The small, separate stages in the Grand Star Luo Stadium had been replaced by a much larger one, which had a radius of about 800 feet and a soul barrier as high as 600 feet. Unlike before, the stadium now allowed one match to take place at a time, be it a one-on-one, a two-on-two, or a team battle. There were several huge screens hanging high above the stage to give the audience a much clearer view. It had taken them a good three days to set up all of this.
The final knockout stage had attracted the most audience as always. They were now sitting in the stands, chatting excitedly and waiting for the fights to begin.
So many contestants had signed up for this tournament in an attempt to reap money and fame. Needless to say, the 64 of them who had made the final stage of the one-on-one competition had gotten both. They had successfully caught the attention of the talent scouts from many large organizations, and if they managed to advance to the next round, their prize money would double.
Three of the 64 were from the Shrek Academy. Five were from the Monster Academy, which was a record low.
Now they were all waiting in the same waiting area equipped with 64 luxurious single couches. A dozen pretty and spirited young waitresses were walking around with smiles, holding trays of dessert and drinks. They were showing off their voluptuous figures and trying to chat up every male competitor, in the hope of making the young talents fall for them. If they ended up getting married to them – which had happened before – they would most likely have a bright and carefree future.
“That waitress makes six. Which one of these lovely girls is going to spend the rest of their life with you, Captain?” Xu Xiaoyan asked, smiling.
They had been sitting here only a short while, but already six waitresses had come over and asked Tang Wulin if he’d like some dessert or drinks.
When it came to looks, no one here could compete with Tang Wulin. He was young, handsome, and strong; few women could resist his appeal. Dai Yueyan was also very attractive, but these women knew that the future emperor wouldn’t take an interest in them. As for Long Yue, he was strong, to be sure, but his bald head and the scary vibes he constantly gave off served as nothing but a woman repellent.
Tang Wulin smiled wryly. “Focus on the competition, Xiaoyan.”
Dai Yun’er’s mouth twisted in contempt. “What’s wrong, Yun’er?” asked Dai Yueyan, who was sitting beside her.
Dai Yun’er gave a snort of disgust. “These waitresses are acting like they’ve never seen a man before!”
“Don’t mind them,” Dai Yueyan smiled. “Have you figured out how to defeat Tang Wulin?”
“Of course,” she said, shaking her little fist. “I’ll make him beg for forgiveness, but he won’t receive any!”
Long Yue laughed. “Attagirl! I’ll be rooting for you. Teach him a lesson!”
“According to the matchups, I’ll fight him in my second match. That’s if he wins his first match,” said Dai Yun’er. “I’ll teach him to mess with me!”
Dai Yueyan could see that she was just acting fury, so he shook his head.
The students of the Monster Academy were under more pressure than those from the Shrek Academy, for they were much older and had home-court advantage. They couldn’t afford to lose in front of so many people who were cheering for them.
The championship of the one-on-one competition is as good as ours, thought Dai Yueyan, but the Shrek Academy will make us look bad enough, if even only one of them makes the top four. We have to stop him. I have to stop him.
That was when a bright beam of light shot down from the sky to the center of the stage. A figure started to descend slowly in the light beam. She was wearing a yellowish dress, relaxed and graceful, with delicate features and an attractive smile.
“Welcome, everybody, to the final stage of the Continental Young Elites Tournament!” she said as she descended. “My name is Fang’er, and I will be your host and commentator today.”
The audience greeted her with a roar of applause and cheering.
Her incisive commentary and gorgeous face had won her great popularity in this tournament, so she had been asked to host and commentate on the rest of the event.
Fang’er bowed in the direction of the VIP seats – which were right above the waiting area – as soon as she landed on the stage.
“Today is the first day of the final stage of our one-on-one competition,” Fang’er said. “As you can imagine, the fights will grow more intense from here. A moment of negligence is enough to cost one the match. Although I know it's impossible, I still wish every contestant could win. Of course, it’s more important to you that you show your true skills and enjoy the competition!”
The applause thundered. Fang’er bowed to Dai Tianling again and walked to her table.
All the spotlights started shining and focused on the stage. Although it was daytime, they had managed to make the stage even brighter.
16 one-on-one matches would be held today, and the other 16 tomorrow.
Tang Wulin and Yuanen Yehui would compete today, while Xie Xie’s first match had been scheduled for tomorrow.
“Would the first two contestants please come to the stage?” said Fang’er. “I believe one of them has been a center of your attention for a long time. He is from the Douluo Continent, the birthplace of the Star Luo Empire. He is also the captain of the team from the Shrek Academy, the number one academy on the whole Douluo Continent. His name is Tang Wulin!”
The organizers of the tournament had arranged for Tang Wulin to fight the first match, because he was the captain of the team from the famous Shrek Academy, which had become as notorious here as the Monster Academy was popular. And Tang Wulin himself had garnered a handsome amount of attention after defeating two of the Monster Eight Kings – Su Mu and Hua Lantang. The organizers had also arranged for Long Yue to compete in the last match tomorrow. According to the matchups, Tang Wulin had no chance of meeting Long Yue until the final. Of course this was their tactic to attract the audience.
Loud boos ensued after Fang’er said Tang Wulin’s name.
Tang Wulin rose to his feet and walked out of the waiting area. The students of the Monster Academy were staring at him. Long Yue was smiling, yet Dai Yun’er was fuming. She was very vengeful; she couldn’t help but grit her teeth in hatred every time she thought of the day Tang Wulin turned her down.
“The other contestant is one of the most talented students from the Imperial Star Luo Academy,” Fang’er continued. “His name is Sima Xian, 20 years old, a rising star. He was originally enrolled at the Monster Academy, but due to personal reasons, he ended up at the Imperial Star Luo Academy. He has never lost one fight in this tournament, so this promises to be a great match.”