The Selection Ends
The moment the referee raised the flag, applause erupted from the stands. The entire red team was down, while three members of the blue team were still able to fight; the outcome was undisputed. Xu Yu's team won, but it was a fierce victory; two of their five players were down, and the remaining three were all injured.
Ning Buhui and the other three stood up from the stands. Yan stretched, his joints cracking. "The selection is over. That Copper Mirror Soul Master's last move, the miniature maze, was pretty amazing. If Wei Zhan quickly, the Sky-Breaking Spear Soul Master could have taken Li Kai away too."
"His Soul Power is running low," Xie Yue said. "If the maze could hold out for another three breaths, the Soul Master with the Sky-Breaking Spear could have turned the tables. What a pity."
"Let's go, it's time to head back." Ning Buhui gestured towards the examination hall, "The examiners are calling for people; the list is finalized."
The four of them left the stands and walked to the sidelines. Elder Soul Douluo had already stood up from the examiner's seat, with several instructors standing beside him. The five members of Xu Yu's team and the five members of Bronze Mirror's team were tidying up on the sidelines. Some were panting with their hands on their knees, while others were squatting on the ground drinking water. The Bronze Mirror Soul Master sat in the corner, his Bronze Mirror Martial Soul retracted into his body, his face still pale. The Sky-Breaking Spear Soul Master patted him on the shoulder beside him.
Elder Soul Douluo cleared his throat, his voice echoing throughout the arena. "The selection process is now complete. Based on performances in the individual competitions, team competitions, and the finals, the Spirit Hall Team's nine-member roster is finalized as follows—"
The seven selected players are: Xie Yue, Yan, Hu Liena, Ning Buhui, Sun Chuantao, Li Kai, and Zhang Ping.
Two substitutes: Xu Yu and Wei Zhan.
"The above nine people will gather at Training Ground No. 1 of the Spirit Hall Academy the day after tomorrow morning for their first training session." Elder Soul Douluo finished speaking and sat down.
The reactions of the people on the sidelines varied. Sun Chuantao, squatting on the ground wiping his sweat with a towel, looked up slightly when he heard his name called, his expression blank. Li Kai slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. Zhang Ping stood on the outer edge of the crowd, arms crossed, her lips twitching slightly. Xu Yu, on the other hand, remained calm. He had just been knocked unconscious by Shadow Cat and was still a little dizzy; he simply nodded when he heard his name called. Wei Zhan stood at the very edge, still clutching his axe. When he heard he had been selected, the golden light on the axe blade flickered, and then he sheathed his Martial Soul.
Ning Buhui glanced at the five people but didn't say anything. Yan muttered to himself, "Their strength is not bad," but Xie Yue didn't respond.
Afterwards, the party ended, and everyone went their separate ways.
Three days later, at Training Ground No. 1.
When Ning Buhui group of four arrived, Xu Yu and his group of five were already waiting on the sidelines. Sun Chuantao was leaning against the wall, Li Kai was squatting on the ground poking mud with his fingers, Zhang Ping was sitting on a low stool tying her shoelaces, Xu Yu was drinking water from a pot, and Wei Zhan was standing at the very edge, still in that ready-to-beat-up stance.
"You're here." Sun Chuantao raised his chin as a greeting.
Ning Buhui nodded. Yan walked over and patted Li Kai on the shoulder familiarly. "Brother, your Wild Boar Charge was pretty fierce on the day of the finals, it made the Iron Wall Ape on the other side cough up blood."
Li Kai looked up at him, grinned, and said, "Thank you for the compliment."
The atmosphere was fairly pleasant. But after a few words, Zhang Ping suddenly spoke up, "I have a question."
Everyone looked at her.
Zhang Ping tied her shoelaces, stood up, and glanced at Ning Buhui and the other three. "We all know that you four are pre-selected, your Soul Power Level is above level 50, and your Soul Ring Configuration are also high. But I want to ask—" She paused, "What makes you think you can take us along? Just because your levels are high?"
There was a moment of silence on the sidelines. Li Kai stopped poking at the mud while squatting on the ground, Xu Yu put down his water bottle, Wei Zhan took a half step closer. Sun Chuantao didn't move, his arms crossed, but his eyes also glanced over.
Yan raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that's a good point."
"I didn't mean anything by it," Zhang Ping said. "The selection process has lasted for over ten days, and the five of us fought our way up. The four of you haven't played a single match. I know you're at a higher level, but the competition isn't just about rankings."
"Nana, what she said makes some sense." Yan turned to look at Hu Liena.
Hu Liena ignored him and looked at Zhang Ping: "So you're not convinced?"
"I'm not convinced," Zhang Ping said bluntly. Sun Chuantao didn't speak, but nodded slightly. Li Kai stood up, dusted himself off, and didn't say anything, but took a step closer to Zhang Ping. Wei Zhan even more direct, crossing his arms and standing next to Zhang Ping. Only Xu Yu remained seated, looked at both sides, and said, "I'm not entirely convinced either."
Ning Buhui leaned against the wall and listened to the whole thing. He wasn't angry; he even felt like laughing. These people were just like Xie Yue back then—they only recognized proven strength, not just ranks on paper.
"Fine." Ning Buhui straightened up. "If you're not satisfied, let's fight."
Zhang Ping was taken aback. "What?"
"Two against five," Ning Buhui said. "It's just Yan and me on our side, against all five of you. Fight freely, show your best. If you win, the team will listen to you from now on. If you lose, the team will listen to us."
Sun Chuantao finally spoke, "Two against five?"
"Um."
Sun Chuantao glanced at him, then at Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena. Xie Yue stood behind Ning Buhui, her Moon Blade retracted, her face expressionless. Yan crossed her arms, a smile playing on her lips. Hu Liena casually tossed her hair.
"You're looking down on us," Li Kai said, raising his voice.
"It's not that I look down on you," Ning Buhui said, "It's to let you see the true gap between us."
Xu Yu stood up from the low stool and put the water bottle aside. "What if you lose a two-on-five game?"
"After we lose, you guys decide what to do with the team," Ning Buhui said. "The four of us won't say another word."
Sun Chuantao and Zhang Ping exchanged a glance. Zhang Ping nodded. Sun Chuantao turned to Sun Chuantao: "Okay. When do we fight?"
"Right now." Ning Buhui walked to the center of the court, took off his jacket, and threw it to the sidelines. "The court is big enough; we don't need to move. Just follow the rules of the qualifiers."
The five people looked at each other. Zhang Ping was the first to enter the arena, followed by Sun Chuantao, Li Kai, Wei Zhan, and Xu Yu. On Ning Buhui's side, Xie Yue and Hu Liena stepped aside, ready to watch the show, while Yan excitedly walked over and stood next to Ning Buhui.
Yan rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Junior brother, you just stand in the back and watch how I deal with them."
"Do Ning Buhui said in a low voice.
"Know."
The two groups stood facing each other. Xu Yu's group of five automatically formed a formation— Sun Chuantao and Li Kai at the front, Wei Zhan in the center for support, Zhang Ping on the flank, and Xu Yu at the rear. Ning Buhui's group consisted of only two people: Yan in front and Ning Buhui behind him.
"Five against two, the advantage is on us," Sun Chuantao whispered to his teammates. "Li Kai and I will hold off Yan, Wei Zhan and Zhang Ping will go after the support, and Xu Yu will use all his buffs right away. Let's launch a burst attack first."
"Um."
Both sides were ready. Yan rubbed his hands together, stretched his neck, and grinned at the other side. "Let's go."
Both sides activated their respective Martial Soul, and then Soul Ring rose from beneath their feet.