Eight Breaths of Mountain Suppression, Enough for Them to See

The first match of the finals, Imperial Fighting Team vs. Cloud Chain, was held. When the two players entered the arena, the stands were noticeably quieter than during the qualifiers. There were quite a few people, and the spectators sitting there seemed to prefer watching first.

Even as Dong Jian released his Fourth Soul Ring, there were still sounds from the stands. A black fourth spirit ring was still a rare sight in Spirit City. However, the few Soul Master sitting in the front row who were recording only glanced up at it before looking down again at the Imperial Fighting Team formation.

This is completely different from when the Heaven Dou preliminary rounds were first made public. Dong Jian himself didn't pay attention. The black ring is already public information. What will be noted in other people's notebooks today is how to fight later.

The Martial Soul were released. Yu Tianheng was still at the front. Dong Jian was in the middle. Li Man was a little behind. Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Shi Mo, and Yu Feng filled in, making a total of seven people. The Cloud Chain Academy's formation was very narrow.

Two Control System were positioned on the left and right. Cold Iron Chain dragged on the ground, while Double-Ring Lock hung on the outside of the arms. The referee announced the start. Yu Tianheng pressed forward with his first step.

The Cloud Chain didn't engage head-on. It retreated Defense System. The Cold Iron Chain swung out from the side. The chain didn't strike Yu Tianheng, but instead positioned itself between him and Dong Jian.

"They came so quickly."

Dong Jian shifted his stance, not grabbing the chains, but instead circling around to the other side. The Double-Ring Lock immediately closed, and Soul Power lock line was drawn between the two metal rings, effectively blocking the second path.

Yu Tianheng had already collided with the opponent's front row. Dong Jian was only six or seven steps away from him, but he had to deal with two control effects first. In the first round, Imperial Fighting Team did not take the hit head-on.

Li Man's four Green Jade Bamboo nodes lit up. The main route circled around from the right. Dong Jian followed suit and switched. The chain turned again. The opponent's Control System had clearly studied the Imperial Fighting Team long ago.

Don't chase people, only chase connections. Wherever Dong Jian goes to fill the gap, the chain moves horizontally in that direction. Li Man moves the route outwards, and the Double-Ring Lock gets stuck between the key points of the array. The first node is forced to break.

The second one retreated. Yu Feng could see it more clearly from the air.

"They completely ignore me."

Dugu Yan said, "Then let them handle it." Yu Feng immediately swooped down. The wind blades first cut through the Cold Iron Chain controller. The opponent's Defense System raised its hand to block. For the first time, the Cloud Chain was forced to split up to deal with the aerial attacks.

Yu Tianheng seized the opportunity to press forward again. Lightning exploded. The opponent's front row retreated two steps. It seemed that Imperial Fighting Team had the advantage. The problem soon returned. Dong Jian wanted to follow up with the second move.

The Cold Iron Chain crossed again. Li Man prepared to connect Yu Tianheng's retreat route to the Shi Mo. The Double-Ring Lock turned, and the route was cut off again. Within five breaths, Huang Douluo Dalu III: The Legend of the Dragon King.

Three times they were cut off. No one was tied up for long, but the formation remained uncomfortable. Qin Ming remained silent on the sidelines. This was what he wanted to see before the match: whether the standard formation could solve its own problems.

The longer the first half of the battle went on, the clearer Cloud Chain's strategy became. They didn't require every control attack to hit its mark. As long as the Cold Iron Chain were positioned between Yu Tianheng and Dong Jian for even half a breath, they could stop Yu Tianheng's pursuit, which could have continued.

If the Double-Ring Lock forces Li Man to change the main path once, the next backup path will be delayed. These "half-breaths" and "slight moments" are not fatal on their own. But when they are stacked together, the Imperial Fighting Team's edge, axis, and net begin to frequently stagger.

Dugu Yan tried using poison mist to suppress the landing of the two Control System. It worked. The Cold Iron Chain controller retreated twice. Cloud Chain immediately had the Defense System move him to a more rear position, where the chain length would more easily cover the middle.

Yu Feng continued to attack. He could force the controller to look up, but it was difficult to finish them off in one blow. Ye Lingling stood at the back, not under much pressure from healing, but her mind was constantly on edge.

Every time she was cut off in the middle, she had to recalculate her safe distance to the front row. These types of opponents didn't have the overwhelming pressure of the Elephant Armor, nor did they have the wide-area attribute threat of Blazing Fire.

But they kept making Imperial Fighting Team take an extra step, pause for a second, and change his route. When Yu Tianheng forced his opponent back from the front for the fifth time, he could have launched a sixth attack.

The Cold Iron Chain arrived again. He had no choice but to stop. This stop allowed the front row of the Cloud Chain to regain their footing. Dong Jian, upon seeing this, was not annoyed, but rather even more certain of one thing.

A standard formation can work, but it will drag on indefinitely. The ideal approach is to stably suppress this kind of cut without revealing more of your own cards, and the "Sealed Spine" formation is just what you need.

The match entered its mid-stage. Li Man increased the number of nodes to six. Ten Thousand Bamboos Return to the Veins began to adjust the route. The two Control System from Cloud Chain also accelerated. The Cold Iron Chain was no longer just a single horizontal line.

The Second Soul Skill splits a chain into two layers, one real and one illusory. One layer has no actual load-bearing capacity, but it forces Li Man to make judgments. The Double-Ring Lock is specifically designed to block the backup path.

One main road has just been modified. The next one is already waiting. Li Man Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path. This time it was not related to fire pollution. The key point of the formation has been blocked by the locking line for a long time. Continuing to recover it will only lead the route to a worse location.

She voluntarily gave up, reducing the number of available nodes to four. Dong Jian glanced at Yu Tianheng; he could still press forward. Then he looked at Ye Lingling; the healing range was still there. The trouble was in the middle.

Everyone can fight, but the power can't be sustained. Captain Cloud Chain also noticed this.

"Keep cutting in the middle!"

The Cold Iron Chain swung down again. This time the target was more direct: Dong Jian. The chains blocked his path from the front, while the Double-Ring Lock closed from behind. They didn't aim to capture Dong Jian immediately, but simply to force him away from the position where the Imperial Fighting Team was most easily relayed.

Dong Jian switched to the left. Two locking lines and Li Man's bamboo formation were simultaneously pushed to the other side. The front, axis, and net were completely separated for the first time. Yu Tianheng had already launched his fourth head-on collision.

No one could take over the situation. He had to take it himself. Li Man looked at Dong Jian. Neither of them said their names. Dong Jian just nodded. The next moment, the Yin-Yang Iron-Eating Beast and the Green Jade Dragon Bamboo changed simultaneously.

The black and white Soul Power receded inwards. The jade-colored array closed in from the outside. Many people in the stands leaned forward.

"Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

"Mountain-Suppressing Dragon Bamboo"

Some people have seen older data. In previous versions, it was only about six breaths. Now, the Martial Soul has evolved, and the Fourth Soul Ring has been completed. The aura after fusion is significantly more stable.

However, the internal structure differs from the complete version. The nine Soul Bone locations on Dong Jian's back are not lit. The Dark Gold Spine Armor is not unfolded. The Black Stance is mainly pressing down on his legs, waist, and lower abdomen.

Li Man only established three external main nodes: shoulder, waist, and leg. The first breath saw the Cold Iron Chain cut in, the outer path of the jade directly changed direction, and the main passage bypassed the chains without directly confronting them.

The second breath. The Double-Ring Lock replenishes from the other side. Dong Jian's feet sink. The merged overall structure moves forward half a step. The two control lines fail to cut the middle apart for the first time.

The third breath. Yu Tianheng pressed forward head-on. Li Man sent the most stable path there. Dong Jian did not attack for him, but only kept the fusion core between Yu Tianheng and the Shi Mo.

Fourth breath. The front row of the Cloud Chain retreats for the first time. Fifth breath. The opponent's Control System changes its target, no longer targeting Yu Tianheng. Both chains press towards the fusion core together.

The Cold Iron Chain descended from above, their Double-Ring Lock the ground. Dong Jian's body experienced a significant increase in load. If it were the complete version, the Dark Gold Spine Armor would naturally become a second layer of skeleton.

There is none now. The pressure can only be shared by the legs, waist, and Li Man's external formation. In the sixth breath, Dong Jian moved his feet to the right. With just one position adjustment, the fusion core shifted away from the intersection of the two locking lines.

Li Man changed course simultaneously. Yu Tianheng found a new frontal entrance. Thunder Dragon Body erupted, punching the front shoulder armor of the Cloud Chain. The opponent was finally blasted away.

The pressure returned to Dong Jian. There was a slight upward lift along the nine Soul Power pathways on his back, noticeable only to those familiar with him. Li Man noticed it immediately.

She didn't mention "spinal armor," only uttering one word.

"Reduce."

One of the three outer layers of support was immediately shaved off, slightly reducing stability. The Soul Power behind Dong Jian also pressed back down onto his legs and waist. Ye Lingling, standing behind, could see this clearly.

There were no nine bright spots. No bone fragment reaction. It could still be hidden. Eighth breath. Yu Tianheng had already broken through the point. Captain Cloud Chain was forced back to the second row. Li Man did not extend the time any further.

Dong Jian didn't wait for his body to reach its limit. He actively disengaged from the fusion, and the black and white and the jade separated. The two of them each took half a step back. Dong Jian's legs felt heavy.

Li Man's breathing quickened slightly, but they remained standing. Immediately, someone from the Cloud Chain Academy shouted:

"Now!"

They were waiting for the fusion to end. After the six-breath version disintegrated, Dong Jian and Li Man would both suffer significant losses. Now, they've managed to hold on until eight breaths, according to Cloud Chain's assessment.

The consumption will only increase. The Cold Iron Chain rose again. The Double-Ring Lock also pressed down from the other side. The two Control System simultaneously abandoned Yu Tianheng, turning their attention to Dong Jian and Li Man, who had just broken free of their fusion.

Captain Cloud Chain whispered.

"Hold them both down!"

The eighth breath ended. The opponent's prepared counterattack had just landed.