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In another competition zone, Blaze Academy defeated Godwind Academy.
However, there wasn't a trace of joy on Huo Wu's face. She felt insulted by Feng Xiaotian. Did he really think she was that weak?
Did she need Feng Xiaotian to throw the match for her to win?
Originally, Feng Xiaotian had been extremely pleased with his plan. He'd discussed it with his teammates in advance—they would hold back little by little while fighting Blaze Academy.
In the end, they would hand victory to Blaze Academy intentionally. Godwind Academy was confident they would break through the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament preliminaries.
So, they had the leeway to lose a match to Blaze Academy.
But things didn't turn out the way Feng Xiaotian imagined. Even though Huo Wu won, her expression remained dark and furious.
Troubled, Feng Xiaotian chased after her to the Blaze Academy's resting area. At the moment, only Huo Wushuang and his younger sister Huo Wu were inside.
"Huo Wu! Do you really hate me that much?" Feng Xiaotian asked in confusion.
"Feng Xiaotian, don't be so arrogant. Do you think losing on purpose to me makes you look cool? I, Huo Wu, have never needed anyone to throw a match for me!" Huo Wu said with clear displeasure.
Huo Wushuang watched his brother-like friend Feng Xiaotian and his own sister inching toward an explosion. He felt helpless.
Although he thought highly of Feng Xiaotian, he respected his sister's opinion even more.
So when it came to their argument, he could only remain awkwardly in the middle.
"Huo Wu, I'm sorry. I acted on my own," Feng Xiaotian finally realized the reason behind her coldness.
"Do you like me?" Huo Wu suddenly asked bluntly.
"Huh?" Feng Xiaotian froze, caught completely off guard by her direct question.
"Be decisive—are you a man or not? Yes or no? Can't you just say it?" Huo Wu said coldly.
"Yes, I've always liked you!" Feng Xiaotian confessed.
"Mm. No need to anymore. I already have someone I like. I'm not worth that kind of affection," Huo Wu replied, then turned and walked out of the resting room.
"Huo Wu!!!" Feng Xiaotian felt as if the sky were collapsing around him.
Huo Wushuang gave Feng Xiaotian an apologetic look and hurriedly chased after his sister.
Feng Xiaotian stood there in a daze, staring at Huo Wu's fading figure.
Who was the one Huo Wu liked?
Ye Lan?
Would she like me if I defeated Ye Lan?
Suddenly, a surge of determination rose from his heart. Feng Xiaotian had never wanted to defeat someone so badly before.
He had to prove to Huo Wu that he was no worse than Ye Lan!
He had neglected his cultivation for quite some time because he'd focused on developing his self-created spirit skill.
Fortunately, that skill had given him the ability to fight above his rank.
Even though he knew the chances of defeating Ye Lan were extremely slim, for Huo Wu's sake, he was willing to do anything to win!
—
Heaven Dou City, Great Spirit Arena — resting room of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Zhu Zhuqing excitedly grabbed Xiao Xue's jade-like hand and said, "Xiao Xue! Your strength is insane! No wonder Teacher said even he might not be able to defeat you!"
Ye Lan waved his hand helplessly. Beat Xiao Xue?
How was that possible?
Once Xiao Xue removed the disguise of her spirit bone and fully unleashed her strength, she was definitely on par with a Titled Douluo.
Well… comparable to the weakest kind of Titled Douluo—someone like Dugu Bo who didn't possess a spirit core.
Now, under Ye Lan's instruction, Xiao Xue had already begun compressing her soul power.
Although she was confused, she still followed Ye Lan's plan.
It would slow her cultivation, but she had long since placed her complete trust in Ye Lan.
She only knew one thing—Ye Lan would never harm her, and once she finished compressing her soul power, she would get the answer from him.
"This is all thanks to Ye Lan teaching me the 'Extreme Soul Power Attachment Method.' It brought my control over soul power to a microscopic level," Xiao Xue said, looking at Ye Lan with admiration.
When she first learned about the method, she was utterly stunned.
Ye Lan had actually developed a training method for one of the most basic and overlooked abilities of all spirit masters!
Soul power attachment was fundamental to every spirit master. After cultivating the Extreme Soul Power Attachment Method, Xiao Xue's efficiency in using soul power reached a level ordinary spirit masters could only dream of.
Before, thanks to being a Soul Sage and her natural talent, she might have been considered a skilled driver when it came to soul power attachment.
Now, she had become a professional racer!
Her combat strength surged once again. Previously, she could only fight for an hour.
After mastering microscopic-level soul power attachment, she could now fight for three hours!
And with even greater explosive force and speed!
"Big Sister Xiao Xue! From now on you're Rongrong's goddess!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed excitedly.
"Whenever some bad woman tries to get close to Ye Lan, you have to beat her up for Rongrong!"
Pfft!
Everyone burst into laughter.
Xiao Xue, however, nodded seriously.
"Alright. With us around, Ye Lan doesn't need anyone else! If any other woman wants to get near him, she'll have to defeat me first!" Xiao Xue said with firm resolve.
"Hooray! Big Sister Xiao Xue is invincible!" Ning Rongrong cheered.
Ning Rongrong had absolute confidence in Xiao Xue—she didn't believe there was any girl in the world who could defeat her.
"Ye Lan, who are we sending out tomorrow against Canghui Academy?" Dugu Yan asked.
"Teacher, send me! Send me!" Zhu Zhuqing volunteered eagerly, her face full of excitement.
Clearly, today's battle had completely awakened her fighting spirit. Defeating Tianshui Academy wasn't nearly enough to satisfy her.
"For tomorrow's match against Canghui Academy, I'll go alone. The rest of you wouldn't be of much use," Ye Lan said.
Canghui Academy was a special team. On the surface, they looked ordinary, but they possessed a seven-person fusion ability.
Right now, if anything could shake Heaven Dou City, it would be defeating Heaven Dou Imperial Academy during the preliminaries.
So tomorrow, to defeat Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Canghui Academy would definitely use their hidden trump card—the Seven Shura Illusion Realm.
Besides Ye Lan and Xiao Xue, the rest of their team would be completely suppressed by Canghui Academy's seven-person fusion technique.
This was exactly what Ye Lan always emphasized—counters between soul types were never absolute.
Even though power-attack types usually suppressed control-types, when faced with a spiritual control type, most power-attack souls would in turn be restrained!
Although the Seven Shura Illusion Realm was extremely strong, its weakness was also obvious—it could only crush those of the same level!
If someone's spiritual power far surpassed theirs, the Seven Shura Illusion Realm would be useless.
Not to mention, Ye Lan also possessed the Golden Eyes of true sight.
"…Alright then." Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head in disappointment.
"It's fine. When we fight Godwind Academy, you'll be the main force!" Ye Lan said, rubbing Zhu Zhuqing's head.
"Really!?" Zhu Zhuqing asked excitedly.
"Of course!" Ye Lan confirmed.
Overjoyed, Zhu Zhuqing leaped into Ye Lan's arms, hugging him tightly. After so many rounds of battles, the strengths of the Four Element Academies had become more or less clear: Godwind Academy was stronger than Thunderclap, which was stronger than Tianshui, which was stronger than Blaze.
That meant when Heaven Dou Imperial Academy faced Godwind Academy, she could be the main fighter and help defeat them!
She had been incredibly envious watching Dugu Yan instantly wipe out all seven members of Elephant Armor Academy and seeing Sister Xiao Xue split the Ice Phoenix in a single strike.
She also wanted to prove to her teacher that the "Shadow Holy Cat" was not weak!
Ye Lan was caught off guard by Zhu Zhuqing's bold embrace.
Among the five girls, the shyest was definitely Zhu Zhuqing.
Until now, the most intimate thing she'd done was hook arms or hold his hand. This closeness was a pleasant surprise.
Other than Yan Yan, Zhu Zhuqing's figure was indeed the best!
—
"It's time for another exhilarating Heaven Dou Imperial Academy match!"
"We're honored to host today's tournament! Ladies and gentlemen! Today's preliminary round will be more exciting than ever!"
"Until now, Heaven Dou Imperial Academy has relied on 'God Ye' and his endless arsenal of tactics to secure victory after victory!"
"But today, we'll finally see 'God Ye' unleash his full strength!"
"That's because in Round 20 of the preliminaries, First Division, First Arena, Ye Lan will fight—alone—against all seven members of Canghui Academy!"
"What!? Is that true!?"
"Waaaah! We finally get to see the true power of the 'Azure Emperor'!"
"I heard only the strongest in Heaven Dou Academy can become the captain. Can a Soul Ancestor like Ye Lan really defeat Soul King Xiao Xue?"
"No idea, but we're about to witness the strength of the 'Azure Emperor'!"
"You two idiots—does it matter who's stronger?! The point is, my goddess was snatched away by him, sob sob~"
"Shut up, you ugly freak! A beauty and a talent like them are a perfect match! Who are you to object? You look like a toad spirit!"
"Not one pair—five pairs! 'God Ye' is one versus five! Truly my idol!"
"Croak croak Does being ugly mean I don't have human rights? How dare you revoke my humanity!"
"Let us welcome—the man with the most fans on the continent!"
"The greatest theorist in the land!"
"A tactical kaleidoscope!"
"An unkillable shield of absolute defense!"
"The dream of millions of maidens!"
"The strongest Soul Ancestor!"
"The Azure Emperor, Ye Lan!"
The referee threw away the official cue cards and introduced Ye Lan with unrestrained enthusiasm.
Clearly, the referee was a diehard fan and was hyping him to the heavens.
Ye Lan appeared on the arena in a flash of light. After hearing the introduction, he felt several dark lines cross his forehead—he was so embarrassed he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
The audience, however, felt no embarrassment, roaring wildly:
"Ye Lan!"
"Ye Lan!"
"Ye Lan!"
To them, Ye Lan was a living legend. What was more inspiring than a commoner spirit master rising up to become the continent's greatest theorist, taking a rank-3 innate soul power Blue Silver Grass and becoming the captain of Heaven Dou's strongest academy team?
To countless commoners and spirit masters, Ye Lan was the hero they admired most.
Even a fraction of his accomplishments would make them outstanding among their peers.
When it was time to introduce Canghui Academy, the referee's tone changed completely.
"Now, let us welcome the challengers, Canghui Academy."
"Li Jingyang, martial soul Ruby, level 41 Soul Sect."
"Zhu Zizhang, martial soul Orange Gem, level 39 Soul Ancestor."
"Lin Ziping, martial soul Yellow Gem, level 37 Soul Ancestor."
"Liu Haosi, martial soul Green Gem, level 37 Soul Ancestor."
"Lian Xuefeng, martial soul Cyan Gem, level 36 Soul Ancestor."
"Shen Xinshui, martial soul Blue Gem, level 36 Soul Ancestor."
"Dong Heguang, martial soul Purple Gem, level 36 Soul Ancestor."
"Seven challengers, give it everything you've got and challenge the Azure Emperor, Ye Lan! This might be the closest you'll ever get to him, so don't waste it~"
"The match on the first arena—Ye Lan versus Canghui Academy—begins now!" the referee announced, leaving the stage to the eight combatants.
Canghui Academy showed no displeasure at the referee's tone. In this tournament, the person they revered most was also the Azure Emperor, Ye Lan.
They couldn't imagine how he had reached this point with a Blue Silver Grass soul.
They had even referenced Scholar Ye Lan's theories when choosing their spirit rings. For the first time, they discovered that absorbing spirit rings wasn't actually painful or difficult—and they truly realized how valuable theory could be.
If Ye Lan knew what they were thinking, he would have scoffed: "It's clear these people have never seen the real deal before—they must have been duped by Yu Xiaogang's theories."
"Captain Ye, please guide us. The seven of us are Canghui Academy's secret weapon, never before revealed," Li Jingyang said seriously.
"Alright, let me see," Ye Lan nodded and instantly activated his Golden Eyes, a golden gleam flickering in his pupils.
Receiving Ye Lan's acknowledgment, Li Jingyang sighed in relief.
If Ye Lan hadn't given them time to prepare, they would never have been able to use their secret weapon.
The other six from Canghui Academy quickly surrounded Li Jingyang in a hexagonal formation.
All seven extended their right hands. Seven gemstones of different colors appeared on the backs of their hands, each with a different shape—circular, teardrop, triangular, diamond-shaped, and more.
The moment the seven gemstones appeared, they instantly merged into one.
A layer of seven-colored light enveloped them. Seven beams of rainbow light shot into the sky, and using Li Jingyang as the core, a three-dimensional pillar of light condensed.
The pillar quickly expanded, forming a thirty-meter-diameter rainbow mist that immediately enveloped Ye Lan.
"Success!" Li Jingyang shouted excitedly.
Their seven-man fusion skill was undefeatable among those of the same rank!
They didn't believe Ye Lan could withstand their Seven Shura Illusion Realm!
"Captain Ye, sorry about this. Today, Canghui Academy will take the victory. Although seven against one is dishonorable, if you had acted decisively, we never could have deployed the Seven Shura Illusion Realm!" Li Jingyang said.
"Hehe, after this, our academy will be famous!"
"Exactly! As the first academy to defeat the Azure Emperor, sponsors will be lining up to throw money at us!"
"Ahahaha, junior sisters! Prepare to welcome your victorious seniors!"
"Excuse me, but what are you all whispering about?" Ye Lan asked calmly, looking through the mist at the Canghui team.
"What?! G-G-G-God Ye, how are you not inside the illusion!?" Li Jingyang stammered in disbelief.
"It's not like entering is mandatory, is it?" Ye Lan said with a smile.
His Golden Eyes could see through all illusions.
Cold sweat poured down the foreheads of all seven members of Canghui Academy.
So this was God Ye?
Was he truly unbeatable?
Did he have no weaknesses?
Even Soul Kings would fall prey to the Seven Shura Illusion Realm!
"My turn. Don't blink," Ye Lan muttered.
As soul power flooded his blood, his physical attributes skyrocketed, and a billowing blood energy radiated from his body.
In the past, the blood energy from his Blue Silver Grass could only match the fully manifested Blood Armor. Now, with the ultimate life force enhancement from the Essence of Extreme Water, he could use it without reservation.
Perfect Soul Power Attachment!
Flash!
The seven from Canghui only saw golden soul light and surging blood energy burst from Ye Lan's body.
Then, in an instant—Ye Lan vanished!
Li Jingyang heard a sound by his right ear and quickly turned his head.
He saw Zhu Zizhang sent flying!
Boom!
This time—behind him!
When Li Jingyang turned, Lin Ziping was gone!
Boom!
Left side!?
Where was Shen Xinshui?
As Li Jingyang spun around, he only heard the screams of his teammates and the thuds of something moving at high speed smashing into flesh.
In less than two seconds, the six around him had vanished.
BOOM!
A fierce force exploded from his chest. The moment he was struck, Li Jingyang only caught a glimpse of a golden-red afterimage.
He finally understood those terrifying moments!
Ye Lan was far too fast!
His speed wasn't something a normal human could possess!
"So… this is God Ye's world?" Li Jingyang muttered as he was sent flying out of bounds.
With Li Jingyang—the core—knocked out, the rainbow mist disappeared.
On the two-thousand-square-meter platform, only Ye Lan remained.
"Let us congratulate God Ye! He finished a one-versus-seven battle in under thirty seconds!"
"God Ye!"
"God Ye!"
"God Ye!"
Li Jingyang wiped the blood from his mouth and climbed back onto the stage. "God Ye, how did you ignore the Seven Shura Illusion Realm?"
Of course, Ye Lan wouldn't reveal his secrets. He said, "Although the synergy between your soul skills is incredible, allowing your spiritual-type to suppress almost every other...
"There is no such thing as a truly invincible soul. As the saying goes, for everything, there is something that overcomes it. I just happen to be your natural enemy."
"I see. Thank you for the explanation," Li Jingyang said gratefully. Although God Ye didn't reveal his secrets, he helped him understand that his previous belief in his own invincibility was wrong. God Ye was right—their Seven Shura Illusion Realm was no exception.
Before Li Jingyang left, Ye Lan reminded him, "When you face Shrek Academy, just surrender. They also have someone who completely counters illusions."
"Alright! Thank you for the warning, God Ye! This is very important to us!" Li Jingyang couldn't express his gratitude in words and bowed deeply to Ye Lan in front of the entire crowd.
Canghui and Shrek had a terrible relationship. If God Ye hadn't warned him, their upcoming battle would have ended with them being crippled by that infamously vicious academy.
Ye Lan waved his hand. As the saying goes, saving one life is better than building a seven-tier pagoda.
If he didn't warn them, those seven would definitely be turned into idiots by Tang San.
Behind each person was an entire family. By saving seven people, he had saved seven families. Saving seven families meant saving dozens of people.
With such merit, wasn't it reasonable to build him a pagoda of several hundred levels?
He had displayed most of his strength inside the rainbow mist precisely because no one outside could see clearly, so they couldn't accurately assess his power.
Ye Lan wasn't hiding his strength for any particular reason—he just wanted Tang San to misjudge him.
If he revealed his full power in the preliminaries, Tang San might turn into a cowardly lizard and refuse to fight in the ranking matches.
That wasn't what Ye Lan wanted. In the first round, Tang San and Shrek Academy had humiliated Heaven Dou's second team, slapping Heaven Dou Imperial Academy in the face. Wasn't it because of the grudge between their first teams?
Since Tang San and Shrek were so disgusting, he would absolutely crush them in the ranking matches.
That was why Ye Lan had been acting as a support when fighting other academies.
Now, in most people's eyes, Ye Lan was a scholar with terrifying defense and unmatched tactics—not a monstrous powerhouse.
Did Tang San dream of trampling him into the dirt in front of everyone?
Heh. Just wait and see.
Amid the thunderous applause, Ye Lan turned his back to the crowd and returned to the resting room.
"Teacher, Teacher! What's the lineup for tomorrow? I'm fighting Godwind Academy!" Zhu Zhuqing asked, grabbing Ye Lan's arm.
"Godwind Academy's seven members all have flying-type souls. So it'll be me, you, Yufeng, Ning Rongrong, Ye Lingling, Shi Mo, and Shi Mill," Ye Lan said after a moment.
"Alright! I won't let you down, Teacher!" Zhu Zhuqing said excitedly.
"When have you ever disappointed me?" Ye Lan pinched her cheek.
Feeling his warm fingers, Zhu Zhuqing's ears instantly turned red.
"Idol, isn't your Yan Yan playing?!" Dugu Yan asked eagerly.
"Hahaha, if you could fly, I'd let you replace Yufeng. Right now you're too cumbersome—a full-on heavy-armored warrior. Godwind Academy would torture you," Ye Lan laughed.
"Damn it!" Dugu Yan gnashed her teeth. For now, she was still just a land-bound dragon.
"Captain Ye doesn't dote on me anymore! I haven't played a single high-level match~" Oslo said in mock grievance.
Yu Tianheng smacked Oslo on the head. "You have the nerve to complain? You had the most fun beating up weaklings! The prelims are nearly over, and Zhu Zhuqing has barely been on stage."
"Hahaha, when it comes to agility-attack types, flying ones are obviously the most favored~" Yufeng said smugly to Oslo.
Oslo kicked Yufeng in frustration. "You have the gall to talk? Weren't you the one who said we should form a duo to bully weaklings!? You were even more outrageous than me!"
"Let's not point fingers. Just tell me, aren't the cheers from the junior and senior girls sweet?" Yufeng said with a wink.
"Hehe, if only we could battle every day!" Oslo said longingly.
(End of Chapter)