A Bet

Huo Yuxi was no less impressive. She leaned backward, a fist grazing past her bangs. Zhou Yi, standing on the observation platform, watched the scene and nodded approvingly.

Mu Jin, who had just made a bet with her, spoke in a sour tone. "I didn't expect you to be so lucky, getting a genius like that."

Her gaze swept over Huo Yuhao's team and Ning Tian's team's arena before her smile widened. "But that kid with only one ten-year soul ring is about to disappoint you. Better prepare yourself mentally. That soul bone is as good as mine."

Looking at the three soul rings circling Ning Tian, her eyes were filled with certainty. Zhou Yi, that lunatic, actually dared wager a soul bone that Huo Yuhao's team would win against her.

If it had been Huo Yuxi, she might have been worried to some extent. But a Soul Master with only one ten-year soul ring...

The upward curve of her lips simply could not be suppressed.

"Mu Jin, what are you thinking about? You look so happy."

A man who appeared to be in his thirties strolled over. Though he wore a smile, his black eyes were as deep and still as a cold pool, devoid of even a trace of amusement.

"Ye Chengchuan." Mu Jin's tone was filled with disgust as she turned toward him.

Ye Chengchuan did not care in the slightest. Smiling, he said to Zhou Yi, "My apologies. I happened to overhear your bet just now. It sounded quite interesting, so I'd like to place a wager as well. What do you say?"

Zhou Yi had been focused on the situation below and had no desire to pay him any attention. Both Huo Yuhao's and Huo Yuxi's teams were having a difficult time.

On Huo Yuhao's side, with the support of Ning Tian, the young mistress of the sect known as the strongest support sect on Douluo Continent, the combat strength of her other two teammates, Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er, had undergone a qualitative leap. Their attacks had thrown the three opponents into disarray.

Huo Yuxi's side was much the same. Facing a power-type Soul Master with agility-attack traits, she was completely unable to fight freely.

"Zhou Yi, have some confidence. Shall we make a bet too? If you win, you'll have two soul bones."

Ye Chengchuan walked to Zhou Yi's side and followed her gaze toward Huo Yuxi's group below. "That little girl in your class truly deserves to be called a monster among monsters. At her age, she reached the three-ring Soul Elder realm purely through talent. But unfortunately, she ran into Yin Zhicai.

"Yin Zhicai's family background gives him more than just an advantage in Soul Power. His physique is also unmatched. If it were anyone else, he would definitely win. Now, all one can say is that she's unlucky."

As he spoke, he shook his head with an expression of regret. It was not that he looked down on Huo Yuxi. That was simply the reality.

As a homeroom teacher, like Zhou Yi, he had tailored strategies for dealing with the seeded students in every class. Against Huo Yuxi, the other groups in his class had only a forty percent chance of victory. Replacing them with Yin Zhicai raised that chance to eighty percent.

Zhou Yi rolled her eyes. He understood things so superficially and still dared come show off in front of her. Arrogant fool.

Meanwhile, below the platform.

At the beginning, the two girls on Yin Zhicai's team had planned to eliminate Lu Wanwan, the support Soul Master, first. Unexpectedly, Luo Ling saw through their intentions.

Luo Ling defended her relentlessly, and they could not even touch a single strand of Lu Wanwan's hair.

Hu Muqing's martial soul was the Azure Fox. Like Luo Ling, she was a control-type Soul Master. The other girl was named Xiao Yunqing. Her martial soul was the light and drifting Willow Catkins, and she was an agility-attack Soul Master.

Both of their Soul Power Levels were at Rank 23, two levels below Luo Ling's. However, their coordination was exceptionally seamless, and their fighting style was clearly tailored for this match.

Even with Lu Wanwan's support, Luo Ling had still suffered injuries.

Hearing the commotion, Huo Yuxi found a moment to turn and glance over. The two of them were struggling, but they could barely hold on.

The key to winning this battle was breaking the current balance, and they had to be the side that broke it.

But that was easier said than done. Her first two soul skills had already been exposed, and Ye Chengchuan had specifically prepared countermeasures for Yin Zhicai.

She only had her third soul skill left. Using it would consume a tremendous amount of Soul Power, and with Yin Zhicai's strength, she would not be able to restrain him for long.

By then, Luo Ling would be the only one on their side still capable of fighting. They would definitely lose.

The safest method was to wait until Luo Ling dealt with one opponent. Then, after coordinating with the two of them, Huo Yuxi could seize an opportunity to unleash her skill by surprise.

Yin Zhicai's Soul Power Level was Rank 30, two levels below Huo Yuxi's, but his physical abilities far surpassed hers.

Huo Yuxi was now covered in countless small wounds, but Yin Zhicai was not much better off. The Gui Yan Blade itself carried a potent poison, yet for some reason, that poison was ineffective against Yin Zhicai.

Yin Zhicai also knew that he could not keep dragging this out. But these blades were like mosquitoes: he could not kill them, nor could he drive them away. They were infuriating.

Unable to endure it any longer, power erupted from his body. He shot into the air like an explosive shell. "Second soul skill, Leopard Shadow Doppelganger!"

After landing, Yin Zhicai crouched forward, his gaze sharp as though he himself had become a Wind Pattern Leopard.

Countless black shadows split off from his body, transforming into leopard after leopard and surrounding the entire arena in an instant.

Luo Ling had just forced Xiao Yunqing back several steps. She had intended to press the advantage and send her off the stage first, but Yin Zhicai had acted at exactly the right time.

"Muqing, Yunqing, now!"

Yin Zhicai shouted, then charged toward Huo Yuxi.

This battle had gone on for a long time. During the first half hour, Huo Yuxi and Yin Zhicai had merely tested one another, using only their First Soul Skills and hidden weapons.

But now, this battle could finally be considered truly underway.

Huo Yuxi leaped up and flipped through the air to evade Yin Zhicai's charge, while secretly giving Luo Ling a look.

Yin Zhicai's third soul skill required time to charge. Their original plan had been for Xiao Yunqing to seize an opportunity to help him take down Huo Yuxi, leaving Hu Muqing alone to hold back Luo Ling and Lu Wanwan for a while.

Xiao Yunqing also realized that Yin Zhicai's patience had run dry. A small tuft of white fluff drifted onto Hu Muqing's face as a signal.

Hu Muqing began intensifying her assault. From the start of the match until now, she had already identified the key to restraining Luo Ling.

The target of her soul skill was not Luo Ling herself, but Lu Wanwan. Support Soul Masters were extremely important on the field and were the opponents' primary targets.

That had been their strategy from the beginning, but Luo Ling's reactions had been far beyond their expectations, leaving them unable to touch even a single strand of Lu Wanwan's hair.

But now, her task was not to defeat them. She only needed to stop them from going over to help Huo Yuxi, and there were plenty of ways to do that.

It seemed as though they had control of the whole situation, but they had not expected this move to instead create an opportunity for Huo Yuxi.

"Luo Ling, Wanwan."

The moment Luo Ling heard her, she turned and rushed toward Huo Yuxi. Xiao Yunqing had also reached Yin Zhicai's side, covering him as he charged his third soul skill.

Hu Muqing had not expected Luo Ling's earlier actions to have been a trick to bait her. But it did not matter. This was even better. Once she knocked Lu Wanwan off the stage, their victory would be assured.

With that thought, Hu Muqing stacked her first soul skill once more.

Lu Wanwan was not an attack-type Soul Master, so she could not deal with Hu Muqing's assault with ease.

Luo Ling was also worried about Lu Wanwan's situation, but she forced herself to ignore it and focus on taking over Huo Yuxi's side.