Xuan Zi brought Bei Bei and the other four over to join Ma Xiaotao and her six teammates.
After introducing themselves, they prepared to begin the seven-on-seven mixed-match battle.
Ma Xiaotao glanced around, counting heads one by one. "Elder Xuan, something's off. Twelve people are only enough for a six-on-six team battle. Are you and Teacher Wang going to join in? Who could possibly beat you?"
Wang Yan had also come along. Everyone was laughing and chatting, and the atmosphere was cheerful.
"Do you think a Titled Douluo like me can just join in with you kids?" Xuan Zi took a sip of wine. "They said it was a mixed-match battle between the reserve team and the official team. Obviously, the two reserve members who haven't arrived yet are missing. Shaozhe's already gone to find them."
After thinking it over, the gentle Gongyang Mo said, "We've already met junior Mu Xuanheng, and we even fought together in a four-on-four mixed-match battle. He's only thirteen, but he's incredibly strong. I've never met Gu Yuena, though."
Huo Yuhao had met her the most times, and he and Gu Yuena were the same age. Everyone turned to look at him in unison.
"Actually, I don't know her that well either. Senior Gu Yuena usually only talks to Senior Xuanheng. She doesn't even pay attention to the teachers." Huo Yuhao lowered his head, feeling a little embarrassed. Partly because he was shy, he was closer to He Caitou.
After hearing what Huo Yuhao had to say, everyone began to worry about whether they could get along with Gu Yuena.
As Fan Yu's other disciple, He Caitou knew he should say something too. "I think she's fine, just a little aloof. If Junior Xuanheng is around, you can still have a normal conversation with her."
Xuan Zi said, "Enough talk. Shaozhe will bring them back soon."
Yan Shaozhe quickly found the workshop where the two were. They sat together, leisurely enjoying the scenery.
You brewed a cup of tea and set it in front of me. I peeled a grape and popped it into your mouth.
"Xuanheng, Gu Yuena." Yan Shaozhe felt as if he were committing a crime. How could he interrupt such a beautiful scene? But he had a task to do.
"Elder Xuan is looking for you. Come on, I'll take you there."
Yan Shaozhe hurried off toward the battlefield with the two of them.
A pair of radiant wings appeared in the sky, and a phoenix flew over with a beat of its wings.
Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena landed. The silver-haired beauty stood beside Mu Xuanheng, cool and distant.
"Well, you've finally arrived. We can start picking teams now."
Wang Yan first explained the rules to Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena. "Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng will be the captains. Ma Xiaotao picks first, then Dai Yueheng. After that, they switch turns. The same pattern continues."
The rules were fairly reasonable, but only for ordinary people.
Gu Yuena wasn't satisfied. The only difference between them was their Soul Power Levels. Why weren't the two of them captains?
Ma Xiaotao said, "I choose Gongyang Mo."
It was the same choice as always, much to Yan Shaozhe's displeasure.
He had scolded Ma Xiaotao about it after the last time, but today she still hadn't chosen Mu Xuanheng.
"In that case, I choose Junior Mu Xuanheng. He left a deep impression on me last time." Dai Yueheng was still smiling. A schemer needed to know how to invest.
He even left the choice up to Mu Xuanheng.
"Are you sure? What if I don't choose an official team member? Would you still accept that?"
Dai Yueheng thought it over, then took back his offer. He promptly chose Ling Luochеn instead.
Having an ice-type Soul Master would be a big help against Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao refused to be outdone. "Chen Zifeng and Xixi."
With her Lightning Leopard Martial Soul, Xixi would put immense pressure on the back line. Of the official team members left, only Yao Haoxuan remained. Among the reserves, Bei Bei was the only one who wasn't especially vulnerable to a Soul King's agility-type attacks.
"Yao Haoxuan and Gu Yuena." Dai Yueheng couldn't smile anymore. Xixi was hard to contain, so he could only rely on the back line to protect each other.
Could a Soul King and a Soul Ancestor really protect themselves? As for Yao Haoxuan, he was basically a support type, with no way to defend himself.
"Bei Bei and Wang Dong!" Ma Xiaotao had never met Huo Yuhao, and she didn't like Soul Engineers.
The same problem was now Dai Yueheng's to deal with. He was practically guaranteed to be the main tank.
There were only two front-liners on the team. Everyone else was a back-liner.
After hesitating, he chose Huo Yuhao and He Caitou. Compared to Xiao Xiao, the two of them were at least useful.
That left Xiao Xiao on Ma Xiaotao's team.
[Ma Xiaotao's Team: Ma Xiaotao, Gongyang Mo, Xixi, Chen Zifeng, Bei Bei, Xiao Xiao]
[Dai Yueheng's Team: Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochеn, Yao Haoxuan, Mu Xuanheng, Gu Yuena, He Caitou, Huo Yuhao]
With the teams chosen, Xuan Zi didn't care about the lineups. He just wanted to see how the battle played out.
Wang Yan was full of questions. One side didn't have a single control-type Soul Master, while the other had a whole bunch.
Yan Shaozhe called out on Xuan Zi's behalf, "The match begins!"
Everyone summoned their Martial Souls. The moment Gu Yuena, Mu Xuanheng, and Huo Yuhao did so, everyone's eyes were drawn to them.
"You've got to be kidding. What kind of Soul Ring Configuration is that?"
Everyone was fairly familiar with two pure white Soul Rings. They had also seen orange Soul Rings many times.
But the blood-red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring struck everyone to the core.
Even those who had seen it before couldn't help thinking it had to be fake.
The others snapped out of it and prepared for battle.
As an agility-type Soul Master, Xixi vanished from the battlefield.
He Caitou immediately set up his position. Several dark gun barrels pointed outward, ready to unleash a powerful barrage.
Gongyang Mo activated his support enhancement. His two Hundred-Year Soul Rings lit up, and red and orange halos appeared around Ma Xiaotao, Chen Zifeng, and Bei Bei.
Huo Yuhao opened his Spirit Eye. His first Soul Skill, Spiritual Detection, combined with Spiritual Sharing, instantly gave his teammates a visual advantage. Everyone couldn't help but be impressed. How could a Ten-Year Soul Ring have such a powerful effect?
Yao Haoxuan said, "These junior brothers and sisters are one surprise after another. I can't fall behind either." His Soul Rings lit up, and the front-liners, Dai Yueheng and Mu Xuanheng, felt themselves growing stronger.
He was a control-and-support type Soul Master. He couldn't support the team as well as a pure support type, but he could still hinder the opposing team. Their speed visibly slowed.
"First Soul Skill, Ice Staff. Second Soul Skill, Ice Armor Protection." Ling Luochеn summoned her staff and donned her armor.
Before the faint chill could spread, Ma Xiaotao suppressed it.
Fiery heat swept across the battlefield. The Evil Fire Phoenix's flames set the air trembling.
Huo Yuhao placed a hand behind Ling Luochеn. "Senior, let me help you."
Ling Luochеn was entranced by the feeling of Ultimate Ice. "So this is Ultimate Ice?"
A pillar of icy blue light shot into the sky and spread instantly, snuffing out the Evil Fire Phoenix's flames.
The extreme cold made the other ten shiver. Only Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena seemed unaffected. This little bit of cold was nothing to them.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Ice Radiance Ring!"
A huge blue ring of ice appeared in midair. Ma Xiaotao immediately took flight using her Soul Skills and called for Gongyang Mo to give his full support.
They had experienced Mu Xuanheng's Ultimate Ice before. They knew that if this attack landed on several of them, they would definitely lose.
Gongyang Mo immediately activated his remaining three Soul Skills, while Ma Xiaotao activated her second and third Soul Skills as well. "Fifth Soul Skill, Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike!"
The scorching flames locked onto Ling Luochеn, but she wasn't the only one on her team.
A massive "Kill" character intercepted the attack in midair. Dai Yueheng activated his first, third, and fifth enhancement Soul Skills and rushed over.
The character clashed with the fiery phoenix. With Yao Haoxuan's support, they were almost evenly matched.
But their Soul Power had already been inferior, and their Soul Skills were all Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skills. With Gongyang Mo giving his full support, how could the clash possibly be even?
A massive shower of fiery meteors rained down from the sky. Ma Xiaotao unleashed an even more powerful area Soul Skill. "Sixth Soul Skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower!"
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