Chapter 102: "You've Already Been Surrounded by Me"
Star Emperor Hotel, inside the Shrek meeting room.
It had been a day since their loss to the Longcha Team, but for everyone, their mood hadn't improved in the slightest.
Wang Yan sat at the head of the table. His face, which usually held a scholarly air, was now severely haggard. His eye sockets were slightly sunken, his lips were dry and cracked, and his hands were clasped on the table, his knuckles white from the pressure.
Ma Xiaotao leaned against the window with her arms crossed. There wasn't a hint of color on her bright, beautiful face as she quietly gazed out at Star Luo City.
Ling Luochen sat in a corner, her long ice-blue hair hanging down and covering her eyes. Chen Zifeng rubbed his temples, his brow furrowed deeply, while Dai Yueheng sat opposite Wang Yan, as silent as a statue.
Compared to the defeated Bei Bei and the others, the mood of the regular team members was undoubtedly much worse.
After all, the others had fought and worked hard before losing, whereas they could only watch as the reserve team took the heat for them. Their hearts were filled with both guilt and shame, but even more so with a deep sense of powerlessness.
No one spoke. In the meeting room, only the faint clamor of the streets outside could be heard.
After a long while, Wang Yan took a deep breath and slowly stood up.
"Everyone, yesterday's defeat... was my responsibility."
Everyone looked up at him.
Wang Yan paused, his voice raspy as he said, "It was my error in judgment. I guessed the opponent's formation wrong. It was me; I led everyone into a pit."
Ma Xiaotao opened her mouth as if to say something, but he raised a hand to stop her.
"When we return to the academy, if the higher-ups want to hold someone accountable, I will take full responsibility." Wang Yan's gaze swept over everyone present.
"But all of you did well. You fought until the very last moment. It was my incompetence as a leader that dragged you down."
The meeting room went silent for a moment before Chen Zifeng was the first to speak. "Teacher Wang, you can't say that."
"We all know what our current situation is. The regulars haven't recovered from their heavy injuries, and the reserve team had to step up to fight. It was already difficult, and encountering a 2-2-3 tactic like that... losing is only normal."
Xu Sanshi nodded hurriedly. "Exactly! Teacher Wang, don't blame yourself too much. If you hadn't been so busy managing everything lately, we would have struggled to even take the field."
"That's right, Teacher Wang." Bei Bei also set down his teacup and said seriously, "Besides, haven't we not been eliminated yet?"
The others chimed in as well.
Wang Yan stared at them blankly, his eyes reddening slightly as he nodded heavily.
"Good... Good!"
He took a deep breath and rubbed his face vigorously with his hands. When he lowered them, a light had reignited in his eyes.
"Victory and defeat are common in war! As long as we take the championship in the end, Shrek's ten thousand years of glory will never be dimmed by this single loss!"
He paused and took a notebook out of his storage soul tool.
"Now, let me talk about our next opponent, Zheng Tian Academy."
Wang Yan looked at the notes in his hand and continued, "They come from the Dou Ling Empire and were a top-eight team in the previous competition."
Top eight... those two words made everyone's hearts sink.
"The captain is Ye Wuqing, an attack system Battle Soul King with the Golden Leaf Martial Soul."
"At the same time, he is the strongest individual in Zheng Tian Academy. His Soul Power cultivation should be nearing Rank 60. Like the captain of Double Star Academy, Zheng Xun, he already participated as a regular member in the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Competition."
"His strength cannot be underestimated. Additionally, Zheng Tian Academy has two other Soul Kings..."
Hearing that Zheng Tian Academy actually had three Soul Kings, the atmosphere in the meeting room became even more solemn.
A moment later, after finishing the briefing, Wang Yan looked up and scanned the group.
"You've heard all the information. It's fair to say that on paper, Zheng Tian Academy's strength is a significant step above Longcha's."
Bei Bei frowned and said solemnly, "If it's another 2-2-3..."
He didn't finish, but everyone understood his meaning. If they drew the 2-2-3 format, given their current situation, they would basically be doomed to lose again.
And things were even worse than that. Everyone couldn't help but turn to look at Wang Dong and He Caitou in the back; both of their complexions were quite poor.
Because of Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan's defeat in the first round, those two had practically fought with their lives on the line until the very end of yesterday's match.
Wang Dong had consumed a massive amount of energy and had already exposed his Twin Martial Souls. He Caitou had also overextended himself. Both were now carrying injuries; while not bedridden, they were certainly not at their peak.
"Wang Dong, how are you feeling?" Bei Bei asked softly.
Wang Dong's lips twitched into a smile that looked worse than crying.
"I'm alright. I won't die."
He Caitou was more honest. "Fighting another match is no problem, but if we run into another high-intensity 2-2-3 match, I might not hold up."
Silence fell over the group again. Suddenly, Ma Xiaotao looked at Ning Tian and asked,
"Junior Ning Tian, do you know where Lin Xuan went?"
At those words, everyone instinctively turned to look at the empty seat next to Ning Tian. Before the meeting started, Lin Xuan had left the Star Emperor Hotel for parts unknown.
Seeing Ning Tian shake her head, the atmosphere sank once more. Outside, the bustle of Star Luo City continued, but inside the meeting room, the heavy pressure made everyone feel a bit suffocated.
...
The next day, Star Luo Square.
"Round two of the round-robin stage, first match: Shrek Academy versus Zheng Tian Academy!" The referee stepped onto the Soul Fighting Platform, his voice carrying far through the amplification spirit tool, instantly igniting the atmosphere.
"Will both teams please enter the waiting area! At the same time, we invite both captains onto the stage to draw the match format!"
The spectator stands erupted instantly.
"It's here! Whether Shrek can redeem themselves today depends on this match!"
"The opponent is Zheng Tian Academy! Three Soul Kings! If Shrek loses again..."
"Shut up! How could Shrek lose two matches in a row?!"
"Yeah, and don't forget, Shrek still has regular members who haven't played yet!"
In the waiting area, the Shrek team filed in. Their expressions were calm and their pace steady, as if yesterday's loss had never happened. However, what hadn't changed was that it was still the same seven: Lin Xuan and his group.
Seeing this, everyone was bewildered, unable to fathom what Shrek was doing.
"What exactly is Shrek doing?"
"They lost the last match, and now they're facing an even stronger opponent, yet they still aren't putting in the regulars?"
"Could something have happened to the regulars?"
"That's impossible, right? Shrek is so strong, and they always have powerful experts leading them when they go out. What could happen?"
Discussions rose and fell. Although Shrek's long-standing prestige made the audience believe in their strength once more, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
On the Soul Fighting Platform, Lin Xuan and Zheng Tian Academy's captain, Ye Wuqing, stood facing each other. The referee presented the sphere containing the three-colored balls to them.
Ye Wuqing took the sphere but didn't act immediately. He looked up at the figure opposite him. There was no contempt or provocation in his eyes, only a pure fighting intent.
"Lin Xuan, if—and I say if," Ye Wuqing said word by word,
"If we draw individual battles next, I hope to fight you in the first match."
Lin Xuan looked at him without any change in expression, his tone indifferent.
"Fine."
Ye Wuqing was startled, then smiled with satisfaction. Both of them exerted force simultaneously, tossing the sphere high into the air.
The three-colored balls rattled inside, making a crisp sound. Tens of thousands of gazes from across the arena fell squarely on that sphere.
Finally, a small ball fell out of the hole.
Red.
The referee used Soul Power to guide it into his left hand while retrieving the hollow sphere with his right. He then held the red ball high, his voice infused with Soul Power echoing throughout the arena.
"Round three of the round-robin stage, first match: Shrek Academy versus Zheng Tian Academy. The format will be a seven-on-seven team battle!"
"Both teams, please prepare!"
In the waiting area, Wang Yan jumped to his feet, his tense expression instantly turning into one of wild joy!
"Seven-on-seven!"
Bei Bei let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair, as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Xu Sanshi slammed the table and stood up in excitement. Jiang Nannan's furrowed brow finally relaxed. Ning Tian looked at the figure walking back from the Soul Fighting Platform, and the worry in the depths of her eyes finally dissipated.
As long as it wasn't a 2-2-3, and as long as Lin Xuan could go all out, they had a chance to win!
In the stands, after a brief silence, an even more intense discussion broke out.
"A team battle! It's actually a team battle!"
"Shrek has a chance now!"
"Zheng Tian Academy isn't weak either; they have three Soul Kings..."
"So what if they have three Soul Kings? A team battle isn't decided by just one person! Shrek only lost the day before yesterday because of the match format! Don't forget, Lin Xuan didn't even make a move then!"
At that moment, the referee's voice rang out again, instantly igniting the anticipation of the tens of thousands of spectators.
"Will both teams' members please take the stage!"
In the waiting area, Lin Xuan slowly stood up. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, Ning Tian, and Wang Dong followed closely behind him.
Ning Tian walked beside Lin Xuan. She turned to look at him, a gentle smile appearing on her lips.
"Lin Xuan, today we can finally fight side by side."
Lin Xuan didn't look back, only offering a slight smile.
The seven stepped onto the Soul Fighting Platform and took their positions.
A mountain-shattering roar of cheers erupted from the stands. This was the most anticipated match since the start of the round-robin stage, and it was the first time Shrek's full lineup for this group had taken the field together.
Opposite them was Zheng Tian Academy, which possessed three Soul Kings and was far stronger than Longcha.
"Shrek!! Shrek!!"
"Lin Xuan!! Lin Xuan!!"
Amidst the shouting, the seven members of Zheng Tian Academy also ascended the Soul Fighting Platform.
Leading the way was the captain of Zheng Tian Academy, Ye Wuqing, a Rank 58 attack system Battle Soul King with the Golden Leaf Martial Soul.
Behind him was a pretty young girl, Yu Mengdi, a Rank 54 Battle Soul King with the Angel Martial Soul.
A tall young man followed closely behind, a faint purple light flickering in the depths of his eyes.
Tang Xiaolei, a Rank 53 Battle Soul King with the Purple Flower Bow Martial Soul.
Further back were two sturdy young men, Xue Lang and Yang Yifan, as well as a red-haired girl named Yaner, and finally, the homely-looking Shangguan Can with thinning hair.
Three Soul Kings and four Soul Sects.
A perfect configuration. Their average Soul Power far exceeded Shrek's side.
Ye Wuqing's gaze landed directly on Lin Xuan, fighting intent surging in his eyes. This was his second time participating in the Soul Master Competition as a regular member. He had seen many geniuses, but one as brilliant as Lin Xuan was a first.
Even in a seven-on-seven team battle, he would find an opportunity to face the opponent one-on-one in the upcoming fight.
"Match start!"
At the referee's command, both sides released their Martial Souls almost simultaneously!
On the side of Zheng Tian Academy, Ye Wuqing held his left index and middle fingers together, and a long, narrow, brilliant Golden Leaf floated before him.
Two yellow, two purple, and one black—five Soul Rings instantly appeared! His aura surged, like a sharp sword unsheathed!
Angelic wings burst open behind Yu Mengdi, enveloping her in golden light. Holding two golden longswords, she hovered in mid-air, her gaze locked on Lin Xuan.
Tang Xiaolei drew the Zihua Bow, the tip of the arrow flickering with a cold glint. Blood Wolf and Yang Yifan had their Martial Souls possessed, their muscles bulging.
Flames rose around Yaner, while a dark blue bell appeared in Shangguan Can's hand, the purple fourth soul ring shining brightly.
On Shrek's side, Bei Bei had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon possessed, surrounded by lightning! Xu Sanshi's Xuanming Tortoise Shell Shield expanded like a wall! Jiang Nannan had the Soft Bones Rabbit Martial Soul possessed, her figure light as a swallow! A spirit tool cannon barrel extended from He Caitou's shoulder, and incandescent light began to condense!
Then, golden thunder suddenly exploded!
Brilliant golden lightning surged from Lin Xuan's body like a living creature, crackling and popping in the air!
The four Soul Rings—purple, purple, black, black—slowly rose beneath his feet, the dazzling lightning casting his figure like a god of thunder descending upon the world!
But this time, there was something extra in his hand.
Lin Xuan brushed his right hand, and a long, copper staff, as tall as a man, appeared out of thin air.
The staff was plain and unadorned, but the moment he grasped it, it was wrapped and covered in golden lightning snakes, emitting a humming resonance.
This was the reason he had missed the meeting yesterday.
This staff was a weapon customized for himself; it didn't need fancy spirit tool functions or complex mechanical structures.
It only needed to be sturdy enough, have strong conductivity, and allow him to pour out his thunderous power without reservation; that was enough.
Ning Tian stood at the edge of the Soul Dueling Arena, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda resting in her palm. She took a deep breath, and her crisp voice resonated throughout the arena,
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile has a name—"
"First: Power!"
"Second: Speed!"
"Third: Martial Soul!"
Three streams of light landed precisely on her seven teammates! A forty percent boost to all attributes was instantly applied!
At the same time, the Soul Ring beneath Lin Xuan's feet lit up, boosting his lightning attribute by seventy percent!
At this moment, his aura had climbed to a terrifying level!
But he didn't act immediately; instead, he turned to look at Xu Sanshi, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
"Your turn."
Xu Sanshi grinned, his expression extremely excited,
"Alright! Coming right up!"
The fourth soul ring beneath his feet, that purple thousand-year Soul Ring, suddenly lit up!
Fourth Soul skills, Xuanming Displacement!
Immediately following, an invisible spatial fluctuation instantly enveloped the entire arena!
The next moment, Xu Sanshi's figure disappeared.
Replacing him was a bewildered figure from the Zheng Tian Academy team—it was Zheng Tian Academy's third Soul King, Tang Xiaolei!
A second ago, he had been holding the Zihua Bow, aiming at Lin Xuan; the next second, he found himself standing in the very center of the Shrek team, surrounded by Bei Bei, Lin Xuan, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, and Wang Dong, who was looking down at him from mid-air.
This was Xu Sanshi's Fourth Soul skills, Xuanming Displacement, which could instantly swap positions between himself and an opponent within a certain range. When used correctly, its effect was simply heaven-defying.
Tang Xiaolei's pupils constricted.
"What's going on?!"
Before he could react, Bei Bei's Thunder Dragon Claw slammed directly into him! The figures of Jiang Nannan and Wang Dong flashed from the sides! He Caitou's spirit tool cannon muzzle glowed intensely!
"Damn it!"
Tang Xiaolei didn't even have a chance to resist before he was submerged in the overwhelming attacks.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Soul Fighting Platform, Xu Sanshi's figure appeared out of thin air in the very center of the six members of Zheng Tian Academy.
"What is this kid doing?" Ye Wuqing turned to look at the smiling Xu Sanshi, his brow furrowed. He didn't understand what the point of doing this was.
A mere Soul Sect, did he really think he could hold them off?
However, facing Ye Wuqing and the others surrounding him, Xu Sanshi was not panicked at all. Instead, he chuckled cheekily and waved at Ye Wuqing,
"Bye-bye."
With that, Xu Sanshi disappeared again, replaced by a figure everyone was very familiar with.
Lin Xuan carried the copper staff on his shoulder, surrounded by golden lightning. He looked around, a faint smile on his lips.
The entire arena was deathly silent, and then, earth-shaking exclamations erupted from the audience!
"Holy crap!!!!"
Everyone understood!
Shrek's tactic was to use Xu Sanshi's displacement Soul skills to air-drop Lin Xuan directly into the center of the opponent's formation! Then, one versus six!
As long as Lin Xuan could hold off the six members of Zheng Tian Academy, once their side took care of Tang Xiaolei, the situation on the field could be completely reversed!
Seeing Lin Xuan appear here, Ye Wuqing's pupils constricted sharply. However, he reacted in an instant and immediately shouted sternly,
"Scatter! Everyone scatter! Increase the distance! Don't let him get close! All of you, go support the other side! I'll block him here!"
At the same time, he waved his left hand, and several golden leaves transformed into sharp leaf blades, shooting towards Lin Xuan!
Yu Mengdi flapped her wings and immediately ascended to a higher altitude. Upon hearing this, Blood Wolf, Yang Yifan, Yaner, and Shangguan Can immediately turned to rush towards the Shrek side.
Unfortunately, Lin Xuan had already moved.
His figure flashed within the golden lightning and instantly disappeared from where he stood! The next instant, he had already appeared in front of Yaner!
Yaner's pupils constricted, and she immediately wanted to release a Soul skills!
But Lin Xuan's speed was too fast—so fast that she hadn't even managed to condense her flames before the copper staff, wrapped in golden lightning, tapped her on the shoulder.
Violent golden lightning poured crazily into Yaner's body along the copper staff! She trembled violently, her cheeks instantly charred black, her hair standing on end, and plumes of black smoke rising from her mouth!
In the blink of an eye, this red-haired girl fell straight down, twitching uncontrollably.
"Yaner!!!"
Ye Wuqing was shocked! At the same time, the golden leaves shot over! But Lin Xuan's figure had disappeared once again.
The golden leaves passed through an afterimage and slammed into the protective barrier. The next second, Lin Xuan had already appeared behind Yang Yifan!
The copper staff was raised high, carrying the force of ten thousand tons of thunder, and smashed down fiercely!
"Stop!!!" With a sharp cry, a golden figure swooped down!
Yu Mengdi, holding the sacred twin swords formed by her First Soul Skill, barely managed to block Lin Xuan's copper staff!
"Clang—!!!" The deafening sound of metal clashing vibrated throughout the arena! Violent lightning collided with sacred golden light, exploding into a ripple of energy between them!
Yang Yifan was knocked to the ground by the shockwave, scrambling to escape, his face pale as paper.
He had been only a hair's breadth away from death just now; if Yu Mengdi hadn't intervened, that staff strike would have definitely killed him on the spot!
Yu Mengdi gritted her teeth hard, holding the swords with both hands as she stalemated against Lin Xuan's copper staff, her golden eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
How could this person's strength be so great?!
Lin Xuan looked down at her, the smile on his lips becoming more pronounced.
"Not a bad reaction."
Seeing Lin Xuan's smile, Yu Mengdi's heart gave a sudden jolt. Instinctively, she wanted to pull back and retreat, but at that moment, Lin Xuan exerted force, and with a jolt of the copper staff, he knocked Yu Mengdi back!
At the same time, he turned his body, swept the copper staff horizontally, and aimed directly at the rushing Blood Wolf!
Blood Wolf was scared out of his wits, scrambling to dodge, looking utterly pathetic.
The remaining five members of Zheng Tian Academy—Ye Wuqing, Yu Mengdi, Blood Wolf, Yang Yifan, and Shangguan Can—were now completely in disarray!
They finally understood one thing: Lin Xuan didn't want to hold them off at all!
He was a wolf in a sheepfold.
He wanted to take on all six of them—including Ye Wuqing and Yu Mengdi—and take them all out!
Blood Wolf and Yang Yifan had already been scared out of their wits and dared not even approach. Shangguan Can's hand holding the bell was trembling, and he had no idea who to release his Soul skills on.
Ye Wuqing's face was livid, his fists clenched tight, and the golden leaves spun crazily around him.
Yu Mengdi hovered in mid-air, panting heavily. That hard clash just now had caused her internal energy to churn, and her Soul Power consumption was massive.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan slowly straightened up as if no one else was around, resting the copper staff, which was wrapped in golden lightning, steadily across his shoulders.
He raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over the five people with ugly expressions in front of him, and said in a relaxed tone,
"Gentlemen."
"You have been surrounded by me."
In the rest area of the Sun Moon Team, Xiao Hongchen stood up abruptly, his heterochromatic eyes bursting with astonishing brilliance.
"Good!" he blurted out, his face full of irrepressible excitement, "What a line: 'You have been surrounded by me!' Cool enough!"
Beside him, Meng Hongchen turned her head abruptly, staring at him blankly,
"Brother..."
Xiao Hongchen ignored her, only staring fixedly at the figure on the Soul Fighting Platform who was carrying the copper staff on his shoulder and surrounded by lightning, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
On the Soul Fighting Platform, Ye Wuqing's expression was ugly to the extreme. He looked at Lin Xuan, at that face with a lazy smile, and suddenly remembered what he had said during the draw earlier.
—If I draw an individual match, I hope to fight you in the first round.
Now they were indeed fighting, but it wasn't an individual match; it was a team battle, and he, along with his five teammates, was being surrounded by this one person.
Ye Wuqing took a deep breath and raised his hand. The first four Soul Rings lit up one after another. His left hand turned completely brilliant gold, and there seemed to be plant-like veins in his palm.
Dense golden leaves shot out from his left hand, either transforming into sharp leaf blades, exploding into clusters of crimson-gold metal storms, or forming interwoven nets of golden leaves.
"Everyone, go all out!"
Yu Mengdi spread her wings wide, and the golden light surged again! Blood Wolf roared, his Martial Soul driven to its limit! Yang Yifan gritted his teeth and gripped his dagger! Shangguan Can's bell shook violently!
And Lin Xuan still stood there, carrying the copper staff on his shoulder, his smile unchanged, golden lightning leaping, coiling, and crackling on his body.
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