A Bold Decision

A Bold Decision

Once Yu Tianheng activated Thunder Fury, it would continue until his Soul Power was exhausted unless he stopped it himself.

Finally, after one all-out attack that still came to nothing, Yu Tianheng stopped moving.

He stared at the Xuanwu Phantom, which still stood firm, and a complicated emotion flickered in his eyes.

Long Chen's strength had shocked him, and he was glad to have such a powerful teammate.

But he was also frustrated that he had failed to break through Long Chen's defense.

As a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and someone who might one day inherit the position of Sect Master, he carried a sense of pride in his family.

But at that moment, he had no choice but to concede.

"Long Chen, I lost. Your Xuanwu defense really is extraordinary."

Long Chen withdrew his Martial Soul and said modestly,

"You were holding back. Captain, your attacks opened my eyes, too. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon truly lives up to its reputation as a top Beast Martial Soul. I had to give it everything I had just to withstand your ferocious attacks."

"You're too modest."

The two exchanged smiles, and Yu Tianheng accepted his defeat without resentment.

Dugu Yan, Shi Mo, and the others gathered around, their faces filled with genuine admiration.

Dugu Yan exclaimed,

"Long Chen, your defense is incredible! That Xuanwu Phantom was practically an unbreakable shield!"

Shi Mo laughed.

"Exactly. My Turtle Body Defense is nothing compared to that Xuanwu."

Ye Lingling said,

"Brother Chen's defense is certainly solid, but Captain's attacks were impressive, too."

"Of course. It's the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, after all. Hahaha!"

Everyone chatted and laughed, and the mood was cheerful.

Qin Ming stood to one side, his eyes full of satisfaction and anticipation.

"Yu Tianheng and Long Chen both gave excellent performances. And with the rest of you being so capable, I can see a bright future for Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I believe that at the next Soul Master Competition, the Imperial Fighting Team will shine and achieve results unlike anything we've seen before."

The group exchanged glances, their resolve clear.

Qin Ming looked at Long Chen and continued,

"Long Chen, I've always had a question. Your records don't mention your Innate Soul Power. Could you tell me what it is?"

"I have Innate Full Soul Power—level ten."

The moment he said this, the area fell silent. Everyone wore an expression of shock.

Innate Full Soul Power was incredibly rare on the Douluo Continent. It meant that from the moment one awakened their Martial Soul, they possessed extraordinary talent and potential.

"Just as I thought."

Qin Ming nodded thoughtfully.

He seemed to have already guessed that Long Chen had Innate Full Soul Power.

He simply didn't know why Long Chen had only come to the academy recently.

Yu Tianheng exclaimed in amazement,

"No wonder you've reached the Thirty-second Rank at such a young age. You have Innate Full Soul Power!"

Even Yu Tianheng, despite possessing the top Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, had not been born with Innate Full Soul Power.

It was only natural that he envied Long Chen's talent.

The others exchanged glances as well, their eyes filled with both surprise and relief.

Luckily, Long Chen was their teammate, not their opponent.

"Long Chen, you were already qualified to obtain your first Soul Ring the moment you awakened your Martial Soul. I'm jealous."

Dugu Yan smiled. The arrogance she'd once shown was gone from her voice, replaced by a hint of sincerity.

Long Chen didn't want to attract too much attention. He looked at Dugu Yan and quickly changed the subject.

"Sister Yan, we've all shown our Soul Skills. You're the only one left."

Everyone turned their attention to Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan stepped forward confidently and, under everyone's watchful eyes, released her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul.

Once her Martial Soul possessed her, a diamond-shaped green scale appeared on her forehead. Her green eyes sharpened, giving off a chilling aura.

Her body grew extremely supple, and her legs fused into a thick snake tail. She swayed it from side to side to support herself.

Then she demonstrated and described her Soul Skills to everyone.

Her first Soul Skill was Jade Phosphorous Red Poison, also known as Excitement Poison.

This toxin stimulated the nerves, increasing speed and strength by twenty percent.

Her second Soul Skill was Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison, also known as Paralysis Poison.

This toxin erased the sensation of pain and increased defense by thirty percent.

Her third Soul Skill was Jade Phosphorous Purple Poison, a Soul Skill consisting purely of toxins.

When Dugu Yan activated this Soul Skill, she could spew a dense cloud of purple poisonous mist from her mouth, which spread through the air toward her opponents.

Even a tiny amount was enough to make someone turn into a puddle of pus and die before long.

Without a doubt, it was the deadliest attack in her arsenal so far.

After Dugu Yan finished demonstrating her Soul Skills, the area fell silent. Everyone had been stunned by her strange and powerful Poison Skills.

Osler couldn't help swallowing and joked,

"Sister Yan, your Poison Skills are terrifying. I'd better not provoke you again."

Dugu Yan smiled slightly, a hint of pride flickering in her eyes before she quickly settled back into a calm expression.

Qin Ming praised her.

"Very good. Dugu Yan, your Poison Skills could play a crucial role in team battles. But remember, the Soul Master Competition has rules. The matches are meant to be sparring, and you only need to subdue your opponents. Don't use poison recklessly and take their lives."

"Teacher, I understand."

"All right. Now that everyone has demonstrated their Soul Skills, we need to work together more closely and improve the team's overall strength, so we'll be fully prepared for the next Soul Master Competition. I believe that if we work together, nothing will be impossible."

Qin Ming looked at the young, spirited Soul Masters, his heart full of hope.

In the days that followed, the Imperial Fighting Team began training according to a schedule.

They continued to improve their individual abilities while also focusing on teamwork and coordination. The team's overall strength improved considerably.

Yu Feng and Osler both broke through the bottleneck of Rank 30. Under Qin Ming's leadership, the group went to Sunset Forest to hunt Soul Beasts and help the two obtain their Third Soul Rings.

While studying at the academy, Long Chen often took leave to return to Guang'an Hall in Heaven Dou City.

Qin Ming knew he was developing Detoxification Pills for Dugu Yan, so he didn't try to stop him.

However, whenever Long Chen was away, the team was a member short.

To keep training on schedule, they added a temporary starter to the School Team.

His name was Shi Mo. He was Shi Mo's brother and, like him, a Defense System Soul Master. His Martial Soul was a Black Tortoise, and his Soul Power was one rank lower than Shi Mo's.

After Shi Mo joined the team, Long Chen began spending even more time at Guang'an Hall.

He devoted a great deal of time and effort to developing Detoxification Pills, which slightly affected his cultivation progress.

Even so, his Soul Power reached Rank 39. He was just one step away from Rank 40 and had already surpassed Yu Tianheng, making him the highest-ranked member of the team.

As Dugu Yan's Soul Power increased, the Detoxification Pills Long Chen developed became less and less effective.

Even after mastering all the medical knowledge Manager Wang had taught him, he still couldn't solve the problem.

Long Chen knew he was running out of time. He had to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as soon as possible.

One day, Ye Lingling came to find Long Chen, beaming with joy.

"Brother Chen, I finally broke through Rank 30."

"That's great! We can go hunt Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest again. You're about to get a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, so your healing abilities will definitely improve."

For Long Chen, this was a perfect opportunity.

This time, he made a bold decision: he would venture into the depths of the forest.