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*****
The day passed in a blur, and the second round of the preliminary knockout tournament was about to begin.
Including the recently reinstated Shrek team, a total of 52 teams were set to compete in this round, allowing for 26 matches to be played. If there had been an odd number of teams, the extra team wouldn't automatically advance. Instead, it would be drawn to challenge one of the advancing teams. If they won, they'd take that team's spot. If they lost, they'd be out of the tournament.
In the first match of the second round, Tian Dou Royal Team 1 was up against Canghui Academy.
Yu Tianheng's eyes narrowed. "Looks like there might be some behind-the-scenes manipulation going on," he said. "The Martial soul Hall seems eager to see more of our cards, and they probably want Canghui Academy out of the competition."
Huo Wu nodded. "Exactly. Our captain's hundred-thousand-year spirit ring really stands out, and that Hao Yuhao from Canghui Academy is quite the thorn in our side."
"But—" she continued with a smirk, "Isn't that exactly what we want? It gives us the perfect opportunity to teach Canghui Academy a lesson."
Xiao Wu's eyes gleamed with excitement. "We should actually thank the Spirit Hall for this. They did us a favor, didn't they?"
"Using such underhanded tactics to frame Tang San?" she added. "They're asking for trouble."
"For this round, I'll be sending in myself, Yu Tianheng, Huo Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo," Tang San announced. "These seven will represent us in the match."
"Why not me?" Xiao Wu protested. She had hoped to give Hao Yuhao a good beating.
"We have a lot of people, and I want to give everyone a chance to play. If it weren't Canghui Academy, I would have let Lan Yinzi take my place," Tang San explained, trying to consider everyone on the team.
"Fine," Xiao Wu replied, although she was a little miffed that she couldn't confront Hao Yuhao herself.
"Xiao Wu, it's not a big deal," Lan Yinzi chimed in, approaching her with a smile. "Besides, a lady should be more composed."
As Tang San's mother, Lan Yinzi was secretly hiding her identity but regarded Xiao Wu as her daughter-in-law. This motherly intuition, fueled by memories of her past life, suggested that if Xiao Wu were to become Tang San's wife, she should behave with a bit more decorum instead of being so—lively.
"Composure isn't everything. As long as you don't cross the line, a bit of openness and energy isn't a problem," Tang San said, reminding Lan Yinzi not to bring memories from her past life into her current one. Although Lan Yinzi hadn't revealed her true identity to Tang San, he had his suspicions about her true identity. With the help of Electrolux, he confirmed that Lan Yinzi was Ah Yin, and based on Electrolux's observations, her soul and body were not aligned.
"Soul possession," Tang San thought to himself, envisioning how the Blue Silver Emperor might have taken control of Lan Yinzi's body. This explained why she lacked the aura of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast—she wasn't truly at that level.
Perhaps the previous Lan Yinzi was a female traveler who stumbled upon the wrong place, with disastrous results. Now, she served as a vessel for the Blue Silver Emperor.
Regardless, the Blue Silver Emperor, even in its infancy, had retained its powerful bloodline. In the original story, even when it sprouted from a seed with only a few years of cultivation, it showed an incredible amount of intelligence. It could control leaves and interact with Tang Hao and the original Tang San in a way that other plant spirit beasts, even those with thousands of years of cultivation, couldn't manage. This was likely because the Blue Silver Emperor retained its original spirit, rather than being reduced to a mere spirit ring or bone.
This unique trait of plant spirit beasts might be why those who tried to directly absorb the Blue Silver Emperor without special safeguards found themselves at a disadvantage. Without the right precautions, they'd face a high risk of soul corruption due to the high-level spirit within the seed.
"He's got a point," Lan Yinzi finally said, acknowledging Tang San's reasoning. She knew she had gained her current state through questionable means, so she had little reason to argue further.
"Are we being too relaxed?" Ning Rongrong asked, watching Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Lan Yinzi. The dynamic among them felt less like a typical team and more like a family, with Lan Yinzi acting like a mother-in-law supervising her son and daughter-in-law.
"It's fine; we have our captain," Yu Feng quipped. "Hao Yuhao is bound to get crushed."
"True," Oslo added in agreement.
"Let's go," Tang San said with a soft laugh, leading Yu Tianheng, Huo Wu, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing down from the spectator stands toward the competition arena.
As they entered the arena, the crowd erupted in cheers. Although most of the audience in Martial Soul City were locals, their admiration for powerful spirit masters was palpable and without restraint.
However, if Tian Dou Royal Team 1 were up against a Martial soul Hall team, these same fans would surely be biased in favor of their home team.
Ning Rongrong basked in the attention, scanning the enthusiastic faces in the crowd with a grin. "Looks like we're pretty popular."
Huo Wu shrugged, appearing unfazed. "That's the privilege of being strong. Especially here in Martial soul City, where spirit masters are revered. As long as a powerful spirit master doesn't commit serious offenses, their lesser missteps tend to be overlooked or punished lightly."
At that moment, Chrysanthemum Douluo announced the arena for the first match in the second round.
"I hereby declare the location for the first match of the second round to be—"
"The Ice and Snow Field!"
As the arena transformed into a snowy landscape, the teams took their positions.
"Ugh, it's really cold," Ning Rongrong complained, rubbing her shoulders. "Captain, why did you propose the idea of having varied environments for the matches?"
"To make the competitions more interesting," Tang San replied, pulling an ice-blue feathered cloak from his white jade belt and draping it over Ning Rongrong's shoulders. "This cloak is made from Ice Phoenix feathers. It doesn't offer much protection, but it's great for keeping warm and won't be considered a weapon. I also heard that in the Extreme North, there's a rare fish called the 'Arctic Catfish.' Its body is covered in sticky threads, which can be woven into a net. Combined with Ice Phoenix feathers and crafted by skilled tailors, the resulting fabric, known as 'Fall Net,' is incredibly warm yet lightweight. Unfortunately, the Arctic Catfish is elusive and hard to find."
Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Thanks, San Ge."
"Don't mention it." Tang San then pulled out five more cloaks, turning to the others with a teasing grin. "Anyone else want one?"
Yu Tianheng hesitated. "Umm, no thanks. A little snow doesn't bother me."
Huo Wu, who relied on fire-based abilities, considered it, but then shook her head, knowing her flames would likely incinerate the cloak in seconds.
"I'll take one."
"Me too."
The Shi brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, accepted the cloaks without hesitation. Their Tortoise spirit was water-based, not ice-based, so they knew their mobility would be hindered in this cold environment. The extra warmth would be helpful.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, wearing her usual leather attire, blushed and accepted a cloak.
On the Canghui team, everyone but Hao Yuhao was dressed in their own cold-weather gear, made from Soft Boned Rabbit fur. This revelation sent Xiao Wu into a rage as she watched from the stands. "What? They're wearing Soft Bone Rabbit fur? Those bastards are dead!" she muttered through clenched teeth.
Once both teams were ready, Chrysanthemum Douluo announced, "Activate your Martial Souls, and you have one minute to prepare."
In an instant, a burst of colors filled the arena—yellow, yellow, purple, black, and red—the vibrant hues of soul rings. Even though this was the second time Tang San had revealed his hundred-thousand-year soul ring, its sheer presence still left everyone in awe.
"Captain, can your Infinite Grassland technique work in this environment?" Yu Tianheng asked.
"It can, but it'll be limited."
The underground structure of the Ice and Snow Field was complex, and the freezing climate made it difficult to control plant-based attacks. Despite the Blue Silver Emperor's resistance to cold, these conditions posed a significant challenge for plant-based Martial Souls.
"So—"
Tang San paused and then turned to Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had stepped back to the sidelines. "Judge, is it allowed to damage the arena?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo hesitated, glancing toward the VIP seats where Bibi Dong sat. Seeing her nod, he replied, "It's allowed. The rules don't prohibit spirit masters from damaging the field."
"And by the way, you can call me Ju Douluo."
He cringed at being called "Judge." If Ghost Douluo heard about this, he'd never live it down.