A Battle to Make a Name? Spirit Hall's Watchful Eyes

Chapter 31: A Battle to Make a Name? Spirit Hall's Watchful Eyes

"Cauldron Sword Team! Cauldron Sword Team!"

The cheers crashed against the dome of the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena like a tidal wave, making even the suspended light screen of the Soul Gathering Array tremble. The audience rose from their seats and waved colorful banners. Many even broke through the security guards and surged toward the edge of the martial soul platform, all for a closer look at this "dark horse team" that had defeated the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Dai Mubai's White Tiger Claw marks, Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire trails, and Lin Che's emerald sword shadows became the hottest topics among the crowd. Even the young nobles who had previously looked down on Shrek could not help praising them to their companions. "That Cauldron Suppression rebound was incredible! It was even more thrilling than the Royal Academy's lightning!"

The seven members of the Cauldron Sword Team had barely stepped down from the martial soul platform when reporters surrounded them and blocked their way. The papers and pens thrust toward them piled up like a mountain, while questions came one after another. "Captain Lin, is your Universe Cauldron an innate martial soul?" "Miss Jiang Zhu, how did your dual-ability healing soul skill awaken?" "Mr. Tang San, can you share the secret of how Blue Silver Grass counters lightning?"

Ning Rongrong instinctively hid behind Lin Che and stuck out her tongue at the reporters. Though she came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had never seen such a spectacle. Oscar, however, was quick-witted. He seized the chance to raise a freshly made sausage. "Want to know the secret? Try my Cauldron Sword Special Sausage first! It can boost your Soul Power Perception!" His words made everyone laugh and bought Lin Che time to get away.

"Make way, make way!" Two disciples dressed in Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect robes pushed through the crowd, carrying carved jade boxes in their hands. They bowed to Lin Che. "Captain Lin, our Sect Master heard of your team's victory and ordered us to deliver congratulatory gifts." The moment the jade box opened, ten pills the size of pigeon eggs came into view. Their medicinal fragrance carried a faint glazed-tile sheen. They were the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's secret medicine, Seven Treasure Heart Protection Pills, which could protect one's heart meridians during battle and negate thirty percent of soul power backlash.

"Please thank Sect Master Ning for me." Lin Che took the jade box. As his fingertips touched the pills, a system prompt appeared.

[Rare support pills detected. They can enhance team members' damage resistance. Recommended allocation: frontline tanks and support positions.]

He immediately took out three and handed them to Dai Mubai. "Mubai, you take the most damage. These are for you." He then gave two each to Jiang Zhu and Oscar. "You two are vulnerable to sneak attacks in the backline. The Heart Protection Pills will give you extra protection."

Tang San looked at the Heart Protection Pill in his hand, warmth flashing through his eyes. Since the team had formed, Lin Che had always put the group's interests first. Tang San sincerely admired such broad-mindedness. Ma Hongjun, meanwhile, sidled over to ask for pills. "Captain, I'm a ranged damage dealer. I need protection too!" Lin Che smiled and handed him one more, then stored the remaining two in the glazed bead on his sword tassel. "Save them for emergencies. The matches ahead will only get more dangerous."

Just as they were preparing to return to the dormitory, Lin Che suddenly stopped and swept his gaze toward the shadowed area at the highest point of the stands. It was clearly empty, yet an almost imperceptible Soul Power Fluctuation lingered there. Like a venomous snake's tongue, it quietly tasted his aura. The feeling was exactly the same as when they had encountered Spirit Hall's Shadow Scout before.

"What is it?" Tang San noticed something was off. His Purple Demon Eyes quietly operated, but he found nothing.

"Nothing." Lin Che discreetly tightened his grip on the Azure Water Sword, while the Universe Cauldron in his sleeve grew faintly hot. "Maybe I'm overthinking it. Let's go." He deliberately quickened his pace and transmitted his voice to Tang San through soul power. "Someone is watching us. Their soul power is well concealed. It may be someone from Spirit Hall."

Tang San's pupils contracted. Without revealing anything, he sent the roots of his Blue Silver Grass into the ground and used the cover of the crowd to form a faint soul power barrier. Though it could not stop the spying, it could blur the team's Soul Power Fluctuations.

In the shadows at the highest point of the stands, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan hid in an energy blind spot of the Soul Gathering Array. The Crystal Ball in his hand glowed faint blue, clearly reflecting the Cauldron Sword Team's retreating backs. At its center, the pale golden glow released when Lin Che used Cauldron Suppression replayed repeatedly, accompanied by densely packed data below.

Cauldron Suppression activation time: 3.2 seconds
Soul power consumed: 50%
Rebound damage: 30%
Countered attributes: lightning, poison...

"This Universe Cauldron's rebound mechanism is rather troublesome." Yue Guan manipulated the Crystal Ball with soul power, isolating the scenes of Cauldron Suppression working in tandem with the Azure Water Sword. "If it cannot be cracked, even the Golden Generation will likely suffer when facing him." A thread of soul power condensed at his fingertips, and the Crystal Ball instantly connected with Spirit Hall Headquarters. Bibi Dong's phantom slowly appeared within the sphere.

"How are things?" Bibi Dong's voice carried icy authority. Behind her, the golden dome of the Pope's Palace was faintly visible.

"Reporting to His Majesty the Pope, the Cauldron Sword Team's strength has exceeded expectations." Yue Guan turned the Crystal Ball toward the scene of Yu Tianxin's defeat. "Lin Che's Cauldron Suppression can withstand extreme lightning head-on and rebound thirty percent of the damage. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass control is precise, while Jiang Zhu's healing can detoxify poison instantly. This team's coordination has already reached the highest level."

Bibi Dong's gaze fell upon Lin Che's figure in the Crystal Ball, and a trace of Killing Intent flashed through her eyes. "The Universe Cauldron... The ancient martial soul from back then has truly reappeared. If he is not removed soon, he will become a grave threat to Spirit Hall." She paused, and her voice turned even colder. "Have you found a way to counter it?"

"I have recorded the activation pattern of Cauldron Suppression." Yue Guan brought up the data. "This skill requires three seconds of charging, and Lin Che's movement speed drops by forty percent while it remains active. As long as we send agility attack system soul masters to restrain him, then cover the area with large-scale soul skills, we can break his defense." He added, "Cauldron Suppression is also relatively weak against spiritual soul skills. If Ghost Douluo acts, he may be able to directly disrupt Lin Che's soul power operation."

Bibi Dong gave a slight nod. "Do as you suggest. During the elimination stage, arrange for Ghost Douluo to secretly cooperate with the Golden Generation. The Cauldron Sword Team must disappear completely." Her phantom suddenly flickered, and fine static rippled across the Crystal Ball's surface. "What is happening?"

Yue Guan's expression changed. He hurriedly injected soul power into the Crystal Ball to stabilize it. "There's soul power interference! It's Lin Che!"

At that moment, the Cauldron Sword Team had reached the entrance of the soul arena. Lin Che appeared to be joking with Dai Mubai, but the Universe Cauldron in his palm had already begun to operate in secret. The pale golden soul power no longer condensed into a field. Instead, it turned into countless tiny waves that spread along the ground toward the stands like ripples across water. This was a hidden use of the Universe Cauldron that he had discovered by accident while studying the Huaxia Sword Skill Manual: the Soul Power Interference Wave. It could not deal damage, but it could disrupt soul power signals at specific frequencies.

The image within the Crystal Ball grew increasingly blurry. Lin Che's Cauldron Suppression data began to turn into gibberish, while Bibi Dong's phantom gradually faded. Yue Guan gritted his teeth and increased his soul power output, but the interference waves clung to the Crystal Ball's signal frequency like parasites burrowing into bone. He could even sense a trace of provocation within those waves. Lin Che knew he was the one spying, yet instead of exposing him outright, he was issuing a warning in this manner.

"Damn it!" Yue Guan clenched his fist, and the Crystal Ball cracked with a sharp snap. He knew that forcing the surveillance any further would only expose his position. All he could do was cut the connection unwillingly and watch the Cauldron Sword Team vanish around the corner. His soul power churned violently in the shadows, and petal-shaped soul rings faintly appeared behind him. "Lin Che... You are more interesting than I imagined. But the next time we meet, you will not be so lucky."

Inside the Cauldron Sword Team's dormitory, Lin Che had barely put away the Universe Cauldron when fine sweat seeped from his forehead. The interference wave had looked effortless, but it had consumed nearly thirty percent of his soul power. "Are you sure they were from Spirit Hall?" Dai Mubai set down the Heart Protection Pill in his hand as the aura of his White Tiger Martial Soul quietly spread. "Should we go settle things with them now?"

"Don't be impulsive." Lin Che waved a hand and placed the jade box on the table. "Spirit Hall has enormous influence in Heaven Dou City. We would gain nothing by confronting them openly. Besides, that person's Soul Power Fluctuation was extremely strong. He was at least a Soul Douluo. We are not his match yet."

Tang San nodded in agreement. "Lin Che is right. Since Spirit Hall has started spying on us, it means they already see us as a threat. They will definitely make moves in the upcoming matches. What we need to do now is improve our strength as quickly as possible and prepare for what is coming." He took out the tactical map he had drawn earlier. "Our next opponents are Godwind Academy's second team. They excel at wide-area wind-element attacks, which makes them perfect for practicing tactics against Spirit Hall."

Oscar suddenly raised a sausage that emitted pale golden mist. "My newly developed Anti-Interference Sausage! After eating it, it can block spiritual surveillance for a short time. It only lasts five minutes, but it should be useful at critical moments!" He handed the sausages around. "I specially made these with calming grass and Soul Condensing Flowers. The effect is absolutely reliable!"

Jiang Zhu also took out several bottles of pale green medicine. "This is Calming Potion purified using my Poison and Heal Dual Ability. Applying it to the body can conceal Soul Power Fluctuations. It lasts longer than Oscar's sausages, though it is more troublesome to make." She handed the medicine to Lin Che. "As the captain, you are definitely Spirit Hall's main target. Carry a few extra bottles."

Lin Che accepted the medicine, his heart filled with warmth. From Nuoding Academy until now, this team had long ceased to be a simple temporary group. They were companions who could entrust their backs to one another. He looked out the window. The lights of Heaven Dou City had begun to shine one after another, yet they carried a faint, oppressive sense of an approaching storm. Spirit Hall's spying was only the beginning. The real tempest was waiting for them in the elimination stage.

Late at night at Spirit Hall Headquarters, Yue Guan knelt before the Pope's Palace, his face pale as he reported the results of the surveillance. Bibi Dong sat upon the papal throne, lightly tapping the armrest with her fingers. The Killing Intent in her eyes was almost overflowing. "Even a Soul Douluo's surveillance can be disrupted. This Lin Che is indeed no simple person." She suddenly looked toward the palace entrance. "Pass down my order. Have Hu Liena enter Heaven Dou City ahead of schedule and familiarize herself with the Cauldron Sword Team's tactics. Also, deliver the Soul Erosion Incense to Ghost Douluo. It may be used if necessary."

"Yes!" Yue Guan bowed and withdrew, but his wariness toward Lin Che had deepened. To possess such exquisite control over soul power at level thirty... Such talent was perhaps even more terrifying than the Golden Generation's.

Inside the Cauldron Sword Team's dormitory, Lin Che was still studying the Universe Cauldron's interference waves. He discovered that activating the "suppression" and "interference" inscriptions on the cauldron at the same time could double the disruption effect, though the soul power consumption would rise accordingly. Tang San sat beside him, weaving Blue Silver Grass into a Defense Net. He was trying to combine the principles of the interference wave to create a grass net capable of blocking spiritual attacks.

"Lin Che, do you think Spirit Hall will use poison in the elimination stage?" Tang San suddenly asked. His Blue Silver Grass paused. "Even the poison mist from Scorpion Academy could be purified by Jiang Zhu. They will certainly use something more potent."

Lin Che put away the Universe Cauldron, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes. "It is very possible. But we have Jiang Zhu's Poison and Heal Dual Ability, as well as the Seven Treasure Heart Protection Pills sent by Sect Master Ning. As long as we prepare in advance, we may not be unable to deal with it." He looked toward the Rare Can on the table. "After tomorrow's match, we will open that can. Perhaps it will contain something that counters Spirit Hall."

Moonlight streamed through the window and fell over the two of them, reflecting the determination in their eyes. They both knew that confronting Spirit Hall was destined to be difficult, but as long as the team stood united and they still had their hidden cards, no obstacle would be impossible to overcome.

The next morning, the Cauldron Sword Team once again stepped onto the martial soul platform. When their figures appeared on the Soul Gathering Array's light screen, the stands erupted in even louder cheers than the day before. After a night of spreading, news that the "Cauldron Sword Team defeated the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon" had already traveled throughout Heaven Dou City. Many people had even specifically bought tickets to watch them compete.

Lin Che stood at the front of the team. The Azure Water Sword glowed emerald beneath the sunlight, while the Universe Cauldron in his sleeve grew faintly warm. He could feel that spying gaze from Spirit Hall quietly settling on him once again. But this time, he was no longer defending passively. He tightened his grip on his sword, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.

The whistle signaling the start of the match rang out, and Godwind Academy's second team unleashed wind-element soul skills that swept toward them like a gale. Lin Che took a deep breath. The Universe Cauldron slowly rotated above his head. This time, it was no longer merely a defense. It carried faint interference waves as well. He wanted Spirit Hall to see that the Cauldron Sword Team could not only win, but win even more brilliantly under their watchful eyes.

In the shadows of the stands, Yue Guan watched Lin Che's figure within the Crystal Ball, his expression growing increasingly grim. He knew that this seemingly ordinary group-stage match had already become the first secret clash between the Cauldron Sword Team and Spirit Hall. And the outcome of that clash would directly affect the course of the elimination stage.

Sunlight pierced the dome of the soul arena and spilled over the martial soul platform. The Cauldron Sword Team moved nimbly through the wind-element soul skills. Lin Che's Cauldron Suppression, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, and Jiang Zhu's healing worked together flawlessly, and they soon gained the upper hand. The audience's cheers rose and fell without end, while the Killing Intent within the shadows quietly brewed.

Lin Che's gaze occasionally swept over the shadowed section of the stands, and a cold smile curved at the corner of his mouth. He knew that the real battle had not yet begun, but he and his team were already prepared.