Amidst the ruins of the arena.
Both girls were now deathly pale; the exhaustion from overusing their spiritual energy made it difficult for them even to remain standing.
In contrast, Yun Chuan on the opposite side remained calm and composed, not even breaking a sweat, as if he could fight for another five hundred years.
After sheathing his sword,
he walked towards them step by step, even though his spiritual energy fluctuations were now extremely faint. But recalling the close-combat prowess he had once displayed, Shui Bing'er knew that neither she nor Xue Wu stood any chance of defeating him.
At that moment, only the three of them remained within the ring. The outcome was already decided.
"You've won." Although she was reluctant to admit it, Shui Bing'er managed to utter these words with great difficulty.
Yun Chuan said nothing, merely turning his head to look to one side.
By now, the referee had approached with great caution. Even with his Level 60 soul power, he felt somewhat apprehensive. Young people these days were truly formidable. If by any chance they still had some secret move up their sleeves, he feared he might get caught in the crossfire.
"Is it over?" the referee asked, glancing at both sides to confirm once more.
Shui Bing'er nodded with some difficulty and said, "We've lost." A loss was a loss; they weren't the sort of women who couldn't handle defeat.
The referee nodded knowingly, then announced in a loud voice, "Cupid Academy, the winners!"
The moment that voice rang out!
Instantly, the entire arena erupted in an uproar!
That final scene—the clash of ice and fire!
It was undoubtedly the most spectacular and thrilling moment of the qualifying rounds!
It was a visual feast for the spectators!
The cheers from the crowd rang out to the heavens!
Countless people were chanting 'Cupid Academy' and the name of Yun Chuan's alter ego, Dugu Qiubai!
Maintaining his persona as the stoic swordsman, Yun Chuan slowly descended from the stage. Amidst the admiring gazes of the crowd, he returned to the backstage area.
And so it ended.
The tournament, which had lasted nearly a month, finally drew to a close.
What had once been a light-hearted slogan at the opening ceremony had now become a reality. Dugu Qiubai—a single man—had swept through the entire tournament!
This was a figure who could truly be called legendary!
From now on, setting aside the Tian Dou Empire, at the very least in the cities surrounding Tian Dou City, the name Dugu Qiubai is bound to be on everyone's lips. In previous tournaments, finishing first in the qualifiers would have brought fame, albeit impressive, but it would never have reached this level.
But Dugu Qiubai is the exception!
Single-handedly, with nothing but the sword in his hand, he has swept through the tournament!
That grace and elegance unique to a swordsman, his extraordinary style, and his aloof, striking features—all of it was utterly mesmerising, winning him countless admirers.
The preliminary rounds here in Tiandou City have now concluded in their entirety. In accordance with procedure, the awards ceremony is due to take place shortly. Qualification certificates for the knockout stage will be awarded to the top five teams from the preliminaries.
However, as the central main arena was destroyed during earlier matches, this procedure has been streamlined. The other academies that did not qualify will not be taking part in the final ceremony. Only the top five teams will proceed to the VIP **** to receive their qualification certificates.
The ceremony itself is straightforward; following the presenter's announcement, the captains and vice-captains of the top five teams took to the podium.
In first place, without a doubt, was Dugu Qiubai from Cupid College—also known as Yun Chuan. At his side was a student there merely to make up the numbers, acting as vice-captain.
Second in line was Tianshui Academy, led by Shui Bing'er, who brought Xue Wu onto the stage.
Third was Shenfeng Academy, led by Feng Xiaotian, who was accompanied by a bit-part player.
Fourth was Blazing Fire Academy, led by Huo Wushuang, who brought the Fire Dance.
Fifth was Tiandou Royal Academy, represented by Dai Mubai and Tang San.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the master of ceremonies announced: 'Next, His Majesty, together with Sect Leader Ning of the Seven Treasures Glass Sect and Bishop Saras of the Platinum Church, will personally present the qualification certificates and prize money to the five teams that have advanced to the qualifying rounds.'
The qualification certificates were, in fact, simply handwritten notes; there was no risk of forgery, as both the Hall of Martial Souls and the Tian Dou Empire were well aware of which academies had qualified.
As for the prize money, the top five academies received the same amount, as this was, after all, merely the preliminary round. Each team received a reward of 10,000 gold soul coins from the Tian Dou Empire. As for the finals, the prizes for the top three places will be provided by the Soul Hall.
With the awards presented, the host handed the floor to the most distinguished guest present: the Emperor of Snow Night.
Emperor Xueye's gaze swept over the student representatives from the five academies before him, lingering for a few extra seconds on Yun Chuan before he said with a smile, 'First of all, children, I must congratulate you.'
'You have successfully secured your place in the next round of this year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. As the supreme ruler of the Tian Dou Empire, I am proud of you. You are all the hope of the Empire's future. And as the captains and vice-captains of your respective teams, your abilities played a crucial role in the competition.
"Therefore, I have decided to confer the title of Viscount upon all ten of you. The other participating students from your five academies shall be granted the title of Baron. Once you have graduated, the doors of the Imperial Royal Family shall always stand open to you. Your fiefdoms will be allocated to you in due course after your graduation."
In the past, gold coins were simply presented as a reward; this time, however, the Emperor of Snowy Nights went a step further by conferring the title of Viscount upon the captain and vice-captain of each team, and the title of Baron upon the other members. It was clearly an attempt to win over the five academies to the Imperial Court. After all, his health had been deteriorating day by day recently.
This caused Bishop Saras some displeasure, and he spoke out in opposition.
However, as the Emperor of a nation, the Emperor of Snowy Night naturally silenced Bishop Saras with just a few brief words: 'These five academies are all children of my Tiandou Empire; the titles are merely additional rewards I bestow upon them and have nothing to do with the Soul Hall. If Bishop Saras finds this inappropriate, you are more than welcome to grant them the positions of stewards in subordinate branches of the Hall.'
Bishop Saras's expression darkened somewhat. Any appointment within the Soul Hall must be reported to the Central Hall; the higher the rank, the more strictly this rule is observed. Even as a Platinum Bishop, he could not make such appointments at will. After all, the Emperor of Snow Night was the sovereign of a nation and was authorised to confer titles of nobility. He was merely a Platinum Bishop; above him stood the Elders and the Pope.
"Next up are the promotion matches. " Emperor Snow Night surveyed the five teams and said with a smile: "The Qualifying Round will not be held at the Battle Spirit Arena in Tiandou City, but rather at the Royal Enclosure—that is, within the military barracks. At that time, in addition to your five teams, there will be ten other teams from other regions of the Tiandou Empire and the Five Great Kingdoms!"
"The Qualifying Round is the best place to demonstrate your individual prowess! I'm sure you're already well aware of the rules! I hope you'll perform to the best of your ability. Furthermore, during the Qualifying Round, the Imperial Family will provide the three trainees with the most victories with the Soul Rings required for their next realm advancement. You may choose from any species of Soul Beast with a lifespan of under thirty thousand years."
This promise and reward have been added as an extra incentive by the Imperial Royal Family. It must be said, this is a very generous gesture.
The next milestone is Level 50; reaching Level 50 allows one to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring, which is of immense importance to every Soul Master.
Upon hearing the Snow Night Emperor's words, the captains and deputy captains of the five teams—with the exception of Yun Chuan—all became somewhat excited.
The Snow Night Emperor surveyed the captains and deputy captains of the five teams. Seeing the fervour in their eyes, he nodded slightly; yet when his gaze fell upon the calm eyes of 'Dugu Qiubai', he paused for a moment but said nothing further.
After the awards ceremony, the five teams departed in turn.
The qualifying rounds would take place in a month's time; they had a month to refine their strategies or make a breakthrough.
And it is often after a major battle that the best opportunity to break through to the next level arises!
_______________
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