The round of 16 proceeded smoothly.
Thanks to the strong performances of Liuxing and others, coupled with the issues within Shrek Academy, the audience had already started to regard the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy as the favorite to win the championship.
Many people had already started placing bets in secret, wagering on who would ultimately win the championship.
Although Shrek Academy had two Soul Emperors participating, their odds had fallen behind those of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
After all, compared to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, which had a complete lineup with both main and reserve members being exceptionally strong, Shrek Academy was left with only three main members.
After a day of rest, the individual elimination matches began on time on the third day.
The defense-type soul master of the Dou Ling Team, Chi Hengyu, had his martial soul shattered, and Qing Feng was still bedridden after being poisoned by Meng Hongchen's cold toxin.
Only five members of their team could participate in the individual elimination matches.
During the team match, Liuxing and the others had not struck too hard, and the members of the Dou Ling Team had all released invincible shields to protect themselves at critical moments, so their injuries were not severe.
Otherwise, today's individual elimination matches wouldn't even need to be fought.
Since the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had won the team match, they only needed to defeat three opponents in today's individual matches to advance to the quarterfinals.
As the losing side in the team match, the Dou Ling Team had to defeat all seven members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy with just three members.
In everyone's eyes, there was no way the Dou Ling Team could turn the situation around.
And Liuxing effortlessly defeated his three opponents, securing victory in the match.
While demonstrating that spiritual attacks had no effect on him.
On the arena, the massive bamboo sword was shattered by the crimson flame spear. Gu Zhujian's body was sent flying through the air before crashing heavily onto the arena, causing debris to scatter.
The referee stepped onto the arena and approached Gu Zhujian. Seeing that he was unconscious, the referee raised his right hand and announced, "The third match of the individual elimination round goes to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy has won the round of 16 to 8 elimination match."
With consecutive victories, Liuxing, with the strength of a Soul Ancestor, had swept through three Soul Kings, earning cheers from the audience, especially the young women. Even through the screens, he had gained a group of admirers.
With his handsome face, composed smile, and upright posture, Liuxing was undoubtedly the most dazzling figure in the arena.
After this battle, both Liuxing and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's reputation soared, and the calls for them to win the championship grew louder.
On this continent, while many people favored Shrek Academy, there were also many who disliked it or wanted to see it fall from its pedestal.
After all, enjoying drama was human nature, and what could be more entertaining than seeing the continent's top academy fall from grace?
The audience in the arena was fickle. Whoever was strong, they supported. Huo Yuhao? A twin spirit?
His six-ring cultivation was fake, and his strength was lacking. They had already forgotten about him.
With the round of 16 to 8 matches concluded, the next round was the quarterfinals.
The opponents in this round were even weaker than the Douling Royal Academy, so Liuxing had no interest in participating.
He let Ma Rulong and the others take the stage to finish the match.
The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Duel Tournament was nearing its end, and the final stages meant the most intense battles were about to begin.
On the 27th day since the start of the tournament, Elder Ma had successfully escorted the 100,000-year transformed spirit beast back to the Illustrious Virtue Hall and returned safely.
"The top four have been decided. Tomorrow, the semifinals will begin. After the semifinals, there will be a three-day break before the final match."
In the meeting room of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Elder Ma spoke solemnly.
"Elder Ma, who is our opponent in the semifinals?"
Meng Hongchen asked curiously.
"I don't know. For fairness, the semifinal opponents will be decided by a live draw before the match. So, you must be prepared, as you might face Shrek Academy directly in the semifinals."
"The four teams in the semifinals are our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Shrek Academy, Star Luo Royal Academy, and Di'ao Academy."
"All of them are old rivals, and each is powerful, especially Shrek Academy. Even if they are in a weakened state, you must be cautious."
"Even if we don't face Shrek Academy in the semifinals, our final opponent will likely be them. Given the strength of Star Luo Royal Academy and Di'ao Academy, it would be quite difficult for them to defeat Shrek Academy."
"Among all the participating teams, only our academy, Shrek Academy, and Di'ao Academy have Soul Emperors. Shrek has two, and Di'ao has one."
Although Elder Ma spoke seriously, Liuxing and the others felt little pressure. Whether it was Di'ao Academy or Star Luo Royal Academy, neither posed a significant threat. Even Shrek Academy, aside from their three main members, the rest were too weak.
Although those individuals had their own trump cards and could unleash power far beyond their level, their soul power cultivation limited their potential. At best, they could only match a Soul King.
But in front of Liuxing, Liuying, Gu Yuena, and Xue Nu, even a Soul King was nothing.
Compared to the relaxed atmosphere in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's meeting room, the atmosphere in Shrek Academy's meeting room was much more tense.
Unlike Liuxing's confidence, Shrek Academy's confidence was not as strong.
Wang Yan spoke calmly, "From the day we arrived in Star Luo City, I never thought we could win the championship. We simply don't have the strength for it. Being able to reach this point is already more than I could have hoped for.
Your efforts are evident to all. You have upheld Shrek's honor. So, I hope you won't feel any pressure in the upcoming matches. No matter the final outcome, when we return to Shrek Academy, I will commend you for your achievements."
These words were comforting to the reserve team, as they had indeed worked hard and fought bravely.
But for the three main team members present, the words were somewhat stinging.
Compared to the seven reserve team members, they were the main force of this tournament.
Yet, they had been hiding in the hotel to recover from their injuries while the reserve team fought desperately. Compared to the reserve team, they had indeed had it much easier.
Wang Yan's words were like steel needles piercing their hearts, yet they couldn't argue.
Because it was the truth.
Thinking of this, a fierce fire burned in their eyes.
As the matches that would decide the final outcome drew closer, everyone's hearts grew tense. For both the academies and the participants, the upcoming matches would determine many things.
It was worth noting that any member of a team that placed in the top few in the tournament would receive high treatment, regardless of which faction they joined. If they entered imperial service, they might even receive noble titles.
In essence, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Duel Tournament had long become a competition for the continent's nations to select and vie for elite talents.
The outstanding talents who emerged in this tournament would receive offers from various major factions, which was crucial for many participants.
If Liuxing and the others weren't students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, they would have already been approached by many factions.
The next morning, as the first light of dawn broke and the sun slowly rose from the horizon, the land was bathed in a golden glow, and a cool breeze carried the scent of leaves.
By this point in the tournament, even the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had gained a group of fans. The appearance of Liuxing and the others also elicited cheers from the Star Luo Square.
Of course, these cheers were quickly drowned out by even louder ones when the group in green uniforms appeared.
Although Shrek Academy had faced issues this year, their popularity remained high.
From the initial over a hundred teams to the final four, the tournament had lasted nearly a month.
For the remaining four teams, each had at most two major battles left. The time for the decisive battle had arrived, and the time to give it their all had come.
The rest area had been modified, leaving only four sections, each team separated by a considerable distance.
With nearly half an hour left before the match began, all four teams had already arrived.
Occasional eye contact between the teams sparked tension, and the atmosphere in the rest area became solemn, tense, and even somewhat murderous.
As the sky brightened, the weather remained pleasant. The sunlight bathed the vast Star Luo Square, casting a faint golden hue over the entire area.
The first day of the semifinals would feature team battles.
A ten-meter-wide red carpet stretched from the direction of the imperial city gate to the front of the competition stage.
Ten minutes before the draw was to begin, the imperial city gates opened.
The Star Luo Emperor, Xu Jiawei, descended from the city walls and, surrounded by imperial guards, strode toward the competition stage.