The Match in Progress

After a short break, the second match began as scheduled. Ning Buhui and his group of four moved from the east stands to seats closer to the front. As soon as Yan sat down, he couldn't help but remark, "In the previous match, the two agile attacking Soul Master from the blue team charged back and forth for a long time, but they couldn't cut off the opponent's support or control abilities. In the end, they were both trapped in the Bewitching Soul-Bewitching Xiao. I hope this match will be more back-and-forth and last longer."

"The Blue team lacks a core control mechanism, so it's understandable that their breakthroughs are thwarted." Ning Buhui's fingertips brushed over the match schedule in his hand, his gaze landing on the information of both teams. "Let's take a look at the lineups for this round."

Standing on both sides of the field were young Soul Master under the age of twenty, selected by the Spirit Hall to compete in the tournament. The red team on the left consisted of two attackers, one defender, one controller, and one support. The captain was a dark-faced youth under twenty, whose Martial Soul was a Fist Blade, level 46, Power Attack System. He stood with his arms crossed, a faint layer of gray-iron-colored Soul Power swirling around the blade of his fist blade, its cold light gleaming. Beside him stood a tall, upright youth, Martial Soul Army-Breaking Staff, level 45, an Power Attack System. Behind him was a stocky, short boy, Martial Soul Black Armor Turtle, level 44, Defense System. Further back was a slender girl, Martial Soul an Ice Crystal Bell, level 45, Control System. A string of translucent Ice Crystal Bell hung from her wrist; with a slight sway, a delicate, clear sound emanated. The last person was a girl with a high ponytail, Martial Soul Light-Converging Crystal, level 44, Auxiliary System.

The blue team on the right consists of two agile attackers, one powerful attacker, one controller, and one support. The captain is a short-haired, neatly dressed girl with the Martial Soul Azure Steel Short Blade as her spirit, a level 47 Agility Attack System. Beside her is a slender, agile boy with the Martial Soul -Soul-Chasing Flying Needle as his spirit, a level 45 Agility Attack System. In the center stands a burly boy with the Mountain-Splitting Greatsword as his Martial Soul, a level 46 Power Attack System. In the back row is a boy with a feminine air, the Rattletail Scale Snake his Martial Soul, a level 45 Control System, his arms crossed, a ghostly blue poisonous light swirling at his fingertips. At the very end is a young man; this is the second Martial Soul Master Ning Buhui has seen in this selection competition whose spirit is a flag. This contestant's Martial Soul is the Mountain-Subduing Command Flag, and he is a level 44 Auxiliary System Soul Master.

"The blue team's Rattletail Scale Snake is a poison-type crowd control." Xie Yue's gaze fell on the effeminate youth. "This is getting interesting. The Ice Crystal Bell is a sonic ice control; when the two collide, we'll see whose suppression is stronger."

"The Red Team's Black Armor Turtle is purely defensive, so the offensive burden falls almost entirely on the shoulders of Fist Blade and Army-Breaking Staff," Ning Buhui said slowly.

The referee strode to the center of the field and announced loudly, "Five, four, three, two, one—the game begins!"

The Blue Team's Soul Master, wielding the Mountain-Subduing Command Flag, launched the first attack. His First Soul Ring lit up, and with a wave of his flag, five streaks of azure light split, landing beneath the feet of his teammates. A surge of wind enveloped them, their movement speed increasing dramatically. He uttered a low shout, "Swift Gale Command!" His Second Soul Ring followed immediately, another pale golden light spreading out, empowering everyone and simultaneously boosting the power of their Soul Skill. "Sharp Edge Command!"

Almost simultaneously, the Red Team's Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master activated their Soul Power. The crystal in their palm slowly rotated, and the soft, white light transformed into five streams that flowed into their teammates' bodies, greatly increasing the rate of Soul Power circulation. The girl whispered, "Spirit Radiance Nourishment." The Second Soul Ring shone brightly, and a layer of warm, moist light covered the surface of everyone's bodies, greatly increasing their defensive resilience. "Essence-Fortifying Light Armor."

Both sides saw their growth rates materialize simultaneously, with neither gaining an initial advantage.

The blue team's short-haired captain's First Soul Ring rose, and Azure Steel Short Blade skimmed across the ground, its tip trailing a cold, azure light as it hurtled towards the Ice Crystal Bell Soul Master in the back row. She gave a soft shout, "Azure Mist Slash!" The Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master flanked from the other side, their First Soul Ring illuminating, and dozens of fine, poisoned steel needles shot through the air like a rainstorm, enveloping the Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master. The young man murmured, "Thousand-Thread Rain Needles."

With a slight flick of her wrist, the Ice Crystal Bell Soul Master's crystal bell trembled, and her First Soul Ring lit up, a ring of icy white light spreading outwards from her. The girl shouted, "Frost-Wave Ringing Circle!" The ring swept across the rain of needles, the steel needles quickly froze into a thick layer of ice, their speed drastically reduced, and their trajectories all deviated. The Black Armor Turtle Soul Master shifted a step to the side, steadily blocking the Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master. Her First Soul Ring lit up, and a dark light screen rose from her heavy tortoise shell. The boy said in a deep voice, "Black Turtle Defense Barrier." A series of crisp clanging sounds followed as all the steel needles struck the tortoise shell barrier, failing to penetrate even a fraction.

On the other side, the short-haired captain's short blade was already close to the Ice Crystal Bell. The Ice Crystal Bell Soul Master activated her Second Soul Ring, the crystal bell on her wrist trembling violently, a sharp and piercing sound exploding out. She gritted her teeth and shouted, "Cold Sound Shock and Restraint!" The ear-piercing sound wave drilled straight into her eardrums, and the short-haired captain's movements suddenly froze. The black-faced Fist Blade Captain seized the opening and quickly stepped forward, his First Soul Ring lighting up, his fist, wrapped in iron-gray Soul Power, slamming heavily onto the blade. The young man shouted in a deep voice, "Splitting Edge Charge!" The short-haired captain's wrist trembled violently, using the force to retreat two steps.

"The Frost-Wave Ringing Circle of the Ice Crystal Bell first neutralized the Needle Rain, then followed up with the Cold Sound Shock and Restraint to interrupt the charge. The two moves flowed smoothly together, and the Blue Team's first wave of attacks failed to break through the defenses," Ning Buhui said in a low voice.

The blue team captain's expression darkened, and he gave the Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master a meaningful look. The Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master nodded slightly, his First Soul Ring lit up, and a surge of eerie green light erupted from his palm. A cloud of dark green poisonous mist spewed from his palm, silently spreading along the ground and pressing towards the red team's formation. The young man's thin lips parted slightly. "Bone-Eroding Miasma." The poisonous mist was extremely corrosive; the soles of the shoes and trouser legs of the three front-row red team members were instantly corroded with countless small holes after being exposed to the mist.

The Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master immediately activated his Third Soul Skill, unleashing a ring of shimmering white purifying light that rippled outwards. "Pure Radiance Cleanses Impurity!" The light wave swept across the miasma, neutralizing and dissolving most of the toxins. However Rattletail Scale Snake's poisonous mist continued to surge outwards, greatly depleting the Soul Power of Pure Radiance Cleanses Impurity. It could only barely hold back the poisonous mist, unable to eradicate it completely. The Fist Blade Captain and the Army-Breaking Staff Soul Master dared not linger in the area covered by the poisonous mist and had no choice but to retreat.

"The suppressive power of the Bone-Eroding Miasma is very strong," Hu Liena analyzed softly. "The Red Team's support's purification skill depletes their Soul Power too quickly; it won't last long."

Taking advantage of the moment when the miasma distracted the Red Team, the Mountain-Splitting Greatsword Soul Master moved. His First Soul Ring lit up, and he strode forward, his greatsword sweeping out with thick, earth-yellow Soul Power. The boy roared, "Mountain-Shaking Horizontal Slash!" The three members of the Red Team were forced to retreat. The Fist Blade Captain, instead of retreating, advanced, his Second Soul Ring lighting up. He pushed forward with both fists, and two condensed blade lights shot out from his knuckles. "Twin Blades Split the Air!" The blade lights collided with the greatsword's surface, exploding with a deafening roar. The Greatsword Soul Master was forced back half a step by the impact, and the Fist Blade Captain also slid backward a distance, the two evenly matched.

The Second Soul Ring of the Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master lit up, and he spread his arms wide, a visible ring of sonic vibrations spreading from his sleeves. He whispered, "Scale-Tail Tremolo." The sonic waves first struck the Ice Crystal Bell Soul Master, whose head buzzed and whose crystal bell nearly slipped from her wrist. The Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master was also affected, her figure swaying, the Pure Radiance Cleanses Impurity momentarily interrupted, and the miasma seized the opportunity to advance again.

"The Scale-Tail Tremolo is specifically designed to disrupt control-oriented Soul Master; it's highly targeted," Xie Yue said calmly. "This is a very underhanded tactic, keeping a close eye on the Ice Crystal Bell."

The Ice Crystal Bell Soul Master gritted her teeth and steadied herself, activating her Third Soul Ring with all her might. She pushed forward with both hands, and a layer of icy white barrier unfurled from the Crystal Bell, firmly enveloping the entire Red Team. The girl raised her voice and softly shouted, "Eternal Frost Sealing Domain!" The temperature within the barrier plummeted. The miasma that surged in touched the frost, instantly condensing into ice crystals that fell in a flurry, completely isolating the Bone-Eroding Miasma from the outside.

"Beautiful!" Yan couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "With this barrier activated, the snake venom is completely neutralized!"

The blue team's short-haired captain, her expression anxious, gestured to the Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master, and the two activated simultaneously. The short-haired captain's Third Soul Ring lit up, her figure transforming into a green shadow and disappearing from the spot, appearing the next moment beside Ice Crystal Bell, her short blade thrusting straight forward. She coldly shouted, "Instant Shadow Kill!" The Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master simultaneously slashed in from the other side, her Second Soul Ring lighting up, a specially crafted poisoned long needle shooting through the air, aiming directly at the shoulder of the Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master. The young man lowered his voice, "Aura-Breaking Piercing Needle."

Unable to handle attacks from both sides simultaneously, Ice Crystal Bell chose to meet the short-haired captain's sudden attack head-on. She held the bell horizontally in front of her, the short blade striking the bell, cracking a thin line on the ice crystal's surface. At the same time, the Aura-Breaking Piercing Needle aimed directly at the Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master. The Black Armor Turtle tried to return to help, Mountain-Splitting Greatsword Soul Master had already closed in. His Second Soul Ring lit up, the greatsword pressing down, heavy Soul Power overwhelming him, forcing him to stand still and defend. The greatsword youth uttered four words in a low voice. "Crushing Pressure Shakes Aura."

Just as the long needle was about to hit the support, the Soul Master with the Army-Breaking Staff rushed to the rescue. The Third Soul Ring lit up, and the long staff swept horizontally, accurately deflecting the poison needle that was flying through the air. The young man shouted, "Long Rampart Sweep!" The Soul Master with the Soul-Chasing Flying Needle missed his attack, immediately withdrew the needle and retreated, not greedy for battle.

"The Army-Breaking Staff's counterattack was perfectly timed," Yan praised. "He was initially coordinating with his fist blades to suppress the greatsword, but upon noticing the danger in the back row, he immediately withdrew, demonstrating extremely quick judgment."

The blue team's second wave of attacks failed to break through their defenses. The short-haired captain retreated to his own formation and whispered a discussion with the Soul Master of the Mountain-Subduing Command Flag. The Command Flag Soul Master nodded, his Fourth Soul Ring rose, and the command flag was waved three times in succession, enveloping the entire team in crimson light. Speed, strength, defense, and Soul Power recovery all surged simultaneously. The young man shouted, "Myriad Army Edict!" This was his trump card amplification Soul Skill, with a powerful boost, but its duration was very limited.

With the blessing of the Myriad Army Edict, the five members of the Blue Team pressed forward. The Mountain-Splitting Greatsword Soul Master stood at the forefront, withstanding the combined attack of the fist blade and the Army-Breaking Staff; the short-haired captain and the Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master split up on the flanks, their targets still being the Ice Crystal Bell and the Light-Converging Crystal; the Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master released miasma again from the rear, this time the miasma was a deep, dark green, and its corrosiveness far exceeded that of before. He roared, "Miasma Prison Fills the Sky!" With the activation of his Third Soul Ring, the miasma frantically eroded the Eternal Frost Sealing Domain, and spiderweb-like cracks constantly appeared on the outer wall of the barrier, shrinking inward.

The red team's formation was forced to retreat step by step. The Fist Blade captain gritted his teeth and held the front line, alternating between releasing his second and Third Soul Skill, with Twin Blades Split the Air Splitting Edge Charge Strike bombarding the Greatsword Soul Master in turn. The Army-Breaking Staff Soul Master provided support from the side, using tricky staff techniques to specifically target the Greatsword Soul Master's wrists, joints, and other vulnerable points. However, with the Blue team's Myriad Army Edict buff, the Greatsword Soul Master, despite being constantly injured, still held the line and refused to retreat.

The Light-Converging Crystal Soul Master activated her Third Soul Skill again, and the crystal erupted with a blinding white light. "Dazzling Light Burst!" The intense light swept across both wings, blinding the short-haired captain and the Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master, causing them to hesitate for a moment. Ice Crystal Bell seized this fleeting opportunity, activating her Fourth Soul Ring at full power. The crystal bell shook violently, and a series of high-frequency bell sounds exploded outwards. The girl shouted softly, "Shattered Frost Heavenly Chime!" The bell sound had unparalleled penetrating power, and the miasma dissipated in large swathes under the impact of the sound waves. The two agile attack Soul Master on both wings covered their ears and groaned, their souls shaken.

"The Ice Crystal Bell's ' Shattered Frost Heavenly Chime directly dispersed the miasma," Hu Liena said.

Seizing the opportunity, the Fist Blade Captain turned around, fully activating his Third Soul Ring. He clasped his fists together, unleashing a massive cross-shaped blade of light that pierced the air. He shouted, "Cross-Shaped Collapsing Edge!" The Greatsword Soul Master was blasted backward several steps, sword and all. The Army-Breaking Staff followed closely, the long staff raised high and brought down heavily. "Mountain-Shaking Strike!" The Greatsword Soul Master parried with his sword, but the force of the staff was immense. His knees buckled, and he knelt on one knee, the sword bending slightly under the pressure.

The blue team captain flanked, saw the Greatsword Soul Master fall, and knew the battle was lost. The effect of the "Ten Thousand Myriad Army Edict" was about to expire; once the amplification wore off, they simply couldn't withstand the combined attack of the red team's two powerful attackers head-on. She gritted her teeth and shouted at the Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master, "The final blow!"

The Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master understood, his Fourth Soul Ring lit up, his arms trembled, and a huge snake shadow rose from behind him, its mouth wide open, venom and sonic waves mingling and gushing out. The boy roared, "Snake Emperor's Roaring Prison!" A wide-range attack swept in, and the Eternal Frost Sealing Domain was simultaneously impacted by the poison and sonic waves, cracks spreading wildly. Ice Crystal Bell Ice Crystal Bell all her remaining Soul Power into it, and her Fourth Soul Ring detonated again, the bell's frequency rising to its extreme, sharp and piercing. Her breath was unstable, and she softly uttered, "Shattered Frost Heavenly Chime - Final Echo." The bell's sound collided with the Snake Emperor's Roaring Prison, and the energy shockwaves exploded in all directions. The Rattletail Scale Snake Soul Master was forced back three steps by the backlash, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the miasma completely dissipated.

At that very moment, the amplification from the Myriad Army Edict faded precisely. The Greatsword Soul Master collapsed to his knees, unable to rise; the Short-Haired Captain and the Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master were severely injured by the sonic waves, dizzy and disoriented, their Soul Power largely depleted. Despite the ringing in his ears, the Fist Blade Captain seized the opportunity, leaping forward and punching the Greatsword Soul Master out of the competition circle. The Soul-Chasing Flying Needle Soul Master tried to escape, Army-Breaking Staff quickly caught up, sweeping his leg with the staff, and the referee immediately called a halt to the match.

The referee raised his flag high, and his booming voice echoed throughout the stadium, "Red team wins!"

As the two teams walked off the field, the short-haired girl turned to look at the Ice Crystal Bell, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Your Ice Crystal Bell is really troublesome. My Soul-Chasing Flying Needle and I were completely disrupted by its sound, making it impossible for us to launch a full-force attack."

Ice Crystal Bell, slightly out of breath, replied with a faint smile, "Your snake venom is equally troublesome; the Eternal Frost Sealing Domain was almost corroded and breached."

Ning Buhui and his three companions watched the entire fight unfold before getting up to stretch their muscles once the crowd in the stands had thinned out slightly.

"The Blue Team lost because the duration of the Myriad Army Edict' was too short," Ning Buhui slowly reviewed the game. "That wave was their only chance to win. They failed to break through the defenses, and then they had no chance to turn the tide. The Red Team's Ice Crystal Bell's control of the field was the core of the entire game. The Eternal Frost Sealing Domain isolated the miasma, and the Shattered Frost Heavenly Chime continuously suppressed the Rattletail Scale Snake, which created the opportunity for the Fist Blade and the Army-Breaking Staff to defeat the Greatsword Soul Master head-on."

"Although the Red Team's Black Armor Turtle lacks offensive capabilities, its positioning is extremely skillful," Xie Yue added. "It stayed firmly in front of the support, blocking both of the flying needles' two attempts to flank from behind."

"The move 'Shattered Frost Heavenly Chime' is exceptionally well-designed, perfectly countering Rattletail Scale Snake's poison-type control and preventing it from utilizing most of its abilities," Hu Liena nodded.

Yan stretched lazily, glancing towards the entrance to the players' tunnel. "Let's go, the next match is starting soon, and there are still quite a few matches left today."