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After the selection ended, Xuan Zi disappeared immediately.
Jiang Nannan stood silently at the edge of the field, watching Wang Dong celebrate entering the reserve team list. A sense of loss slowly seeped into her heart like a cold tide.
"Sure enough... it's still like this. No matter how high my innate soul power is, a Soft Bone Rabbit is still just a Soft Bone Rabbit. Even with an Invincible Golden Body, Xu Sanshi's defense is more comprehensive and better suited for the team... Elder Xuan's choice was right. It's just...I'm unilling."
She bit her lips tightly, her nails digging deeply into her palms, using the pain to suppress the surging emotions.
"Nannan!" Xu Sanshi rushed to her side immediately, his face full of urgency and distress. "Don't listen to Elder Xuan, he was... that was..."
He wanted to comfort her but couldn't find the right words. Xuan Zi's words were cruel, but they pointed out the facts.
Jiang Nannan slightly turned her head, avoiding his intense gaze, her voice trembling slightly:
"Xu Sanshi, enough. Elder Xuan didn't say anything wrong, I'm not strong enough." She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm, "Congratulations on being selected."
Gu La happened to walk by, his gaze calmly sweeping over the couple caught in this delicate atmosphere.
"The awakening ceremony of the Xuanming Sect… Heh, needing a talented woman to 'sacrifice' to awaken the Xuanwu bloodline. This method of inheritance is both laughable and tragic. No wonder Xu Sanshi is so persistent about her. However, what does it have to do with me?"
Without stopping, he headed straight towards the forge room. Compared to these entanglements, soul-forging the Polar Ice Crystal and preparing for the upcoming tournament were his priorities.
The next day, the seven reserve team members—Gu La, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou—were brought to the inner court's training ground by Xuan Zi.
The seven main team members were already waiting there, their powerful presence spreading unabashedly. They introduced themselves, leaving a preliminary impression:
Captain Ma Xiaotao, Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, Level 68 Strong Attack Soul Emperor. Vice-captain Dai Yueheng, White Tiger martial soul, Level 64 Strong Attack Soul Emperor.
Agility Attack Soul King Xixi, Support-type Soul King Gongyang Mo, Control-type Soul King Yao Haoxuan, Strong Attack Soul King Chen Zifeng, Control-type Soul King Ling Luochen.
Xuan Zi took a swig of alcohol, chewing on a chicken leg, and mumbled, "Do you all know each other? Now, to get you brats familiar quickly, we'll split into two teams and have a fight. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, you two be captains and choose your people."
A flash of flame appeared in Ma Xiaotao's eyes, and she decisively pointed at Huo Yuhao first: "You, come here."
Huo Yuhao often helped her quell the evil fire of the Evil Fire Phoenix and she was very familiar with him. She hadn't forgotten that Huo Yuhao's nearly cheating-level shared Spiritual Detection was practically a godsend in team battles.
Dai Yueheng's gaze wandered between Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Gu La. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi had great potential and would surely become Title Douluo in the future, making them targets for the White Tiger Duke Manor to win over. But Gu La… could this Ultimate Fire suppress Ma Xiaotao's raging evil fire?
This thought instantly took the upper hand. "Gu La," Dai Yueheng said in a deep voice, wanting to see the power of Ultimate Fire firsthand.
Ma Xiaotao's eyebrows raised, and she immediately pointed at Bei Bei, who could sense he was a Soul Ancestor.
Huo Yuhao urgently whispered, "Wang Dong and I have a martial soul fusion technique."
Ma Xiaotao immediately changed the direction of her finger and pointed at Wang Dong, "You."
Xuan Zi heard Huo Yuhao's reminder but didn't pay much attention. Shrek students should have that competitive spirit.
Dai Yueheng chose without hesitation to compensate for the lack of defense: "Xu Sanshi."
Next, Ma Xiaotao pointed at Bei Bei. She had heard of the Outer Court Twin Stars and mainly knew Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi from before.
Dai Yueheng's gaze fell on Xiao Xiao and He Caitou. Both were support types, but one had twin martial souls, and the other was a fourth-level soul-guidance master.
"Xiao Xiao." Their control end was weaker, and the Three Lives Soul-Sealing Cauldron could somewhat compensate.
It was Ma Xiaotao's turn, and her gaze swept over the remaining He Caitou. She nodded, and He Caitou stepped forward.
Then came the main team members.
Dai Yueheng knew Ma Xiaotao had chosen Huo Yuhao, the Ultimate Ice, and abandoned Ling Luochen.
He first selected the support Gongyang Mo, whose Rainbow Dragon martial soul was known as the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda among beast martial souls, with similar support capabilities and the same limitation of not being able to break through to Soul Saint.
Ma Xiaotao immediately guessed Dai Yueheng's malicious intent. She and Ling Luochen had long-standing conflicts in the Inner Court, so Ma Xiaotao ignored her and pointed at the agility attacker Xixi: "Xixi."
This was clearly aimed at Dai Yueheng's team's only support, Gongyang Mo.
Gongyang Mo watched as Xixi made a throat-slitting gesture towards him, and could only show a helpless smile: "Little Xixi, be gentle, okay?"
Xixi lightly laughed and didn't respond.
Dai Yueheng then chose Yao Haoxuan, who combined defense and control: "Yao Haoxuan." Ma Xiaotao chose the power-type Chen Zifeng: "Chen Zifeng."
Finally, only Ling Luochen remained. She stood alone, her face as cold as frost.
Dai Yueheng hesitated for a moment but still said: "Ling Luochen."
Ling Luochen internally raged: "Dai Yueheng… choosing me was out of desperation. Just because that Huo Yuhao is on Ma Xiaotao's side? Ultimate ice? Hmph, I want to see what makes a two-ring brat think he can surpass me!"
With an unyielding coldness, she quietly moved to the back of Dai Yueheng's team.
Ma Xiaotao looked at the opposing lineup, especially at Gu La, her fighting spirit burning fiercely: "Ultimate Fire? Hmph, let me see what's so impressive!"
Gu La felt her gaze and calmly responded: "As you wish."
Xuan Zi lazily waved his hand: "Begin!"
"Whoosh!" He Caitou moved fastest, flipping cigars in his hand and precisely throwing them to his teammates, himself holding three cigars in his mouth. On the other side, Gongyang Mo instantly erupted with dazzling seven-colored light.
"Crimson Power!"
"Orange Soul!"
"Yellow Speed!"
"Green Defense!"
"Blue Bloom!"
Five powerful support lights accurately landed on everyone in Dai Yueheng's team. Gu La felt the surge of power within him and slightly nodded.
"No wonder the Rainbow Dragon martial soul, its amplification effect is indeed tyrannical, almost comparable to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Unfortunately, its inherent deficiency limits it."
The battle erupted instantly.
Ling Luochen, with a cold anger, surrounded herself with icy mist, targeting Huo Yuhao directly. She wanted to prove with strength that her ice was no worse than the so-called Ultimate Ice.
On the other side, Ma Xiaotao became a burning meteor, engulfed in a scorching storm, charging straight at Gu La, wanting to personally measure the weight of Ultimate Fire.
"Let me see what's so special about Ultimate Fire." Ma Xiaotao shouted sharply, her third soul ring shining brightly. The Phoenix Cry Heaven Strike unleashed with terrifying sonic booms and flames towards Gu La.
Gu La's eyes narrowed, and his Solar Angel martial soul instantly attached to his body. Golden-red flames flowed across his surface, exuding a sacred and scorching aura. An oppressive force originating from his bloodline essence instantly descended upon Ma Xiaotao.
"Uh!"
Ma Xiaotao grunted softly, her forward momentum slightly stalling. The rampant evil fire within her seemed to encounter a natural predator, showing signs of being suppressed and tamed.
Her Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul emitted an unwilling shriek, seemingly resisting the majesty of that higher-level flame.
"Hmph! Is that all!"
Ma Xiaotao gritted her silver teeth, stubbornly forcing soul power, enduring that suppression, increasing her soul power output, making the phoenix flames even more intense, attempting to counter-pressure.
The two instantly clashed, Gu La not releasing the Radiant Domain, only using soul power equivalent to a Soul Ancestor under Gongyang Mo's enhancement.
His hands condensed fire into a longsword, his swordplay exquisite, perfectly blending the heaviness of earth and stars with a newly grasped hint of sky lightness.
Ma Xiaotao grew increasingly shocked and frustrated as the fight continued.
Her flame attacks, upon nearing Gu La, were directly assimilated and devoured by the terrifying heat of the Ultimate Fire, greatly reducing their effectiveness.
Her physical attacks, whether claw strikes or wing slashes, Gu La's elemental transformation after angelic attachment always managed to dodge or outright negate them.
Gu La's swordsmanship was like an impregnable wall, water-tight, always resolving her violent assaults with minimal cost.
"Damn it, break!"
Ma Xiaotao roared angrily, her fourth soul ring shining, activating Phoenix Piercing Cloud Strike, her speed suddenly increasing, turning into a streak of fire trying to break through Gu La's defense.
Gu La's figure swayed slightly, like willow in the wind. His ethereal movements, imbued with a trace of sky intent, barely avoided the fatal strike. He countered with a sword flick towards Ma Xiaotao's ribs, forcing her to retreat defensively.
"Damn, I can't hit him, can't burn him. This guy is slippery like an eel, yet his defense is so solid. My attacks are completely suppressed. Unless I drain his soul power, I can't win."
A strong sense of frustration and anger surged in Ma Xiaotao's chest, almost igniting her. She had never encountered an opponent who countered her so effectively.
On the other side, Ling Luochen's situation was even more dire.
Her icy mist, when approaching Huo Yuhao, seemed to meet its nemesis, becoming sluggish and wilted.
Huo Yuhao didn't need to actively attack; the natural cold aura of his Ultimate Ice martial soul suppressed her control-type Soul King ice elements so much that she could barely raise her head, performing less than ten percent of her usual ability!
"Ice Armor!" Ling Luochen gritted her teeth and released her defensive soul skill, a thick layer of ice armor covering her entire body.
"Spiritual Interference! Soul Shock!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed purple.
"Wing Guillotine!" Wang Dong seized the opportunity, his Butterfly Goddess wings unleashing a dazzling blade of light.
Under Huo Yuhao's perfect shared spiritual detection coordination, Wang Dong's attack precisely struck the opening Ling Luochen exposed due to Huo Yuhao's mental shock interference.
"Boom!"
The ice armor shattered, and Ling Luochen groaned, flying backward, her face pale, defeat evident.
On Dai Yueheng's side, he was engaged in fierce battle with his old teammates Xixi and Chen Zifeng. Knowing each other too well, they fought evenly matched.
But when he glimpsed Ling Luochen being utterly suppressed by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong with no chance to retaliate, and Ma Xiaotao being held down by Gu La, unable to extricate herself, he relaxed.
Sure enough, without Ma Xiaotao, the strongest firepower point, to restrain them, although Huo Yuhao's team had excellent coordination, they couldn't withstand the full burst of Dai Yueheng, a White Tiger Soul Emperor.
Dai Yueheng charged like a tiger into a flock of sheep, forcibly tearing open Huo Yuhao's team's defenses.
In the end, Dai Yueheng's team won this confrontation thanks to Gu La successfully restraining Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng's unstoppable impact force, and Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong successfully suppressing Ling Luochen to build an advantage.
"Stop." Xuan Zi called a halt at the right time, looking dissatisfied.
Ma Xiaotao abruptly stopped, her chest rising and falling heavily, glaring at the now calmed Gu La who had retracted his martial soul, his aura serene. Her beautiful phoenix eyes almost spewed fire.
She lost, and it was incredibly frustrating! Not because she lacked strength, but because she was completely countered, which was harder to accept than a direct defeat.
"Gu La, you…" Ma Xiaotao was so angry she couldn't finish her sentence, wishing to pounce and tear apart his calm face.
Fire attribute soul masters naturally had bad tempers, and Ma Xiaotao, tormented by evil fire since childhood, had an even fiercer temper. Known as the Flame Witch in the Inner Court, few dared to provoke her.
But Gu La simply gave her a glance, his eyes seemingly saying: "These are the facts."
Xuan Zi finished the last bite of chicken leg, wiped the grease from his mouth, and nonchalantly commented: "Horrible coordination, especially the main team members, each fighting individually."
"Don't think you're invincible. Team battles test the cooperation and skill linkage between teammates."
"Dai Yueheng's team won because Gu La countered Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng's own impact force. Ma Xiaotao's team lost because once their core was restricted, others couldn't hold back the strong points of the opponents."
"Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong did well coordinating to suppress Ling Luochen. Ling Luochen, you need to overcome the suppression of your martial soul as soon as possible. Alright, that's it for today. Tomorrow, new teams will be formed, continue practicing and building chemistry."
"The opponents you'll face in the tournament won't give you opportunities to fight solo like today. You'll need to build chemistry." He emphasized the word "chemistry" and paused his gaze on Gu La for a moment.
After saying this, Xuan Zi threw away the bone: "From now on, you train yourselves. If you get injured, go find someone to treat you. I won't be watching over you."
As soon as the words fell, Xuan Zi's figure disappeared, probably off to find food again.
Ma Xiaotao huffed heavily, glaring at Gu La with a fiery gaze, then turned and walked away, her back radiating with anger.
Ling Luochen silently retreated with a cold face, her obsession with Ultimate Ice deepening.
Dai Yueheng looked at Gu La, his eyes complex. Gu La's strength and countering effect far exceeded expectations, making him happy but also feeling a hint of envy and jealousy.
Gu La ignored all gazes and turned to leave. The match was over, and he had gained enough.
He gained a more intuitive understanding of the evil fire characteristics of Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix, and his newly grasped sky intent was validated in real combat.
Next, it was time to return and continue his soul-refining endeavors. As for the soul master tournament, Gu La was merely interested in some events happening during that period.
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