The words of Elder Xuan echoed in the minds of the pre-selection team members. They were all intelligent—naturally, they quickly understood the deeper meaning.
Cao Jinxuan's eyes flickered slightly as he was the first to speak. "So that's how it is."
Xu Sanshi and the others looked at him. What do you mean, "so that's how it is"? Are you trying to make us look stupid with how smart you sound?
As Cao Jinxuan recalled how Big Brother and Sister Bone Armor had selected the team members, as well as the earlier battle, a thread of reasoning gradually formed in his mind.
"Sister Bone Armor's team members, aside from having the highest soul power levels among all of us—and aside from Senior Sister Ling Luochen—all of them specialize in explosive and aggressive attacks."
"As for Big Brother's team—us—we represent a more traditional lineup: control, support, defense, power attack, agility attack… The ideal, balanced composition of a conventional team."
As he said this, he turned to Elder Xuan. "If this arrangement was something you set up beforehand, then I'd guess your intention, beyond just testing our ability to adapt, was to teach us a certain principle."
Elder Xuan couldn't help but smile in appreciation as he listened to Cao Jinxuan's analysis. "Oh? Then tell me—what principle was I trying to teach you?"
Cao Jinxuan spoke slowly and clearly. "If I'm not mistaken, Big Brother's earlier words already made it very clear."
"Even if every one of us is a genius, the best among our peers—even if we have a nearly perfect team composition, with a powerful Soul Master like Big Brother leading us—when faced with a vast gap in absolute strength, all of it becomes meaningless, nothing more than superficial flash."
He looked more firmly at Elder Xuan as he continued: "You wanted to teach us that no matter how great our talent or how well our team synergizes, it can never overcome the absolute disparity in soul power levels."
"In the face of overwhelming strength, tactics, cooperation, and skills all become illusions. Only personal strength, true and solid, is the foundation of everything."
The other pre-selection members fell into thoughtful silence upon hearing his words. So this seemingly casual sparring match actually carried such a profound lesson.
Even the official team members couldn't help nodding in agreement. Zhou Sicheng had already taught them this principle—now, it seemed these young ones had begun to understand it as well.
Elder Xuan's smile deepened as he looked at Cao Jinxuan with newfound appreciation. He nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. You've got good perception. No wonder Sicheng speaks so highly of you."
Hearing this, Cao Jinxuan glanced at his big brother and smiled humbly. "It's all thanks to the academy's guidance."
Though it was flattery, Elder Xuan found the words quite pleasing.
He continued, "A perfectly constructed team, with flawless coordination among teammates, will indeed elevate your overall combat strength. But only if each of you has sufficient individual strength. Then and only then will such teamwork truly shine."
"If you understand this principle now, it will bring tremendous benefit to your future cultivation. You won't remain limited to what you currently are—you'll continue to grow stronger and break past your own limits."
The pre-selection team members all nodded thoughtfully. Gradually, they understood the significance of this battle.
Elder Xuan, now in full lecture mode, kept going. "The matches during the tournament are restricted to the Soul Dueling Arena. While not as perilous as real battlefields, every participant in the tournament is a genius in their own right."
"In those matches, you'll face the same situation as today. Against powerful opponents, your tactics may not work. You may not even get a chance to fully unleash your abilities. That's why you need to adapt to this kind of high-pressure training."
"These past two weeks, the intensity of my lessons hasn't even reached a third of what I've given the official team. During today's match, most of them were just playing around with you—they didn't even use their full strength."
He snorted. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing here listening to me—you'd be carried off to find a healing-type Soul Master."
Despite Elder Xuan's blunt words, no one felt offended. Instead, they felt more determined than ever.
Wang Dong resonated deeply with those words. She had gathered all her soul power for a full-force strike, only for it to be casually deflected by Ye Guyi's golden dragon. It wasn't that she lacked strength—but rather, that she wasn't strong enough for someone like Ye Guyi.
If they had been the same level, her foundation and power from her second thousand-year soul ring would have made her confident enough to face even Dai Huabin, who was level 37, head-on at level 31.
In the end, it all came down to soul power disparity. She hadn't even had a chance to demonstrate her true strength.
Beibei, Long Xiangyue, He Caitou, and Jiang Nannan all shared similar thoughts.
Among peers of their own level, they were all top-tier—but in this chaotic team battle, they couldn't even play to their own strengths.
The only ones who truly felt like they had participated were Cao Jinxuan and Xu Sanshi.
In what looked like a hastily arranged team match, Cao Jinxuan's control skills shone through. His Clock of Time's Passage revealed its power without a doubt, earning the praise of everyone present.
To control a Soul Sage-level opponent for two seconds despite a three-ring disparity was no small feat. It was practically a game-breaking skill—no one could look down on him after that.
After all, in the battles of powerful Soul Masters, even one or two seconds could change the tide. No enemy would wait patiently for you to charge up.
That's the tyrannical, unforgiving nature of time as a force.
This match not only taught the pre-selection team the importance of soul power, but also highlighted Cao Jinxuan's overwhelming control abilities.
From now on, it was likely the academy would prioritize cultivating him.
Next was Xu Sanshi. While his defense was unmatched among those of his level, it hadn't played much of a role in this battle. What really gave him a strong sense of presence—and satisfaction—was his fourth soul skill.
Soul Masters were mysterious in that way. There were countless bizarre and unique soul skills—some Soul Masters became famous across the continent based solely on one.
Xu Sanshi's fourth soul skill was one of those.
Its strength lay in unpredictability. It could turn the tide of a battle under the right conditions.
If not for the massive soul power gap in today's match, his Mysterious Nether Swap might have led them to a shocking victory.
Of course, Jiang Nannan's Invincible Golden Body and her teleportation soul skill were also highly unique—but her strength wasn't sufficient to bring out the full potential of these powerful abilities.
That might be due to the difference in martial soul quality.
Even Zhou Sicheng found it puzzling—how could a mere Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul possess two such exceptional soul skills? It felt like an outright waste.
What shocked him more was learning what kind of soul beasts Jiang Nannan had used for her third and fourth soul rings.
Just ordinary soul beasts—yet they had produced such incredible soul skills. Was this truly divine favor?
Elder Xuan glanced around and casually waved his hand. "Since Cao Jinxuan has already answered the question, the rest of you don't need to repeat it. Take your time and reflect on it yourselves."
"Now begin recovering your soul power. In half an hour, you'll form teams freely and continue with the sparring matches."
As soon as the word "sparring" came up again, everyone reacted quickly. They immediately sat down where they stood to begin recovery.
Their earlier exchanges had consumed varying degrees of soul power. Taking this time to recover not only restored their condition but also helped them calmly reflect on what they had gained—and lost.
The inner court members were undeniably strong, but this was also the first time they truly began to understand the geniuses from the outer court.
Cao Jinxuan's absolute control. Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Nether Swap. Jiang Nannan's Invincible Golden Body…
While the others hadn't yet shown anything particularly outstanding, the fact that they were pre-selected meant each one had their own area of expertise.
Take He Caitou, for example. His fighting stance was like a spiked iron hedgehog—a clear sign of a destructive "bomber" type. He just hadn't had a chance to demonstrate that in this match.
As for Long Xiangyue, nothing had stood out yet, but when he hurled that almost shoulder-sized Dragonbone Chakram at Xu Sanshi, the sheer impact had been quite explosive.
Wang Dong's soul power might be lower, but having a thousand-year soul ring as her second was already proof of her uniqueness.
Among the fourteen present, aside from Zhou Sicheng with his obvious "cheat," none of them had a thousand-year second soul ring.
For the next match, Zhou Sicheng and Ye Guyi were once again chosen as team captains. This time, the teams were more balanced in soul power levels.
Zhou Sicheng's team: Dai Yueheng, Gongyang Mo, Ling Luochen, Cao Jinxuan, He Caitou, and Long Xiangyue.
Ye Guyi's team consisted of Ma Xiaotao, Dugu Xianmeng, Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong.
Both teams had relatively balanced lineups. While the two Soul Sages remained on Team One, Gongyang Mo, the incredibly powerful support-type soul master, was still part of Zhou Sicheng's team.
With Gongyang Mo's support, Dai Yueheng could easily hold off a Soul Sage by himself. Even though Zhou Sicheng currently had only five rings, his strength was more than enough to contend with a Soul Sage.
After all, both Soul Sages were restricted to using only their first six soul rings and grade-six soul tools.
With his full set of soul tools and the powerful Holy Bright Dragon martial soul, Zhou Sicheng had no issues whatsoever.
Once again, the teams faced each other in the Soul Dueling Arena. With a command from Elder Xuan, the battle erupted into full swing.
This time, Cao Jinxuan didn't waste all his soul power trying to control the entire battlefield. Instead, he maximized the effectiveness of his Time Elapsing Bell.
His second soul skill, Time Deceleration, could slow down the flow of time for enemies, increasing the time it took for them to activate their soul skills.
His third soul skill, Time Acceleration, increased the flow of time for allies, allowing them to cast their abilities faster.
His first soul skill, Time Elapse, could pause a single person in time. And his fourth skill, Time Lock, could trap someone in a fixed time state.
These four soul skills alternated and dazzled in succession, tormenting the opposing team relentlessly!
As a close-combat power-type, Dai Yueheng was a force to be reckoned with. Aside from Zhou Sicheng and Ye Guyi, even Ma Xiaotao dared not get too close. Her martial soul was specialized for explosive magic attacks, and she was naturally at a disadvantage against someone like Dai Yueheng, who excelled in melee combat.
He Caitou's "bomber" style of fighting also amazed the spectators. Without quick intervention, even a Soul King-level soul master would be forced to take his barrage seriously.
Ling Luocheng's ice element didn't just control the field—it also stacked layers of defense for her teammates. Her Heavenly Ice Wrath was truly awe-inspiring.
Gongyang Mo's support abilities were still exceptional, worthy of the highest praise—on par with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the strongest support-type beast martial soul.
Long Xiangyue also stood out during the battle. His third soul skill, Thorned Void Rend, allowed his massive dragon bone chakram to break through space and strike suddenly from any angle.
His fourth soul skill, Radiant Dragon Flash, synergized with the third in a way that resembled Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Underworld Displacement.
After activating his fourth soul skill, Long Xiangyue's dragon bone chakram could teleport four times in quick succession, delivering four devastating explosive attacks with powerful enchantments.
When paired with Thorned Void Rend, Long Xiangyue could teleport alongside his chakram to wherever it appeared—effectively moving his entire body instantly to its location. He could do this up to four times consecutively.
The number of teleports depended on the number of soul rings he had. Each additional ring increased the number of teleports by one—similar to how Jiang Nannan's fourth soul skill, Invincible Golden Body, scaled its invincibility duration.
However, the teleport range was limited to 100 meters. This range could increase with further cultivation and soul power. This was much like Xu Sanshi's displacement ability—its range also expanded with strength.
Ye Guyi demonstrated the full might of her Holy Angel martial soul. Wielding the Angelic Holy Sword and Angelic Shield, she was absolutely dominant. Except for Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, and Zhou Sicheng, none of the others could best her in single combat—and she hadn't even gone all out yet.
Ma Xiaotao was equally fearsome. With her Phoenix Flame martial soul, she was proud and powerful enough to stand above all others.
Dugu Xianmeng's Jade Phosphor Five Poisons remained formidable. Apart from Zhou Sicheng and the two Soul Sages, anyone who came in contact with her poison was in grave danger.
Unless she was restrained from the start and denied any chance to release her toxins, once the poison mist spread, it would suppress opponents layer by layer.
Some might argue: "Can't fire, explosions, or strong winds disperse the poison mist, aside from using antidotes? Isn't that a hard counter?"
In truth, the Soul Dueling Arena was a limited space. While elements like fire, wind, and explosions could indeed consume or scatter the poisonous mist, using those abilities or soul tools also cost soul power.
By the time the poison was cleared, most of one's soul power would likely be spent. And the enemy wouldn't just stand there waiting for you to cleanse the field. As teammates of Dugu Xianmeng, they would have already taken antidotes and had no fear of her Jade Phosphor Five Poisons.
The true danger wasn't just the poison—it was Dugu Xianmeng herself.
Her strength lay in cultivating her Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison into the far more potent Jade Phosphor Five Poisons, and further enhancing it by absorbing part of the Blood Swan Kiss, an already lethal toxin. That made her poison nearly impossible to resist or counter.
She hadn't even used her Poison Pill yet—if she did, the toxicity would increase dramatically.
If it were just average poison, these talented soul masters wouldn't be so cautious.
Take Meng Hongchen from the original story as an example—her poison was top-tier. At five rings, she could poison Dai Yueheng, who had six.
But even then, Dai Yueheng could resist through sheer soul power, take the hit, and defeat Meng Hongchen before succumbing.
Now compare that to Dugu Xianmeng—her poison was easily ten times stronger than Meng Hongchen's at that stage.
That's why Dugu Xianmeng's abilities felt so oppressive and overwhelming!
If Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison could make her nearly invincible at her level, Jade Phosphor Five Poisons allowed her to kill across ranks as a norm.
If she kept cultivating this path, even at the Titled Douluo level, her poison would remain just as potent!
When any element reaches its peak, its power defies conventional logic.
Besides the two Soul Sages and Zhou Sicheng, Jiang Nannan could also resist the poison for a short time.
During her Invincible Golden Body, she could hold her breath to prevent the poison from entering her system or contacting her skin.
Used properly, her ability gave her great tactical flexibility.
Bei Bei's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was once the number one beast martial soul in the world ten thousand years ago. His power remained dominant—invincible at his rank.
Xu Sanshi, with his signature single-skill dominance, was also unmatched defensively at his level. He could even withstand He Caitou's bombardments head-on!
Wang Dong, although the lowest in soul power among the group, still had considerable offensive power. With flight capability and high agility, his combat performance was impressive.
In this mixed team Soul Duel, everyone played to their strengths, fully unleashing their abilities and showcasing their unique traits and advantages.
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