Wang Yanbo had lost.
This was the outcome Vina and Long Aotian had expected, but even they found it hard to accept that he had lost in such a fashion.
They had not participated in the previous Soul Fighting Tournament. Though they had investigated Jiang Hai's experiences, they had never gained a truly firsthand understanding. Yet the conclusion of today's first battle made them feel tremendous pressure from the depths of their hearts.
A single punch had shattered Wang Yanbo's bronze-ranked Martial Soul manifestation. Just how formidable was that?
As the team's brains, Vina quickly banished the surprise from her eyes. She glanced at Long Aotian, but did not immediately send out a second team member.
Long Aotian guessed what she was thinking and said, "Let me go up and give it a try. Don't worry. If I have no other choice, I'll concede immediately. It won't affect the team battle afterward."
Wang Yanbo's bronze-ranked Body Martial Soul had been forcibly broken, and the resulting Martial Soul backlash would not heal overnight. On top of that, two of their core team members had yet to recover from the previous battle.
They had only four core members left for this match. If they suffered any further losses, the ensuing team battle would become exceedingly difficult.
Rather than risk that, they might as well abandon the individual matches and stake everything on the team battle, fighting for a chance to advance.
Long Aotian understood Vina's thinking, but he could never accept conceding just like that, so he offered his own proposal.
Vina fell silent for a moment. Rationally, she did not want Long Aotian to take the stage now, but seeing the defiant gleam in his eyes, she knew that stopping him this time might shake his conviction as a Soul Master.