"Shui Ling?!"
Hearing that name, Kong Ling recalled the little girl she had met in the Jingyang Mountain Range.
"I know her. I ran into her when I was getting my second soul ring. We broke through on the same day."
Xu Tianyi and Xu Wei both looked over, not expecting such a connection.
Xu Wei hurriedly asked, "Sister Ling, do you know what her Martial Soul is, then?"
Kong Ling searched her memories of that encounter before finally shaking her head. "She didn't reveal her Martial Soul, so I don't know what it is."
Kong Xuan reminded them, "She obtained her second soul ring from a Soul Shadow Spider that was nearly a thousand years old. I think it should be a Control System Martial Soul."
"Her second soul ring was nearly a thousand years old? Looks like another formidable opponent!"
Xu Wei's expression grew a little graver. Kong Ling's thousand-year Soul Skill had left a deep impression on him.
"Hmph!"
Kong Ling snorted, once again recalling how her grandfather had compared her to Shui Ling.
"So what if it was nearly a thousand years old? My second Soul Skill is a genuine thousand-year one, and both of my brother's Soul Skills are thousand-year ones!"
"Exactly!" Xu Wei was greatly encouraged by her words. "With Brother Xuan and Sister Ling here, I'm not afraid of any two-ring opponent!"
But Kong Xuan's next words cut short Xu Wei's hearty laughter.
"Don't celebrate too soon. Unless we run into a particularly troublesome opponent, I won't make a move."
"So don't think everything will be smooth sailing just because I'm here. This competition is also a test of your strength."
Xu Wei froze for a moment, then his face filled with smiles again. "Come on, Brother Xuan, don't be so serious. I'm not someone who only knows how to rely on others."
Kong Xuan glanced at him. "You'd better not be."
While Kong Xuan and the others studied information on their opponents, the Soul Master class groups from the other academies were studying their information as well.
As class monitor, Kong Xuan really would have had a hard time going unnoticed.
Leaving everything else aside, his thousand-year first and second soul rings alone were enough to rob people of the courage to face him.
For the first time, these geniuses from the various academies felt the crushing blow of being utterly outclassed.
At the same time, of course, they regarded Kong Xuan as their strongest opponent and paid particular attention to him.
The next morning, before the thin mist had fully dispersed, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's plaza was already a cauldron of voices.
Twenty-seven participating teams from across the nation gathered there, their academy flags snapping in the wind.
Led by the academy's teachers, the teams from the various academies entered the Great Soul Arena at the very center of the Soul Engineering Zone in succession. The subsequent matches would take place in the Soul Fighting Zone.
The teams from the various academies took their seats in their respective sections of the stands. With only a little over six hundred people in total, the stands still looked rather empty.
Kong Xuan sat among his classmates, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
On a platform floating in midair, Dean Jing Hongchen stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a dark red robe.
To be honest, Kong Xuan had not expected Jing Hongchen to appear at a competition between junior Soul Masters.
After an impassioned speech, Jing Hongchen swept his gaze across the venue, his voice surging with Soul Power as it reached every corner. "The National Soul Master Class Competition officially begins!"
Jing Hongchen had merely made a ceremonial appearance and left after announcing the start of the competition.
Director of Studies Lin Jiayi took over from Jing Hongchen and would preside over all the matches that followed.
This competition used a three-versus-three format, but the matchups were not organized by class. Instead, it followed a free-for-all format.
Simply put, groups from the same class could end up facing one another directly!
Xu Wei, who had gone down to draw lots, had now returned to the team. The others immediately gathered around to see how his "luck" had been.
With a cheeky grin on his face, Xu Wei extended his right hand and showed them the small ball he had drawn.
It was a crystal-like sphere, just small enough for Xu Wei's little hand to enclose completely. At its transparent center were the two digits "23."
"Not bad. That's a pretty early number!"
Kong Ling offered this casual assessment. After all, they still did not know who their opponents were, so naturally, they could not tell whether the number was good or bad.
Still, even without Kong Xuan making a move, their team was definitely a strong contender for the championship, so they were not worried about facing anyone.
Before long, Lin Jiayi's voice rang out over the loudspeakers.
"All participating teams, please proceed to the corresponding Soul Fighting Arena according to the number you drew!"
They glanced at the ball numbered 23 in Xu Wei's hand and left the Great Soul Arena, following a familiar route. Soul Fighting Arena 23 was right nearby, not far away.
There were two hundred and thirty participating teams in total. With every two teams occupying one Soul Fighting Arena, they needed a hundred and fifteen arenas altogether.
Although the Soul Fighting Zone had numerous Soul Fighting Arenas, this competition alone occupied half of them.
Naturally, a hundred and fifteen teachers were also needed as referees. Since the academy had a limited number of teachers, the teachers leading the teams from the other academies had also taken on the role of referees, providing support for the event.
When Kong Xuan and his three companions entered Soul Fighting Arena 23, they saw no opponents. Only a middle-aged man stood in the spectator stands, apparently the referee for their match.
The teacher serving as referee glanced at the four of them and said, "No matter how many people are on your team, only three can enter the arena to compete. You know that, right?"
Since the Soul Master classes from the various academies had different numbers of students, it was impossible to divide everyone neatly into groups of three.
As such, groups of four like theirs, or even groups of five, were nothing unusual.
"We know, sir!"
Kong Xuan answered, and they quietly waited for their opponents to arrive.
After a while, three figures appeared at the entrance to the Soul Fighting Arena and walked inside.
All three of their opponents were boys. Their gazes were somewhat evasive, and they clearly had little confidence in their own strength.
A golden gleam flashed through Kong Xuan's eyes, and a single glance gave him a rough idea of all three opponents' capabilities.
He said quietly, "They all have one ring. They're very weak. You three go."
The referee nearby could not help glancing their way, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He had evidently heard Kong Xuan's words.
The referee then glanced at the other three and called out, "If both sides are ready, you may enter the arena."
Hearing this, the three who had just arrived immediately found the entrance and headed down the stairs toward the fighting arena below.
On Kong Xuan's side, however, none of them moved immediately.
Xu Wei's eyes shone as he said confidently, "Neither of you needs to make a move. I can finish them off quickly on my own!"
During their usual team training, although Xu Wei could not be said to always take a beating, enjoying a thoroughly satisfying victory was practically impossible.
But now Xu Wei saw a possibility. Since Kong Xuan had judged them to be very weak, hadn't the opportunity he had been waiting for finally arrived?
What eight- or nine-year-old boy did not want to show off before a crowd?
Xu Wei could already picture himself going all out, taking down all three in an instant, then being greeted by the stunned expressions of his three opponents and the referee.
But just as Xu Wei was imagining that future, unable to contain the smile on his face, Kong Xuan's words dragged him back to reality.
"I don't recommend that you fight!"