The Team Battles Begin

The next morning, the four arrived even earlier than the day before. The stands were already nearly full; there were even more people than yesterday, and the upcoming selections were only going to get more exciting. Ning Buhui sat in her usual spot, slightly to the left of center, where she could see most of the arena.

The second day of the individual competition was no different from yesterday. The skill levels of the Soul Master varied greatly, with some winning quickly, some showdowns between experts, and some matches between novices.

Right now, on the second arena, a ridiculous battle of noobs is underway. These two young masters, whose origins are unknown, are passionately exchanging words while Douluo I. They seem to know each other, and probably have some prior conflict, yet they were lucky enough to be placed on the same arena.

The one on the left has Martial Soul bow and arrow as his Martial Soul, while the one on the right has a flying eagle. The bow and arrow Soul Master doesn't seem to kill much and is compassionate, practically Grandmaster of human outline drawing. The flying eagle Soul Master is also quite outrageous; he seems to have practiced some incredible technique, possessing the power to catch Soul Skill with his body 100%. An attack that would have been harmless if he had stood still was instead met with his rapid charge and body-blocking. Although this match was a bit cringe-worthy, it also provided a lot of emotional value for the audience.

Such duels were in the minority; most were normal battles.

The third arena featured a new pair of Control System Soul Master today. The Soul Master Martial Soul the left possessed a grayish-white spider silk spirit. With a flick of his right hand, sticky threads connected his five fingers. "Spider Silk Bind!" He swiftly released all five threads, sending them flying towards his opponent. The Soul Master Martial Soul him possessed a dark-colored array flag. He planted the flag in the ground, and it moved automatically without wind. "Array Activation - Slow Down!" A dark halo appeared on the ground within a three-zhang radius of the flag, and the spider silk seemed to move in slow motion once it entered it. The two fought for almost half an hour. The Spider Silk Soul Master grew increasingly impatient, his Soul Power running out first. The Array Flag Soul Master, however, remained calm. Seizing his opponent's momentary lapse in concentration, he pushed the flag forward, the dark halo enveloping his opponent. The Spider Silk Soul Master was forced to his knees, unable to stand, and the referee called a stop.

"Formation flags." Ning Buhui noted it down. "This kind of Martial Soul is rare; it's a wide-area control type, so its potential should be quite good."

The two attackers on the fourth arena are both Power Attack System Soul Master. One's Martial Soul is the Ironback Silver Wolf, and the other's Martial Soul is the Twin Moon Halberd.

Two figures collided on the arena, creating a shockwave. The Soul Master, possessed by the Ironback Silver Wolf Martial Soul Possession, lowered his body, the row of silver mane on his back bristling like steel needles, and his eyes gleamed with a sinister green light. Opposite him, the Soul Master wielding the Twin Moon Halberd slammed the halberds into the ground, the crescent-shaped blades on both sides humming incessantly, exuding a chilling aura.

The Ironback Silver Wolf Soul Master launched the first attack, his First Soul Ring lighting up— Silver Wolf Worships the Moon! His muscles swelled, his skin glowed with an iron-gray sheen, and his strength and defense both surged. Immediately afterward, his Second Soul Ring flashed—Back- Back-Splitting Slash! He arched his back and sprang forward, his silver fur transforming into a row of crescent-shaped light blades, making him resemble a rampaging steel Ferocious Beast.

Instead of retreating, the Twin Moon Halberd Soul Master advanced, activating his First Soul Skill, Twin Moon Rotation Wheel, as the halberd spun rapidly in his palm, forming a silver halo that met the wolf's back. The two Soul Power collided, exploding into countless fragments of light. He was forced back three steps, but used the momentum to create distance, and his Second Soul Ring lit up— Crescent Slash! The halberd blade swept horizontally, and a crescent-shaped Soul Power blade shot out, heading straight for the Ironback Silver Wolf Soul Master's waist.

The opponent didn't dodge, and his Third Soul Ring suddenly shone brightly— Wolf Soul Roar! A deafening wolf howl, accompanied by a shockwave of Soul Power, rippled outwards, deflecting the Crescent Slash in mid-air and sending it flying to the side. With the amplification, the Ironback Silver Wolf Soul Master's speed surged, his four hooves pounding the ground like thunder, and his Fourth Soul Ring lit up— Army-Breaking Assault! He transformed into a silver afterimage, his back blades fully unleashed, like a charging wolf fang giant blade rushing straight towards the Twin Moon Halberd Soul Master's chest.

The Twin Moon Halberd Soul Master's pupils constricted sharply. He held the halberd horizontally in front of him, simultaneously activating his Third Soul Skill, Twin Moons in the Same Sky. A clone of his Soul Power detached from his body, and two identical figures, one on each side, raised their halberds to block. With a deafening roar, the Silver Wolf smashed the clone, the halberd shaft bending into a full bow but not breaking. The Soul Master wielding the halberd coughed up blood and flew backward, forcefully twisting his waist in mid-air. His Fourth Soul Ring shone brightly with purple light— Full Moon Judgment! He held the halberd high above his head with both hands, his Soul Power condensing into a full moon halo attached to the halberd blade, and used the momentum of his fall to slash down with all his might.

Silver Wolf had no time to recover his momentum, and his palms met the attack head-on. The full moon Twin Moon Halberd appeared from the side, already pressed against Silver Soul Master's neck. It turned out to be a clone that the Twin Moon Halberd Soul Master had created at some point. Helpless, Ironback Silver Wolf Soul Master had no choice but to admit defeat.

The two looked at each other and grinned simultaneously.

"Happy."

"That halberd-wielding man's tactics were good," Xie Yue said. "He used the initial clash to create clones that hid underground, waiting for the right moment to strike."

The following matches were not particularly outstanding, and the second day of individual competitions came to an end. By this time, all the Soul Master who participated in the selection had competed once, with more than 500 people remaining.

Tomorrow will be a test of luck. The competition will be held by drawing lots, eliminating more than 100 people and leaving only 400 to participate in the second round of team competition.

On the third day, even more people came to watch, including those who had been there the previous two days, as well as players who had been eliminated from the competition.

Today's matches lasted longer than the previous two days, and many who were just there for the fun of it have already been eliminated, leaving only those with considerable strength.

On the fifth arena, the female Soul Master with the ice-type staff from the day before yesterday returned to the stage. This time, her opponent was an Agility Attack System with the Wind Falcon Martial Soul. From the start, she hovered close to the edge of the arena, trying to find an angle to attack.

The female Soul Master slammed her staff on the ground, unleashing a "Frost Sky Ice Ring!" A ring of ice exploded along the ground, covering almost half of the arena. The Wind Falcon Soul Master's speed was reduced by more than half. "Ice Spike Barrage!" The female Soul Master's Second Soul Ring lit up, and three ice cones shot out in a fan shape, blocking the left, center, and right routes. The Wind Falcon Soul Master took the middle cone head-on, his left arm stiffening. The female Soul Master's Third Soul Ring lit up, "Ice Wall Advance!" An ice wall condensed at the tip of her staff and pushed out horizontally, directly knocking him off the edge of the arena.

"Frost Sky Ice Ring, Ice Spike Barrage, Ice Wall Advance —a combo." Yan clicked his tongue. "This woman is even fiercer than yesterday; her skill combos are much smoother."

"Her Ice Ring was cast too fast," Ning Buhui said. "When fighting Agility Attack System, you don't need large-area crowd control; switch to small-area instant casts. She's very clear-headed."

On the seventh arena, a Control System Martial Soul Master possessed the Soul-Binding Chain, Martial Soul that could slow down the Soul Power circulation of a bound Soul Master. His opponent was a Power Attack System using the Mountain-Collapsing Gauntlets. At the start of the match, the chain Soul Master swung out the chain, "Soul-Locking Chain!" The chain clattered as it went straight for the wrist. Caught off guard, the gauntlet Soul Master's wrist was entangled, his Soul Power was sealed, and its circulation slowed considerably.

The opponent stumbled forward when pulled, but he reacted quickly, charging forward along the chain. "Mountain-Collapsing Fist!" He punched the chained Soul Master in the chest. The chained Soul Master was knocked back three steps, almost falling out of bounds. He steadied himself, "Thousandfold Entanglement, Myriad Coils!" Multiple chains flew, trying to bind the opponent tightly. The gauntlet-wielding Soul Master jumped to dodge twice, but because his Soul Power circulation was slow, he was eventually entangled by the chains and fell to the ground. The referee called a stop.

"This chain isn't as clever as that ice staff," Yan said. "At first, it only wanted to bind your hands, but if you bind your hands, people can just follow the chain and hit you. Binding your feet would be much better; if your feet can't move, even the hardest fists can't reach you."

Martial Soul Agility Attack System Soul Master with the Shadow Blade Martial Soul was still on the ninth arena. This time, he encountered a Soul Master with the Gale Wolf Martial Soul, who was even faster than him, and was immediately pressured from the start. "Shadow Assault!" The Shadow Blade Soul Master instantly accelerated and sidestepped, dodging the opponent's attack, and slashed at the opponent's forearm with a backhand strike. "You're faster than me, but your recovery speed is too slow." He threw out a sarcastic remark as he retreated. The opponent, flustered by his evasive maneuvers, charged forward too aggressively, Shadow Blade Soul Master dodged to the side. "Instant Flash!" His figure blurred and disappeared from the spot, reappearing behind his opponent, the hilt of his sword striking the back of his neck. The referee called a stop.

"This guy's really daring," Xie Yue said. "He always uses himself as bait."

"But he won every time he gambled," Ning Buhui said. "Luck is also a part of skill."

Another round of screening took place in the afternoon. The Soul Master with the Red-Banded Snake Whip Martial Soul encountered a Power Attack System Soul Master wielding the Earth-Splitting Axe, whose Soul Power was three levels higher. The Earth -Earth-Splitting Axe swung in a wide arc at the start, unleashing a Heaven Crumbles and Earth Splits strike that shook the entire ground. The Serpent Whip Soul Master dared not take the blow head-on, unleashing a "Spirit Snake Entanglement!" He aimed the whip tip at the opponent's wrists and ankles, but to no avail. The whip was broken by the opponent's overwhelming force, and since the opponent's Soul Power Level was higher, he couldn't outlast them and had to reluctantly admit defeat.

"Control System Soul Master who use chains, whips, and vines are truly helpless against those who rely on brute force. They can't restrain them, and they can't win a direct confrontation," Ning Buhui said, feeling deeply empathetic.

"That's how it is with Control System; there's really nothing you can do when you encounter someone who happens to counter you," said Hu Liena, who was also Control System.

"So, Senior Sister, you could consider attribute-based attack-oriented Soul Skill for your future Soul Ring. Otherwise, if the opponent has someone immune to mental attacks, wouldn't you be helpless?" Ning Buhui suggested with a smile.

Hu Liena nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.

There was another match that Ning Buhui glanced at a few more times. A Auxiliary System Soul Master whose Martial Soul was the Phantom Bronze Mirror refused the staff's assistance and instead participated in a 1v1 duel between Battle Soul Master. Now he was facing off against a Power Attack System Soul Master whose Martial Soul was the Army-Breaking Spear.

Supporting an opponent in a strong offensive is inherently disadvantageous, but the Bronze Mirror Soul Master fought with remarkable discipline. With a flick of the bronze Mirror Maze, the arena was enveloped by thousands upon thousands of mirrors, transforming into a maze composed entirely of mirrors.

Despite the sudden change in the battlefield, the Soul Master Army-Breaking Spear remained calm, activating his First Soul Ring – Sweep Away a Thousand Troops. Unfortunately, the mirror did not shatter as he had imagined; it merely rippled before returning to calm.

"That's interesting. The attack has been dispersed. A single attack from the opponent is strong, but when it's spread evenly across thousands of mirrors, it loses much of its power," Ning Buhui said with interest.

As the Soul Master Army-Breaking Spear relentlessly attacked, attempting to break through the mirror's limit, each mirror recorded his movements and attacks.

At this moment, the Third Soul Ring of the support Soul Master suddenly lit up, "Mirror Clone!" A figure exactly like the Army-Breaking Spear Soul Master walked out from the bronze mirror in front of him and then went straight to the Army-Breaking Spear Soul Master.

The opponent was taken aback when he saw the figure suddenly appear, but without hesitation, he thrust at the clone. The clone was a mirror image of him, and its fighting style was exactly the same. It easily dodged the attack, and then the two became entangled in combat.

The bronze mirror boy's Fourth Soul Ring lit up— Mirror Flower, Water Moon. A beam of golden light refracted and landed on the mirror image clone, instantly increasing the clone's speed and attack power. Then, his Second Soul Ring lit up again, "Reflecting Mirror Light," and a beam of light fell on him. He, who had just expended a lot of Soul Power and appeared somewhat weak, quickly returned to the state he was in before casting the Soul Skill.

This is actually a rare Soul Skill that can restore the target to their previous state in a short period of time.

At this point, the outcome of the match was no longer in doubt. The Soul Master with the Army-Breaking Spear was strong, but unfortunately, he was gradually outmatched by his own clone, which was enhanced with support. Trapped in the Mirror Maze and unable to escape, he ultimately suffered a regrettable defeat.

"Auxiliary System taking on Power Attack System in a one-on-one fight, and winning so easily." Hu Liena raised an eyebrow. "Rare indeed."

"Who says they're rare? Don't we have a monster like that right here among us?" Yan Chaoning winked at Ning Buhui.

"Strictly speaking, he's not a true Auxiliary System," Xie Yue said objectively.

All four understood what it meant, but with so many people around, they didn't say it outright.

"His mirror is quite interesting," Ning Buhui said. "It can change the terrain, create clones, restore status in a short time, and enhance attributes. It's a very comprehensive Soul Ring Configuration."

By evening, the individual competitions had all concluded, and the roster of 400 participants was finalized. The Elder Soul Douluo, sitting on the proctor's platform, stood up and announced the team competition arrangements: the 400 participants would be randomly drawn, forming teams of five, each team including one Auxiliary System. They would be divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D), with 100 participants in each group, resulting in 20 teams. First, each group would play its own qualifying rounds to determine the winner of the upper and lower brackets. Then, the eight teams advancing to the qualifying rounds would compete in the final ranking matches. The ranking match examiners would reorganize the teams based on each participant's previous performance until the final winning team was determined.

The team competition draw began. A large wooden board was set up in the center of the arena, divided into four sections: A, B, C, and D. Each section had nameplates for twenty teams attached to its bottom. Participants took turns drawing their assigned numbers.

Each participant had a different expression: some were nervous, some were excited, some were regretful, and some were already looking around for their teammates.

"Those who performed exceptionally well were separated," Hu Liena said.

"That's normal," Ning Buhui said. "The odds of being drawn randomly from four hundred people are slim."

"Which group do you think will advance?" Yan asked.

"It's hard to say." Ning Buhui leaned against the railing. "Team matches are all about teamwork. These individuals are quite capable individually, but how they will perform as a team is uncertain."

His gaze fell on the area of Team C, Team Seven. The Red-Banded Snake Whip Soul Master was squatting on the ground, gesturing with the whip and explaining tactics to his teammates. His teammates would ask questions from time to time.

"That guy with the snake whip is a skilled leader," Ning Buhui said. "He doesn't just act recklessly; instead, he plans battle strategies based on the team's composition."

"The one with the double halberds too," Xie Yue chimed in. "He and his teammates have been squatting on the ground drawing for ages."

"The Ice Staff one is good too," Hu Liena said. "She communicates well with the support."

"That Shadow Blade..." Yan hesitated for a moment, "... is too selfish, he just stands there and doesn't communicate with his teammates."

Ning Buhui smiled. "We'll know the result tomorrow." He stood up from the stands, dusted off his clothes, and said, "Let's go. Come early tomorrow to get a good seat."