"I definitely won't let you down," Gu Zhu Jian's eyes flashed coldly as he clenched his fists in secret.
"Both sides, step back and prepare for the match."
Just then, the referee's voice rang out.
Accompanying his voice, an invisible aura burst forth from his being, separating the taut, needle-pointed tension of the two sides.
"Eh, what is the Dou Ling Royal Battle Team doing? Such a strange formation."
Someone in the stands noticed something unusual.
The captain of the Dou Ling Royal Battle Team and direct attack class Battle Soul Master, Gu Zhu Jian, wasn't at the forefront of their team but stood in the middle.
At the front were the Dreadclaw Bear War Soul King Qian Yuan and the defensive Vajra Giant Shield War Soul King Chi Hengyu.
The agile attack class War Soul Master Han Ling'er was hidden close behind them, while the two control class Soul Masters in the team were positioned at the two flanks, protecting the core position where Gu Zhu Jian and the support class soul tool master Tang Niuniu at the rear stood.
This formation could only be described as bizarre. Why would direct attack class Battle Soul Masters stand where control class Soul Masters should be? What were they up to?
Everyone knows that something unusual is a sign of something odd, and it was very likely that the Dou Ling Royal Battle Team was holding back for a major attack!
By comparison, they were more eager to see how the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Academy would respond.
When the audience shifted their gaze, they were somewhat dumbfounded.
What's going on?
Compared to the Dou Ling Team, the Sun Moon Team was even stranger.
At the forefront, Ma Rulong, Meng Hongchen, Mika, and Xiao Hongchen, among others, stood in a line.
In the second row, there was only one person, Qin Xiao.
"Ah, this..."
"Are they serious?"
"Damn it, I bet all my golden soul coins on the Sun Moon Team winning. Can they win like this?"
"The stranger the posture, the faster you die. Take my advice, give up before the match starts."
The public was all abuzz with speculation.
Both teams competing today were acting very oddly.
However,
only magic can defeat magic.
All fear stems from insufficient firepower!
"Let the match begin!"
At the referee's command, the great battle was on the verge of erupting.
The seven members of the Dou Ling Battle Team all activated their Martial Souls.
And a few even released their soul skills immediately.
Their demeanor suggested as though once they threw out their soul skills, their job was done.
The defensive Soul Master Chi Hengyu released his massive Vajra Shield Martial Soul.
The giant shield was rectangular at the top and triangular at the bottom, standing over two meters tall and more than one and a half meters wide.
As soon as the Vajra Shield was released, Chi Hengyu's first move was to thrust the shield fiercely into the ground. Then, the light from his fifth Soul Ring began to shine, and as the dazzling white glow burst forth amidst the purple of his fifth Soul Ring, the shield, already massive, expanded instantly—splitting once, then again, doubling until it formed a vast wall of shields, blocking everything in front of it.
This was Chi Hengyu's fifth soul skill, the Vajra Barricade. A formidable defensive soul skill.
Releasing their soul skills at the same time as Chi Hengyu were Tang Niuniu and Qing Feng.
Tang Niuniu, petite in stature, twitched and her ears became furry and quite adorable; her body also gained a bit of weight, her face round and chubby. Clasping her hands in front of her, her third Soul Ring lit up as she shone a green light directly onto Qing Feng. Her Martial Soul was the Raccoon, a pure support type. The soul skill she was using amplifies the soul power she outputs to her teammates, increasing the potency of their next soul skill by a certain ratio.
With the boost from Tang Niuniu, Qing Feng's fourth Soul Ring lit up.
A layer of earthy yellow light spread from beneath his feet and the whole arena began to shake violently. Accompanied by a booming sound, a massive wall of earth surged forward like a wave. Meanwhile, in front of Chi Hengyu's Vajra Barricade, spikes of earth sprouted, combining with the thick wall of earth to reinforce Chi Hengyu's defense as if it were an impregnable iron wall.
"Considering their cultivation levels and Martial Soul traits, it's unlikely they can use any terrifying Soul Fusion Skills. But with their current formation, they're likely planning to unleash a powerful move. So, I'm guessing they've got a powerful soul tool, likely creating a comfortable environment to deliver a killing blow to us," deduced Ma Rulong almost immediately.
Then,
he looked at Qin Xiao, "Whether we can win or not depends on you."
Ma Rulong knew that in such a situation, breaking through the defense head-on would be tricky. The only breakthrough lay above.
Attacking from above would surely be a great way to hit the enemy inside the wall of shields.
And to accomplish that, they would rely on Qin Xiao's Spiritual Detection for precise strikes.
Qin Xiao nodded calmly, "No problem."
The next moment, invisible spiritual power erupted from him as the center.
Like invisible ripples, it began to spread out.
Instantly, it covered the entire field.
A three-dimensional holographic image appeared in Qin Xiao's mind.
Then, he activated his Mental Sharing ability, directly sharing the images from his mind with Ma Rulong, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and others.
Immediately after, their faces unanimously revealed expressions of surprise and delight.
That's exactly the feeling they needed!
Without a doubt!
The next moment, several large-caliber soul cannons appeared in everyone's hands.
Each person had at least a dozen or so.
The dark muzzles were intimidating.
"Wow, are these guys from the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Master Team this tough?"
"So many soul cannons, the firepower is definitely there. But are you sure there's no problem with the accuracy?"
The audience in the stands were all astonished, staring intently at the arena to see how Ma Rulong and the others would break through the defense.
"Hmph, by the time you break through the defense, I will have already completed the power buildup," Gu Zhu Jian said with a cold smirk around the corner of his mouth.
In his hands appeared a metal disc.
Meanwhile.
Ma Rulong suddenly shouted, "Brothers, focus fire!"
Ma Rulong was the first to raise his cannon's barrel, clearly going above the earthen wall and shield defenses.
"What does this mean? Can he really bypass our defense and attack our team members?" Qing Feng said, somewhat bewildered and agape.
To be honest, they couldn't believe it.
Without a target, how could you hit your mark?
If you're talking about those cluster-type soul cannons that can 'bloom' after being launched, that might be plausible.
But soul cannons... better forget it.
However.
Sometimes, reality can be absurd.
The very next moment, the dozen or so soul cannons on Ma Rulong's back fired simultaneously.
Soul Power cannonballs traced an arc through the air, actually bypassing their defense and striking from above.
Even more absurdly, these dozen or so attacks were incredibly consistent, all targeting Gu Zhu Jian, who was kneeling on one knee, holding up a metal tray.
Gu Zhu Jian: "???"
He was stunned.
What's going on?
Do Ma Rulong's soul cannons have eyes, to be able to accurately target him like that?
Damnit, is this cheating?
"Don't panic, I believe it must be a coincidence!"
"Captain, activate the Invincible Shield first to hold on, I believe their next attack can't be that accurate."
Qing Feng swiftly reminded the bewildered Gu Zhu Jian.
Hearing this, Gu Zhu Jian also thought it was a good idea.
With a thought, an Invincible Shield soul tool, already prepared, activated.
There was a whoosh, and a golden glow formed a protective shield shaped like an eggshell around him.
"Damn it, a hundred thousand golden soul coins for just three seconds, too expensive," he felt his heart bleeding.
A hundred thousand golden soul coins for three seconds, and that's just the entry-level Invincible Shield.
Even so, it could let a Soul King withstand the attack of a Soul Douluo for three seconds.
By extension, the higher the level of the Invincible Shield, the stronger the defense, and naturally, the price would increase exponentially.
But then again, if they could win the championship and secure three soul bones, Gu Zhu Jian felt it was all worth it.
It was just like making an investment.
After all, this edition of the Soul Master competition was without Shrek, the perennial champions.
As long as they could defeat the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Academy in this match, anyone could potentially become the champion!
Who doesn't have dreams?
Moreover, the Dou Ling Royal Battle Team was extremely well-prepared.
As long as they had the chance to unleash their soul tools, victory was in sight.
"Boom, boom, boom."
Ma Rulong's Soul cannon had successfully hit its target.
Sparks flew in all directions.
In that moment, everyone within the earth walls and shield couldn't help but squint their eyes.
It was simply too dazzling.
But, they still vaguely made out the silhouette in the midst of the cannon fire.
Gu Zhu Jian had withstood the baptism of the Soul cannon.
In the fierce bombardment, he stood like a rock in the sea, towering steadfastly.
"The captain is awesome!"
"The Invincible Shield is awesome!"
"Those hundred thousand golden soul coins were well spent!"
The members of the Dou Ling Battle Team present were incredibly excited.
They knew that what Ma Rulong was using was no ordinary soul tool, but at least a sixth-level one, not something even a Soul Sage would dare to take head-on.
"Hmph, a sixth-level soul guiding cannon is nothing more than this."
Gu Zhu Jian still maintained a kneeling posture, with one knee on the ground, holding up that mysterious metal disc in his hand.
However.
Within a mere three seconds.
His expression changed drastically, instinctively looking up into the sky, his eyes suddenly filled with horror.
"Captain, what's wrong?"
Qing Feng, Tang Niuniu, and the others also noticed Gu Zhu Jian's abnormality and instinctively looked up, their hearts sinking, faces turning pale.
They saw the light from one soul cannon after another was so bright and dazzling.
"Damn it! They're still targeting me."
"I can't handle it anymore! My Invincible Shield won't hold, everyone, come and protect me!"
Gu Zhu Jian shouted in despair.
Qing Feng, Tang Niuniu, and other members of the Dou Ling Battle Team immediately sprang into action.
They stood in front of Gu Zhu Jian without hesitation, activating the Invincible Shield.
This was also the only Invincible Shield they had left.
Boom, boom, boom.
The Soul cannonballs rained down like a torrent, one wave after another.
Everyone on the side of Dou Ling Battle Team was suffering.
Damn it.
It seemed like they were just live targets.
How could they aim so precisely?
Were soul tools so powerful now that they didn't need to aim to hit their target?
It was outrageous.
Yet.
All they could do now, apart from inwardly ranting frantically, was nothing.
Oh.
No, that's not right.
The only thing they could do was to use the Invincible Shield to fend off the attacks.
....
"Hahaha, exhilarating!"
"I just love this feeling of exerting brute force and leaving the rest to miracles."
"The feeling of being under a Soul Guidance Cannon Ground Sweep must suck, huh?"
"These idiots from the Dou Ling Battle Team, have they forgotten what the advantage of a Soul Master is? Has no one taught them that when fighting a Soul Master, you must try to close the distance right at the start?"
From a distance, Ma Rulong, Xiao Hongchen, Mika and others continued bombing ecstatically while coldly mocking.
The Dou Ling Battle Team's maneuver was perplexing to the extreme.
They actually gave up their own advantage and went for a head-on clash with soul tools?
Somewhat seriously ill.
Moreover,
they still have Qin Xiao, this wall hanger.
With Qin Xiao's assistance, they could easily hit their targets even with their eyes closed. Did they really think that an earthen wall and shield would protect them?
In fact, these two measures, which they saw as life-saving, actually restricted them.
...
In the stands.
The audience shook their heads too.
It shouldn't be like this, it really shouldn't.
The onlookers see clear while the player is confused; even if the vast majority of the audience are not Soul Masters, they could still see that the Dou Ling Battle Team's strategic approach was mistaken.
They plunged themselves into danger right at the start.
...
"Hahaha, big brother, look. These kids from the Dou Ling Battle Team are really stupid," a burly man excitedly slapped his thigh.
Today's battle was indeed interesting, lively enough.
He liked to watch, loved it, in fact.
However,
the big-headed man next to him did not laugh but frowned deeply instead.
The burly man immediately noticed something was off and turned his head to ask the big-headed man, "Big brother, why aren't you laughing? Don't tell me you bet on the Dou Ling Battle Team to win today's match?"
The big-headed man: "..."
He was somewhat speechless.
His brother was no good at doing serious things, yet he excelled in all sorts of messy affairs.
"Hmph, I'm nothing like you," the big-headed man snorted and pointed at Qin Xiao in the ring, whispering, "Have you noticed that this guy is different from the others?"
Different? The burly man paused for a moment, took a careful look at Qin Xiao, and his eyes suddenly lit up, "Hey, you have a point, a really good point."
"This kid is indeed different. While his teammates are bombarding the opponents wildly, he just stands there, doing nothing. Isn't he too out of place?"
"Oh, I get it. Looks like he must be a descendant of the nobility from the Sun-Moon Empire, who entered the arena just for the sake of gold-plating, right?"
It's like many rich and official second-generations who need some work experience.
So it looks better when they go back home to take over the family business.
He obviously took Qin Xiao for such a person.
But,
the big-headed man obviously did not agree with the burly man's words, "No, you're wrong."
"I'm wrong?" The burly man was taken aback, "Where did I go wrong?"
The big-headed man's eyes flashed with a hint of insight, "First and foremost, that youngster has a Soul Ring shining and glowing on his body, which proves he is using a soul skill."
"But I did not see his Martial Soul," the burly man said curiously, "Big brother, if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed, where is this kid's Martial Soul?"
"Look at his eyes," the big-headed man gave a hint.
"Eyes... golden... wait a moment..."
The burly man's pupils suddenly shrank, and he thought of a possibility, "Are you saying, his eyes are his Martial Soul? He's actually a self martial soul."
"At last, you see the light," the big-headed man sighed, "They say those with self martial souls have a certain sense between them. But I haven't seen any sign of it in you."
"Er..." The burly man laughed awkwardly.
The big-headed man didn't pay him any mind but said seriously, "If I'm not mistaken, that kid possesses an extremely rare Eye Martial Soul, with abilities in the spiritual aspect."
"Of course, that's just the surface."
"The eyes are a mysterious part, connected to the brain, hence his powerful spiritual abilities. You can tell the quality of this kid's Martial Soul must be very high, right?"
Hiss... Hearing this, the burly man's pupils shrank drastically, and he gasped, "Big brother, if that's the case, this kid is too important to our Body Sect. If he could join our Body Sect and awaken his Martial Soul a second time, even within the sect, he should be considered a prodigious existence, right?"
After hearing that, the big-headed man first nodded gravely, then shook his head.
"Big brother, what do you mean? Do you think this kid's talent isn't good enough?"
"I acknowledge this kid's talent as well; it's definitely a top-tier self martial soul. But, the reason I shook my head is to tell you, the possessors of self martial souls are the heirs of our Body Sect. What's this about joining Body Sect?"
The big-headed man looked at Qin Xiao with a sparkle in his eyes, "This kid is like a child who can't find his home. Once his match is over, we'll guide him back to the sect."
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT