The Knockout Tournament, a Brutal Speedrun!

The next morning, the knockout tournament officially began.

The rules were simple: sixty-four teams competed in a single-elimination bracket, and anyone who lost had to pack up and go back to class. There would be one match each morning and afternoon. After three days, the top three would be decided.

The thirty-two matches in the round of sixty-four were held simultaneously.

The partitions in the Examination Arena had been rearranged, and each field was a little wider than during the Round-Robin Tournament.

The senior students who had served as referees had been replaced by official instructors. Clearly, the academy was taking the knockout tournament a whole lot more seriously.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's first opponents were a three-person team from Class Five.

Their captain was a Level 22 Soul Grandmaster with a tool-type Martial Soul. The other two were both just over Level 20.

As soon as the whistle blew, Zhu Lu vanished from where she stood.

More precisely, she took off so fast that the other team couldn't keep up with her at all.

By the time the captain of Class Five reacted, Zhu Lu had already appeared behind him.

First Soul Skill, Hell Stab.

A precise claw strike landed right on the captain's lower back. Soul Power pierced his uniform and exploded across his skin, leaving it numb.

His body stiffened. Before his Martial Soul could fully possess him, he stumbled and fell face-first onto the ground.

At the same time, Dai Huabin moved.

He spread his hands, and a White Tiger Intense Light Wave shot out. He kept its force low, just enough to shove the remaining two opponents from the center of the field across the boundary line.

Their feet slipped, and they landed on their backsides, sliding past the white line.

"Examination Field Seventeen: Dai Huabin's team from Class Nine wins."

The referee's voice already sounded numb. He had probably gotten used to this sort of thing ever since the Round-Robin Tournament began yesterday.

The whole thing had taken less than ten seconds.

Zhu Lu retracted her claws and lightly hopped back to Dai Huabin, brushing nonexistent dust from her hands.

"Huabin, did I hit too hard just now? That captain still hasn't gotten up."

Dai Huabin glanced back. The captain of Class Five was being helped up by his teammates, his face pale, his lower back still twitching.

"It's fine. He was just startled by your armor-piercing effect. The way the Hell Spirit Cat pierces through defenses is unusual. Anyone taking a hit for the first time thinks they've suffered internal injuries."

Zhu Lu tilted her head, thought for a moment, then muttered, "Then I'll go a little easier next time."

"No need. There's no reason to hold back in the Examination Arena."

When the two left the field, the match in the arena next door had only just reached its most heated point.

A boy from the Power Attack System was locked in a sweaty struggle with an opposing defensive-type Soul Master. They had traded blows for several rounds, yet neither could gain the upper hand.

Dai Huabin paid them no mind and led Zhu Lu straight to the rest area.

That afternoon, they faced a team from Class Three in the round of thirty-two.

Their captain was a Level 24 Soul Grandmaster who had gone seven wins and three losses in the Round-Robin Tournament, making him a solidly above-average opponent.

The result was no different.

Zhu Lu charged straight in, and three consecutive claw strikes from Hell Hundred Claws left the opposing agility-type Soul Master reeling.

Dai Huabin followed up with a kick, sending the Soul Master who tried to sneak up on Zhu Lu flying out of bounds.

The captain held on for a few seconds, releasing a defensive Soul Skill to buy time.

Zhu Lu circled to his flank. A Hell Stab pierced through a gap in his defense, and the claws' armor-piercing effect shattered the thin shield of Soul Power.

Another instant victory.

"Dai Huabin's team from Class Nine wins."

After announcing the result, the referee couldn't help taking another look at Zhu Lu.

The black-haired girl made no wasted movements. Every strike was incredibly precise.

Meanwhile, Cui Yajie's team was faring just as well.

In the morning match, Cui Yajie opened with Charm, leaving the opposing captain dazed for half a second.

Wang Dong'er's Light Goddess Butterfly swept in on beating wings. One Wing Blade Guillotine hit home, ending the fight cleanly and decisively.

The afternoon match took a little longer because the other team had a Level 23 defensive-type shield Soul Master who stubbornly refused to go down.

Xiao Xiao activated the Cauldron-Merging Form of her Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. A massive cauldron came crashing down, pushing the man and his shield right out of the arena.

"Xiao Xiao, that was way too brutal!" Wang Dong'er exclaimed, clicking her tongue as she watched. "He flew at least three meters."

Xiao Xiao hunched her shoulders, her little face reddening. "I... I did control my strength. I really did."

Cui Yajie twirled a lock of pink curls, her tone mild.

"You controlled your strength and he still flew three meters? If you hadn't, he might've landed in the arena next door."

All four of the first day's knockout matches had ended.

All three of Class Nine's teams had advanced to the round of sixteen.

On his way back to the dorm that evening, Dai Huabin ran into Ning Tian.

"How'd things go on your end?"

Ning Tian smiled.

"Wu Feng's Dragon Fire threw the other team into disarray right from the start. There wasn't much suspense.

"But in the afternoon match, the other team had an ice-type Soul Master who slightly countered Wu Feng. Nanmen Yun'er stepped in and landed a couple of strikes, and that took care of it."

"Have you checked who you're up against tomorrow morning in the round of sixteen?"

"I have. It's a three-person team from Class Six. Their strongest member is Level 23, and they don't have any unusual Martial Souls."

Ning Tian paused.

"But you, if you win tomorrow afternoon, you'll face Xie Huanyue in the quarterfinals."

Dai Huabin nodded without saying anything.

Ning Tian studied him for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Forget it. I can tell from that look on your face that you've got it figured out. I'll stop worrying, then. I'll go back and get Fengmei to massage my shoulders."

"You sure know how to order people around."

"Of course. I'm the young mistress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If I don't order Fengmei around, who will?"

Ning Tian waved and walked off, humming a little tune.

Dai Huabin watched her go and shook his head.

She really did have a steady temperament. She could always find a reason to smile.

When he returned to the dorm, Zhu Lu had already washed up and was sitting on her bed, drying her hair.

"Huabin, do you know anything about our opponents tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. They're a three-person team from Class Seven. Their captain is a Level 22 plant-type Soul Master. They focus on control and like to use vines to restrict their opponents' movements, then have their teammates attack."

Zhu Lu thought it over. "Vines? My Hell Stab can cut right through them."

"Right, so this one won't be difficult. You charge in head-on and cut through the vines. I'll follow behind and finish them off."

Zhu Lu gave a brief answer and continued drying her hair. After a while, she suddenly spoke up.

"Huabin, how are you planning to deal with Xie Huanyue's Rubber Elephant?"

Dai Huabin leaned against the headboard, his hands clasped behind his head.

He had been thinking about that ever since he saw the bracket.

Rubber Elephant's defensive power was among the best of the first-years.

At Level 32, Xie Huanyue was a Soul Elder. Even with White Tiger Vajra Transformation activated, it wouldn't be easy to break through his defenses quickly in a head-on fight.

More troublesome still was Xie Huanyue's second Soul Skill, Elephant Trunk. That arm could stretch several meters, and it wasn't only for hitting people. It could also wrap around and grab them. If Zhu Lu got caught, half of her speed advantage would be gone.

"What's the greatest weakness of a defensive-type Soul Master?" Dai Huabin asked instead of answering her directly.

Zhu Lu thought seriously for a moment. "Slow movement?"

"Right, but that's not enough. A defensive-type Soul Master's greatest weakness is that he has to stand there and take hits."

Dai Huabin extended a finger and drew a circle in the air.

"Xie Huanyue's strategy relies on him holding the line alone while the Luo Brothers flank from either side. That works well against ordinary teams because most people instinctively focus their attacks on the biggest target."

"But there are only two of us."

"Exactly. So here's my plan: I'll take down Xie Huanyue, and you'll deal with the Luo Brothers."

Zhu Lu stopped drying her hair.

"You'll fight him alone?"

"Don't worry. I'm not going to trade blows with him head-on. White Tiger Intense Light Wave is a ranged attack, so I can keep my distance and wear him down. With that build, he won't be able to catch me."

Zhu Lu was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded. "All right. I've read up on Luo Tianlong and Luo Tianba's Mantis Blades. They're twins and work very well together. But their Soul Power is only a little over Level 20. I can crush them with my speed."

"That's exactly what I mean." Dai Huabin rolled over. "Go to sleep. Let's get through the round of sixteen tomorrow morning first."

Zhu Lu folded the towel and set it aside, then obediently turned off the light.

In the darkness, her voice was soft. "Good night, Huabin."

"Good night."

The next morning, it was time for the round of sixteen.

As expected, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's opponents were the three-person team from Class Seven, whose strength centered on a plant-type Soul Master.

Once the match began, their captain released his Martial Soul. Dozens of emerald-green vines burst from the ground and spread densely toward the two of them.

Zhu Lu charged into the mass of vines with Hell Stab. Armor-piercing claws extended from both hands, and every swipe cut through three or four vines.

The plant-type captain's expression changed.

His vines were meant to control opponents, not to be chopped up like vegetables.

Dai Huabin followed close behind Zhu Lu. Once she had torn open a path, he fired a White Tiger Intense Light Wave straight at the two opposing teammates responsible for offense.

The pair were swept out of the arena and tumbled across the ground.

The plant-type captain still tried to struggle, but Zhu Lu had already circled behind him, her claws poised at the back of his neck.

"I surrender."

Clean and decisive. The whole match took less than twenty seconds.

Cui Yajie's team and Ning Tian's team also advanced to the quarterfinals without trouble that morning.

During the lunch break, the list of the eight teams was posted.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's team, Cui Yajie, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao's team, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er's team... Class Nine alone had claimed three of the eight spots.

The other five teams were Xie Huanyue's team, Huang Chutian's team, and three teams from other classes.

The afternoon quarterfinal bracket was announced right afterward.

Dai Huabin's team VS Xie Huanyue's team.

Cui Yajie's team VS Huang Chutian's team.

Wang Dong'er had the biggest reaction when she saw the bracket.

"Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo! Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Heavenly Net!"

She punched the wall of the cafeteria, drawing sideways glances from the students eating nearby.

"Bring it on! I've been itching for an opponent who can actually fight!"

Cui Yajie speared a piece of braised pork and put it in her mouth. She chewed twice before answering unhurriedly.

"Don't get so excited you forget to think. Huang Chutian's Hercules Ape is no pushover. With the Lan sisters' control, we can't afford to be careless."

Xiao Xiao obediently nodded.

"Yeah. My Cauldron Defense can stop a head-on attack, but we'll be in trouble if the Heavenly Net traps us."

Wang Dong'er snorted. "What's there to be afraid of? What can't my Wing Blade Guillotine cut through?"

Dai Huabin walked over with his tray, just in time to hear her. He didn't offer any advice and simply stood there eating quietly.

Cui Yajie was the captain. She should decide how to fight for herself.

Zhu Lu came over, picked up a piece of rib from her plate, and placed it in Dai Huabin's bowl.

"Eat more. You've got Xie Huanyue to fight this afternoon."

"You should eat more too." Dai Huabin picked up a drumstick and put it in her bowl.

Across from them, Wang Dong'er watched the two of them pass food back and forth. Her chopsticks hung frozen in midair, and her expression slowly twisted.

"You two, can you stop showing off in the cafeteria? Am I supposed to eat or not?"

Xiao Xiao covered her mouth and giggled beside her.

At two in the afternoon, the quarterfinals began right on schedule.

Unlike the Round-Robin Tournament and the first few rounds of the knockout tournament, only four arenas remained this time.

The arenas were nearly twice as large, and the partitions around them had been replaced with translucent Soul Power barriers so the audience could watch.

The bigger change was in the stands.

A row of seats had been added to the raised platform on the north side of the examination area.