A deathly silence lasted for several seconds.
Across the entire Star Luo Plaza, over a hundred thousand spectators seemed to have lost the ability to speak simultaneously.
"Gulp..."
Someone swallowed hard, the sound exceptionally clear in the dead silence.
Then, the referee's high-pitched voice, trembling slightly yet forced to maintain professional decorum, finally broke the frozen air.
"Crimson Flame Academy, entire team eliminated!"
The referee took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and pointed at Liu Yuan's figure. His voice spread to every corner through the amplification spirit tool:
"The winner of this individual elimination match—Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Liu Yuan!"
"A one-vs-seven sweep! This is the first... one-vs-seven sweep since the start of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament!!!"
Boom—!!!
As the referee's words fell, the long-suppressed Star Luo Plaza finally exploded like a lit powder keg!
"He won? He really won?!"
"A one-vs-seven! My god! This is the first time in my life I've seen this level of crushing dominance with my own eyes!"
"Too strong! It's simply ridiculously strong! That was a team with hopes of breaking into the top eight! Just like that, they're gone?"
Countless spectators shot up from their seats, waving their arms wildly, venting the unspeakable shock in their hearts.
Before this, they might have still been questioning Liu Yuan, but now, in the Face of absolute strength, all doubt had turned into the purest amazement and awe.
In the world of Spirit Masters, the strong are respected.
Liu Yuan used the simplest, most brutal method to conquer the hearts of the vast majority of people present.
"So handsome! No flashy Spirit Abilitys, just pure speed and power!" A young female Spirit Master held her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling. "So, a Soul Engineer can actually do this?"
"I'm a fan now! From today on, I'm a die-hard fan of Liu Yuan!" A burly man nearby was also red-faced with excitement. "Who cares about Sun Moon or whatever? To put it bluntly, this is just a competition. It doesn't stop me from being a fan of other contestants, right?"
Discussions rose one after another, and the tide of opinion underwent a subtle shift without anyone noticing.
"Hey, do you think... since Liu Yuan is so fierce, does the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy really have a chance to challenge for the championship this time?"
"Yeah, although Shrek has been number one for ten thousand years, the Sun Moon Team's performance this time is truly stunning. Especially this Liu Yuan, he's unfathomable!"
"Not necessarily. Shrek has deep roots after all. I heard the official team members they brought this time are all monsters at the Spirit Emperor or even Soul Sage level. The Rank suppression is right there."
"That may be true, but why do I feel like... something big is going to happen in this tournament?"
Although the vast majority of spectators, out of habit and sentiment, still firmly believed Shrek Academy was invincible, the seed called 'wavering' had already been quietly planted in their hearts.
They began to look forward to it, wondering if Liu Yuan and the Sun Moon Team could create an even greater miracle.
...
However, in stark contrast to the fanatical atmosphere of the entire venue.
Inside Shrek Academy's rest area, it felt as if an arctic storm had swept through, bone-chillingly cold.
Under Elder Xuan's messy white hair, his cloudy old eyes were filled with gloom, staring fixedly at the figure on stage enjoying the cheers of tens of thousands.
"Damn it... damn it!!"
Elder Xuan cursed in a low voice, his chest heaving violently.
This scene was the last thing he wanted to see.
In his original plan, Liu Yuan and the Sun Moon Team would first lose to Crimson Flame Academy here, and then Shrek would step in to send them home!
But now?
Liu Yuan hadn't just won, he had won beautifully!
The feat of a one-vs-seven sweep directly pushed the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's reputation to an unprecedented height!
Looking at the fanatical eyes of the surrounding audience and hearing the waves of "Liu Yuan" chants, Elder Xuan felt as disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly.
"A bunch of blind fools!" Elder Xuan cursed through gritted teeth. "They only beat a Chiyan Team, what's there to brag about?"
But he knew in his heart that this was more than just winning a match.
It was a kind of 'momentum'.
Liu Yuan had built up the Sun Moon Team's 'momentum'! For Shrek Academy, this was definitely not good news.
Moreover, what made Elder Xuan feel even more like he had thorns in his back was that when Mu En sent a message last time, there was already much dissatisfaction in his words.
"If the news of this little animal Liu Yuan's one-vs-seven sweep reaches Shrek again today..."
Mu En's Face appeared in Elder Xuan's mind, and he couldn't help but shudder.
"Damn! I'm not going to get scolded again, am I?"
"It's all because of this little animal Liu Yuan. If I had known back then that he would cause me so much trouble, I should have found a chance to kill him after I expelled him!"
...
Meanwhile, atop the Imperial City's high platform, in the Supreme Viewing Area.
The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei, sat upright on his broad dragon throne.
He didn't lose his composure like the ordinary spectators, but in his deep eyes, there flickered a grave light never seen before.
"A one-vs-seven sweep..."
Xu Jiawei's fingers lightly tapped the armrest, producing a rhythmic clicking sound.
As the ruler of an Empire, he saw far more than ordinary people.
The Sun Moon Empire had always been the greatest threat to the three original Douluo Continent nations, and their lead in spirit tool technology was already enough to cause sleepless nights.
And now, such a monster had even been born from their cultivation of individual martial power?
That speed, that power, and that composure and coldness shown during battle... this was definitely not something that could be built up purely with spirit tools.
"This is not just a Genius, but a potential strategic-level threat."
Xu Jiawei murmured in a low voice, then turned his head slightly and asked a guard behind him:
"What about the matter I asked you to investigate earlier?"
"Regarding this Liu Yuan—his origin, his Spirit, his background... I want the most detailed information."
The guard stirred slightly, and a black figure emerged silently, kneeling on one knee, his voice raspy and low:
"Replying to Your Majesty, I have already utilized all intelligence networks within the Sun Moon Empire."
"We have currently grasped some clues and are conducting the final verification and summary."
"Soon, the detailed intelligence will be presented on Your Majesty's desk."
"Very good." Xu Jiawei nodded slightly, his gaze once again turning to the back of the figure already walking away from the arena, a flash of cold light in his eyes. "I want to see exactly what kind of past led you to have your current strength."
It wasn't just the Star Luo Imperial Family.
At this moment, in the contestant viewing area, the Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Academy, the Douling Empire's representative team, and even scouts from certain hidden Sects all immediately listed the name "Liu Yuan" as a top-priority subject of concern.
Countless transmission runes lit up in the shadows, and countless messenger pigeons flew to all corners of the continent.
In this battle, Liu Yuan hadn't just knocked down Crimson Flame Academy; he had kicked awake the major powers of the entire continent.
...
Of course, Liu Yuan himself didn't care at all about these surging undercurrents and the calculations of various parties.
Below the stage.
The moment Liu Yuan stepped out of the competition area passage, he was greeted by the cheers of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy crowd, which were loud enough to almost blow the roof off.
"Brother Liu Yuan! You're just too incredible!"
"A one-vs-seven! It's really a one-vs-seven! Now our Sun Moon Team is completely famous!"
"Hahahaha, did you see that old fellow Xuan Zi's Face? It almost turned green! So satisfying!"
The team members were dancing with joy. Even though it was Liu Yuan who gained the fame, they were acting even happier than Liu Yuan himself.
Liu Yuan smiled and waved his hand, his expression remaining calm as if the world-shaking battle just now had nothing to do with him.
"Alright, alright, everyone stay calm."
At this time, a slightly plump but dignified middle-aged man walked over; it was Jing Hongchen.
Although he said to stay calm, the expression on Jing Hongchen's Face, smiling like a blooming chrysanthemum, completely betrayed his inner ecstasy.
In this battle, they hadn't just won Face, they had won substance!
Jing Hongchen knew all too well how much this victory would boost morale.
Moreover, the dominance Liu Yuan displayed gave him unprecedented confidence in winning the championship trophy of this tournament.
"Xiao Yuan, well done."
Jing Hongchen patted Liu Yuan heavily on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration:
"You did not fail my expectations. This battle has shown the prestige of our Sun Moon Empire!"
Then, he turned around, looked at the excited students, waved his hand, and said heroically:
"Although the round-robin matches aren't over yet, this battle was fought beautifully and must be rewarded!"
"We don't have a match tomorrow. The schedule shows Shrek Academy against Crimson Flame Academy."
"So, we don't need to worry too much about tomorrow's match. We can just sit back and watch the tigers fight."
"Tonight, I'm hosting!"
"Everyone is going to the best restaurant in Star Luo City! We're going to have a proper celebration!"
"Order whatever you want to eat or drink! This meal is on me!"
"Long live the Hall Master!"
"Long live Brother Liu Yuan!"
Cheers erupted once again.
Amidst the laughter and joy, Liu Yuan was surrounded by the crowd as they walked out of the rest area.
A one-vs-seven sweep was just the beginning.
The real show was still to come.
But tonight... let's enjoy the joy of victory first.
------------------------
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