Team Prototype, First Irregular Team Battle

Before Xu Huxiao could reply, green Soul Power spread from Ao Li'ao's body. His physique changed slightly, and dark teal markings appeared across the left side of his face.

Ghost Leopard claws sprang from both hands. Two beast ears emerged from his curly brown hair, and a black leopard tail swayed behind him.

Hurricane Ghost Leopard, Martial Soul Possession!

Ao Li'ao looked at his sister and said proudly, "Sis, don't casually ask a man whether he can do it, because he'll definitely tell you..."

"No problem. Leave it to me."

Xu Huxiao cut off Ao Li'ao, who had a tendency to ramble, and walked toward the opposing side step by step.

Ao Li'ao was not annoyed at being interrupted. He spread his hands, indicating that the timing had been perfect.

"You little brat, acting like a man now? You're even lecturing your sister? Little Ao, I think you've been getting ideas about rebelling lately, huh?"

"Hey, don't... Sis, stop hitting my head all the time!"

"Oh? I'm hitting you. What are you going to do about it?"

"...I was wrong."

Orleans snorted coldly and spared her increasingly mischievous younger brother. When she turned her gaze back, she saw Xu Huxiao had already charged forward alone.

Huh? Why did he just rush in like that? Didn't he have any team awareness at all? Shouldn't they discuss tactics first?

Orleans was speechless. She was already rather impatient by nature, yet Xu Huxiao was even more impatient than she was.

Really, she did not even know what to say.

What she did not know was that in the future, Xu Huxiao's reckless behavior would leave her speechless time and time again.

"Boss, Huxiao has already rushed in. Let's go too!"

Yun Ji feared the world was not chaotic enough and seemed excited by this sort of battle. Her legs had already transformed into a fish tail, while a dreamy azure bubble condensed in her palm.

Her Martial Soul was the Mermaid. It was not a purely support-type Martial Soul. Her first Soul Skill, Healing Bubble, could heal injuries, but if it enveloped an enemy, it also had a certain restraining effect.

"Wait. Listen to me first. This is a team battle. The teacher said that only through cooperation can the weak defeat the strong."

Hearing Yun Ji's eager words gave Orleans a headache.

In fact, two weeks earlier, as the group gradually grew closer and began regularly arranging training sessions together,

Orleans had developed an idea. The girls, together with the boys on her younger brother's side, made exactly seven people.

That met the required number for forming a Soul Master team.

Furthermore, all of them had decent talent. More importantly, they got along extremely well and trusted one another.

At that time, she had thought that the seven of them might be able to form a team.

For this reason, Orleans had carefully learned about each of their Martial Souls, Soul Skills, and Soul Power Levels.

Among them:

Xu Huxiao: Martial Soul, Platinum Dragon-Patterned Twin Arms; Level 14 assault-type Battle Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Multiplication: Gluttonous Grip.

Xie Yue: Martial Soul, Moon Blade; Level 13 assault-type weapon Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Half Moon Slash.

Ao Li'ao: Martial Soul, Hurricane Ghost Leopard; Level 12 agility assault-type Battle Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Wind Shadow Thrust.

Hu Liena: Martial Soul, Red-Tailed Sky Fox; Level 12 control-type Battle Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Charm Light Wave.

Yun Ji: Martial Soul, Mermaid; Level 14 support-type Battle Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Healing Bubble.

Bao Jingjing: Martial Soul, Crystal Abalone; Level 12 food-type weapon Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Black Crystal Abalone.

Including herself: Martial Soul, Blazing Flame Ghost Leopard; Level 12 agility assault-type Battle Soul Master; one yellow Soul Ring; Soul Skill, Flame Soul Hundred Claws.

Two agility attackers, two assault attackers, one controller, and two supports.

The overall composition was excellent, and Orleans was confident about forming a Soul Master team.

She had always aspired to become a powerful Soul Master who surpassed her father, Ghost Leopard Douluo. That was not just empty talk.

To become a powerful and independent Soul Master, having one's own team to progress together with was essential.

Not only had her father said so, but their teacher had said in class that a good team was crucial to a Soul Master's growth.

Therefore,

Orleans decided that she would begin forming her own team right from junior academy.

Then this would be the first battle for their still-forming little team!

"Listen to me. Although they have more people, their two strongest members are already tied down by Huxiao. Now, Xie Yue, Little Ao, and I will attack head-on. Yun Ji and Nana will stay behind us, ready to control and support us at any time."

"Jingjing, stand at the very back. When Little Ao and I charge in, we'll keep an eye on you as well."

"Xie Yue is currently the only remaining assault attacker on our team. Don't worry about anything else. Just hold off the opponent in front of you."

"Understand?"

Orleans immediately began assigning roles, directing them in a convincing manner. At the same time, she completed her Martial Soul Possession. Seeing her teammates nod and arrange themselves into formation,

Orleans's eyes shone brightly, her battle intent surging. Then she shouted in a mighty and domineering voice:

"Girls... oh, no, brothers, activate your Martial Souls and charge!"

"Sis, my Martial Soul is already activated. Should I activate it again?"

Seeing the murderous look in his sister's eyes, Ao Li'ao quickly shut his mouth with a sheepish grin. He knew that he had already used up his two chances to provoke his sister today. If he provoked her again, he would definitely receive a lesson in "love."

"Ahh, charge, charge, charge!"

"Wait, Yun Ji. You're a support-type Soul Master. You can't charge at the front. No one is injured yet, so find the right opportunity to put your Healing Bubble around the enemy and restrict their movement."

"Oh~"

She really did not make things easy. Orleans was already feeling the pressure of being a commanding captain.

While they were making arrangements, the battle had already split into two sides.

On one side, six first-years faced seven upperclassmen. Every upperclassman was either an agility attacker or an assault attacker, and all had Soul Power above Level 15: four Soul Masters with one ten-year Soul Ring, two with one hundred-year Soul Ring, and one two-ringed Soul Grandmaster with one white and one yellow Soul Ring.

Although the seven upperclassmen had the advantage in Soul Power Levels, aside from that Soul Grandmaster, the others did not hold much of an advantage.

Meanwhile, the six first-years held the advantage in Soul Rings and Martial Souls.

Once the two sides clashed, they were fairly evenly matched.

On the other side, the battle between Xue Long, Xiao Ji, and Xu Huxiao had already begun.

"Dragon Halberd Slash!"

This was Xiao Ji's first Soul Skill. It mainly granted his Dragon Soul War Halberd a 120 percent sharpness boost and a 60 percent piercing boost.

Furthermore, under this Soul Skill, the halberd blades on both sides of his Dragon Soul War Halberd would become 50 percent longer and wider.

When swung horizontally, it carried a terrifying presence.

Whoosh!

The war halberd swept through the air, producing a sharp, howling sound.

However,

It missed!

Xu Huxiao did not activate his Multiplication Soul Skill. Instead, he judged the timing perfectly. Without moving his feet, he bent his body inward and narrowly evaded the sweep.

He did not activate his Soul Skill or the Essence Intent Realm of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms because he had discovered that these two relied almost entirely on Soul Skills and possessed no close-combat techniques whatsoever.

"Berserk Rhinoceros Vajra Transformation!"

Just after Xu Huxiao evaded the war halberd, a pale golden glow flashed around Xue Long's body. Activating his Soul Skill, he drew back his fist and rushed forward.

This was Xue Long's first Soul Skill, which gave him considerable boosts to strength and defense.

However, Xu Huxiao merely tilted his head slightly, allowing the punch to graze past his face. Then Xu Huxiao seized his opponent's arm and pulled with the momentum.

He flipped his left leg and kicked, destabilizing Xue Long's stance. Unable to control his balance, Xue Long pitched forward and fell flat on his face.

At that moment, Xiao Ji's Dragon Soul War Halberd swept toward him once again.

Xu Huxiao tilted his head aside to evade it. His quick right arm, glowing platinum-white, shot out like lightning as he used the Dragon Claw Seizing Form of Hidden Dragon in the Abyss.

His two fingers hooked like claws, thumb curled inward, and he grabbed the halberd shaft carrying tremendous momentum.

"Y-you... let go of my war halberd!"

Xiao Ji's face turned red as he pulled with all his strength, but his Dragon Soul War Halberd seemed welded into Xu Huxiao's grip.

It did not move in the slightest.

"Oh, let go? Here you go."

Xu Huxiao released it instantly. Xiao Ji had not expected it and was still pulling backward with all his strength.

The sudden release caused Xiao Ji to lose his balance and stagger backward. He could no longer hold onto the weighty war halberd in his hands.

Clang!

The halberd's handle smashed heavily into Xiao Ji's nose, and a streak of red fluid flowed from beneath it.

Now he really was battered and bruised.

Xu Huxiao looked at the two people on the ground and suddenly lost interest. Why did it feel like an adult bullying children?

"Come on, let me see your second Soul Skills, then we'll end this. I still need to finish today's training, so I can't keep playing with you."

Xiao Ji scrambled to his feet and immediately retreated a distance, shouting curses.

"Fuck, don't get too cocky, brat! What kind of skill is just dodging?"

"Stop talking and hurry up."

"Fine, you forced us. I can't care about that anymore. Xue Long, you understand, right? Use our combined technique."

Xiao Ji and Xue Long exchanged a glance, then positioned themselves in front of and behind Xu Huxiao, surrounding him.

"Got it, Young Master Xiao. Watch this, Dragon Rhino Trample!"

Xue Long's second Soul Ring immediately lit up. He stomped his right foot, sending force into the ground as a transparent shockwave rapidly spread toward Xu Huxiao.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Huxiao felt a tremor rise from beneath his feet, making his body sway slightly. However, he immediately reacted, stepping sideways with his right foot and taking the horse stance of Thousand-Kilogram Drop.

He sank his shoulders, lowered his elbows, dropped his hips, and stabilized himself in an instant.

Xue Long stomped repeatedly, and the shockwaves continued crashing against him, yet they could no longer shake Xu Huxiao in the slightest.

Seeing Xu Huxiao standing motionless, Xue Long assumed that the trampling stun from his Soul Skill had taken effect and immediately shouted:

"Young Master Xiao, quick! This brat is under my control!"

Xiao Ji smirked as his second Soul Ring lit up. Raising both hands overhead, he supported his Dragon Soul War Halberd as it hovered slightly in the air.

"I know. My timing is precise. Die, Cloud-Piercing Halberd!!"

"With the lock-on from my Cloud-Piercing Halberd and Xue Long's control, you can't run away now, can you?!"

As Xiao Ji's words fell, he hurled the war halberd forward with all his strength.

At that moment, the dragon beast on the Dragon Soul War Halberd seemed to come alive. It coiled around the halberd and let out a dragon's roar.

Roar!

Purple-black currents swirled around the halberd tip as it shot straight toward Xu Huxiao.

At the instant his opponent threw the weapon, Xu Huxiao truly felt a dangerous sensation of being locked onto, as if the dragon beast on the opposing war halberd had fixed its gaze upon him.

But after the war halberd left Xiao Ji's hand, that locked-on feeling vanished.

Clearly, Xiao Ji's second Soul Skill did not maintain lock-on throughout the entire process. However, if it perfectly coordinated with Xue Long's tremor control, it could produce a guaranteed hit.

But the prerequisite was perfect control, leaving the opponent completely unable to react.

"These two do have some coordination, but not much. The best moment would have been the instant Xu Huxiao's body swayed, when the Cloud-Piercing Halberd should have already arrived before him."

Watching this scene, Gale offered his assessment. Their coordination was not merely lacking; it was downright awful.

Who waited to shout across the battlefield after securing control instead of coordinating beforehand?

Not only did that waste precious control time, it also warned the opponent.

This was simply... a complete disaster of coordination!

As for Xu Huxiao's performance, it thoroughly opened Gale's eyes. Using only footwork and close-combat techniques, Xu Huxiao had easily neutralized the attacks of two Soul Grandmasters despite having only the cultivation of a Soul Master.

Perfect!

Perfect was the only word that could describe it.

"As expected of Demon Bear's son. This combat ability is truly monstrous!"

And the child had not even activated his first Soul Skill yet...

Gale compared Xu Huxiao with his younger self and found that he would have only been beaten one-sidedly. Furthermore, his Martial Soul talent had been inferior even to Xiao Ji's and Xue Long's.

Ahem.

Gale looked around and realized that he was the only one feeling awkward. Good.