Top 16

Bloodlust, increasing one's own attack, strength, and speed by thirty percent each. With Bloodlust stacked with Tiger Roar, after this double amplification, Ao Wei's physical strength and movement speed were not inferior to a Power Attack System Soul Elder.

If Ao Wei were to become a Soul Elder and attach suitable melee attack-type soul skills, stacking them with Tiger Roar and Bloodlust would result in a qualitative leap in his strength.

Unfortunately, at twelve years and nine months old, Ao Wei's soul power was only at level twenty-three, lacking the appropriate melee attack-type soul skills to leverage the attribute advantages of his double amplification.

Compared to the White Tiger Martial Soul inherited by the Duke White Tiger family of the Star Luo Empire, the Saber-toothed Tiger Martial Soul was undoubtedly far inferior.

The first soul skill of the White Tiger Martial Soul is the White Tiger Protection Barrier, which increases one's own attack, defense, and strength by fifty percent each, while also providing a slight protective effect.

The standard first soul skill configuration of the White Tiger Martial Soul has an amplification effect that even exceeds the sum of Ao Wei's first and second soul skills.

The quality gap between the Saber-toothed Tiger Martial Soul and the White Tiger Martial Soul is significant, and coupled with the fact that the soul rings Ao Wei attached were not the optimal choices, Ao Wei's attack intensity remained within the range that Xiao Xiao could withstand.

The martial soul quality of an ordinary Soul-Suppressing Cauldron is already stronger than a Saber-toothed Tiger, let alone the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron.

Xiao Xiao shouted delicately: "Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, Cauldron Shock!"

The three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons landed one after another, the shockwaves roaring; Ao Wei was briefly stunned but quickly regained his senses.

"Give..."

Before Ao Wei could finish his sentence, the second Soul-Suppressing Cauldron slammed heavily into the ground, the shockwave struck, and Ao Wei fell into a second state of dizziness.

"Me..."

Ao Wei recovered in an instant, but the third Soul-Suppressing Cauldron crashed down, the shockwave covered the area, and Ao Wei fell into a third state of dizziness.

The single-stage control of Cauldron Shock extended into three stages; Xiao Xiao's choice of the Control System as her future cultivation path was not without foundation.

"Open!"

Ao Wei roared, grabbing one Soul-Suppressing Cauldron with each hand, his muscles contracting violently as he slowly moved the two cauldrons, revealing Xiao Xiao and Bai Cai.

"Get lost!" With a flutter of butterfly wings, Wang Dong arrived in time, his first soul ring flashing suddenly, golden light spreading to the edges of his wings as he crossed them, slashing toward Ao Wei.

How could Ao Wei dare to take the razor-sharp Wing Blades head-on? He released the two cauldrons in his hands one after another, crossing his arms to protect his chest.

With blood dripping from his forearms, Ao Wei retreated in a sorry state: "Cheng Xin!"

"Black Water Strangling!"

The Black Water Swamp created by his first soul skill suddenly boiled, the viscous black mud surging in waves, sweeping toward Xiao Xiao, Bai Cai, and Wang Dong.

Since the enemy had not fallen into the Black Water Swamp, the effect of Black Water Strangling was poor. However, their own Agility Attack System Soul Master, Xiu Ya, was already lying flat outside the arena. Cheng Xin knew that if he lost Ao Wei, even if the opponent accidentally fell into the Black Water Swamp, he still wouldn't be able to deal with the three enemies.

"Psychic Lock." Ralts erupted with psychic power, firmly locking onto Ao Wei. Even though Ao Wei was in a state of double amplification, he abruptly lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground.

Cheng Xin spared no soul power to block the three enemies, allowing Ao Wei a moment to catch his breath and attempt to break the Psychic Lock.

In his double-amplified state, Ao Wei could barely break the Psychic Lock, but it would take at least ten breaths of time...

"Psychic Shield." Ralts quickly created a Psychic Shield to block the encroachment of the viscous black mud. The three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons naturally merged into one, and Wang Dong slowly approached Ao Wei, his first soul ring flashing again as golden light once more spread to the edges of his wings.

"Don't come over! Stop!"

The situation was irreversible. To avoid physical suffering, Ao Wei shouted: "We surrender, we surrender!"

Hearing Ao Wei's voice, the referee announced loudly: "Team Bai Cai wins!"

The golden light gradually dissipated, and Wang Dong said coldly: "You're quite lucky."

Ao Wei's team had almost no sustained-guidance soul skills; Cheng Xin's first soul skill, Black Water Swamp, and Ao Wei's first soul skill, Tiger Roar, and second soul skill, Bloodlust, all belonged to the category of one-time soul power expenditure.

Most soul skills with fixed percentage amplification are one-time expenditure skills. The only factors affecting the amplification effect and duration are the gap between one's own soul power level and the target's soul power level.

For example, with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, assisting a Soul Master thirty levels higher than oneself significantly increases soul power consumption, weakens the soul skill effect accordingly, and the number of times the skill can be released equals the number of times soul power is consumed.

Ao Wei's team was a group of reckless brawlers. Against them, Psychic Lock and Psychic Shield were clearly more practical.

Currently, if Imprison seals more than two soul skills, the psychic intensity drops off a cliff. If the three battle soul masters of Ao Wei's team had charged together, the outcome would have been uncertain.

However, Wang Dong was not lamenting that the team composition and combat style of Ao Wei's team happened to counter Bai Cai's Imprison, but rather because of personal matters.

The handsome young man restrained his temper, turned around, and asked: "Are you hurt?"

"No, no..."

With blushing cheeks, Xiao Xiao said coyly: "Wang Dong, as expected..."

In the afternoon, staff moved the partitions to re-divide the sixteen combat arenas.

The area of each individual arena did not increase, but spectator stands were erected around the combat grounds, and Shrek's staff began selling tickets.

With the homeroom teachers of each freshman class, some senior academy officials, and idle freshmen, the number of spectators gradually increased. Although homeroom teachers and senior officials were exempt from ticket fees, opening the assessment area remained highly profitable.

Maintaining the open assessment area was quite expensive, involving hardening the ground and clearing the residual effects of special soul skills. The academy's funding was like a drop in the bucket; the main income for the open assessment area came from ticket sales.

The draw was completed, and Team Bai Cai was assigned to combat arena fourteen.

In the second round of the elimination tournament, Team Bai Cai's opponents were surprisingly a team from their own class. After three months of physical training, all twenty-two teams of Freshman Class One had passed the assessment.

In fact, among the twenty-two teams, fourteen teams ranked in the top sixty-four in terms of wins, occupying one-fifth of the top sixty-four spots.

Upon encountering Team Bai Cai, the team from their own class surrendered immediately.

First, Team Bai Cai's record in the round-robin tournament was plain for all to see. Second, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao—one was the strongest in the class, and the other was the benchmark for defense-type soul masters—and furthermore, Bai Cai's martial soul and soul skill effects were extremely powerful.

With no chance of victory, it would be better to surrender and take the initiative to help Team Bai Cai push for the top eight, or even the top four.

Champion, runner-up, second runner-up?

Among this year's freshmen, there are only three teams led by a Soul Elder, and they have essentially locked in the top three spots.

Whether it is Ning Tian's team from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Xie Huanyue's Pipi Elephant team, or Dai Huabin's team from the Duke White Tiger family, if Team Bai Cai runs into any one of them, their journey will effectively come to an end.

With their Soul Power Level lagging behind across the board and a gap of two soul rings, no one believes that Team Bai Cai can put up a fight against them.

In the round of sixteen to eight, the probability of Team Bai Cai encountering a Soul Elder's team is one in five.

In the round of eight to four, the probability of Team Bai Cai encountering a Soul Elder's team is three in seven.

In the round of four to two, the probability of Team Bai Cai encountering a Soul Elder's team is one hundred percent.

Unless the three Soul Elder teams draw each other and suffer mutual losses, the probability of Team Bai Cai reaching the top three is practically zero.