Chapter 68 Mixed Battle.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng stepped forward, keeping a certain distance between them.
Ma Xiaotao said, "For the main selection, I'll choose Gongyang Mo first. For the backup team, I want Wu Xuan."
Choosing a support for the main selection was a wise move; she herself was the strongest offensive character present, and having support made a world of difference. Among the backup team, Wu Xuan also had the highest cultivation level.
Gongyang Mo walked to Ma Xiaotao's side, smiled slightly, and said, "Xiaotao, you have good taste."
A hint of disgust flashed in Ma Xiaotao's eyes as she said, "Keep five meters away from me, or don't blame me for being impolite."
Gongyang Mo wasn't annoyed and stood five meters away from her with a smile.
Wu Xuan also came to Ma Xiaotao's side and greeted her, "Sister Xiaotao."
Ma Xiaotao gave Wu Xuan a gentle smile and said, "Wu Xuan, stand next to me."
Seeing Ma Xiaotao's gentle tone, Gongyang Mo took several steps back as if he had seen a ghost, his expression almost collapsing.
Ling Luochen, standing to the side, looked at Ma Xiaotao with great surprise. Among those present, she and Ma Xiaotao had the worst relationship; one was like ice, the other like fire, incompatible as fire and water. Moreover, she had refused to help Ma Xiaotao suppress her evil fire because she found it troublesome, so the two had always been at odds in the inner courtyard. However, she was also one of the people who understood Ma Xiaotao best.
The other inner courtyard disciples were also dumbfounded, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable.
Ma Xiaotao raised her chin at Dai Yueheng somewhat provocatively, "Your turn."
Dai Yueheng also gave Ma Xiaotao a strange look and said in a deep voice, "Chen Zifeng, Xu Sanshi."
Ma Xiaotao had chosen Wu Xuan, the highest-ranking support and backup candidate, so he chose Chen Zifeng, the highest-ranking among the remaining support candidates, and Xu Sanshi, the highest-ranking backup candidate.
Chen Zifeng and Xu Sanshi each walked to Dai Yueheng's side.
Seeing Dai Yueheng finish his selection, Ma Xiaotao stopped talking to Wu Xuan, smiled slightly, and made her choice again, "Xixi, Xiaoxiao."
Xu Sanshi's expression changed upon hearing this; he opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Wang Dong's lips twitched when he heard Ma Xiaotao choose Xiaoxiao, and his gaze towards Xu Sanshi and the others immediately filled with pity.
Only the reserve team knew how disgusting the combination of Xiaoxiao's group slowdown and Wu Xuan's group speedup was.
The tragic fate of the senior students in the Soul Fighting Zone was still vivid in their minds.
Dai Yueheng glanced at the group with suspicion but didn't ask any further questions.
After seeing Ma Xiaotao's choice, Dai Yueheng decisively chose the last two members of the main selection, "Ling Luochen, Yao Haoxuan."
Ma Xiaotao naturally chose two more, this time both being reserve members from the outer academy, "Beibei, Jiang Nannan."
At this point, both sides had completed their selections, and the last two remaining members of the reserve team, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, naturally joined Dai Yueheng's side.
Xiao Xiao made a gloating face at Wang Dong, who immediately clenched his fists in anger and walked towards Dai Yueheng's team with a grief-stricken and humiliated Huo Yuhao.
Ma Xiaotao's team consisted of herself, Gongyang Mo, Wu Xuan, Xi Xi, Xiao Xiao, Bei Bei, and Jiang Nannan.
Dai Yueheng's final choices were Chen Zifeng, Ling Luochen, Yao Haoxuan, Xu Sanshi, Wang Dong, and Huo Yuhao.
This sparring match, led by Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, was intended to improve team cohesion but also to test their team selection abilities.
Elder Xuan took a swig of his fragrant wine, glanced at Dai Yueheng's team, and shook his head slightly. However, he chuckled and said, "Since you've chosen your teammates, I'll give you ten minutes to discuss tactics. The sparring will begin in ten minutes. The loser just has to shout 'I'm a pig!'"
Wu Xuan's lips twitched. What kind of punishment was this? It was too cruel; he didn't want to shout it.
The other students also had varying expressions, but none of them uttered a word to refute Elder Xuan's words.
Then, the seven students from each side slowly separated, each taking their place on one side of the assessment area.
Gongyang Mo asked Ma Xiaotao in a low voice, "Xiaotao, how do we fight?"
Ma Xiaotao sneered, "Gongyang Mo, once the competition starts, you only need to support us. I'll deal with Dai Yueheng, Wu Xuan, and Xiao Xiao will assist you with Chen Zifeng and Xu Sanshi. As for Xixi, Ling Luochen will be at a disadvantage with Yao Haoxuan by his side. So, let Beibei and Jiang Nannan hold them off. You go and deal with Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong on the other side first."
"Ling Luochen and Yao Haoxuan, Beibei and the other two can't hold them off! Their double-control combination is very troublesome, you should know that," Xixi said, frowning slightly.
Ma Xiaotao smiled slightly, "You don't need to worry about that. With Junior Brother Wu Xuan there, no amount of control from the other side will be effective." Gongyang Mo and Xixi both looked at Wu Xuan upon hearing this.
Wu Xuan said calmly, "My first soul skill can remove any negative status effect from the mental attribute, and tangible elemental forces from the outside world will also be annihilated by my ultimate wind. So those two pose no threat."
"Ultimate martial soul?" the two exclaimed.
Wu Xuan smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing! Huo Yuhao on the other side also has an ultimate martial soul, and it's ultimate ice. He and Wang Dong also have a martial soul fusion skill, so you need to pay special attention to him."
Xi Xi's pupils shrank slightly upon hearing this. Are all the junior students from the outer academy so extraordinary now? Two ultimate martial soul masters have appeared in one year.
Gongyang Mo, standing to the side, looked at Dai Yueheng's team on the other side and shook his head helplessly. Although he didn't know where Ma Xiaotao got her confidence from, he still believed that Ma Xiaotao wouldn't act recklessly.
Ten minutes passed quickly, and Dai Yueheng's side had obviously made some arrangements. The two sides faced each other at opposite ends of the assessment area.
Several inner academy students of Dai Yueheng looked at Wu Xuan with wary expressions, obviously having heard about Wu Xuan's terrifying power from Xu Sanshi and the others. But since I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I can only improvise.
Elder Xuan's voice rang out again, "From now on, you are not classmates, but rivals. I don't need to tell you what to do to compete for a spot that isn't a pig, do I? No need to hold back, let's begin."
As soon as Elder Xuan finished speaking, both sides moved simultaneously.
Ma Xiaotao was the first to rush out, her martial spirit manifesting, red feathers silently appearing, and flames blazing in her eyes.
Intense crimson flames burst forth, illuminating the entire arena.
The instant Ma Xiaotao rushed out, Xixi also moved, using Ma Xiaotao's flames as cover, hiding behind her, and vanishing in a flash.
Two pairs of magnificent wings appeared simultaneously in the arena: one pair was Wang Dong's Goddess of Light Butterfly, and the other pair was the pair of broad wings on Gongyang Mo's back. The wings were rainbow-colored, extending from crimson on the back to purple at the wingtips.
The seven colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—were crystal clear, and when he took flight, it was like a rainbow soaring through the air.
This was Gongyang Mo's Rainbow Dragon Martial Soul, a top-tier support-type beast Martial Soul, comparable to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in terms of support capabilities.
A flash of lightning, and Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan also activated their Martial Souls, rushing towards the opposite side alongside Ma Xiaotao.
Wu Xuan and Xiao Xiao, however, were slower, lagging far behind the others.
Seven against seven, a mixed battle between the inner and outer academies of the Shrek Seven Devils was about to unfold.
The Shrek Academy assessment area was vast, and although both sides were fast, closing the distance took time. As the two sides approached within a hundred meters, dazzling seven-colored light flashed in the air, and Gongyang Mo's first and second yellow hundred-year soul rings lit up simultaneously. The Rainbow Dragon's wings flapped behind him. A red and an orange halo quietly expanded from his body, enveloping all his allies below.
Ma Xiaotao's six-person team felt their power surge, their soul power recovery speed accelerate, and two halos, one red and one orange, appeared above their heads. With this level of support, the entire team's strength increased dramatically. This demonstrates the crucial role of support-type Soul Masters in battle.
Wu Xuan also understood at this moment why Ma Xiaotao chose Gongyang Mo first.
On the other side, Dai Yueheng and his seven companions also charged forward. Dai Yueheng took the lead, having already released his Evil-Eyed White Tiger Martial Soul, his eyes gleaming with a dark light, filled with fighting spirit.
Chen Zifeng followed closely behind. Although he hadn't released his own Martial Soul, his speed was by no means slow.
At the same time, Yao Haoxuan, who was quite thin on the opposite side, roared, stomped his right foot heavily on the ground, and leaped into the air. A giant ape over four meters tall appeared out of thin air.
As Yao Haoxuan landed suddenly, the entire Soul Arena trembled, as if an earth dragon had overturned.
Five Soul Rings lit up on his body, two yellow, two purple, and one black.
Behind him, the giant ape's huge fist slammed into his chest like a giant hammer, and two yellow Soul Rings lit up simultaneously.
"Thump, thump, thump, thump..." Amidst the muffled thuds, rings of yellow light could be clearly seen spreading from Yao Haoxuan's body, enveloping each of his teammates in a yellow glow, their auras noticeably sharper.
Meanwhile, the group charging forward on Wu Xuan's side experienced dizziness under the combined effect of the yellow light and the deep sound. This was especially true for the four at the forefront: Ma Xiaotao, Xixi, Jiang Nannan, and Beibei. Their movements visibly faltered.
In team battles, the control-type Soul Master always strikes first. As Yao Haoxuan displayed his abilities, Ling Luochen, the main control Soul Master beside him, slowly raised her fair right hand.
Of the five optimally matched Soul Rings rising from beneath Ling Luochen's feet, the first two hundred-year Soul Rings were lit.
"First Soul Skill, Frost Staff!"
She grasped in the air with her raised right hand, and a two-meter-long staff, entirely formed of condensed ice crystals, took shape amidst a shimmering icy blue light.
"Second Soul Skill, Ice Armor!"
Ice crystals condensed on her delicate body, quickly forming a pale blue ice armor that refracted brilliant light under the sunlight.
Pointing her staff towards the sky, the heavens were instantly stained with an icy blue hue, and gusts of icy blue air swept towards Bei Bei and the others on the ground. That casually directed icy blue current wasn't a soul skill, but a powerful martial soul instinct.
Each current was like a comprehensive control skill; the extreme low temperature was secondary, its primary function being to slow down the enemy's movements.
At that moment, Wu Xuan, at the end of the group, silently gathered a gentle breeze around him. As Wu Xuan slightly raised his right hand, emerald green wind elements drifted out and converged around him.
Yellow, purple, purple, black—although he only had four soul rings like Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and the others, this unusual soul ring configuration still caused the pupils of the inner court disciples to shrink sharply.
Especially the deep, ten-thousand-year-old spirit ring, standing out conspicuously among the reserve team members who generally only possessed yellow and purple spirit rings.
"First Spirit Skill, Gathering Spirit Wind!"
The yellow first spirit ring shone brightly, and as Wu Xuan rapidly formed hand seals, a cool breeze quickly blew out from around him.
As the breeze surged forward, the yellow aura surrounding Yao Haoxuan's teammates faded rapidly, even the dull thuds from his fists pounding his chest were slowly extinguished by this breeze.
Yao Haoxuan was horrified to discover that the effects of his first two spirit skills were completely suppressed by Wu Xuan's first spirit skill.
Not only were Yao Haoxuan's first two spirit skills suppressed, but Ling Luochen's icy blue chill also suffered the same fate. Upon contact with Wu Xuan's breeze, it dissipated at a visible speed.
In the air, Ma Xiaotao's blazing phoenix flames, enveloped by the breeze, exploded as if boiling, the terrifying heat causing Dai Yueheng to retreat repeatedly. Clearly, after being amplified by Wu Xuan's first soul skill, Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Flame has reached the level of ultimate fire.
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(End of this chapter)