Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 143: Post-Battle Award Ceremony

The showdown between Team One and Team Two concluded as the final match of the preliminary rounds, bringing the overall standings to light.

Team Two remained undefeated, earning first place with a flawless record of twenty-eight consecutive wins. Their relentless strength and sheer dominance throughout the tournament left an indelible impression, making their top rank well-deserved.

The finalized rankings were as follows:

1st Place: Team Two, with an unbroken streak of 28 wins.

2nd Place: Tianshui Academy, with 26 wins and 2 losses (to Team Two and Godwind Academy).

3rd Place: Team One, with 26 wins and 2 losses (to Team Two and Tianshui Academy).

4th Place: Blazing Academy, with 25 wins and 3 losses, placing them ahead of Godwind Academy.

5th Place: Godwind Academy, also with 25 wins and 3 losses, suffering defeats from Team One, Team Two, and Blazing Academy.

6th Place: Thunderclap Academy, with 23 wins and 5 losses, having only lost to the top five teams.

These six teams earned their spots in the upcoming advancement rounds, marking them as the elite of the Heaven Dou Division. Just missing the cut in seventh place was Elephant Armor Academy, the first time in years they'd failed to advance, leaving their leader, Huyan Zhen, visibly seething with frustration. Canghui Academy, meanwhile, was in disarray; though they occasionally pulled off surprise wins against strong teams with their Seven-in-One Fusion Technique, their overall strength remained lacking. Furthermore, the mysterious disappearance of their coach, Shi Nian, led to internal chaos, undermining their strategy and resulting in several crushing defeats.

As for the Blue Tyrant Academy, the academy that would one day become Shrek Academy, they remained low in the rankings, with only a handful of victories.

After the matches, with the help of healing spirit masters, Team One's members gradually recovered, though Tang San looked especially worn down, a hint of resentment evident in his gaze.

Following the tournament's conclusion, an elaborate awards ceremony took place. Captains from each of the top six teams were invited onstage to receive their awards. Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan Master Ning Fengzhi, and Wuhun Hall's Platinum Bishop Salas were present to honor them.

The captains for each team took the stage: Tang San and Yu Tianheng for Team One; Yang Potian and Yang Ping'an for Team Two; Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu for Tianshui Academy; and each of the remaining teams' two standout representatives, typically the highest-level spirit masters.

Yang Potian, Team Two's captain, stood out as he hadn't participated in a single match throughout the preliminaries, raising curiosity from spectators and other team captains alike. Many wondered who he was and how he'd earned the right to lead Team Two, particularly when Yang Ping'an, the only Spirit King in the Heaven Dou Division, had outshone all others with his spirit power and combat ability.

Fire Dance from Blazing Academy whispered to Yang Ping'an, "So you're not even the captain? Just how strong is your captain?"

Yang Ping'an merely smiled. "You'll see soon enough. If my big brother takes the stage, these matches wouldn't even be a contest."

Hearing this, those nearby grew even more serious, while others recalled stories of Yang Potian's exceptional talent. When he first joined Heaven Dou Academy at the age of twelve, he was already at Spirit Power level 35. Now, seven years later, rumors suggested he had reached the Spirit King level, far exceeding his peers. Speculation swirled: was Team Two saving him solely for the finals?

Meanwhile, reports from Wuhun Hall highlighted the immense power of the "Golden Generation," three Spirit Kings whose levels ranged between 51 and 52, with each team member above level 45. The Heaven Dou Division, in comparison, had only Tang San above level 45, with the next highest being Feng Xiaotian at level 44. Other teams' top members didn't even approach Wuhun Hall's lowest-ranking team members.

However, Team Two seemed capable of matching Wuhun Hall, boasting two confirmed Spirit Kings and a nearly level-50 Dugu Yan. By the finals, they could well field three Spirit Kings. Unfortunately, Team Two still had three Spirit Elders, which many saw as a weak link.

In a surprising twist, one of Team Two's Spirit Elders, Yang Tianyue, advanced to level 39 during their match against Team One, pushing her capabilities further and shocking the audience. At just thirteen, with a Broken Spear Spirit and an innate Spirit Power of level nine, Yang Tianyue was now among the youngest and most promising talents in the tournament.

Currently, Yang Ping'an was hailed as the top genius of the Heaven Dou Division, with Tang San regarded as the second. Yang Tianyue had earned the title of third-most talented, and all three were widely seen as future Title Douluo.

The awards ceremony began shortly after, with Emperor Xue Ye personally presenting the honors—an unusual move, as this duty typically fell to a prince or noble.

After a rousing speech by the emcee, he finally announced, "Now, His Majesty, Clan Master Ning of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, and Platinum Bishop Salas of Wuhun Hall will present the qualification certificates and prizes to the six advancing teams."

The award for the advancing teams was a handscroll listing their rankings and team members, along with a prize of ten thousand gold coins.

Once the certificates were distributed, it was time for the distinguished guests to address the teams, with Emperor Xue Ye taking the floor first.

Emperor Xue Ye took the microphone, smiling broadly, and began, "Children, first, allow me to congratulate you on earning a place in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament's advancement rounds.

"As the sovereign of the Heaven Dou Empire, I am immensely proud of you. You are the future of our Empire. Your abilities, especially as team captains and vice-captains, have been critical to your teams' successes in this tournament. Therefore, I have decided to grant the twelve of you the noble rank of Viscount. The other participants from your academies will be bestowed the title of Baron. Once you graduate, the doors of the Imperial Court will be open to you, and your fiefdoms will be allocated accordingly."

Emperor Xue Ye was visibly pleased, and his pride was well-founded. For the first time, the top two teams from the Heaven Dou Division—Team Two and Tianshui Academy (technically tied with Team One but ranked higher due to their victory over them)—were both from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, marking a historic achievement.

Of course, the crowd was slightly bemused by the declaration that Yang Potian had been instrumental, considering he hadn't competed in any of the matches. Wuhun Hall's Platinum Bishop Salas appeared displeased, commenting, "Your Majesty, granting noble titles is unprecedented in past tournaments."

Emperor Xue Ye, with a hint of coolness, replied, "Platinum Bishop, decisions regarding nobility are strictly matters of the Heaven Dou Empire and do not concern Wuhun Hall."

Turning back to the gathered competitors, Emperor Xue Ye continued, "I promise all teams here today: any team that wins the championship will have their noble titles raised by one rank, and 'Royal' will be added to their academy's name, securing them imperial financial support."

This offer stirred excitement across the arena. According to imperial regulations, even the rank of Viscount came with a small city as a fiefdom. A promotion to Count would bring a significantly larger territory and a higher standing in the Empire's hierarchy.

Salas's face turned dark at the Emperor's generous offer, though Ning Fengzhi, standing nearby, remained calm, wearing a faint, knowing smile as if he had anticipated the Emperor's plan.

Emperor Xue Ye continued, clearly pleased with the growing anticipation. "The advancement rounds will be held in the Royal Hunting Grounds. For the top three individuals with the highest number of wins in these rounds, the Empire will supply the soul beast required for their next advancement. They may choose any type of soul beast up to 30,000 years old."

As he said this, the Emperor glanced at Yang Ping'an, the Heaven Dou Division's only Spirit King, signaling that the 30,000-year soul beast limit was a specific reward tailored with him in mind.

The reward only intensified the enthusiasm of the assembled soul masters. Most were among the top-ranked Spirit Elders, and their next soul ring would elevate them to the Spirit King level.

To Yang Potian—and many others—the fifth soul ring was pivotal, marking a crucial stage in one's development. A ten-thousand-year ring was ideal, but for most, only soul beasts between 10,000 and 12,000 years were manageable. Yet, a ten-thousand-year ring for the fifth was essential for anyone aspiring to reach Title Douluo or even the Spirit Douluo level.

The Emperor's offer, therefore, held tremendous appeal, especially for those without powerful backing.

Next, Salas and Ning Fengzhi spoke, each making more subtle appeals. Salas' speech had a restrained air, while Ning Fengzhi, with his usual tact, delivered words of encouragement without being as bold as Emperor Xue Ye.

Yang Potian, watching quietly, noted the growing tensions, especially in the wake of the Tang Hao incident, though he had no intention of involving himself.

(End of Chapter)

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