Selection Tournament
The arena of the Spirit Hall Academy is located in the north of the academy and covers a vast area. When Ning Buhui and his companions arrived, the area outside the arena was already packed with people.
Young Soul Master lined up in a long queue to enter the selection venue. Among them were academy disciples in uniform, contestants from various Spirit Hall Branch across the continent, and many self-taught Soul Master who were clearly traveling alone without a master. Two stewards at the entrance verified the identities of each person against the roster, and a wooden sign stood to the side, clearly displaying the schedule of the selection.
"It looks like there are about a thousand people." Xie Yue glanced at the long line and roughly estimated the number.
"Where did the Spirit Hall find so many young Soul Master?" Yan stood on tiptoe, straining to peer into the arena.
"They were all recommended by the branch halls in various regions," Ning Buhui explained. "The Spirit Hall has strongholds all over the continent. Each branch hall selects a few people to send over, so a thousand people isn't actually that many."
The four walked along the passageway into the arena, which was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. In the center of the arena was a large, flat area of bluestone, surrounded by tiered stands that could accommodate a large number of spectators. Ten arenas were set up on the flat area, and on each arena, a pair of Soul Master were fighting, with referees standing beside the arenas to officiate.
At the very front of the arena, a high platform was erected, upon which sat several elders dressed in the official robes of the Spirit Hall. The elderly man with gray hair in the very center exuded a profound and restrained aura; just his presence alone was enough to make one's heart sink. He was none other than the Soul Douluo elder appointed by Bibi Dong to oversee the event.
"Let's watch the individual matches first." Ning Buhui chose a seat in the middle of the stands. As soon as the four of them sat down, several Soul Master in the empty seats next to them subconsciously moved to the side, deliberately creating distance between them. Ning Buhui didn't take it to heart, his gaze falling on the arena below.
The rules of the individual competition are simple and straightforward: Battle Soul Master engage in direct 1v1 duels, while Support Soul Master and staff members assisting with the competition form 2v2 teams for duels. Stepping off the stage, losing the ability to fight, or voluntarily surrendering all result in defeat. Winners advance to the next round, while losers are eliminated. Of the one thousand participants, only four hundred will ultimately advance. Some duels are decided in just a few minutes, while evenly matched matches often last for more than half an hour.
"Just selecting four hundred people from these thousand will probably take several days of continuous fighting," Ning Buhui sighed softly.
"Look at the third arena on the left," Hu Liena suddenly whispered a reminder.
Ning Buhui glanced over. Two young Soul Master stood on the arena, one wielding a longsword, the other unarmed. The Soul Master with the sword possessed greater Soul Power, his sword strikes swift and fierce, pressing forward with each strike, forcing his unarmed opponent to retreat repeatedly. However, this person's retreat was extremely methodical, each step searching for an opening in his opponent's defenses, his feet always pressed against the edge of the arena, his movements perfectly controlled, never stepping out of bounds.
"This unarmed fighter has a pretty good sense of combat," Ning Buhui commented.
The words had barely left his mouth when the unarmed Soul Master abruptly dodged the incoming blade, his right hand gripping the hilt of the opponent's sword, while his left hand slammed heavily into the man's chest. The sword-wielding Soul Master staggered back two steps, his foot tumbling out of the arena. The referee immediately raised his hand, announcing the winner.
"You do have some skill." Yan suddenly became interested. "It's just that your Soul Power is a bit lacking. If you encounter an opponent of a significantly higher level, this move might not be very effective."
The following matches ended quickly. The contestants varied greatly in skill level. Some had impressive Soul Ring Configuration but lacked practical experience, and would instantly lose their composure once pressured by their opponents. Others had less outstanding Soul Power but were skilled fighters who would exploit their opponents' weaknesses. Ning Buhui watched more than a dozen matches in a row without saying much, silently scoring and judging each contestant in his mind.
The four continued to observe downwards.
On the fifth arena, two Power Attack System Soul Master entered the fray. One wielded a spiked club, the other a pair of halberds; their Soul Power was similar, both at level 46 or 47. The club-wielding Soul Master launched a full-force attack from the start, his club swinging with tremendous force, shattering against the bluestone arena with resounding thuds. However, the halberd-wielding Soul Master did not choose to meet the attack head-on, constantly maneuvering sideways, specifically seizing the openings when his opponent retracted his club to charge forward with his halberds. The two fought back and forth for nearly half an hour, until the club-wielding Soul Master's stamina gradually waned, and his club swings slowed. The halberd-wielding Soul Master seized this opportunity, closing in and placing his halberds horizontally against the club-wielding Soul Master's neck. The referee immediately stopped the match.
"The one wielding the double halberds is still quite clear-headed," Xie Yue said slowly. "Knowing he couldn't out-strike his opponent, he simply gave up on a direct confrontation and instead tried to maintain a drawn-out rhythm. The aggressive style of using the spiked club is extremely exhausting, so he patiently endured until his opponent was completely worn out before launching a counterattack."
Ning Buhui slightly. This kind of fighting style may not seem spectacular, but it might lead to victory, and that's the bottom line.
On the seventh arena, the two combatants were a female Soul Master and a male Soul Master. The woman's Martial Soul was an ice-type staff, while the man 'Martial Soul was an earth-type giant shield. The ice-type Soul Master immediately created distance, lightly tapping her staff as ice spikes shot one after another at her opponent. The earth-type Soul Master steadily blocked with his giant shield; the ice spikes struck the shield, shattering into pieces, but the chill spread along the shield, slowly forming a layer of frost on the stone slabs beneath his feet. After withstanding more than a dozen ice spikes, he attempted to advance, but his foot slipped, nearly causing him to fall. The ice-type Soul Master seized this fleeting opportunity; his Third Soul Ring shone brightly, and an ice ring exploded from the tip of his staff, spreading along the ground and instantly freezing his feet, rendering him immobile. The referee blew his whistle to stop the match.
"Ice-type is at a disadvantage against Earth-type," Hu Liena said, "But her strategy is clever; she doesn't focus on breaking shields but on control. If your feet are frozen, no matter how high you raise your shield, it's useless."
"Mental-type Soul Skill are just as effective against such clumsy opponents," Ning Buhui replied with a smile. "If you unleash Charm, he won't even know which way to block with his shield."
Hu Liena glanced at him sideways. "Are you talking about me?"
"Of course I'm praising my senior sister."
The duel on the ninth arena was swift and decisive. Two Agility Attack System Soul Master clashed, their speed so fast that many in the stands couldn't even see their movements. One wielded a short sword, the other's Martial Soul was a claw; the two figures weaved back and forth on the arena, the crisp clash of weapons echoing continuously. After a dozen or so rounds, the Soul Master with the sword deliberately exposed an opening, allowing his opponent's claw to reach for his left shoulder. In the same instant, his short sword flashed out, pressed against his opponent's throat. When the referee called a stop, the two were almost touching, the claw only half an inch from his shoulder.
"You've got guts," Yan commented. "To dare to risk your own life on your opponent's neck—most people wouldn't dare take that risk."
"He calculated that his opponent wouldn't be able to stop his momentum after making his move," Xie Yue said calmly. "He won the bet."
After the morning's matches were all over, the four of them grabbed a quick bite at a snack stall near the arena. The afternoon's matches were even more packed, with over a dozen arenas open for fights simultaneously. The group scanned the matches back and forth, only stopping to watch closely when they came across a particularly exciting duel.
One particular match held Ning Buhui for quite some time. A Soul Master wielding a long whip faced off against a Power Attack System Soul Master wielding dual hammers. The whip-wielding Soul Master's Soul Power was two or three levels lower than his opponent's, yet he wielded his whip with unparalleled skill, the whip tip specifically targeting his opponent's wrists and ankles. The dual-hammer Soul Master, despite his brute strength, couldn't get his hammers to the ground before the whip veered him off course. The two battled for nearly half an hour, the dual-hammer Soul Master repeatedly spinning in place due to the whip's pull. Finally, he slammed his hammer into the arena pillar, the hammerhead embedding itself deeply, unable to be pulled out for a moment. The whip-wielding Soul Master smoothly withdrew his whip, and the referee declared him the winner.
"This man's whip technique is exquisite," Ning Buhui said. "He doesn't compete with his opponent in strength, but only focuses Entanglement entangling and restraining them. When the opponent has no way to use their strength, they will naturally lose."
"This fighting style is somewhat similar to yours," Xie Yue suddenly said.
Ning Buhui was slightly taken aback, then laughed. Xie Yue was right; chains and whips had something in common, both following the path of control. However, chains were domineering and direct, while whips were more subtle Entanglement, each with its own strengths.
As the sun set, the first day of the individual competition finally came to a close. More than half of the thousand-plus participants were eliminated, and the remaining contestants would continue to compete tomorrow. The crowd of spectators had mostly dispersed, but several arenas were still holding tiebreakers, and the referees' voices were already hoarse.
"There's still one day left, and the team competition starts the day after tomorrow." Ning Buhui stood up from the stands, stretching his stiff legs from sitting for so long. "From what I've seen today, there are a few promising talents."
"The one with the long whip," Xie Yue said first.
"And the one who wields twin halberds," Hu Liena added, "Has a clear mind and knows exactly what he needs to do."
"The female Soul Master with the ice-type staff isn't bad either," Yan chimed in, "Her fighting style is very clever."
Ning Buhui silently made a mental note of these people. He would continue to observe them tomorrow; it was difficult to draw conclusions based on just one or two matches. He needed to see how they would adapt to different types of opponents. He stretched and gestured with his chin towards the other three. "Let's go, see you tomorrow. My treat tonight, the cafeteria."
"You're treating us to dinner at the cafeteria?" Yan's face fell immediately.
"If you want to eat out, that's fine too, it's on me, you pay," Ning Buhui joked.
Yan thought about his empty purse, then looked at Hu Liena and Xie Yue, and finally sighed, "Fine, the cafeteria it is."