On the second day of the qualifiers, the matchups between the academies for that day were announced.
When the various colleges received the match schedule, everyone was stunned.
Godwind Academy versus Shrek Academy.
Godwind Academy is a long-established powerhouse. On the first day, they revealed three Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, demonstrating their unfathomable strength.
Although Shrek Academy was relatively unknown, they defeated the Heaven Dou Second Team in one minute during the opening match and even revealed a Fourth Soul Ring ten thousand years old, making them arguably the biggest dark horse of this tournament.
It's only the second day, and the two favorites to win the championship are already going head-to-head?
In the VIP section, Xue Ye sat in the center, with Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect, sitting to his left and Salas to his right. Sword Douluo stood behind Ning Fengzhi, his gaze piercing.
Ning Fengzhi picked up the match schedule, his gaze lingering on the line " Godwind Academy vs. Shrek Academy ".
He smiled slightly and said slowly, "Bishop Salas has a brilliant plan."
Salas picked up his teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips, " Sect Master Ning, you flatter me. The draw for the tournament schedule is entirely up to fate."
The two exchanged a glance, but neither said anything more.
Xue Ye's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He turned to Ning Fengzhi, his tone softening, "Then, Sect Master Ning, who do you favor?"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "It's hard to say. But I believe this match will be very exciting."
The players from both sides enter the arena.
On Shrek's side, Dai Mubai was leading the way, followed by Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and three substitutes.
Yu Xiaogang stood on the sidelines and whispered to Tang San as he passed by, "Their control center is Jiang Lin. Find a way to restrain him."
Tang San nodded slightly.
On the Godwind Academy side, the same seven people appeared as before.
" The Godwind Academy still hasn't produced a captain?" someone muttered.
" Shrek has four Soul Ancestor, and Tang San with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring... Isn't Godwind Academy overestimating itself?"
The referee signaled for both sides to release their Martial Soul.
The seven members of Shrek simultaneously unleashed their Soul Ring: Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, Dai Mubai's White Tiger, Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit, Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat...
Dai Mubai, a level 45 Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
Tang San, a level 44 Control System Battle Soul Ancestor. Two yellow, one purple, and one black.
Xiao Wu, a level 42 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
Zhu Zhuqing, a level 41 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
Apart from Tang San, the other three official team members who took the field all had two yellow and two purple badges.
The remaining three substitutes— Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Tai Long —are at levels 36, 37, and 38 respectively, all of whom are Soul Elder with two yellow and one purple Soul Ring.
The spectators in the stands nodded in agreement. With four Soul Ancestor on the team, and one of them even possessing Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, Shrek's lineup was already considered strong in the qualifiers.
Then they looked toward the Godwind Academy.
Seven people, seven Martial Soul, lit up simultaneously.
Jiang Lin, Level 48 Control System Battle Soul Ancestor. Zhong Yue, Level 46 Defense System Battle Soul Ancestor. Lu Hanxiao, Level 44, Agility Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
Feng Lingtian, Level 48, Agility Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor. Cheng Luo, Level 48 Control System Battle Soul Ancestor. Lu Qing, Level 47 Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor. Bai Yu, Level 41 Support System Battle Soul Ancestor.
The seven Soul Ring arrays deployed simultaneously.
Two yellow, one purple, and one black. Seven in total, all of them are the Fourth Soul Ring worth ten thousand years.
The entire room fell silent for a full three seconds.
Then it exploded.
"Seven... seven people with ten-thousand-year-old Fourth Soul Ring?"
"Is Godwind Academy treating Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast like cabbages?"
" Shrek Academy is already considered a genius for having one Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, Godwind Academy has seven?"
In the stands, the team members from the Iron Rock Academy were also watching the game.
Tie Hu watched as all seven members of the Godwind Academy released their Martial Soul, their seven ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring lighting up simultaneously. He remained silent for a few moments, then turned to look at Shi Chui beside him.
"When they attacked us," Tie Hu's voice was a little dry, "Only three of them came out."
Shi Chui fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally managed to utter a sentence: "... Thinking about it this way, shouldn't we feel honored?"
"Honor my ass." Tie Hu cursed, but there was no anger in his tone, only a sense of relief at surviving a disaster. "Luckily they didn't go all out, otherwise we wouldn't have lasted three minutes."
Shi Chui nodded in deep agreement.
The referee's signal rang out. The match began.
Shrek makes the first move.
Dai Mubai pushed off the ground with both feet, shooting out like a cannonball. With the White Tiger Martial Soul in his body, his arm muscles bulged, and his fourth soul ring lit up—White Tiger Blazing Light Wave.
His target was Zhong Yue. As long as they could break through the frontal defenses of the Godwind Academy, Shrek could create an opening.
" Zhong Yue, directly ahead." Jiang Lin's voice rang out in the Spirit Eyes projection.
Zhong Yue's tortoise shell blocked that direction half a second in advance. The White Tiger Fierce Light Wave struck the tortoise shell, producing a dull thud, and white Soul Power light splashed everywhere. A fine crack appeared on the surface of the tortoise shell, but it did not shatter.
Dai Mubai's pupils contracted slightly. His fourth Soul Skill, a full-force attack, had only managed to create a crack?
Zhong Yue's face paled for a moment, but he did not retreat. The Soul Core in his dantian spun rapidly, continuously supplying Soul Power to the tortoise shell, and the crack was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"This is a tough opponent," Dai Mubai said in a low voice.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread out from the ground, silently reaching towards the feet of the Godwind Academy. His goal was not to attack, but to control—as long as he could entangle the opponent, Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu could defeat them one by one.
But the Blue Silver Grass had only stretched out three feet when it bumped into an invisible wall.
Jiang Lin's Spirit Eyes flashed with silver light, and a barrier formed by his Spiritual Power blocked the Blue Silver Grass. Tang San frowned slightly, activated his Purple Demon Eye, and his Spiritual Power pierced towards Jiang Lin like needles.
The two Spiritual Power collided silently in mid-air, but a visible ripple spread through the air.
Tang San narrowed his eyes slightly. The opponent's Spiritual Power... was no weaker than his own.
Xiao Wu attacked from the flank, maximizing the speed of her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul, with her target being Bai Yu, who was standing in the back row.
Lu Hanxiao's figure disappeared from the spot.
The next second, he appeared in Xiao Wu's path of attack, and the Cold Wind · Wing Slash drew an arc in mid-air. Xiao Wu's body twisted abruptly in mid-air, and the flexibility of the Soft Bone Rabbit allowed her to change direction at an impossible angle, barely avoiding the ice blade.
The two passed each other without bumping into each other.
As Xiao Wu landed, she glanced back at Lu Hanxiao. He had already retreated to his original position, and the ice blades on his wings were still not fully solidified.
His speed... is even faster than Zhu Zhuqing's? Xiao Wu's heart sank.
Zhu Zhuqing also moved.
Her Nether Civet Martial Soul was as fast as Agility Attack System, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air as she pounced on Lu Hanxiao.
Lu Hanxiao did not retreat. He spread his wings and charged towards Zhu Zhuqing.
Two afterimages crisscrossed, collided, and separated in mid-air, moving at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow. The sound of ice blades colliding with cat claws was as dense as rain pattering on banana leaves; in the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged blows more than ten times.
When Zhu Zhuqing landed, there was a shallow icicle on her arm.
A small piece was torn from the hem of Lu Hanxiao's clothes by the cat's claws.
Although Lu Hanxiao was of a higher level, Zhu Zhuqing's persistence should not be underestimated. Neither of them gained an advantage.
Feng Lingtian moved around the arena. He didn't attack, but every time he appeared in a certain position, it would make Shrek's offensive hesitate for a moment. His speed was too fast, so fast that even Shrek's Agility Attack System Soul Master couldn't keep up.
Dai Mubai charged at Zhong Yue's defenses once more, only to be blocked by the tortoise shell. His breathing was becoming erratic, but the Defense System facing Godwind Academy, though pale-faced, remained motionless.
"Retreat first!" Tang San whispered.
The five Shrek members retreated simultaneously, tightening their formation.
Tang San stood on the field, his gaze sweeping over the seven people from the Godwind Academy.
Jiang Lin's Spirit Eyes remained steadily lit, and he consistently used his first and Second Soul Skill. Cheng Luo's Wind-Binding Vine only served as an interception, without actively trapping anyone. Zhong Yue's tortoise shell continuously absorbed damage, but his Fourth Soul Ring never lit up.
Lu Hanxiao's speed overwhelmed everyone, but his Cold Wind · Wing Slash was never fully formed. Feng Lingtian moved around the entire field without launching a single attack.
They didn't use any of their fourth Soul Skill.
Tang San withdrew his gaze and glanced at the Godwind Academy's contestant seats. Feng Xiaotian sat there, never standing up from beginning to end.
Tang San understood.
Shrek cannot win this match.
But... it would allow Godwind Academy to be exposed a bit more.
He looked at Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, his lips moving slightly.
" Boss Dai, charge in head-on one more time. Don't hold back."
" Zhu Zhuqing, on the left flank, and Xiao Wu form a pincer attack."
"Force them to take action."
Tang San used a secret technique of the Tang Sect: Secret Sound Transmission.
Outsiders couldn't hear what he was saying, or even see him speaking. This was Tang San's technique from his previous life; it didn't require Soul Ring or Soul Skill, and could be achieved solely through the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Spiritual Power.
Dai Mubai remained silent as his Fourth Soul Ring lit up.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.
Shrek's second wave of attack is about to begin.
This time, they're going to expose the true weaknesses of the Godwind Academy!