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*****
Upon Tang San's signal, Ye Lingling rushed over to heal Xie Yue, preventing any lasting injuries that could sour the relations between the two academies.
...
"That kid's physical prowess is impressive," Bibi Dong commented, noting Xiao Wu's strength. It wasn't just her ample soul power; it was also the sheer toughness of her body. Only Tang San surpassed her in terms of overall strength, and she might even outdo him in flexibility.
The Soft Boned Rabbit's flexibility was evident in Xiao Wu.
Yet, something about her long braid seemed oddly familiar.
Bibi Dong pondered this but eventually shook her head, dismissing the thought. "There's no aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. It must be a coincidence... Huo Yuhao also didn't show signs of being a soul beast until he revealed his true form, but he was originally human... wasn't he?"
Compared to others, Bibi Dong had a better grasp of Huo Yuhao's situation, but this only made her more confused. Why would a human turn into a soul beast? Could it be because of that million-year-old Iceworm? If soul beasts could take human form, could humans transform into soul beasts? This world could be pretty crazy...
...
"Tian Dou Royal Academy, Xiao Wu wins," Chrysanthemum Douluo announced, then said, "Spirit Hall Team, please send your third participant."
A Soul Ancestor stepped into the arena.
Hu Liena, observing from the sidelines, planned to assess Xiao Wu's strength further to identify her weaknesses for a decisive strike.
The Tian Dou Royal Team had many formidable fighters, with Yu Tianheng and Huo Wu both capable of fighting above their level, even challenging opponents a whole rank higher.
The Golden Generation had high soul power but lacked the innovative self-created soul skills that some of these geniuses had developed.
Xiao Wu, who had grown up alongside Tang San and received much of his guidance, was likely the second-strongest in Tian Dou Royal Team, right after Tang San.
In the earlier preliminary rounds and the first few matches, Xiao Wu hadn't shown much of her abilities. Today, she wasn't likely to stop at just one match.
As expected, Xiao Wu didn't leave after winning one round. She continued to challenge and swiftly defeated four Spirit Hall Soul Ancestors in succession.
Unlike against Xie Yue, Xiao Wu didn't use any soul skills against these four; she relied solely on the speed advantage from her spirit attachment.
Tang San had trained her as an assassin, teaching her where to strike for maximum impact, including which body parts and pressure points would render an opponent helpless.
Thus, defeating four Soul Ancestors in a row didn't seem to require much soul power from Xiao Wu.
To the spectators, it looked like Xiao
Wu was merely striking certain parts of the body with light force, yet the Spirit Hall team members fell as if their energy was drained, their cries of pain and trembling suggesting the impacts were severe. Some even lost consciousness.
It almost felt like a rigged match.
If it weren't for the fact that this was the Spirit Hall team, with most spectators being from Spirit City and the current Pope, the emperors of both great empires, and various judges in attendance, the audience might have rioted for a refund.
"Uncle Sword, do you know what technique Xiao Wu is using?" Ning Fengzhi asked Sword Douluo, puzzled by the outcome.
"She's striking certain weak points on the body; a few, I understand," Sword Douluo replied thoughtfully, making a sword-like gesture with his fingers and pressing against his own body at the points Xiao Wu had targeted. "Those areas can disrupt soul power and cause muscle spasms, but there are some spots I don't fully understand..."
Sword Douluo grimaced as a surge of soul power ricocheted within him, quickly steadying himself. "Those other points might affect the flow of soul power or cause chaotic energy within the body."
"This requires a deep understanding of human anatomy."
"So, Tang San taught her?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Sword Douluo nodded, his guess accurate.
Xiao Wu's attacks targeted various pressure points on the human body. The Xuantian Treasure Record contained a detailed chart of these points, not primarily for cultivating Xuantian Gong but to guide Tang Clan disciples in targeting enemies with concealed weapons for precise attacks.
Though Tang San didn't inherit the art of creating or using hidden weapons, he could deduce the effects of striking these pressure points and passed this knowledge to Xiao Wu for use in combat.
Additionally, understanding the body's pressure points was invaluable for Xiao Wu's side interest in medical research, benefiting her in multiple ways.
To the audience, however, Xiao Wu's methods seemed mysterious.
Achieving such precise effects required exceptional control over her soul power, ensuring her strikes were both powerful and carefully directed at the right pressure points.
Additionally, using different soul powers with incompatible attributes could lead to significant damage. If Xiao Wu's soul power didn't harmonize with her opponents', the impact could be more severe.
"You're the last one left, Spirit Hall team's final member, Hu Liena," Xiao Wu called, waving for Hu Liena to step forward.
"Breath in... and out..." Hu Liena took a deep breath to calm herself.
Xiao Wu had fought five matches in a row. Other than the fight against her brother, Xie Yue, where she used her first, fourth, and fifth soul skills, Hu Liena had no clue what techniques Xiao Wu had used in the other four matches.
"The battle begins," Chrysanthemum Douluo announced before jumping off the stage, leaving the field to the two women.
"You look a bit nervous," Xiao Wu said with one hand on her hip while the other played with her scorpion-tail braid. The golden dagger tied to the end spun quickly, creating a blurred afterimage.
Xiao Wu's casual demeanor made Hu Liena feel belittled, and she couldn't help but retort, "Isn't that weapon tied to your hair?"
"It is, but I didn't use it against your brother. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted a round against me." Xiao Wu continued to swing her braid nonchalantly. "This is a tournament, so we can't use lethal moves; otherwise, he wouldn't have had time to receive medical treatment..."
Hu Liena launched herself at Xiao Wu before she could finish her sentence, her soul power transforming into a pink mist that spread across the arena.
"Hmm?" Xiao Wu leaned back to avoid Hu Liena's pounce, then performed a backflip, using her waist bow technique to flip Hu Liena, catching her with her legs and pinning her to the ground.
Xiao Wu landed on Hu Liena's waist, securing her wrists and holding her down.
"Not bad for a fox, but eating this rabbit won't be so easy." Xiao Wu chuckled, then quickly scanned the arena, sniffed the air, and sneezed. "Your soul skill creates a mist that blocks visibility, and if someone inhales it, their muscles weaken. If their willpower is low, they might even hallucinate. Oh, and it seems like you can regain some soul power from breathing it in, right?"
Hu Liena was momentarily stunned, almost forgetting to struggle. "You figured all that out just from a sniff?"
"What's so hard about that?" Xiao Wu replied, letting go of Hu Liena's wrists and standing up, stretching leisurely, leaving herself open to attack, as if she didn't care if Hu Liena suddenly struck back.
However, Hu Liena didn't retaliate, wondering if this was a trap.
Xiao Wu continued, "I've been with Tang San for years, and I've studied medicine. I know a lot about bones, internal organs, meridians, and pressure points. Plus, I've done extensive research on medicinal effects, and there are drugs with effects similar to your soul skill."
Hu Liena understood bones and internal organs, but meridians and pressure points were foreign concepts. She realized they were parts of the body, and for someone who studied medicine, manipulating those areas could yield unexpected effects. The four Soul Ancestors Xiao Wu defeated earlier had likely been incapacitated by attacks to their meridians and pressure points.
Perhaps Xiao Wu was even using those four for practice!
In this book's setting, the Douluo Planet isn't particularly large, about the same size as Earth, but the outer cosmic space is vast, akin to our universe.
The Divine Realm's concept of the universe, as described in this book, refers to the space overseen and controlled by the deities, comprising 108 planets.
However, this doesn't imply that the entire cosmic space containing Douluo and the Divine Realm is small.
In short, it's a matter of limited understanding due to differences in knowledge. The Divine Realm's gods, due to their limited scope, may not comprehend modern scientific concepts, seeing their dominion of 108 planets as the "universe," while other regions are seen as separate universes.
However, this does not mean the universe encompassing Douluo and the Divine Realm is confined. It's just a difference in perspective.