First Victory

The Skywater Academy group arrived at the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou Imperial City. After Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong completed their registration, everyone waited in the lounge for their first team battle.

Shui Bing'er began making some simple tactical arrangements. "Tianshuang, you only need to harass them from a distance and defend Rongrong and Hairou. Don't use any other means of attack, or the team battle won't give us any practice at all."

Shui Bing'er first ruled out Yu Tianshuang, their ultimate weapon. After thinking for a moment, she said to everyone, "Xue Wu, don't use Winter Snow Sacrificial Dance right at the start like you usually do. I'll also try not to use my Third Soul Skill. You'll be in charge of the frontal assault."

Xue Wu nodded. Even without Yu Tianshuang going all out, her Winter Snow Sacrificial Dance combined with Bing'er's Extreme Freezing Ray was a powerful trump card. Once unleashed, an ordinary Soul Master team really couldn't withstand it.

"Yue'er, Zhu Zhuqing, you two will attack and harass them from the flanks. If you get a chance, use your speed advantage and try to take out their Auxiliary System Soul Masters."

Zhu Zhuqing and Shui Yue'er nodded and said together, "Understood."

"Rongrong, your Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, acknowledged across the continent as the strongest Auxiliary System Martial Soul. So at the start, you need to boost Xue Wu's strength and Zhu Zhuqing and Yue'er's speed. After that, keep an eye on your own position and the status of their boosts, and make sure the boosts stay active."

"Hairou, I'll decide which of you two healing-system Soul Masters takes the field based on the situation. If the other side has more Control System and Auxiliary System Soul Masters, you'll go in. If they have more Battle Soul Masters and the healing pressure is greater, Lingling, you'll go in."

Seeing the two nod, Shui Bing'er's gaze grew firm. "This is the Skywater Academy Team's first team battle at full strength. I hope everyone will keep getting familiar with their teammates in actual combat, build better coordination, and find some combos to lay the foundation for the future Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament."

"Understood!!!" Everyone's voices rang out in affirmation throughout the lounge.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Doudou, the host of the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou Imperial City. Today, a brand-new team has come to the team Bronze Soul Fighter arena. Here they are, the Skywater Academy Team!!"

With that, the stage spotlights swung toward Shui Bing'er and the others. Under their beams, seven women and one man, all dressed in sky-blue school uniforms, appeared before everyone.

"Wow, my god, the members of the Skywater Academy Team are gorgeous! Look at the one in front, she's got that aloof, mature beauty look. No, no, my heart's going to leap out of my chest."

"The aloof one in the middle is the real unfair one, okay? Look at that scorching figure paired with that cool face and bearing. Oh, god, I can't take it either."

"Wow, there's even a male team member! That cool, handsome face, those deep blue eyes, so profound and full of life, and that sharpness between his brows. Oh, big sister here has fallen for him."

As the group entered the audience's view, the cheers never stopped.

"All right, Doudou can feel your enthusiasm! Now, please welcome our old friends, a veteran team with nine consecutive victories in the team Bronze Soul Fighter arena, the Giant Bear Team."

As the host Doudou spoke with passion, the spotlight shone on the side opposite the Skywater Academy Team. A team composed entirely of burly men appeared before everyone.

"My god, the contrast is too obvious! I hope those big guys on the Giant Bear Team go easy and don't hurt my goddesses."

Looking at the seven opponents, all burly men of roughly the same build and covered in bulging muscles, Shui Bing'er fell silent in thought for a moment before giving her orders. "Judging by their looks, most or all of them should be Battle Soul Masters. Hairou, the healing pressure will be very high this time, so you and Lingling will both go in. Tianshuang, sit this one out. You were only going to be responsible for defense anyway."

Yu Tianshuang nodded and walked off the stage.

"Both sides, reveal your Martial Souls. Let the match begin!"

Seeing that both sides were ready, Doudou displayed their information on the big screen and announced the start of the match.

"Rongrong, boost them. Xue Wu, assault them head-on. Zhu Zhuqing, Yue'er, support her and coordinate with her."

"Understood."

"Seven Treasures Turn Into Glazed Glass. First: Strength, Second: Speed."

Upon receiving her orders, Ning Rongrong immediately applied different boosts to Xue Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Shui Yue'er.

With Xue Wu at the front, the three boosted fighters formed a triangle and charged at the seven opponents.

"Haha, little ladies, watch your bear grandpas give you a loving hug."

The Giant Bear Team's captain, who stood at the front, immediately jeered at Xue Wu and the other two as they charged over.

"Hmph. Once I turn you into an ice cube, we'll see if your mouth is still so tough. First Soul Skill, Ice Seal."

Shui Bing'er sneered, then sent seven instant Ice Seals flying at the seven opponents.

"First Soul Skill, Giant Bear Block."

All seven opponents used the same defensive Soul Skill, each forming a shield in front of themselves to block Shui Bing'er's Ice Seal.

But they didn't know that Shui Bing'er's Ice Seal came with a Soul Skill lock-on.

In an instant, all seven were frozen into ice sculptures, shields and all.

By then, Xue Wu and the other two had reached them.

"First Soul Skill, Snow Satin Impact."

"Second Soul Skill, Dolphin Surfing."

"Second Soul Skill, Netherworld Hundred Claws."

The three attacks landed in an instant on the still-frozen members of the Giant Bear Team, especially their captain, who had jeered at the women.

"Aah!!!"

Several members of the Giant Bear Team expended large amounts of Soul Power to force their way out of the ice. After attacking, Xue Wu and the other two drifted away from the seven.

Seeing their injuries and the chips of ice still falling from their hair, the Giant Bear Team members flew into a rage.

"Third Soul Skill, Savage Bear Charge."

With voices blazing with fury, the seven members of the Giant Bear Team formed a yellow triangle and charged at the Skywater Team.

"Xue Wu, Yue'er, Zhu Zhuqing, come back! Hairou, prepare to defend!"

"Second Soul Skill, Ice Ring Armor."

"Second Soul Skill, Coral Fish Wall."

Once the three returned, Shui Bing'er cast a layer of frost armor over everyone. Yu Hairou then summoned a wall of coral in front of them to block the Giant Bear Team's group charge.

"Looks like we can't take down those stupid bears without showing some real skill. Xue Wu, prepare Winter Snow Sacrificial Dance in the rear. Yue'er, Zhu Zhuqing, once they break through the Coral Fish Wall, keep them occupied with me and buy Xue Wu time. Rongrong, keep the boosts up. Lingling, watch the three of us and heal us in time."

"Boom!" The Coral Fish Wall shattered, but the Giant Bear Team's charge didn't slow as they continued toward the others. With their eyes reddened, they looked ready to smash the women to pieces.

"First Soul Skill, Ice Seal."

Shui Bing'er used her First Soul Skill. Although it hit several members of the Giant Bear Team, it stopped them only for a moment, though it did slow their charge.

"First Soul Skill, Hell Stab."

Taking advantage of the Giant Bear Team's slowing charge, Zhu Zhuqing found her chance and used her superior speed to attack a team member on the flank. She quickly withdrew before he could react.

"Aaah, you little ladies, watch Grandpa Bear tear you to pieces!"

"Second Soul Skill, Giant Bear Stomp."

The captain at the front stomped down first, and the six behind him followed.

Waves of Soul Power, visible to the naked eye, rippled toward Zhu Zhuqing, Shui Yue'er, and Shui Bing'er.

To keep the shockwaves from disturbing the support fighters and Xue Wu, who was casting Winter Snow Sacrificial Dance behind them, the three exchanged glances and chose to take the attack head-on.

Seeing the three women stunned, the Giant Bear Team members were overjoyed and immediately rushed in to fight at close quarters.

"Crack!" As the Giant Bear Team's attacks landed, the frost armor on the three women shattered. Although the burly men's attacks left them badly injured, the breaking frost armor also delayed the assault a little.

"First Soul Skill, Healing Coral. Third Soul Skill, Coral Fish Bubble."

"With a begonia's promise, revival comes with spring. First Soul Skill, Begonia Heart Revival."

Yu Hairou's single-target heal went to Zhu Zhuqing, who was at the front and most seriously injured. Ye Lingling's group heal followed, and Yu Hairou then covered the three in a layer of water bubbles, noticeably hindering the Giant Bear Team's close-range attacks against them.

Just then, the Giant Bear Team members suddenly saw snowflakes begin to fall from the sky, and the surrounding temperature started to plummet.

Shui Bing'er, who had been dodging from side to side and keeping the Giant Bear Team members occupied, immediately curled her lips upward. Several Ice Seals forced back the men fighting her, and she glided back to stand beside Xue Wu.

"Face your defeat. I'll turn every one of you into an ice cube."

As the frosty air spilling from Shui Bing'er grew denser, an Ice Phoenix suddenly appeared in the sky, soaring with its wings spread. Shui Bing'er fixed the Giant Bear Team members with a cold gaze and waved her delicate hand at them.

"Third Soul Skill, Extreme Freezing Ray."

As Shui Bing'er's delicate hand came down and her words fell, the Ice Phoenix in the sky let out a shrill cry and fired a bucket-thick beam of icy blue light at the Giant Bear Team.

Seeing this, the Giant Bear Team members still tried to resist to the bitter end, using their First Soul Skill to block. But almost in an instant, the beam struck and turned them into a pile of ice sculptures.

Amid the cheers that erupted across the arena and the host Doudou's announcement of victory, Shui Bing'er waved her hand and released the Giant Bear Team from the ice.

"We won! This is our Skywater Team's first victory since we reached full strength. Sisters, keep it up!"

From the stands, Yu Tianshuang watched the women in the arena cheering and jumping with delight, and couldn't help smiling faintly.