Three days passed quickly in the capital of the Sun Moon Empire.
The tournament had changed the rhythm of the entire city.
From the grand avenues near the imperial palace to the crowded market streets surrounding the massive arena district, one topic dominated every conversation.
The Continental Elite Tournament of the Soul Masters Academy.
And among all the participating academies—
One name had become impossible to ignore.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
Morning sunlight spread across the towering skyline of the capital as crowds began gathering around the enormous stadium once again.
The structure itself was visible from nearly every district of the city.
A colossal ring of steel and reinforced spiritual alloy rising above the surrounding architecture like a mountain of metal and light.
Large projection arrays floated above the stadium's exterior walls.
Massive spiritual screens displayed images of the remaining teams.
Every time a group appeared—
The crowd reacted.
People pointed.
Commented.
Argued.
And one team drew far more attention than the rest.
The screen shifted.
A new image appeared.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
The image showed the entire team walking together during the previous matches.
Lin Huang stood at the center.
Masked.
Surrounded by the rest of the group.
The reaction from the crowd outside the stadium was immediate.
"That's them!"
"The masked captain!"
"Those monsters!"
Nearby, street vendors shouted loudly over the noise.
"Tournament News!"
"Latest results!"
"Top sixteen teams revealed!"
Stacks of fresh newspapers were being sold at nearly every intersection.
One of the front pages displayed a large illustration.
THE UNSTOPPABLE TEAM OF SUN MOON
Below it were smaller images of several members.
Wu Feng.
Ma Xiaotao.
Tang Ya.
And a sketch of the mysterious fox spirit with ten tails.
"Did you see this?"
"Seven people defeated by a single girl!"
"They say their captain hasn't even fought yet!"
"Who is he?"
No one knew.
But everyone was watching.
Across one of the wide stone avenues leading toward the arena district, a familiar group walked calmly through the morning crowd.
Several pedestrians stopped when they noticed them.
"Wait… that's them."
"It's the Sun Moon team."
People stepped aside instinctively as the group passed.
Some stared openly.
Others whispered.
Cameras powered by small projection formations flashed occasionally as reporters attempted to capture images.
Xu Tianzhen sighed quietly.
"So this is what fame feels like."
Wu Feng crossed her arms.
"Annoying."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"You should enjoy it while it lasts."
Behind them, several of the massive projection screens shifted again.
The bracket for the Round of Sixteen appeared.
The names of the remaining academies glowed clearly across the display.
Shrek Academy.
Star Luo Royal Academy.
Thousand Spirits Academy.
Just Sky Academy.
And several others.
Ju Zi glanced up at the screen.
"The real tournament begins today."
Xiao Hongchen nodded.
"The weaker teams are already gone."
Ji Juechen walked slightly ahead of the group, his sword resting across his shoulder.
His voice remained calm.
"Good."
Near the center of the formation, Lin Huang walked quietly.
His mask still hid his expression.
In his arms—
Honghong rested comfortably.
The small fox spirit seemed much more awake than usual today.
Her cerulean-blue hair moved slightly in the morning breeze.
Her ten fox tails swayed slowly behind her.
As they passed one of the news vendors, Honghong lifted her head slightly.
The newspaper displayed a rough drawing of her.
She stared at it.
Then turned away.
"…Hmph."
Meng Hongchen laughed.
"Even the newspapers are drawing you now."
Honghong ignored her completely.
Instead she looked toward the person walking beside Lin Huang.
Su Mei.
The fox spirit's ears twitched.
Then she suddenly stretched one of her tails toward Su Mei's sleeve.
Su Mei looked down.
"…Hungry again?"
Honghong tilted her head.
"…Hmph."
Xu Tianzhen laughed.
"Of course."
Su Mei sighed softly.
"You just ate."
Honghong remained unmoved.
One tail continued tapping lightly against Su Mei's arm.
Eventually Su Mei reached into the small storage pouch at her waist and produced a small piece of prepared spiritual food.
Honghong accepted it immediately.
Satisfied.
Above the avenue, the massive projection screens changed again.
This time displaying the official matchups for the Round of Sixteen.
Several people stopped walking just to read them.
Shrek Academy vs Azure Sea Academy.
Thousand Spirits Academy vs Crimson Gate Academy.
Star Luo Royal Academy vs Silver Wing Academy.
And further down—
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
Their opponent's name appeared below.
The crowd murmured again.
The tournament was entering a new phase.
As the group approached the towering entrance gates of the stadium district, Ju Zi glanced at the screen once more.
Then she spoke calmly.
"The semifinal bracket has already been projected."
Xu Tianzhen raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
Ju Zi nodded.
"Yes."
She pointed toward the screen.
"If everything proceeds according to the bracket…"
Her voice remained calm.
"Sun Moon will face Star Luo Royal Academy in the semifinals."
Xu Tianzhen smiled faintly.
"Princess Xu Jiujiu."
"And the other semifinal," Ju Zi continued.
"Shrek Academy versus Thousand Spirits Academy."
Several members of the group glanced toward the screen.
Ji Juechen nodded slightly.
"Shen Ce."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"That will be a good fight."
Ahead of them, the enormous gates of the stadium opened.
Crowds poured through the entrance corridors.
The next stage of the tournament was about to begin.
And this time—
The battles would be far more serious.
The atmosphere inside the stadium felt different from the previous matches.
Not louder.
The crowd had already reached its peak during the first day.
But now—
There was tension.
Only sixteen academies remained.
The weak teams had already been eliminated.
What remained were the strongest groups from across the continent.
Every academy still standing had proven itself capable of reaching this stage.
And the spectators knew it.
The arena floor glowed softly as the formation arrays activated once more.
Golden lines spread across the battlefield, stabilizing the platform and reinforcing the surrounding barrier formations.
Above the arena, the massive projection screens displayed the words:
ROUND OF SIXTEEN
The announcer's voice echoed across the stadium.
"Welcome back to the Continental Elite Tournament of the Soul Masters Academy!"
Cheers erupted from every direction.
"The elimination stage has concluded!"
"Only sixteen academies remain!"
The screens shifted again.
The names of the remaining teams appeared across the projection arrays.
Shrek Academy.
Star Luo Royal Academy.
Thousand Spirits Academy.
Just Sky Academy.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
And several others.
The crowd reacted to each name.
But when Sun Moon Academy appeared—
The stadium roared.
Inside the Sun Moon preparation chamber beneath the stands, the group watched the projection quietly.
Ju Zi studied the bracket carefully.
"The pairings are fixed for this round."
Wu Feng leaned forward.
"So who do we get?"
Ju Zi tapped the projection disk once.
A new image appeared above the table.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering AcademyvsIron Feather Academy
Xu Tianzhen tilted her head.
"Fast attackers."
Xiao Hongchen nodded.
"They specialize in aerial mobility."
Ji Juechen glanced toward the corridor leading to the arena.
"Then they will struggle."
Across the chamber, Jiang Nannan remained quiet.
Her gaze rested briefly on the bracket.
Lin Huang noticed.
"You're thinking."
She nodded slightly.
"Yes."
The Iron Feather Academy lineup appeared on the projection screen.
Seven members.
All known for speed-based martial souls.
Feather spirits.
Wind spirits.
Agility fighters.
The perfect team to overwhelm opponents with numbers and mobility.
Wu Feng smirked.
"Seven fast ones."
"Sounds annoying."
Jiang Nannan stood slowly.
"I'll go."
Several people looked at her.
Xu Tianzhen raised an eyebrow.
"Alone?"
Nannan nodded once.
"Yes."
Ma Xiaotao grinned.
"That works."
Wu Feng chuckled.
"Seven targets."
Ji Juechen said nothing.
But he nodded once in approval.
At the center of the room, Honghong was still beside Su Mei.
She had finished eating earlier.
Now the fox spirit sat quietly near the cook, her cerulean tails swaying slowly behind her.
Every time Su Mei moved—
One of the tails followed.
Lightly brushing against the edge of her robe.
Su Mei sighed softly.
"You're still following me?"
Honghong tilted her head.
"…Hmph."
Xu Tianzhen laughed again.
"She chose you."
Su Mei shook her head slightly.
"Apparently."
At that moment, the announcer's voice echoed through the preparation corridor.
"Next match!"
"Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy!"
The crowd exploded again.
Ju Zi glanced toward Jiang Nannan.
"You're up."
Nannan nodded.
Then she turned toward the arena corridor.
Lin Huang spoke quietly as she passed him.
"Remember."
She looked back.
"You're faster than all of them."
Nannan smiled faintly.
"I know."
The arena gates opened.
The sunlight of the afternoon spilled across the battlefield.
Seven members of Iron Feather Academy were already waiting.
Their martial souls activated immediately.
Wings.
Feathers.
Wind.
Fast.
Agile.
Perfect for coordinated attacks.
The crowd murmured.
"This is a bad matchup for most fighters."
"Speed types against speed types."
Then the Sun Moon gate opened.
Only one person stepped forward.
Jiang Nannan.
The murmurs grew louder.
"Again?!"
"One against seven!"
"She's the spatial assassin!"
High above the battlefield, the Shrek observation section leaned forward.
Wu Ming smiled.
"Here we go."
Ling Luochen narrowed her eyes.
"This will be interesting."
Han Ruoruo spoke quietly.
"Seven against one…"
"…but they chose the wrong opponent."
Jiang Nannan stepped calmly to the center of the arena.
Across from her—
Seven fighters spread into formation.
The referee raised his hand.
"Match begin!"
The moment the referee's hand fell—
The battlefield exploded into motion.
All seven members of Iron Feather Academy moved at once.
Wind-type martial souls ignited across the arena as feathered wings burst from their backs, lifting several of them slightly into the air. The rest rushed forward across the ground with astonishing speed.
They had trained for this exact kind of engagement.
Overwhelm the opponent.
Control the battlefield.
Strike from multiple directions at once.
Seven attackers closed in on Jiang Nannan like a tightening net.
From the stands, the crowd gasped.
"That's fast!"
"They're surrounding her!"
"They're going to trap her!"
Jiang Nannan didn't move.
For half a second.
Then—
She vanished.
The first wave of attacks struck nothing but empty air.
Feather blades sliced through the space where she had been standing.
A wind spear crashed into the arena floor.
One of the Iron Feather fighters shouted.
"Above!"
But by the time they looked—
Jiang Nannan had already appeared behind them.
Her figure flickered like a shadow across the battlefield.
A distortion of space rippled briefly around her body.
Void Rabbit Martial Soul.
Her opponent barely had time to react before a silver dagger flashed across his armor.
Not a killing strike.
Just enough to break his balance.
The fighter stumbled backward—
Straight out of the arena boundary.
The referee's voice rang out immediately.
"One eliminated!"
The crowd erupted.
"That was instant!"
"She moved behind him!"
The remaining six fighters regrouped quickly.
Their captain raised his hand.
"Formation!"
Wind currents surged across the arena as the Iron Feather team spread out again.
They adapted quickly.
Three fighters took to the air.
Three remained on the ground.
This time they attacked in waves.
A storm of feather blades descended from above while the ground fighters rushed in from three directions.
A perfect crossfire.
Jiang Nannan disappeared again.
The attacks collided in the center of the battlefield.
But she wasn't there.
A ripple of space appeared several meters away.
She stepped out of it calmly.
Two quick flashes of silver light—
Another fighter staggered backward.
His foot crossed the arena line.
"Second elimination!"
The crowd roared louder.
Inside the Shrek observation section, Wu Ming laughed.
"She's toying with them."
Ling Luochen nodded slightly.
"They can't catch her."
Han Ruoruo watched the battlefield carefully.
"She's controlling distance perfectly."
Back on the arena floor, the Iron Feather fighters were beginning to panic.
They were fast.
But Jiang Nannan was faster.
Or more precisely—
She didn't move through space the same way they did.
Every time they closed the distance—
She simply wasn't there anymore.
Another distortion.
Another flicker.
Another fighter stumbled out of the boundary.
"Third elimination!"
"Fourth!"
The arena had turned into a ghost hunt.
The spectators could barely follow her movements.
All they saw were flashes.
Ripples in the air.
And Iron Feather fighters falling out of the arena one by one.
The captain of Iron Feather Academy gritted his teeth.
"Trap the center!"
The remaining three fighters surged toward the middle of the arena together.
Wind currents spiraled outward as they tried to force Jiang Nannan into a confined area.
For the first time since the match began—
Jiang Nannan stopped moving.
She stood calmly in the center of the battlefield.
The three fighters closed in.
One from the left.
One from the right.
One from above.
Their attacks descended simultaneously.
Then Jiang Nannan moved.
Her body blurred.
Space twisted.
For a brief moment—
She seemed to exist in three different places at once.
Three flashes of silver light cut through the air.
The attackers froze.
Then one after another—
They stumbled backward.
Across the boundary line.
The referee raised his hand.
"Victory—Sun Moon Imperial Academy!"
The stadium erupted.
"Seven defeated!"
"She fought all of them alone!"
"That girl is terrifying!"
High above the battlefield, the projection screens updated again.
Another academy vanished from the tournament bracket.
Back inside the preparation chamber, Wu Feng laughed loudly.
"That looked easy."
Ma Xiaotao grinned.
"They couldn't even touch her."
Ji Juechen nodded once.
"Speed superiority."
At the side of the room, Honghong lifted her head from beside Su Mei.
Her cerulean ears twitched.
Then she looked toward the arena projection briefly.
One tail flicked lazily behind her.
As if acknowledging the victory—
Before returning her attention to Su Mei again.
The cheers for Jiang Nannan's victory echoed through the stadium long after the match ended.
Seven opponents.
Defeated without landing a single clean hit.
For many in the audience, it had been less of a battle and more of a demonstration.
And the name Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy only grew heavier with each passing match.
Inside the preparation chamber beneath the arena stands, Jiang Nannan returned quietly.
Wu Feng leaned forward immediately.
"That was fast."
Nannan smiled faintly.
"They were quick."
Ma Xiaotao laughed.
"Not quick enough."
Su Mei approached and handed her a bowl without a word.
"Eat."
Nannan accepted it politely.
"Thank you."
Beside the table, Honghong sat comfortably near Su Mei.
Her ten cerulean tails swayed slowly behind her.
The moment Su Mei moved—
The fox spirit followed.
One tail brushing lightly against the hem of her robe.
Xu Tianzhen noticed immediately.
"She's still following you."
Su Mei sighed.
"I'm aware."
Honghong tilted her head.
"…Hmph."
Then she sat down again beside Su Mei's feet as if that position had already been decided.
Wu Feng smirked.
"Food loyalty."
Meng Hongchen laughed.
"She definitely knows who feeds her."
Lin Huang watched the small fox spirit quietly.
Then he looked back toward the projection screen.
The tournament continued.
Above the battlefield, the next match had already begun.
The projection screens displayed the name of the next academy stepping forward.
Thousand Spirits Academy.
A ripple of murmurs spread across the stadium.
"Shen Ce!"
"That's the lance user!"
"He's strong!"
Across the arena floor, Shen Ce stepped forward calmly.
A long spear materialized in his hand as his martial soul awakened.
His aura was steady.
Disciplined.
Unlike the earlier teams, Thousand Spirits moved with careful formation.
They fought with control.
With strategy.
Shen Ce's spear cut across the battlefield like lightning.
Every strike precise.
Every movement calculated.
The match ended in decisive victory.
The crowd applauded loudly.
Inside the Sun Moon preparation chamber, Ji Juechen watched the projection quietly.
"His control improved."
Xiao Hongchen nodded.
"Very precise."
Ju Zi studied the screen thoughtfully.
"He will be dangerous."
Xu Tianzhen crossed her arms.
"Maybe for someone else."
The projection screens shifted again.
Another academy entered the arena.
Just Sky Academy.
The audience reacted immediately.
"Blue Lightning Dragon!"
"Yu Tianlong!"
Lightning erupted across the battlefield as Yu Tianlong's martial soul manifested.
A massive dragon-shaped aura surged behind him.
His combat style was explosive.
Direct.
Thunder and lightning crashed across the arena with overwhelming force.
Within minutes—
Another victory.
Another academy eliminated.
Back inside the chamber, Wu Feng smirked.
"So the real teams are starting to show up."
Ma Xiaotao nodded.
"Good."
Ji Juechen remained near the corridor entrance.
His voice calm.
"The tournament grows interesting."
High above the battlefield, the projection screens changed again.
Now displaying another familiar name.
Shrek Academy.
The stadium erupted once more.
Even after thousands of years, the reputation of Shrek remained unmatched.
Their team stepped onto the battlefield with practiced confidence.
Wu Ming.
Ling Luochen.
Chen Zifeng.
Xixi.
Yao Haoxuan.
And at their center—
Han Ruoruo.
The nineteen-year-old Soul Emperor.
Their battle was swift.
Coordinated.
Flawless.
Within minutes, their opponents were eliminated.
The crowd cheered loudly again.
Back inside the Sun Moon preparation chamber, the group watched silently.
Ju Zi finally spoke.
"The quarterfinal bracket is forming."
She tapped the projection disk.
The remaining teams appeared across the display.
Only eight academies remained now.
Xu Tianzhen leaned forward.
"So the next round…"
Ju Zi nodded.
"The quarterfinals."
At the center of the room, Lin Huang remained calm.
Honghong lifted her head slightly beside Su Mei.
Her cerulean eyes glanced briefly toward the projection.
Then she yawned.
The real battles—
Were getting closer.
By the time Jiang Nannan returned to the preparation chamber, the final matches of the Round of Sixteen were already nearing their conclusion.
The atmosphere inside the stadium had changed again.
The early chaos of the tournament was gone.
Only the strongest academies remained.
Above the battlefield, the massive projection arrays flickered once more as the final match ended.
A loud cheer rolled through the stadium.
Then the announcer's voice echoed across the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"The Round of Sixteen has now concluded!"
Thunderous applause erupted from every section of the stadium.
One by one, the names of defeated academies faded from the projection screens.
Until only eight teams remained.
Inside the Sun Moon preparation chamber, Ju Zi activated the projection disk.
A three-dimensional bracket appeared above the table.
"The quarterfinal teams have been confirmed."
Xu Tianzhen leaned forward.
"Let's see."
The names appeared clearly across the projection.
Shrek Academy.
Star Luo Royal Academy.
Thousand Spirits Academy.
Just Sky Academy.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
And three other surviving academies.
The crowd in the stadium reacted loudly as each name appeared.
But once again—
The loudest cheers came when Sun Moon Academy appeared.
Ju Zi adjusted the display again.
The bracket shifted.
The quarterfinal matchups appeared.
Wu Feng crossed her arms.
"So who do we crush next?"
Ju Zi pointed toward the projection.
"Our opponent."
The name appeared beneath Sun Moon's.
Just Sky Academy.
A brief silence filled the room.
Then Xiao Hongchen nodded slowly.
"Yu Tianlong."
Lightning crackled across the small projection image beside the academy name.
The emblem of the Blue Lightning Dragon clan glowed faintly.
Ji Juechen's voice remained calm.
"The strongest member of their team."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"So the dragon boy everyone's talking about."
Ju Zi nodded.
"Yes."
"Yu Tianlong — Rank 52."
"Blue Lightning Dragon martial soul."
"Extremely aggressive combat style."
Across the room, Qiu'er had been leaning quietly against the wall.
At the mention of the dragon martial soul—
Her golden eyes lifted.
Lin Huang noticed immediately.
"You want this one."
It wasn't a question.
Qiu'er nodded.
"Yes."
Wu Feng grinned.
"Dragon versus dragon."
Ma Xiaotao laughed.
"That'll be fun."
Nearby, Honghong remained beside Su Mei.
The small fox spirit had curled up comfortably at the cook's feet again.
Her cerulean tails moved lazily across the floor.
When Su Mei shifted slightly—
One tail followed her instinctively.
Su Mei sighed quietly.
"You're still here?"
Honghong opened one eye.
"…Hmph."
Then she closed it again.
Completely relaxed.
Ju Zi closed the projection disk.
"The quarterfinal matches will begin tomorrow."
Xiao Hongchen nodded.
"Good."
Ji Juechen remained near the corridor entrance.
His voice calm.
"The real tournament begins now."
Lin Huang glanced briefly toward Qiu'er.
Golden Dragon.
Blue Lightning Dragon.
The next battle would be very different from the ones before.
And the stadium—
Was already waiting for it.