Soon, Liu Yuan and the others arrived at the competition venue once again.
This time, although the number of teams in the preparation area had decreased, the number of spectators in the stands had actually increased.
After all, as the competition progressed, the weaker teams had been filtered out like sand through a sieve.
Those who remained were all elite teams that had been baptized by the bloody battles of the first round.
Matches like these were naturally much more exciting to watch.
...
At this moment,
Star Luo Plaza was a sea of people, the clamor sounding like rolling thunder.
Countless citizens waved colorful flags in their hands, shouting and cheering for the academies they supported.
This fanatical atmosphere was such that students with slightly weaker mental fortitude would probably feel their legs go soft just by standing here.
But the members of the Sun Moon Team were an exception.
Their steps were steady, and their expressions were indifferent.
Even the few team members who were usually more boisterous were now wearing faces of complete calm.
Arriving at the preparation area, they quickly sat down and waited.
Their position was still prominent; as last year's runners-up, they enjoyed the best treatment aside from Shrek Academy.
On Shrek's side, Xuan Zi also spotted Liu Yuan and his group immediately.
In that instant, Xuan Zi's pupils constricted sharply.
Although he tried his best to maintain the effortless composure of a top-tier powerhouse, the moment his gaze met Liu Yuan's face—which always bore a faint smile—the fury in his heart was like a bucket of oil poured onto a fire, erupting instantly.
It's this brat...
It's because of this brat that he lost all face in front of the entire team! It's because of him that Mu En scolded him until his head spun!
Xuan Zi even felt that the smile on Liu Yuan's face right now was a mockery directed at him!
"Hmph!"
Xuan Zi let out a heavy, cold snort.
Staring fixedly in Liu Yuan's direction again, he prayed viciously in his heart:
"Heavens, if you really have eyes, put this group of fellows in our group!"
"As long as we meet... this old man will definitely have Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao go all out. When that time comes, I'll make sure he pays the price!"
As if sensing the malicious gaze from this side, Liu Yuan turned his head slightly and glanced toward Shrek Academy.
But it was only a single glance.
Afterward, he turned his head back unconcernedly, as if what he had just seen was merely a mass of inconsequential air.
This attitude of total disregard made Xuan Zi's teeth itch with rage, and the wine gourd in his hand was nearly squeezed out of shape.
Soon, the referee appeared again.
To show the importance placed on the Round-robin Tournament, His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire personally ascended the city walls to watch. The person responsible for presiding over the drawing ceremony was also the Prime Minister of the Star Luo Empire, an elder with great prestige in both politics and the Spirit Master world.
He stepped onto the high platform under the watchful eyes of the multitude, cleared his throat, and his vigorous voice spread throughout the venue via an amplifying spirit tool.
"Distinguished elites from afar, citizens of the Star Luo Empire!"
"After a brutal first round of eliminations, a total of sixty-seven teams have stood out and successfully advanced!"
"First, let us cheer for these warriors!"
Thunderous applause immediately erupted from below.
Once the applause died down slightly, the Prime Minister continued:
"Next, we will proceed with the second stage: the Round-robin Tournament. This is also the most critical and longest stage of this competition."
"Now, this old man will briefly explain the rules."
"The current sixty-seven teams will be divided into eight groups for the competition. Among them, three groups will have nine teams, while the other five groups will have eight teams."
The Prime Minister pointed to the giant spirit tool screen behind him, which already displayed the grouping diagram.
"In the group stage, every team must play one match against every other team in the same group. A win earns two points, a draw earns one point, and a loss earns no points."
"Ultimately, the top two teams with the highest points in each group will earn the right to advance to the round of sixteen!"
"As for the match formats..."
The Prime Minister paused, his expression becoming a bit more serious:
"During the round-robin stage, we will adopt two completely different combat modes to comprehensively test the overall quality of each academy."
"The first is the [Team Elimination Match]."
"This is easy to understand: both sides send out seven regular team members for a seven-on-seven team battle. The match continues until one side loses all combat capability or surrenders, and the other side wins."
"This tests team coordination, tactical execution, and overall explosive power."
The Prime Minister's voice rose a few notches:
"And the second type is the [Individual Elimination Match]!"
"The rules for the Individual Elimination Match are: both sides send out seven members, but instead of rushing in all at once, they engage in a one-on-one gauntlet battle!"
"The winner can choose to remain on the field to accept the challenge of the opponent's next member until they are defeated or their spirit power is exhausted. The loser is directly eliminated, and the next member takes the field."
"The match only ends when all seven members of one side have been eliminated!"
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