Back to Heaven Dou Royal Academy!
He had originally thought that without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and the opportunity to obtain Immortal Herbs, Tang San's growth would be limited. He hadn't expected him to unleash such astonishing combat power—especially with that Clear Sky Hammer. Even without a Soul Ring, it had displayed terrifying destructive force.
He gathered the Imperial Fighting Team's core members—Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Osler, Yu Feng, Ye Lingling, and Xiao Wu—in the training room. Xiao Wu was now an official team member, so she took part in the meeting as well.
"You all saw today's preliminary match," Lin Yi said, getting straight to the point. His voice was calm, but carried a hint of gravity. "Shrek Academy—especially that Tang San. If we face them in the finals, what do you think our chances are?"
Silence settled over the training room.
As captain, Yu Tianheng spoke first. His brows furrowed, and his tone was heavy. "Leader, to be honest, Tang San is... extremely troublesome. His Blue Silver Grass has powerful control, and his Hidden Weapon techniques are bizarre and hard to defend against. Now he's also revealed that little hammer with its terrifying strength... On top of that, he has the External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances. Back at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City, we lost because of his Eight Spider Lances and his strange tactics. From what we've seen today, he's even stronger than he was then."
Dugu Yan added, wariness in her emerald eyes. "He's also very skilled with poison. My Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison barely affects him. And their team works together much more seamlessly than they did in Suotuo City."
The Shi Mo brothers muttered, "That hammer is heavy. It's hard to block."
Osler and Yu Feng looked grave, too. Tang San's Hidden Weapons and his elusive footwork were a headache even for agile attack-type Soul Masters like them.
Ye Lingling didn't speak, but her cool gaze showed that she agreed.
Xiao Wu lowered her head as she listened to everyone discuss Tang San. Her feelings were complicated.
She knew Tang San was powerful. She had always known. But hearing others seriously discuss how to defeat him still stirred an indescribable feeling inside her.
Lin Yi took in everyone's reactions and nodded. "It seems you all understand the situation. Shrek really is stronger than we expected. Although they've lost Xiao Wu..." He paused and glanced at the silent girl beside him, her head bowed. "Their strength has suffered, but their core combat power remains. Especially with Tang San as an unpredictable factor—we can't underestimate him."
He stood and swept his gaze across the group. "Training behind closed doors will never make you truly great. We don't need to compete in the preliminaries, but that gives us the perfect chance to hone ourselves and find our weaknesses. Starting tomorrow, we'll take the initiative and seek out academy teams with distinctive Martial Souls and powerful abilities for sparring matches!"
At his words, the others' eyes lit up with anticipation. Training alone did need to be tested in real combat.
Lin Yi chose his first target from among the Five Elements Academies: Skywater Academy, famous for its beautiful students and powerful ice-based control abilities!
The next day, Lin Yi led the Imperial Fighting Team to Skywater Academy. After he explained their purpose, the female dean of Skywater Academy took the visit from Heaven Dou Royal Academy's seeded team very seriously and readily agreed to the sparring match.
The match took place on Skywater Academy's main arena. Their opponents were the main team, led by Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu.
As soon as the battle began, Skywater Academy demonstrated its powerful control abilities. Shui Bing'er's Ice Phoenix Martial Soul radiated bone-chilling cold. Her first Soul Skill, Ice Seal, and second Soul Skill, Ice Ring Armor, followed one after the other, severely restricting the Imperial Fighting Team's movement and attacks. The other members' ice-based Soul Skills worked together in perfect harmony, and in an instant, the arena became a frozen domain.
But the Imperial Fighting Team of today was no longer what it had been.
Under Lin Yi's guidance, Yu Tianheng no longer charged in recklessly. Instead, he focused more on choosing the right moment to attack. Braving the slowing effect of the ice rings, he seized an opening and forced his way through the enemy formation with a Thunder Dragon Claw.
Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison had become even more insidious. Rather than spreading it in a simple cloud, she condensed it into tiny needles of poison. Working in tandem with Osler and Yu Feng's speed, she struck with pinpoint precision, leaving Skywater Academy's members helpless to defend themselves.
The Shi Mo brothers' Black Tortoise defenses stood firm as a rock, guarding Ye Lingling in the rear. Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia healing light always came in time to dispel the cold and mend injuries, giving the Imperial Fighting Team exceptional staying power.
Xiao Wu proved the biggest surprise. As a newly joined agile attack-type Soul Master, she moved like a ghost, nimble even on the ice.
Her Waist Bow and Soft Technique worked wonders in coordination with the team. She often attacked from an angle her opponents never expected, interrupting their Soul Skills or flinging them out of formation to give Yu Tianheng and the others perfect opportunities to strike. Her presence greatly made up for the Imperial Fighting Team's lack of agility at close range.
Seeing the tide turn against them, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time. Powerful waves of Soul Power erupted from them, as azure and pearly white light intertwined and merged!
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Ice and Snow Fluttering!"
In an instant, dark clouds gathered over the arena. Countless frigid snowflakes mixed with razor-sharp ice crystals swept down. The temperature plunged, visibility blurred, and the entire arena seemed to turn into an icy hell! Even the Shrek Seven Devils at their full strength had once struggled against this powerful fusion skill!
Faced with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that covered such a vast area and possessed such astonishing power, the Imperial Fighting Team felt immense pressure.
"Defend!" Yu Tianheng barked. Shi Mo and Shi Mo immediately moved to the front, their Black Tortoise shields glowing with earthen light. Ye Lingling's healing light rained down without pause, holding back the encroaching cold.
Lin Yi stood at the edge of the arena, his expression unchanged as he watched in silence.
Just as Ice and Snow Fluttering reached its peak, a flash of lightning lit Yu Tianheng's eyes. He spotted the brief opening Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu had exposed while maintaining their fusion skill!
"Now! Thunder Fury! Thunderbolt!"
He abruptly pushed his Soul Power to its limit. Lightning serpents danced around him as he tore open a gap in the icy domain and shot toward Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu like a streak of blue lightning!
At the same time, Xiao Wu appeared at Shui Bing'er's flank as if she had teleported. She unleashed her Waist Bow, trying to interrupt Shui Bing'er's Soul Power output. Osler and Yu Feng also charged in fiercely from two other directions!
Caught off guard by the Imperial Fighting Team's sudden, coordinated attack from multiple angles, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu—fully occupied with maintaining their Martial Soul Fusion Skill—could no longer defend themselves.
Boom!
Yu Tianheng's dragon claw and Xiao Wu's Waist Bow struck almost simultaneously!
The domain of Ice and Snow Fluttering collapsed in an instant. Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu turned pale and staggered backward as their fusion skill was forcibly interrupted!
Without their strongest fusion skill, Skywater Academy had no strength left to resist and was soon defeated.
The sparring match was over. The Imperial Fighting Team had won!
The female dean of Skywater Academy watched the Imperial Fighting Team. Though they were a little disheveled, they brimmed with energy and worked together flawlessly. Her gaze lingered especially on their young leader, Lin Yi, whose expression was composed and whose commands were sure. Her eyes filled with astonishment. She had to admit that this Heaven Dou Royal Academy team was far stronger than they had expected.
After leaving Skywater Academy, the Imperial Fighting Team made their way back. Though exhausted, they were all brimming with excitement and confidence.
Sparring against a powerful team had given them a clearer understanding of their progress and shortcomings.
Lin Yi looked at Yu Tianheng and the others and said flatly, "Well done, but there's still room to improve. Rest for a day. The day after tomorrow, we'll go to Blazing Fire Academy."
In the days that followed, under Lin Yi's leadership, the Imperial Fighting Team went from one academy to another as if on a campaign, visiting powerful teams from the Five Elements Academies—Blazing Fire Academy, Godwind Academy, Thunder Academy—as well as several other formidable teams.
They won every match, but each sparring session taught them a great deal. Their teamwork grew more polished, and their ability to respond to different tactics improved tremendously.
Their successive victories had boosted the Imperial Fighting Team's confidence and cohesion, but the more Lin Yi assessed their situation, the clearer the numbers became.
With Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others at their current average strength, their chances of winning the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament remained slim—especially against the two overwhelming powerhouses: the Star Luo Imperial Family team and the Spirit Hall Academy Team, home of the Golden Generation.
And he wanted the championship prize...
Before you continue