Sharp Critique

She suddenly pushed off with her feet, turning into a streak of watery blue light as she cut in from Shen Liuyu's rear left and slammed a palm into the back of her shoulder, which was covered in crocodile scales.

Shen Liuyu caught the sound of wind behind her and immediately tried to use Crocodile Bite.

But she really was too slow to turn around.

With a light smack, Shui Yue'er's palm landed solidly on Shen Liuyu's rear shoulder.

Though the scales blocked most of the force, under the rules of the practical test, this blow was enough to count as a valid hit.

Shen Liuyu let out a muffled grunt and was knocked straight off the Spirit Battle Platform.

Although Shui Yue'er's attack hadn't hurt her much, knocking an opponent off the Spirit Battle Platform was also a form of victory besides defeating them outright.

Ling Shuang jotted down a few notes below the platform, then raised her hand and announced, "Shui Yue'er wins by technical knockout."

Shui Yue'er retracted her Martial Soul, planted her hands on her hips, and flashed a V-sign toward the waiting area.

"Sis! Did you see that? I won!"

Shen Liuyu retracted her Martial Soul, shook her right shoulder, which Shui Yue'er had slapped numb, and walked over to her.

There wasn't the slightest trace of frustration at losing on her heroic face. Instead, her fighting spirit had been stirred.

"I'll definitely beat you next time."

Shui Yue'er put her hands on her hips. "Hmph, I won't let that day come."

"Next time, I'll cut in from another direction. You definitely won't know which way is up again."

"Not necessarily."

"Definitely, definitely, absolutely definitely!" Shui Yue'er made a face at her.

Ling Shuang stepped between them and tapped Shui Yue'er on the head with the clipboard in her hand.

Shui Yue'er cried out, "Ow! Teacher, why did you hit me?"

"You were being so smug. You deserved it."

Shui Yue'er gave an "oh" and rubbed her head.

Ling Shuang said, "Shui Yue'er, your observation skills are your advantage. Being able to identify your opponent's turning habits and formulate a corresponding entry route within three minutes—this kind of on-the-spot reading ability is innate. Others can't learn it even if they want to."

"But your weakness is that you rely too heavily on one-time surprise attacks. If Shen Liuyu's teammates had been on the field, you would've been surrounded after cutting in. It wouldn't have been so easy to get away unscathed."

"Your fighting style lacks self-preservation. Once your first ambush fails to deal with the opponent, your entire strategy falls into a passive position."

She turned to Shen Liuyu. "Shen Liuyu, your defense is among the best in the class, and your frontal impact is also very strong."

"But your turning speed is your weakness. It's easy for you to become a punching bag."

"Today, Shui Yue'er caught that flaw. Tomorrow, on a real battlefield, other agility-attack Soul Masters will target you in the same way."

"Your fighting style relies too much on head-on clashes. Besides defensive counterattacks, try adding some predictive footwork training. Don't make the starting points of every change in direction so obvious."

Shen Liuyu nodded seriously, committing every word to heart.

"Alright, next pair."

"Gu Qingbo, Yu Hairou, come up."

As soon as she finished speaking, the two stood in the center of the Spirit Battle Platform and exchanged sparring salutes.

Gu Qingbo straightened up. Her eyes, which always carried a hint of shyness, were now exceptionally focused, making her seem like a completely different person.

"Both sides, prepare." Ling Shuang raised her right hand.

Gu Qingbo was the first to release her Martial Soul: the Azure Sailfish, an agility-attack beast Martial Soul likewise known for speed and ambushes.

Sailfish were among the fastest fish in the ocean. After becoming a Martial Soul, it granted Gu Qingbo straight-line sprinting speed far beyond Soul Masters of the same rank, along with the ability to control water currents.

Yu Hairou released her Martial Soul, the Coral Barracuda, at the same time.

Her Soul Ring configuration was also two yellow rings, but her role was completely different from Gu Qingbo's.

The Coral Barracuda was a power-attack beast Martial Soul, capable of both offense and defense.

"Begin!"

Yu Hairou made the first move, sweeping her right hand before her as her first Soul Ring lit up.

A coral-colored barrier rose out of thin air in front of her. It stood roughly three meters tall and was woven from countless interlocking coral branches.

"First Soul Skill—Coral Fish Wall."

"Summons a coral barrier in front of the user, blocking physical and Soul Power attacks."

Ling Shuang quietly took notes below the platform, her eyes fixed on every detail atop the stage.

Gu Qingbo didn't give her opponent much time to set up her defenses.

She lowered her body, and the first Soul Ring beneath her feet lit up as a Water-Splitting Thorn condensed in her right hand.

Then, her figure flashed like lightning, leaving an afterimage in the air. The tip of the Water-Splitting Thorn gathered the sharp force generated by her high-speed charge as it stabbed straight toward the center of the Coral Fish Wall.

A crisp crack rang out.

The Water-Splitting Thorn's tip collided with the Coral Fish Wall, bursting into dazzling sparks as coral fragments scattered in every direction.

The coral wall shook violently several times, and a fist-sized dent was pierced into its surface.

When her strike failed, Gu Qingbo immediately withdrew and retreated. With a light tap of her feet against the ground, she drifted backward several feet as though gliding across water, evading a coral punch Yu Hairou threw from behind the fish wall.

She took a breath, her gaze locked tightly on the coral wall as she rapidly calculated the angle and timing of her next attack.

Soon, she moved again. Her second Soul Ring lit up beneath her feet, and within a second, her body split into three identical figures. Each held a Water-Splitting Thorn and pounced on Yu Hairou from the front, left, and right simultaneously.

"Second Soul Skill—Sailfish Shadow Clone."

Yu Hairou didn't panic. She quickly took two steps back, pressing herself against the Coral Fish Wall as her eyes swept rapidly over the three charging figures.

A flash of blue passed through her pupils. It was the enhanced perception granted by the Coral Barracuda, allowing her to become more sensitive to Soul Power fluctuations around her for a short time.

The left. The Soul Power fluctuation from the figure on the left was the most real.

"Second Soul Skill, Coral Barracuda Cannon."

A phantom Coral Barracuda appeared before Yu Hairou and fired a blast of blue light from its mouth, directly bombarding her target.

Not good, she saw through it.

Boom!

Gu Qingbo was sent flying, and the impact left her in terrible shape.

"It's over. Support teacher, treat her."

A female teacher stepped forward to treat Gu Qingbo.

Yu Hairou walked over worriedly. "Are you okay? Sorry, I couldn't hold back my strength just now."

Gu Qingbo looked up at her, grinned, and took her hand to pull herself to her feet.

"Your second Soul Skill is really fierce. But how did you see through my clones?"

"Because I can sense Soul Power auras, so I found you."

"I see."

Because of this spar, the two gained a hint of mutual appreciation.

Ling Shuang walked up to them. "Gu Qingbo, your fighting style is very decisive."

"The surprise attack speed of your first Soul Skill, Water-Splitting Thorn, is outstanding among agility-attack Soul Elders, and you had excellent timing in releasing your second Soul Skill, Sailfish Shadow Clone."

"But you don't know how to respond to unexpected situations, and you also lack self-preservation. In the future, you can choose a Soul Skill for protecting yourself."