Tang San's Frenzy

The lounge fell silent in an instant.

The eyes of the entire Skywater Team were fixed upon Xue Tianyu.

Xue Wu leaned forward, her beautiful eyes shimmering with an eager, restless light.

"Captain, today is the debut of our Skywater Team, and everyone is waiting for your command."

"Should we send out our full starting lineup and show the other academies what we're made of?"

Xue Tianyu lifted his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping across the group.

He didn't even reach for the roster, merely picking up the hot tea on the table to take a light sip.

"There is no need to waste energy dealing with a bunch of small fry who can't even field a full team of Soul Ancestors."

His tone was flat, yet it carried an air of absolute control.

"Shui Bing'er, Xue Wu, Shui Yue'er."

The three who were called immediately straightened their backs.

"Present!"

Xue Tianyu tapped his fingers against the table, producing a crisp, rhythmic sound.

"Just the three of you, come with me to the arena."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the lounge froze for a heartbeat.

The team instructor swallowed hard, looking somewhat hesitant.

"Captain, only four people?"

"The tournament rules state that a team must field seven members; if the number is insufficient, the head referee will deem it a contempt of the rules."

Xue Tianyu set down his teacup, his expression remaining as calm as a still lake.

"Then just add three substitutes to make up the numbers."

"Once we're on stage, just let them stand in the corner and watch the show; they don't need to lift a finger."

These words were incredibly arrogant.

Yet, coming from him, no one felt it was out of place.

The person before them was a peerless monster who had become captain at twelve, possessed six soul rings, and had even obtained a hundred-thousand-year God-Bestowed Soul Ring.

Shui Yue'er clenched her pink fists in excitement.

"Great!"

"To be able to fight side-by-side with the Captain on the arena floor—just thinking about it is thrilling!"

Shui Bing'er was much calmer, and she reminded him softly.

"But Captain, our first opponent is Auckland Academy."

"Although they aren't one of the Five Elemental Academies, they have two level-39 Soul Elders at the helm, and their style is extremely ferocious."

Xue Tianyu's gaze landed on Shui Bing'er.

Seeing her earnest expression, a faint trace of appreciation stirred in his heart.

"Level 39—is that considered strong?"

The short sentence blocked everything Shui Bing'er had been about to say.

Her face flushed, and she quickly lowered her head.

"It is not strong."

"In front of the Captain, they don't even count as ants."

Xue Tianyu stood up and draped his coat casually over his shoulders.

"For this match, the three of you will be the primary attackers."

"Unless you encounter trouble you cannot solve, I will not easily intervene."

He did not want a group of vases who could only hide in the back and cheer.

Since he had taken over the Skywater Team, he would naturally forge this team into a sharp blade capable of sweeping across the entire continent.

Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu exchanged a look and nodded solemnly.

"Understood!"

The group quickly finalized the roster for the match.

Xue Tianyu would hold the center, Shui Bing'er would provide ice-attribute crowd control, Xue Wu would be responsible for weather-based support and amplification, and Shui Yue'er would roam the flanks as an agility-attack type.

For the remaining three spots, they randomly picked three peripheral members to make up the required seven.

With preparations complete, they changed into their uniforms.

The group pushed open the doors of the lounge and headed toward the main arena tunnel.

The corridor was dimly lit, with teams from various academies weaving and crossing paths.

Just as they rounded a corner.

They collided head-on with a team dressed in shite-green uniforms.

Shrek Academy.

The air plummeted to a freezing point in that instant.

A bone-chilling cold radiated unintentionally from Xue Tianyu, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply.

Tang San, on the opposite side, slammed to a halt.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked with a crisp sound from the excessive force.

His previously steady breathing instantly became as heavy and ragged as an ox's.

His eyes were filled with hideous bloodshot veins as he stared fixedly at Xue Tianyu, who was walking at the very front.

Hatred.

Hatred, boiling and scorching like magma, was practically erupting from Tang San's eyes.

Dai Mubai was equally tense, subconsciously taking half a step back.

The sight of the ice shards scattered across Spring Breeze Alley that night resurfaced in his mind, making his legs go weak.

Oscar bit his lip tightly, not daring to even draw a full breath.

Yu Xiaogang walked at the very front of the Shrek formation.

His face was livid as he glared at Xue Tianyu, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

"You still dare to appear here so brazenly."

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, his voice filled with extreme gloom.

"Heaven's justice is clear; having committed such a massacre, are you not afraid of retribution!"

Upon hearing this accusation.

Xue Tianyu did not get angry; instead, he let out a soft chuckle.

He stopped walking, his gaze sweeping over the ragged formation of the Shrek members with utter contempt.

Missing a fatty, missing the vice-dean who led the team.

They looked just like a pack of stray dogs.

"Retribution?"

Xue Tianyu's tone was indifferent; he couldn't even be bothered to look Yu Xiaogang in the eye.

"A bunch of trash who hide in the shadows to launch sneak attacks, use hidden weapons, and conduct ambushes—do you really think you have the right to talk to me about heaven's justice?"

Tang San's sanity collapsed in an instant.

He lunged forward, his right hand already reaching toward Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

"Xue Tianyu!"

Tang San roared sharply, the veins on his neck bulging out.

"You killed my brother and slaughtered my mentor!"

"I will personally extract this blood debt from you!"

With that roar, the aura of a level 42 Soul Ancestor instantly surged from his body.

Vines of Blue Silver Grass writhed faintly beneath his feet, poised to strike.

Seeing this, Shui Bing'er's expression darkened instantly.

Without a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward, blocking the path in front of Xue Tianyu.

A pure, icy blue light erupted from her body.

Two yellow and two purple soul rings rose from beneath her feet, and an aura of extreme frost instantly pressed toward the opposite side.

"Want to fight?"

Shui Bing'er stared directly at Tang San, her tone filled with unyielding resolve.

"A mere loser, yet you dare to shout at our captain."

"This is the venue for the Soul Master Tournament; if you Shrek members want to be eliminated early, feel free to try!"

Xue Wu and Shui Yue'er also stepped forward simultaneously, their soul power surging as they shielded Xue Tianyu behind them.

Even though they knew their captain didn't need protection at all.

But in this moment, as members of the Skywater Team, they had to make their stance clear.

Xue Tianyu looked at the graceful backs shielding him, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He raised his hand and gently patted Shui Bing'er on the shoulder.

The movement was light.

Yet it caused Shui Bing'er's tense body to soften instantly.

"Step aside."

"There is no need to waste breath on a group of the walking dead."

Xue Tianyu strode forward, his long legs carrying him directly past Tang San.

At the very moment their figures crossed.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Tang San as if looking at a corpse.

"I shall wait for you to come and collect your debt."

"Do not make me wait too long, or your dear brother down below will feel quite lonely."

Every word was a dagger to the heart.

A sound of extreme, suppressed gasping escaped Tang San's throat, his entire body trembling violently with rage.

A trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He gripped his own thigh with a death grip, forcing himself not to draw his lethal hidden weapons right here.

Yu Xiaogang grabbed Tang San's arm, his face deathly pale.

"San, hold back!"

"Private fighting within the venue will lead to immediate disqualification!"

"We will take our revenge openly and honorably on the arena floor!"

Ignoring the impotent rage of the Shrek members, Xue Tianyu led the girls of the Skywater Team as they walked calmly through the tunnel.

They headed toward the radiant arena.

At the towering entrance of the arena, dazzling beams of light descended from the sky, illuminating the end of the tunnel.

The high-pitched, piercing voice of the tournament announcer echoed from outside.

"Next, let us welcome with the warmest applause the representative team of one of the Five Elemental Academies—the Skywater Academy!"

Deafening cheers swept through the arena like a tsunami.

Countless ribbons drifted down from the spectator stands.

Skywater Academy already possessed immense popularity due to its all-female roster.

Moreover, this time, leading the way at the very front was an extremely rare male face.

Xue Tianyu walked in the center of the tunnel.

The ice-blue team uniform perfectly accentuated his tall and upright physique.

His peerlessly handsome face, paired with an aloof, bone-chilling temperament, instantly ignited the entire crowd.

"Who is that?"

"How can there be a male student in Skywater Academy!"

"He is walking in the lead; could he be the captain of the Skywater Team?"

Discussions rose and fell throughout the stands, with countless gazes of curiosity and shock converging upon him.

Facing this overwhelming wave of sound, Xue Tianyu's expression did not show even a ripple.

He stopped at the edge of the arena, quietly watching the Oakland Team, who were already standing by in full formation.

The seven burly men, their bodies knotted with muscle, were looking over with eyes full of hostility and mockery.

"Is Skywater Academy out of people?"

"Finding a pretty boy to act as the big brother?"

The captain of the Oakland Team twisted his neck, letting out a rough, mocking laugh.

Xue Tianyu did not even glance at the man.

He turned his head to look at Shui Bing'er, who had already summoned the phantom of her martial soul beside him.

"Two minutes."

His tone was flat, as if he were speaking of a trivial matter.

"Within two minutes, I want to see them all lying on the ground."

Shui Bing'er nodded heavily, a fierce fighting spirit appearing on her beautiful face.

"As you command, Captain."

Following the referee's long whistle.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament officially began.

The small flag in the referee's hand, representing the start of the match, was swung heavily through the air.

"The first match of the preliminaries, Oakland Academy versus Skywater Academy."

"Begin!"

With this high-pitched declaration, the match began.

The captain of the Oakland Team stomped his feet hard against the ground, his thick arms pounding against his chest as he let out a deafening roar.

The two yellow and one purple soul rings coiling around his body flared with brilliant light.

His muscles bulged like jagged rocks, and thick brown fur sprouted rapidly across his skin.

Raging Giant Bear, Spirit Possession!

The other six members of the Oakland Team also released their respective beast spirits, all of them being power-type assault soul masters.

"Brothers, show these little ladies what we're made of!"

"Let them know that in the world of soul masters, the rules are written with fists!"

The Oakland captain took the lead, charging toward the Skywater Team's formation like a pack of starving wolves alongside his six burly teammates.

Their heavy footsteps caused the bluestone slabs on the arena floor to rumble and boom.

Facing this surging, violent onslaught, Xue Tianyu stood at the very front of his team, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

His expression was as indifferent as if he were watching a few insects buzzing aimlessly in the air.

He didn't even have the slightest intention of releasing his spirit.

Shui Bing'er took half a step forward, deftly shielding Xue Tianyu's side.

The first yellow soul ring on her body flared with an instantaneous, brilliant light.

A bone-chilling, extreme blizzard erupted from within her body.

"Ice Seal."

Her cold, resolute voice echoed across the arena.

Crack—!

A series of crisp freezing sounds rang out, sounding exceptionally jarring within the vast venue.

The seven burly men of the Oakland Team, who had been charging with such fierce momentum, suddenly stiffened in mid-stride.

Thick, solid ice spread wildly upward from the soles of their feet.

In the span of a single breath, the extreme frost had completely locked them—and the soul power they had just released—in place.

Seven lifelike ice sculptures stood abruptly in the center of the arena.

The Oakland captain remained in his clawing, charging posture, though his eyes, visible through the transparent ice, were filled with extreme terror.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.

The audience in the stands held their breath, staring blankly at the scene before them.

Shui Bing'er withdrew her soul power and turned to look at Xue Tianyu.

"Captain, it's settled."

Xue Tianyu nodded slightly. Without even glancing at the ice sculptures, he turned and walked toward the passage at the edge of the arena.

It wasn't until his slender back was about to disappear into the shadows that the referee, as if waking from a dream, swallowed hard and raised the small flag in his hand.

"The... the first match of the preliminaries."

"Skywater Academy wins!"

"Time elapsed... thirteen seconds!"

As soon as this announcement was made, the spectator stands instantly erupted.

Thunderous gasps and boiling applause intertwined, nearly blowing the roof off the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

This couldn't even be called a match; it was a one-sided, absolute crushing.

No one had expected that they would instantly wipe out a high-level soul master academy team without even having their full roster release their spirits.

In the VIP box, Emperor Xue Ye sat in the central seat, a flash of intense appreciation appearing in his eyes.

Beside him, Platinum Bishop Salas narrowed his eyes.

"Is that young man leading them Xue Tianyu?"

Salas tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, his expression unreadable.

"To have the entire team follow his commands without even needing to exert his soul power..."

"This boy is certainly no ordinary fish in a pond."

Meanwhile, in the lounge area of the Great Soul Arena, the atmosphere inside the Shrek Team's private lounge was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Yu Xiaogang stared at the Soul Tool screen on the wall, his hands trembling slightly within his wide sleeves.

Tang San sat on a chair to the side, his fists clenched deathly tight.

His fingernails dug deep into the flesh of his palms, drawing out trickles of warm blood.

Dai Mubai's face turned livid as he slammed a palm onto the table in front of him.

"That woman unleashed an ultimate attribute of ice."

"Her soul power is so refined, it is absolutely not something an ordinary soul master could achieve."

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, and turned to look at Tang San.

"Little San, that night outside the Sunset Forest, you witnessed Xue Tianyu's strength."

"If we encounter Skywater Academy in the preliminary rounds, how much confidence do you have?"

Tang San abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with terrifying bloodshot veins.

"No matter how strong he is."

"As long as we meet on the arena stage, I will definitely win!"

"I will take Xue Tianyu's life to pay tribute to the spirits of Fatty and Teacher Zhao in heaven!"