Grandmaster, that's not analysis. You're calling out my position

Although that first exchange had failed to bring Ling Yun down, it had at least proved one thing.

Ling Yun was not unbeatable.

As long as all seven held their formation and gave him no chance to pick them off one by one, no matter how fast he was, he could not control the pace as easily as he had in the earlier duel.

Tang San said quickly, "Fatty, don't use Phoenix Fire Line over a wide area. Avoid creating water vapor. Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, eat the Flying Mushroom Sausages and limit his changes of direction from above. Boss Dai, keep pressing him from the front. Rongrong, maintain your boosts. Oscar, be ready with supplies."

Oscar immediately made the Flying Mushroom Sausages.

After Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu ate them, transparent wings appeared on their backs, and they quickly rose into the air.

Ling Yun glanced up and suddenly grinned.

"Xiao Wu's up in the sky?"

Xiao Wu's face darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Ling Yun smiled. "It just seems safer up there. Halfway through a fight, you can't suddenly sit down on the ground and claim you twisted your ankle, can you?"

Someone nearby couldn't hold back a laugh.

Xiao Wu's face flushed red.

"Ling Yun!"

"Don't get worked up."

Ling Yun waved at her. "I'm just stating a fact. If you find it embarrassing, you shouldn't have done it. You faked a surrender and launched a sneak attack. Now you can't stand someone mentioning it?"

Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and was about to dive down when Tang San shouted, "Xiao Wu, don't let him provoke you!"

Ling Yun jumped right in. "Exactly. Listen to your Brother San. Last time, you didn't listen, your sneak attack failed, and he had to come clean up your mess. Xiao Wu, is having Tang San your greatest tactical advantage? You cause trouble, and he takes revenge. You lose, and he explains it away."

Tang San's eyes turned cold at once.

"Ling Yun, that's enough."

"That's enough?"

Ling Yun looked surprised. "I haven't even started on you."

He turned to Tang San, his smile growing sly.

"Little San, you're quite something yourself. You lost a duel, then immediately told me individual strength couldn't represent a team's strength. Now all seven of you are attacking together, and you're acting like this is some fair-and-square chance to prove yourselves."

"That's not a tactical adjustment."

"That's losing and switching to a different event."

The words stung, especially since Tang San really had proposed a team battle right after losing the duel. For a moment, he had no good answer.

Tang San took a deep breath and pushed down his emotions. "The Soul Master Tournament is a team competition to begin with. There's nothing wrong with proposing a team battle."

"Of course there isn't."

Ling Yun nodded. "I'm just asking in advance. If all seven of you lose too, what are you planning to compete in next?"

"Teachers?"

As he said it, he actually turned to look at Yu Xiaogang.

"Then I'd better make this clear now. Grandmaster isn't a combat-type Soul Master. If he enters the field, he might get bumped and claim he was injured."

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened instantly. "Ling Yun, winning a war of words means nothing. In the end, what matters between Soul Masters is strength."

"That sounds fresh coming from you."

Ling Yun laughed outright. "Grandmaster, aren't you the one who loves talking theory? How come the moment I say a couple of things, you suddenly start talking about strength?"

"So it's theory when you say it, but when someone else asks a couple of questions based on the facts, it's just winning a war of words?"

Yu Xiaogang was left speechless.

Ling Yun had no intention of giving him time to recover.

"Grandmaster, please keep analyzing."

"I quite like listening to it."

Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply. "What do you mean?"

"Every time you analyze something, I know what Tang San plans to do next."

Ling Yun spread his hands. "Where else could I find such an eager battlefield commentator? If I win, at least thirty percent of the credit will be yours."

Yu Xiaogang's stiff face had begun to turn faintly blue. Tang San clearly had no intention of letting Ling Yun continue.

"Attack!"

Blue Silver Grass swiftly spread in every direction.

Dai Mubai charged from the front. Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu closed in from left and right above, while Ma Hongjun followed Tang San's instructions exactly, using Phoenix Fire Line only at key points to block Ling Yun's routes.

This time, their pressure was tighter than in the previous round.

Ling Yun changed direction three times in a row but still could not fully escape their encirclement.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang finally regained a little composure. "As long as they keep shrinking the space he can move through, their chances of winning will keep rising."

Even while dodging Dai Mubai's attack, Ling Yun had time to turn and glance at him.

"Grandmaster."

Yu Xiaogang did not respond.

Ling Yun's grin only grew wider. "Your commentary really is professional. Even I know where to strike after hearing it."

Yu Xiaogang's expression changed. Tang San also felt a sudden sense of foreboding. The next instant, Ling Yun's Second Soul Ring lit up.

A rapidly spinning Water Shuriken shot out. It did not target Ning Rongrong or attack Oscar.

It flew straight at Ma Hongjun.

Fatty froze for a moment.

"Me?"

With the Water Shuriken already before him, he opened his mouth by reflex.

"Phoenix Fire Line!"

Blazing flames slammed head-on into the water blade.

Hiss!

A torrent of water instantly turned to white vapor.

Tang San's expression changed sharply.

"Fatty, stop!"

Ma Hongjun hurriedly shut his mouth.

Ling Yun had already formed a second Water Shuriken.

Its target was still him.

"What's wrong with you? Why do you keep attacking me?"

Ma Hongjun quickly dodged to the side.

Ling Yun smiled. "Because you're useful."

The Water Shuriken sailed past Ma Hongjun and flew straight toward Oscar behind him.

Fatty's face went green. He could dodge it, but what about Oscar?

"Phoenix Fire Line!"

Flames burst out again.

The second Water Shuriken evaporated on the spot, and the surrounding vapor grew noticeably thicker.

Once Ma Hongjun realized what was happening, he nearly coughed up blood. "You're using me to boil water?"

"No, no."

Ling Yun shook his head solemnly.

"Someone who boils water at least gets paid."

Ma Hongjun was ready to explode.

From the air, Xiao Wu cried anxiously, "Fatty, ignore his attacks! Let Boss Dai block them!"

Ling Yun looked up at her. "Xiao Wu, you're finally using your head."

Xiao Wu was just about to sneer when she saw the third Water Shuriken suddenly veer straight toward her.

"Then catch this one."

"You!"

Xiao Wu hastily dodged.

The Water Shuriken swept past her and kept flying toward Ning Rongrong. Dai Mubai had no choice but to change direction and block it for her, and a slight gap opened in their once-tight formation.

Tang San's expression grew grimmer. He finally saw what Ling Yun was doing: forcing them to move themselves.

"Little San." Ling Yun's voice rang out suddenly.

Tang San stared hard at him.

"See it now? That teamwork you're so proud of is just a rope tying seven people together."

"I tug Fatty, and the rest of you have to move with him."

"I attack Xiao Wu, and your heart aches."

Tang San's face darkened abruptly.

But Ling Yun pressed the blade deeper.

"Oh, wait."

"That last one probably doesn't count as tactics."

Laughter broke out around them again.

Xiao Wu's face was nearly crimson. "Shut up!"

"Why are you worked up again?"

Ling Yun looked astonished. "I haven't even said anything yet. Your reactions make it clearer than anything I could say."

Tang San clenched his fists but still kept his temper. He immediately shouted, "Everyone, tighten the formation! Don't run around following his attacks!"

A flash of appreciation crossed Ling Yun's eyes. Tang San had reacted quickly enough. Unfortunately, it was already too late. The vapor on the field was growing thicker and thicker.

Yu Xiaogang noticed it too, and his expression turned ugly.

Ling Yun raised a finger. "Grandmaster, you've studied Martial Souls for so many years, so let me give you a new theory. A battle isn't an exam. Your opponent won't sit still and wait to prove your answer right."

Yu Xiaogang's expression had become dreadful, yet he could not refute a word.

Because the situation before them proved exactly that: a correct judgment did not guarantee a correct result.

Ling Yun looked at him, then at Tang San, and suddenly smiled. "You two really do make a good pair, master and disciple."

Tang San frowned.

"One fights battles on paper. The other takes the beating on the field."

"The teacher explains everything beautifully, and the student loses beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"That teamwork puts the Shrek Seven Devils to shame."

This time, even Flender couldn't hold back and coughed twice. Liu Erlong made no effort to hide it at all; her shoulders shook with laughter.

Tang San's face finally darkened completely.

But Ling Yun had lost interest in talking.

There was enough vapor around them now. His black fourth Soul Ring slowly lit up, and Tang San's expression changed. He shouted at once, "Everyone, group together!"

"Still grouping up?"

Ling Yun laughed. "Little San, have you taken so many hits you've gone stupid?"

Tang San's eyes turned cold.

"Mist Veil is most dangerous when it can pick you off one by one, so now you're squeezing all seven people together."

Ling Yun pointed at the Shrek team. "Worried it would be too much trouble for me to find you, so you're wrapping yourselves up for me?"

Tang San's face changed drastically.

Only then did he realize that tightening their formation posed a problem too.

Too far apart, and they could be attacked one by one. Too close, and they would lose room to move.

And all of that assumed they had already entered the environment Ling Yun excelled in most.

Watching Tang San's face grow steadily uglier, Ling Yun finally gave a satisfied smile. "The worst part for you today isn't that your analysis was wrong. It's that every bit of it was right, and I still led you around by the nose."

Tang San stared at him.

Ling Yun turned to Yu Xiaogang again. "Same goes for you, Grandmaster. Theory after theory. Shame they're worth jack shit once you step onto the training field."

Yu Xiaogang's face flushed the color of pig liver.

At last, Ling Yun stopped wasting words.

His fourth Soul Ring blazed to full brilliance.

Thick white mist rapidly swept across the entire training field.

"You spent all that time studying how to counter my Soul Skill."

"But from beginning to end, did any of you ask whether I was willing to let you?"

The white mist swallowed all seven of them.

Ling Yun's voice came from every direction.

"Little San, Grandmaster, you memorized the answers well. Too bad today, I'm the one setting the questions."

Fourth Soul Skill: Mist Veil!