"Match, begin!" With the referee's shout, both sides moved at once.
"Fourth soul skill, Netherworld Possession!" Zhu Zhuqing boosted herself immediately, her body turning into a black phantom as she rushed to meet the attack. On the other side, Sun Chuantao held his giant circular blade and charged head-on.
The distance of dozens of meters was crossed in a few blinks.
"Fourth soul skill, Annihilation Ring!" Having witnessed Zhu Zhuqing's terrifying speed before, Sun Chuantao didn't dare to hesitate. He looped the circular blade around himself, then clapped his hands together. The massive weapon spun rapidly, expanding in size as sharp serrated teeth sprouted along its edge.
'…That looks like a hula hoop.' Yang Yunhai couldn't help but think of his past life.
But he also had to admit—the technique was an excellent fusion of offense and defense. The ring swayed up and down erratically as it spun at high speed. From afar, it looked like a solid, impenetrable barrier. Attacking through its gaps wasn't something anyone could do without sharp eyes and immense courage.
But his Zhu Zhuqing didn't have that problem.
In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing's left arm glowed with azure light, manifesting the phantom of a tiger claw. She slashed fiercely.
"Left Arm Soul Bone Skill—Wind Demon Claw!"
Three razor-thin wind blades, each two meters high and condensed to an extreme sharpness, erupted forward and smashed into the spinning blade-shield.
Boom!
The weapon barrier was shattered in an instant, revealing the ring-blade sent flying backward. Its flat edge slammed into Sun Chuantao's chest, knocking him off balance and forcing him back several steps.
A 35,000-year strength-type soul bone skill was something his fourth soul skill simply couldn't withstand.
"First soul skill, Hell Rush Stab!" Zhu Zhuqing burst forward, her claws stopping just before Sun Chuantao's throat, drawing a faint line of blood.
Sun Chuantao froze in place, pupils contracting. He didn't dare move.
"Bibi Dong, how does it feel to see your chosen competitors losing to the very soul bones you handed out?" Yang Yunhai smirked.
On the judges' stand, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo's eyes lit up with satisfaction.
Yang Yunhai had already defeated the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, including Bibi Dong's personal disciple Hu Liena. Now Zhu Zhuqing had felled a level 49 Soul Ancestor in a single strike—using a soul bone Bibi Dong herself had provided. It was like Spirit Hall had slapped its own face. Even the students we raise outside can't lose to yours. And this is what you call the elite Golden Generation, nurtured with the full resources of Spirit Hall?
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins!" the referee declared.
Zhu Zhuqing calmly withdrew her claws and walked back toward her team. Spirit Hall had been too arrogant—or rather, Bibi Dong had been too arrogant—believing the Golden Generation was unstoppable. They hadn't even bothered to assign substitute members. Now, counting the ones who had already lost and the one who had forfeited, Spirit Hall had only two competitors left: Xu Yu, an auxiliary-type with the Brilliant Gold Staff martial soul, and Zhang Ping, a speed-type with the Golden-Waist Swallow martial soul.
The auxiliary soul master had no combat power. That meant the only one left to fight was Zhang Ping.
Against a speed-type flier, Zhu Zhuqing didn't have much advantage. Better to leave it to someone else.
"Yu Feng, you go first," Yang Yunhai said.
"Got it!" Yu Feng leapt up eagerly. He knew Yang Yunhai was giving him experience.
As expected, he lost quickly. Zhang Ping's cultivation was far higher, her flight speed and soul power reserves vastly beyond his. But for Yu Feng, sparring against one of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation was still a valuable lesson.
Watching from the sidelines was not the same as stepping into battle.
After Yu Feng came Shi Mo. Not to win, but to hone his reactions and toughen his defense.
'…He's using us as training dummies.' Xie Yue's face twitched. From the perspective of Yang Yunhai's teammates, he was a good captain. But from their side, it was humiliating, as though Spirit Hall's people were only there for practice.
But what could they do? Skills decided outcomes. Who else could they blame but themselves?
Eventually, after Shi Mo's round, Shi Mo's brother Shi Mo took the field. Zhang Ping, exhausted and low on soul power, finally conceded defeat.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins." The referee's voice was grim.
They hadn't been swept seven-to-zero, but somehow this felt worse. The mood on the field was heavy, the Spirit Hall soul masters' faces dark.
Since they were on enemy ground, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy members didn't gloat.
When the referee announced the end of the morning matches, Bibi Dong stood with a calm expression and left. Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo followed silently, backs straight.
Yang Yunhai merely cast them a glance, then led his team back to the hotel.
Along the way, countless soul masters watched. Many Spirit Hall disciples looked downcast, while Heaven Dou Empire's soul masters—those still in the city—were thrilled, though they didn't dare voice it in Spirit Hall's territory.
Even though the referee's voice wasn't loud, the tutors waiting at the mountain's base heard the results clearly.
Yang Yunhai had one-versus-three defeated the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. That was no small feat.
Three Soul Kings at once!
"Back when we fought them, Yang Yunhai definitely held back," Feng Xiaotian sighed.
"Let's go. Time to return to the hotel." He waved his teammates along.
On another path, Huo Wu followed behind her brother Huo Wushuang, silent.
Soon, Yang Yunhai and his team reached their hotel.
"Captain, you're amazing!" Yu Feng shouted excitedly.
In the Shrek Academy's room, however, silence lingered until Yu Xiaogang finally spoke.
"Enough. This afternoon we face the Spirit Hall team in group battle. Even though they lost the singles, every one of their martial souls is formidable. Don't underestimate them." After a short analysis, he sighed. "It's a pity that the fire-type soul master fell too quickly. We didn't get to see his full abilities. But at least Yang Yunhai revealed another variation of his fourth soul skill."
"Hmph, that Yang Yunhai clearly held back," Xiao Wu snorted. "He could've crippled those three, but he didn't. Obviously he wanted Spirit Hall to keep their strength, so they could clash with us in the afternoon and wear us down."
"That way, if we're not fully recovered tonight, they'll have the advantage."
'What else did you expect? You think this tournament is child's play? The prize is three soul bones.' Ning Rongrong glanced at her but stayed quiet.
"Exactly." Liu Erlong snorted in agreement.
"That's not his only reason," Flender shook his head. "We're in Spirit Hall's territory. If he had crippled them, he would've enraged every Spirit Hall soul master present, even the Pope herself. Dugu Bo may be a Titled Douluo, but he's only one man. He can't protect them all. Yang Yunhai's restraint was also for his own safety."
"In any case, our priority is figuring out how to fight Spirit Hall this afternoon." Yu Xiaogang said calmly. "Yang Yunhai may have spared them, but they were still injured. Recovering so quickly to peak condition is difficult. And psychologically, losing so badly will dent their confidence. Meanwhile, we're still at full strength. That gives us the advantage."
"Heh, so my decision to forfeit earlier paid off. Let them fight like dogs. We've benefited." Liu Erlong nodded.
'Forfeiting, and they're celebrating like this? You forfeited because you were afraid of losing. What are you so proud of?' Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes inwardly.
'Not that it matters. Tomorrow I'll graduate and leave anyway.' She followed the others to the dining table in silence.
(End of Chapter)
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