No Room to Retreat

Xie Yue attacked fiercely this time, his anger palpable, and he held nothing back. Two crescent-shaped Blade Qi flew through the air, heading straight for Sun Chuantao.

If Sun Chuantao takes that hit squarely, he'll be crippled if not killed!

Tool Martial Soul Masters have lower physical attributes than Beast Martial Soul Masters who can Martial Soul Possession; they are high-attack, low-defense combat units.

But Xu Yu intervened just in time, his scepter glowing with the light of his Soul Ring once more, and the buff on Sun Chuantao suddenly changed.

That abundant Mental Power vanished instantly, replaced by a lightness as if it were about to break free from gravity.

This is thanks to the speed boost!

Sun Chuantao's figure suddenly moved like Gui Mei, leaping back and forth several times, narrowly dodging Xie Yue's Blade Qi.

However, Xie Yue didn't care whether the attack hit or not. The moment he unleashed the Blade Qi, he changed direction and charged towards Xu Yu.

Sun Chuantao was shocked to see this and quickly recalled his Circular Ring Great Blade, wanting to return to the rescue.

At his current speed, he should still make it in time...

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a chill down his back, his whole body instantly stiffened, and his blood and energy seemed to freeze, leaving him unable to move.

Behind him, Zhou You slowly lowered the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella.

Although he won't go all out in this bet, he's still on Xie Yue's team. Your blatant "turning your back on everyone" shows you look down on me!

Moreover...

Zhou You glanced at Hu Liena beside him. "Are you satisfied now?"

"You're right. If you had acted sooner, this battle would have been over long ago."

Zhou You was a lazy bum. He only watched for a short while before realizing that Sun Chuantao and his group were still weaker than Xie Yue and his group. Even without his intervention, the latter would likely win the battle, though it might be a difficult fight.

Actually, it's obvious when you think about it. Zhou You wasn't in the original story, and Xie Yue and others were hailed as the "Golden Generation." They were the strongest among many geniuses.

The previous defeat was merely the result of being caught off guard and the lack of coordination among the three, which prevented them from effectively combining their strengths.

But the three weren't stupid; given some time, they would quickly realize this, especially since the weaknesses of Sun Chuantao's team had always been obvious.

That is, each member's absolute strength is insufficient, and they are highly dependent on Xu Yu's support abilities.

Zhou You's [Ghost Gate Needle] couldn't hold him in place for long. After only a few seconds, Sun Chuantao regained his mobility, but by then it was too late.

Xu Yu couldn't withstand Xie Yue's blade at all and was cut down on the spot. His Brilliant Gold Scepter shattered, and he lost his fighting ability.

The outcome of a one-ring Support System Soul Master facing off against a two-ring Power Attack System Battle Soul Master is not surprising.

In truth, Xu Yu's ability could actually be used on himself. If he wanted, he could naturally use his Soul Skills to enhance his own defense, but that would be tantamount to "sacrificing" his other teammates.

But Li Kai is still getting beaten up right now! Xu Yu dares to do that, Li Kai will be beaten to death on the spot.

After Xu Yu's defeat, Zhang Ping stopped struggling and readily admitted defeat. Her Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow was injured, leaving her completely powerless to resist.

This is also a major drawback of the Disembodied Martial Soul. Because it has a physical body, the Disembodied Martial Soul can be injured just like an ordinary living being, and the injuries can even backfire on the Soul Master's body.

After Xu Yu and Zhang Ping were defeated, only Li Kai, who could only take the beating and could not fight back, and Sun Chuantao was holding a Circular Ring Great Blade and was in a dilemma.

After his team was dismantled, he lost all confidence in defeating Xie Yue and could only sigh, "I lost."

Seeing Xie Yue, Xie Yue also withdrew his offensive stance. He was a fairly gentlemanly person and wouldn't relentlessly pursue a loser, but Yan was a different story.

He was still holding Li Kai down and beating him mercilessly. Even though the outcome was already decided, he didn't stop.

Seeing this, Zhou You could only draw his Seven Wolves... no, his Umbrella Sword. With a flick of his wrist, the sword transformed into a soft blade, and with a flick of the tip, the slender sword coiled around Yan's neck like a long whip slithering through the air.

Yan was having a great time when he suddenly felt a tightness around his neck, followed by a tremendous force that dragged him backward, his heavy body rolling in front of Zhou You.

"Boss?"

"You little brat, are you trying to beat someone to death?" Zhou You was speechless.

"Who told that guy to have such a foul mouth? He deserved to be beaten to death!" Yan said bitterly.

Zhou You thought to himself, "Do you think you're any better?"

If Li Kai is stubborn and impulsive, then Yan is reckless and arrogant. They are about the same, the only difference being that the latter is stronger than the former.

Perhaps this is what they mean by "like repels like."

However, Li Kai's performance was also quite remarkable. He withstood Yan's attacks and held out for more than ten minutes without giving up.

The endurance and willpower he displayed are remarkable. Although his strength is slightly inferior to Yan's, he is already fully qualified as a tank.

Clearly, Xie Yue also recognized Li Kai's value; as the team leader, he even came over to take a look.

Li Kai was beaten so badly by Yan that there was hardly a single unscathed spot on his body. He looked extremely miserable, especially his face, which was swollen like a pig's head and unrecognizable.

Is he still alive?

Li Kai muttered weakly, "... Yan, you fucking have the guts to kill me, otherwise I'll look down on you..."

He's become confused; he can't even recognize the people around him.

Xie Yue: "..." Well, you've just wasted your time this meal.

"Xiao Na, quickly go and call the doctor, don't let this kid really die."

"Understood!" Hu Liena replied, then turned around and glared fiercely at Zhou You, leaving him completely bewildered.

Seeing that the battle had settled, Zhang Ping and Xu Yu came over to check on Li Kai's condition.

The former was alright, having anticipated the current situation, while the latter was filled with indignation, his eyes fixed on Yan beside Zhou You, his expression extremely hostile.

"What are you looking at?" Yan Cai wasn't going to tolerate him. His eyes were even bigger than Yan Cai's, and his expression was even fiercer. "You want to spar with me too?"

Xu Yu's eyes practically spit fire, his hands clenched into fists. He deeply resented his own weakness; otherwise, he could have shouted at Yan, "Yes! I want to smash your dog's head in right now!"

But he was only a Support System, and his strength was not even as good as Zhang Ping, the youngest. Faced with Yan's arrogant questioning, he could only remain silent in frustration.

"Tch, coward!" Yan turned his head away disdainfully.

Zhou You looked at Sun Chuantao, whose dejection was indescribable. He had been stunned for a long time and hadn't come to his senses yet.

After Zhang Ping called him several times, this guy finally remembered to check on his teammate. He rushed to Li Kai's side and fussed over him...

Seeing this, Xie Yue came to Zhou You's side.

"What do you think?" Xie Yue asked.

Who are you referring to?

Sun Chuantao.

"Aren't you the captain? Why are you asking me?"

"Can't we brainstorm together?"

"Alright." Zhou You chuckled and didn't refuse. "Sun Chuantao... his skills are passable, but his tactical role overlaps somewhat with yours."

As fellow Tool Martial Soul Battle Soul Master, Sun Chuantao's Martial Soul and Xie Yue's Moon Blade are highly similar in function, so their roles in the team inevitably overlap to some extent.

Considering that the competition teams consist of seven people, if these people were to form a team, Sun Chuantao would undoubtedly be the one most likely to be squeezed out.

It's no wonder he wanted to challenge Xie Yue; it was a struggle for interests, and he had no way to back down.