The referee's right hand suddenly swung down.
The match begins.
The seven members of the Elephant Armor Academy moved simultaneously. Their steps were synchronized, their movements uniform, like a moving wall pressing down on the Godwind Academy.
This is Elephant Armor Academy's signature tactic—the push and crush. No skill, no fancy moves, just sheer weight and defense to force the opponent to the edge of the ring.
Huyan Li walked at the front. After his Martial Soul Possession, a thicker layer of golden luster appeared on his skin—it was the Diamond Shield of his fourth Soul Skill. Huyan Li's defense increased by a full 100% at this moment.
" Cheng Luo, intercept them head-on." Jiang Lin's voice rang out in the Spirit Eyes projection.
Cheng Luo unleashed his Wind-Binding Vine from his palm, dozens of vines intertwining on the ground to form a large net, attempting to slow down the advance of the Elephant Armor Academy.
The vines wrapped around the ankles of the Elephant Armor Academy team members, but the Diamond Mammoth's strength was too great; the vines were snapped one by one, as easily as tearing spider silk.
Cheng Luo's expression changed slightly.
" Lu Hanxiao, right wing, harass the back row." Jiang Lin's orders continued.
Lu Hanxiao's figure vanished from his spot, and the Snowy Owl's wings drew a silver-white arc in the air, heading straight for the right rear of the Elephant Armor Academy's formation. As long as their formation could be disrupted, their advance would slow down.
But the formation of the Elephant Armor Academy remained completely unchanged.
Huyan Li's deputy, Huyan Huo, moved a step to the side, blocking Lu Hanxiao's path of attack. The defensive power of the Diamond Mammoth was on full display at this moment - Lu Hanxiao's Cold Wind · Wing Slash at him, leaving only a shallow white mark, without even breaking his skin.
Lu Hanxiao retracted his wings and retreated, his brows slightly furrowed.
" Feng Lingtian, left wing, support," Jiang Lin's voice rang out again.
Feng Lingtian's figure vanished from his spot, his Peregrine Falcon falcon wings spread, cutting into the Elephant Armor Academy's formation from the left. He didn't attack, but instead roamed along the edge of the formation, forcing the Elephant Armor Academy members to be distracted with each appearance. His speed was so fast that the Elephant Armor Academy's flank Soul Master simply couldn't keep up.
But Elephant Armor Academy doesn't care.
They don't need to keep up with Feng Lingtian's speed. They just need to maintain their formation and keep pushing forward.
Seven people, seven walls. The battle position of the Godwind Academy is being compressed little by little.
" Jiang Lin, their defenses are too strong," Cheng Luo said urgently. " The Wind-Binding Vine can't hold them back at all."
Jiang Lin remained silent. His Spirit Eyes shone steadily with silver light, his gaze sweeping over the seven members of the Elephant Armor Academy. He was searching for an opening, and also waiting—waiting for Shi Yan to make his move.
Every defense has weaknesses; the question is whether you can find them.
Elephant Armor Academy's advance wasn't fast, but every step they took compressed the movement space of the Godwind Academy. They were pushed back to one-third of the arena, then one-third to one-quarter. The seven members of the Godwind Academy were already forced to the edge of the ring.
Shi Yan stood in his defensive position and did not move.
Jiang Lin looked at him. Since the start of the match, Shi Yan hadn't made a single move. He had simply stood in his defensive position, like a statue.
" Shi Yan," Jiang Lin called out in the projection of the Spirit Eyes.
Shi Yan did not respond.
His gaze remained fixed on Huyan Li. He was watching, waiting.
Feng Xiaotian sat in the contestant's seat, his hands clasped together, his knuckles slightly white. He knew what Shi Yan was waiting for.
The Elephant Armor Academy continued its advance. Huyan Li had already raised his fist, and when this punch landed, Cheng Luo, who was standing at the front, would be knocked back at least three steps.
The Shi Yan moved.
The Void Resonance Bell flew out from in front of him, not to smash into Huyan Li, but to hover directly above the Godwind Academy's formation. The First Soul Ring lit up—Bell Ring Shield.
Pale golden sound waves rippled from the bell, spreading in all directions like ripples on water. Wherever the sound waves passed, a pale golden shield appeared on everyone in the Godwind Academy. It wasn't a shield to defend against physical attacks, but a shield to defend against impacts.
Huyan Li's fist slammed into Cheng Luo, Cheng Luo took a half step back.
Only half a step.
Huyan Li's pupils contracted slightly. His full-force attack had only forced his opponent back half a step?
Shi Yan's Second Soul Ring lit up. Bell Ring - Tremor.
The Void Resonance Bell emitted a deep, long chime. The sound waves no longer spread outwards but condensed into a straight line, heading straight for Huyan Li. This was not an attack, but an interruption—the sound waves precisely cut into the node of Huyan Li's Soul Power circulation, and his Diamond Shield loosened for a moment.
It was in that very instant.
Jiang Lin's eyes lit up. " Lu Qing, frontal view."
Lu Qing's Wind Scythe slashed out from the side, and his First Soul Ring lit up— Wind Scythe Slash. The cyan blade light rushed straight at Huyan Li's chest, while Huyan Li's Diamond Shield was still unable to re-condense due to the interference of the sound waves.
Huyan Huo stepped to the side, blocking Huyan Li and taking the blow with his own body. The Diamond Mammoth's defense caused a gash in his skin, but he was not seriously injured.
He glanced down at the faint bloodstain on his chest, then looked up at Shi Yan.
This Bell Martial Soul can break through defenses.
The Elephant Armor Academy project has stalled.
It wasn't because they didn't want to push it down; it was because they were discovering for the first time that the wall had cracks.
-
In the stands, the team members from the Iron Rock Academy watched with wide eyes.
"His bell... can break through the defenses of Diamond Mammoth?" Shi Chui's voice was somewhat dry.
Tie Hu did not answer. His gaze remained fixed on Shi Yan. The Void Resonance Bell. Sound waves. Not through force, but through vibration.
Diamond Mammoth's defense is physically hard, but sound waves can't compete with that—sound waves penetrate, resonate, and disintegrate from the inside.
This is restraint.
"That's not right," Shi Chui suddenly said, "We've been fighting Godwind Academy for so long, has their Fourth Soul Ring even lit up yet?"
Tie Hu was taken aback and quickly looked at the field. None of the seven 10,000-year Fourth Soul Ring had ever lit up from beginning to end.
"They..." Shi Chui swallowed hard, "Didn't they use their full strength?"
Tie Hu stared at Shi Yan on the field, remaining silent for a long time.
"They're still holding back," Tie Hu said. "None of their Fourth Soul Ring are lit. It's not that they can't fight, it's that they don't need to."
Shi Chui was taken aback. "You don't even need Elephant Armor Academy?"
"This match was specifically designed for that person." Tie Hu's gaze fell on Shi Yan. "Let him break through his defenses, let him prove himself. Holding back his strength is just a side effect."
Shi Chui opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
Using Elephant Armor Academy as a sparring partner, just to prove one person... Just how confident is Godwind Academy?
-
Huyan Li steadied himself and his gaze fell on Shi Yan. He could tell that Godwind Academy's substitution of this person was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a well-prepared one.
"Change formation," Huyan Li said in a low voice.
The seven members of the Elephant Armor Academy quickly adjusted their formation—no longer advancing in a straight line, but spreading out into two rows, pressing forward simultaneously from two directions. They wanted to use numbers to compensate for their disadvantage of being outnumbered.
But Jiang Lin had already seen it.
" Shi Yan, straight ahead. Cheng Luo, intercept on the right flank. Lu Qing, cover on the left flank." Jiang Lin's commands fell one by one in the Spirit Eyes projection.
Shi Yan's Second Soul Ring lit up again. The long chimes of the Void Resonance Bell continued, the sound waves like an invisible knife, precisely cutting into the Soul Power circulation nodes of every member of the Elephant Armor Academy. Their Diamond Shield appeared and disappeared under the interference of the sound waves, their defensive power greatly reduced.
Taking advantage of this opening, Cheng Luo's Wind-Binding Vine wrapped around Huyan Huo's ankle. This time, the vine did not break—because Huyan Huo's Soul Power circulation was interfered with by the sound waves, greatly reducing his strength.
Lu Qing's Wind Scythe sliced out from the other side, and the blue blade left a bloody gash on Huyan Li's shoulder.
The formation of the Elephant Armor Academy began to loosen.
Huyan Li gritted his teeth, and his Fourth Soul Ring lit up again, forcibly stabilizing the Diamond Shield. But Shi Yan's sound waves followed him like a shadow, and every time his Diamond Shield was just formed, the sound waves would shatter it in the next second.
"Continue," Huyan Li's voice was deep, "Don't stop."
The Elephant Armor Academy team members gritted their teeth and pushed forward. They were the leaders of the Defense System; they couldn't fall here.
But Godwind Academy doesn't give them a chance.
Jiang Lin's Spirit Eyes shone brighter and brighter, and he could sense the Soul Power fluctuations of every person in the Elephant Armor Academy. Shi Yan's sound waves, combined with Jiang Lin's predictions, hit the weakest point of the Elephant Armor Academy every time.
Huyan Li's Diamond Shield began to crack. It wasn't penetrated, but shattered from the inside by the sound waves.
He raised his head and looked at Shi Yan.
The boy's eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool.