Ye Yin turned his gaze toward the Elephant Armor Academy's mentor, Hu Yan Zhen.
"Captain Hu Yanli and his teammates showed us what true perseverance and unity mean!" he declared. "Their perfectly synchronized, rhythmic steps and their spirit of mutual support in the face of adversity left us in awe! They are a true model of teamwork!"
Hu Yan Zhen's mouth twitched uncontrollably as veins throbbed on his forehead. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to leap onto the stage and slap Ye Yin. Below the stage, the members of the Elephant Armor team were so ashamed they wished they could crawl into a hole and disappear. Teamwork? That wasn't teamwork! That was a chaotic mess of them tripping over each other in a massive public humiliation!
"Thank you, Blazing Fire Academy!"
Ye Yin's gaze shifted to Huo Wu, who was sitting in a wheelchair. His eyes softened. "Captain Huo Wu's passionate and incredibly infectious battle song was one of the most unforgettable moments of this competition! Her spirit of dedication is even more admirable. She allowed us to experience the blazing hearts of her team, who are willing to burn themselves to illuminate their teammates!"
Huo Wu trembled with rage, her pretty face turning pale. The armrests of her wheelchair creaked under her tight grip. "Damn it!" she seethed. "If you have any guts, you better not run away later!"
[Resentment from Huo Wu +99!]
"Thank you, Tianshui Academy!"
Ye Yin now looked at Shui Bing'er, his smile becoming even gentler. "Captain Shui Bing'er and Vice-Captain Xue Wu presented us with an unparalleled feast of ice and snow. The swirling, pure, and romantic snowflakes didn't just quiet the noise of the arena; they cleansed our souls. They allowed us to experience a rare moment of tranquility and beauty amidst the intense competition. Their elegance was captivating."
Shui Bing'er could no longer maintain her cold expression. Two red clouds appeared on her cheeks as she bit her lower lip, turning her head away in shame and anger. A feast of ice and snow? Beautiful and tranquil? It had been so suffocating she'd wanted to cry!
[Resentment from Shui Bing'er +50!]
"And finally, a special thank you to Thunder Academy!"
Ye Yin's gaze locked onto Lei Dong, whose face was ashen. "Although Captain Yu Tianxin couldn't be here today, his persistent pursuit of beauty and his keen insight taught us all a valuable lesson. The entire Thunder team's spirit of bravely expressing admiration for beautiful things was truly inspiring! It profoundly illustrates that on the path to strength, one must also possess a heart that can discover and appreciate beauty!"
Thud.
Lei Dong could no longer stand. His vision went black, and he fainted on the spot.
[Resentment from Lei Dong +99!]
The entire square fell into a deathly silence. Only Ye Yin's gentle voice still echoed in the air. The members of the Five Element Academies all looked like they wanted to die from shame and anger.
On the high platform, Emperor Xue Ye's hand, which was holding a teacup, froze in mid-air, his expression incredibly strange. Ning Fengzhi covered his forehead with his hand, his shoulders shaking subtly with suppressed laughter. Salas's face was as black as coal. Beside him, Xue Qinghe lowered her head, her own shoulders trembling violently. The mentors of the various academies were shaking with fury but were powerless to do anything.
This wasn't gratitude. This was whipping a corpse. It was a public execution. It was pouring salt, chili powder, and lemon juice into their bleeding wounds all at once.
Ye Yin glanced at his system panel, which was frantically refreshing with 99+ resentment values. He seemed completely oblivious to the surging resentment around him. He turned to the Five Element Academies and gave them an elegant bow, his smile impossibly sincere.
"It is precisely because of excellent opponents like all of you that Shrek has been able to come this far," he said. "Your sacrifices and contributions are etched in the hearts of every one of us at Shrek! In the days to come, we will carry this heavy gratitude and respect forward and strive to achieve even greater results in the promotion rounds! Thank you, everyone!"
As his words fell, Ye Yin, with a slight smile, calmly walked back to his place.
The square remained deathly silent for several long seconds.
Finally, Emperor Xue Ye cleared his throat, forcefully suppressing a strange smile. "Ahem… Viscount Ye Yin's… speech… was, uh… heartfelt and thought-provoking! Alright! The promotion rounds will be held in thirty days at the Royal Hunting Ground! May all academies rest well and continue to strive for excellence! Dismissed!"
The Emperor practically fled as he announced the end of the ceremony. The square instantly erupted like a boiling pot of water. Laughter, discussions, and the indignant roars of the Five Element Academy members all mixed together. Under a storm of strange gazes, Shrek Academy walked away with their heads held high.
"Ye Yin! Get out here!" someone shouted. The members of the Five Element Academies quickly swarmed the spot where Shrek had been standing, but Ye Yin was already gone.
His voice, however, echoed through the air from an unknown location. "Ahahaha! I just love the look on your faces when you can't stand me but can't do anything about it!"
The humiliated students could only roar in frustration.
Thirty days passed in an instant.
Outside Heaven Dou City, the Royal Hunting Ground was filled with a solemn and dignified atmosphere. The grounds had been temporarily converted into the competition venue, with ten thousand Royal Guards standing watch to prohibit any outsiders from entering. Tents of various styles dotted the landscape, representing the fifteen elite teams from across the Heaven Dou Empire that had passed the preliminary rounds.
Shrek Academy's camp was located in an area with one of the best views, right next to the main rostrum—special treatment for the first-place team from the preliminaries. Their distinctive advertising tent looked particularly out of place in the formal setting of the Royal Hunting Ground, yet it was undeniably eye-catching.
Inside the tent, the Shrek members were resting. The promotion rounds were different from the preliminaries. Instead of a team-based tournament, they would use a one-on-one elimination format. This new structure would test the individual power and endurance of each Spirit Master. It was an advantage for teams with top-tier fighters, but it also meant that a single person's mistake could affect their team's final ranking.
"Yin Ge, do you think anyone in the promotion rounds will come up with tactics specifically to deal with you?" Ma Hongjun asked, his words muffled by the chicken leg he was chewing on.
"Definitely," Ye Yin replied. He was leaning on a simple bed, his fingers toying with a black jade bottle that contained some kind of thick liquid. "The tragic fates of Shenfeng and Elephant Armor academies are still fresh in everyone's minds. No one wants to be next."
"Hmph, it's useless no matter how they target him!" Xiao Wu said, waving her small fists. "Yin Ge has an endless supply of tricks. They can study him all they want!" Her confidence in Ye Yin was absolute.
"Don't be careless," Dai Mubai said in a deep voice. "Yin Ge's methods are very effective in team battles, but they're not as easy to use in one-on-one combat. It might be difficult for us to win first place this time."
Ye Yin rolled his eyes at Dai Mubai. "The promotion rounds are just for ranking, it's not a huge deal. Just calm down and treat it as a learning experience."
Before he could finish speaking, the tent flap was gently lifted.
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