The next day, a new round of preliminary matches began swiftly.
However, unlike the opening match, five platforms were already set up in the main arena, with battles taking place on each one.
Su Cheng directly delegated the authority of scheduling and command, allowing the team members to allocate tactics based on intelligence gathered from other teams.
He himself strolled around, going to watch matches outside the arenas of the teams from the other elemental academies.
The audience couldn't spot Su Cheng among the team from the Tian Dou Royal Academy the next day, naturally causing some disappointment.
However, there was nothing they could do. This was not a performance; each academy had its own tactical arrangements, so such situations were normal.
On the other hand, other teams secretly breathed a sigh of relief at this sight.
They weren't hoping to eliminate the Tian Dou Royal Academy, mainly fearing that injuries during battles might affect future matches. If Su Cheng were to participate, to ensure nothing went wrong, they would have to choose to forfeit.
During this period, the matches of the Shrek Academy proceeded smoothly, earning quite a few points.
After all, Zhu Zhuqing's strength was evident, and in the absence of the Five Elemental Academies, the strength of other teams was not particularly high, with many teams not even having a Soul Ancestor.
Moreover, Tang San and the others were not weak, making it difficult for ordinary academies to gain an advantage under their cooperation.
Furthermore, the Shrek team didn't face the powerful Elephant Armored Academy as they did in the original timeline in their second match, thanks to "special treatment" from Salas.
Otherwise, with their current strength, they probably wouldn't have been able to defeat those turtle shells.
However, in the subsequent battle against the Blaze Academy, the Shrek team almost encountered a setback.
Due to not using the Immunity to Ice and Fire of the Immortal Herb, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was completely suppressed by fire-type attacks.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhuqing had previously used the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Glazed Body Refinement, allowing her to effortlessly handle the attacks from the Blaze Academy and carry the team alone.
Also, because this battle hardly had any effect, it further strengthened Tang San's determination to switch to training with the Haotian Hammer.
A few days later, it was finally Su Cheng's turn to take the stage.
This time, the opponent of the Tian Dou Royal Academy team was the Wind God Academy team.
He certainly couldn't miss this.
Among the seven members of the Godwind Academy team, six of them were roughly the same age, in their early twenties, with only the support-type Soul Master standing at the back of the team looking very young, seeming even younger than Su Cheng.
The person walking at the forefront was tall and handsome, with a smile on his face, looking very carefree.
This person was the captain of the Godwind Academy team, Feng Xiaotian, a Level 44 powerful assault-type Soul Ancestor.
Although still young, he already exuded the demeanor of a strong individual, showing no trace of his usual flattery.
Apart from him, there were two others whose soul power levels exceeded forty, one possessing the Shadow Leopard Martial Soul, a agility-type Soul Master, and the other possessing the Wind Blade Martial Soul, a powerful assault-type Soul Master.
Three Soul Ancestors, four Soul Elders; truly the strongest team among the Five Elemental Academies this year.
It was only the support-type Soul Master at the back who looked very young that Su Cheng had never seen before while watching the matches.
As for the other matches, because the Godwind Academy had maintained a continuous winning streak, the type of her Martial Soul had not been revealed, adding to her mysteriousness.
After both teams stood facing each other, the referee quickly walked to the center of the platform and loudly announced, "Both sides, salute."
Su Cheng, seeing the momentum of the opponent at this moment, nodded inwardly. This was the effect he wanted.
The current Elemental Academies were different from before. Although the elements remained singular, there were various directions of development.
Take the Godwind Academy as an example. The members of the team were all wind attribute Soul Masters, but they were divided into different positions such as assault, agility, control, and support.
For Su Cheng, the tactical arrangements of these people were not important, as they were still young and had limited numbers of soul rings and soul skills. Their tactics could only go so far.
However, the combination of their soul rings and soul skills, as well as the effects produced between them, was worth his reference and study.
Especially the soul rings.
After understanding the essence of soul rings, Su Cheng was even more looking forward to the research results of these academies.
Combined with the effect of True Vision, rather than saying that today's match was a battle, it was more like him learning from others.
"It's you!"
Feng Xiaotian saw that Su Cheng was leading the Tian Dou Royal Academy team onto the stage today and his expression instantly became serious.
He stared at Su Cheng, saying in a deep voice, "I'm twenty-four years old this year, awakened to the Innate Full Soul Power Variant Martial Soul, the Gale Dual-Headed Wolf, and now at level forty-four. I know you're strong, but our team might not necessarily lose to you."
"Feng Xiaotian, I know you," Su Cheng nodded. "Let's fight first."
In the past few days, he had also watched many matches of the Elemental Academies, and he quite favored Feng Xiaotian's talent. It was a pity that he had chosen the wrong path of growth.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Many things had to wait until after the match to be discussed.
"You can release your Martial Souls now."
The referee's voice rang out again. In an instant, flashes of light appeared on the stage.
Shadow of wolves, leopards, wind blades, phoenixes, and a series of Martial Souls appeared one after another.
But the support-type Soul Master seemed to have only a faint breeze passing by her side, without any other phenomenon.
Su Cheng's eyes flashed with understanding. "So it's this kind of Martial Soul, interesting."
The members of the Godwind Academy team quickly formed their formation after releasing their Martial Souls.
Two assault-type Soul Masters stood at the forefront of the team, slightly offsetting their positions.
The control-type Soul Master with the wind grass stood in the middle, while three agility-type Soul Masters stood on both sides. The support-type Soul Master still stood at the back of the team.
Just as Feng Xiaotian stood at the forefront, a sharp howl erupted from his mouth, and a faint blue light surged from within him.
As the blue light surged, his body underwent an obvious change. With the cracking sound of bones, his muscles and bones expanded simultaneously, making his body significantly larger.
His long hair also turned blue, and from his left shoulder, a wolf head emerged.
The blue wolf head had a fierce gaze, staring at Su Cheng, emitting a trace of chill from its mouth.
On the other side, Su Cheng's team repeated the scene from before, with all six members releasing their Martial Souls and quickly retreating from the stage, almost reaching the edge of the arena.
"The match begins!"
With the referee's command, both teams immediately sprang into action.
Su Cheng's teammates didn't hesitate, directly leaping off the stage and quickly exiting the arena, causing Feng Xiaotian and the others to pause for a moment in surprise.
Su Cheng actually didn't want this to happen.
But there was no way. If these teammates stayed on the stage, they would only be in the way, causing chaos and affecting his ability to feel the effects of other people's soul skills.
However, this was not the first opening match, and many things didn't need too much consideration.
Fortunately, the members of the Godwind Academy team had strong combat literacy and did not let this unexpected situation affect their mentality, but instead became more cautious.
The next moment, dense grass leaves quickly covered the ground.
A gentle breeze swept over the yellow sand, instantly disturbing and dispersing the airflow around Su Cheng's body.
It weakly affected his perception and speed.
Su Cheng's eyes flashed, focusing on the control-type Soul Master in the center.
This wind attribute control skill was very interesting, somewhat similar to a field effect.
Although the current limiting ability was not strong, there was great potential for growth in the future.
In terms of the development and use of soul skills, there were experts in the Godwind Academy.
Thinking about it, Su Cheng also released his Five Elements Domain, but did not use its suppression effect.
It was only used as sensory assistance to help him feel the effects of the opponent's soul skills more clearly.
At the same time, a faint golden light appeared on his forehead.
The True Vision began to operate at a low efficiency, adding the effect of seeing through and part of the real field of view.
This state consumed very little of his mental power, and with his current mental strength, he could maintain it for several hours without any problems.
"Domain?!"
Feng Xiaotian and the others instantly felt the subtle changes in the environment but quickly realized that although it was a domain, it did not exert any suppression on their attributes and status, seeming to only enhance perception, equivalent to suppressing the control effect of the wind grass.
Su Cheng's domain energy fluctuation was very small, and the phenomenon of external bone spirit was also inconspicuous. Apart from the people on the stage, most of the audience didn't notice anything.
It's just strange why Su Cheng didn't use the terrifying sword move he used before.
But the strong ones in the VIP stands were all serious at this moment.
"Such mature control of the domain." Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly.
"At least he has completed two advancements." Sitting beside him, Chen Xin nodded affirmatively. "It's almost comparable to the domain bonus under the Martial Soul True Body state."
This time, he didn't miss it, and came to watch the match, as it was not far from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's gate.
And even if he couldn't see Su Cheng's battle, it was good to see how Ning Rongrong was doing now.
"Take your time to watch. Cheng'er probably won't end the battle quickly."
On the stage.
As the battle began, Feng Xiaotian's body almost instantly accelerated, rushing towards Su Cheng.
A faint blue light surged behind him, and he charged with incredible speed, even surpassing the agility-type Soul Master behind him.
At the same time, his first soul ring had already lit up, sharp wolf claws sprung out from his palms, and his merciless gaze locked onto Su Cheng.
Even before the person arrived, the wolf claws were already swung out.
Ten semi-circular wind blades, with piercing sonic booms, sealed off the evasion paths around Su Cheng.
The first soul skill of the Wind Wolf Martial Soul is generally Wind Blade, but Feng Xiaotian, who possesses the Gale Dual-Headed Wolf Martial Soul, has Wind Blade Formation as his first soul skill.
From the tenfold increase in quantity, one can see how much stronger his first soul skill is compared to the ordinary Wind Wolf Martial Soul, showcasing the innate advantage of advanced martial souls.
In the moment he pounced, the other members of the Godwind Academy also moved.
The tactical repertoire of the Elemental Academies is rich now, not inferior to the usual balanced team.
The Wind Chiming Bird Martial Soul enveloped the agile Soul Masters, swirling in the sky, further compressing Su Cheng's mobility.
The strongest Shadow Leopard Soul Master hovered near the edge of the stage, ready to strike.
Under the domain's blessing, Su Cheng could perceive the movements of all opponents, rendering all external interferences ineffective.
Indeed, as Chen Xin said.
He didn't go all out right away this time.
His purpose was to observe the opponent's use of soul rings and soul skills, especially the intricacies of combining soul ring rules with attributes, so he wasn't in a hurry.
His third soul ring lit up, activating the soul skill, Shadow Splitting.
After the upgrade of his soul rings and his own cultivation improvement, this soul skill could now split into seven sword shadows, each possessing ninety percent of the original Eternal Sword's power.
"Sixth Sword, Sword Control Technique."
Under the control of his divided attention, five sword shadows slashed out from different directions, intercepting all but the control-type Soul Master and the support-type Soul Master.
The remaining two guarded his sides, keeping an eye on Feng Xiaotian directly in front.
Without any surprise, the opponent should have follow-up actions.
Seeing his response, the audience couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Logically, the most pressing targets should be the control-type Soul Master and the support-type Soul Master providing buffs.
Since there's such a powerful soul skill and the sword shadows are so formidable, why give the opponent the chance to continue using soul skills?
Just like the first day, the one left on the stage was the auxiliary Soul Master from the Shrek Academy.
Is it confidence or arrogance?
It's hard for the audience to determine, but facing Feng Xiaotian at this moment, Su Cheng felt a wave of coldness in his heart.
In front of those eyes shimmering with a faint golden light, it seemed like all his actions had been completely exposed, and he felt like his movements had been fully anticipated.
It's worth noting that the Gale Dual-Headed Wolf Martial Soul is not simple.
The benefits of the Dual-Headed Wolf allow him to balance both offense and agility, with no weaknesses in speed or defense.
Even so, he also had a premonition that this attack might ultimately be in vain.
Sure enough, facing Feng Xiaotian's Wind Blades, Su Cheng showed no intention of dodging.
With the sword shadows preceding the attack, the shadows dispersed between each slash.
Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth, continuing to charge forward under the assault, preparing to attempt the same attack at close range.
At that moment, a faint voice suddenly entered his ears.
"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. It's better not to use the same skill twice."
Su Cheng didn't want to waste time with him.
This Wind Blade skill was meaningless, even if it was a variant skill.
His attention was now more focused on the control-type Soul Master and the support-type Soul Master.
He had already prepared to deal with the others.
"..."
Feng Xiaotian's heart chilled, feeling a sudden increase in mental pressure.
He felt that the oppression brought by the sword shadow in front of him had increased several times, making it impossible for him to step forward anymore.
The opponent hadn't even exerted force before!
"Phew..."
Feng Xiaotian's expression became more serious, giving up his previous idea.
Then, two huge wings spread out from his back.
At the same time, a blue light condensed behind him, taking the form of the Gale Dual-Headed Wolf.
Against the backdrop of the magnificent light and shadow, Feng Xiaotian soared into the air, his wings flapping once, lifting him up to a height of fifty meters above the ground.
Su Cheng glanced up, instantly understanding the opponent's intentions.
Although flight skills were of no use to him, he didn't think about interrupting the opponent's soul skill.
Instead, he began to observe the other few people.
Feng Xiaotian hovered in the air, staring down at Su Cheng.
"I know you're very strong, but I have one more self-created soul skill! It's called the Gale Dual-Headed Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes. But I'm afraid you won't dare to let me build up power to complete it."
Originally, he didn't expect to be able to use this soul skill.
Based on Su Cheng's strength shown on the first day, he could easily interrupt his self-created soul skill.
Without being fully charged, the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes couldn't unleash too much power.
But seeing Su Cheng's posture, it seemed like he had other ideas, so maybe he could give him the opportunity to go all out.
He immediately began to test the waters with his words.
Su Cheng sneered lightly, casually saying, "A poor attempt at provocation. You can go ahead and use it, let me see what you're capable of."
As Feng Xiaotian uttered the words "self-created soul skill," it immediately caused a sensation in the audience.
Self-created soul skills are rare, and those who can create them are all exceptional talents. On the first day of the opening match, Su Cheng already showcased a self-created sword technique that amazed everyone.
And now, there's another Soul Master preparing to use a self-created soul skill.
With that in mind, the upcoming battle is bound to be incredibly exciting.
Su Cheng didn't pay attention to the commotion in the audience.
With a few words, he had already begun to exert his strength.
Get rid of the useless ones first.
In the blink of an eye, the other agile Soul Masters and assault Soul Masters suddenly felt a change in the rhythm of the sword attacks in front of them!
The previously manageable sword shadows suddenly accelerated several times, making it impossible for them to keep up.
Under the immensely strengthened assault of these four sword shadow avatars, even though they used all their soul skills, they were still slashed out of the arena.
Subsequently, the control-type Soul Master followed suit.
In just a moment, the previously tense battle scene underwent a complete upheaval.
In the next moment, except for Su Cheng, there were only Feng Xiaotian and the auxiliary Soul Master left on the entire stage of the arena.
The spectators were stunned.
The entire Soul Arena fell silent in an instant, leaving the participants on the other platforms still confused.
But interestingly, the seemingly beautiful and innocent auxiliary Soul Master, despite her pale face due to excessive soul power consumption, didn't seem nervous at all. Instead, she looked at Su Cheng with curiosity written all over her face.