Temporary Team: The Weak Defeat the Strong

The next morning.

Chu Jin arrived at the academy's junior training grounds.

Most of the students here only had one soul ring and were between eight and twelve years old.

Xie Yue had not restricted his choice of candidates.

He only required Chu Jin not to choose already famous geniuses like Qian Renxue and Yan.

Chu Jin did not look for those with the highest Soul Power either.

He watched from the edge of the training grounds for an entire morning before finally selecting four students.

The first was Zhao Yan, an eighteenth-level Tool Soul Master whose martial soul was a long staff.

His strength was average, but his fundamentals were solid, and he rarely panicked when facing attacks.

The second was Su Tong, a seventeenth-level Control System Tool Soul Master whose martial soul was an iron net.

The iron net did not cover a large area, but it was quite resilient and could restrict movement.

The third was Lin Ling, a sixteenth-level Support System Tool Soul Master whose martial soul was a wind chime.

Her soul skill could create widespread sound interference, affecting concentration and auditory judgment.

The fourth was Qing He, a fifteenth-level Healing System Soul Master whose martial soul was healing grass.

Its healing effect could not compare to Nine-Heart Begonia, but it consumed little and could continuously restore minor injuries and stamina.

When the four learned that Chu Jin had chosen them, their first reaction was that he had picked the wrong people.

Zhao Yan scratched his head.

"I'm only ranked fourteenth among the junior students."

Su Tong added, "My iron net can easily be torn apart by strong attack system soul masters."

"The opponents are Xie Yue and Hu Liena."

Lin Ling's face turned pale.

"Can we really last fifteen minutes?"

Chu Jin looked at the four of them.

"Who said our goal was only to last fifteen minutes?"

All four froze.

"We're supposed to win?"

Qing He's voice was very soft.

"But their levels are much higher than ours."

"That's why we can't compete with them in levels."

Chu Jin took out a map of the arena.

The match would use a medium-sized spirit fighting platform, with no complicated terrain or obstacles around it.

Both sides' abilities were out in the open.

It would be difficult to rely on the environment to turn the tables.

The only things they could use were the other side's contempt for a temporary team and the unique traits of the four junior students' martial souls.

"Zhao Yan."

"You don't need to defeat Xie Yue."

Chu Jin pointed toward the center of the spirit fighting platform.

"Your task is to stay by my side and only block the first Moon Blades attack."

"Su Tong, don't use the iron net to trap Hu Liena. Her Demon Fox is faster than you, and her spiritual power is stronger. The chance of successfully controlling her head-on is very low."

"Lay the iron net along the Moon Blades' returning path."

Su Tong's eyes lit up.

Xie Yue's Moon Blades were a tool martial soul suited for both ranged and close combat.

After being thrown, they would return to his hand in an arcing path.

The attack trajectory could change, but the direction of retrieval still followed a pattern.

"Lin Ling."

"Don't release your wind chime soul skill continuously."

"The moment Hu Liena begins using Charm, immediately create a piercing sound."

"How long can you interrupt her?"

"If I use everything I have, about half a breath."

"That's enough."

Chu Jin looked at Qing He.

"You only heal Zhao Yan."

Qing He froze for a moment.

"What if the others are injured?"

"Try to endure it yourselves."

"Zhao Yan is the team's front-line defense. Once he falls, the match will end quickly."

The task assignments were extremely simple.

Though the four remained nervous after hearing them, they at least knew what they were supposed to do once they entered the arena.

For the rest of the morning, Chu Jin only had them practice three types of coordination.

Zhao Yan blocked the first strike.

Su Tong sealed off the Moon Blades.

Lin Ling interrupted Charm.

Qing He maintained Zhao Yan's condition.

There were no complicated tactics, nor did they try to learn any new fighting methods at the last minute.

That afternoon.

Both sides gathered at the second spirit fighting arena.

Besides Xie Yue and Hu Liena, Xie Yue's side had three students above level twenty-five.

One was a Strong Attack System Beast Soul Master.

One was an Agility Attack System Soul Master.

One was a Support System Soul Master.

Whether in level, martial soul quality, or past experience working together, they held an absolute advantage.

Quite a few students who had heard the news that morning came to the stands.

Yan sat in the front row with his arms crossed.

He also wanted to know whether Chu Jin could still display the same commanding effect he had in River Valley Town without Qian Renxue and the Worship Hall guards cooperating with him.

Both sides entered the spirit fighting platform.

Xie Yue glanced at the four teammates Chu Jin had selected.

"The highest is only level eighteen?"

"Mm."

"You can replace them."

"No need."

The referee confirmed that both sides were ready.

"Begin!"

Neither Xie Yue nor Hu Liena delayed.

They knew that Chu Jin possessed Overlord Army.

The longer the battle lasted, the more the temporary team would trust Chu Jin, and the stronger the army's enhancement might become.

The best approach was to swiftly eliminate their leader.

Xie Yue raised both hands.

Two crescent-shaped blades appeared in his palms.

Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose from beneath his feet.

A thirty-first-level Soul Elder.

Hu Liena likewise released her Demon Fox Martial Soul.

Her fox tail swayed gently behind her, and pink light appeared in her eyes.

She had already reached level thirty-two.

Two Soul Elders led three teammates above level twenty-five.

Opposite them stood only the level-twenty Chu Jin and four low-level soul masters.

Many in the audience already felt the result was decided.

Xie Yue raised his hand and hurled one Moon Blades.

A silver arc bypassed the front and shot straight toward Chu Jin's neck.

Zhao Yan stood beside Chu Jin as instructed during training.

The moment he saw the Moon Blades flying toward them, his body instinctively tensed.

"Raise your staff."

Chu Jin's voice came from beside him.

Zhao Yan took a deep breath.

His long staff martial soul came up horizontally before him.

Clang!

The Moon Blades struck the staff.

The gap in their levels made Zhao Yan's arms shake violently, and his body staggered backward several steps.

The web between his thumb and forefinger split open on the spot.

Qing He's first soul ring lit up.

A pale green healing glow fell over Zhao Yan.

The wound quickly stopped bleeding.

Xie Yue's first Moon Blades had been blocked.

The second was already flying in from the other side.

Chu Jin's Double Pupils locked onto its trajectory as his Heavy Halberd swept upward.

The Moon Blades was knocked off course.

Xie Yue was not surprised.

His fingers twitched slightly.

The two Moon Blades completed their turn in midair and came attacking from behind Chu Jin once more.

"Su Tong."

The iron net martial soul had already been spread across the ground.

Su Tong raised both hands.

The iron net gathered upward from below.

The first Moon Blades cut through two layers of netting, its speed noticeably slowing.

The second Moon Blades was tangled for a moment.

Chu Jin swept his Heavy Halberd sideways.

Clang!

Both Moon Blades were sent flying at once.

Xie Yue's brows furrowed slightly.

These junior students were individually weak.

Yet every one of their martial souls happened to counter him and Hu Liena.

"Hu Liena."

"Understood."

Hu Liena stepped forward.

Pink spiritual Soul Power spread outward.

Her seductive fox eyes looked toward the four people behind Chu Jin.

Chu Jin and Xiao Jin could resist Charm.

The other low-level soul masters had limited spiritual power.

As long as they fell under control, the temporary team would collapse instantly.

"Lin Ling."

The wind chime martial soul floated above the girl's palm.

Her first soul ring lit up.

Ding!

A piercing chime suddenly rang out.

The sound was not particularly powerful, yet it stabbed into Hu Liena's ears just as her spiritual power was focused to its limit.

The rhythm of her Charm was disrupted for half a breath.

Chu Jin's first soul ring lit up at the same time.

"Holy Dragon Soul Suppression!"

The dragon's roar overlapped with the chime.

Golden spiritual ripples swept across the spirit fighting platform.

Hu Liena immediately withdrew her Charm to protect herself.

The other three senior students' movements also stalled briefly.

"Forward!"

Chu Jin brought down his Heavy Halberd.

Zhao Yan, Su Tong, and the others did not stop to think, all pressing forward with him.

The Overlord Army swiftly enveloped the five of them.

The connection formed at first was weak.

The four junior students were mostly carrying out tasks arranged in advance; there was still no real trust between them.

After successfully blocking Xie Yue and Hu Liena's first assault, their emotions had changed.

The enemy did not seem as invincible as they had imagined.

Every one of Chu Jin's commands had worked.

The Overlord Army began to strengthen.

"Zhao Yan, right side."

The Agility Attack System student charged in from the flank.

Zhao Yan had only just heard the warning. Before he could even see the enemy clearly, his long staff instinctively swept sideways to block.

Bang!

The agility attack soul master slammed into the staff.

Zhao Yan was forced back again.

Qing He's healing immediately followed.

Su Tong did not use her iron net to attack the opponent.

She spread the iron net beneath Zhao Yan's feet, helping him anchor himself and preventing him from being pushed back any farther.

From the rear, Lin Ling continuously created sounds, disrupting the agility attack soul master's judgment of footsteps and direction.

For the first time, the three formed a temporary cooperation.

Meanwhile, Chu Jin charged straight at Xie Yue with Xiao Jin.

"Want to fight me up close?"

Xie Yue gripped his Moon Blades in both hands.

The two collided head-on.

The Heavy Halberd possessed greater force.

The Moon Blades were more agile.

Relying on his thirty-first-level Soul Power, Xie Yue constantly changed the direction of his attacks, while Chu Jin relied on his Double Pupils to predict them in advance.

The two exchanged several rapid blows.

Xie Yue soon realized that Chu Jin was not trying to defeat him.

He was stalling.

On the other side, Hu Liena had already led the power attack student in an assault on the temporary team's rear.

Zhao Yan could not hold back two high-level soul masters working together.

His long staff was knocked aside again and again.

The wounds on both his arms kept splitting open.

Qing He used all her Soul Power to heal him.

Su Tong's iron net was torn apart by the power attack soul master.

Lin Ling's Soul Power was also being rapidly depleted.

It looked as though the temporary team could collapse at any moment.

Yet they continued to maintain their formation according to Chu Jin's commands.

Every time they held on successfully, their trust in Chu Jin increased by another measure.

The connections within the Overlord Army became clearer.

Dangerous directions began to be conveyed through the army formation.

Zhao Yan no longer needed to wait for Chu Jin to speak.

When Hu Liena approached from the left, he had already turned around in advance.

Su Tong also gradually sensed the path of the returning Moon Blades.

When the Moon Blades flew back through the air for the third time, her iron net rose half a beat ahead of time.

Xie Yue's expression darkened.

The temporary team was growing smoother and smoother in battle.

"We can't keep dragging this out."

He looked at Hu Liena.

The two moved closer at the same time.

The auras of the Demon Fox and Moon Blades martial souls began to intertwine.

Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Demon Charm.

Once the fusion was complete, red mist would cover the Soul Fighting Platform, severely restricting Chu Jin's Double Pupils and his four low-level teammates.

"Now."

This was also the moment Chu Jin had been waiting for.

To fuse, Xie Yue and Hu Liena rapidly closed the distance between them.

All their Soul Power also gathered between the two of them.

Xiao Jin spread his wings.

Holy Dragon Soul Suppression activated for the second time.

Hu Liena had been prepared.

She used her spiritual power to shield herself and Xie Yue.

The dragon roar could not make the two completely lose consciousness, but it caused a brief disturbance in their martial soul fusion process.

"Lin Ling!"

The girl's face had already gone pale.

Upon hearing the command, she poured all her remaining Soul Power into the wind chime.

Ding—

The piercing sound stabbed into their minds.

Hu Liena's fusion rhythm, which she had only just stabilized, was disrupted again.

The auras of the two martial souls briefly separated.

"Su Tong!"

The already damaged iron net suddenly sprang up from the ground.

It could not trap Hu Liena.

Its target was the space beneath the pair's feet.

Hu Liena and Xie Yue were both disrupted, forcing their fusion distance apart by half a step.

Half a step was enough.

Chu Jin's Heavy Halberd cleaved down from the front.

Xie Yue raised his twin Moon Blades to block.

Boom!

The Moon Blades were pressed against his chest by the Heavy Halberd.

Xiao Jin flew in from the side and rammed Hu Liena's shoulder headfirst.

The two were forcibly separated.

The martial soul fusion completely failed.

With Qing He's healing, Zhao Yan completed his final charge.

His long staff swept out, striking the opposing support soul master's calf.

Lin Ling's wind chime continuously gave off chaotic sounds, preventing the agility attack soul master from accurately judging his teammates' positions.

The power attack soul master tried to rush back to assist.

Su Tong's last iron net wrapped around his ankle.

It only restrained him for less than an instant.

Chu Jin was already before him.

The halberd shaft smashed into his chest.

The power attack soul master was blasted off the Soul Fighting Platform.

Xiao Jin caught up with the agility attack soul master, repeatedly changing direction midair with his wings and forcing him into the range of Zhao Yan's long staff.

Bang!

The agility attack soul master was eliminated as well.

Having lost his protection, the support soul master was soon forced out of bounds by Su Tong and Lin Ling working together.

Only Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Chu Jin's group of five remained on the Soul Fighting Platform.

Zhao Yan and the others were already near their limits.

Chu Jin did not continue stalling either.

The Overlord Army fully converged.

Xiao Jin pounced toward Hu Liena.

Chu Jin suppressed Xie Yue head-on.

Hu Liena tried to use Charm again.

Lin Ling rang her wind chime with the last thread of her Soul Power.

Chu Jin's Double Pupils caught the fluctuation of Soul Power.

"Roar!"

The third Holy Dragon Soul Suppression descended.

More than half of Hu Liena's spiritual power had already been exhausted, and her body finally stiffened for an instant.

Xiao Jin knocked her over the edge of the Soul Fighting Platform.

Xie Yue was forced backward again and again beneath the Heavy Halberd's pressure.

His level was far higher than Chu Jin's, and his Soul Power was also more abundant.

Yet within the Overlord Army, the four temporary teammates continuously provided Chu Jin with perception and trust.

Zhao Yan's long staff blocked a sideways strike from the Moon Blades.

Su Tong's iron net wrapped around Xie Yue's right arm.

Qing He's last strand of healing fell upon Chu Jin's hands.

The Heavy Halberd suddenly exerted force.

The twin Moon Blades flew from Xie Yue's hands.

The halberd tip stopped at Xie Yue's chest.

The Soul Fighting Arena fell silent for a moment.

Xie Yue looked at the Heavy Halberd before him, then at the four junior students behind Chu Jin, who were nearly too exhausted to stand.

"We lost."

The referee announced the result.

"Chu Jin's team wins."

The long staff in Zhao Yan's hand dissipated.

He dropped to the ground on his backside, seemingly not yet able to process what had happened.

"We won?"

Su Tong lowered her head to look at the tattered iron net.

The wind chime in Lin Ling's hand had also dimmed from the exhaustion of her Soul Power.

Qing He's little face was pale, but she could not suppress her smile.

"We really won."

In the stands, Yan remained silent for a long time.

In this match, Chu Jin's individual combat strength had remained important.

But what truly determined the outcome were the four junior students who had originally seemed utterly insignificant.

They had not suddenly become stronger.

They had merely completed the simplest tasks from the most suitable positions.

Xie Yue walked over to Chu Jin.

"The rumors about River Valley Town are true."

"You belong on the battlefield."

Hu Liena rubbed the shoulder Xiao Jin had rammed painfully.

"Next time, can you tell it to stop always targeting me?"

After hearing that, Xiao Jin immediately ran to Chu Jin's feet and put on an obedient, innocent look.

Chu Jin looked down at it.

"It might think your spiritual power tastes better."

Hu Liena's face darkened.