Seeing that no one raised further objections, Bibi Dong continued, "This morning, each of your teams will field seven participants in a knockout match. The winning team will advance directly to the championship match tomorrow, while the remaining two teams will battle it out in the afternoon for the final qualifying spot. Now, you may select your first contestant."
As Bibi Dong announced the rules, Tang San discreetly transmitted a message to Su Ming, "Su Ming, how about we discuss an alliance?"
Su Ming raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well, well, isn't this Tang San himself? If I had to guess, you're worried about Qian Renxue's strength as a Soul Douluo and want to team up in the individual rounds to eliminate the Spirit Hall team, right?"
Tang San admitted, "That's right. We won't stand a chance against Qian Renxue in the knockout rounds unless we join forces!"
Su Ming looked at Tang San with a half-smile and responded, "Tang San, what made you think I'd lose to Qian Renxue, a Soul Douluo?"
Tang San argued, "Fine, I admit you're strong. You managed to beat the three-way Spirit Fusion from Tianshui Academy, but you must have used some secret technique to boost your strength temporarily. There's no way you can sustain that power for long."
Su Ming: …
So Tang San thinks my Sage Mode is limited? How amusing.
Su Ming could understand Tang San's reasoning; after all, he had only used this ability in front of them once. Tang San's conclusion was simply an assumption. Su Ming looked at Tang San playfully, "What's this? Weren't you swearing to defeat me just recently? Now you want to team up against Spirit Hall?"
"Alright, even if I agreed, there's a problem—who gets the first qualifying spot? I doubt you'd give it to me."
"If you handed it to me, you'd have to face Spirit Hall in the afternoon. But you're reaching out now because you're not confident, right? We eliminate Spirit Hall, and all the rewards fall to you. You must think I'm easy to fool."
Tang San's expression hardened—Su Ming had pinpointed the flaw in his plan. This was something Tang San had anticipated; he knew Su Ming wouldn't agree easily. Refusing to give up, he continued, "We could work it out. Since we're teaming up against Spirit Hall, a few 'accidents' during the knockout matches could weaken their main players. That way, Spirit Hall won't be at full strength in the afternoon."
Su Ming looked at Tang San as if he were an idiot. "Tang San, have you trained yourself into stupidity? You almost died from Blazing Academy's attack, yet you were bouncing back the next day."
"Spirit Hall controls over seventy percent of the continent's spirit masters. Even if we heavily injure their main players, Spirit Hall can restore them to seventy or eighty percent strength by afternoon. Thunder Academy alone couldn't handle that. Haha!"
Tang San, now speechless, could only mutter, "So, you're not going to cooperate? We'd have a chance at the championship if we teamed up. Don't you want those three spirit bones?"
Su Ming chuckled, "Tang San, are you playing dumb on purpose? Don't you get it? The team we most want to face is Thunder Academy!"
Su Ming remembered a saying from his past life and quoted it, "For us at Heaven Dou Academy, losing the match is fine—but Thunder Academy must be crushed!"
Tang San understood Su Ming's point—Su Ming intended to hold back and make Thunder Academy suffer. With Su Ming's motives clear, he was no longer inclined to even look at Tang San. His little scheme was transparent. Lacking the confidence to face Spirit Hall, he'd tried to rope Su Ming into an alliance, intending to drag Heaven Dou Academy down with him. How naive.
This rare chance to confront Thunder Academy was something Su Ming wouldn't pass up. Besides, he had just developed a "new" spirit ability involving the forces of life and destruction. He was looking forward to testing it on Tang San, Dai Mubai, and especially Yu Tianheng!
Yu Tianheng, who no longer had anyone left to protect him, wouldn't escape this time. The tournament rules might prohibit killing, but crippling Yu Tianheng would do just fine. A good dose of both physical and mental suffering, Su Ming thought with a wicked grin.
Unaware of Su Ming's thoughts, Yu Tianheng, now on Thunder Academy's main team, shivered suddenly. Looking around, he saw nothing unusual and dismissed it as his imagination.
As Bibi Dong called for the three teams to select their first contestants, Yu Xiaogang spoke up, "Your Holiness, Thunder Academy volunteers to forfeit the individual round and participate in the afternoon's team match."
Yu Xiaogang had little choice. Tang San had just informed him that Su Ming had no interest in an alliance. With Heaven Dou Academy so eager to face them, they had no way to avoid a confrontation. Resigned, he accepted the inevitable.
Su Ming also announced, "Your Holiness, Heaven Dou Academy likewise volunteers to forfeit the individual rounds and move directly to the team match in the afternoon."
Bibi Dong raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise, but it made sense. Heaven Dou had long wanted to face Thunder, and this was their chance. With Su Ming, Dugu Yan, and the others, they wouldn't miss it.
"Very well, Spirit Hall automatically advances, and the individual rounds are canceled. Thunder Academy and Heaven Dou Academy will face off this afternoon, with the winner advancing."
"Look at that! Thunder forfeited, then Heaven Dou did the same. Something fishy is definitely going on here!"
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"Heh, word on the street is that Su Ming and Tang San used to be from the same academy, but they had a falling out, leading to their separation. Plus, Yu Tianheng betrayed the Heaven Dou team and nearly got them killed. So, well, you get the idea..."
"Whoa, sounds intense! This match is gonna be something to watch!"
With the Pope's command, the seven selected members from both Heaven Dou Academy and Thunder Academy stepped onto the battlefield.
Dugu Yan whispered to Su Ming, "Su Ming, what do you think Thunder Academy's strategy is this time? If they don't have a trump card, we'll surely win easily, right?"
Dugu Yan added confidently, "Honestly, you probably don't even need to step in. If I unleash my Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison, I doubt Thunder Academy can last a minute."
Su Ming shook his head. "It's not that simple. Don't forget, Tang San is skilled with poisons; he may have already prepared antidote pills. Even if they can't nullify the poison completely, it might buy them enough time."
Dugu Yan frowned. "But they're not allowed to use external items during the match…"
"Yes, but they could've taken antidotes before stepping onto the field," Su Ming explained calmly. "You'll see. If you try it, their resistance will probably hold, at least for a short while."
Dugu Yan looked dissatisfied but couldn't shake the idea. Knowing Tang San, he'd probably already given his team antidote pills before stepping onto the stage.
She asked, "So, do you think they have any trump cards?"
Su Ming responded, "I have a hunch. You'll find out soon enough. I bet they'll use it right at the start. I'm curious to see just how many swings Tang San can manage at his current level."
He continued, "When they do, I'll go full out like I did against Tianshui Academy, using my Giant Wood Golem and Sage Mode. You and Lingling should be ready to release your poison at my command. I've been waiting to face them for a long time."
Dugu Yan nodded, casting a vengeful glance at Yu Tianheng. Finally, the time for payback had arrived.
As she looked, Yu Tianheng avoided her gaze nervously, looking away.
"Hey, does anyone else find Thunder Academy's formation a bit odd? They're in a single line, with Tang San, a control-type spirit master, at the head. Is he planning to use his Clear Sky Hammer right off the bat?" spectators whispered.
Su Ming transmitted to his teammates, "They're likely going to focus all their power into Tang San—an alternate version of the Seven-in-One Fusion Technique. Just follow my lead."
One of the red-gold bishops announced, "The match begins!"
In that instant, Tang San shouted, "Seven-in-One!"
Starting from the back, Oscar began funneling his spirit power to the next person in line, one by one, until all of their spirit energy surged into Tang San. The moment he received the energy, Tang San summoned his Clear Sky Hammer, which grew larger and more powerful as spirit energy flooded in. His strength surged past Spirit Saint and into low-level Soul Douluo!
"Oscar!" Tang San called out.
Oscar tossed him a Pink Excitement Sausage and a Detoxification Sausage, which Tang San quickly swallowed.
"Good luck, Xiao San," said Dai Mubai as he and the others prepared to step off the field. But suddenly, they found they couldn't move!
"Fifth Spirit Skill: Spatial Lock!"
This was Xiao Wu's first time using her fifth spirit skill in the tournament. It allowed her to trap opponents in a small space, rendering them unable to move while causing tearing pain.
"Ahhhh!" Dai Mubai and the others screamed as Xiao Wu's ability took hold, draining what little spirit power they had left. In no time, their bodies were covered in blood, and the pain continued as long as the skill was active.
"You all better stay put until my brother finishes with Tang San. After that, he'll come for you!" Xiao Wu said with a sweet smile.
Looking at Xiao Wu's cheerful face, Dai Mubai and the others shivered in fear. She was a devil!
Seeing this, Su Ming sighed. Xiao Wu's playful side had emerged again—she was back to being her mischievous, big-sister self.
At the same time, Su Ming activated his Sage Mode, his aura intensifying. He used his third spirit skill, Nurturing Vitality, to double his spirit energy recovery rate, and his fourth spirit skill, Revitalized Growth, to boost his life energy by seventy percent.
"Yan, Lingling, keep releasing your abilities on them. Adjust it so they get the 'ultimate experience,'" he directed.
With a nod, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling unleashed their twin flower lotus petals and the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison on Dai Mubai and the others. Ye Lingling's healing kept them alive while they endured the pain from Spatial Lock and Dugu Yan's poison, with the Yin Lotus lying dormant, ready to detonate.
Meanwhile, Tang San, feeling the surge of spirit power, smiled faintly. The six trapped teammates didn't concern him; a bit of pain was worth the sacrifice. Victory in the end was all that mattered.
"True Form of the Tool Spirit!" he shouted.
Tang San and his Clear Sky Hammer fused, and he activated his secret skill, Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique!
"Su Ming, prepare to die!" Tang San roared, swinging the enormous hammer toward Su Ming, who stood unmoved, waiting.
Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue observed, frowning slightly. Su Ming appeared ready to face Tang San's hammer with just his body. Could he truly withstand an attack from the Clear Sky True Form?
Just as the hammer was about a meter away, Su Ming made his move.
"Wood Release: Demonic Bark Shield!"
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