"Second soul skill, Magma Phoenix!"
"Third soul skill, Phoenix Wings Soaring to the Heavens!"
The cry of a phoenix echoed as Ma Hongjun's second and third soul rings lit up. A pair of black phoenix wings engulfed in orange flames materialized behind him. With a flap of his wings, he soared into the air.
"Third soul skill, Golden Wing Flight Sausage!"
Oscar chanted his incantation, and his third soul ring flashed repeatedly. Three "Golden Wing Flight Sausages," each with tiny wing-like appendages, quickly formed.
The effect of the Golden Wing Flight Sausage was flight. For soul masters with flight capabilities, offense and retreat became far more versatile, giving them a significant advantage over those unable to fly.
"Tai Long, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, catch!"
After preparing the sausages, Oscar immediately tossed one to each of Tai Long, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan.
Then, he retreated a few steps and stood behind Chu Chengzhou.
For Oscar, a food-type soul master with little combat ability, the safest place on the arena was undoubtedly behind Chu Chengzhou. If even Chu Chengzhou couldn't protect him, running elsewhere wouldn't help.
Jiang Zhu, the healing-type soul master, did the same, standing behind Chu Chengzhou alongside Oscar.
After consuming the Golden Wing Flight Sausages Oscar had thrown, Tai Long and the others grew a pair of golden glowing wings on their backs. Together with Ma Hongjun, they charged toward the Blazing Fire Academy team.
At this point, the members of the Blazing Fire Academy team weren't just standing around dumbfounded. Although the Sky Azure Tree summoned by Chu Chengzhou looked intimidating, they couldn't just give up—they were representing the Blazing Fire Academy. Surrendering without a fight would be too humiliating.
Besides, perhaps that giant tree was all bark and no bite?
"First soul skill, Explosive Fireball!"
Seeing the four airborne attackers approach, Huo Wushuang's martial soul, the Single-Horned Fiery Dragon, activated. Flames erupted across his body, expanding his form. His skin was covered in scorching dark red scales, and a three-inch horn protruded from his forehead. His first soul ring shone as he hurled a fiery ball over a foot in diameter toward the four flying opponents.
Using anti-aircraft artillery to hit planes? The accuracy was predictably poor. Moreover, Ma Hongjun's group was highly agile, and the speed of Huo Wushuang's Explosive Fireball wasn't particularly fast, making it easy to dodge.
However, just as the four prepared to evade, several emerald streaks shot out from behind them, embedding themselves into their bodies.
Instantly, a translucent emerald shield enveloped the four of them.
This was one of the innate soul skills of Xiao Qing, the Sky Azure Tree summon: Guardian.
With the strength of a ten-thousand-year summon, Xiao Qing's Guardian skill boasted a defensive power equivalent to a Soul King's ten-thousand-year defensive soul skill.
Under the protection of the emerald shield, Ma Hongjun and the others felt an overwhelming sense of security.
Huo Wushuang's Explosive Fireball?
A mere Soul Ancestor's first offensive soul skill—how could it break through the shield Xiao Qing had bestowed? They ignored it completely.
With no intention of dodging, the four pressed forward under the protection of their emerald shields, charging directly into the ranks of the Blazing Fire Academy team.
Boom—
In midair, the Explosive Fireball detonated, unleashing intense flames that engulfed a spherical area ten meters in diameter. Aside from Huang Yuan, who hadn't yet entered the explosion's range, Ma Hongjun and the other three were completely enveloped.
But a moment later, three figures emerged unscathed from the fiery blaze, still protected by their emerald shields.
Though Huo Wushuang's Explosive Fireball made a big show, its actual attack power was lackluster, far from enough to break through the defensive innate soul skill Xiao Qing had provided.
Seeing Ma Hongjun and the others charging fiercely without slowing down, aside from Huo Wu, who targeted the rear auxiliary trio near Chu Chengzhou, the rest of the Blazing Fire team unleashed a fierce barrage of attacks.
"Fourth soul skill, Tyrannical Dragon Flame Strike!"
"Fourth soul skill, Fire Crane Prairie Blaze!"
"Third soul skill, Flame Tornado!"
"Third soul skill, Seven-Star Explosive Fireballs!"
"Third soul skill, Sparks Like Rain!"
"Third soul skill, Sparks Like Rain!"
In an instant, six thousand-year fire-attribute soul skills converged on Ma Hongjun and the others.
So what if they had a green turtle shell? Smash it!
Flames surged and fire raged as the emerald shields on Ma Hongjun and the others trembled.
However, aside from Ma Hongjun, whose shield shattered after being struck by Huo Wushuang's fourth single-target offensive soul skill, Tyrant Dragon Flame Strike, along with several additional soul skills, the shields protecting the other three remained steadfast.
Several millennium-tier offensive soul skills from three-ring Soul Masters and a group attack soul skill from a Soul Ancestor simply weren't enough to overcome the shield Xiao Qing had bestowed.
Although Ma Hongjun lost his emerald shield, he sustained no injuries and retained his full combat strength.
"First soul skill, Magma Fire Line!"
The next moment, Ma Hongjun puffed out his cheeks, and his first soul ring lit up. A scorching line of magma erupted from his mouth.
"Not good, dodge!"
Sensing the intense heat radiating from the magma fire line, Huo Wushuang's expression changed. As he dodged, he urgently shouted to his teammates.
Though the Blazing Fire team managed to evade just in time, preventing Ma Hongjun's magma fire line from hitting its mark, it disrupted their formation.
Following this, Tai Long and the other three dove down, charging into the ranks of the Blazing Fire team.
Relying on the powerful defense of their emerald shields, Tai Long and the others attacked relentlessly, focusing their assault on the four three-ring Soul Masters of the Blazing Fire team.
Rather than injuring all ten fingers, it was better to sever one. Since they were only three-ring Soul Masters, even with strong defense, it would be difficult for them to deal with a Soul Ancestor. Their priority was to eliminate the four three-ring Soul Masters of the Blazing Fire team first.
Meanwhile, Huo Wu, who had been targeting the rear supports, reached Chu Chengzhou and the other two.
Looking at the "three supports" before her, Huo Wu smirked confidently.
Auxiliaries? They were practically useless. In her view, Lan Ba Academy had made a serious tactical error in this match.
Not only had they poorly arranged their lineup, but they also failed to assign anyone to protect the three supports at the back after the match began—a textbook example of tactical failure. She wondered if Chu Chengzhou's brain had been kicked by a donkey.
Of course, since they were opponents now, it benefited her own team if the enemy captain was incompetent.
Considering how well her team had performed so far, the kind-hearted Huo Wu decided she would graciously offer some pointers to the Lan Ba Academy team after the match.
Why not? It might cause trouble for other academy teams.
Huo Wu didn't even plan to use any soul skills. After all, the three before her—an auxiliary, a food-type soul master, and a healer—had no real combat abilities. Using soul skills might result in accidental injuries, which could lead to penalties from the referee for excessive force.
With a light tap of her toes, Huo Wu leapt into the air, delivering a flying kick aimed at Chu Chengzhou.
"Huh? Red?"
Catching a glimpse of the scenery beneath her red skirt, Oscar couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
Jiang Zhu: "..."
With sharp hearing, Oscar's soft exclamation reached Huo Wu, who was mid-kick. Her face immediately flushed with anger.
Huo Wu: "You pervert! I'm wearing leggings!"
But before she could lash out at Oscar or land her kick on Chu Chengzhou, several whistling sounds suddenly pierced the air.
Huo Wu saw several slender emerald vines shoot toward her at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, they wrapped tightly around her airborne kicking form.
Then, the vines tightened, suspending her upside-down from the tree.
Since Huo Wu was a girl wearing a skirt, Chu Chengzhou refrained from being lewd—he ensured she was suspended head-up rather than head-down.
Even so, the tight binding of Xiao Qing's vines accentuated Huo Wu's curvaceous figure.
Hmm, this art of binding was something Chu Chengzhou had learned in his previous life from certain teachers in an island nation, those days were indeed quite pleasant.
Hanging from the tree, Huo Wu was initially stunned, then furious. Her third soul ring lit up as she unleashed her soul skill, Repulsive Fire Ring.
Instantly, a dazzling ring of flames exploded outward.
Unfortunately, Huo Wu was only a Level 43 Soul Ancestor, while Xiao Qing, as a ten-thousand-year summon, equated to at least a Soul King. Additionally, Xiao Qing's vines were incredibly resilient, and Repulsive Fire Ring was a control-type skill with limited offensive power. Huo Wu couldn't break free from the vines' grip.
"Damn it!"
Realizing her Repulsive Fire Ring couldn't free her, Huo Wu cursed under her breath.
She wasn't without stronger soul skills—her fourth skill, Dancing Sun, packed more punch.
However, her fourth skill required a brief preparation motion. With her body tightly bound by the resilient vines, she was immobilized. Plus, there were numerous other vines nearby. If her skill release was interrupted, she'd suffer the backlash of martial soul recoil or lose control of her soul skill.
"Let me go!"
Struggling fruitlessly and overwhelmed by the shame of being bound, Huo Wu angrily shouted at Chu Chengzhou.
"Let you go? No way~"
Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow and wagged a finger.
Releasing Huo Wu wouldn't be a problem—he could simply toss her off the stage.
But since everyone here was playing the game, they adhered to the principle of neatness and order. Until all seven members of the Blazing Fire team were hung from the tree, Huo Wu couldn't be released first.
"You bastard! You'll pay for this!"
Huo Wu threw down a harsh threat.
Chu Chengzhou ignored her and turned his attention to Ma Hongjun and the others.
If it were a certain little fox, he might have done something more extreme. But for Huo Wu? He decided against it.
It wasn't that Huo Wu lacked beauty—it was just that Chu Chengzhou understood the importance of knowing his limits.
Having girlfriends was great, but too many could become problematic.
Five workdays and two rest days per week was perfect.
Little rabbit, little rich girl, big cat, little fox, archangel... Hmm, the Pope seemed pretty good too?
Wait, Tang San's mother, the Blue Silver Emperor, and his aunt Tang Yuehua seemed appealing as well. Tang Yuehua was unmarried, and after the Blue Silver Emperor reformed, she'd likely transition from a used car to a new one...
Tang San: You're asking for death!
At this moment, on the arena, Ma Hongjun and the others who had earlier charged into the Blazing Fire team's ranks had firmly taken the upper hand.
Excluding Huo Wu, the Blazing Fire team still had two Soul Ancestors and four Soul Elders.
Relying on the powerful defense of their emerald shields, Tai Long and the others endured the attacks from Huo Wushuang and company until their shields broke, managing to knock out the Blazing Fire team's Hua Lie, Hua Chui, and Hua Jun.
As for Hua Yu and another Soul Ancestor, Hua Yun?
These two were unlucky—their martial souls were fire-attribute flying cranes.
Ma Hongjun's martial soul, on the other hand, was the top-tier flying bird-type martial soul: Magma Fire Phoenix. Though its attributes differed slightly from a pure fire phoenix, it was still the king of birds, exerting a powerful suppressive effect on other avian-type soul masters' martial souls.
Faced with the suppression of Ma Hongjun's martial soul, Hua Yun and Hua Yu, possessing avian martial souls, wilted instantly.
With three knocked out and two suppressed, including one of the team's three main forces, Hua Yun, only Captain Huo Wushuang remained.
As the saying goes, two fists can't defeat four hands.
Facing the combined assault of Ma Hongjun and Tai Long's group, even though Huo Wushuang was a Soul Ancestor and Tai Long's group no longer had their powerful emerald shields, Huo Wushuang was still overwhelmed.
After all, Jing Ling and Huang Yuan were Level 35 Soul Masters, Tai Long and Ma Hongjun were Level 38 and 39 Soul Elders, and Huo Wushuang was only a Level 42 Soul Ancestor. Though the gap wasn't insignificant, the numerical advantage compensated for—and even exceeded—the quality difference.
Seeing Ma Hongjun's group gaining the upper hand and closing in on Huo Wushuang, Chu Chengzhou nodded in satisfaction.
He lightly waved his right hand, and a moment later, ten resilient emerald vines descended from Xiao Qing. Working in pairs, they tightly bound the five incapacitated members of the Blazing Fire team and hung them neatly beside Huo Wu.
Looking at the perfectly aligned Blazing Fire team hanging from Xiao Qing, Chu Chengzhou inwardly nodded with approval.
Chu Chengzhou: Families should always stay together!
"Jiang Zhu, why don't you heal them?"
After a moment's thought, Chu Chengzhou pointed to Hua Lie and the others, whose heads were bruised, and turned to Jiang Zhu.
Only Huo Wushuang remained, being overwhelmed. But since the match began, Jiang Zhu hadn't had a chance to act. As captain, Chu Chengzhou felt it was necessary to give his team members a sense of participation.
Otherwise, merely walking onto the stage without using a single soul skill would feel inappropriate.
Jiang Zhu: "..."
As a healing-type soul master, was she really supposed to use healing soul skills on the opponents?
Embracing the spirit of "friendship first, competition second" (fake), Jiang Zhu didn't refuse. Her soul rings lit up as she began casting healing soul skills on Hua Lie and the others.
Two minutes later, Huo Wushuang, overwhelmed by the combined efforts of Ma Hongjun's group, was knocked off the stage. Just as he was about to crash onto the ground outside the arena, several vines shot through the air, tightly binding him before pulling him back and hanging him beside the other six members of the Blazing Fire team.
Huo Wushuang: "..."
What's your deal? I've already lost, and you're still humiliating me?
Ignoring Huo Wushuang's glare, which seemed ready to spew flames, Chu Chengzhou turned his gaze to the referee outside the arena.
Soon, the referee stepped onto the stage and announced the match result: "Preliminary Round 1, Lan Ba Academy vs. Blazing Fire Academy. Lan Ba Academy wins!"
Immediately, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
The Blazing Fire Academy team was known for its strength, and since there were no other elemental academy matches in Group 1, most of the spectators focused on the central main stage.
After Chu Chengzhou summoned Xiao Qing, the massive Sky Azure Tree was impossible to miss.
Out of the five simultaneous matches in Group 1, over 95% of the audience's attention was on the central arena.
"This young man is interesting, very impressive!"
From the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye watched Chu Chengzhou unbind the seven members of the Blazing Fire team, who glared at him before dismissing the Sky Azure Tree summon. He couldn't help but comment.
Though Xue Ye wasn't a powerhouse himself, his judgment wasn't lacking. He could see that Lan Ba Academy's victory over the Blazing Fire team was largely due to Chu Chengzhou, the seemingly mischievous auxiliary-type soul master.
Before the match began, judging purely by surface strength, Lan Ba Academy was at a clear disadvantage.
After all, how could two auxiliary-type Soul Elders and five three-ring Soul Masters possibly defeat three battle-type Soul Elders and four three-ring Soul Masters?
But Chu Chengzhou single-handedly reversed the seemingly unfavorable situation and achieved an overwhelming victory.
And this was just one soul skill. Xue Ye found it hard to imagine what the scene would look like if Chu Chengzhou unleashed his other three soul skills.
"Your Majesty seems impressed by this young man?"
Hearing Xue Ye's praise, Ning Fengzhi smiled and asked.
"Indeed! This young man appears to be quite young, yet he has already reached the Level 48. His talent is extraordinary.
Not only does he possess remarkable cultivation talent, but his strength is also commendable. I can confidently say that this young man will become the pride of the Tian Dou Empire in the future!"
Xue Ye praised without reservation.
At this moment, Xue Ye couldn't help but entertain thoughts of recruiting him as a son-in-law.
To his knowledge, there was no prominent soul master family on the continent with a flag-type martial soul and considerable strength. Clearly, this young man likely came from a background without major factional support.
Moreover, his age seemed similar to Princess Xue Ke of the imperial family. If his character was decent, recruiting him as a son-in-law didn't seem like a bad idea.
After all, talented young men like him were rare, and he was also quite handsome.
As for his background?
On this continent, where might made right, for the imperial family, a son-in-law's cultivation talent and strength mattered far more than his background.
Once this young man grew stronger, he would naturally become a powerful asset.
"Your Majesty, perhaps I could introduce this young man to Qinghe later?"
Glancing at Chu Chengzhou as he walked off the arena, Ning Fengzhi smiled and suggested.
"Oh? Lord Ning, do you know this young man?"
Xue Ye was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, my daughter Rongrong happens to be a member of Lan Ba Academy—she just didn't participate in this match."
Ning Fengzhi nodded with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Xue Ye raised his eyebrows, feeling a bit frustrated.
The Tian Dou Empire and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were allies. As emperor, Xue Ye had dealt with Ning Fengzhi often enough to know he was a cunning old fox.
Since Ning Rongrong attended Lan Ba Academy, Ning Fengzhi must have thoroughly investigated this young man's background long ago.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's direct disciples were all auxiliary-type soul masters. The sect's strength relied on attracting external disciples through marriage alliances, recruitment, or cultivation.
With such exceptional talent, this young man was likely already part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, possibly even Ning Fengzhi's prospective son-in-law. Recruiting him was probably out of the question.
Fortunately, the two factions were allies, and as long as the Spirit Hall remained the dominant force in the soul master world, the alliance between the Tian Dou Empire and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was unshakable.
The addition of a talented genius to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was also beneficial to the Tian Dou Empire.
At the very least, when facing pressure from the Spirit Hall, the sect's experts could essentially be considered the empire's own.
"That's troubling, Lord Ning. Young people should exchange ideas."
Xue Ye didn't refuse Ning Fengzhi's suggestion.
"Your Majesty is too kind. Qinghe is my disciple."
Ning Fengzhi smiled. He had already planned to introduce Chu Chengzhou to Xue Qinghe.
After all, one was his prospective son-in-law and a future powerhouse of the continent, while the other was his disciple, the crown prince of the Tian Dou Empire and future emperor.
Watching Ning Fengzhi and Xue Ye exchange pleasantries, Salas beside them felt as if he'd swallowed a dead fly.
The addition of a talented genius to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect wasn't good news for the Spirit Hall.
"Should I throw a wrench in their plans?"
Salas thought to himself.
But soon, he shook his head.
The Soul Master Tournament was merely a stage for young soul masters to showcase themselves, offering little substantial benefit beyond prestige.
Even if obstacles were placed during the tournament, they wouldn't have much impact unless the young man was eliminated.
Unfortunately, this young man's strength seemed formidable. Few teams in the preliminaries could "accidentally" take him out. Perhaps only the Spirit Hall's team in the finals had the capability.
What about attacking him outside the arena?
Hmm, that was a possibility!
Geniuses from rival factions should be eliminated early.
After all, this young man was currently only a Soul Ancestor. Within the Spirit Hall, there were plenty of experts capable of eliminating him.
But once he grew stronger, eliminating him would become exponentially harder and costlier, potentially turning him into a major threat.
As for the consequences?
A dead genius was no longer a genius. As long as the deed was clean and not caught on the spot, even if the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect suspected the Spirit Hall, Ning Fengzhi wouldn't risk a full-blown conflict over a deceased genius.
Such murky accounts weren't uncommon. Otherwise, why did the vast Tian Dou Empire publicly have only three Title Douluos: Dugu Bo, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong?
Lost in thought, Salas began considering which experts under the Tian Dou Spirit Hall would be suitable for such dirty work.
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