The next day, a new round of preliminary matches kicked off immediately.
However, unlike the opening match, five battle stages had now been set up inside the main arena, with fights taking place on each one.
Su Cheng handed over command and control directly, allowing his team members to devise their own tactics based on intelligence gathered on the other teams.
He himself wandered around, watching the matches from outside the arenas of the Elemental Academies' teams.
The spectators were naturally a bit disappointed not to spot Su Cheng among the Tian Dou Royal Academy team.
But there was nothing to be done about it; this wasn't an exhibition match, after all. Each academy had its own tactical arrangements, so situations like this were perfectly normal.
The other teams, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
They didn't actually want to eliminate Tiandou Royal Academy; their main concern was that serious injuries sustained in battle might affect their future matches. If Su Cheng were to compete, they would have had no choice but to forfeit to ensure absolute safety.
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's matches were going smoothly, and they racked up quite a few points.
After all, Zhu Zhuqing's strength was undeniable, and with the Five Elements Academy not participating, the other minor teams weren't particularly strong—many didn't even have a single Soul Master on their roster.
Moreover, Tang San and his teammates were no slouches either; it was difficult for ordinary academies to gain the upper hand against their coordinated efforts.
Furthermore, unlike in the original timeline, the Shrek Team didn't have to face the extremely powerful Elephant Armor Academy in their second match under Saras's "special treatment."
Otherwise, given their current strength, they would most likely have been unable to defeat those "turtle shells."
However, in their subsequent match against Blazing Fire Academy, the Shrek Team nearly suffered a crushing defeat.
Since he hadn't used the Immortal Herb to gain immunity to ice and fire, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was completely neutralized by the fire-based attacks.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhuqing had previously used the Octagonal Mystic Ice Grass and Blazing Fire Apricot to temper her body, allowing her to handle Blazing Fire Academy's attacks with ease and single-handedly carry the entire team to victory.
It was precisely because he had played almost no role in this battle that Tang San's resolve to switch his cultivation to the Haotian Hammer grew even stronger.
A few days later, it was finally Su Cheng's turn to take the field.
This time, the Tiandou Royal Academy team faced off against the Shenfeng Academy team.
Of course, he couldn't miss this.
Of the seven team members from Shenfeng Academy, six were roughly the same age—in their early twenties—while only the support-type Soul Master standing at the very back of the formation looked very young, seemingly even younger than Su Cheng.
The person walking at the very front had a tall, straight posture, handsome features, and a smile on his face; he looked quite carefree.
This man was none other than the captain of the Shenfeng Academy Battle Team, Feng Xiaotian, a Level 44 Power Attack-type Battle Soul Master.
Although still young, his demeanor already exuded the air of a powerful warrior; there was not the slightest trace of his usual sycophantic manner.
Besides him, there were two others whose Soul Power levels exceeded 40: an Agility-Attack Soul Master with a Shadow Leopard Martial Soul and a Power-Attack Soul Master with a Wind Blade Martial Soul.
Three Soul Masters and four Soul Venerables—truly the strongest team at this year's Five Elements Academy tournament.
However, Su Cheng had never seen the support-type Soul Master at the back, who appeared to be very young, during any of the matches he'd watched previously.
As for the other matches, since the Divine Wind Academy had maintained an unbroken winning streak and easily defeated its opponents, the type of her Soul Skill had never been revealed, shrouding her in mystery.
After both teams took their positions facing each other, the referee quickly walked to the center of the arena and called out loudly, "Both teams, line up and bow."
Su Cheng observed the opposing team's current aura and nodded to himself—this was exactly the effect he was after.
The Elemental Academy of today is different from the past. Although the elements remain singular, the directions of development are diverse.
Take the Divine Wind Academy as an example: the team members before him were all Wind-attribute Soul Masters, yet they were divided into different roles such as heavy attack, agility attack, control, and support.
How these individuals coordinate tactically isn't particularly important to Su Cheng; after all, they're still young, with a limited number of soul rings and soul skills, so their tactical flexibility is somewhat limited.
However, the combinations of their soul rings and soul skills—as well as the synergies they create with one another—are well worth his study and emulation.
Especially their soul rings.
Having grasped the true nature of soul rings, Su Cheng was even more eager to see the research achievements of these academies.
Combined with the effects of the Eye of True Vision, today's match was less a battle and more an opportunity for him to learn from others.
"It's you!"
When Feng Xiaotian saw that the person leading the Tiandou Royal Academy team onto the field today was none other than Su Cheng, his expression instantly turned grave.
He stared intently at Su Cheng and said in a deep voice, " "I'm twenty-four years old. My awakened Soul Skill is the Innate Full-Soul-Power Mutant Martial Soul, the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf, and I'm currently at Level 44. I know you're strong, but our team isn't necessarily going to lose to you."
"Feng Xiaotian, I know who you are," Su Cheng nodded. "Let's fight first and see."
Over the past few days, he'd watched quite a few battles from the Elemental Academy from the stands and was quite impressed with Feng Xiaotian's talent—it was just a shame he'd chosen the wrong development path.
But there was no point in dwelling on it now; many things would have to wait until the tournament was over.
"You may release your Martial Souls now."
The referee's voice rang out once more. In an instant, a flash of light illuminated the arena.
A series of Martial Souls—Wolf Shadow, Leopard Shadow, Wind Blade, Phoenix Butterfly, and others—appeared one after another.
However, when it came to that final support-type Soul Master, it seemed as though only a gentle breeze brushed past him—no other unusual phenomena occurred.
A gleam flashed in Su Cheng's eyes as he instantly understood. "So it's that kind of Martial Soul. Interesting." "
After summoning their martial souls, the members of the Divine Wind Academy team quickly formed their formation.
Two offensive-type soul masters stood at the very front of the formation, their positions slightly offset from one another.
The Control-type Soul Master possessing the Wind Soul Grass stood in the center, with three Agility-Attack-type Soul Masters flanking him on either side, while the Support-type Soul Master remained at the rear of the formation.
Suddenly, Feng Xiaotian, standing at the very front, let out a long, piercing howl, and a faint blue light surged forth from his body.
As the blue light surged, his body underwent a noticeable transformation. Accompanied by the cracking sound of his bones, his muscles and bones swelled simultaneously, and his frame grew significantly larger.
The long hair on his head also turned blue, and a wolf's head emerged from his left shoulder.
The blue wolf's head glared menacingly at Su Cheng, and a chill emanated continuously from its mouth.
On Su Cheng's side, the earlier scene repeated itself: while the other six retreated rapidly as they unleashed their Martial Souls, only Su Cheng, sword in hand, stepped forward.
But this time, the others retreated even farther, almost reaching the very edge of the arena.
"The match begins!"
At the referee's signal, members of both teams sprang into action simultaneously.
Su Cheng's teammates didn't hesitate; they all leaped off the stage and quickly retreated from the competition area, leaving Feng Xiaotian and the others momentarily stunned.
Su Cheng didn't really want to do this either.
But he had no choice—if his teammates stayed on the stage, they would get in the way, create chaos, and interfere with his ability to assess the others' Soul Skill combinations.
After all, this wasn't the opening match; there were many things he didn't need to overthink.
Fortunately, the Kamikaze Academy team members possessed strong combat discipline; they didn't let this unexpected situation affect their composure—if anything, they became even more cautious.
They had all witnessed what happened in the first match and dared not let their guard down for a moment.
The next moment, fine blades of grass rapidly spread across the ground.
A gentle breeze carried a surge of yellow sand, instantly disrupting and scattering the air currents around Su Cheng's body.
This had a slight effect on his perception and speed.
Su Cheng's eyes flickered—it was the Control-type Soul Master standing in the center.
This wind-attribute field-control skill was quite interesting; it was somewhat similar to a domain.
Although its restrictive capabilities aren't particularly strong at the moment, it has tremendous potential for future growth.
When it comes to developing and utilizing soul techniques, there are truly masters at Shenfeng Academy.
After giving it some thought, Su Cheng also unleashed his Five Elements Realm, though he did not utilize its suppressing effects.
He used it solely as a sensory aid to help him perceive the effects of his opponent's Soul Skills more clearly.
At the same time, a faint golden glow emanated from the vertical line between his eyebrows.
The Eye of True Vision began to operate at a reduced capacity, granting the ability to see through illusions and providing partial true vision.
This state placed very little strain on his mental energy; given his current mental strength, he could maintain it for several hours without any issues.
"A Domain?!"
Feng Xiaotian and the others instantly sensed a subtle change in their surroundings and were immediately startled.
But they soon realized that although this was a Domain, it did not impose any attribute-based or status-based suppression on them; it seemed to merely enhance their perception, effectively neutralizing the Wind Soul Grass's crowd control effects.
Su Cheng's domain emitted only minimal energy fluctuations, and the phenomenon surrounding his Soul Bone was equally unremarkable; aside from those on the arena, the vast majority of the audience remained completely unaware.
It was just strange that Su Cheng hadn't used that terrifying sword technique from before this time.
But the powerful figures in the VIP section all wore serious expressions at that moment.
"What a mature command of the Domain," Ning Fengzhi murmured, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"He's already completed at least two advancements." " Chen Xin, sitting beside him, nodded with certainty. "It's almost on par with the domain bonus granted by the True Form of a Martial Soul."
This time, he didn't miss the opportunity to come watch the match—after all, it wasn't far from the Qibao Liuli Sect's mountain gate.
And even if he couldn't see Su Cheng's battle, it was still great to watch Ning Rongrong's current performance.
"Take your time watching. Cheng'er probably won't finish the fight anytime soon."
On the arena.
As the battle began, Feng Xiaotian's body accelerated almost instantly, charging straight toward Su Cheng.
A streak of green light trailed behind him, moving at an incredible speed—even outpacing the Agility-Attack Soul Masters behind him.
At the same time, his first Soul Ring lit up, and sharp wolf claws sprang from his palms as his piercing, merciless gaze locked onto Su Cheng.
Before he even reached Su Cheng, the wolf claws had already struck out.
Ten semicircular wind blades, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, closed in on the escape routes all around Su Cheng.
The first soul skill of the Swiftwind Demon Wolf soul spirit is typically a wind blade, but for Feng Xiaotian, who possesses the Swiftwind Two-Headed Wolf soul spirit, his first soul skill is the Wind Blade Formation.
The tenfold increase in number alone shows just how much stronger his first soul skill is compared to that of an ordinary Swift Wind Demon Wolf Soul—this is the inherent advantage of a high-tier Soul.
The moment he lunged forward, the other members of the Divine Wind Team sprang into action as well.
The Elemental Academy now possesses a diverse array of combat tactics and is in no way inferior to typical balanced-style teams.
With the Wind Chime Bird Soul Spirit manifesting within him, the Agility-Attack-type Soul Master circling in the sky unleashed gusts of gale-force winds, further restricting Su Cheng's room to maneuver.
The strongest Shadow Leopard Soul Master remained on the outer flank of the team, near the edge of the arena, biding his time.
Empowered by his domain, Su Cheng had a clear view of every opponent's movements; no external distractions could affect him in the slightest.
It was exactly as Chen Xin had said.
This time, he didn't unleash his full power right from the start.
His goal was to observe how his opponents used their soul rings and soul skills—especially the subtleties of combining laws and attributes when constructing soul rings—so he wasn't in a hurry.
The third soul ring on his foot lit up, activating the soul ring skill "Fractal Shadow."
Following the upgrade of his soul rings and the enhancement of his own cultivation, this soul skill could now split into seven sword shadows, each possessing ninety percent of the original Eternal Life Sword's power.
" Sword Six: Sword Control Form."
Using a secret technique that allowed him to control them simultaneously, five sword shadows slashed out from different directions, intercepting the five opponents—excluding the Control-type and Support-type Soul Masters.
The remaining two sword shadows guarded his sides, locking onto Feng Xiaotian directly ahead.
Barring any surprises, the opponent should have a follow-up move.
Seeing his approach, the audience couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.
Logically speaking, the first targets to eliminate at this point should be the control-type Soul Masters who dominate the battlefield and the support-type Soul Masters who provide buffs.
Given such powerful Soul Skills and those formidable sword shadows, why give the opponent another chance to cast their Soul Skills?
It was the same on the first day—in the end, the only one left on the stage was that support-type Soul Master from Shrek Academy.
Is this confidence or arrogance?
Whether it was confidence or arrogance, the audience couldn't tell, but at that moment, Feng Xiaotian—standing face-to-face with Su Cheng—felt a chill creeping through his heart.
In the face of those eyes shimmering with a faint golden glow, it seemed as though none of his movements held any secrets; he felt as though his every move had been completely read.
After all, the Swiftwind Two-Headed Wolf Martial Soul is no ordinary ability.
The advantages of having two heads allowed him to balance brute force with agility, leaving no weaknesses in speed, offense, or defense.
Even so, he sensed that this attack would likely end in failure.
Sure enough, faced with his wind blades, Su Cheng showed absolutely no intention of dodging.
The sword's shadow, though released later, arrived first; with a single slash, it had already shattered the wind blades into pieces.
Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth and continued charging forward, bracing against the sword's onslaught, ready to attempt the same attack again at close range.
Just then, a calm voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. It's best not to use the same skill twice."
Su Cheng didn't want to waste time on him.
This wind blade skill was pointless—even as a mutated skill, it was no different.
At that moment, his attention was focused more on the Control-type and Support-type Soul Masters.
He was already prepared to take care of the others.
"..."
A chill ran through Feng Xiaotian's heart, and the mental pressure surged suddenly.
He felt the oppressive force emanating from the sword shadow before him intensify severalfold in an instant, preventing him from taking even a single step forward.
The opponent hadn't even exerted any force before!
"Huff…"
Feng Xiaotian's expression grew even more serious, and he abandoned his previous plan.
Immediately afterward, a pair of massive green wings unfurled from his back.
At the same time, a green glow coalesced behind him, taking the form of the Swiftwind Two-Headed Wolf.
Set against the backdrop of that vast, dazzling light, Feng Xiaotian soared into the air; with just a single flap of his wings, his body shot straight up to a height of fifty meters above the ground.
Su Cheng glanced up and instantly understood his opponent's intentions.
Although flight skills were of little use to him, he had no intention of interrupting his opponent's soul skill.
Instead, he turned his attention to the others.
Feng Xiaotian gently spread his wings in the air, gazing down at Su Cheng below.
"I know you're strong, but I still have a self-created soul skill up my sleeve! It's called the 'Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes,' but I'm afraid you won't dare let me build up my power to finish it."
Originally, he hadn't thought he'd be able to unleash this soul skill.
Given the strength Su Cheng had displayed on the very first day, he could easily interrupt this self-created soul skill of his.
A 'Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes' that couldn't be fully charged simply couldn't unleash much power.
But judging by Su Cheng's demeanor, he seemed to have other ideas—so perhaps this would give him a chance to unleash his full power.
He immediately began testing the waters with his words.
Su Cheng gave a slight smirk and said casually, "A clumsy attempt at goading. Go ahead and show me what you've got—let me see for myself."
The moment Feng Xiaotian uttered the words "self-created soul technique," a stir immediately swept through the audience.
Self-created soul techniques are rare, and those capable of creating them are invariably individuals of extraordinary talent. In the opening match on the first day, Su Cheng had already demonstrated a self-created sword technique that astonished everyone.
And today, another soul master was actually preparing to unleash a self-created soul technique.
It seems the upcoming match is bound to be incredibly exciting.
Su Cheng paid no attention to the commotion in the stands.
In the blink of an eye, he had already begun to unleash his power.
Let's get rid of these useless guys first.
In the blink of an eye, the other Agility-Attack and Power-Attack Soul Masters instantly sensed that the rhythm of the sword's attacks before them had completely changed!
The sword shadows, which they had previously managed to barely parry, suddenly increased their attack speed severalfold, making it impossible to keep up.
Under the sudden, intensified onslaught of these four sword-blade clones, they were cut off the field in a single stroke—even after unleashing all their Soul Skills.
Shortly after, the Control-type Soul Master followed suit.
In the blink of an eye, the battle scene—which had been somewhat tense just moments ago—underwent a dramatic reversal.
In the next moment, aside from Su Cheng, only Feng Xiaotian and that support-type Soul Master remained on the entire arena for the Shenfeng Academy team.
The audience was left speechless.
The entire Battle Soul Arena fell silent instantly, leaving the competitors still battling on the other stages momentarily bewildered.
Interestingly, though, that support-type Soul Master—who looked so beautiful and innocent—was pale from excessive Soul Power depletion, yet she didn't seem nervous at all. Instead, she looked at Su Cheng with a face full of curiosity.
I was planning to finish writing this match, but it looks like that's going to be a stretch. Don't hold your breath for the next chapter—I'm not sure when it'll be posted.
——
Also, a quick explanation.
Tang San's complaints in the previous chapter come directly from his original words to Dugu Bo after his match against Shui Bing'er. This is taken from Chapter 107 of the original novel; interested readers can compare it for themselves.
Additionally, the content regarding Twin Martial Souls analyzed by Yu Xiaogang comes from Chapters 5 and 80 and is entirely consistent with the original novel's settings.
Fans who meticulously examine the original novel can take a break; if you want to nitpick, please compare it with the original text first.
I really don't want to add footnotes in this chapter, as it might disrupt the reading experience for readers who don't check the comments.
But there are always people in the comments section being a nuisance, shouting about this "plot hole" or that "plot hole." If you care so much about the canon, why don't you just go read the original work a few more times yourself?
_______________
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