"First Ning Rongrong, then Lei Meng. Teacher Qin, you've given me one tremendous surprise after another," Dean Tian Chen murmured from the crowd of spectators.
He had never intended to join the bustle of the Soul Master Tournament.
He had personally trained the Spirit Hall Academy Battle Team, and they were far stronger than the other Battle Teams.
Since he already knew the outcome, did the process even matter?
Tian Chen had come as a spectator today because he had learned that Lei Meng was Qin Yuan's "disciple."
Of course, Duke Lei Zhen had deliberately spread that news. For one thing, it showed the world Qin Yuan's exceptional abilities; for another, it used Qin Yuan's current reputation to build support for his son.
A powerhouse skilled at nurturing talent had immeasurable strategic value.
Spirit Hall Academy recruited countless gifted Soul Masters every year. If it could turn all of them into powerhouses, the benefits would be beyond imagining.
At first, Tian Chen had been unwilling to believe it.
No matter how capable Qin Yuan was, he had taught Lei Meng for only a little over two months. That was too short a time to see much change.
But Lei Meng's performance had exceeded his expectations.
A twenty-three-year-old Soul Ancestor who wielded a blade so well could not have gotten there without a master teacher.
According to Spirit Hall's intelligence, the Blade Technique Lei Meng used was essentially the same as Qin Yuan's. If they had not come from the same lineage, how could there be such a coincidence?
Feng Xiaotian had also noticed how formidable Lei Meng was. He frowned. "If I use my trump card, I might be able to hold him off, but probably not for long. His fundamentals are too solid."
If they kept wearing themselves down against Lei Meng, they had no chance of winning. And with Ye Lingling on the field, trading injury for injury would not work either.
Zhao Xiao could not afford to worry about anything else. "All right. I'll be as quick as I can."
The two worked together seamlessly. As Zhao Xiao pulled back, Feng Xiaotian immediately took his place.
Facing Lei Meng with such a vast gap in Soul Power Level, Feng Xiaotian dared not hold anything back.
A pair of Gale Wings sprang from his back, and sharp wolf claws extended from his hands.
His Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Martial Soul let out a long howl. In the next instant, he appeared before Lei Meng like a phantom, his claws striking with swift, savage precision.
With every slash, the force of his assault grew.
Gale Demon Wolf Twenty-Four Consecutive Slashes!
The first steps in cultivating a Self-Created Soul Skill were incredibly difficult. Once that threshold was crossed, further progress came as naturally as water flowing along a channel.
The mounting force of his assault sent Feng Xiaotian's aura soaring. The seven members of the Divine Wind Team unleashed Soul Skills of the same attribute, whipping up gust after gust above the arena.
Now those gusts became a howling tornado for Feng Xiaotian to command.
Every current within the Wind Dragon Tornado was razor-sharp, like a blade forged from wind.
Lei Meng stood with blade in hand, his expression solemn. At last, he understood why his teacher had told him to watch Feng Xiaotian!
Perhaps Feng Xiaotian's Soul Power cultivation made him a cautionary tale in the eyes of many teachers.
But Feng Xiaotian had truly blazed a trail in creating his own Soul Skill.
His assault kept gaining force amid the endless gale. It was as though Feng Xiaotian ruled this entire world!
Lei Meng gave a soft snort, unwilling to yield. "Without a master teacher to guide you, you've come this far. Your talent and insight put me to shame. But I have a master teacher's guidance. How could I lose to you?"
No matter how the wind blades attacked, he relied on muscle memory, swinging his blade almost casually to parry them.
The gale howled past his cheeks, carrying wave after wave of cool air.
His restless heart found a stillness it had not known in a long time.
In an instant, the structure of the "Virtual Reality Saber Technique" came clearly into focus in his mind.
The shackles that had once loomed like mountains collapsed before his "eyes."
He seemed to understand the painstaking thought behind his teacher's instructions.
The essence of the Virtual Reality Saber Technique lay in committing three parts to the attack and holding seven in reserve.
Once he truly achieved that, every slash could become a real strike or a feint.
He raised both hands above his head. The fourth Spirit Ring on his Thunder Blade blazed, and a crisp thunderclap exploded out of nowhere.
The sea of lightning bathing the blade spread rapidly and merged with the Wind Dragon Tornado. The resulting storm swept across the entire arena.
Zhao Xiao had no chance to intervene and could only retreat to one side.
The storm struck friend and foe alike, forcing both teams to fall back and evade it.
As things stood, the outcome of the match would likely be decided by Feng Xiaotian and Lei Meng.
Whoever won would gain control of the storm and crush the opposing team like dry twigs.
Zhao Xiao looked helpless.
Feng Xiaotian's Soul Power Level was far below Lei Meng's. At a moment like this, that put him at a terrible disadvantage.
There was nothing they could do. They were all wind-attribute Soul Masters; using their Soul Skills would only make the storm fiercer. In the end, they would be the ones to suffer.
Feng Xiaotian had not expected that building up so much force would backfire on him.
But what was done was done. He neither blamed himself nor dwelled on it. If he defeated Lei Meng, the match would be decided!
After unleashing his twenty-four consecutive slashes several times, Feng Xiaotian seemed to find fresh inspiration. He tried to build on the assault once more—and a new form of the technique took shape!
"Gale Demon Wolf, Twenty-Five Consecutive Slashes!"
This was his strongest strike!
Beside the storm, Lei Meng held the Thunder Blade high. Ten thousand bolts of lightning converged upon it, and his aura surged.
As Feng Xiaotian's attack closed in, Lei Meng brought his blade down with all his strength.
The blade energy formed from lightning collided with the phantom Gale Demon Wolf. The impact erupted with terrifying force, instantly eliminating three members from each team.
The blade's flash fell, and a thunderclap rang through the entire arena.
Because of the vast gap in Soul Power Level, Feng Xiaotian ultimately failed to turn the match around.
When the Divine Wind Team's coach saw that Lei Meng had gained control of the storm, he reluctantly conceded for the safety of his students.
Lei Meng could control the storm, but he could not disperse it.
To keep bystanders from being hurt, one of Spirit Hall's Red-Robed Cardinals stepped in and shattered the storm. At last, calm returned to the arena.
Feng Xiaotian bore no resentment over today's defeat. On the contrary, he had gained profound insight. Once he returned, he expected his Self-Created Soul Skill to advance before long.
After the match, Feng Xiaotian offered Lei Meng his hand. "Brother Lei Meng, I won't forget you. If you have time someday, drinks are on me in Heaven Dou City."
Lei Meng smiled back. As he shook Feng Xiaotian's hand, he rested his other hand on Feng Xiaotian's shoulder. "Brother Xiaotian, you've changed my opinion of you. You're nothing like the rumors say—you haven't given up on yourself."
"Your Self-Created Soul Skill is impressively powerful. I truly admire it."
In the arena, they had been opponents. Outside it, they soon became the closest of friends.
Both had trained in Self-Created Soul Skills, and they exchanged what they had learned.
At last, Lei Meng added, "Brother Xiaotian, if you want to keep developing your Self-Created Soul Skill, why not ask my teacher? My Blade Technique used to be nothing special. I only reached this level because he corrected and guided me. Maybe he can guide your training too."
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