The audience at the finals experienced the ultimate emotional roller coaster, from the heavens to the mud, and back to the heavens.
First, they eagerly anticipated this rare final, then they saw Shrek Academy send only one person for the team battle, and finally, that one person from Shrek Academy displayed immense power, revealing a second Spirit with five 100,000-year spirit rings, instantly killing all seven members of the Sun Moon Team. It was truly exhilarating!
Over eighty percent of the live audience had watched from the very first match to the last. When Zhu Ziyang revealed his five 100,000-year spirit rings, almost all of them recalled the first match, and the young man who had also displayed five red spirit rings.
However, these two instances were fundamentally different. That young man named Huo Yuhao was like a joke Shrek Academy played on them, or perhaps a preview. But Zhu Ziyang, this young man destined to be remembered by everyone for a lifetime, was more like a peerless treasure Shrek Academy displayed to them!
What is called 'bookending'? This is bookending!
After Celestial Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu announced Shrek Academy as the champion, everyone could not suppress their excitement, standing up and shouting in unison: "Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!"
After three cheers for Shrek, someone started it, and everyone began to chant Zhu Ziyang's name!
"Zhu Ziyang! Zhu Ziyang! Zhu Ziyang!"
Zhu Ziyang greatly enjoyed this cheering, shouted for the victor!
Below the stage, in Shrek Academy's resting area, the four elders of the Lin family showed satisfied expressions, stood up, clapped their hands, and cheered. Wang Yan was also incredibly excited; at this moment, his mission was finally complete.
Ma Xiaotao and Jiang Nannan both gazed foolishly at Zhu Ziyang on the stage, their eyes filled with adoration and love.
"So, this is Zhu Ziyang's true strength!" Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi exchanged a bitter smile and said, "We should have thought of it earlier."
"I must become someone like Big Brother Zhu Ziyang!" Huo Yuhao secretly made a resolution, his gaze subtly sweeping towards the Imperial City tower, "Only then can I avenge my mother and make that man pay the price!"
"What should I do? Yu Hao, Wang Dong, I regret adding spirit rings to my second Spirit." Xiao Xiao suddenly cried out in extreme annoyance, "Ah ah ah! I also want my second Spirit's spirit rings to all be 100,000 years, no, even 10,000 years would be fine, like Senior Brother Zhu Ziyang! What should I do!"
Listening to Xiao Xiao's wails, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who also possessed twin spirits, felt extremely fortunate, but they did not ignore Xiao Xiao and comforted her: "Xiao Xiao, it's not too late now. Don't add any more spirit rings to your Phoenix Coming Flute for now. Wait until you can withstand 10,000-year spirit rings before continuing to add them!"
"Children, it's time for us to go on stage!" Wang Yan said to the students with a beaming smile.
Ma Xiaotao and Jiang Nannan were the first to rush onto the stage, embracing Zhu Ziyang, their pretty faces glowing with excited smiles. Zhu Ziyang held the two soft and fragrant beauties, his smile growing brighter.
To recline on the knees of beauties, and to wield power over the world when awake, it is nothing more than this!
As all the members of Shrek Academy ascended the stage, Emperor Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire also descended from the city tower with his officials and nobles, walking onto the stage. In front of all the spectators, he declared loudly: "As Celestial Fiend Douluo said, the champion of this Pan-continental Elite Soul Master Competition is still Shrek Academy!
I am not surprised by this result, for this is an honor Shrek Academy deserves! However, I am still very pleasantly surprised, because Shrek Academy has allowed me, and all of us, the privilege of witnessing the magnificent demeanor of a peerless genius!
My people, let us all shout their names in unison!"
After Emperor Xu Jiawei finished speaking, he turned to look at the Shrek Academy members, who were now standing in a line, receiving everyone's attention. His gaze fell upon Zhu Ziyang, as if to imprint him firmly in his eyes, and then he took the lead in shouting: "Shrek!"
With the Emperor's cheer, the audience's unwaning enthusiasm surged again, and they echoed him in unison, "Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!"
"Congratulations to you! The geniuses of Shrek Academy!" When the cheers subsided, Emperor Xu Jiawei spoke again, "Next, please proceed to the Imperial Palace. I have prepared a banquet to celebrate your championship victory! At the same time, your rewards are also ready. Please follow me!"
Emperor Xu Jiawei's invitation left Wang Yan unsure for a moment. Just as he was about to tell Emperor Xu Jiawei that he needed to discuss it with everyone, he heard Elder Lin's voice in his ear, "Accept it!"
"Then we shall trouble Your Majesty!" Wang Yan immediately said.
"Hahahaha, please follow me!" Emperor Xu Jiawei let out a hearty laugh, then turned and led the way towards the Imperial City. Zhu Ziyang and Wang Yan followed closely beside him. Surrounded by the crowd and the cheers of all the spectators, the Shrek Academy members entered the Star Luo Empire Imperial Palace.
They went directly to the grand hall where the Star Luo Royal Family held state banquets. The hall was already set up for the banquet. Emperor Emperor Xu Jiawei sat at the head of the table. To his right was Duke White Tiger Dai Hao, and to his left was Zhu Ziyang. Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Nannan, and the others took their seats in order beside him.
"Everyone, please!" Emperor Xu Jiawei said with a smile, raising the wine cup in his hand.
"Your Majesty, please!" The officials of Star Luo and the members of Shrek Academy also raised their wine cups and shouted together. Then, regardless of whether there was wine in their cups, everyone made a gesture of drinking it all, showing respect to the host of the banquet.
The banquet began. Zhu Ziyang and the other Shrek students showed no shyness or reserve. Each of them ate and drank as they pleased, acting naturally, without feeling special simply because it was a royal banquet. The nobles at the banquet also had their own agendas, toasting and trying to curry favor with Zhu Ziyang and the others. Unfortunately, besides Ma Xiaotao, none of the others had reached the age allowed to drink at Shrek Academy. So, Wang Yan suffered, downing cup after cup, his face visibly reddening.
After three rounds of wine and five courses, Emperor Xu Jiawei waved his hand, and a group of palace maids carrying exquisite wooden boxes entered the hall, facing the Shrek Academy members and standing in a line. Their faces wore smiles, and the lids of the wooden boxes in their hands were inlaid with a transparent crystal, through which the contents of the boxes could be seen.
Spirit Bones, all Spirit Bones!
Emperor Xu Jiawei said with a smile, "In view of Shrek Academy's performance in this competition, I have temporarily decided to increase the championship reward to five Spirit Bones. Now, I invite Teacher Wang Yan and student Zhu Ziyang to choose the Spirit Bones you desire from these ten Spirit Bones. All these Spirit Bones are treasures from my Imperial treasury, and their ages are all above 10,000 years."
Emperor Xu Jiawei's words made Zhu Ziyang, Wang Yan, and the others show surprised expressions, while Bei Bei and the others showed expressions of ecstasy. This was because, according to the Academy's rules, the championship reward of the Soul Master Competition would be distributed among the participating students themselves. However, if the previous reward was only three Spirit Bones, then their chances of getting one were zero, as they were only the reserve team. But now that it had become five, their reserve team could at least get one!
Those were Spirit Bones! What Spirit Master could resist the temptation of Spirit Bones?
After a brief second of stunned silence, Zhu Ziyang was the first to say, "Thank you for Your Majesty's generous gift!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wang Yan also reacted and quickly spoke.
"Haha, no need for thanks, this is what you deserve!" Emperor Xu Jiawei said with a smile. Raising the reward from three Spirit Bones to five was merely a stepping stone for their deeper ties with Shrek Academy. He said, "Both of you, please! Princess Xu Jiujiu, please introduce the information of these Spirit Bones to student Zhu Ziyang!"
Emperor Xu Jiawei called Princess Xu Jiujiu. A hint of shyness flashed across Princess Xu Jiujiu's face, but her movements were not hesitant. She walked to Zhu Ziyang's side, performed a standard court bow to him, and with a graceful smile, said, "Zhu Ziyang, we meet again."
"Thank you, Princess!" Zhu Ziyang did not know of Emperor Xu Jiawei's intentions, and simply replied to Princess Xu Jiujiu politely.
"Please look at the first Spirit Bone." They began selecting Spirit Bones from left to right. Princess Xu Jiujiu was indeed a top-tier auctioneer. Even though her heart was filled with fluctuations, her voice and speaking speed remained poised and elegant, pleasant to the ear. She said, "The 30,000-year Berserk Thunder Demon Alligator Left Arm Bone. After fusion, it can enhance lightning element resistance and arm strength, containing a fixed Spirit Ability: Berserk Thunder Roar. Berserk Thunder Roar, a control-type Spirit Ability, can cause enemies within a certain range to fall into a three-second stun state. If you choose this Spirit Bone, I recommend giving it to a lightning-attribute Spirit Master."
"The second Spirit Bone, the 30,000-year Explosive Flame Ghost Shark Left Leg Bone. After fusion, it can enhance the Spirit Master's fire element attack power and the instantaneous explosive power of the left leg. It is a non-fixed Spirit Ability Spirit Bone. If a fire-attribute Spirit Master or a dragon-snake type Spirit Master fuses with it, they will surely gain a very good attack-type Spirit Ability."