"Skywater Academy Team."
"Shui Bing'er, captain, rank 43 Control System Soul Ancestor, Condensed Water Flying Luan Martial Soul."
"Xue Wu: vice-captain, rank 42 Support System Soul Ancestor, Delicate Dancing Snow Satin Martial Soul."
"Yu Hairou: member, rank 41 Power Attack System Soul Ancestor, Coral Barracuda Martial Soul."
"Shui Yue'er: member, rank 38 Agility Attack System Soul Elder, Jade Dolphin Martial Soul."
"Shen Liuyu: member, rank 37 Power Attack System Soul Elder, Enamel Fortune Crocodile Martial Soul."
"Gu Qingbo: member, rank 37 Agility Attack System Soul Elder, Azure Sailfish Martial Soul."
"Qiu Ruoshui: member, rank 37 Power Attack System Soul Elder, Jade Lotus Smoked Perch Martial Soul."
"Additionally, the Skywater Team's captain and vice-captain possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Ice and Snow Drifting. Particular vigilance is advised."
Why does that last Skywater Team member's Martial Soul sound so much like a dish? Xu Zi wondered.
But judging by the written intelligence, their Spirit Hall Academy Second Team was considerably stronger than the Skywater Academy Team.
Although the Second Team's lineup lacked support, it had two more Defense System members.
Then why couldn't the Second Team make the top ten?
Or rather, why couldn't this lineup beat Skywater?
The reason was simple-coordination.
Team battles on the Soul Fighting stage did not depend solely on individual combat strength.
Every one of them had powerful backing and harbored pride. Once onstage, they basically fought their own battles. Even cooperation was rare, so how could there be any talk of coordination?
If they could follow a central commander's orders, they would have been promoted to the main First Team long ago.
Moreover, their Martial Soul attributes were neither unified nor complementary.
Among them, Tuoba She was a "hostage" handed over by the Holy Dragon Sect in recent months, while Li Qin had even been placed here to gild his credentials.
Besides, the Skywater Team had a trump card: a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Viewed from these angles, the Spirit Hall Second Team was certain to lose.
Still, Xu Zi passed the intelligence in his hand to the seven people behind him for them to read in turn.
Today, fifteen ranking matches would take place at the foot of Douluo Mountain. Xu Zi's team was scheduled for the ninth.
He had to seize this interval to complete their basic strategic deployment and eliminate some glaring flaws.
When deploying troops on the eve of battle, even without strict discipline, the orders had to be clear.
"Shi Xing, our opponents in today's ranking match have both ice and water, so you won't be competing."
Xu Zi's first arrangement was to put the team's highest-ranked Power Attack System Soul Ancestor on the substitutes' bench.
He ignored the displeasure in the other man's eyes. Since he had already mentioned attribute suppression earlier, he offered no further explanation.
At this moment, Xu Zi intended to become an evil dragon and suppress all discontent among his teammates.
In a word: Feeling resistant? Want a say? Then beat me!
After having Shi Xing leave the lineup of his own accord and move to the substitute position at the rear, he continued.
Xu Zi began outlining tactics to the six:
"Li Qin, you're a rank 44 Soul Ancestor, and your Black-Striped Ghost Leopard Martial Soul gives you the highest speed on the team. You'll mark both Shui Yue'er and Gu Qingbo, those two Agility Attack System Soul Elders, by yourself."
"Tuoba She, Huang Su, one of you specializes purely in defense, while the other combines offense and defense. Deal with Yu Hairou, Shen Liuyu, and Qiu Ruoshui, those three power attackers."
"You three brothers, once the match starts, immediately use your Dragon Pattern Staff Formation to encircle Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, their captain and vice-captain. Try to eliminate them during the charging period when they activate their Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
At this point, Li Qin, the vice-captain, looked as though he wanted to speak but held back.
From that expression, Xu Zi further confirmed that he had established his intimidating authority, so he added, "I know Agility Attack System fighters are nimble, and handling two alone will be difficult. But I only need you to keep an eye on them and interfere. You don't have to personally defeat them both."
As he spoke, he also turned his gaze toward Tuoba She and Huang Su, giving them the same instructions. "The same goes for you two. Just do your best to hold them back."
At the very rear of the team, Shi Xing couldn't help demanding emphatically, "What about you? Those six alone won't be able to stop the Skywater Team from advancing."
Xu Zi gave only one reply. "I'll provide support. You'll see exactly what I do in a moment."
As the strongest, he naturally had to keep his edge concealed, so he couldn't reveal his full strength.
As the saying went, it wasn't the thief stealing that you feared, but the thief setting his sights on you.
Shrek paid close attention to everything concerning Spirit Hall's teams. If they devised tactics specifically against Xu Zi, it would become very troublesome when they actually faced each other.
They were the protagonist's group, after all. Who knew how deep their reserves ran? Especially Tang San.
Just then, a red-robed bishop's voice rang out from the judges' seats:
"Next match, Spirit Hall Academy Second Team versus Skywater Academy Team."
At this moment, the Spirit Hall Second Team had gathered Soul Masters from all six systems-power attack, agility attack, defense, control, and support-making it the most ideal, most standard Soul Fighting team.
Xu Zi led the Second Team's six members toward the preparation area, quietly waiting for the Holy City's volunteers to run onto the Soul Fighting Plaza and clear away the remnants of the previous teams' battle, such as wood splinters and broken rocks.
Finally, below the Soul Fighting Plaza, Xu Zi made his last arrangement-their positions.
In other words, their formation.
The seven would stand in two rows.
The eldest of the three brothers, as the core of the Dragon Pattern Staff Formation, stood at the very center of the front row;
Tuoba Yu, specializing purely in defense, stood just left of center in the front row;
The second brother stood at the far left of the front row;
Huang Su, combining offense and defense, stood just right of center in the front row;
The youngest brother, whose strength was slightly weaker than the other two's, stood at the far right, complementing Huang Su's combined offense and defense.
With this arrangement, during the two sides' first charge, the three Dragon Pattern Staff brothers could receive protection from both Defense System members as they established their formation.
As for Li Qin, who had the highest rank and speed among the seven about to compete, no restrictions or arrangements were made for his position. He was allowed to act freely.
Xu Zi, serving as support while keeping his edge concealed, stood in the back row.
The six had no objections to these arrangements. They even nodded inwardly, granting Xu Zi a measure of genuine approval.
Just then, the volunteers in the plaza finished cleaning, and the Soul Fighting referees returned to their positions.
"All team members, please enter the arena," announced the referee on the Spirit Hall Second Team's side.
The Second Team's seven members, including Xu Zi, swiftly climbed the steps and entered the arena in the formation they had just arranged below the plaza.
The instant Xu Zi stepped into the arena, his physical capabilities, which far surpassed those of others at his level, allowed him to hear a stir of whispers from the judges' seats.
Those bigwigs from the two great empires had clearly already familiarized themselves with every member of Spirit Hall's two teams.
What they hadn't expected was that Shi Xing would remain below rather than be sent into battle, and that those young Soul Masters in their twenties would half-surround a purple-haired "youth."
The fluctuations of Soul Power coming from this purple-haired youth were clearly weaker than those of the other six.
But they soon thought of a possibility: this person was most likely here to gild his credentials.
After all, the Second Team's ranking had always been inconsequential in every tournament.
Thus, the whispers from the judges' seats subsided into silence after only a few seconds.
Just then, a thin icy mist rose from the entrance steps on the other side of the Soul Fighting Plaza.
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