The banquet hall on the top floor of the Star Luo Grand Hotel had been transformed into a temporary drawing site.
Giant crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant light, illuminating the entire hall as if it were broad daylight.
Representatives from the sixteen teams that had fought their way through the Round-robin Tournament were lined up neatly in the center, surrounded by journalists from major media outlets and the nobility of the Star Luo Empire.
A suffocating sense of tension permeated the air.
While for the audience, this was merely a ceremony to determine the match-ups, for every team present, it was a life-or-death gamble.
No one wanted to encounter the legendary powerhouses in the first round, especially—that Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy Team which possessed the "monster" Liu Yuan.
"Quiet, everyone."
On the high platform, the Prime Minister of the Star Luo Empire, dressed in formal attire, walked to the microphone with a solemn expression. His steady voice spread throughout the hall via a soul tool amplifier.
"First, congratulations to the sixteen teams present for successfully advancing to the knockout stages. Next, we will conduct the drawing ceremony for the Top Sixteen match-ups."
"The rules are simple. There are sixteen numbered balls in the drawing box, numbered 1 to 8, with two of each number."
"First, the representatives of the eight teams that took first place in their groups will come forward to draw. Subsequently, the representatives of the teams that took second place in each group will draw."
"The two teams that draw the same number will be opponents in the first round of the knockout stage!"
As soon as the rules were announced, the atmosphere below the stage became even more somber.
This completely random drawing method, without any avoidance principles, meant it was filled with infinite uncertainty.
"Alright, without further ado, the drawing ceremony begins now!"
At the Prime Minister's command, a staff member brought forward a large, completely sealed golden drawing box.
The Prime Minister glanced at the list in his hand: "Will the first-place representative of Group One, the Heaven Dou Empire Royal Academy, please come forward to draw."
A low murmur of discussion rose from below the stage.
Soon, the drawing proceeded in an orderly fashion.
One by one, team representatives walked onto the stage and pulled out the small ball that would decide their fate from the box.
"Heavenly Spirit High-Rank Soul Master Academy, Number 1."
"Zhengtian Academy, Number 3."
...
Soon, the first four teams had finished drawing.
"Next, will the first-place representative of Group Five, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, please come forward to draw!"
As the announcer's voice fell, the eyes of the entire audience instantly focused on the young man in the red and white team uniform who had an indifferent expression.
Liu Yuan.
This name had now become synonymous with "terror" in Star Luo City, and even throughout the entire Spirit Master world.
Seeing Liu Yuan step forward, the representatives of the other teams who had not yet drawn their numbers all held their breath, their eyes filled with prayer and dread.
"Please don't let it be him... please don't let it be him..."
"God bless me, let me avoid this bringer of calamity!"
Some people were even crossing themselves, muttering prayers under their breath.
Even Ma Xiaotao, standing at the back of the crowd, was tightly pursing her red lips at this moment.
Although she had recovered from her injuries, the feeling of being completely crushed from the last time still haunted her like a nightmare.
Under the watchful eyes of the multitude, Liu Yuan walked up to the drawing box.
He casually reached his hand inside and pulled it out almost the very next second.
That movement was so casual, it was as if he were picking an apple from a fruit bowl at home.
Opening his palm, a red ball lay quietly in his hand.
Liu Yuan glanced at the number on it, his eyebrows arching slightly, and then he displayed it to the crowd and the referees below.
"Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Number 8!"
The referee announced the result in a loud voice.
"Phew..."
In that instant, the representatives of the several teams standing in front of Liu Yuan who had already drawn their numbers let out a sigh of relief in unison, their expressions looking as if they had just survived a disaster.
"Great! It's not Number 1!"
"It's not Number 3 either!"
"We won't be facing the Sun Moon Team! There's still a chance!"
In sharp contrast were the second-place teams that had not yet drawn.
Their faces instantly turned pale, and their hearts leaped into their throats.
Number 8.
In their eyes at this moment, this number seemed to have become a countdown to death.
Whoever drew the other Number 8 next would mean... going home.
Xuan Zi stood within the Shrek Team, cold sweat already dripping from his forehead.
His action of stuffing a chicken leg into his mouth had also stopped; even his favorite wine no longer tasted good.
"Number 8... Number 8..."
Xuan Zi frantically chanted in his heart, praying that the other teams would hurry up and draw that damned Number 8.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew better than anyone what a mess Shrek was in right now.
Morale was low, their mindsets had collapsed; they appeared to have a complete lineup, but in reality, they were strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
If they ran into the Sun Moon Team while they were at their peak morale, it would truly be a case of more bad luck than good!
It would be best... best to let some other unlucky soul run into the Sun Moon Team, and let Shrek fight a weak team to win a beautiful match and first regain these children's self-confidence!
However, fate always seemed to enjoy playing jokes at times like these.
As the drawing continued.
"Star Luo Royal Academy, Number 2."
"Dou Ling Royal Academy, Number 4."
...
One by one, the second-place teams went up and drew their respective numbers.
Every time someone reached into the box, Xuan Zi's heart would tighten violently, hoping that "Number 8" would be taken out.
But.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
That damned red Number 8 ball was like it had grown legs and was hiding in the corner of the box, refusing to come out!
Seeing that fewer and fewer teams remained, and fewer and fewer numbered balls remained.
That feeling of the God of Death approaching step by step made Xuan Zi's breathing become ragged.
"Why hasn't it come out... why hasn't anyone drawn Number 8 yet? What are these useless fools doing!"
Xuan Zi roared frantically in his heart, even wishing he could rush up and help someone pull that ball out.
Finally.
It was the Shrek Team's turn.
As the second-place team of Group One, they were one of the last few teams to draw.
"Next, will the Shrek Academy representative, Ma Xiaotao, please come forward to draw."
Hearing her name, Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath. Her originally tall and fiery figure now appeared somewhat stiff.
She glanced back at Xuan Zi.
Xuan Zi's cloudy old eyes were bloodshot. He gave her an extremely ugly expression of encouragement and whispered in a hoarse voice:
"Xiaotao... don't be afraid... just draw whatever... as long as it's not 8..."
Ma Xiaotao nodded and walked toward the high platform with heavy steps.
This short distance of dozens of meters felt as heavy as a thousand pounds to her.
All eyes were focused on her.
Some were sympathetic, some were gloating, and some were in tense anticipation.
Standing to the side, Liu Yuan had his arms crossed, watching the red-clad figure walking toward the drawing box with a playful expression.
In his heart, that gloating thought grew stronger.
"Come on... let me see if so-called fate is really on my side."
Ma Xiaotao reached the drawing box.
Her hand trembled slightly as she reached into the dark opening.
There weren't many balls left in the box.
Her fingertips touched a cold ball.
"This is it."
Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth and, as if resigning herself to fate, suddenly pulled her hand out!
The entire hall fell into a dead silence.
Everyone's gaze was fixed firmly on her hand.
Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her palm.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
On that ball, a bright red number was strikingly printed—8.
"Boom!"
It was like a heavy bomb had been detonated in the crowd.
The originally quiet hall instantly boiled over!
"Holy crap! Number 8!"
"Shrek drew Number 8! They're against the Sun Moon Team!"
"Oh my god! Is a 'Mars colliding with Earth' drama going to play out in the first round?!"
"What 'Mars colliding with Earth'? More like 'Mars colliding with an egg,' right? How could the current Shrek possibly beat Sun Moon?"
"This is too unlucky! Is the defending champion going to be sent packing in the Top Sixteen?"
All sorts of exclamations and discussions rose and fell, submerging the entire hall like a tsunami.
And Xuan Zi, who was at the center of the storm.
The moment he saw that number, he was as if struck by lightning.
With a "clatter."
The wine gourd that never left his side dropped straight to the ground, shattering into pieces. The fragrant wine spilled everywhere, but he was completely oblivious.
His face turned as white as paper at this moment, his eyes bulged, and his lips trembled, unable to say a word for a long time.
"It's over..."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"