Huo Wu Blocked the Door, Level Seventy-Two Shi Nian Watched from the Shadows
Inside the Blue Tyrant Team's rest area in the Great Soul Arena.
Pink and white petals drifted gently down from mid-air, enveloping everyone in a warm and healing energy.
Ye Mengyao put away her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul and carefully helped the team members who had just stepped off the stage to calm the lingering heat in their bodies.
Although the battle ended very quickly, Huo Wu's Ring Fusion still caused the surrounding temperature to become ridiculously high.
Flender, clutching the cloth bag filled with Gold Soul Coin, grinned from ear to ear, his hands clicking rapidly on the abacus.
"We made a killing this time! Who would have thought that Blazing Fire Academy wouldn't even last five minutes against us?"
Liu Erlong leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Lin Xuan with amazement.
"Those Talisman Paper you have are practically the bane of elemental Soul Master."
She raised her chin and sighed.
"Just now Huo Wu, Huo Wu in her Ring Fusion state, with her Huo Wu's Radiance, had considerable explosive power."
"If it were me in the fight, at the same level, my Red Dragon's Fire would probably be completely suppressed by your Fire Talisman."
Tang San sat in a chair in the corner, flipping through his notebook, taking notes and analyzing the situation as he went.
"The entire Blazing Fire Academy specializes in fire attributes; their core tactics revolve around extreme attribute suppression and burst damage."
"But when faced with Lin Xuan's Fire Talisman and Frost Lock Talisman, their pride and joy—their high temperatures and explosive power—couldn't be unleashed at all. This is pure attribute crushing."
Xiao Wu wrapped her arms around Lin Xuan's arm and nuzzled her head affectionately against his shoulder.
"Of course, Lin Xuan's Talismans are the most powerful!"
Tai Long scratched his head and said with a smile,
"It was all thanks to the captain's Talismans. When I was beating him up with Huo Wushuang, the fire on my body felt like a lukewarm bath; it couldn't break through my defenses at all."
Lin Xuan ruffled Xiao Wu's hair, then looked around at everyone.
"That's also because everyone worked together seamlessly; otherwise, even with Talismans alone, we couldn't have achieved such a quick victory."
Flender slung the cloth bag over his belt, waved his hand grandly, and acted very extravagantly.
"Alright, enough with the mutual flattery. Let's go back to the academy and have a good meal. All expenses today are on me!"
Ning Rongrong stood by and mercilessly undermined him.
"Dean, those gold coins in your bag, you must have won a lot of bets from us, right? This is practically using our money to treat us."
Laughter erupted in the lounge, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
After getting ready, the group walked out of the Great Soul Arena in a lively and cheerful manner.
Lin Xuan stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped out the door.
Below the steps, Huo Wu, dressed in a dark red team uniform, stood upright in the middle of the road with her arms crossed.
Huo Wushuang and the others from the Blazing Fire Academy were not there; she was the only one blocking the entrance.
The young woman, a prodigy from the Blazing Fire Academy, was still a little pale, and her hair was soaked with sweat, making her look somewhat disheveled, but her indomitable spirit remained undiminished.
Seeing Lin Xuan come out, Huo Wu strode up the steps and blocked his way.
"Lin Xuan!"
"What exactly is that Fire Talisman of yours? How can it block my fire?"
It can even completely insulate against the temperature of fire-attribute Soul Master!
Huo Wu couldn't understand it.
The Blazing Fire Team has trained under extreme heat since childhood. The heat they experience after Ring Fusion is so intense that even Soul King wouldn't dare to withstand it head-on. How could Lin Xuan possibly dissolve it completely with just a few flimsy sheets of paper?
Lin Xuan stood with his hands in his pockets, his tone indifferent.
"Huo Wu, asking about other teams' trump cards is a major taboo in the Soul Master World; it's a secret."
Huo Wu choked for a moment, her cheeks flushed red, but she still refused to back down, her chest heaving violently.
"I just want to know why I lost!"
Before Lin Xuan could reply, Xiao Wu stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Xuan, fiercely protecting her food.
"A loss is a loss, why all the nonsense!"
Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips, tilting her head back and glaring at Huo Wu.
"Why should Lin Xuan tell you his trump card? You shameless woman! You're not as skilled as him, yet you block the door. Get out of the way and don't delay us from going back for dinner!"
Huo Wu was furious with Xiao Wu. Her trembling finger pointed at Xiao Wu, but she couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Lin Xuan grabbed Xiao Wu's wrist and pulled her back to his side.
"Alright, Xiao Wu, stop arguing, let's go."
He turned to look at Huo Wu, his tone polite yet distant, and nodded slightly.
"Huo Wu -kun, thank you for the compliment. Goodbye."
After saying that, Lin Xuan took Xiao Wu's hand and walked straight down the steps, past Huo Wu.
As night fell, the Back Hill Courtyard Blue Tyrant Academy fell silent.
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on his wooden bed, not immediately entering a Meditation state.
These past few days, whether in the Great Soul Arena or on his way back to the academy, he could always feel a faint gaze watching him from the shadows.
That feeling was extremely subtle and chilling.
If it weren't for his strong Spiritual Power and the blessing of the Clear Mind Talisman, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
Lin Xuan quickly went through the timeline and related figures in his mind.
Aside from Shi Nian, the teacher leading the team from the Canghui Academy, there wouldn't be anyone else.
That old fellow was a level 72 Remnant Dream Soul Saint. Relying on his martial soul's ability to create illusions and kill people invisibly, he specifically targeted potential geniuses from other academies.
Following the expected trajectory, this cunning old fox should be targeting Tang San.
But now that the Blue Tyrant Team is too prominent and he himself is too conspicuous, with all sorts of accolades surrounding him, Shi Nian has clearly shifted his primary target to himself.
Being constantly targeted and plotted against by a Soul Sage lurking in the shadows is definitely not a good thing.
Lin Xuan took out a handful of iron balls the size of longan fruits from his Soul Tool and played with them between his fingertips.
This is the Mother-Child Soul-Chasing Life-Taking Orb, meticulously crafted by Tang San using the techniques of the Powerful Gorilla Clan.
The most terrifying aspect of that Shi Nian was the illusion, which used people's inner fears to create illusions, causing people to have a mental breakdown and die without even realizing it.
However, the old man's biggest flaw is that his Martial Soul is extremely lacking in direct physical destructive power. As long as he can break through the illusion, his physical defense is even inferior to some Power Attack System Soul King.
Lin Xuan held the Clear Mind Talisman and also cultivated the Purple Demon Eye.
If Shi Nian dares to make a move, with his many trump cards, it's entirely possible for him to turn the tables and kill a fragile Soul Sage.
Having figured this out, Lin Xuan put away the iron ball, closed his eyes, and adjusted his state.
The next morning.
Lin Xuan got up early and went to the top of the Back Hill with Tang San. Facing the rising sun, they absorbed the fleeting purple energy and fully activated the Purple Demon Eye.
The stronger one's Spiritual Power, the greater the chance of victory against Shi Nian.
Time flew by, and we arrived at the ninth round of the Qualifying Tournament.
According to the schedule, Blue Tyrant Academy's opponent today is an unknown ordinary academy. The entire team does not even have a single Soul Ancestor; it is a makeshift team composed entirely of Soul Elder at level 30-something.
The tactical arrangement was extremely simple: Lin Xuan and Tang San would take turns resting and would not need to participate in the match.
Tang San decided not to go to the Great Soul Arena and stayed in the academy dormitory to work overtime assembling the remaining parts of the Hidden Weapon.
With nothing else to do, Lin Xuan followed the group to the Great Soul Arena to watch the battle.