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The second day of the Elite Competition of Advanced Soul Master Academies of the Entire Continent officially began. Ten of the twenty-eight participating teams had already entered the arena. The layout of the Great Spirit Arena had undergone significant changes compared to the first day—in addition to the central main stage, four equally sized sub-stages had been added around it. Five giant stages were scattered across the vast venue, capable of accommodating eighty thousand people, without appearing crowded.
Today's schedule still divided the twenty-eight teams into three groups for competition. Shrek Academy was placed in the first group, and their opponent for this match was one of the favorites to win this competition—Elephant Armor Academy. Given the astonishing strength displayed by both sides in the first round, this highly anticipated match was, without a doubt, arranged to take place on the central main stage.
In the VIP section, the viewing lineup was almost identical to that of the opening ceremony. Emperor Xue Ye sat in the primary seat, and beside him, in addition to Ning Fengzhi and Salas, two more figures were present today. One was the pillar of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—Bone Douluo Gu Rong, and the other was a giant man, unforgettable at first glance.
This unique individual was like a human-shaped mountain, even when seated, he was a massive two and a half meters tall, occupying three seats. His dark skin shimmered with a metallic luster, and his huge, bell-like eyes gleamed with sharp light as they opened and closed. Although his hair was white, the oppressive aura emanating from his entire body made the surrounding VIPs involuntarily glance at him.
Feng Xiao's gaze shifted between Gu Rong and Xiao Wu in the Shrek camp, a hint of surprise in his eyes as he thought, "Without the concealment of Yearning Heartbroken Red, how is she hiding her Spirit Beast aura?" He lightly tapped his finger on the armrest, "Could it be... Tang Hao's doing?"
As the only human Spirit Master who knew Xiao Wu's true identity, that Clear Sky Douluo must have left a contingency. Feng Xiao secretly speculated that even if Tang San's Purple Demon Eye lost the enhancement of the Autumn Water Dew, he would probably find it difficult to see through this disguise.
Feng Xiao gently shook his head, casting aside any extraneous thoughts. "Forget it, what does this have to do with me?" he murmured to himself, unconsciously caressing the strings of "Fuxi." He understood the principle of a gentleman not standing under a crumbling wall better than anyone—now that he could easily manipulate Qian Renxue, how could he be so foolish as to provoke that legendary Clear Sky Douluo?
His gaze returned to the arena, and a calm smile appeared on Feng Xiao's lips. He firmly believed that the path of cultivation valued gradual progress, and when his strength was sufficient, opportunities would naturally arrive as promised. Just like the immortal flowers in the secluded valley, as long as they emit fragrance, colorful butterflies will naturally follow the scent. This is called not contending, yet contending.
Feng Xiao gently stroked the strings, a profound understanding flashing in his eyes. "Contending without contending is the best strategy."
Feng Xiao always believed that a Spirit Master's understanding of their Spirit was far more important than mere spirit power levels and a Spirit Bone skill, at least when everyone had the same potential.
In the original work, Qian Renxue's defeat, in his eyes, was precisely the result of her excessive obsession with "contention." A favored daughter of heaven with innate spirit power at level twenty should have reached the divine realm earlier than Tang San. Unfortunately, she wasted too much time on her petty disputes with Bibi Dong—to prove that she could achieve results surpassing Bibi Dong's, Qian Renxue spent a great deal of time on power struggles that were meaningless to her.
"What a pity..." Feng Xiao gazed at the snowy white figure in the VIP section, sighing softly in his heart.
Thinking of this, Feng Xiao's gaze became even more resolute. Now that his destiny and Qian Renxue's were intertwined, he would not allow the original ending to reappear.
"Continue to develop the uses of ultrasonic waves, master them as quickly as possible, and even integrate them with Tang Sect's unique skills," Feng Xiao gently stroked "Fuxi," feeling the spirit power flowing within his body.
The strings of "Fuxi" in Feng Xiao's arms trembled slightly as they had yesterday, and invisible sound waves quietly spread, creating imperceptible ripples in the air. This hidden probing technique went unnoticed even by the Spirit Douluo powerhouses maintaining order in the arena.
However, Bone Douluo Gu Rong in the VIP section suddenly frowned—as a Titled Douluo most sensitive to spatial fluctuations, he instantly pinpointed Feng Xiao's location. A hint of interest flashed in his sharp, eagle-like eyes: "An interesting little fellow..."
"Uncle Gu, what's wrong?" Ning Fengzhi noticed Gu Rong's unusual behavior and subtly sent a sound transmission to inquire.
Gu Rong's voice directly echoed in Ning Fengzhi's mind: "A young man is using his Spirit ability to probe the arena, and his method is quite exquisite."
A hint of surprise flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes. Using a Spirit ability to secretly probe was, to some extent, considered interfering with the competition. What shocked him even more was that such an act could escape the notice of so many experts present, and the practitioner was still a young man.
"If I weren't particularly sensitive to spatial fluctuations, I probably wouldn't have noticed either," Gu Rong's voice carried a hint of admiration, "He's not far from your right rear."
Ning Fengzhi used the action of straightening his sleeve to subtly glance in the direction Gu Rong indicated. When he saw Feng Xiao holding "Fuxi," his pupils slightly contracted: "It's him..."
Noticing the unusual look in Ning Fengzhi's eyes, Gu Rong's intrigued voice once again echoed in his mind: "What? Fengzhi, do you know this young man?"
"Yes," Ning Fengzhi gently stroked the scepter in his hand and replied via sound transmission, "This young man is named Feng Xiao, and he is one of Xue Qinghe's subordinates."
Upon hearing this, surprise appeared on Gu Rong's usually placid face: "I didn't expect the Heaven Dou imperial family could cultivate such a talent..." He cast a meaningful glance at Xue Qinghe, who was sitting upright not far away, "This boy indeed has good taste."
Ning Fengzhi said nothing more, merely elegantly picked up his teacup and took a sip. Amidst the swirling tea aroma, he was already planning in his mind to send someone to Nuoding City to thoroughly investigate Feng Xiao's background. After all, a young man whom even Uncle Gu praised would certainly not be a simple character...
"Although he is not suitable for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he might be useful in some way."
Ning Fengzhi gazed at Tang San leading the Shrek team into the arena, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. "Such a remote small city like Nuoding City can simultaneously nurture two such extraordinary young men..." He sighed inwardly, unconsciously caressing the scepter in his hand.
At the side of the arena, the strings of Feng Xiao's "Fuxi" trembled slightly, clearly feeding the scene in the arena back into his mind. When he sensed the physiques of the Elephant Armor Academy members, he couldn't help but widen his eyes—each of those students was over two meters tall, with bulging muscles, standing there like moving city walls.
"I wonder what these guys ate to grow up like this. Although the influence of Spirits is great, this is just too exaggerated," Feng Xiao secretly clicked his tongue, "If they were on the battlefield, they would be human-shaped battering rams." He could even imagine the earth-shaking scene when these giants charged while wearing heavy armor.
With the referee's command, the match officially began. Feng Xiao's gaze was fixed on Tang San, and invisible sound waves enveloped the entire arena like a spiderweb.
Tang San in the arena suddenly paused, his brow furrowing unconsciously. That feeling of being spied upon had returned—no matter how he activated his Purple Demon Eye, or how he pushed his Mysterious Heaven Skill to its limit, he couldn't find any clues. But the keen intuition of a martial artist told him that a pair of eyes in the shadows was watching his every move.
"Could it be..." A hint of realization flashed in Tang San's eyes, and his tense shoulders gradually relaxed, "Father is watching from the shadows?"
This thought warmed his heart, and his previously taut nerves relaxed. Tang San took a deep breath, refocusing his attention on the opponents before him. The seven "human fortresses" of Elephant Armor Academy had already formed a battle formation, pressing forward with an overwhelming momentum.
"No matter what, let's win this match first." The purple light in Tang San's eyes intensified, and Blue Silver Grass extended from his palm like a spiritual snake.
Through "Fuxi's" ultrasonic perception, Feng Xiao clearly captured every subtle change in Tang San's movements. He noticed that when Tang San's Blue Silver Grass came into contact with the Elephant Armored Academy disciples, it cleverly avoided their hardest parts, instead Binding around vulnerable areas like joints.
"What precise control!" Feng Xiao secretly praised, his fingertips unconsciously trembling slightly with Tang San's movements. This almost instinctive battle intuition was clearly honed through countless life-and-death struggles. The trajectory of every strand of Blue Silver Grass was as precise as a surgeon's scalpel, specifically attacking the opponent's weakest joints and acupoints.
Watching Tang San's fluid battle rhythm, Feng Xiao couldn't help but feel a little inferior. As a transmigrator from modern civilization, he inherently carried a certain restraint and hesitation of a civilized person. He would still unconsciously hold back when making a move, unable to be as decisive in killing as Tang San.
Feng Xiao's fingers gently brushed the strings, letting out an almost inaudible sigh. "This is the gap." He gazed at Tang San's sharp figure in the arena, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
As a transmigrator, he could never completely abandon the principles endowed by modern civilization—those persistent beliefs about human nature, bottom lines, morality, and the dignity of life. Aside from necessary life-and-death struggles, he would always instinctively hold back in daily life.
"To turn killing into an instinct like Tang San..." Feng Xiao shook his head self-deprecatingly, "One would have to kill a part of one's own soul first."
The strings trembled slightly, as if responding to the owner's inner struggle. Feng Xiao knew very well that in this World where the strong prey on the weak, such persistence might become a fatal weakness. But some things, even death, should not be easily discarded.
Feng Xiao never considered himself a saint, but he was certainly not a demon devoid of humanity.
He knew that he still retained the imprint of modern civilization deep down—something he was unwilling to erase no matter what.
In this World where the strong prey on the weak, this persistence might seem ridiculous, but it was precisely this "ridiculous" persistence that allowed him to remember where he came from. It was because of those memories that he had achieved what he had today.
"Some bottom lines..." Feng Xiao murmured to himself, "Once crossed, there's no turning back."
Qian Renxue seemed to sense something and turned to glance at him. Feng Xiao met her gaze, a slight smile on his lips. He knew that if Qian Renxue knew his thoughts, in Qian Renxue's eyes, his indecisive thoughts would probably be laughably naive.
In the arena, the contest between the Shrek team and Elephant Armor Academy had entered a heated phase. Feng Xiao's fingertips gently brushed the strings, taking in the entire battle situation through the feedback of the sound waves.
"Wonderful!" A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. What Tang San was demonstrating at this moment was a perfectly integrated tactic of Heart Separation Control and Controlling Crane Catching Dragon—using Blue Silver Grass to control the Shrek members, using Oscar's Flying Sausage to avoid Elephant Armor Academy's attacks, while also multitasking to direct the entire team's coordination.
Feng Xiao unconsciously hovered his fingers above the strings. As a musician, he could best appreciate how much effort was required behind such exquisite control. Every note had to be just right, just like every strand of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass controlled his teammates to land in the most suitable positions.
Feng Xiao gazed at Tang San's fluid battle rhythm, deep in thought. Ordinary musicians, through years of practice, can develop precise muscle memory in their fingers—that is an instinct that imprints skill into the body.
But the "Heart Separation Control" that Tang San was demonstrating was clearly more profound. It was not just muscle memory, but the division and application of mental force, like simultaneously conducting multiple independent orchestras playing different movements. Each divided consciousness maintained complete judgment and execution, yet was perfectly unified under the overall tactical plan.
"It's like..." Feng Xiao's fingers unconsciously pressed down on the strings, "playing the murderous sound of 'Ambush from Ten Sides' with the left hand, while the right hand has to interpret the delicate tenderness of 'Three Variations of Plum Blossoms.'"
This level of control had already transcended the realm of mere technique, touching upon the profound realm of mental force division.
Feng Xiao's fingertips gently caressed the strings, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes. "This exquisite control method is a pity it's not an internal skill; there's no obvious energy operation, so I can't learn it."
His gaze inadvertently swept over the snowy white figure in the VIP section, and Feng Xiao's lips curved into a slight smile.
"I need to ask her tonight if there's a chance to get it."
"Fuxi" in his arms seemed to sense something, and its seven strings vibrated without wind, emitting a faint hum. Feng Xiao shook his head with a wry smile, pulling his wandering thoughts back to the arena. If he could learn this Heart Separation Control method, both "Fuxi" and the "Innate Eight Trigrams Plate" would have greater room for development.
Soon, Tang San, with his powerful control ability, combined with Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's Hell White Tiger, finally found a flaw in the Elephant Armored Academy's impenetrable formation. With a fierce charge, the Hell White Tiger tore open the defense line, instantly disintegrating the Elephant Armor Academy's rock-solid defensive formation.
"Bang!"
A muffled sound suddenly came from the VIP section. The Elephant Armored Academy Sect Master, Hu Yan Zhen, had a livid face, and his huge, fan-like palms had actually crushed the armrest of his gilded seat. Wood chips fluttered from between his fingers, shimmering with tiny golden light in the sunlight.
Hu Yan Zhen's knuckles turned white, and an unquenchable sense of unwillingness surged in his chest. He had seen it clearly—the copper wall and iron barrier formed by three Spirit Ancestor-level Elephant Armored Academy elites, led by his grandson Hu Yan Li, should not have been defeated by a mere Spirit fusion skill.
"It shouldn't be like this..." he roared in his heart. Although the Hell White Tiger was strong, in normal circumstances, the combined efforts of three Elephant Armored Academy disciples would definitely be able to withstand it. As long as they endured this burst, victory should have been within reach.
But reality had slapped him hard. Shrek Academy had not only broken their proud defensive formation but had also ended the match with overwhelming force. Hu Yan Zhen stared intently at the young man controlling the Blue Silver Grass in the arena, his cloudy eyes filled with disbelief.
Feng Xiao gently stroked the strings, thoughtfully watching the arena. "Even without the immortal product's enhancement..." he mused, "Shrek is still at ease against an opponent with such a singular tactic."
The Elephant Armored Academy's proud defensive formation, in the face of Tang San's exquisite control and the Hell White Tiger's explosive power, ultimately revealed its fatal rigidity.