"W-What the heck?! When did Yaya's martial soul capable of replicating itself so much?" Ma Xiaotao muttered in disbelief, flying and flapping her phoenix wings in the air. Her eyes widened in astonishment at the waves of Dark-Blue Silver Grass growing and covering almost the entire arena in an instant.
It was all too sudden and unpredictable. Ma Xiaotao barely managed to escape by a hair's breath. She glanced around to find that Gongyang Ma and Xi Xi are the only ones who managed to escape; the latter managed to fly up while the latter was fast enough to jump high in time and is now on the thick vines.
"I'm sorry about this, Senior Ma." A familiar voice sounded from behind her, followed by the sound of electricity crackling.
"What?!"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened as she turned to see Bei Bei, his body surging with electric energy, his left dragonian arm crackling with blue lightning; his first soul ring. He wore a determined expression, his blue eyes focused and intense.
"Thunderous Dragon Claw!" Bei Bei softly muttered, thrusting his electrified dragon arm towards Ma Xiaotao; firing a violet-blue dragon claw made of condensed lightning about 4 meters wide and 2 meters tall.
"Shit-!" Ma Xiaotao's phoenix wings flared, enveloping her in a burst of intense flames as she tried to dodge the incoming attack. The violet-blue dragon claw made of condensed lightning surged towards her with incredible speed.
Bang!
The lightning dragon claw slammed straight at Ma Xiaotao, colliding with her flaming wings. The intense clash of elements created a dazzling explosion of light and sound, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Unfortunately, Bei Bei was still lower in cultivation than her and the soul skill wasn't too powerful, having done no damage towards her and only pushed her back a few meters. Ma Xiaotao steadied herself, her eyes narrowing as she refocused on Bei Bei, landing back on the ground.
"Not bad, Bei Bei," she acknowledged, her voice carrying both respect and a hint of challenge. "But you'll need more than that to bring me down."
However, to her confusion, she saw a hint of a smirk at the corner of Bei Bei's lips.
As she prepared to launch an attack on him, she saw her vision began to shift and a sense of vertigo overtook her.
"Ma Xiaotao, out of bounds. You're defeated!" Elder Xuan's voice echoed through the arena, cutting through the chaos.
"What?!" Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened in shock. She looked down to see that she indeed is out of the arena. But how?!
Her first thought was Huo Yuhao, he had a space control skill, but it was severely limited in range and she looked up to see that he was too far away to use his spacial skill. So who was it...?
"Whoever it is, I'm going to beat their ass and face until they're sorry!" Ma Xiaotao's voice echoed the arena with fury and frustration, looking completely serious on her words.
Xu Sanshi shivered, his back completely drenched in cold sweat as he tried hard not to look suspicious.
'Dammit brother Yuhao, Bei Bei! You two better help me out when she comes after me!'
"...It's over," Xi Xi muttered, looking at the red-faced Ma Xiaotao and the panicking Gongyang Mo, being besieged by Wang Dong'er, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao and He Caitou. She glanced back to see Huo Yuhao walking up towards her with Ning Tian following behind him.
"Looks like you juniors win, hmph." She said dispiritedly, a small pout forming on her lips as she accepted their victory with a mix of disappointment and resignation. Despite her competitive spirit, Xi Xi knew when to concede defeat gracefully.
She turned towards them and asked, "So, how did you plan this? Did you already expect this situation to happen?"
Huo Yuhao raised his eyebrows and chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't plan for this outcome specifically," he admitted, his expression thoughtful. "But I expected you all not to go after Tang Ya with everything that you guys got, and focused your attention on either me, Wang Dong and Ning Tian. Which is the reason for your defeat."
"See, Xiaotao knows that Tang Ya's strong, they've spared a few times after all, but all she knew was her individual strength; her Tang Sect techniques, soul skills and the powerful innate skill of her martial soul. However, she doesn't know about her capabilities in a group battle."
"Her martial soul is capable of producing many thick vines and while it's typically known that they have a certain limit according to the user's strength, Tang Ya's martial soul has mutated and comes with a special characteristic. Because of that special characteristic and Ning Tian's buffs, her Dark-Blue Silver Grass was able to overwhelm even three Soul Kings, an entire realm of cultivation above her."
"Add that her martial soul passively possess certain toxins, not toxic enough to kill Soul Kings mind you, so the ones that were caught under her martial soul will be immobile for a while until they get healed."
Xi Xi furrowed and asked, "But how did you guys get out of her rampage in time? Even if you timed your escape perfectly, Tang Ya's vines are incredibly fast. I almost didn't escape in time."
"We're just that good." Huo Yuhao grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
There was a reason why he had his teammates teamed up like that: Bei Bei knew the Body Flicker Jutsu and the Body Replacement Jutsu enough so that he and Xu Sanshi can dodge Tang Ya's vines, Jiang Nannan can react and jump fast enough due to her martial soul, He Caitou had a rank 3 Soul Flying Pack that lets him fly up to the air for a brief moment, Wang Dong'er can fly and is strong enough to carry both Xiao Xiao and Wu Feng.
For Huo Yuhao, he merely used Absolute Domain to teleport both himself and Ning Tian in the air.
Xi Xi wryly smiled as she listened to Huo Yuhao's explanation. It seemed their victory was a result of meticulous planning and precise execution.
"Your coordination and quick thinking saved the day," she remarked, impressed by their teamwork. "It's clear that you've all trained together extensively to pull off maneuvers like that."
"Haha!" Huo Yuhao burst out laughing while Ning Tian giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Senior, how could that be possible? This is the second time we ever fought together like a team, moreover, the first we fought together was greatly chaotic and disorganized."
Xi Xi raised an eyebrow, surprised by Huo Yuhao's response. "You mean to tell me that you improvised your strategy on the spot?"
Huo Yuhao lightly smiled and shook his head. "No, I had some help."
Ning Tian softly smiled and interjected, "Don't be so humble Yuhao. As they say, too much humbleness makes you arrogant. His quick thinking and leadership were instrumental in our victory. In fact, would've lost if it wasn't for him."
Xi Xi chuckled at Ning Tian's words. "Indeed, it seems you have a natural talent for leading in battle, Huo Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, a sheepish smile on his face. "I guess you could say that. But it's not just me; it's the strength of our team as a whole."
"Ahhhh!"
As they exchanged smiles, they heard a miserable scream in the distance. They didn't have to turn their heads to know it was Gongyang Mo, whose cry echoed across the arena. It was to be expected really, but they were a bit surprise that it took a while for him to be defeated.
Clap! Clap Clap!
"Well done, juniors. You won." Elder Xuan said, his voice carrying a tone of approval as he floated down to the arena without showing any emotion. "From now on, you all now carry the title of Shrek Monsters."
He turned his gaze towards Tang Ya and said, "Release your seniors. I have something to say to them and it's better that they hear it firsthand than after they recover."
Tang Ya tiredly nodded. She had exhausted a significant amount of her energy to summon and control the vast waves of Dark-Blue Silver Grass. If it weren't for Ning Tian's buffs, she would probably be knocked out on the ground.
With a wave of her hand, the thick vines began to retract, releasing the trapped seniors and allowing them to regain their freedom. Unfortunately however, Ling Luochen, Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan were still paralyze from the toxins of the Dark-Blue Silver Grass.
Elder Xuan's lips twitched and he called for Elder Li from the observing platform to come and heal the students. A middle aged man dressed in white stood up from his seat and stepped into the air and walked down towards the arena, seven optimal soul rings surrounded his body.
Without saying a word, he arrived before the students and his seventh soul ring glowed a black light, enveloping him in a radiant aura of healing energy. His body then begun to change immensely, gone the form of human, as he took on the form of his Martial Soul.
Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar - Tree of Life
Wooden branches burst forth from within Elder Li's body, intertwining and growing until they formed a majestic, towering tree. The Tree of Life glowed with a soft, green luminescence, radiating an aura of tranquility and vitality. The students watched in awe as the branches extended and leaves unfurled, each one shimmering with life-giving energy.
Elder Li's voice resonated through the arena, calm and soothing, as he invoked his healing powers. "Life's Embrace."
Green light cascaded from the Tree of Life, enveloping the injured and paralyzed students. The light seeped into their bodies, mending wounds, restoring strength, and purging the remnants of toxins. Ling Luochen, Chen Zifeng, and Yao Haoxuan felt a warm, comforting sensation as their mobility returned and their fatigue melted away.
Ma Xiaotao, still feeling pissy of her unexpected defeat, felt the healing energy reinvigorate her. She stood straighter, her frustration giving way to grudging respect for the juniors' strategy and Elder Li's powerful healing abilities.
'Amazing. It doesn't just heals one's body, but also mind and energy. I could feel both my soul power and spiritual power recovering at an accelerated rate,' Huo Yuhao thought, clenching his fist as he felt the invigorating effects of Elder Li's healing powers. He marveled at the remarkable transformation taking place within his body and mind.
Hmm. This just gave him an idea...
Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao and the others were quickly healed under the light of Elder Li, taking less than half an hour to be completely revitalized. The powerful healing energy from Elder Li's Martial Soul Avatar left everyone feeling better than ever, their strength and vitality restored to their peak.
As the light from the Tree of Life began to fade and Elder Li returned to his human form and he indifferently flew back to his seat.
"Thank you, Elder Li."
Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao and the others all expressed their gratitude to Elder Li for his healing. Elder Li acknowledged them with a brief nod before returning to his seat.
Elder Xuan cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Now that you are all healed and revitalized, I have something to announce to you all. Firstly, Huo Yuhao and his team will now carry on the title of a new generation of a team of monsters, as for the title of this new group, that will be up to either the group or to us elders if they cannot make up a decent name of the group."
"However, this new group of yours will be postponed of its official debut, until the end of the upcoming Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Tournament. I am sorry, but there is a good reason for this. Your seniors have not participated in the tournament, and it would be unfair to deny them the opportunity. Additionally, this gives your team more time to train and refine your skills even further."
Elder Xuan paused, letting the significance of his words sink in. The Continental Elite Youth Soul Master Tournament was one of the most prestigious events for young soul masters, a place where they could showcase their abilities and earn recognition.
Huo Yuhao turned to his friends, and seeing none of them objecting, he turned back to Elder Xuan and nodded in agreement. "Understood, Elder Xuan. We'll use this time to become even stronger and better prepared for the challenges ahead."
Elder Xuan's stern expression softened slightly. "Good. Your attitude is commendable. Remember, the strength of a team lies not just in individual prowess, but in unity and cooperation. Use this period to enhance your coordination and trust in one another."
Ma Xiaotao stepped forward and interjected, a deep frown on her pretty face, "Ah, but Elder Xuan. We're missing one member for the tournament."
"Hm? What are you so worried for? Don't you have ten reserve members to pick from?"
"Huh?"
Elder Xuan smirked. "Huo Yuhao and his group will still be coming with us as reserve members and substitutes. This way, they can observe and learn from the competition, and step in if necessary. Plus, it will give them the experience and exposure they need to perform better in future battles."
Ma Xiaotao's frown softened, replaced with a look of understanding and slight relief. "I see. That does make sense."
Elder Xuan nodded. "Good. Now, you can all go back. Pack up your things. Gather at the academy's entrance tomorrow morning. Were going to Star Luo City to take part in the tournament!"
.....
AN: Sorry for posting only one chapter last week, the internet got completely cut off for days. It hit multiple towns here in our province, which made it impossible for me post updates, new chapters and even access my drafts!
Btw, I didn't review this so there might be some mistakes. Sorry, I'm writing this late at night and my eyes are just so...
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