Su Ming was surprised by Tianshui Academy's request for a friendly match. This was never mentioned in the original story, likely a butterfly effect from his own presence and the fact that, unlike in the original, Rongrong and others were now representing Tiandou Royal Academy.
Unfortunately, the academy's three commissioners didn't allow him or Xiao Wu to participate, saying they should "keep things mysterious" and hide their strength. They were to be spectators this time, while Dugu Yan would lead the team, which was enough.
Since he wasn't competing, Su Ming decided he'd enjoy the match as a spectator. He was especially curious if the famous Tianshui girl group would perform an opening dance, which he looked forward to seeing.
The next morning, Shui Binger and the other Tianshui team members were led to the reserved match venue by Tiandou Royal Academy staff, where Su Ming and his team had been waiting.
Dugu Bo said calmly, "Little monster, arrange this friendly match however you like. As long as you and Xiao Wu stay out of the ring, I won't interfere."
Su Ming nodded and gathered everyone. "Dugu Yan will lead the team. The lineup will be Shimo, Shimo'er, Zhuqing, Rongrong, Yufeng, and Oslo. Any objections?"
"No!" They had absolute respect for Su Ming, who was now a powerful Soul King. They wouldn't dare to object, especially since Su Ming was also their savior.
Dugu Yan added, "Don't be careless. The Tianshui team is a well-trained, strong team in the Soul Master Tournament, so we can't let our guard down!"
Yufeng responded nonchalantly, "Captain, what's there to worry about? We're all Soul Sects now, and you're a Soul King. No way Tianshui Academy has a Soul King-level opponent!"
The others, like Shimo and Shimo'er, nodded, brimming with confidence. They'd all grown stronger in these past months, with Shimo and Shimo'er at level 43, Yufeng and Oslo at 42. Though their progress wasn't as fast as Su Ming and his core team, it was still impressive.
Seeing their overconfidence, Dugu Yan replied seriously, "Don't assume that just because I'm a Soul King, we're guaranteed to win. This is just a friendly match, so I won't be using my full strength. I'll focus on controlling the field while Shimo and Shimo'er protect Rongrong, and the rest will focus on offense. We'll go with a 3-1-2 formation. If anyone messes up due to arrogance, prepare to sit out the main tournament next month! Understood?"
Startled, Yufeng and the others replied, "Yes!" They had no desire to miss out on the chance for fame in the upcoming tournament.
Soon, the Tianshui team, led by academy staff, arrived at the arena. When Su Ming saw the famed Tianshui girl group, his eyes lit up. As expected, each of them was beautiful. Su Ming especially recognized Shui Binger, Shui Yue'er, and Xue Wu, though the other four were less familiar.
Mainly, he remembered Shui Binger and Xue Wu's powerful Fusion Skill, "Dancing Snow," an attack so formidable that, without Tang San's protagonist plot armor, no one below Soul King could withstand it. Shui Yue'er, meanwhile, was unforgettable due to her well-known reputation as a hopeless romantic and Shui Binger's half-sister.
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena: "Today, we are honored to hold a friendly match between the Tiandou Royal Academy and Tianshui Academy! Will the teams please step forward for introductions?"
As they moved toward the arena, Xiao Wu whispered, "Brother Su Ming, did you see? Tianshui's team is all girls! Feeling tempted?"
Su Ming coughed awkwardly. "Xiao Wu, come on! Do I seem like that kind of guy?"
Without missing a beat, Xiao Wu replied, "Yes!"
Well, Su Ming had to admit to himself that seeing so many beautiful faces was tempting. But that was useless if they didn't feel the same about him, and they were only meeting for the first time.
Once everyone reached the center of the arena, but before Su Ming or Shui Binger could even greet each other, Shui Yue'er spoke up eagerly, "You're Su Ming? Captain of the Tiandou team? You're as handsome as they say!"
Shui Yue'er blushed, her hands on her cheeks, clearly lovestruck. Shui Binger sighed, lightly knocking her sister on the head. "Sorry about that. My sister is a bit of a fangirl."
Su Ming chuckled; he already knew Shui Yue'er was a romantic. Her reaction confirmed his appearance was at least acceptable. "Not a problem! I'm honored to be admired," he said, grinning shamelessly.
After brief introductions, Shui Binger turned to Su Ming and said, "Captain Su Ming, we prepared a special opening dance for this friendly match. Would you and your team be interested in watching?"
Su Ming's eyes lit up in delight. "Absolutely! As the Tianshui girl group, your academy is renowned for such performances. It's an honor to watch."
When everything was ready, Shui Binger and the others positioned themselves on the stage, with colorful lights flashing around the arena. Su Ming activated the recording function on his diary. Such a beautiful performance was worth saving to rewatch whenever he wanted. After all, it wasn't every day one could see the Tianshui girls perform. Su Ming couldn't help but feel a bit like a fanboy at a concert, surrounded by cheering fans.
As Su Ming activated the recording function, all the female leads could sense it. Xiao Wu and the others immediately concluded that Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and Xue Wu also had access to the diary system, which explained why they had pushed for this friendly match with Tiandou Royal Academy. They had an agenda! But, their actions benefited the other female leads who hadn't been as active recently.
After all, how long had it been since Su Ming last used the diary's recording feature? Thanks to the Tianshui girl group's dance, everyone would receive a reward tonight.
On the platform, Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and Xue Wu exchanged small smiles; their plan had worked. Now, they could focus on making the most of this match and studying the strength of Tiandou's team members—especially Dugu Yan, whose abilities they could not underestimate.
As Shui Bing'er considered her chances, she reflected on her own Ice Phoenix spirit. While the Ice Phoenix generally suppressed snake-type spirits, she wasn't sure how it would fare against Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. This serpent spirit bordered on dragon-type, putting it on par with her own. In terms of spirit rank, the Ice Phoenix and Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor were both top-tier, so any advantage she might have was minimal.
The Tianshui team finished their dance, leaving Su Ming a bit disappointed; he'd have to wait until the Soul Master Tournament in a month to see it again.
Standing at the edge of the arena, the host announced, "Thank you to Tianshui Academy for that wonderful performance! Now, let the friendly match between Tianshui Academy and Tiandou Royal Academy officially begin!"
Tiandou Royal Academy treated this match seriously, as evidenced by the presence of the three commissioners and Ning Fengzhi himself. Ning Fengzhi had come primarily to observe his beloved daughter's progress after months of intense training. Accompanying him was Sword Douluo Chenxin, who joined Su Ming and Xiao Wu to watch the match together.
As he arrived, Chenxin's brow furrowed as he detected the aura of a powerful figure—Dugu Bo. Thanks to Su Ming's guidance, Chenxin's understanding of swordsmanship had heightened his perception of others' spiritual power. While Dugu Bo wasn't outwardly displaying his strength, Chenxin could sense that he was now on par with him in strength. This revelation shocked him; Dugu Bo, whom he remembered at only level 91, had somehow advanced so dramatically. It became apparent that Dugu Bo, too, had greatly benefited from Su Ming's guidance.
Noticing their approach, Su Ming waved, "Uncle Ning, Grandpa Jian, you came too?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled, "I heard you'd be having a match with Tianshui Academy, so I wanted to see how much progress Rongrong has made. Su Ming, are you going to compete?"
Su Ming understood. Ning Fengzhi was mostly here to check on Rongrong. "Uncle Ning, the academy instructed me and Xiao Wu to stay out to keep some strength hidden. But as for Rongrong, she might surprise you—she's now at level 47! She didn't necessarily need to join this match since Dugu Yan is leading, but recently, she mastered a technique called the Four Aperture Heart Control. She wanted to test it out in this match."
Both Ning Fengzhi and Chenxin were taken aback; Rongrong's soul power and mastery over her control skill had improved far beyond what they'd expected.
Chenxin joked, "Fengzhi, remember when you were Rongrong's age? I don't recall you reaching this level."
Ning Fengzhi smiled wryly, "Indeed, Sword Douluo. Rongrong's talent far surpasses mine. When I was her age, I was only at the Advanced Soul Grandmaster level, while she's now a high-level Soul Ancestor! It's hardly comparable."
Ning Fengzhi knew this leap in Rongrong's progress was largely thanks to Su Ming. Her achievements alone wouldn't have propelled her this far.
On the platform, Dugu Yan's team took their positions in a 3-1-2 formation, while Shui Bing'er arranged her team in a 3-3-1 formation, with Snow Dance positioned as the support at the rear.
When the host announced the Tianshui team's soul power levels, Su Ming was momentarily stunned. While he didn't remember the others' exact levels, he knew Shui Bing'er had only reached level 43 in the original Soul Master Tournament. Now, she was at level 46!
The rest of the Tianshui team comprised:
Xue Wu: Level 44 Support Soul Master, with the "Snow Silk" spirit.
Shui Yue'er: Level 41 Agility Attack Soul Master, with the "Jade Dolphin" spirit.
Yu Hairou: Level 42 Power Attack Soul Master, with the "Coral Pike" spirit.
Gu Qingbo: Level 39 Agility Attack Soul Master, with the "Azure Barracuda" spirit.
Qiu Ruoshui: Level 38 Power Attack Soul Master, with the "Jade Lotus Bass" spirit.
Shen Liuyu: Level 38 Power Attack Soul Master, with the "Enamel Alligator" spirit.
With four Soul Elders, Tianshui's strength was impressive, though still weaker than Tiandou's.
As both teams' spirits and levels were introduced, the host shouted excitedly, "Begin!"
On the other side, Shui Bing'er eyed Dugu Yan's team, her expression tense. The odds of winning this friendly match seemed slim, but she was determined to give it her all.
"First Soul Skill: Ice Seal!"
Right at the start, Shui Bing'er aimed to take the initiative. Her first soul skill, a group control technique, was an instant-cast ability. Her goal was to restrain Dugu Yan and the three main attackers of the Tiandou team.
"Second Soul Skill: Ice Ring Armor!"
Simultaneously, Shui Bing'er activated her second soul skill, which created a layer of crystalline blue armor on herself and her teammates, providing them with some defensive power.
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X, i have finished uploading the whole series in patreon, thanks for supporting me and special thanks to all the patrons for joining
Readers...lend me your power stones...if you don't know how to get power stones? log in webnovel and get power stones everyday
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