After the three matches were over and they returned to the academy, it was already dark. Feng Xiaotian told everyone to go eat and rest first, and they would review the games early the next morning. After everyone dispersed, Feng Lingtian caught up with Bai Yu at the entrance of the cafeteria.
"You always ring the bell for your teammates faster than they react—you did it for Lu Qing, you did it for Ji Ning, and I remember you did it for Lu Hanxiao before. You're always a little faster than them, as if you know where they're going in advance. How do you judge that?"
Bai Yu blinked, thought for a long time, and finally said the same thing, "I don't know either, I just shake when the feeling comes, I've been like this since I was little."
Feng Lingtian waited two seconds and realized that she wasn't being modest; she genuinely couldn't answer. He didn't press further and turned to leave.
For the next two weeks, the entire team reported to the Soul Fighting Arena every day.
For the first few days, Feng Xiaotian personally decided on the lineups. He would glance at the battle cards, turn around and say, "Let's go for a fast attack today" or "Defense and counterattack," and everyone would do as he was told. After a few games, he started to change—he no longer looked at the cards first, but instead spread out the cards directly.
"Let's all look. Who wants to speak first?"
Jiang Lin was always the first to bow his head. As a Control System, he was already strategizing in his mind when he saw the opponent's lineup. After a few matches, he didn't even realize that his hand would reach out as soon as the paper was unfolded.
Jiang Lin watched for about ten seconds, then looked up and said, "The enemy has more Power Attack System and weaker defenses. We should use the same setup we used against Iron Wall last time—Scythe attacks from the front, Shadow attacks from the side, and Fox and Falcon support from both flanks."
Feng Xiaotian turned to look at Cheng Luo Cheng Luo, who thought for a moment and said, "The setup is fine. But the opponent has a Control System with a high level. If he gets the first move to control the scythe, we won't be able to exert pressure head-on. We need to let the eye control him first in the first wave."
Feng Xiaotian nodded. "We'll play as you say. If we make a mistake, we'll review it later."
They won that match. From then on, Jiang Lin and Cheng Luo would analyze and propose strategies for each match first, and Feng Xiaotian would make the final decision if there were any disagreements. After more than ten matches over two weeks, Jiang Lin no longer needed to look at Feng Xiaotian's expression when announcing the lineup—this kind of progress was more valuable than any victory.
That afternoon, Feng Xiaotian took the battle cards, glanced at them, his brows furrowed slightly, and then turned around to unfold the paper.
"Come and take a look, everyone. This is the last match in Godwind City —we've faced all sorts of lineups in the past two weeks, and we've worn down all the formations we needed to. After this match, we'll rest for two days and then head to the surrounding cities to find even stronger opponents."
Jiang Lin was the first to come over, glanced at it for a few seconds, and then frowned. Cheng Luo also looked at it twice but didn't say anything—it was rare for the two of them to fall silent at the same time.
" Homeward Journey Team." Cheng Luo handed the piece of paper to Feng Lingtian. "Double defense, double support, standard attrition team."
Feng Lingtian glanced at them and frowned. Two Defense System, two Support System, and one Food System. The Defense System were all above level 35, the Support System one healing type and one buffing type, Food System replenished Soul Power. The core logic was one word: stall. They couldn't break through the two defensive types, and they couldn't outlast the two support types. If they dragged it out until their Soul Power and stamina were depleted, they could slowly replenish them with the Food System.
"This kind of team is the most disgusting." Su Mei'er spoke the truth.
Feng Xiaotian lowered his head and thought for a moment, then patted Cheng Luo's shoulder. "You're going in this round. Use Wind-Binding Vine to entangle the opponent's Defense System in rotation, let Scythe break through from the front, and use Shadow to support from the side. Yue and Zhong Ka will face the enemy head-on, while Qin and Ling will provide dual support in rotation. Your task isn't to deal damage—it's to entangle them."
Cheng Luo nodded, his fingers lightly twirling at his cuff, and the fine strands of the Wind-Binding Vine wrapped around his fingertips.
Feng Xiaotian turned to Ye Qingyu and Bai Yu. "Qin's range is amplified, Ling's precision is enhanced, rotate coverage. You two are the core of this match—use endurance against endurance, see who can't hold on first."
Ye Qingyu's lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak. Bai Yu clenched the Wind Chime chime on her wrist, and the silver pieces tinkled twice.
"Is there something wrong with you two?" Feng Xiaotian asked.
"No," Ye Qingyu spoke first, her voice soft but steady. Bai Yu nodded in agreement.
The match begins.
The Homeward Journey Team had two defenders standing on the left and right in front, while the two support and Food System huddled behind, like a curled-up hedgehog.
On Nameless's side, Zhong Yue and Shi Yan formed a double defensive line at the front, Ye Qingyu and Bai Yu positioned themselves in the middle and rear, Lu Qing was in the center, and Cheng Luo and Ji Ning were on the flanks. Feng Xiaotian directed the operation from the sidelines.
In the early rounds, both sides were testing each other. The dual-defense rotation on the Homeward Journey was very stable – one tanked damage, the other adjusted their position, and if they couldn't withstand the damage, they immediately switched to retreat and receive healing. The two supports worked in sync, with healing buffs covering all at the same time, and the transitions were seamless.
The Nameless one is completely different. Zhong Yue's wall supports the front, while Shi Yan Yan's bell-shaped defense protects the flanks, each managing its own area without overlap. Ye Qingyu's range amplification continues to lay the foundation, while Bai Yu's precise enhancement keeps an eye on every key move—one when Lu Qing slashes, one when Ji Ning cuts in, and another when Cheng Luo Wind-Binding Vine binds the opponent's ankle with vines.
Cheng Luo's Wind-Binding Vine were incredibly resilient. Every time Defense System attempted to switch roles on the Homeward Journey, the vines would emerge from the ground and wrap around their ankles, slowing them down for a few seconds and disrupting the switching sequence.
With the competition halfway through, changes began to emerge. The two support heroes on the Homeward Journey always worked in sync—consuming Soul Power at the same time, entering the recovery period at the same time, and being unable to do anything during that short gap. Ye Qingyu and Bai Yu, on the other hand, took turns.
Ye Qingyu set up her area-of-effect amplification and took a half-step back to adjust her breathing, while Bai Yu immediately followed up with a precise enhancement to fill the gap; by the time Bai Yu's wrist trembled, Ye Qingyu's Soul Power had returned, and a new round of amplification was launched again. The two of them were like meshing gears, each time tighter and more precise than the last.
Not long after, the Homeward Journey healing support had its first moment of respite. Bai Yu's bell sound landed precisely in that gap—the bell sound transformed into a blade, Shattered Sound, landing precisely between the Homeward Journey support's eyebrows. The support's movements abruptly froze, the healing was interrupted, and the front-line Defense System, without waiting for recovery, saw their health drop to the danger line for the first time.
The Food System on the Homeward Journey began frantically gathering food, but their Soul Power recovery clearly couldn't keep up with the consumption. On Nameless's side, Ye Qingyu's range amplification remained stable, and Bai Yu Yuling's accuracy not only didn't decrease, but was even more accurate than at the start.
Finally, the captain of the Homeward Journey team raised his hand. "We surrender."
Bai Yu lowered his wrist, his fingers still trembling. Feng Lingtian, standing on the sidelines, recalled how in previous matches when Bai Yu made precise shots, the ringtone was always a beat faster than the action, and decided to ask again.
"Ring, what were you thinking when you interrupted that support character? Or was it your feeling?"
Bai Yu lowered her head and thought for a moment, then raised her head in confusion. "It's just a feeling. But when the feeling comes, it's like I can see it—I know she's about to raise her hand, I know where her Soul Power is going. I can't really explain it."
Feng Lingtian was silent for a moment. "When we were little, did anyone in the village say anything about your ringtone?"
Bai Yu blinked. "An old woman in the village once said something that I never quite understood. She said that whenever we miss the Mountain God, we should ring our bells."
Feng Lingtian didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he took out a notebook from his pocket, turned to Bai Yu's page, and wrote a sentence: " Bai Yu said she can 'see' the opponent's Soul Power circulation. It may be related to the legend of the Mountain God."
After finishing writing, he closed the note and tucked it back into his pocket, then looked up at the dome above the Soul Fighting Arena. Lights shone down from all sides, illuminating the entire area.
"Let's go, we should head back."