Chapter 260: A Gentle Lift, A Heavy Fall The Curtain Falls on the Opening Battle
The sound of their surrender echoed clearly through the amplifiers surrounding the arena, reaching every spectator's ears.
For a moment, the entire venue fell silent.
Then an uproar erupted.
"What's going on?!"
"They were winning! Why surrender all of a sudden?"
"We were just getting into it!"
The audience was in an uproar, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The fight had been thrilling, yet Blue Tyrant Academy had abruptly conceded right after eliminating a key member of Sky Battle Royal Academy's team.
While the crowd raged, the referee remained focused on his duties.
He quickly approached Tai Long, checked his injuries, and let out a sigh of relief.
Not fatal.
His body was battered and bruised, two thirds of his bones broken, but he could be saved.
Still even if he recovered, he was unlikely to participate in the rest of the preliminaries or the round robin stage.
Not that the referee cared. As long as no one died, it wasn't his problem.
Besides, this was only the first match of the preliminaries, yet the battle had already escalated to this level. The tournament committee might have to raise the strength requirement for referees.
If that happened, he might get to watch from the stands instead. Not a bad outcome.
Ignoring the restless audience, the referee raised his voice and officially announced:
"Blue Tyrant Academy has surrendered! Sky Battle Royal Academy wins the first match of the preliminary round!"
Immediately after, he signaled for the waiting healing type soul masters to carry Tai Long off the field, then urged both teams to clear the arena.
On either side of the stage, both teams exited in opposite directions but their expressions couldn't have been more different.
Two Teams, Two Reactions
Blue Tyrant Academy had lost, yet their members wore smiles.
Even Huang Yuan, pale from excessive blood loss, was grinning as his teammates helped him walk.
Meanwhile, Sky Battle Royal Academy had won but their expressions were dark and sour.
They had been too careless.
Watching Tai Long being carried away for treatment, they felt as though they had swallowed a fly.
It was painfully clear now Blue Tyrant Academy had never been here to win.
They had only come for revenge.
Otherwise, why would they surrender immediately after severely injuring Tai Long?
And that was the real problem.
Blue Tyrant Academy had set a dangerous precedent.
They didn't care about advancing. They just wanted to cripple their enemies.
If other teams followed suit, things could spiral out of control.
Sky Battle Royal Academy already had a grudge against Cang Hui Academy and Tianshui Academy was an even bigger threat.
If those teams used similar tactics, they wouldn't even make it to the round robin stage.
Discontent in the Stands
On the VIP platform, Emperor Xue Ye and the three education committee members looked visibly displeased.
Not because they had foreseen the strategic implications but because this had made them lose face.
They never expected the second team to go far.
But this?
This wasn't just a humiliating win it was a public embarrassment.
They would have preferred Sky Battle Royal Academy to lose outright in a fair fight rather than winning like this, only to be mocked by the opposition.
And the worst part?
Their opponents hadn't even been that strong.
The consequences were already evident.
The audience's reactions were turning ugly.
Even from the VIP seats, Xue Ye could faintly hear disgruntled voices:
"Rigged!"
"What kind of match was that? Refund!"
Han Li Takes Action
Han Li scanned the restless crowd and immediately stood up.
"As co organizers, the Spirit Hall must take responsibility for calming the audience," he said. "I'll handle this. You all can focus on dealing with the aftermath."
After all, he was the Spirit Hall's representative for the Tian Dou tournament district.
It was only right for him to act.
Besides he had chosen Sky Battle Royal Academy's opponents himself.
Naturally, he had considered this possibility.
Even so, he hadn't expected Blue Tyrant Academy to be so blatant.
No pretense. No hesitation.
Just cripple Tai Long and surrender immediately.
Then again this did suit Liu Erlong's style.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Han Li had already stepped forward to the microphone.
A subtle glance to the staff, and the floating screen shifted to display his image.
Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, Han Li raised his right hand and gently motioned downward.
The audience quieted.
Only after ensuring silence did he finally begin to speak:
"I understand that many of you are confused and frustrated. You were enjoying a thrilling battle, only for it to be cut short.
"And yes it was Blue Tyrant Academy who chose to surrender.
"But let me assure you this was a valid strategic decision."
His expression turned serious.
"The Soul Master Tournament may be a public spectacle, open to audiences worldwide. But for the participants, it is first and foremost a battle.
"In fact it is not just a single battle, but a series of battles.
"During this competition, each team must evaluate their own strength, their opponents, and their overall strategy.
"They must also plan for the long term.
"And that brings us to the question many of you are asking why did Blue Tyrant Academy surrender when they were ahead?
"From my perspective, what I saw was an excellent demonstration of tactical awareness."
He paused briefly, as if offering an apology.
"Of course, I regret having to reveal part of their strategy, but to ensure everyone understands, I must explain."
With the entire arena hanging on his every word, Han Li continued
"As we analyze the match, let's first acknowledge that Blue Tyrant Academy accurately assessed both their own strength and that of their opponents. Knowing they were at a disadvantage, they chose a unique strategy as you all saw, three members were positioned at the front to stall the enemy."
"They cleverly used their defensive soul master's shield to obscure the enemy's vision, and, notably, they capitalized on the unique properties of their control type soul master's martial soul."
"The Hollow Vine martial soul is rare among control type soul masters, known for its unpredictability and stealthy presence rather than sheer strength. What many don't realize is that Hollow Vine can partially conceal fluctuations in soul power."
"Additionally, if I'm not mistaken, the two rear members of Blue Tyrant Academy had charge based soul skills meaning the longer they charge, the more powerful their attacks. In a typical arena battle, this would be a major disadvantage."
"But it was precisely because of their tactical execution that we witnessed the outcome we did."
"They stalled the enemy's offense with their main fighters, used the shield to obscure vision, and exploited the Hollow Vine's soul power suppression to hide their rear teammates' charge up process. That's how they managed to unleash a single decisive strike, eliminating an opponent in an instant."
"Unfortunately, their frontline fighters were still outmatched. Once their strategy succeeded, they no longer had the ability to stall long enough for a second charge attack."
"So, even though they had just eliminated one opponent and technically had a numerical advantage, they still chose to surrender. Why? Because four opponents had yet to reveal their full strength, and Blue Tyrant Academy's overall combat power was still inferior. Now, does everyone understand?"
"Ohhh… so that's what happened!"
A wave of realization swept through the arena.
Listening to Han Li's explanation, it actually made sense.
It wasn't match fixing they had just failed to understand the strategy!
Han Li nodded in satisfaction.
His explanation was aimed at the common spectators and lower rank soul masters.
As for the nobles and tournament participants?
One look at their expressions told him that most of them weren't buying it.
But if they wanted to believe it, that was fine too.
After all, his tactical breakdown was completely accurate only the interpretation of Blue Tyrant Academy's motives was altered.
Not a single falsehood. Just... adjusted framing.
And who could argue with that?
Even the Blue Tyrant Academy members, who had regrouped with Liu Erlong, looked confused.
If they weren't directly involved, they might have believed this was their plan all along.
Han Li glanced at the audience, now swayed by his narrative, cleared his throat, and continued:
"Now that we've discussed Blue Tyrant Academy, we must also recognize the victors Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team."
"Today's match showcased their remarkable strength, proving why Sect Master Ning personally values this team.
"With just three combatants or four if you count the initial buff from Ning Rongrong they managed to shatter the enemy's formation in a single assault."
"This was only possible because Blue Tyrant Academy had exceptional preparation and executed their strategy successfully. Otherwise, they would have been instantly overwhelmed."
"But even so, Heaven Dou's second team only sustained a single injury while securing victory."
"Additionally, their roster includes a full seven member reserve team, meaning they have depth beyond what we saw today.
"And their captain Tang San demonstrated his exceptional ability. Even as a control type soul master, he suppressed the enemy's main agility type fighter without even using soul skills.
"This level of combat prowess is beyond ordinary expectations."
"In the grand scheme, this match was nothing more than a minor stumble on Heaven Dou's climb to glory.
"As spectators, let's not be stingy with our applause a victory is a victory, and we look forward to even greater performances from them in the future!"
As Han Li's calm and authoritative voice echoed across the arena, cheers and applause erupted once again.
Though some skeptical murmurs remained, the overwhelming majority accepted his explanation.
Meanwhile, in the Rest Area
Tang San's expression only darkened further.
"Tactical awareness? Tournament planning? What a load of crap."
Blue Tyrant Academy's sole purpose was revenge.
And he didn't believe for a second that Han Li couldn't see it.
The Holy Son of Spirit Hall had deliberately framed the match in Blue Tyrant's favor, while simultaneously shielding them from criticism.
"As expected of the Spirit Hall nothing but scheming hypocrites."
On the VIP Platform
Emperor Xue Ye and the three education committee members finally looked less displeased.
They approved of Han Li's handling of the situation.
Slightly elevating Blue Tyrant Academy while glossing over Heaven Dou's missteps was the best possible solution.
"A bit of reputation damage is fine, but outright humiliation? Unacceptable."
Still, Xue Ye's expression hardened.
"From now on, remind all participating academies that personal grudges must not interfere with the tournament.
"If anyone dares to disrupt the competition again, severe punishment awaits."
His gaze drifted toward Yu Yuanzhen, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan patriarch.
Yu Yuanzhen, despite being seated high among the elites, had remained silent the entire time.
And yet, the emperor's meaning was clear.
"Your clan abandoned Liu Erlong. Now she's using a Blue Tyrant team to cause trouble? Take responsibility."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the education committee members answered.
Even though it was Xue Qinghe who had approved Tailong's admission, they couldn't say a word about it.
They could only shoulder the blame.
Only Ning Fengzhi remained pensive, glancing at Han Li.
Something didn't add up.
"What exactly is this kid planning?"
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