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Battle Royale
Tang San never expected that after he published "The Advantages of Diverse Arenas," the Spirit Hall would create a "Douluo Continent" as the final competition stage, ultimately leading to the birth of a "battle royale."
Such a consequence!
However, to witness an "otherworldly martial arts battle royale" in Douluo Continent was quite touching for Tang San: something familiar, yet with a new twist.
"Let the battle begin!"
In this "battle royale," there was not only one referee, Chrysanthemum Douluo, but also Ghost Douluo. The two referees shouted together, giving significant recognition to the ten competing teams.
The captains of the four major academy teams, Tianshui, Blazing Fire, Thunder, and Kamikaze, looked at each other and had a tacit understanding not to attack first. Instead, they attacked the other six teams, preparing to clear out these academies that lacked strength fir.
However, while Divine Wind Academy challenged a team where everyone was a Soul Ancestor, another team attacked them from behind—likely the team facing Tianshui Academy.
Where was the Tianshui Academy team?!
Feng Xiaotian kicked a Soul Master with a Giant Bear Wuhun, then turned to look for Tianshui Academy. He heard Shui Bing'er laugh as she led her team into the icy snow region, smiling playfully. She said, "Sorry, Divine Wind Academy folks, the team we're fighting—Starwind Academy—has always coveted your position. Plus, they're fans of Tianshui Academy, so it's hard to deal with them."
"Damn!" Feng Xiaotian swore.
Although he was a Soul King and could fight fourteen opponents, the energy cost was high. He'd have to reserve his energy to face Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and Yu Tianxin.
"Change tactics, don't waste soul power. Just block and dodge to avoid being accused of passive combat. Engage with the other academies just enough to avoid suspicion," Feng Xiaotian calmly instructed his team members, altering their strategy while luring two teams toward Blazing Fire Academy.
"What are you doing, Feng Xiaotian?" Huo Wushuang's eyes widened as he coldly questioned him, "Do you want to start a battle with us early?"
"Come on, brother-in-law, share the load." Feng Xiaotian tried to smooth things over.
"Who's your brother-in-law?!" Huo Wushuang suddenly felt his sister made the right choice by not liking this two-faced schemer.
He thought about ignoring Feng Xiaotian and taking Blazing Fire Academy's team away, but would that make people think Blazing Fire Academy was afraid of Divine Wind Academy?
Faced with this dilemma, Huo Wushuang decided to charge ahead, intent on teaching Feng Xiaotian a lesson!
Meanwhile, on the Thunderclap Academy side, Yu Tianxin led his team straight to Canghui Academy, targeting their unique Seven-in-One Soul Fusion Technique: Seven Shura Illusions, knocking them out of the competition.
After all, such mind-bending illusions were best avoided...
...
Cooperation, alliances, betrayals, and backstabbing...
During this chaotic melee, various influential powers observed the strategies and tactics among the ten competing teams. While their plots were somewhat naive, the leaders of the major factions found the scenes oddly familiar—
Wasn't this a microcosm of the behind-the-scenes battles among the major powers in the entire continent? Though on a smaller scale and without any fatalities, the scenarios were strikingly similar.
Was this a critique of the open and hidden struggles among Douluo Continent's powerful factions?
Or was it highlighting how the Spirit Hall had transcended these power struggles, becoming an entity above all, towering over the world?
Ning Fengzhi glanced at Bibi Dong, then back at the "Douluo Continent," shaking his head quietly. "Whatever the case, it's not of much concern to the sects below the Spirit Hall. Those above level 95 in the Elders Hall, the Titled Douluos, basically don't bother with worldly matters, focusing solely on cultivation. This is the foundation of the Spirit Hall's dominance—having the most Titled Douluos on the entire continent."
At this point, only four teams remained in the "Douluo Continent."
As expected, they were Thunderclap, Blazing Fire, Divine Wind, and Tianshui, all from the Tian Dou Empire. The Star Luo teams had already been wiped out.
Emperor Xueye chuckled, stroking his beard, and said to Dai Legao, "Looks like my Tian Dou Empire's academies are more diverse than your Star Luo Empire's."
"Humph! At least my Star Luo academies take orders from our Royal Academy!" Dai Legao retorted. When it came to unified governance and administrative efficiency, his Star Luo Empire was more effective.
Tian Dou Empire?
The empire might boast a flourishing diversity, but each kingdom and principality governs itself. If these small countries grow too powerful, there might be thoughts of rebellion.
However, Dai Legao did concede that in the realm of soul master academies, the autonomy of these smaller countries leads to greater diversity in training methods.
Different Spirit, various techniques, an array of approaches—each with its unique flair.
What about the soul master academies in the Star Luo Empire? Though their training methods also varied, they were heavily influenced by Star Luo's military culture. Students enrolled in these academies underwent some degree of military training in the initial stages.
The goal was to prepare them to adapt quickly to the military environment and follow orders when war inevitably broke out!
In the Star Luo Empire, soul masters were essentially the army's reservists!
"Hmm, that's one point where we fall short," admitted Emperor Xueye. In terms of academy loyalty to the empire, Tian Dou's academies primarily served their interests, not the empire's. When they chose to fight for the empire, it was more because they hailed from the TIan Dou Empire and naturally felt a sense of loyalty.
Emperor Xue ye secretly wished Tian Dou could unite all the factions within its borders. It would create a powerful empire rather than relying on Spirit Hall to keep Star Luo in check while they slowly caught up, leading to the current three-way balance.
However, Emperor Xueye wasn't grateful to Spirit Hall. Apart from suspecting that Wuhun Hall had greater ambitions, he was also troubled by Platinum Bishop Salas in Tian Dou City. His arrogance was so extreme that even Emperor Xueye himself wasn't respected.
It was no wonder Emperor Xue ye didn't like Spirit Hall. Beyond his natural wariness of powers beyond Tian Dou's control, the most blatant reason was Salas' attitude.
No emperor could tolerate someone out of his control in his domain, especially when that person blatantly flaunted their disrespect.
Unfortunately, the Tian Dou royal family lacked the ability to unify all the kingdoms, guilds, families, and sects within its territory.
...
The battle royale ended with a total of seventy participants. The ultimate victor was Divine Wind Academy.
Thanks to his unique soul skill, Whirlwind Spiral Blade Dance, Feng Xiaotian defeated Yu Tianxin, Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and Shui Yue'er in their Spirit Fusion Technique.
Though this move left Feng Xiaotian exhausted, with his arm twisted from the effort, two Divine Wind team members still had about thirty percent of their soul power.
Divine Wind Academy's victory owed a bit to luck. Those two teammates, surrounded and taken down by Thunderclap's team, lay on the ground pretending to be dead until the very end, when they sprang up and ambushed the remaining players from the other three academies.
Was this a case of passive combat?
It was hard to say, as the two Divine Wind members claimed they had passed out and only regained consciousness at the final moment.
"The competition rules have quite a few loopholes," Xiao Wu observed thoughtfully.
"There are no flawless rules. Finding loopholes is easy, but I wouldn't recommend it. Ultimately, the organizers have the final say. To exploit a loophole, you need two key elements..."
Tang San raised two fingers. "First, the organizers must be okay with bending the rules or find it interesting; second, you must have enough power or backing to force them to agree."
"The first condition is easier to handle; you can attribute it to the organizer's magnanimity. The second, however, is more about coercion, which can strip the competition of fairness, turning it into a game for the strong."
"And for most people, finding loopholes in the rules is akin to gambling. If you win, it might benefit you. If you lose, you might even lose your right to compete."
Finding loopholes is a risky gamble, only justifiable in extreme circumstances, like when your life or the lives of your companions are at stake. Otherwise, Tang San wouldn't consider it. It would be irresponsible to himself and those around him.
"Weaklings look for loopholes in the rules. The strong move straight ahead and break them!" Huo Wu said confidently, her voice loud enough that Feng Xiaotian and his group likely heard her. She was clearly taunting and challenging Feng Xiaotian, suggesting that resorting to such tactics to qualify was beneath him.
Feng Xiaotian scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and said, "This has nothing to do with me; those two acted on their own."
"Excuses, excuses," Huo Wu replied, raising an eyebrow. She looked at Huo Wushuang and said, "Brother, it's a shame we didn't make it to the finals."
"It's fine; with you around, it doesn't matter whether Blazing Fire Academy makes it or not," Huo Wushuang said, not looking too disappointed. "Being able to fight on this 'Douluo Continent' is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
His sentiment was shared by the other six eliminated teams. For many of them, this was their first and last Continental Elite Tournament since most of them were around twenty years old, and the competition was limited to those under twenty-five. The tournament occurred once every five years, so by the next one, they would be too old to participate.
"Brother, where's your ambition? You'd be twenty-four at the next tournament, still eligible to compete," Huo Wu teased.
"I'd rather not," Huo Wushuang quickly dismissed the idea. "If I'm twenty-four, I'll likely be at the Soul King or near Soul Emperor level. How could that be fair to the others?"
"When did you start caring about other academies' chances?" Huo Wu seemed astonished, almost as if meeting her brother for the first time. "Were you replaced by someone else?"
"Come on, even if I were replaced, my martial soul wouldn't be, right?" Huo Wushuang laughed helplessly, revealing the real reason. "It's mainly because the family wants me to learn how to manage the clan and expand the herbal bath business. The opportunity will be given to younger family members."
Huo Wu nodded, understanding that Huo Wushuang, as the family's eldest son, had responsibilities unless he reached the Soul Saint level, where he could focus solely on cultivation and gain full support from the clan's resources.
Blazing Fire Academy wasn't as wealthy as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, where resources were abundant enough to support younger generations' training.
"Feng Xiaotian, you're quite the schemer, dragging everyone toward me," Huo Wushuang said, playfully grabbing Feng Xiaotian's neck. "If it weren't for you, maybe Blazing Fire Academy would have made it to the top four."
"Ow, ow, that hurts! Go easy on me!" Feng Xiaotian yelped in pain. "I need to talk to you about something that might give us all a chance to compete with the final four."
"Us?"
Huo Wushuang's interest was piqued. He told Huo Wu to wait, then led his group and Feng Xiaotian's group to meet the Heaven Water and Thunderclap Academies nearby.
"What's with all this secrecy? What's going on?" Huo Wu frowned, watching the four elemental academies huddle for a secret meeting. She was itching to find out.
"Maybe they're forming an alliance," Tang San suggested. "With only Divine Wind qualifying, they know they can't reach the top three. Even if Feng Xiaotian holds off the Star Luo Royal Team's Spirit Fusion Technique, the rest of his team isn't as strong as the five Soul Ancestors from Star Luo."
"How would they form an alliance?" Yu Tianheng asked. "Once the final roster is submitted, it can't be changed. Even if someone can't compete, replacements aren't allowed unless the roster was adjusted from the start."
"True, the roster can't be changed, but the academy's name can be." Tang San offered a possible solution. "They could reassign team members, change the academy's name, then switch it back after the competition. It all depends on whether the organizers would accept such a move."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes, saying, "I suspect the Continental Elite Tournament's rules are built on finding loopholes, then adding them one by one to close them."
Ning Rongrong nodded, "I think so. I heard my father say that the earlier editions of the Continental Elite Tournament didn't have this many rules."
Zhu Zhuqing agreed, "I've also heard something similar."
Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian finished sharing his idea with the other three elemental academies. "What do you think of my proposal?"
"Not much," Yu Tianxin replied coldly, "And if we win the championship, how do we divide the spirit bones?"
"I get why the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is so arrogant," he added.
The championship? Dividing spirit bones?
Feng Xiaotian wanted to say that they had no chance against the Spirit Hall team or the Tian Dou Royal team. Even if the four elemental academies joined forces, their best bet would be to aim for third place.
"Forget about the spirit bones for a moment. Don't you all want to fight against Tang San?" Feng Xiaotian asked, trying to entice them. "In the preliminary eliminations, we didn't get to face the Tian Dou Royal Team; in the qualification rounds, he didn't play and let his team shine instead."
"Once, when he first came to Tian Dou City, I met him and we fought. I lost, but he gave me some advice, and it was thanks to his guidance that I created my self-designed soul skill, Whirlwind Spiral Blade Dance."
Shui Bing'er had a different focus. "So, did Tang San also name the skill 'Whirlwind Spiral Blade Dance: Xiaotian Strike'?"
"Of course not!" Feng Xiaotian protested. "I admit he gave me some guidance, but I came up with the name myself. It sounds cool, right?"
Shui Yue'er sighed in relief, "I knew a low-key guy like Tang San wouldn't come up with such an exaggerated name."
Feng Xiaotian: "..."
What's so exaggerated about it? It's very descriptive!
"Anyway, back on track," Huo Wushuang interrupted, "I'm also eager to fight Tang San, but does the rule even allow for this? Those of us who were eliminated don't have much to lose, but if you at Divine Wind Academy get caught, you could be disqualified and become a laughingstock."
"I'll take that risk to battle Tang San," Feng Xiaotian replied, his eyes suddenly sharp and intense, displaying a predatory wolfish edge.
"So, you want us to hold off the other Tian Dou Royal Team members?" Yu Tianxin sneered, but to Feng Xiaotian's surprise, he agreed. "Okay, I'll join. I want to see what my cousin learned from Tang San that helped him defeat me in the qualifying rounds."
"However, remember that Tang San is my target. Whoever gets to him first depends on who moves fastest."
Feng Xiaotian extended his hand. "In that case, let's set up the roster."
Thus, the Divine Wind Academy team transformed into the following lineup, comprising seven members from four different academies:
Divine Wind Academy: Feng Xiaotian, Lu Renjia, Xiao Bingyi
Blazing Fire Academy: Huo Wushuang
Tianshui Academy: Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er
Thunderclap Academy: Yu Tianxin
(End of Chapter)