The preliminary matches on every arena came to an end, and the list of the top sixteen was announced.
Niu Heng studied the matchup chart and said in a muffled voice:
"Yu Tianheng. That surname... could he be from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
"Brother Niu, he's your opponent in the next round?" Fang Lin looked over at his words and saw Niu Heng's and Yu Tianheng's names paired together.
That also fit the elimination round's matching system. The winners of each group wouldn't meet before the quarterfinals.
"Linzi, who's your opponent?" Niu Heng wasn't particularly troubled by the result. The title of the world's number one Beast Martial Soul was certainly impressive, but his Defense Clan's Plate Armor Giant Rhinoceros was no slouch either. Ultimately, it would come down to the Soul Masters themselves.
"Yang Yue."
"That kid from the Breaking Clan?" Niu Heng chuckled. "I heard about him back when I was with the clan. He's proud as can be. He's not from the direct line, but Grandpa Yang is quite fond of him."
As a Beast Soul Master, Niu Heng had run into the world's number one Beast Martial Soul. Fang Lin, a Tool Soul Master, had run into a top-tier Tool Martial Soul second only to the Clear Sky Hammer and the Seven Kill Sword.
Fang Lin had a vague feeling the tournament committee had arranged it on purpose. The tournament was meant to select members for the Imperial Fighting Team, and putting Soul Masters of the same type together made them easier to compare.
He followed the list with his eyes, wanting to see who his opponent in the round after next would be.
The top sixteen contestants had been divided into two groups of eight. By looking at the other two matchups, he could see his possible opponents in the quarterfinals and even the semifinals.
Zhou Ningbing, Chen Pei, Dugu Yan...
When Fang Lin saw Dugu Yan's name on the list, he sucked at his teeth. If he beat Yang Yue, his next opponent would be Dugu Yan.
As the sky darkened, Niu Heng went to find a healing-type Soul Master to treat the wound on his arm. It had nearly scabbed over already, but after learning that his opponent was Yu Tianheng, a little extra caution couldn't hurt.
Fang Lin headed for the cafeteria and ran into a man and a woman approaching him, chatting and laughing. The man had short blond hair, while the woman had purple hair and green eyes.
He paused, then blurted out, "How do you two know each other?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fang Lin thought they were unnecessary. Given Yu Feng's personality, it made little difference whether they knew each other.
Sure enough, Yu Feng had simply run into Dugu Yan on the way and struck up a conversation.
Up close, even though Dugu Yan wasn't in a state of Martial Soul Possession, she carried a faint, sickly sweet scent.
A thought stirred in Fang Lin's mind, and his gaze silently swept over her distinctive purple hair.
Unless the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul evolved into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, its poison would turn on its owner as their cultivation advanced. Dugu Yan's hair color and the scent on her body were probably signs that she couldn't control her own Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison.
As if noticing Fang Lin's gaze, Dugu Yan suddenly leaned close and breathed out a faint green mist.
"Senior, staring at me like that, are you trying to get close to me?"
As Dugu Yan spoke, the sickly sweet scent around her grew stronger, making him dizzy enough to see stars.
Damn, she's this petty?
Fang Lin grumbled inwardly and hurriedly backed away, looking sheepish.
"No! No! I just watched your match earlier and was a little curious, junior. Ahem, I have something to do, so I'll be going."
Watching Fang Lin's retreating figure, Dugu Yan tilted her head toward Yu Feng.
"Little Fengfeng, that's the Senior Fang Lin you mentioned, right? He looks so young, yet his Soul Power is already at level twenty-eight."
"Yeah, Brother Lin should be about the same age as you, Sister Yan. His Innate Soul Power wasn't even as high as yours. Teacher Sun said he might be the hardest-working cultivator in the academy. If he's not practicing with his saber, he's cultivating. Oh, and Soul Fighting. I was his roommate for a month, and I hardly ever saw him except at meals."
Dugu Yan chuckled. "Little Fengfeng, working hard doesn't mean he's innocent. Boys have to protect themselves when they're out and about."
Yu Feng's face flushed with embarrassment. "Sister Yan, didn't you promise not to bring that up?"
Starting with the round of sixteen, the matches were no longer held across multiple arenas, and the venue had been changed to the mountaintop. The newly built bluestone arena had been widened to a hundred meters. Students were already gathered around it, and spectator stands had been set up nearby, where three elderly men and around a dozen teachers sat.
Unlike the visibly older teachers around him, one teacher looked much younger, only in his thirties. He was chatting and laughing with a slightly plump elderly man.
At that moment, the first match below the stands began, and Fang Lin faced his opponent.
Yang Yue was a level twenty-seven Power Attack System Tool Soul Master. He was handsome, tall and lean, dressed in white with a conspicuous red silk sash tied around his waist.
The referee stood on a raised platform, his voice clear:
"Fang Lin versus Yang Yue. Begin."
As soon as the words fell, both used Martial Soul Possession, and two Yellow Soul Rings rose beneath each of them.
Seeing Fang Lin produce a long saber, Yang Yue lifted his chin slightly.
"You're a Tool Soul Master too?"
His tone was flat, but it carried an unmistakable pride. His gaze swept over Fang Lin. Although Fang Lin's Soul Power was one level higher than his, his Martial Soul was only an ordinary iron saber. The difference in the quality of their Martial Souls far exceeded the gap in their Soul Power Levels.
Fang Lin smiled and twirled his saber unhurriedly. "Let's talk after the fight."
"Heh, we'll talk if you can still stand after it's over."
Yang Yue snorted coldly and attacked first, thrusting his spear straight forward.
"First Soul Skill, Spear Phantom!"
A layer of inky light covered the spear in Yang Yue's hands. The spear tip hurtling toward Fang Lin suddenly split into ten, every thrust carrying powerful piercing force. A spear fought at range, while a saber fought up close. He intended to keep Fang Lin at a distance where he couldn't touch him.
But when long and short weapons clashed, striking first wasn't necessarily the best choice.
The muscles in Fang Lin's arm bulged. His long saber flickered like a dragonfly skimming the water, chopping out dozens of times in an instant. Each movement was measured, each blow striking a spear tip with precision, forcibly withstanding the entire assault.
Clang, clang, clang!
Spear and saber collided with a series of light rings.
"What strength! He blocked my first Soul Skill without using a Soul Ring?"
Yang Yue frowned deeply and turned his wrist, sending his spear into a succession of upward thrusts and piercing strikes. Each move built upon the last as he tried to keep Fang Lin pinned at medium to long range.
"First Soul Skill, Hell Power."
Fang Lin lowered his wrist slightly, and his strength and speed abruptly doubled. He suddenly knocked the spear aside with his saber, then kicked hard off the ground, ducking low and charging straight for Yang Yue's centerline.
Yang Yue's heart jolted. If Fang Lin got close, a relentless chain of saber strikes would surely follow, and he would be the one on the defensive.
"Second Soul Skill, Sharp Metal Power."
A layer of golden light bloomed over Yang Yue's spear and spread along his arm to his chest. It was a Soul Skill that boosted both strength and defense. At the same time, he swept the spear sideways, smashing it viciously toward Fang Lin's waist to force him to block and save himself.
But Fang Lin pressed forward instead of retreating, his saber tip aimed straight at Yang Yue's chest.
"Second Soul Skill, Shadow Blade."
The black-glinting saber tip gave Yang Yue a sudden fright.
"Extreme armor penetration, focused on killing power." Yang Yue didn't need to test it to know that his second Soul Skill definitely couldn't stop Fang Lin's strike. He hesitated for an instant. If he continued his sweep, his opponent would suffer at most a light injury, while he would have at least one more hole in him.
I can't trade injuries!
At the last moment, he forcibly pulled his spear back and blocked in front of himself.
But Fang Lin seemed to have anticipated it. He turned his wrist, sliding the iron saber up along the shaft. The back of the blade struck Yang Yue's wrist precisely, the force expertly angled. Yang Yue's wrist went numb, the strength in his palm instantly gave way, and the spear nearly flew from his grasp.
As Yang Yue lost his balance and his center of gravity shifted, Fang Lin drove his shoulder forward, striking him squarely in the chest.
Yang Yue's weight tipped off balance, and he staggered backward before stumbling to the ground with a thud. By the time he looked up again, a cold-edged blade was resting on his shoulder, and Fang Lin was smiling at him.
"Thanks for going easy on me, Tool Soul Master."
Yang Yue was at a loss for words, his face burning red with embarrassment. The knuckles of the hand gripping his spear turned white.
"You..."