On the afternoon of the sixth day of the exchange tournament, Godwind Academy faced off against the Elephant Armor Academy. This was the final match of the exchange tournament.
Elephant Armor's situation is delicate. They are currently at the bottom, but if they win this match against the Godwind Academy, they can tie for fourth place with the Blazing Fire Academy. For Huyan Li and the others, this is not a ranking to be proud of, but at least they won't be at the bottom alone.
Feng Lingtian remained in the alchemy room, and Feng Xiaotian did not participate in the match. Godwind Academy deployed Defensive Counterattack Formation, with Zhong Yue and Shi Yan as the two defenders at the front, Lu Qing launching a frontal assault, Lu Hanxiao and Ji Ning the two agile attackers on the flanks, and Ye Qingyu and Bai Yu as the two supports rotating in the rear.
After the referee finished announcing the start of the match, both sides released their Martial Soul. The match began.
As always, Elephant Armor formed an impenetrable defensive formation, with Huyan Li leading four Defense System at the forefront, Shi Suo providing support in the center, Shi Mao roaming the flanks, and Shi Gu continuously amplifying their attacks from the rear.
However, the Godwind Academy did not give them a chance to wear down. Lu Qing's double scythes suppressed Huyan Li from the front, Zhong Yue and Shi Yan's defense line was as solid as a rock, and Lu Hanxiao and Ji Ning took turns to cut in from both sides, each strike hitting the joint of the Elephant Armor formation precisely.
Shi Yan performed exceptionally well in this match. Every time the Elephant Armor's Defense System attempted to break through the defense, Bell Shield would block their path in advance.
When Huyan Shan and Huyan Shi crashed into him from the left and right sides at the same time, Shi Yan's bell shield blocked their attacks. Two muffled sounds came from the surface of the bell. Shi Yan took two steps back, but the bell shield did not move at all.
Zhong Yue seized the opening created by Shi Yan shell into Huyan Li, forcing the strongest defensive point of the Elephant Armor back half a step.
The match is over. Godwind Academy has won.
The referees began announcing the final rankings of the tournament.
Godwind Academy was first, Skywater Academy followed closely, Thunder Academy was third, Blazing Fire Academy was fourth, and Elephant Armor was last. Huyan Zhen's face darkened completely when he heard " Elephant Armor " being announced as last. He put his hands behind his back, his knuckles turning white. Huyan Li stood at the front of the team, his head bowed.
Just then, someone in the Elephant Armor team suddenly spoke up.
"Wait a minute." It was Huyan Shan who spoke. He had just stepped off the field, not even wiping his sweat, his eyes fixed on Shi Yan's direction. "I felt something was off while I was on the field. His Bell Martial Soul didn't release a single Wind Attribute Soul Skill from beginning to end, not even a hint of Wind Attribute."
There was a moment of silence at the edge of the court, as several Thunder Academy players who were preparing to leave stopped in their tracks.
Huyan Shan pointed at Shi Yan and said each word clearly, "Your Godwind Academy is founded on the Wind Attribute and follows the Extreme School style, but his Bell Martial Soul has no Wind Attribute at all. Isn't this a betrayal of the Extreme School tradition?"
All eyes were on Shi Yan. Shi Yan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Zhong Yue stepped forward and shielded Shi Yan behind him.
Yu Leiting stood up, looked at Feng Qingxuan, and spoke in a much gentler tone than Huyan Shan, but with greater weight. " Dean Feng, this matter needs explanation. If Shi Yan's Martial Soul truly lacks the Wind Attribute, then his eligibility to participate in the Five Elements Exchange Tournament is indeed questionable."
Huo Wu stood in the Blazing Fire Academy's team, looking at Shi Yan on the field and his clenched fist, and suddenly said, "No Wind Attribute is no Wind Attribute, what's there to explain?"
Huo Wushuang turned and glared at her. Huo Wu pouted and didn't say anything more.
Feng Xiaotian glanced at Huo Wu. There was no anger in his eyes, only a cold indifference. Huo Wu felt a tightness in her heart under his gaze and looked away.
Shi Yan was someone he had guarantored to enter the academy, and someone he had personally mentored. To have someone he had trained questioned in public like this, Feng Xiaotian felt a surge of anger rising from the depths of his heart.
But at this moment, it wasn't just a matter of Shi Yan's fate; his father had just broken through to the Titled Douluo, and the academy was in the eye of the storm. If this matter affected the academy—
"Brother." A hand suddenly pressed down on his shoulder from behind.
Feng Lingtian stood behind Feng Xiaotian, his clothes still stained with bits of herbs he'd brought from the alchemy room. He had just come out of the alchemy room intending to go directly to Feng Xiaotian to share the good news that the Communication Stone had been successfully developed.
But as he walked to the sidelines, he overheard Huyan Shan's questioning and Huo Wu's sarcastic remark. Feng Lingtian didn't say anything more, but simply patted Feng Xiaotian on the shoulder.
"Brother, Shi Yan is still standing there; he needs you."
Feng Xiaotian turned to look at Shi Yan. Shi Yan stood behind Zhong Yue, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes were already red, but he stubbornly refused to bow his head. Feng Xiaotian's breathing steadied. He glanced at his younger brother and stepped into the arena.
All eyes turned to him. Feng Xiaotian walked up to Shi Yan and gently pressed down on Shi Yan's clenched fist.
"His Bell Martial Soul does not have a clear Wind Attribute."
As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur rippled through the crowd. Feng Xiaotian had actually admitted it outright.
"However," Feng Xiaotian turned around and looked at Huyan Shan and Yu Leiting, " Shi Yan's Bell Martial Soul has wind patterns on its surface. They are very faint, but they do exist, which proves that it has Wind Attribute, just not obvious."
You four Defense System took turns attacking his bell-shaped shield, and he withstood every single one. If you can't break through it, you can't break through it. It's unfair to completely negate his abilities just because his Martial Soul isn't fully developed."
Shi Yan raised his head, looking at Feng Xiaotian's back, his lips trembling slightly.
"I vouched for Shi Yan and brought him into the academy, and I personally trained him. I know his strength best." Feng Xiaotian's voice wasn't loud, but every word landed firmly. "This matter doesn't need to make things difficult for my father, nor for any of the teachers or others in the academy. Since you need an explanation—then give us a year."
One year later, Thunder Academy and Elephant Armor Academy will each send one student, and Shi Yan will challenge them one by one. If Shi Yan wins, all doubts about his Martial Soul will be put to rest. If he loses, he will withdraw from the Godwind Academy, and I will bear the corresponding responsibility for it.
A moment of silence fell over the entire arena. Yu Leiting nodded after a brief pause. "Alright. Thunder Academy accepts this agreement." Huyan Zhen also nodded slowly. "The same goes for Elephant Armor."
Feng Xiaotian turned around, looked down at Shi Yan whose eyes were already red-rimmed, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a very low voice, "Trust me."
Late that night, Huyan Zhen sat at the table in the guesthouse, his pen moving rapidly across the letter paper.
He wrote down Godwind Academy's performance in the exchange competition, the one-year agreement proposed by Feng Xiaotian, and also Shi Yan, Defense System Soul Master with virtually no Wind Attribute.
He paused when writing about the Blazing Fire Academy. The scene of Huo Wu deliberately bumping into Feng Xiaotian's shoulder was still vivid in his mind, coupled with her inflammatory words today—she seemed to have obvious hostility towards the Godwind Academy, but given Huo Wu's personality, if she really harbored malice towards the Godwind Academy, it wouldn't just be words. Blazing Fire Academy's attitude was still unfathomable.
He wrote on the paper, "The attitude of the Blazing Fire Academy is unclear; there are no signs of an alliance." After writing the last word, he sealed the envelope, stamped it with a tiny dark gold mark, and handed it to his attendant behind him.
"Sent out overnight."
The attendant took it and disappeared into the night. Huyan Zhen sat alone at the table, his fingers slowly tapping the surface. Godwind Academy's performance this time was too outstanding, coupled with Feng Qingxuan's breakthrough to Titled Douluo, and that Defense System Soul Master named Shi Yan —who had almost no Wind Attribute but withstood the successive attacks of the four Defense System of Elephant Armor. These anomalies were enough to attract the attention of the Spirit Hall.