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"Has the soul resonance between Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai disappeared?" After learning of this matter, the current Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Leigao, sent someone to confirm Zhu Zhuqing's situation. It was discovered that her Dark Spirit Cat had indeed awakened the power of darkness, truly living up to its name "Dark," with a pressure level not inferior to their Dai Family's White Tiger.
However, obtaining the third soul ring can bring about such a significant change. What kind of existence is this soul beast named the "Dark Devil Evil God Tiger"?
"Father, since Zhu Zhuqing can no longer resonate with Dai Mubai, can the engagement be dissolved?" Dai Weisi asked. "After all, Dai Mubai is no longer qualified to compete with me."
"Then dissolve it," Dai Leigao said indifferently. "Initially, it was that boy who escaped on his own. Now that he has disappointed Zhu Zhuqing, no one else can be blamed."
Apart from the Dai Family's indifferent affection, more importantly, the engagement between the two is not widely known in the city, which helps maintain the Dai Family's reputation.
Secondly, Zhu Zhuqing's strength has qualitatively improved, and she is likely to inherit the position of Zhu Family's head in the future. In order to maintain a good relationship with the Zhu Family for generations, it is more beneficial to dissolve the engagement between them than to forcibly marry Zhu Zhuqing to Dai Mubai.
"Write a letter to that worthless boy, Dai Mubai, telling him that the engagement with Zhu Zhuqing has been dissolved. If he has any decency left, he should come back, go to the White Tiger Sect, and strive to become the next sect leader. You two brothers should each focus on your own responsibilities," Dai Leigao instructed. "If he doesn't come back, tell him to focus on cultivating, not to cause trouble. But also remind him to behave. If he dares to leave behind the bloodline of the White Tiger Clan outside, I'll disown him."
Since martial souls rely on bloodline inheritance, and Dai Mubai has already lost the ability to compete with Dai Weisi, in Dai Leigao's view, going to the White Tiger Sect is his best choice.
If he doesn't want to come back but dares to leave descendants on the Tian Dou side, then he shouldn't blame Dai Leigao for not showing any mercy.
A tiger does not eat its cubs, but Dai Leigao's only concern is his martial soul being the White Tiger.
In the royal family, there is no genuine affection.
"Yes, Father," Dai Weisi nodded, then asked about the visit to the Star Luo Royal Academy. "The students of this batch at the Star Luo Royal Academy are all very strong. Huo Wu, Yu Tianheng, and the newly appointed captain Tang San are all formidable. Should we keep testing during the exchange visits over the next six months?"
"Do you think they will reveal everything?" Dai Leigao asked in return. "Don't do what shouldn't be done. Find a way to defeat the teams of the Martial Soul Academy in the upcoming continental-level Soul Master Grand Competition. That's what you should do. The Martial Soul Hall has been suppressing the two empires for many years. Only by defeating their teams can you truly prove your strength."
"Understood."
Speaking of the Martial Soul Hall team, Dai Weisi's expression turned serious.
In the last competition, he also participated, but at that time, his soul power was low, he was not the captain, just a substitute player.
The Martial Soul Hall team gave him the impression of strong strength and good coordination.
Especially after Master Tang San's theoretical exposition, the coordination between the Martial Soul Hall team members became even more tacit. In the previous competition, the seven members of the Martial Soul Hall team, none of whom were Soul Kings, relied on cooperation and soul suppression to defeat the Star Luo team, which had a Soul King at the fifty-second level.
This made people realize even more the importance of self-positioning and cooperation among Soul Masters.
Moreover, with the diversification of the battlefield, the demand for Soul Masters' individual adaptability during cooperation has become increasingly important. Some Soul Masters who were once overlooked can now play corresponding roles. Sometimes, depending on specific battlefield conditions, those Soul Masters can even fight beyond their level and lead the entire team to turn the tide against the wind.
Therefore, both empires and major academies have begun to study team composition.
It can be said that in recent years, the strength and cooperation of Soul Masters across the continent have improved by more than one level. Especially in the next competition, among the top three favorites for the championship, it's likely that there will be strong Soul King contenders.
Especially the Martial Soul Hall, rumored to have cultivated a so-called golden generation, might even produce Soul Emperor-level Soul Masters.
To defeat the Martial Soul Hall team, it's easier said than done...
At this moment, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Guang Ling were familiarizing themselves with the environment of the Star Luo Royal Academy.
In a foreign land, facing an unfamiliar environment, Tang San naturally needed to understand the layout of various buildings here and establish the best escape routes in his mind, just in case of any unforeseen circumstances, allowing for an immediate escape.
Being cautious is the key to longevity.
Later, Tang San also planned to visit Star Luo City and establish an escape route plan there as well.
"Third Brother, were you here before?" Xiao Wu asked suspiciously. "Otherwise, why would the swimsuits you designed for me and Guang Ling be similar to what people here wear?"
On the beach by the riverbank that runs through the Star Luo Royal Academy, the swimsuits worn by those men and women were similar in style to the swimsuits Tang San designed for Xiao Wu and Guang Ling, which were used for wading (to prevent clothes from getting wet), and even more revealing.
"I've never been here before, but aren't swimsuits just those styles?" Tang San remained composed. "With this river here, it's convenient for you to practice wading in the future."
With that, Tang San went upstream along the river and found the waterfall over fifty meters high.
Rumble!
The waterfall, like a galaxy, flowed down from the mountaintop, continuously roaring, deafening.
As a result, there were no people playing around here.
Just like in the past life, those scenic spots were crowded with out-of-towners taking pictures and admiring them, while locals were already accustomed to them, even finding the sound of such waterfalls very noisy.
However, even though the waterfall was spectacular, there weren't many tourists daring to come here to admire it at the moment because this was the Star Luo Royal Academy, where ordinary people couldn't enter.
"What a spectacular waterfall," Guang Ling exclaimed.
"We'll be living and practicing here for the next six months?" Ning Rongrong asked. "It's impressive, but with such a loud noise, won't we have trouble sleeping at night?"
"Living nearby was my request. If you can't sleep, you can go back to the dormitory arranged for us by the Star Luo Royal Academy. Just make sure to come here on time every day for the training I arrange," Tang San didn't force everyone to stay with him. After all, cultivation is a tedious process, not like in novels where it's "enjoyable to cultivate."
Otherwise, Soul Masters would spend as much time as possible cultivating rather than seeking other forms of entertainment.
"However, Tang San is confident in making training a bit more interesting."
"That's good, otherwise the rushing sound of water might keep me up at night," Ning Rongrong sighed with relief, feeling that Tang San was very considerate of the feelings of others in the team.
"So how are we going to train? Are we still going to practice tree climbing?" Yu Tianheng had grasped some techniques for precise control of soul power, but surprisingly, his control over soul power intensity was not as good as Dugu Yan.
"Indeed, precise control of soul power needs practice, but we also need to train corresponding body balance," Tang San said, releasing the Endless Spring Grass, rooting it on the opposite bank of the river and underwater, then growing a bridge made of Blue Silver Emperor grass, thirty meters long.
It was a suspension bridge close to the water surface and very close to the waterfall, swaying with the river's flow.
Tang San jumped onto it, firmly gripping the Blue Silver Emperor bridge surface with soul power, causing it to sway, and said to Yu Tianheng, "Do you want to come up and give it a try?"
Yu Tianheng took the first step.
However, as soon as he stepped on it, he felt the ground beneath his feet was unstable, as if he could be thrown off at any moment. He had to work hard to stabilize himself and even condense soul power under his feet to try to grip the Blue Silver Emperor beneath him.
"Do you feel it?" Tang San smiled faintly, walking to the other end of the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge, exerting force from left to right, making the bridge sway even more violently. "This suspension bridge made from my martial soul, under the impact of the river water, is already swaying, and with our effort, it sways very violently. This not only exercises our body balance but also our control over soul power."
"Moreover, we can use this to compete against each other, to see who can throw the other off first."
"If you fall into the river, even if you can't swim, there's no need to worry because my Blue Silver Grass is down there and can send you back to the shore."
Having mastered some balance techniques, Yu Tianheng found it interesting and said, "Interesting. Captain, shall we compete to see who falls off first?"
"No problem."
Tang San chuckled and increased the intensity of the swaying, while Yu Tianheng also exerted force to maintain balance, making the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge sway even more violently.
In the eyes of Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, and others, Tang San and Yu Tianheng swayed back and forth on the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge, looking quite thrilling, but they were still smiling, not understanding what there was to be happy about.
In the end, Tang San proved to be more skilled and threw Yu Tianheng into the river, then the Blue Silver Emperor brought him back to the shore, soaking his clothes completely.
Tang San's clothes were also partially wet, unable to avoid all the splashes being so close to the waterfall.
However, after Tang San explained it, Xiao Wu and others found it interesting and gave it a try.
However, Xiao Wu and Guang Ling changed into swimsuits, making Yu Tianheng, Yufeng, Osro, and others blush, while Huo Wu, Ning Rongrong, Ye Lingling, and Dugu Yan were also wide-eyed in astonishment.
Traditional women like Blue Silver don't even need to be mentioned.
"Tang San, are your sister and your disciple always so open?" Ning Rongrong couldn't help asking. "They accepted the customs of the Star Luo Empire so quickly."
"Adapt to the local customs, as long as you don't cross the line," Tang San felt that as long as women didn't exceed the bottom line, they didn't need to pay too much attention to various etiquette norms for women on the Tian Dou Empire side.
The so-called nobility's grace and elegance are just a kind of restraint on women's personalities, just to please others! Being natural and easygoing is enough.
After all, they're not nobles or aristocrats.
However, the Star Luo side is a bit too open.
Can't copy everything.
After that, Tang San introduced other ways to play on the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge. It could be a one-on-many confrontation, a many-on-many confrontation, and because of the strong Soul Masters, multiple Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridges could be established, forming a net, allowing for volleyball matches.
Hearing Tang San's idea, Huo Wu asked Tang San to set up the competition venue, and they had a confrontation.
So, Tang San set up four Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridges on the river, each only two meters wide and five meters apart from each other.
Then, in the center of the river, a Blue Silver Emperor net similar to a fishing net was pulled out.
Tang San, Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, and Ning Rongrong formed one team, while Huo Wu, Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng, and Ye Lingling formed another team, with the others acting as referees and spectators.
The rules of the game:
Firstly, the ball cannot fall onto the river surface or outside the range of the Blue Silver Emperor, otherwise, it's considered a point lost.
Secondly, when hitting the ball, you can use one hand or both hands, but you cannot use any part of your body below the waist to touch the ball.
Thirdly, you can use soul power, but if you destroy the ball, you lose a point.
Fourthly, while hitting the ball, the opposing side can hinder by shaking the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge, but they cannot use soul skills, otherwise, they lose a point.
Fifthly, the team that reaches thirty points first wins.
Listening to these four rules, Huo Wu nodded thoughtfully and said, "It's a good idea. The first, second, and fifth rules restrict the scope of the game and the general rules. The third rule exercises one's own control over soul power, and the fourth rule exercises body balance, training the lower body, but not in a rigid standing horse stance because it requires hitting the ball, so it also trains flexibility."
"In this process, both sides need to pay attention to the ball and the opposing team members, training their visual acuity, reaction ability, and adaptability."
"If these were trained separately, it would definitely be very boring, but now, by hitting the ball, it adds a lot of fun... You really are something."
"So, best two out of three, shall we?" Tang San took out a volleyball the size of a head from his storage wristband, tossed it up, swaying the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge under his feet, affecting Huo Wu's movements. When the ball fell, he slapped it over.
The ball fell in Yu Tianheng's direction.
Just as Yu Tianheng was watching the ball, his body suddenly swayed, almost losing his balance.
It turned out that Xiao Wu was stepping left and right, causing the suspension bridge to sway violently.
"Whoa, this ball is tricky to hit." Yu Tianheng broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead, desperately following the movement of the Blue Silver Emperor beneath his feet, jumping up suddenly and hitting the ball back.
However, in the moment of jumping, Yu Tianheng was still influenced by Xiao Wu. When he hit the ball, the force was not applied to the center of the ball, causing it to veer off course.
Nevertheless, it managed to pass the net and head towards Ning Rongrong's direction.
Splat!
Ning Rongrong was about to go for the ball, but Dugu Yan on the opposing side shook the Blue Silver Emperor suspension bridge.
Both the ball and Ning Rongrong fell into the water.
Tang San could have used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to jump over and save the situation, but considering that this was just training and not necessarily about winning or losing, using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track would be a bit unfair.
"Yeah!"
Dugu Yan jumped up happily. "I have to say, this is really fun."
"Darn it!"
Ning Rongrong was brought back onto the suspension bridge by Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor, looking annoyed, and also took off her skirt, storing it in her storage soul guide.
"Wait and see, I'll show you how good I am!" With the continuation of the match, in the end, Tang San's team emerged victorious.
Although Ning Rongrong was relatively weak, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Guang Ling were all adept at controlling their Crane Capture Dragon technique, surpassing Huo Wu's team in both soul power control and balance.
Losing would have been strange indeed.
However, the commotion here also attracted other students from the Royal Academy of Star Luo, including Dai Weisi and others.
After witnessing the playing field created by Tang San and others, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun inquired about the rules of the game, finding it interesting, and decided to join in. They prepared for a seven-on-seven volleyball match against Tang San's team.
As representatives of Tian Dou, they naturally couldn't back down from the challenge posed by Star Luo.
With two teams comprising a total of fourteen players, all dressed in swimsuits and swim trunks, they engaged in a water-based volleyball match, swaying on the unstable bridges.
Almost all the idle students from the Royal Academy of Star Luo had gathered here, cheering for both sides as they seemed very interested in this form of competition.
"Xiao Wu and Tang San?"
Inside the Royal Academy of Star Luo, a twelve-year-old boy noticed Xiao Wu with her long braids and immediately recognized her, but his gaze was fixed on Tang San.
"Why is he here at the Royal Academy of Star Luo? Could it be that he joined the academy?"
Xu Xing furrowed his brow, a bit puzzled by the development of the situation.
"This Tang San really knows how to stir things up!"
"What is he doing now? Is he promoting modern sports on the Douluo Continent and organizing the Olympics?"
Two hours later.
The water-based volleyball match between Tian Dou and Star Luo ended, with Tian Dou Royal Academy's team of six, led by Tang San, "narrowly" defeating Star Luo.
Undoubtedly, this was deliberately downplaying their abilities to let the other side win.
"Ha-ha, a great game indeed, much more fun than ordinary volleyball." Despite losing, Davis laughed heartily because playing such a challenging game was truly enjoyable.
Moreover, he also noticed that this kind of competition could train a soul master in various aspects—body balance, soul power control, eyesight, reaction speed, and more.
Tian Dou Empire was truly full of talent.
"You're always welcome to challenge us from the Royal Academy of Star Luo." Tang San smiled.
"Looking forward to it."
For a moment, there was a sense of mutual respect between Dai Weisi and Tang San.
After Dai Weisi left, Huo Wu asked, "Why let them win?"
"We're guests on their turf, here for exchange, not to compete. It's about giving face." Tang San explained the principles of being a guest, indicating that they could compete seriously in official soul master competitions in the future.
Subsequently, many teams from the Royal Academy of Star Luo challenged the students from Tian Dou Royal Academy.
After a day of intense competition, Huo Wu, Yu Tianheng, and others were quite exhausted. After using soul power to grip the bridges, maintaining balance, and concentrating during ball strikes, they felt drained both physically and mentally.
Therefore, at night, they had no energy for any other activities. After eating, drinking, and freshening up, they went straight to bed.
As a result, the speed of their soul power advancement was much faster than usual, thanks to the physical training and enjoyment they experienced during the sports activities.
In my opinion, training through sports and ensuring that the trainees enjoy the exercise is an excellent approach. This way, the motivation for training remains high.
(End of this chapter)