The battle had just ended. A faint, elegant fragrance quickly spread through the air as a beam of white light descended from the sky.
The white light was unusual, it took the shape of flower petals.
Drifting down slowly, it landed directly on Yu Tianheng and Fang Ling.
Ye Lingling didn't waste any time and activated her soul skill to begin healing the two.
Yu Tianheng's injuries weren't severe, just superficial wounds with no broken bones, only light marks.
Under the effect of the Nine-Heart Begonia's miraculous healing, the bleeding stopped, and the wounds began closing rapidly.
Fang Ling, on the other hand, seemed to be more seriously injured, and in truth, he was.
A powerful electric current had coursed through his body, leaving small injuries all over.
However, he was also recovering quickly.
As the numbness faded, Fang Ling was lowered to the ground by Qin Ming and began moving his limbs again.
The battle had technically ended when it was interrupted, but now an odd atmosphere filled the arena.
A suffocating silence.
Everyone's gaze was focused on Yu Tianheng and Fang Ling.
Fang Ling was doing fine, with a calm expression on his face.
Though his clothes were slightly singed and his hair had been burnt into a puffy mess, it only drew a few smiles from the crowd.
Yu Tianheng wasn't so lucky.
His clothes were intact, but his expression was grim.
Yes, the battle had been stopped, but not in a way he wanted. It shouldn't have ended just because someone had to save him.
On the surface, it looked like neither side had won, and Fang Ling even seemed to be more injured.
But when things had reached this point.
He, with a true Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, a direct heir of one of the top three clans, already at the Soul Elder level.
Had nearly had his hand cut off by Fang Ling, a soul master with a common martial soul?
That long-handled scythe wasn't even strong, anyone could see that.
The soul skill "Curse Blade" had given such a large boost, and even then, the first strike had only broken the dragon scales slightly.
If Fang Ling had been just a bit stronger, Yu Tianheng's hand might have been cut right through.
The strength of the dragon arm was a double-edged sword. It was both an advantage and a limitation.
If it were broken, he'd lose his most powerful weapon.
The battle would be over. He'd have no choice but to surrender and rely on Ye Lingling to heal him, in order to avoid long-term injury.
"How embarrassing, Captain"
Dugu Yan stood with her arms crossed, her green eyes full of amusement. Her tone was far from polite.
Yu Tianheng had been pursuing her for a while. If it weren't for his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan background, her grandfather would've dealt with him already.
And now, he had nearly had his hand chopped off by a freshly enrolled civilian soul master. It was laughable.
"Haha, Fang Ling is quite the genius," Yu Tianheng said with a forced smile, praising his opponent.
He wasn't happy with how Dugu Yan had distanced herself, but it didn't matter. He just had to keep trying.
The awkward expression faded from his face, replaced by a stiff smile and a deep confusion.
He had been extremely cautious, and yet he still couldn't figure it out.
Why had the dragon scales blocked the first strike, but not the second?
If they'd failed both times, he wouldn't be surprised, but the first time they worked!
That was why he'd confidently tried to catch the second strike, believing it to be weaker.
He had no idea that would lead to such a humiliating outcome.
Fang Ling gave a shy smile. "Not at all. I'm no genius. I just didn't want to accept a mediocre fate."
"You're the real genius, Captain. I lost, anyone with eyes could see that."
"You didn't even use your powerful third millennium soul skill. If you had, I wouldn't have been able to withstand even your second soul skill's area attack."
"Hehe~" Dugu Yan laughed like a silver bell.
"Little junior's suggestion is pretty good. Captain, why don't you go all out from the start when fighting lower-ranked soul masters?"
The handsome blond man and the equally blond youth next to him burst into laughter.
A few others joined in as well.
Even Ye Lingling's eyes curved with a smile, her lips slightly lifted beneath her veil.
"…." Yu Tianheng was momentarily speechless. He still cared about his pride.
If he were to go all out in a sparring match against weaker opponents, he'd lose all face.
Judging by Yan's current reaction, it seemed his earlier topic had annoyed her.
That's probably why she responded with this sarcastic jab…
Yu Tianheng pondered silently, deciding to change the topic next time.
Dugu Yan had the Poison Douluo behind her. She could play a critical role in his future as heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He couldn't afford to let her go.
Even if she was annoyed with him now, he had to keep at it.
It was just unfortunate that he had embarrassed himself today, snuffing out the small spark of interest that had just started to grow.
He would have to try harder later.
Come on, Yu Tianheng!
Encouraging himself inwardly, Yu Tianheng turned to Fang Ling with a smile and began clapping.
"Fang Ling, welcome to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy Reserve Team."
Mediocre talent wasn't welcome.
Those who joined usually ended up in the second team, which had to earn their way through qualifiers.
Only those truly acknowledged, like Fang Ling, whose combat ability was astounding, would be personally welcomed into the first team.
"Everyone, introduce yourselves."
Yu Tianheng prompted them.
Dugu Yan was the first to speak.
She felt a bit of goodwill toward Fang Ling for putting Yu Tianheng in his place. Looking at his frizzy hair, she smiled charmingly.
"Little brother, I'm Dugu Yan. Martial soul: Jade Phosphor Serpent. Level 32 control-type Battle Soul Elder."
The twin burly men looked at each other and then said curtly, "Shi Mo. Shi Mo. Martial soul: Black Tortoise. Level 29 defense-type Great Soul Master."
The handsome blond youth spoke next, his tone naturally sarcastic and almost punch-worthy.
"Yufeng. Martial soul: Wind Chime Bird. Level 28 agility-type Great Soul Master."
The man dressed in black, beautiful like a woman, followed.
"Oslo. Martial soul: Ghost Panther. Level 28 agility-type Great Soul Master."
Finally, the girl in black gauze with cascading blue hair spoke.
"Ye Lingling. Martial soul: Nine-Heart Begonia. Level 27 support-type Great Soul Master."
Her voice had returned to its distant, hollow tone, just like when Fang Ling had first seen her standing alone in the corner, detached from reality.
The other bystanders, under Yu Tianheng's gaze, wisely remained silent.
Although they were technically part of the reserve team, they were just second-team members who needed to earn their spot through qualifiers.
How could they compare with the first team, who had a guaranteed place in the finals?
Fang Ling had been personally welcomed by Yu Tianheng, he was clearly destined for the first team.
Qin Ming, seeing how well everyone was getting along, nodded in satisfaction.
Then he asked the question he'd been curious about.
"Fang Ling, how did you break through Tianheng's second layer of dragon scales that time?"
Everyone was wondering the same thing.
"Yeah, how come they worked the first time but failed the second?"
Yufeng clawed at his own face in mock horror. "Don't tell me there's some 'won't fall for the same trick twice' kind of thing going on?"
Yu Tianheng twitched and punched him. "Quit clowning around!"
"Haha." Yufeng laughed, lightening the mood.
Fang Ling thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Intuition."
"Intuition?"
"Yes. My instincts told me that was the weak point, so I swung the scythe and gambled that Tianheng would block with his dragon arm."
Fang Ling glanced sideways at Dugu Yan, making her feel a little puzzled.
Why is he looking at me?
Did I say something wrong?
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