Douluo: Martial Soul of Lightning

Although Ning Rongrong appeared to be listening attentively to Yu Xiaogang's explanation, most of her attention was actually focused on Lin Jie. Over the past six months, her relationship with Lin Jie had progressed rapidly.

She had transitioned from girl to woman, and though she was already beautiful, she now radiated a more mature, alluring charm. Still, due to her age, she lacked the sultry elegance that Jiang Zhu possessed.

So when Ning Rongrong saw Jiang Zhu casting flirtatious glances at Lin Jie—yes, to her, it was absolutely seduction—and saw that Lin Jie even turned back to meet her eyes, she couldn't help but pout, her cherry lips pursed in jealousy as she glared at him.

If Lin Jie knew Ning Rongrong was angry over something so trivial, he'd definitely mutter to himself: So this is what women are like? Even their reasons for being upset are absurd.

At the front, Yu Xiaogang continued, "The All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament is co-hosted by the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, with the Spirit Hall acting as co-sponsor. This is the largest competition in the spirit master world. Now, I need to explain the rules, and you must remember them. Every participating student must be under the age of 25. Each match must be fought with exactly seven participants. Most importantly, this tournament is meant to promote competition and talent—not killing. If anyone dies during a match, the responsible team will be immediately disqualified from the tournament."

Tang San raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, isn't that a bit difficult? After all, spirit abilities aren't exactly easy to control. What if someone accidentally goes too far?"

Yu Xiaogang looked at him and said, "That's exactly why you must go into every match without any killing intent. Remember, this tournament is about showcasing your abilities, not taking lives. Besides, the organizers won't just stand by and let something like that happen."

Tang San nodded in understanding.

Yu Xiaogang went on, "Aside from those hard rules, there are others you need to be aware of. For example, you're forbidden from using any weapons not part of your Martial Soul. So, Tang San, your hidden weapons are off-limits—keep that in mind. Additionally, you're not allowed to use medicinal items for healing unless they come from a support- or food-type Spirit Master on the battlefield."

He looked around at everyone and continued, "Now, let's talk about the tournament structure. Between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, there are over a hundred advanced spirit master academies, each with one entry slot. Additionally, both empires have an official main team and a reserve team. The main team gets direct entry into the finals, while the reserve team must compete in the qualifiers with the other academies."

"Once the qualifiers are complete, the advancement rounds begin, which determine seeding and matchups for the finals."

"The format of the qualifier and advancement rounds are different. The qualifiers are team battles—round-robin style. The top teams from the qualifiers then enter the advancement rounds."

"The advancement rounds, on the other hand, are one-on-one endurance battles. Each team sends out seven members. The winner stays on the field, and the losing team rotates in another member. The match continues until all members of one team are defeated."

"In other words, the qualifiers focus on teamwork, while the advancement rounds test your individual strength. The purpose of this structure is to give the Spirit Hall and the two empires a better look at who the most talented individuals are."

Lin Jie raised an eyebrow. Why does this all sound like a talent show? Just pick whoever shines the most?

Yu Xiaogang continued, "There will be thirty-three teams in the finals. It will be a brutal elimination tournament."

He went on to explain more about the rules and structure, but Lin Jie only paid attention to the important parts. As far as he was concerned, as long as you didn't lose, the rest didn't really matter.

Yu Xiaogang then looked around and said, "In the next few days, you'll be conducting tactical drills. One last thing—during the qualifiers, aside from Ning Rongrong, you may only send three people per match. The rest of you will be held in reserve. You'll have to decide the roster yourselves."

The team nodded. With six Spirit Ancestors among them, they were feeling confident. They were eager to get into the arena and show what they could do.

Over the next few days, the group focused on practicing tactics. Even Lin Jie took the drills seriously. Though he believed strength ultimately decided victory, he also knew that his current power wasn't overwhelming yet—so tactics still had their place.

Integrating a team was no easy feat, especially with four new members, so those days were spent tirelessly polishing their coordination.

While Dai Mubai was the official team captain, Lin Jie had taken on the role of primary strategist, with Tang San as his second-in-command. Under Lin Jie's planning, the lineup for the qualifier matches was finalized.

Though the qualifiers weren't the most critical stage, they still needed to ensure Shrek Academy advanced. The rotation was set: Dai Mubai, Tang San, Lin Jie, and Xiao Wu would rotate through the matches, while Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar would be held in reserve.

Lin Jie hadn't originally planned to fight in the early rounds, but after some thought, he decided to step in—otherwise, it would just be boring.

And so, everything was prepared. All they had to do now was wait for the tournament to begin.

Three days later, in Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament officially opened. The tournament wasn't just a major event for spirit masters—it had become a celebration for all social classes, from commoners to nobility. The city was overflowing with people, treating the tournament like a grand festival.

As the Shrek team made their way toward the competition grounds, they saw just how packed the streets were. The nearby hotels had long been fully booked—there wasn't a single room left.

Fortunately, Heaven Dou City had dispatched over 5,000 soldiers to maintain order. Without them, the scene might've descended into chaos.

"Wow, there are so many people!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her eyes wide as she looked around. This was her first time seeing such a massive crowd.

"Well, this is the biggest event in the spirit master world. And we're in the capital. Of course it's packed," Lin Jie replied.

A few days earlier, Flender had tried to prepare school uniforms for the team—but, ever the penny-pincher, he repurposed old promotional materials. The result was… unspeakably ugly. Fortunately, Lin Jie argued with him (with gold as his weapon), and they were able to change into the stylish black and purple uniforms like the ones from the previous Soto City Spirit Arena tournament.

Despite the crowds, the group finally squeezed their way into the venue.

Since today was the opening ceremony, only one match would be held, drawn by Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team to determine the first round of matchups.

The Shrek team made their way to the competitors' rest area inside the main arena. The space was enormous, with over a thousand seats divided into sections for each academy to rest and wait their turn.

To keep a low profile, Lin Jie and the others chose a relatively secluded corner.

After completing the sign-up process, Flender returned and cleared his throat.

"I've finished registration. The opening ceremony will begin soon. I want all of you to stay sharp. When it's your turn to go up there, don't you dare bring shame to Shrek Academy. You're here to win the championship."

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin