Qian Xixi and Ten-Year Veteran had both broken through rank 40 in soul power, gaining their fourth soul rings and soul skills.
Ten-Year Veteran's fourth soul skill was Spear Thrust Like a Dragon, which could unleash a dragon-shaped spear gleam.
The fourth soul skill of Qian Xixi's Taotie Divine Bull martial soul was War Stomp, which inflicted a forced stun. The fourth soul skill of the Black Tortoise Shield martial soul was Black Tortoise Cage, which formed a cage out of shields to trap enemies in place.
Both of their fourth soul skills were quite good. With good refinement, they would pack even more power.
I Am an Angel had received a larger share of experience for contributing more during the mission and had also reached the rank 40 threshold.
I Am an Angel's fourth soul skill was Holy Sword, which could summon the weapon Holy Sword for combat. Refined to its limit, this soul skill could turn it into the divine weapon Angelic Holy Sword.
With that, the New Tang Sect Academy Team had three Soul Ancestors, barely reaching the average level of the competing teams.
After returning, Xuan Zi hurried to where the New Tang Sect Academy Team was staying. Sure enough, he found the players acting as though nothing had happened, with not a single one missing.
This even made Xuan Zi wonder whether he had just been dreaming. Perhaps these people had never gone to deal with any Evil Soul Master at all, and everything had been an illusion in his dream.
No, no, it definitely wasn't an illusion. These people need to be watched closely.
Xuan Zi did not beat the grass and startle the snake. Before long, it was time for the Soul Master Tournament to begin.
The players arrived at the tournament venue and felt the atmosphere of the competition for themselves.
Wang Zhongwang: "You know, this really does feel like competing in the Olympics!"
Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "For the soul masters of the Douluo Continent, the Soul Master Tournament isn't all that different from the Olympics, is it?"
Spirit Hall Eternal: "Shouldn't we be paying attention to who our opponents are right now? Or working out some tactics?"
Qian Xixi: "We've actually already thought of a tactic. It's just a little... how should I put it?"
I Am an Angel: "A little shameless!"
Wang Zhongwang: "How shameless? Let's hear it."
Ten-Year Veteran: "Our idea is to have one person act as bait and draw the enemy's attacks, then trap them with those Net Grenades sold in the sect shop. After that, everyone else focuses fire and wipes out the bait along with the opponents."
Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "That's pretty dirty, but it'll only work once, right?"
Qian Xixi: "Let's win a match and get into the round robin first. The game announcement said every victory comes with generous rewards."
While the players chatted in team voice chat, the tournament officially began.
I Am an Angel: "The match has started. It's Shrek Academy's match."
Wang Zhongwang: "Sure enough, we've completely changed the plot. Huo Yuhao isn't taking the field this time."
Ma Xiaotao led her squad of regular team members and swept their opponents away like rotten wood before a storm. The gap between the two sides was simply too great.
What was more, the eliminated team had not even been named in the original story.
Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy, which had faced Shrek Academy in the original story, had become the players' opponent this time.
The seven players-I Am an Angel, Ten-Year Veteran, Qian Xixi, Agile Dog in the Mountains, Wang Zhongwang, Primordial One, and Spirit Hall Eternal-stepped onto the arena platform. They felt no nerves at all, only a sense of novelty.
Huo Yuhao, who could only warm the bench, was watching the players too.
Beside him, Wang Dong said, "Yuhao, don't you think they're strange?"
"Yes, they really are strange. There's something about them that feels out of place."
"Then do you think they can win?"
"If they're all only at three-ring strength, I'm afraid they'll have a hard time beating the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy team."
"I think they'll win."
"Why?"
"Intuition!"
"You're not a woman. What intuition are you talking about?"
"Drop dead!"
Wang Dong kicked Huo Yuhao in the shin, making him yelp in pain.
Meanwhile, in the arena, Agile Dog in the Mountains had already started taunting.
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "Bad luck for you, running into us. I suggest you surrender now, or you're going to lose miserably."
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "Do you know who we are? The New Tang Sect Academy Team. Ever heard of the Tang Sect? The sect founded by the Sea God himself. We're a hidden branch."
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "The branch carrying on the Tang Sect's main lineage is utterly useless. They nearly ran themselves into the ground, so we had to come out and save the Tang Sect."
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "What we've inherited are the Sea God's own methods from back then. Want to give them a try?"
Team voice chat was lively too.
Wang Zhongwang: "Who wrote his lines? He's really got a mouth on him. He's got one scare tactic after another."
Primordial One: "He probably made them up himself. You have to admit, it sounds pretty convincing. Quite a few people might actually believe him."
Qian Xixi: "All the better if they believe it. Saves us explaining so much."
Ten-Year Veteran: "If those NPCs come asking us questions later, we'll pin everything on Sea God Tang San."
This became a consensus among all the players. Behind the scenes, Tang Yi gave them a thumbs-up too. Without needing his guidance, these players had found a way to cover things up themselves.
In the arena, the members of the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy team actually believed some of it. Still, they had no intention of forfeiting. Instead, they switched to a defensive formation, planning to proceed steadily and hold their ground.
But by gathering together on their own, they played right into the players' hands.
Ten-Year Veteran: "Do it!"
Qian Xixi: "Fourth soul skill: War Stomp!"
Once the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy team was stunned by the skill, Primordial One, Agile Dog in the Mountains, and Spirit Hall Eternal all hurled Net Grenades at them.
The Net Grenades exploded, releasing binding nets that covered every member of the Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy team.
Even after the stun ended, they could not break free of the binding nets right away.
I Am an Angel: "Third soul skill: Holy Flame Rain!"
Ten-Year Veteran: "Fourth soul skill: Spear Thrust Like a Dragon!"
Wang Zhongwang: "Third soul skill: Black Tiger Light Wave!"
The Heavenly Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy team was truly unlucky, getting wiped out just like that. In a normal fight, it would have been very difficult to achieve this result.
As the referee announced the New Tang Sect Academy Team's victory, a game announcement appeared as well.
[Congratulations to the players on winning the first category of victory in the Soul Master Tournament. Keep up the good work. Participation reward: add 500 years to the age of any one soul ring. Spectator reward: add 100 years to the age of any one soul ring.]
There were rewards even without taking the field, so the spectating players were happy too.
Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "The devs haven't forgotten us. I'm touched..."
Wang Zhongwang: "The rewards are pretty generous. If we could win the championship..."
I Am an Angel: "Forget it. There's no chance."
Qian Xixi: "It's not impossible. Look at the Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon in the sect shop. With mana potions, every one of us could use it."
Wang Zhongwang: "Doesn't the Super-Concentrated Soul Guidance Cannon need to charge up? And it takes quite a while, too."
Ten-Year Veteran: "Qian Xixi and I can provide cover. We can try it in the next match."
Before you continue