The first three rounds of the grand finals determined the top thirteen teams. In the fourth round, the top three ranked teams from the qualifying matches , the Spirit Hall Royal Academy, the Shrek Royal Academy, and the Sword Sect , were given byes.
The remaining ten teams drew lots to compete in elimination matches.
Those who made it this far were all extraordinarily strong soul master teams. Among their main members, there were no Soul Elders; the lowest level was Soul Ancestor, and many even included Soul Kings and Soul Emperors , all peerless talents.
The ten teams played five matches over three days , one in the morning and one in the afternoon for the first two days, and the final match on the morning of the third day.
The five victorious teams, along with the three that had byes, formed the top eight. From that point onward, there would be no more byes until the champion was decided.
The day before the fourth round began, each team captain went to draw lots to determine their opponent in advance, allowing them to prepare battle strategies.
The match order was also determined by drawing lots , the ten teams were paired off first, and the five resulting matches were then assigned slots across the two and a half days of the round.
The matchups were as follows:
1. Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect vs. Star Crown Sect
2. Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect vs. Wind God Valley
3. Clear Sky Sect vs. Tang Sect
4. Angel Sanctuary Academy vs. Thunder Academy
5. Divine Flame Gate vs. Star Luo Academy
Star Luo Academy was formerly the Star Luo Royal Academy. Since the Star Luo Empire no longer existed, the word "Royal" had been dropped.
The former Star Luo Emperor, Dai Yutian, now served as the academy's principal and had been granted the title of Duke of Star Luo by the Eternal Emperor, a title that could be inherited.
When the fourth round of the finals began, the first team to take the field in the morning was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Their captain, Yu Zhantian, possessed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul and was a level-55 assault-type Battle Soul King, aged twenty-four.
Vice-captain Yu Zhandi also wielded the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and was a level-54 assault-type Battle Soul King.
Member Yu Zhanren, the third brother, shared the same martial soul and was also a level-54 assault-type Battle Soul King.
These three brothers were born of the same mother, and they represented the next generation of geniuses from the sect after the famed twin stars Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin.
In fact, at the same age, their strength even surpassed that of their elder brothers.
With the rapid development of the continent and the improvement of the soul master system, resources had become abundant, and the former twin stars had also grown tremendously. Yu Tianheng was now the young sect master, destined to inherit the position of sect master from Yu Yuanzhen.
The remaining four members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect team were all Soul Ancestors, and each possessed the same martial soul. Their seven-man combination was terrifyingly powerful.
The Star Crown Sect, by comparison, was much weaker, boasting only two Soul Kings.
Having only recently emerged and without the resource partnership the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect enjoyed with the Sword Sect, the Star Crown Sect stood little chance. Even with their martial soul's ability to block attributes, they could not withstand the overwhelming lightning power.
Thus, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect easily claimed victory in the first match and advanced to the fifth round.
In the second match, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect faced the Wind God Valley team , a much closer contest.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's captain, Gu Feng, grandson of the sect's guardian elder Gu Rong, was twenty-five years old and a level-56 Battle Soul King with the Bone Dragon martial soul.
Vice-captain Ning Yaqi wielded the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, a level-49 auxiliary-type Soul Ancestor.
Team members included Wang Tianba (level 54, Slashing Demon Blade martial soul, assault-type) and Yang Tianshuang (level 53, Starfall Sword, assault-type).
Yang Tianshuang was a registered disciple of Dustheart, one of the sect's two guardian deities, and had received partial personal instruction, giving him formidable strength.
The team consisted of three Soul Kings, one auxiliary-type Soul Ancestor, and three more Soul Ancestors. Ning Yaqi had also equipped basic soul tools, giving her some defensive ability.
With a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda supporting them, the team's might was extraordinary.
The Wind God Valley team, though reclusive, had divine heritage and was not to be underestimated.
Their captain, Feng Yulong, was the younger brother of Feng Qinglong, twenty-five years old and a level-54 Battle Soul King with the Wind Spirit Dragon martial soul.
Vice-captain Yun Xiang, younger sister of Yun Yi, had the Demon Condensing Bird martial soul, level 52, agility-type.
Another member, Li Hai, wielded the Hurricane Mantis martial soul, level 51, agility-type.
With four additional Soul Ancestors, their lineup was formidable.
The battle between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Wind God Valley was intense and evenly matched, far more thrilling than the first match.
Feng Yulong's fifth soul skill allowed him to become a gust of wind, nearly impossible to capture, while Yun Xiang's bird form was blindingly fast and devastatingly sharp.
However, Gu Feng's mastery under Gu Rong's guidance, Yang Tianshuang's tutelage from Dustheart, and Ning Yaqi's powerful Pagoda support , now enhanced with basic offensive and defensive soul tools , turned the tide.
The match was fierce and dazzling, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ultimately triumphed.
Wind God Valley, unwilling to accept defeat, vowed to reclaim their honor in the next tournament.
The third match pitted the Clear Sky Sect against the Tang Sect , two teams with deep historical ties. The Tang Sect had originated from the Strength Clan, once a vassal of the Clear Sky Sect.
Though the Tang Sect was a newly established group combining hidden weapons with soul tools, their overall strength still lagged far behind the mighty Clear Sky Sect.
As the former top sect among the Three Upper Sects, the Clear Sky Sect fielded three Soul Kings, and all seven members used the Clear Sky Hammer.
With techniques like the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method and simplified versions of the Clear Sky Array, the Tang Sect stood no chance.
The Tang Sect's defeat was inevitable, but their members vowed to train harder and challenge the Clear Sky Sect again in the future. With the rapid advancement of soul tools and their integration with Tang Sect's hidden weapons, their potential was limitless.
The Clear Sky Sect moved on to the next round.
The next morning's first match was Angel Sanctuary Academy vs. Thunder Academy.
Angel Sanctuary Academy was the former Spirit Hall Academy, long considered the strongest academy aside from Shrek in the previous generation.
Thunder Academy, backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, recruited students with lightning attributes , essentially external disciples who could join the sect upon graduation if they proved exceptional.
The Angel Sanctuary Academy's captain, Ye Zhongguang, grandson of the Angel Legion's commander, was twenty-five years old and a level-56 Battle Soul King with the Twin-Winged Angel martial soul. He was expected to one day advance to a Four-Winged Angel and inherit the legion.
Vice-captain Jin Yu, grandson of the Golden Crocodile Douluo and younger brother of Jin Chen, had the Golden Crocodile martial soul and was level 54, assault-type.
Another member, Qian Guzhenshan, grandson of the Subduing Demon Douluo, was level 53, assault-type.
The other four members were all Soul Ancestors from prestigious lineages within the sanctuary.
Thunder Academy, with two Soul Kings, was led by Yu Hongjue, grandson of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's Fourth Elder, level 52, assault-type, martial soul Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Vice-captain Lei Nuo wielded the Thunderstrike Spear, level 51, assault-type.
Though strong, Thunder Academy was a step below Angel Sanctuary Academy and was defeated.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect took note, determined to avenge their affiliated academy in later rounds.
Angel Sanctuary Academy advanced.
The fifth match saw Divine Flame Gate face Star Luo Academy.
The two teams were roughly equal in strength. Although the Star Luo Empire had fallen, the Duke of Star Luo remained influential, and due to Dai Mubai's connection with the Eternal Emperor, the academy had ample resources and strong students.
Divine Flame Gate fielded three Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors.
Captain Huo Wu, age twenty-three, martial soul Fire Shadow, level 62 control-type.
Vice-captain Huo Wushuang, age twenty-five, martial soul One-Horned Flame Tyrant Dragon, level 61 assault-type.
Member Bai Li Pangpang, cousin of Bai Li Chi Yan and Bai Li Chi Ling, martial soul Crimson Flame Dragon, level 54 assault-type.
The Huo siblings were veterans of the previous tournament and had since undergone divine tests, greatly increasing their power. They returned to reclaim the honor lost five years ago.
Although their past opponents were gone , one even now the Eternal Emperor , they were determined to challenge Shrek Royal Academy once again.
Both were among the few Soul Emperors in the competition, feared by all other teams.
Star Luo Academy was not weak, however.
Captain Dai Fenghu, grandson of the Star Luo Empire's former Grand General of the North, was twenty-five years old, martial soul White Tiger, level 55 assault-type.
Zhu Yanyu, twenty-four, martial soul Nether Civet, level 53 agility-type.
Li Feng, martial soul Heavenly Mechanism Chain, level 51 control-type.
Together with four Soul Ancestors, they were formidable. Dai Fenghu and Zhu Yanyu also possessed the martial soul fusion skill Nether White Tiger, strong enough to rival a Soul Emperor.
Even so, the difference in power was too great, and Star Luo Academy narrowly lost.
At the end of the fourth round, the eight remaining teams were:
- Spirit Empire Royal Academy
- Shrek Royal Academy
- Sword Sect
- Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect
- Clear Sky Sect
- Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect
- Angel Sanctuary Academy
- Divine Flame Gate
The eight finalists were given three days of rest before the semifinals, and their matchups were determined by another draw:
**Fifth Round Matchups**
Day 1, Match 1: Spirit Empire Royal Academy vs. Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect
Day 1, Match 2: Shrek Royal Academy vs. Divine Flame Gate
Day 2, Match 1: Sword Sect vs. Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect
Day 2, Match 2: Clear Sky Sect vs. Angel Sanctuary Academy
Though the drawing was entirely fair, the results seemed almost deliberate , as if fate itself were scripting rivalries.
The Shrek team would face the Divine Flame Gate, whose captains, the Huo siblings, had come precisely to challenge them.
The Clear Sky Sect and Angel Sanctuary Academy were old enemies, and their young members shared that same hostility.
Among the remaining teams, the Spirit Empire Royal Academy, Shrek Royal Academy, and Sword Sect all fielded lineups of Soul Kings and above.
**Spirit Empire Royal Academy Main Team**
Captain: Shui Bing'er , martial soul Ice Phoenix, level 62 control-type Soul Emperor
Vice-captain: Ye Lingling , martial soul Nine-Heart Begonia, level 61 support-type Soul Emperor
Members: Shui Yue'er (level 53, Crystal Dolphin, agility-type), Meng Ke'er (level 52, Black Enchantress, control-type), Meng Yiran (level 51, Serpent Blade, agility-type), Zhi Hui (level 51, Azure Vine, control-type), Bai Yu (level 51, Star Furnace, defense-type)
**Shrek Royal Academy Main Team**
Captain: Tai Long , martial soul Giant Strength Ape, level 55 assault-type
Vice-captain: Yang Pojun , martial soul Soul-Breaking Spear, level 53 assault-type
Members: Niu Li (level 54, Armored Rhino, defense-type), Bai Chenxiang (level 53, Sharp-Tailed Swift, agility-type), Jing Ling (level 53, Skeleton, agility-type), Huang Yuan (level 52, Yellow Wolf, assault-type), Jiang Zhu (level 51, Healing Scepter, support-type)
**Sword Sect Main Team**
Ao Bian , martial soul Phantom Light Sword, level 62 assault-type
Ao Wujie , martial soul Wind and Thunder Sword, level 61 agility-type
Jin Bilie , martial soul Adamantine Sword, level 55 assault-type
Yan Haoming , martial soul Flame Punishment Sword, level 55 assault-type
Shui Miaomiao , martial soul Aqua Sword, level 55 assault-type
Ding Yanfeng , martial soul Earthsplit Sword, level 55 assault-type
Lin Yusen , martial soul Verdant Wood Sword, level 55 assault-type
These seven were personally trained by Oscar himself. Ao Bian and Ao Wujie were his direct disciples and thus bore his surname. The remaining five were registered disciples, each with rare five-element sword martial souls.
Oscar had invested heavily to gather and cultivate them, providing the best possible resources.
As the Empire's Guardian Sect, the Sword Sect naturally specialized in sword martial souls.
Once these seven matured, they would become the Sword Sect's "Black and White Sword Saints" and "Five Element Sword Envoys."
Non-sword martial soul clans like the Nine-Heart Begonia family, the Dragon Serpent Clan, and three of the Four Single-Attribute Clans would gradually be transferred under the royal family's management.
The Sword Sect's alchemy division would separate to form the Imperial Pill Pavilion, while the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would fall under royal control.
In the future, Gai Yue would inherit leadership of the Sword Sect and unify all sword martial soul users under its banner.
Except for the Seven Killing Sword, which already had a master, all sword martial soul users of the continent would belong to the Sword Sect.
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