After the opening ceremony came the drawing of lots to determine the match order. With Qin Ming absent, as captain, Yu Tianheng naturally had to take up the responsibility of leading the whole team and checking the match information was also his job.
When they saw Yu Tianheng walking back, everyone hurriedly asked, "Tianheng, who is our first opponent in the finals?"
The tournament had now entered the knockout stage—just one loss and you're out. Even the Emperor Battle Team dared not be careless.
"We are the fifth match today, don't worry. The opponent is nothing special, from Star Luo Empire's Dragon Kui Academy. Even if Xiao Tian and Gu Ran don't play, I could beat their whole team myself." Yu Tianheng appeared very relaxed.
He didn't intend to trouble Tianlin in the first match. But upon hearing the academy's name, Tianlin suddenly turned his head, "Tianheng, what did you say the academy's name was?"
"Dragon Kui, why?"
"Tianheng, I have to be in this match, or else my sword will get moody with me," Tianlin said decisively. Although his magic sword didn't have a sword spirit living in it, when he heard the name Dragon Kui, he seemed to sense his magic sword tremble slightly in his body.
Tianlin didn't bear any ill will towards Dragon Kui Academy just for its name—after all, this is Douluo Continent, not the world of Sword and Fairy. Who here would know who Long Kui is? The academy probably didn't mean anything by choosing that name. But since the magic sword wanted to fight, he had no choice but to go. He'd just go easy on them.
"The first match and you're already itching to fight?" Yu Tianheng was a bit surprised. He didn't believe Tianlin wanted to play just because of the academy's name, nor did he believe the sword was moody—he was just eager to fight. "Alright, I'll change the roster. You go play this time, I'll sit out."
For such a weak team as Dragon Kui, Yu Tianheng wasn't interested. Whether he played or not didn't matter, so he crossed out his name and replaced it with Tianlin's.
The Emperor Battle Team would fight in the fifth match. There were four matches before them, including the Spirit Hall representative team. However, the Golden Generation didn't play, as the weaker early teams weren't worth their time.
Even so, the Spirit Hall team was made up entirely of Soul Ancestors above level 45. With the Golden Generation, their average level would even be higher than the Emperor Battle Team's.
In the fourth match, Shrek met Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One. What a coincidence! They should have met in the qualifiers, but because of Tianlin's intervention, they now faced each other in the first round of the finals. That team was doomed, nothing could be done.
Finally getting into the finals, yet still only a one-round show.
In this match, Oscar's newly acquired fourth soul skill finally appeared. Instead of some boosting "Excitement Sausage," it was the even stranger "Invisibility Sausage."
As the name implies, after eating this sausage, one would become invisible for three minutes, not only physically but also hiding their aura. This soul skill was incredibly powerful. As soon as the Shrek Seven Devils got on stage, they all went invisible, making it impossible for Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One to locate them.
The result: Shrek took them all down in one surprise attack.
No wonder Ning Fengzhi chose this soul ring for Oscar. Its effect in seven-person team battles was so potent—imagine it on a battlefield. It would be a super weapon for ambushes. Even scarier, it could be used together with the Flying Mushroom Sausage.
If given to a Power Attack-type Soul Master, they'd become a super assassin, combining strength, speed, and stealth for a short time.
However, this invisibility had a flaw: it wasn't very useful against people with powerful spiritual senses. As long as one had mental waves, Tianlin could still sense everyone's location clearly when Shrek was invisible.
"Let's go, Xiao Tian, it's our turn."
After Shrek's match was the Emperor Battle Team's. Dugu Yan was playing for the first time today and seemed eager.
Beside Ning Fengzhi, Dugu Bo showed a rare kind smile, full of love and pride.
"Tianheng isn't playing this round? Saving energy for later, maybe." Yu Yuanzhen was a bit disappointed—he'd come all this way to watch his grandson, but he wasn't playing.
"No, I don't think it's about saving energy. Otherwise, Tianlin wouldn't be on the field. Probably, Tianlin just wanted to fight." Ning Fengzhi guessed pretty closely—it wasn't Tianlin who was itching to fight, it was his magic sword that got itchy after hearing the name Dragon Kui. ((Dragon)Long Kui is the name of the spirit residing in the Demon Sword in the original.)
Tianlin just wanted to tell his sword: Long Kui isn't here.
Dragon Kui Academy had three Soul Ancestors and four Soul Elders—such a lineup was incredibly weak for the Emperor Battle Team. Even Spirit Hall didn't send anyone to watch, as such an academy couldn't even force Tianlin to use half his strength. There was no point in watching.
The Emperor Battle Team lined up in a 1-4-2 formation: Tianlin stood alone at the front, Yu Feng and Oslo on each side of the stage, Dugu Yan in the center, Ye Lingling at the rear, and the two defense-type Soul Ancestors, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, in front of the two girls to protect them in case of a speed attack.
In other words: on the front lines, Tianlin would take on the entire enemy team by himself.
Many academies thought this was arrogant. Dragon Kui was weak, but they'd still made it to the finals—they must have something special.
"I could do this myself, so why can't Xiao Tian?" Yu Tianheng laughed.
On the battle stage, Dragon Kui Academy was nervous. The Emperor Battle Team's formation looked down on them.
More importantly, Dragon Kui had three Soul Ancestors—two Power Attacks, one Control—which was a big advantage against a lone attacker.
"Come on." Tianlin raised his magic sword, and five soul rings appeared—the dazzling colors stunned the Star Luo academies. Absorbing soul rings above your level was one thing, but Tianlin had gone far beyond their imagination.
Facing such a soul ring configuration, Dragon Kui students dared not attack first. Seeing this, Tianlin simply made the first move.
Sixth Form: Moonlight Reflects on the Cold River!
This was the basic Shu Mountain sword technique he hadn't used in a long time—he couldn't use the Seven Kill Sword or advanced Shu Mountain swordsmanship, as it would be too lethal for them to handle.
"Fourth soul skill, Raging Sand!"
"Fourth soul skill, Flaming Fist!"
The two Soul Ancestors from Dragon Kui attacked together. Their martial souls were a Sand River Horse and a Flaming Fist, both decent, and they used their strongest fourth skills right away.
Normally, even a Soul King would have to retreat facing these attacks without using any soul skills. But Tianlin didn't even step back.
The tip of his magic sword clashed with the flaming fist. Affected by the sword's ultimate fire, all the flames were instantly extinguished, and the Flaming Fist became just a regular glove.
"What?!"
Seeing his flames go out, the Soul Ancestor was shocked, but before he could react, with a swish, his wrist was slashed.
Tianlin pulled back at the last moment—otherwise, his whole arm would've been pierced. Now, it was only a wrist injury, knocking him out of the fight.
Just then, a burst of sand rose from the ground, enveloping Tianlin.
"First soul skill, Jade Scale Red Poison." Dugu Yan attacked quickly—her first soul skill was a support-type poison that boosted status. But surprisingly, this time she used it on the sand soul master.
Feeling his strength and speed suddenly surge, the sand user was confused—why would the enemy boost him? But then, Dugu Yan's soul beast sprayed him again with Jade Scale Red Poison.
Previously, it was noted that Dugu Yan's support poison, while highly effective, had side effects: after the battle, one had to detox, and you couldn't take it twice in a day.
Now, using it twice on the sand user, he lost all reason—over-stimulated, he went berserk, attacking both friend and foe.
Soon, the whole arena was filled with sand from the Sand River Horse.
His teammates closest to him were trapped by his sand.
At this moment, Tianlin broke out of the sand at just the right time.
With a sweep of his right leg, he created a fierce tornado—not a soul bone skill, but a hurricane powered by the wind attribute in his soul bone.
Except for the sand user, everyone else was a sitting duck and was blown out of the arena.
Finally, Yu Feng and Oslo rushed up, each grabbing one of the sand user's arms and tossing him out of the ring.
"That's it? Did the Emperor Battle Team even use their soul skills?" someone in the audience exclaimed in disbelief.
"They did—Dugu Yan used her first soul skill twice. The two defense-type Soul Ancestors and the healer didn't even take action."
Everyone sighed. Dragon Kui had made it to the finals, but the Emperor Battle Team's win was just too easy.
Dugu Yan's control was completely different from Huan Yin's before. Huan Yin's skills needed charging, so the Emperor Battle Team used to be a slow-paced team, but now with Dugu Yan's poison, it takes effect instantly, making the team much more aggressive.
This was the true form of the Emperor Battle Team.