The match came to an end.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the stands.
Having witnessed a historic moment with their own eyes, the spectators could hardly contain their excitement.
Many also began looking ahead to the future.
If the Seven Treasure Team could finish the preliminary tournament undefeated, could they also remain undefeated through the Promotion Tournament and the Finals?
Unfortunately, the Promotion Tournament would be closed to spectators. They would have to wait until the organizers officially announced the results after the matches.
On the VIP platform, Emperor Xue Ye laughed heartily before turning to Ning Fengzhi.
"Sect Master Ning, congratulations. This is your academy's first time participating, yet you've already achieved such an outstanding result. I hope you continue your efforts and bring even greater honor to the empire."
Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly, though inwardly he was overjoyed.
"Your Majesty flatters us. This is entirely the result of the children's hard work."
At the same time, he could not help feeling a little concerned.
Achieving such remarkable results in the academy's very first tournament would also bring considerable pressure.
If the academy failed to produce similar results in future tournaments, wouldn't it become the target of ridicule?
Of course, Ning Fengzhi believed that with the Seven Treasure Team making such a name for itself, more outstanding students would enroll in the academy in the future. Achieving even greater success would likely not be difficult.
As the tournament reached its final day, the excitement of the matches declined noticeably.
The teams that would advance had already secured their places before today. For those destined to be eliminated, all that remained was to finish their final matches peacefully. There was no need to fight desperately.
Soon, the afternoon arrived, bringing the match between Shrek Academy and Skywater Academy.
Because of their poor morale and the recent incidents, the Shrek Team had forfeited three matches and accumulated a total of four losses.
Right behind them stood the Elephant Armored Team with five losses.
Regardless of whether Shrek won or lost this match, they would still advance, since they had defeated the Elephant Armored Team in their head-to-head match.
When two teams finished with identical records, advancement was determined by their head-to-head result.
Only when three or more teams shared the same record, with more tied teams than available qualification spots, would additional tiebreaker matches be held.
Before the match, Yu Xiaogang reminded everyone,"We've already secured enough points to qualify. There's no need to fight Skywater Academy at full strength."
"Tang San, don't reveal too many of our tactics. Use only our standard strategies. If we win, that's fine. If we lose, it doesn't matter."
After today, Tang San would attach a Spirit Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer. With both martial spirits developed, his strength would undergo a tremendous leap.
Because of that, Yu Xiaogang cared little about the outcome of this match.
After all, as the saying goes, you can lose countless battles beforehand, but as long as you win the final one, you've won everything that truly matters.
"The final match of the preliminary tournament will be Skywater Academy versus Shrek Academy."
"Although every member of Skywater Academy is female, they remain undefeated in actual competition, having only forfeited a single match. Their strength should not be underestimated."
Since Skywater Academy had voluntarily forfeited against the Seven Treasure Team, no one could accurately judge how they would have fared in that battle. That was why the announcer described them this way.
When introducing Shrek Academy, the announcer's tone made it impossible to tell whether he was mocking them or praising them.
"As for their opponents, Shrek Academy has had one of the most extraordinary journeys of the preliminary tournament."
After all, both major incidents during the preliminaries had involved Shrek Academy, yet they still managed to earn a place in the next stage. That was certainly unprecedented.
"And of course, their legendary green uniforms are truly unforgettable."
"We hope they won't be affected by recent events and will give us an excellent match."
Inside the competitors' tunnel.
The thought of losing to Skywater Academy immediately displeased Dai Mubai.
"Tang San, if we reveal some of our trump cards, we can still win. Why should we just go through the motions?"
Tang San shook his head.
"Mubai, don't waste our efforts."
"Our qualification is already guaranteed. Even if we defeat Skywater Academy, it won't improve our ranking."
"Besides, there's no guarantee we'll even face Skywater Academy in the Finals. And even if we do, exposing our hidden cards now will only put us at a disadvantage later."
Although Skywater Academy was certainly strong, their lineup was built around an extreme specialization.
Once they reached the Finals, among the teams from the two empires and Spirit Hall, there would likely be opponents capable of countering them.
There was no reason to reveal their strongest tactics just to defeat a team that was unlikely to become champion.
Yu Xiaogang was right. There was no need to expose more of their strength than necessary.
"Remember, as long as we win the final match of the Finals, we'll be champions. Until then, whether we win or lose doesn't matter much."
Yu Tianheng chimed in, "That's right, Mubai. Losing one match strategically won't affect us."
One notable change to Shrek's lineup was that the seventh member of the Shrek Seven was no longer Tai Long, but his older cousin, Tai La.
The two shared the same martial spirit, and their Spirit Power Levels were also identical.
Tai La's appearance gave Yu Xiaogang a new tactical idea, and this match would serve as a test for his newly devised strategy.
Both teams stepped onto the arena.
For once, the usually arrogant Shrek Seven did not exchange any verbal taunts before the match.
After all, every member of the Skywater Team was exceptionally beautiful.
There was no reason to spoil the atmosphere.
Below the stage, Feng Xiaotian said in a serious tone, "Skywater Academy isn't an opponent to underestimate. If we face them, we'll probably have to rely on wind to blow them off the arena."
One-on-one battles were not Skywater Academy's specialty, but in team battles, Shui Bing'er's powerful control abilities could cause enormous trouble for any opponent.
Huo Wu frowned in dissatisfaction.
"Don't forget my brother and me."
Fire and ice were naturally opposing elements. She had no intention of admitting defeat to Shui Bing'er.
Wu Qi smiled.
"The chance of us facing Skywater Academy in the first round of the Finals is only one in thirty-two, so there's no need to worry too much."
As he spoke, he stood up.
"You all keep watching the match. I'm heading out for a while."
A moment earlier, he had heard Dugu Bo's voice transmitted directly into his ears and intended to find out what had happened.
In a secluded corner of the tournament grounds, Wu Qi met with Dugu Bo.
"Kid, I just received word that Spirit Hall is gathering information about you as quickly as possible. It seems they've already identified you as their greatest threat."
Wu Qi was not surprised.
Bibi Dong's understanding of him was still limited to the progress he had made while training in Spirit City.
Now, more than two years had passed since he left, and his strength had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Once Bibi Dong learned of his performance during the preliminary tournament, she would certainly no longer be able to remain calm.
After all, the three Spirit Bones offered as the championship prizes had originally been prepared for Hu Liena and her teammates.
With the sudden emergence of the Seven Treasure Team as a dark horse, Bibi Dong would naturally make thorough preparations.
However, Wu Qi was not worried that she would resort to anything extreme.
The current Spirit Hall was not yet entirely under Bibi Dong's control. Taking action against him would completely alienate the Elders of Worship Hall.
As long as Bibi Dong had not completely lost her reason, she would know which choice to make.
Seeing Wu Qi's confidence, Dugu Bo realized his concerns had been unnecessary.
He continued, "Besides Spirit Hall, the Unrivaled Dragon-Serpent couple has also begun keeping an eye on you."
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