Led by the knights, everyone from Tian Shui Academy quickly arrived at a military camp.
"Everyone, this will be your lodging during the High-Level Spirit Master Academy Preliminary Matches across the continent," the leading knight said, pointing toward the camp.
Shui Wuhen glanced in the direction the knight indicated and saw that the camp was very rough, a far cry from the accommodations in Tiandou City. He didn't mind, of course—he could spend months on a snowy mountain peak for the sake of cultivating his spirit power—but some others might not be so accepting.
"Ah, we're staying here?" Shui Yue'er sounded a little displeased.
"Sorry, but naturally, conditions in a military camp can't compare to those outside," the knight replied apologetically. He then reminded them, "The preliminary matches start tomorrow. Please rest early tonight. We will return tomorrow to take you to the designated battlefield."
After saying this, the knight quickly left.
Shui Bing'er looked at Shui Yue'er and smiled. "It's fine. After all, this is just a military camp, and we'll only be staying for a while. Just endure it."
Although Shui Bing'er couldn't match Shui Wuhen's extremes, her requirements for the environment were low. Having struggled alongside Shui Wuhen as a child, the military camp was nothing to her.
"Alright then," Shui Yue'er said somewhat sullenly.
The group then headed toward their assigned camp. Each camp displayed the emblems of various academies, and it didn't take long for them to find the Tian Shui Academy camp.
"Wuhen, you'll have your own room. Bing'er, Xuewu…"
Upon reaching their destination, Shui Muyue began assigning rooms. Shui Wuhen, being male, had a single room, while the others shared rooms.
That evening, Shui Muyue started discussing strategy. Shui Wuhen silently listened, saying nothing. After the strategy session, she looked at him and asked, "Wuhen, do you have any suggestions?"
The preliminary match format was perfect for academies like theirs, which had powerful individual fighters. No one could defeat Qing Mu in a one-on-one match.
"No," Shui Wuhen shook his head slightly.
Although called a preliminary match, it didn't eliminate any academies. Its purpose was mainly to determine rankings, allowing the top-ranked teams to skip early rounds, and to let nobles clearly observe individual abilities. The preliminary matches followed a one-on-one arena system: each side sent seven fighters, and defeating all seven on the opposing side counted as a victory.
The next day, ten teams from kingdoms, principalities, and other regions gathered at the Royal Knights' Grand Training Grounds, along with the top five teams from the Tiandou region. Outside the grounds, ten thousand royal knights were lined up in perfect formation.
"Huh?"
In the Tian Shui Academy area, Shui Wuhen sensed a certain gaze and turned to look.
Almost instantly, he identified the person looking at him.
Tang San, at the Shrek Academy area, had a faint smile on his lips. He openly met Shui Wuhen's gaze, his eyes crackling as if sparks were jumping between them.
"This guy…"
Shui Wuhen looked at Tang San and was slightly surprised. Compared to a month ago, Tang San's aura had changed significantly; he now seemed calm and confident.
Shui Wuhen withdrew his gaze and thought, Looks like he's improved a lot in the past month.
Confidence comes from strength, but Shui Wuhen wondered what kind of major improvement Tang San could have made in just one month.
At that moment, Xuewu smiled at Shui Wuhen. "Brother Bing'er, if we meet an opponent we can't defeat, it'll be up to you."
"No problem. I'll handle it," Shui Wuhen said calmly.
Soon, the first match began. The opening battle was between Chi Huo Academy and a small national team called Fabia Academy. The result was obvious. Chi Huo Academy, an established powerhouse, sent only the brother-sister duo Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu to defeat all seven members of their opponents.
Shui Wuhen wasn't surprised. Fabia Academy had a Spirit Ring practitioner, but only one, who had just broken through. Losing to Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu wasn't unexpected. Conversely, if the duo had lost, that would have been a mistake.
Still, Shui Wuhen's indifference didn't mean the other academies felt the same.
Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu's performance astonished the other Spirit Masters from kingdoms and principalities. Although Fabia Academy was one of the weaker teams among the fifteen participating, just two fighters defeating all seven made them formidable opponents to watch in future rounds. Some nobles even considered ways to recruit the two siblings.
The second match featured Beast Academy versus an unknown academy. In the end, Beast Academy narrowly won under the leadership of their captain Meng Yiran.
Shui Wuhen watched the battle, slightly shaking his head in disappointment. These kingdom and principality teams were even weaker than he expected. In his view, Chi Huo Academy and Thunder Academy were nothing special, but compared to these teams, they were on a completely different level.
As the matches concluded one by one, it was soon Tian Shui Academy's turn. Upon hearing the referee announce their name, Shui Bing'er stood and walked toward the arena.
This had been arranged by Shui Muyue the previous day. Being the first match, morale was important, so as the vice-captain, Shui Bing'er would secure a strong start.
As for Shui Wuhen, due to his overwhelmingly high power, to ensure fair participation for other students and maintain the match experience, he would not step in unless absolutely necessary. In Shui Muyue's view, aside from the Kamikaze Academy match, Shui Wuhen should not enter; otherwise, it wouldn't be a battle—it would be slaughter.
"Pretty lady, can you at least let me lose gracefully?"
Once on the stage, the young man facing Shui Bing'er noticed her four Spirit Rings glowing and nervously said.
Tian Shui Academy's opponent was from Haagen-Dazs Kingdom—Haagen-Dazs Academy. They were middle-tier among the fifteen teams, with only two Spirit Ring practitioners. Clearly, the young man before her wasn't one of them.
Shui Bing'er smiled faintly. "No!"
First Spirit Skill: Ice Seal!
In an instant, her first Spirit Ring flared to life. The Haagen-Dazs Academy youth felt his feet go cold, and he was instantly frozen into a block of ice.