Fang Lin and Dugu Yan had thought the two sides would at least be locked in a fierce struggle before a winner emerged.
But in less than half an incense stick's time, Yu Tianheng's side was already on the back foot.
The Shi brothers did not stand their ground on the defensive. Instead, they took the initiative to split the battlefield: the elder brother, Shi Mo, went to meet Yu Tianheng, while the younger brother, Shi Mo, stayed beside Ye Lingling. Yu Feng tried to circle around and launch a surprise attack on Ye Lingling, but the younger Shi Mo blocked him every time, and the two sides fell into a stalemate.
Seeing the battle deadlocked, Yu Tianheng used his second Soul Skill, intending to catch the younger Shi Mo within its attack range, but he nearly injured Yu Feng as he charged in.
In the end, before the incense stick had burned out, Yu Tianheng withdrew from the battlefield after consuming too much Soul Power. Facing two Defense System Soul Grandmasters, Yu Feng had no chance to strike. From beginning to end, Ye Lingling had not even used a Soul Skill.
"There's no need to continue. The Shi brothers and Ye Lingling have won."
Qin Ming's voice announced an early end to the match. He looked at Yu Tianheng, whose face was somewhat pale from excessive Soul Power consumption.
Everyone, including Yu Tianheng, thought criticism or a lecture might be coming, but Qin Ming's face held none of the severity they had expected. Instead, he wore a faint, encouraging smile.
"Better than I expected. At least you didn't choose to rush in recklessly on your own. You've learned to pay attention to tactics."
Qin Ming's tone was gentle, and Dugu Yan and the others unconsciously glanced at Fang Lin. The proud Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had probably started using his head and learning tactics because of that clash in the Heaven Dou Tournament. Even Fang Lin chuckled inwardly:
I didn't expect to have influenced Yu Tianheng too. If he runs into Shrek again in Soul Fighting in Suotuo City, he probably won't underestimate them so badly that Tang San whips him around like a spinning top.
But this encouragement after his defeat only made Yu Tianheng feel worse. He turned his head away sullenly and took a deep breath.
"Teacher Qin, just tell me where I fell short."
Qin Ming paid Yu Tianheng's attitude no mind. He turned to the group and began to review the match they had just fought.
"Neither side's tactics were actually wrong just now, especially Ye Lingling's side. They chose to split the battlefield and gave their opponents no chance to assault the formation's rear. But Yu Tianheng and Yu Feng's side wasn't without a chance either. They lost because of their coordination."
At the mention of coordination, everyone recalled how Yu Feng had nearly been injured by Yu Tianheng's second Soul Skill.
"Yu Tianheng, your Soul Skills are all ranged attacks, and they include the rare ability to attack an area. That makes them very useful for creating opportunities for your teammates to charge in. You did use them just now, so why weren't they effective? Because of the timing. Ideally, just as your second Soul Skill ended, Yu Feng would have charged inside the younger Shi Mo's guard."
At that point, Qin Ming's gaze rested on Yu Feng.
"To do that, you need to know how wide Yu Tianheng's second Soul Skill's attack range is, how long it lasts, and how many moments it can leave an opponent stunned. Only then can you seize the chance to charge in."
"That's what I meant when I mentioned becoming familiar with one another and understanding each other!"
"As teammates, you'll need to entrust your backs completely to one another in the future. The foundation of that trust is knowing your teammates-not just their Martial Souls and Soul Power Levels, but also the effects of their Soul Skills, what they can and can't do. For example, Fang Lin, you excel at close-quarters fighting, but you have no ranged abilities, so you're only suited to breaking through at a single point. Yu Feng, when you work with Fang Lin, you need to create opportunities for him to split the enemy formation and fight one-on-one."
Everyone listened intently to Qin Ming's explanation, and they also understood what he had meant earlier when he said, "The lesson of becoming familiar with one another will take longer."
Rather than lecturing them on the principle, Qin Ming had used an explanation of an actual fight to give them a deeper understanding of it. In doing so, he had also stirred a sense of admiration in them.
Seeing their serious expressions, Qin Ming smiled in satisfaction and continued his analysis.
"Besides poor coordination, this simple two-against-three match also exposed shortcomings in your individual abilities. Take Yu Tianheng, for example. Your problem is that you rely too heavily on your Soul Skills and haven't honed your own techniques, greatly wasting the physical advantages you have as a Beast Soul Master. Fang Lin does very well in this respect. Not only are his techniques exceptional, but the precision of his Soul Power control is also well worth praising."
"To address your problem, in addition to group combat training, you'll also have individual sparring sessions with Fang Lin from now on. But you're not allowed to use Soul Skills."
With that, Qin Ming looked at Fang Lin and asked, "Any problem with that?"
Fang Lin nodded. Sparring with Yu Tianheng without Soul Skills was little different from practicing his blade, and the results would be even better. He grinned and said:
"No problem, but if possible, could we do it sooner?"
"Sure. Whenever you want," Yu Tianheng said sullenly. This kind of sparring made him feel as though he were being given pointers, but Qin Ming did have a point. From their last encounter in the Heaven Dou Tournament, he could also tell that Fang Lin's techniques were indeed far beyond those of ordinary people.
Just wait. In one month at most, I'll definitely surpass you, Yu Tianheng silently resolved.
Having finished with Yu Tianheng, Qin Ming turned to face Ye Lingling.
"And you. During the match just now, Yu Feng nearly hit you once. If the younger Shi Mo hadn't reacted quickly and blocked him, your side would have lost. Even when an Auxiliary System Soul Master has someone protecting them, they shouldn't stand in place. They should adjust their position according to the enemy's position. Simply put, you need to start running."
Ye Lingling's delicate brows knitted, and a puzzled look appeared on her pretty face beneath the veil.
"Teacher Qin, I'm an Auxiliary System Soul Master. How can my stamina compare with theirs?"
"That's why you need to train." Qin Ming's voice was calm but utterly firm. "Being fragile and easy to break through to is a problem common to Auxiliary System Soul Masters. Everyone knows that. I'm not asking you to match a Battle Soul Master, but you should at least be able to hold out a little longer. If all your teammates are tied up, being able to run for a little longer gives them a better chance of winning."
Ye Lingling lowered her head in thought, seemingly pondering Teacher Qin Ming's words.
An Auxiliary System Soul Master training her physique sounded like putting the cart before the horse, but in team Soul Fighting, it could indeed make up for a weakness and catch opponents off guard.
Standing to one side, Fang Lin felt something stir in his heart for no apparent reason. Here it comes, here it comes-Shrek's signature running training.
Sure enough, the individual training Qin Ming assigned Ye Lingling was long-distance running, at least five kilometers every day. And it was not just Ye Lingling; Qin Ming included everyone else too.
"Stamina and physique are very important to Soul Masters. They don't just affect combat strength; they also help you absorb older Soul Rings. That's enough combat training for now. The next exercise is a long-distance run. From here to Heaven Dou City and back-complete the round trip before sunset."