While the few of them were locked in a standoff, Liu Erlong couldn't take it anymore and released the pressure of an eighty-one-level Soul Douluo.
The weapons held by the soldiers maintaining order nearby trembled from the shockwave. Salas, who had been too afraid to speak until then, slapped the armrest of his chair, stood up, and rebuked them, "What do you think you're doing? This is a competition! Do you want to be disqualified for your outrageous behavior?"
Jiang Huai, Dai Mubai, and Gu Yue didn't take Salas of Spirit Hall seriously, but the people from Barak Academy fawned over him like dogs. Then, after glaring at Jiang Huai and the others, they left the stage.
The three from Shrek didn't linger either. Jiang Huai discreetly gave Xiao Wu a small device.
It was a small Soul Tool that could defend against high temperatures. Xiao Wu only needed to wear it on her ring finger, and once it sensed a change in the surrounding temperature, it would form a shield to protect its wearer.
After this brief incident, the competition soon got underway. Barak Academy's team sent Auerbai out for the second round. He was a forty-one-level Soul Ancestor whose Martial Soul was a Sunflower.
As soon as Auerbai took the stage, he released his Martial Soul and said, "You'll pay for this!"
Xiao Wu struck a fighting stance. "Come on! Your Sister Xiao Wu isn't afraid of you!"
At her words, Auerbai coldly unleashed his first Soul Skill. He bowed respectfully to his Martial Soul.
"First Soul Skill: Flower Blooms with Fame."
Xiao Wu immediately used her second Soul Skill, Charm, hoping to pull off the same trick again. But this time, her Charm was completely blocked.
Auerbai said arrogantly, "Heh, did you think I was that good-for-nothing Luofuji? I'll show you what a Sunflower can do!"
"Second Soul Skill: Borrowing Momentum to Bloom."
Realizing the danger, Xiao Wu immediately used Teleportation to dodge out of the attack's range. Auerbai refused to let up, firing one attack after another at her like raindrops.
Xiao Wu kept dodging the beams of Soul Skill energy coming at her. She intended to exhaust all of Auerbai's Soul Power.
Auerbai realized what Xiao Wu was trying to do, so he immediately activated his third Soul Ring.
"Third Soul Skill: Sun Gush!"
Xiao Wu immediately touched her right arm. Her right hand seemed to have gained a Soul Bone, and a barrier of frost energy appeared around her.
Xiao Wu charged straight at Auerbai. Teleportation and her flexible techniques worked together, giving her movement the effect of Quick Attack from Pokémon.
Auerbai hadn't realized Xiao Wu had a Soul Bone. In his panic, he used his fourth Soul Skill.
"F-Fourth Soul Skill: Sun Storm!"
Xiao Wu suddenly teleported behind him. "Too late!"
She whipped her head around, then suddenly crouched and flung Auerbai into the air. Then Xiao Wu began performing the Explosive Kill Eight-Stage Throw.
Before long, Auerbai suffered the same fate as Luofuji. The people from Barak Academy saw that even their captain had been defeated and didn't dare take the stage. Their instructor had no choice but to concede and leave the Royal Hunting Ground with their injured. Who could have known they'd be the first team eliminated?
Xiao Wu soon returned to Shrek's spectator area, bouncing around in front of Gu Yue and Jiang Huai as if showing off her achievement.
Jiang Huai readily praised her, and Gu Yue offered a perfunctory compliment as well.
Xiao Wu happily jumped up and down. The other teams' matches followed.
Blazing Academy faced Plant Academy, followed by Thunder Academy against Godwind Academy.
That brought the day's matches to an end. Shrek would face Thunder Academy the next day, so everyone returned to their tents to rest as soon as possible. Some cultivated while others slept.
Although Thunder Academy's Soul Power was lower than theirs, lightning was one of the most powerful elements.
Of the nine elements, lightning was the most domineering. As long as it was used well, it could let someone defeat an opponent of a higher level.
So everyone needed to cultivate hard. Those who didn't need to compete, like Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and Jiang Zhu, were just having fun. They thought that, as support specialists, they didn't need to take part in the promotion tournament.
That meant they could play as much as they liked without Jiang Huai scolding them.
That night, Jiang Huai was studying information about the members of Thunder Team, whom they would face the next day. He wanted to learn everything about their opponents before morning.
There was a tent, a sleeping bag, a table, a Soul Tool lamp, and one person. The light filled the entire tent as Jiang Huai turned the pages; everyone else was asleep.
Early the next morning, Gu Yue arrived at Jiang Huai's tent. There was no one in the sleeping bag, and when she turned around, she saw Jiang Huai slumped over the table.
Gu Yue went over and gently woke him. Jiang Huai stretched after waking, then left the tent to wash his face and rinse his mouth at a faucet.
After breakfast, they headed into the Soul Fighting Zone. They went to the same spot as before, and Jiang Huai began assigning the lineup.
He called everyone over. "Jing Ling, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Tai Long, Dai Mubai. I want all five of you to take the stage, and each of you must defeat at least one or two opponents."
The five answered in unison, "Yes!" Their fighting spirit surged to its peak.
Soon, Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, and Salas took their seats, along with the deputy judges: Xue Qinghe, Xue Xing, the three members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Board of Education, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's guardian Douluo, Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
The competition soon began. Jing Ling took the stage, ready to fight. Jiang Huai had told him to wear down his opponent's Soul Power and then defeat him in one blow.
Jing Ling's opponent was Lu Chen, another Agility Attack System specialist. His Martial Soul was a Thunder Blade, and he was a forty-one-level Soul Ancestor.
Jing Ling soon used his speed to wear down more than half of Lu Chen's Soul Power, then defeated him with ease. The second person Thunder Academy sent out was a Soul Master with a Thunder Bead Martial Soul.
"I am Xiao Yuju. My Martial Soul is a Thunder Bead, and I'm a forty-one-level Soul Ancestor."
Jing Ling didn't waste time talking. He was only level thirty-six and couldn't afford to trade blows with a Soul Ancestor, so he followed Jiang Huai's advice and set about exhausting Xiao Yuju's Soul Power.
Xiao Yuju wasn't foolish enough to keep using Soul Skills to attack. Just as Jing Ling was about to launch an attack, Xiao Yuju struck him with a palm and defeated him, leaving him with almost no Soul Power.
Tai Long took the stage for Shrek next. Jiang Huai had told him to meet force with force. Tai Long was a Power Attack System Soul Master, but his physique was on par with that of a Defense System Soul Master of the same level, so he easily defeated Xiao Yuju.
Next was Lei Jiuzhong, a powerful Soul Master with a Thunder Umbrella Martial Soul. His Soul Power was close to level forty-two, but he was still a forty-one-level Soul Ancestor.
Tai Long spent a great deal of Soul Power defeating Lei Jiuzhong, then was defeated by Lei Mie.
Lei Mie was a Soul Master with a Thunder Wing Martial Soul. He had both Power Attack and Agility Attack abilities, possessed tremendous attack power, and was very fast. He was a level-forty-two Soul Ancestor.
No matter how tough Tai Long's body was, he couldn't withstand a large amount of lightning, which led to his defeat.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded to Jiang Huai and the others, then leaped onto the stage. She was one level higher than Lei Mie, but she still didn't dare let her guard down. Since the best defense was a good offense, she immediately used Hell Stab and charged at him.
Lei Mie was flying in the air and easily dodged her. Zhu Zhuqing responded by using her fourth Soul Skill, Nether Shadow Clone.
Four clones appeared behind Zhu Zhuqing and charged forward. Lei Mie flapped his wings, sending out a barrage of Thunder Beads that scattered her clones.
Lei Mie didn't feel like playing around anymore, so he unleashed a Soul Skill. "It's over, Shrek!"
"Second Soul Skill: Thunder Feather Needle Attack!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless feather-shaped needles crackling with lightning struck Zhu Zhuqing, pinning her to the ground. Then Lei Mie used another Soul Skill.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Thunder Wing Storm!"
Pinned to the ground and unable to move, Zhu Zhuqing had resigned herself to her fate when Jiang Huai stepped in.
Jiang Huai shattered the storm with a single sword strike. "We concede this round. We'll send out the next person to continue the challenge."
At his words, Lei Mie stopped attacking and recalled his Martial Soul. Jiang Huai brought Zhu Zhuqing back to the spectator area.
Sitting in the stands, Zhu Zhuqing apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm still too weak."
Jiang Huai didn't answer. Instead, he looked toward Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu nodded and jumped onto the Soul Fighting Stage.
Xiao Wu soon defeated Lei Mie with a Teleportation and Waist Attack combo. After Lei Mie was defeated, Lei Tian took the stage.
Lei Tian was an Agility Attack System Soul Master with a Thunder Eagle Martial Soul. He was a level-forty-two Soul Ancestor.
But Xiao Wu soon taught him what absolute suppression meant. She hit him with an Explosive Kill Eight-Stage Throw, ending the round outright.
Next came Lei Dong, brimming with anger. His Martial Soul was a Thunder Bead, and he was a level-forty-three Soul Ancestor from the Control System.
Lei Dong trapped Xiao Wu with his fourth Soul Skill, God-Locking Ring. As before, Jiang Huai rescued Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai took the stage.
As the vice-captain, this was Dai Mubai's first time taking part in the individual elimination match. He used no Soul Skills, relying only on the mantra of Strange Velvet Sky-Reaching Diamond Indestructible to smash Lei Dong's right shoulder with a single punch, shattering it completely.
It wasn't life-threatening, but Lei Dong had suffered a severe fracture. Thunder Academy's last competitor was Yu Tianxin, who had a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul and was the captain of Thunder Academy's team.
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