powerful soul master, their abilities would be far more versatile and formidable.
Besides the Royal Academy, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was another major force focusing on soul tool research, as their inherited martial soul lacked offensive power.
If their soul tool development succeeded, combining it with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda,the continent's strongest support-type martial soul,would create astonishing results.
Yet, not every sect admired the rise of soul tools. The Clear Sky Sect and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, for instance, disdained them entirely.
Their inherited martial souls were so powerful that they saw no need to waste time cultivating such external tools.
Oscar, however, didn't mind. He sought diversity and balance, wanting every faction to excel in its own field.
Still, the rise of soul tools made the Tang Sect feel somewhat strained.
Once, their hidden weapons had a massive market, but now that soul tools existed, their usefulness had greatly diminished.
Fortunately, Tang Hao, Tai Tan, and others had selflessly contributed to building the Spirit Transmission Tower. Oscar rewarded them with new ideas,combining hidden weapons with soul tools.
After discussion, the Tang Sect agreed this was a promising path. Without losing their foundation, they could preserve their reputation.
…
The tournament was held in the Imperial Capital, Wuhun City. Across the continent, 224 academy and sect teams gathered, with nearly three thousand participants including teachers and substitutes.
This number alone was enough to form a formidable sect-level power.
Before the tournament even began, the Empire had already pushed excitement in the soul master world to its peak. Countless people flocked to the capital to witness the talents of the younger generation.
Even though the city had been expanded and normally held over twenty million residents, the influx of visitors pushed its population to more than fifty million,and still rising.
The revenue from entrance fees and ticket sales for the Battle Tournament reached astronomical levels.
The Imperial Treasury even secretly ran betting operations, allowing citizens to wager on their favorite teams,just like sports betting in the modern world.
This single National Advanced Elite Soul Master Battle Tournament brought tremendous financial gain to the Empire.
To host it, the Empire expanded the former Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, renaming it the Martial Soul Empire Advanced Elite Soul Master Battle Arena.
It was not only luxurious but also fully equipped,housing and entertainment for nearly three thousand contestants were provided free of charge.
The main arena could accommodate five hundred thousand spectators without feeling crowded.
Outside the arena, four massive soul tool projection screens were set up, allowing those without tickets to watch the matches live.
The tournament followed the traditional three-stage format.
The first round was elimination,half of the teams would be immediately removed, and the rest advanced to the second round.
The second round, the Advancement Stage, followed the format of the former Star Luo Empire's national competition. It included one-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles.
Teams could still be eliminated here. Only the top ninety-nine advanced to the finals.
The top three from the Advancement Stage would gain major advantages in the finals.
In the first final round, the top-ranked team received a bye, while the remaining ninety-eight teams fought in team battles; the losers were eliminated.
In the second round, forty-nine teams remained, plus the one that had the bye, forming fifty total. The second- and third-ranked teams from the Advancement Stage received byes, while the remaining forty-eight teams fought for twenty-four spots.
In the third round, the twenty-four survivors plus the two bye teams made twenty-six total, who then competed for thirteen spots.
The top thirteen would all receive great rewards according to final rankings.
In the fourth round, the top three again received byes, and the remaining ten teams fought for the top five.
In the fifth round, those five plus the three bye teams made the top eight, who then competed to determine the final four.
In the sixth, the semifinals decided the final two; the losers fought again for third place.
In the seventh, the last two competed for the championship and runner-up titles.
The Advancement Stage performance was key,its top three teams gained three total byes during the finals, allowing vital rest between matches.
With the grueling schedule, such rest could decide victory or defeat.
Any soul master's own abilities could be used,whether soul spirits, hidden weapons, or soul tools,but no external objects that drastically boosted power, such as Oscar's sausages, were allowed. Food-type soul masters couldn't use pre-stored soul skills during matches, though they could afterward.
In short, specialists had crafted detailed and fair rules, though loopholes were inevitable.
After all, perfection doesn't exist.
The Douluo Continent's school year had two semesters,February to June, and August to December.
The National Advanced Elite Soul Master Battle Tournament was held every five years, beginning one month into the fall semester. The entire competition lasted about three months.
Even teams eliminated early stayed to watch and learn, gaining experience and studying others' strengths for the next tournament five years later.
It was a period of both hardship and joy.
The year after the tournament, in June, the continental Sect Grand Competition would take place, open even to academy elders to win prestige for their schools.
Since the unification, the seven great sects also held a grand competition every five years, with academies eligible to compete for sect titles and rewards.
Across the distant Sun and Moon Continent, the Martial Soul Empire followed the same system, preparing for the eventual unification of both continents.
By adopting Douluo's rules early, the Sun and Moon Continent would avoid future conflict after the merger.
On October 1st, after the Eternal Emperor personally declared the tournament open, the competition began.
During the first month, the elimination round was fierce.
Shrek Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy fielded its main team: Yang Pojun, Niu Li, Bai Chenxiang, Tai Long, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, and Jiang Zhu,all of whom had reached the Soul King level under abundant resources.
Even their reserve team members were at least low-level Soul Ancestors.
The Martial Soul Empire Royal Academy, on the other hand, was led by Shui Bing'er, Ye Lingling, and Shui Yue'er.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er had transferred from Shrek, and the Empire spared no expense in cultivating their Royal Academy.
After the extermination of the Xuanming Sect by Bibi Dong and the King of Slaughter, Tianshui Academy lost its backing and merged into the Royal Academy as well.
With so many beauties joining, the academy's fame skyrocketed, and countless male students praised the Eternal Emperor for giving them a chance at romantic glory.
Sects such as the Sword Sect, Angel Sanctuary, Clear Sky Sect, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Divine Fire Gate, and Wind God Valley all sent their young prodigies to compete.
Most main fighters were at least Soul Sects, with stronger teams boasting Soul Kings. A few even had Soul Emperors, such as Shui Bing'er and Ye Lingling.
Technically, even Oscar, Dugu Yan, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing were still young enough to participate, but none were interested in competing against juniors.
After all, the Eternal Emperor himself was only twenty-one,who would dare fight him? Even if he agreed, his countless loyal followers would never allow it.
…
The tournament blazed with intensity. After a month, the elimination round ended, reducing the 224 teams to 112.
In the Advancement Stage, the top ninety-nine qualified for the finals. The top three were the Martial Soul Empire Royal Academy, Shrek Royal Academy, and the Sword Sect team.
This came as no surprise, since both Royal Academies were under imperial control and the Sword Sect was the Eternal Emperor's own sect, with resource advantages unmatched by others.
As the finals progressed, countless geniuses displayed their brilliance before millions of spectators, earning fame across the continent.
When the third round ended and thirteen teams remained, they were the Martial Soul Empire Royal Academy, Shrek Royal Academy, Sword Sect, Angel Sanctuary (formerly Spirit Hall Academy), Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Divine Fire Gate (merged with Blazing Academy), Wind God Valley (merged with Godwind Academy), Clear Sky Sect, Thunder Academy (the outer branch of the Blue Lightning Clan), and Tang Sect.
Most of these had close ties to the Empire or the Eternal Emperor, while others, like Divine Fire Gate and Wind God Valley, possessed divine inheritances.
The Tang Sect's advancement surprised many,they only had Soul Sects at best, but the fusion of hidden weapons and soul tools designed by Tang Hao and Tai Tan gave them extraordinary power.
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