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When Tilan's contest with Levito ended, the entire venue erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause, with screams spreading far and wide. Although it's so difficult to put feelings into words, such exhilarating and astonishing matches made the audience proclaim it was well worth the trip. Indeed, it could be that even a decade later, people will still remember the stunning battles of this evening.
In the special viewing room of Saint Ingo Academy, it was exceptionally quiet at the moment. The seated directors weren't chatting and laughing as before; instead, they sat in unusual silence.
"If only at that time..." Halfway through the sentence, the director closed his mouth and heaved a sigh.
What was the point of speaking about if's and regrets now? Although they understood that regret was futile, they still harbored an indescribable emotion that was churning in their hearts.
"Hmph, she's just a brat who got lucky with a stroke of divine fortune. What's there to be proud of? She's only treasured by Edith Academy because, after all, those people are just like bitter women, possessing nothing," one director spat out his bitterness and dissatisfaction.
"Each Star Domain has at least several billion people. These so-called geniuses pop up every few years. They're only admired and worshipped by ordinary people."
"For the vast Federation, what does it matter if an individual genius is powerful? They are still nothing but a grain of sand, a grain of interesting sand that garners attention."
"Even if it is a Songstress, well, Songstresses are indeed rare, but if one doesn't reach the Moon Level, they're just celebrities with a bit more fame." The directors present were of no low status; many of them held companies worth tens of billions. To them, ordinary celebrities really didn't count for much.
Without a doubt, after defeating Levito, this black-haired girl's presence had made them feel a threat—a danger that they might lose this Winter Festival's grand competition.
To other academies, not winning the championship doesn't make much difference, but for Saint Ingo, it is an extraordinary signal. If Saint Ingo can't maintain an absolute leading position, then many of the neutral powers that are currently allied with them will hesitate and waver. And this is just the beginning. That girl is now in her second year, meaning not only this year, but for the next three years, Saint Ingo might lose its number one title.
Three years is enough to change many people's perspectives and impressions, and once certain halos are shattered, picking them up and restoring them is not so easy. Not only will Edith, but other academies too will desperately try to stop Saint Ingo from regaining that transcendent position. This is something conceivable; no one present is a fool and they understand the severity of the situation.
In the world of the Transcendent, educational resources are even more scarce and essential. This is because those of the higher Ranks in the Sequence truly possess genuine power, and inherently command deterrent force and leadership.
In a company, if the departmental staff are all elite Sequence 4, they will find it difficult to submit to a Sequence 3 staff becoming their department head or leader. However, if it's a Sequence 6, even if they aren't highly proficient in their business, few would feel that it's inappropriate for them to sit in that position.
To advance to a high Sequence requires not just knowledge, intelligence, and mental will; one no longer needs to prove their excellence by any other means. This has become the universal rule for talent selection within the Federation.
Even families with vast wealth need enough high Sequence talents within the family to control and manage the company properly and hold key positions.
This desire for high Sequence Transcendents keeps the prices of Spiritual Medicines related to advancement high on the market. Schools and factions capable of cultivating high-rank Transcendents are also highly regarded by various powers.
It is precisely because Saint Ingo controls these resources that a single academy is able to influence many matters within the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, making many large enterprises and families willing to ally with them.
After a period of silence, discussions once again filled the room.
"Is there any way to stop her?"
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"Stop her? It's probably too late now. The champion of the singles competition will be decided tonight, and she's resting in Edith Academy's lounge," one director shook his head, feeling that it was already too late.
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"She's still a Songstress, and there are people from the Court of Judgment secretly protecting her. There won't be many, but if we act recklessly and offend the Court of Judgment, the trouble that follows won't be minor."
"This... Then does she have any relatives or family we can give generous benefits to, so they can persuade her? After all, she's still a 17-year-old child, and she would consider the words of an adult. We just need to say that if she gives up this year's championship, we won't block her path next year."
"That will likely be difficult, as perhaps some of you are unaware," said a director who knew the inside story, shaking his head.
"She's all alone now, with hardly any family left."
"This is really..." It was only then that they suddenly realized the difficulty presented by this girl.
Unable to make a move and even indirect attempts to tempt or persuade her found no avenue.
While they were discussing this, the competition inside the venue continued unabated. However, compared to Tilan's and Levito's battle, the subsequent matches were much less compelling. Any of the top four candidates could easily crush those who ranked below them, while the fights among the bottom four contestants failed to excite the audience, who had already seen several spectacular battles.
In these rotating matches, battles of overwhelming strength typically ended in about a minute, while those between contestants of similar capacity averaged two to three minutes per match.
The individual contest's round-robin duels were gradually drawing to a close, and in the sixth round of battles, Seraphiel finally came up against Levito.
Both of their fighting styles were related to flames, with Levito's approach being more ferocious and violent, while Seraphiel favored a more balanced and comprehensive style. In the end, Levito secured a narrow victory. However, many spectators felt that Levito had an unfair advantage since in the previous fight Seraphiel had sustained severe injuries against Sevia La, leading to a less than optimal condition. In contrast, Levito's injuries from his fight with Tilan were minor—mere scratches at worst.
In the second match of the seventh round, the long-awaited duel finally arrived.
"Edith Academy, Hexia Tilan versus Saint Ingo Academy, Sevia La!"
As the announcer proclaimed this, a thunderous roar of approval echoed through the arena, with countless eyes eagerly focused on both sides of the battleground, anticipating the entrance of the two contestants.
In the preparation hall, Tilan was also receiving a send-off from her peers.
Efnie was straightening Tilan's dress and hair, while Deloris offered words of comfort.
"If you feel like you can't win or it's too dangerous, it's not impossible to concede," Deloris suggested, having seen the frightening injuries Seraphiel sustained fighting Sevia La and fearing Tilan might suffer similarly.
"It's okay, I'll take good care of myself," the young girl reassured her friends with a brief hug, glanced back at the teachers cheering and encouraging her, nodded slightly, and then turned to head towards the exit ahead.
A wash of white light swathed the figure in the passageway, and shortly after, the referee's voice resonated throughout the venue.
"The bout begins!"