At these words, the crowd's enthusiasm immediately cooled by half. But some refused to give up. Ning Hao, a Level 33 Soul Elder from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, wanted to try relying on support buffs. He teamed up with a Level 34 Assault System Soul Master, and together they entered the arena to challenge two Level 33 Virtual Soul Elders.
The result was another crushing defeat. The two Virtual Soul Elders worked together seamlessly, one attacking while the other kept them at bay. Just after Ning Hao had buffed his teammate, the Virtual Soul Elders' Soul Skills forced him to retreat again and again. Before long, his teammate had run out of Soul Power. The two had no choice but to surrender, earning just 1,500 Points between them.
"Support was useless too!" Ning Hao wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a pained expression. "The Virtual Monsters' tactics are too devious. They go straight for the support, so there's no chance to buff anyone properly."
The atmosphere in the square grew heavier and heavier. The Level 30-plus Soul Elders from the three major powers—the Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—had all been defeated. Some had lost because of the gap in levels, some because their attributes were countered, and others because of the difference in tactics. The Virtual Monsters were like a tough bone: they looked like they could be chewed through, but they could just as easily break your teeth.
Among the Shrek Academy group, Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his expression grim. He was Level 37, and his White Tiger Martial Soul was a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. But after seeing the others' miserable defeats, even he had lost some of his confidence. "Dean, these Virtual Monsters are way too strong! Even the people from the Spirit Hall can't beat them. Can we do it?"
Flender furrowed his brow, pondering the problem as well. He glanced at Tang San beside him, then suddenly brightened. "Xiao San, aren't you good at observing tactics? Why not try fighting one at your own level and see if you can find the Virtual Monster's weakness?"
Tang San hesitated. He was Level 34, and his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was at a disadvantage when it came to offense. But when he thought of the pills he could exchange for Points, he still nodded. "I'll give it a try."
Tang San entered the arena. His opponent was a Level 34 Virtual Soul Elder whose Martial Soul was a Poison Spider, skilled in poison and entanglement. The moment the system's prompt sounded, the Virtual Poison Spider spat out webbing and sent it shooting toward Tang San.
Tang San was ready. He unleashed his first Soul Skill, Blue Silver Grass Entanglement. Pale-blue blades of grass instantly ensnared the webbing as he dodged to the side. He didn't rush to attack. Instead, he watched the Virtual Poison Spider's movements, activating his Purple Demon Eye to study the flow of its Soul Power.
"Every time it shoots webbing, its Soul Power pauses for a split second!" Tang San quickly spotted the flaw. But before he could counterattack, the Virtual Poison Spider suddenly released its second Soul Skill, Poison Mist. A cloud of pale-purple mist instantly filled the arena. Tang San hurriedly used Blue Silver Grass to cover his mouth and nose, but he still breathed in a little. His whole body immediately went numb.
The Virtual Poison Spider seized the opportunity to pounce. Its third Soul Skill, Poison Claw, slashed toward Tang San. Tang San's pupils contracted. He immediately unleashed his second Soul Skill, Blue Silver Grass Parasite. The grass blades wound along the webbing and coiled around the Virtual Poison Spider's legs as he quickly retreated, dodging the Poison Claw.
But the Virtual Poison Spider reacted incredibly fast. It tore through the Blue Silver Grass and pounced again. Tang San had already used up nearly forty percent of his Soul Power, and the numbing effects of the Poison Mist were growing stronger. Knowing he wouldn't last much longer, he gritted his teeth and unleashed his third Soul Skill, Blue Silver Grass Restraint. A mass of Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the Virtual Poison Spider, temporarily restricting its movements.
"Now!" Tang San pulled a Hidden Weapon from Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges Night and shot it toward the Virtual Poison Spider's eyes. But the Virtual Poison Spider seemed to have anticipated the attack. It jerked its head aside, dodged the Hidden Weapon, and broke free of the Blue Silver Grass, then swiped a claw at Tang San's chest.
Tang San had no way to dodge, so he could only use Blue Silver Grass to protect his chest. With a bang, he was sent flying, and his Soul Power was completely exhausted.
"Challenge failed." The system prompt sounded, and Tang San was sent back to the square. Xiao Wu immediately rushed over and helped him up, asking anxiously, "Tang San, are you okay? Does it hurt?"
Tang San shook his head and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'm fine. I just ran out of Soul Power. That Virtual Poison Spider reacts so fast and can even predict attacks. It's much harder to fight than a real Poison Spider Soul Elder. The system gave me 2,000 Points."
Looking at Tang San, Flender sighed as well. "It seems this Simulation Arena is much harder than we thought. Even Xiao San's tactics didn't work. The Virtual Monsters' AI is too advanced."
The atmosphere in the square turned completely cold. The Soul Masters who had been eager to try were all dejected now. Bai Feng of the Spirit Hall furrowed his brow and said to the disciples beside him, "Looks like we can't rush into challenging opponents above our level. We should start at our own level, practice, and figure out the Virtual Monsters' tactics first."
The teacher leading the Heaven Dou Royal Academy group nodded too. "We'll organize the students to study tactics when we get back. They should pair up and work together. That might help."
Ning Hao of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect added, "We need an Assault System Soul Master to act as a shield and draw the Virtual Monster's attacks. That'll give the support a chance to buff them."
Although all the major powers had suffered defeats, they hadn't given up. After all, the lure of 50,000 Points was too great. Even if the battles were difficult, they could find a way through by trying a few more times. After resting for a while, Lin Ye of the Spirit Hall took his token and entered the arena again, this time choosing to challenge a Level 38 Virtual Soul Elder at his own level. Zhao Lei of Heaven Dou Royal Academy also found a teammate, and the two challenged a pair of Level 34 Virtual Soul Elders. Dai Mubai of Shrek Academy gritted his teeth and prepared to enter the arena as well—even if he lost, he would learn the Virtual Monsters' weaknesses.
Inside the Auction House, Lin Yue stood by a second-floor window, watching the scene in the square with a faint smile. He had set the Virtual Monsters' strength himself: they were 20% stronger than real Soul Masters at the same level, and 50% stronger when challenged by someone at a higher level. He wanted to make sure the Soul Masters couldn't win easily and had to rely on tactics and teamwork. That would prevent Points from being farmed too easily while pushing the Soul Masters to improve their abilities and study tactics—a win-win.
"Master, more than fifty Soul Masters have competed so far, and all of them have failed. The longest anyone lasted was thirty moves. The Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou Royal Academy have started organizing team challenges, while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is working on support tactics." Mo Chen stood nearby, reporting the latest developments.
"Good." Lin Yue picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip. "Let them keep trying. Once they figure out the patterns, the number of Points they exchange will naturally go up. Make sure we have enough Low Grade pills in stock so we don't run out when the time comes."
"We've prepared enough Second-grade Pills. They're ready to be put on sale at any time," Mo Chen replied respectfully.
Lin Yue nodded and looked back at the square. He could see that the factions, who had been wary of one another before, were now sharing their experiences because of the Virtual Monsters' strength. Soul Masters who had relied solely on brute force were also starting to consider tactics and teamwork. This was exactly what he wanted to see—the Simulation Arena wasn't just a place to farm Points, but a "furnace" for honing Soul Masters' abilities.
As the sun set, the words "Simulation Arena" remained bright on the Golden Light Screen. The Soul Masters in the square continued their challenges. Most were still losing, but determination had grown on every face. Lin Ye finally defeated the Level 38 Virtual Soul Elder and earned 5,000 Points. Zhao Lei and his teammate worked together to defeat two Level 34 Virtual Soul Elders, earning 4,000 Points. Tang San didn't challenge anyone again, but he recorded other people's battles nearby and analyzed the Virtual Monsters' weaknesses.
The major powers all understood now: the Simulation Arena was difficult, but not unbeatable. As long as they were willing to spend time studying tactics and working with their teammates, they could earn Points. And that was exactly the result Lin Yue wanted. As more and more Soul Masters adapted to the Virtual Monsters' strength, the Otherworld Auction House's Points system would gradually become part of the Soul Master world of Douluo Continent, an indispensable fixture.
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