First Group Stage Victory? Teamwork Takes Shape

Chapter 27: First Group Stage Victory? Teamwork Takes Shape

The pale golden, cauldron-shaped soul power field had barely forced down the distorted light and shadows by half an inch when the air around the martial soul platform suddenly let out a piercing hum. The five members of the Canghui Academy Reserve Team stepped forward at the same time, gray soul power seeping into the obsidian ground like ink. The pitch-black forest that had originally dissipated reconstructed itself at an even faster speed—towering ancient trees had branches entwined with ghostly green miasma, beast claws glinting coldly could vaguely be seen beneath the rotting leaves, and even breathing drew in mental toxins carrying the smell of rust.

"It's a layered illusion!" Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes suddenly narrowed, purple-gold light swirling into vortices within his pupils. "The five of them have soul power from the same source. They're weaving a three-dimensional illusion with spiritual power!"

Before he could finish, Dai Mubai suddenly roared and swung his White Tiger claws into the empty space to his left. Three white blade energies struck nothing, yet stirred up rings of gray ripples. "Something's attacking us!" Faint claw marks appeared on his left arm. His soul power barrier had actually been torn open by something invisible.

The Universe Cauldron in Lin Che's palm trembled violently, and three streaks of golden light lit up across its inscriptions. "It's a spiritually manifested attack! All damage in the illusion will be reflected onto our real bodies. Don't let appearances fool you!" He deliberately raised his voice, using soul power vibrations to awaken his teammates' awareness. At the same time, he contracted the cauldron-shaped soul power field to within three feet of his body, firmly protecting his core meridians.

"Watch me!" Tang San sprang from the ground, and Blue Silver Grass erupted from beneath the martial soul platform like a green waterfall. His Second Soul Skill, Parasite, activated instantly. Countless blades of grass covered in barbs shot toward the Canghui Academy Team members, only to twist abruptly when they came within three feet of them, snapping apart as though they had struck an invisible wall. Even stranger, several strands of Blue Silver Grass turned around and coiled toward Ma Hongjun's back.

"Watch out!" Tang San broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly withdrew his soul power. The Blue Silver Grass dissolved into specks of light in midair, and a flush rose to his face—forcefully interrupting his soul skill made his blood and qi surge. "The illusion can interfere with martial soul control. My Blue Silver Grass can't find the real targets!"

Waves of startled cries rose from the stands, and the spectators who had originally favored the Cauldron Sword Team frowned one after another. In the VIP section, Salas set down the disturbed Crystal Ball, a mocking curve lifting at the corner of his mouth. "They're nothing more than a bunch of country soul masters. They can't even break a basic illusion."

Ning Fengzhi gently shook his jade fan, his gaze falling upon the seven faintly glowing Glazed Jade Tokens. "Don't be hasty. The real test has only just begun."

Just at this moment, the Canghui captain suddenly scoffed, curling his right hand into a claw. "Trap them!"

The ancient trees within the illusion suddenly accelerated their growth, thick branches winding over like giant pythons. At the same time, countless gray tentacles rose from the ground, pointing directly at Ning Rongrong and Oscar at the rear of the formation. Dai Mubai immediately turned and protected the two In Front Of him. White Tiger Body Protection bloomed with dazzling white light, yet ripples appeared the instant the tentacles touched it, and its defensive strength visibly declined.

"Rongrong, double amplification!" Lin Che's voice cut through the noise of the illusion, carrying unquestionable authority. "Speed Amplification first, then Strength Amplification!"

"Got it!" Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda suddenly rose to three feet tall. The halos of its first layer, Strength Amplification, and second layer, Speed Amplification, lit up at the same time. Pale purple soul power instantly spread through the entire team via the Glazed Jade Tokens. Oscar felt the flow of soul power within him suddenly accelerate. The soul power that had become sluggish from the mental interference instantly smoothed out, and he seized the opportunity to toss the Calming Sausages he had prepared long ago toward everyone. "Catch! Restore your spiritual power!"

The moment Lin Che caught the sausage, the effects of Speed Amplification had already appeared. His figure turned into an afterimage. A distance that originally required three strides to cross now took only one step, and he had already arrived at the center of the illusion. The Azure Water Sword trembled in his hand like a dragon's roar. Emerald soul power Poured Into the blade through the glazed bead on its tassel, and flowing ripples of light Glowed across the edge.

"I found the core!" Tang San's voice arrived just in time. He was using Blue Silver Grass to forcibly construct a barrier to block the tentacles, while his Purple Demon Eyes remained fixed on the giant tree at the Deepest Part of the illusion, which Emitted Black Mist. "Their spiritual core is hidden in the trunk!"

The Canghui captain's expression changed. "Do Not Even Think Of it!" He fiercely Spurted Out a Mouthful of blood essence, and black flowers instantly bloomed on the giant tree. Countless Flower Petals Turn into sharp blades and shot toward Lin Che.

"Cauldron Suppression!" Lin Che shouted lowly. The Universe Cauldron floated above his Head Top as the pale golden soul power field suddenly expanded, blocking every flower petal. At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and the Azure Water Sword traced a graceful arc. His Third Soul Skill, Wind Scar Slash, was suddenly Launched—an emerald blade wrapped in fierce winds, like lightning tearing through the sky, rushed straight toward the trunk of the black giant tree.

Clang!

The instant the blade collided with the trunk, a Huge Sound of metal striking metal rang out. The black giant tree shook violently, and countless streams of Black Mist Poured Into the air from its cracks, only to be forcibly torn apart by the armor-piercing effect carried by Wind Scar Slash. A System Prompt sounded in Lin Che's mind:

[Wind Scar Slash triggered a 10% armor-piercing effect. Enemy spiritual core defense weakened.]

"Now!" Lin Che's gaze turned sharp as he Activated sixty percent of the soul power in his body and poured it into the sword. The emerald blade suddenly extended by three feet, then Stab Into the core of the tree trunk along the crack. The illusion let out a crisp sound like shattering glass. The pitch-black forest, gray tentacles, and black giant tree all Turn into specks of light and disappeared at the same time, revealing the real scene on the martial soul platform—the five Canghui members lay sprawled on the ground with pale faces, their soul power in chaos like boiling water.

But the crisis had not been completely resolved. Ma Hongjun suddenly clutched his head and crouched down, Phoenix Fire flickering uncontrollably in his palm. "My head's spinning... My soul power's about to go berserk!" Dai Mubai also swayed, the pressure of his White Tiger Martial Soul fluctuating between strong and weak. Clearly, he was still affected by the residual toxins from the illusion.

"Poison and Heal Dual Ability, purify!" Jiang Zhu had long been prepared. The Seven-Colored Sacred Staff spun in her hand as her Third Soul Skill, Seven-Colored Aura, activated. Gentle seven-colored soul power fell like a fine rain, covering every team member. Lin Che could clearly feel the gray toxins that had clung to his meridians being rapidly stripped away, while the dizziness in his mind vanished in an instant.

"Have another bite of Calming Sausage!" Oscar tossed out several more sausages steaming with white mist. "These are specially made with Calming Herb. They can stabilize your soul power!"

Ma Hongjun wolfed down the sausage, and the rampaging flames in his body immediately stabilized. "That feels great! I almost burned myself alive just now!"

Dai Mubai rolled his shoulders, and his White Tiger claws once again gleamed with cold light. "That illusion was really sinister. Good thing Jiang Zhu purified us in time."

Only then did the referee react, hurriedly waving his hand to signal the result. "The Canghui Academy Team members have lost their ability to fight. The Cauldron Sword Team wins!"

The stands first fell silent for a brief moment, then erupted with thunderous applause. The scenes within the illusion had been projected onto the light screen of the Soul Fighting Arena through the Soul Gathering Array. The entire process, from the Cauldron Sword Team falling into danger to working together to break through it, had been clearly visible. Lin Che's Wind Scar Slash that Split Open the illusion core in particular set the entire audience's blood boiling.

"That sword is incredible! It actually cut through the illusion directly!"

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's support was absolutely crucial. That double amplification was genius!"

"And that healing-type soul master! Her purification speed is faster than any soul master I've ever seen!"

In the VIP section, Ning Fengzhi nodded in satisfaction and said to Chen Xin beside him, "See? Those seven jade tokens weren't given to them for nothing. Rongrong's double amplification connected at exactly the right moments, and Young Friend Lin's sword techniques were precise and ruthless."

A trace of approval flashed through Chen Xin's eyes. "That sword's wind-attributed soul power is extremely pure. Combined with its armor-piercing effect, it truly is the bane of illusions. What's even rarer is that their coordination showed no awkwardness whatsoever."

Salas's expression grew increasingly grim. He stared at the Azure Water Sword in Lin Che's hand and quietly instructed his assistant, "Find out where that sword came from. And that Kid called Lin Che—I want all his information."

On the martial soul platform, the Cauldron Sword Team members were checking one another's condition. Dai Mubai patted Tang San's shoulder. "We have you to thank for locking onto the core. Otherwise, we'd have had to waste more time in that illusion."

Tang San Shook Head, his tone carrying a hint of relief. "Lin Che's command was timely. If it had been a few seconds later, my Blue Silver Grass would have been completely controlled by the illusion."

Lin Che had just put away the Azure Water Sword when the system's prompt suddenly sounded in his mind:

[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission: "Preliminary Round Opening Victory."]

[Mission Rating: S-rank (perfect coordination, breaking the situation with zero casualties)]

[Rewards issued: [Common Jar] ×2, Soul Power Experience ×500]

[Additional Reward: Team Coordination +10 (Current Coordination: 35)]

Two streaks of Golden Light suddenly Appeared In Hand, transforming into two palm-sized Bronze Jars. Simple cloud patterns were engraved on their bodies, with soul power faintly circulating within. Oscar curiously leaned closer. "These are the jars you mentioned? They look pretty ordinary."

"You'll know once you open one." Lin Che held one of the jars and poured in A Trace of soul power. The jar gave off a faint hum, and its lid automatically popped open. There was no treasure inside as he had imagined, only a pile of Light Blue powder that Emitted a rich soul power aura.

[Item Obtained: Soul Power Recovery Powder ×5]

[Item Description: A potion that rapidly restores soul power. Each packet restores 30% soul power, has no side effects, and is suitable for use during breaks in battle.]

"It's actually Soul Power Recovery Powder!" Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. "This kind of medicine sells for an outrageous price during the competition. One packet costs ten gold coins!"

Oscar immediately leaned in even closer. "Captain, how do you use this powder? Do you just sprinkle it into your mouth?"

Lin Che laughed and Shook Head. He took out seven small jade bottles from his Storage Soul Tool and evenly divided the powder among them. "Just mix it with water and drink it. Everyone consumed quite a bit of soul power in that fight, so this is perfect for replenishing it." He handed the jade bottles out to everyone. "Keep them as backup. The matches ahead will only get more intense."

Tang San accepted a jade bottle, pouring a little powder into his palm. A warm, smooth sensation came from his fingertips. "The soul power in this medicine is extremely pure. It's far better than the recovery potions sold on the market."

Ma Hongjun could not wait any longer. He poured some powder into his water flask, and after gulping it down, his eyes lit up. "It really works! My soul power recovered a lot instantly. I feel like I could fight another match!"

Dai Mubai also took some, then sensed its effects for a moment before praising it. "Not only does it restore quickly, it's also very gentle. It doesn't cause Soul Power Fluctuation like other medicines."

Jiang Zhu carefully put away her jade bottle and said to Lin Che, "With this, we won't have to fear drawn-out battles later."

Lin Che nodded and looked toward the tournament schedule that had just updated on the light screen. "Our next match is against Scorpion Academy tomorrow. Rest well today and get familiar with the effects of the Soul Power Recovery Powder." He paused before looking at Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, tomorrow you may need to prioritize preparing Defense Amplification. Scorpion Academy's poison-type soul skills won't be easy to deal with."

"Don't worry, Captain. I've already memorized the amplification order!" Ning Rongrong promised, patting her chest as the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda spun once in her palm.

Oscar suddenly remembered something and pulled out a pile of sausages from his Soul Tool. "Right, I made some Anti-Poison Sausages while we were resting. They might come in handy tomorrow!"

A warm current rose within Lin Che as he looked at his high-spirited teammates. This was only the first victory of the preliminary rounds, but from choosing a team name and learning formations to breaking the illusion together just now, this temporarily assembled joint team had already demonstrated astonishing coordination. He tightened his grip on the Azure Water Sword in his hand, while the Universe Cauldron inside his sleeve trembled softly, as though responding to his state of mind.

In the distance, sunlight streamed through the dome of the Soul Fighting Arena and fell upon the seven of them. The faint glow of the Glazed Jade Tokens intertwined with the halos of their martial souls, forming a dazzling curtain of light. Lin Che knew this was only the beginning. The truly powerful enemies still lay ahead, but as long as they maintained this coordination, the Cauldron Sword Team would surely shine with even greater brilliance on the stage of the All-Continent Soul Master Competition.

Because of work, updates are generally around 12:30.