Tang San knocked on Tai Long's dorm room. Inside, apart from Tai Long, there were Huang Yuan and Jing Ling. These three were all upper-tier students from the Advanced Class and also the first batch of targets he had filtered out from his list.
Tai Long possessed enough strength, Huang Yuan had stable frontal capabilities, and Jing Ling excelled in speed. As long as they recruited one more support and controller, the framework of a temporary battle squad would be essentially set.
Before coming, Tang San had even prepared his terms: join his team, and Yu Xiaogang would personally analyze their martial souls and formulate a training direction. If they could defeat Ling Yun's main team, they would have the opportunity to vie with Flender for the spots in the Soul Master Tournament.
Yet, after he finished speaking, no one in the dorm answered, and the atmosphere was completely different from what Tang San had anticipated.
"If you have any reservations, you can state them directly." Tang San spoke first.
Tai Long tightened his bracers, raised his head, and asked, "You just said that forming this team is mainly to fight Boss Ling?"
"Right."
"Then there's no need to talk. We're not going."
Tang San frowned slightly. "Why? You want to participate in the Soul Master Tournament, yet you're throwing away even the chance to vie for a spot on the main team?"
Huang Yuan leaned against the bed and laughed. "Wanting to compete and accompanying you to get beaten up aren't conflicting things. Of course we want to take the field, but we have no interest in specifically gathering a team to ambush Boss Ling."
Tai Long also stood up. "When I first entered the Advanced Class, I wouldn't submit to him, and altogether we fought three matches. After the third match ended, I changed what I called him myself. No one forced me."
"Having lost before doesn't mean you'll never win," Tang San said.
"Then go win yourself. The seven of you together couldn't take him down, and now you're running to the dorm to recruit people anew. Do you think the three of us are stronger than Dai Mubai and the others?"
Tang San did not answer. Huang Yuan, however, had already understood, shaking his head. "When it comes down to it, you don't value how strong we are; you just want to find a few people with suitable abilities to help you counter the boss."
"This is team tactics."
"You can also call it that." Jing Ling finally closed the book in his hand. "However, there's another matter. Those hidden weapons you used yesterday-we all saw them."
Tang San's expression turned a bit colder. "Hidden weapons are also my combat means."
Jing Ling nodded. "No one is stopping you from using them. The problem is where those needles came from, when they were launched, and how terrifying their power was-we have no clue at all. During sparring within the team, you even dare to suddenly whip them out."
"I won't attack teammates."
Hearing this, Tai Long let out a direct laugh. "But are we that close to you? Teaming up for the very first time, what makes you think we'd let someone trust their back to a person who can suddenly fling out a bunch of hidden weapons without even needing to manifest a soul ring?"
Tang San fell completely silent. Tai Long did not continue arguing either, walking over to pull the dorm door wide open.
"Tang San, your twin martial souls are truly formidable, and we admit you have skills. But Boss Ling isn't someone you can just scrape a few people together to trample over. Take a piece of advice: stop making a fuss."
Huang Yuan chimed in with an addition. "Besides, you don't need to ask anyone else on this floor either. Boss Ling has stayed in the Blue Tyrant Academy for so many years; wanting people here to specifically help you settle accounts with him is basically a lost cause."
Jing Ling gestured toward the doorway. "Have a safe walk."
Tang San stood for two seconds, ultimately turning to leave. The dorm door closed behind him; the conditions he had prepared all the way here hadn't even managed to make the three of them consider it.
As he walked down the dorm building, he happened to run into Yu Xiaogang. The moment Yu Xiaogang saw his expression, he knew things had not gone as smoothly as imagined.
"Tai Long, Huang Yuan, Jing Ling-they all refused." Tang San stopped in his tracks, the fire that had been suppressed in his chest for a long time finally erupting. "Teacher, where on earth am I inferior to Ling Yun?"
"I possess innate full soul power and twin martial souls, and the hidden weapons are also abilities I mastered myself. Why is it that because they can't understand them, they feel I'm not worth trusting?"
The more Tang San spoke, the colder his tone became. "They're only at the early thirties in rank, yet they couldn't even be bothered to consider my terms. Could it be that because Ling Yun has stayed longer at the Blue Tyrant Academy, I deserve to be suppressed by him forever?"
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang did not utter a single word of blame; instead, he pressed down on his shoulder. "Little San, you're overestimating them."
Tang San looked up at him.
"Tai Long and the others have followed Ling Yun for too long, and they've long since grown accustomed to taking him as their head. When people lose too often, the easiest thing to do isn't thinking about surpassing the other party, but convincing themselves that that person was simply bound to win in the first place, so that their hearts feel more comfortable."
Yu Xiaogang's tone grew colder. "As for the hidden weapons, it's merely because they don't understand them that they feel fear. Things they themselves lack, they label as dangerous first and claim cannot be trusted. People like this will amount to nothing in this lifetime; they can only ever be followers."
The awkwardness that had originally clogged Tang San's chest seemed to suddenly find an outlet.
Yu Xiaogang continued, "Tai Long has brute force to spare, Huang Yuan's talent is mediocre, and Jing Ling has severe specialization flaws. Their refusal today simply saves them from dragging you down in the future."
With just a few words, the three people Tang San had been seriously picking out a moment ago seemed to instantly become worthless. He was silent for a moment and asked, "Then where should we look next?"
"Outside the academy."
Yu Xiaogang clearly had preparations long in advance. "At the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, there are three young soul elders who temporarily lack a fixed team: Xu Lie, rank thirty-three, Ironback Bear martial soul; Gu Changfeng, rank thirty-two, Wind Scythe; Han Ce, rank thirty-one, Soul-Locking Chain."
When mentioning Han Ce, Yu Xiaogang paused intentionally. "Chain-type martial souls are suited for restricting agility. A soul master capable of sealing off the ground will make Ling Yun's Wave Treading not nearly as comfortable as it is now."
Tang San finally revealed a trace of a smile. "We aren't looking for the strongest, only the ones most suited for dealing with him."
"Good." Yu Xiaogang patted his shoulder. "Whatever Ling Yun excels at, we dismantle. As long as the lineup is sufficiently targeted, no matter how strong a single person is, they have their limits."
Tang San looked back at the dorm building. "As for Tai Long and the others, once I win..."
"They'll naturally know what they missed out on today," Yu Xiaogang said indifferently. "However, by that time, even if they want to come back, we won't take them."
Tang San nodded. "Tomorrow, I'm heading to the Great Soul Arena."
"Teacher will accompany you."
On the other side, Ling Yun had no idea that Tang San had already expanded his recruitment scope to outside the academy. Holding a wooden stick, he was currently putting the remaining six through exercises that drew complaints from everyone.
The first round was for Dai Mubai to practice. Six wooden stakes were planted in the arena, and Ling Yun gave him only one requirement: every single charge must include at least one change of direction.
Dai Mubai had just knocked over three stakes in succession when Ling Yun's wooden stick struck the fourth one.
"Again."
"I clearly hit it."
"You still dare to quibble? If you charge forward blindly like an ox again in the future, I'll rename your martial soul to White Tiger Siege Hammer."
Dai Mubai clenched his teeth and retreated once more.
Over on Ma Hongjun's side, it was even more absurd. Ling Yun had drawn a dozen or so bowls and chopsticks of varying sizes on the ground, demanding that Phoenix Fire Line land only inside the circles. As long as one landed outside, there would be no dinner for him tonight.
The fatty looked at those dozen-odd bowls, his entire body going numb.
"I'm a phoenix, not a cook!"
Ling Yun didn't even raise his head. "If you can't even control your fire, at best you count as a mobile stove."
Suppressing his anger, Ma Hongjun continued practicing.
Zhu Zhuqing had her eyes blindfolded, and fine threads and bells were hung densely between the wooden stakes. She had to cross the entire area without ringing a single bell; her speed ranked second, but what she was truly training in was sound-listening, judgment, and body control.
Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, was chased around the entire field. Ling Yun would randomly call out a name, and she had to find the target within the shortest possible time and deliver the correct amplification.
She could not wait for others to protect her.
Oscar's training was the hardest on his legs. With his sausages prepared in advance, he had to judge for himself who needed supplies, actively deliver them to their positions, and simultaneously dodge the water balls Ling Yun threw over at any moment.
Take a hit, and the sausage in his hand was invalidated.
The six of them had practiced for less than an hour when five of them already began regretting why they had come so early today.
Yet, several people quickly discovered that while Ling Yun's mouth was vicious, everything he made them practice directly targeted areas where they had truly suffered losses. Only Xiao Wu had no tasks from start to finish, standing to the side and finding it increasingly wrong the more she watched.
"What about mine?" She finally couldn't help asking.
Ling Yun turned his head to glance at her. "Your trouble is the greatest. Teleportation makes you rely too much on closing the distance with the first move, and Waist Bow makes you accustomed to resolving problems the moment you get close. After overcharging your rushes, there's always someone left to clean up the mess for you."
Of course Xiao Wu knew who he was talking about, but she refused to submit verbally. "Then how do you want to train?"
"No Teleportation today, and straight-line rushes toward me are forbidden." Ling Yun walked toward the center of the training ground. "Change direction at least once before every strike, and no one is helping you."
Xiao Wu widened her eyes. "The opponent is still you?"
Ling Yun's fourth soul ring had already lit up, and mist rapidly diffused from the edge of his feet. "As long as you touch me once, you pass for today. If you can't touch me, you continue."
Dai Mubai and the others immediately stopped the actions in their hands, clearly feeling that this side was much more interesting. Ling Yun, however, turned back to sweep a glance at them. "Whoever dares to help her gets all training doubled."
The five of them instantly turned well-behaved.
Gritting her teeth, Xiao Wu stepped into the thick fog. Having taken only a few steps, a slight movement suddenly came from her left. She spun around and lunged, but grasped nothing more than a patch of chilly water droplets.
Before she could even steady her stance, sound of footsteps came from her right again. Forcing herself to hold back the pursuit and just preparing to change direction, a hand had already gently rested on her shoulder from behind.
"First time, you're already dead."
Xiao Wu jerked around, but behind her, there remained only white mist.
Ling Yun's voice came from further away. "Don't rush, there's plenty of time today. When you can touch me from here without needing Tang San to save you, then we can talk about whether you can continue staying on the main team."
Before you continue