The instant the spider web descended, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass tightened around Ling Yun. Han Ce's two Soul-Locking Chains latched onto him from either side, while Xu Lie charged straight at him with his Ironback Bear martial soul. If that blow landed squarely, an ordinary Soul Ancestor would probably have been laid out on the spot.
Yu Xiaogang perked right up at the sight. The bruises on his face had yet to fade, but his voice rang louder than anyone else's. "Don't stop! Now's your chance! Little San, pin him down hard! Don't let him dart around again!"
Ling Yun glanced up at him and nearly burst out laughing. "Grandmaster, you really don't learn from a beating, do you? Your face is still swollen, and that mouth of yours is already begging for another one."
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened, and he sneered through gritted teeth. "Get out of there first, then talk! We prepared this combination just for you. Did you think Little San spent these past few days training for nothing?"
"Fine. Let's see what the hell you've actually trained up." Instead of trying to wrench the chains apart, Ling Yun suddenly dropped low, bringing his body almost flush with the ground, and whipped the Soul Power Tongue Scarf out along the floor.
Xu Lie was charging forward at full force and never expected anything to coil around his ankle. On top of that, a layer of water had appeared on the ground without his noticing. His soles suddenly slipped, throwing him off balance, and his three-hundred-plus-pound bulk hurtled straight toward Han Ce.
"Fuck! Move!" Han Ce's face turned green, but both hands were still holding the Soul-Locking Chains in place. By the time he reacted, it was too late. Xu Lie's shoulder slammed into his chest, and the two of them tumbled into a heap.
One side of the Soul-Locking Chains instantly slackened. Ling Yun reached up and tore away the spider web pressing down on him, then gave the other chain a vicious yank. Han Ce, who had just started getting up, was dragged right back into a kick to the face. He shot more than ten meters across the ground and rolled straight off the platform.
The sidelines erupted. Zhao Wuji laughed louder than anyone. "Xiao Gang, that's quite a move you've got there! Before Ling Yun even took a hit, your own men gave each other a proper pounding!"
Veins throbbed on Yu Xiaogang's forehead. "It was just one mistake! Luo Xiao, don't let him get out!"
Luo Xiao had long been itching to act. Three soul power arrows flew out almost simultaneously, but Xu Lie, who had just climbed to his feet, was still blocking Ling Yun. The sight startled Luo Xiao into forcing his last arrow half a foot off course.
Ling Yun grabbed Xu Lie by the shoulder, grinning with shameless malice. "Brother, stand steady. He's shooting at you."
"Ling Yun, fuck your-" Before Xu Lie could finish cursing, Ling Yun kicked him in the ass and sent him straight toward Luo Xiao. To dodge the two-hundred-plus-pound Ironback Bear, Luo Xiao had no choice but to abandon his firing position and dart aside.
That single opening was enough for Ling Yun to get right in his face. He slapped the Cloud-Piercing Bow aside, caught Luo Xiao's collar with his other hand, and hurled him off the platform. Before Luo Xiao could even unleash a second round of soul skills, he had already joined Han Ce.
Tang San's expression turned thoroughly ugly. He had never imagined that the chain of restraints they had spent days preparing would be torn to pieces by Ling Yun in less than a minute of actual combat. Worse still, Ling Yun had never once broken free the way they had anticipated.
Ling Yun, meanwhile, only grew more fired up as he fought. He turned his attention to Xu Lie. "Weren't you the one assigned to take me head-on? Come on. Someone was in the way earlier, but nobody's blocking us now. Let's give each other a proper pounding."
Xu Lie was already simmering with anger. Those words made him see red. He fully unleashed his Ironback Bear martial soul and lunged forward with a furious roar. "You think I'm scared of you?!"
Neither of them dodged this time. Their fists crashed together, and the shock of their soul power sent the surrounding dust flying. The ferocity on Xu Lie's face lasted less than a second before his entire arm went numb and he staggered several steps backward.
Ling Yun did not retreat even half a step. He raised his foot and drove another straight kick into Xu Lie, launching his two-hundred-plus-pound body clear off the ground. Xu Lie landed on his backside outside the platform and sat there for a long while, unable to process what had happened.
Ma Hongjun was laughing himself sick behind them. "Wasn't he supposed to be the one holding Ling Yun off? How'd he end up holding him off from outside the platform?"
There had originally been seven opponents on the platform, but in the blink of an eye, only Tang San and Cheng Hai remained. Cheng Hai, a support-type soul master, had gone pale. Just as he was about to sound his Resonance Drum, Xiao Wu rushed over and flashed him a grin. "Are you getting off yourself, or should I help you?"
Cheng Hai looked at Xiao Wu, then at Dai Mubai, who was already loosening his wrists beside her. His mouth twitched for a long moment before he wisely jumped off the platform. "I get paid to compete, not to get beaten up by a whole gang!"
Laughter instantly swept through the crowd. Tang San stood where he was, his face so dark it looked ready to drip water. After days spent recruiting people, practicing coordination, and studying soul skills, he was the only one still standing on the platform.
Yet Yu Xiaogang still refused to shut up. He shouted from the sidelines, "Little San, don't panic! They've only eliminated the others. You haven't lost yet! Use the fighting style you know best. He's already burned through plenty of soul power!"
Even listening to him exhausted Ling Yun. "Grandmaster, do you get uncomfortable all over if you don't put in your two cents? When there were seven of them, you said their lineup countered me. Now they're all gone, and suddenly Tang San can turn it around alone. That mouth of yours is a lot more flexible than your theories."
Tang San ignored their bickering. The Eight Spider Lances sprang out from his back, Mysterious Jade Hand covered both palms, and Blue Silver Grass spread out once more. At this point, he actually became completely calm. Since the team had been wiped out, he would settle the outcome with his own abilities.
But just as he prepared to strike, Ling Yun's first soul ring suddenly lit up. A vast cloud of mist spread across the entire platform again, and Tang San's expression changed instantly.
Gu Changfeng, who had been responsible for blowing away the mist, had already been eliminated. Shen Tingfeng, who had been tasked with locating Ling Yun by sound, had likewise long since been laid out beyond the platform. Now that the mist was rising, both "keys" they had spent days preparing were fucking gone.
Ling Yun's voice drifted out of the mist, carrying undisguised amusement. "Little San, didn't you specifically study how to break this move of mine? Where are your people? Call those two back."
Tang San nearly ground his teeth to pieces. He swept Blue Silver Grass in every direction, hoping to locate Ling Yun through contact. But just as the grass blades swept past his left side, a stream of water slammed into his waist from the right, sending him stumbling several steps.
The Eight Spider Lances stabbed sharply behind him, but struck nothing but air. Immediately afterward, the Soul Power Tongue Scarf coiled around one Spider Spear. Tang San was just about to wrench himself free when a fist struck his other shoulder, knocking him forward on the spot.
Tang San forced himself steady with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. The instant he turned, Ling Yun burst out of the mist, and they traded several fierce blows at close range. Mysterious Jade Hand took punch after punch head-on, leaving Tang San's arms increasingly numb. Finally, just as Blue Silver Grass wrapped around Ling Yun's calf, the Soul Power Tongue Scarf snapped around Tang San's waist.
Ling Yun turned and exerted his strength, swinging Tang San clean off the ground. He traced an arc through the air before landing with a bang at the edge of the platform, half his body already out of bounds.
Tang San still tried to anchor himself to the ground with the Eight Spider Lances, but Ling Yun gave him no chance. He stepped on one Spider Spear and looked down at him with a smile. "Little San, stop struggling. Keep that up and you'll scrape holes in your pants."
The next second, Ling Yun gave him a shove with his foot, and Tang San slid completely off the platform.
The referee stood stunned for two seconds before coming to his senses and hurriedly announcing Blue Tyrant Academy's victory in the second match. Cheers instantly surged around them. This time was different from the first match: there had been no rule violations, no outside interference, and no bullshit controversy. Tang San and his seven-man team had simply been hammered into defeat head-on.
Yu Xiaogang sat there, his face alternating between green and white. After holding it in for a long while, he still managed to squeeze out, "This only proves they haven't had enough time to coordinate. If Little San were given another-"
"Stop, stop, stop." Ling Yun hurriedly raised a hand, looking at him as though he could not take another word. "When you won the first match, you never mentioned not having enough time to coordinate. You opened your mouth and demanded starting spots. Now you've lost, and you're back to asking for another month. Grandmaster, how are you so good at building yourself a staircase out of embarrassment?"
Zhao Wuji burst out laughing on the spot, and quite a few students nearby joined in the jeering. Yu Xiaogang was left unable to utter a single word. His already swollen face flushed an even deeper red.
Just then, an academy teacher hurried in, carrying a file that had only just arrived. "Dean Flender, stop arguing for a moment. The tournament documents are here."
Flender took the file, and the smile disappeared from his face after a single glance at the top. Liu Erlong leaned over as well, while Ling Yun, who had just stepped down from the platform, happened to catch sight of the bold, eye-catching line.
All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament Participant Roster.
Those who had been laughing slowly fell silent. Everyone understood that, however lively the earlier fights had been, they were still only internal academy matters. But now that this roster had arrived, it was time to get serious about who would compete, who would sit on the bench, and who would truly represent the academy in the Soul Master Tournament.
Holding the roster, Flender swept his gaze over everyone before finally resting it on Ling Yun and Tang San. "All right. Set aside who won and who lost just now. The roster is here, and so are the places you really need to fight for."
Before you continue