Chapter 31: Nine Star Team
Believing he had gauged the true level of the opposing team, Moro swiftly unleashed his first and second soul skills. His body swelled, and his speed increased as he charged into the Nine Star Team's formation, ready to unleash havoc.
But just then, the purple thousand-year soul ring of Mi Yimei in the rear lit up.
"Deprivation!"
The purple light instantly fell upon Moro, whose face changed dramatically. He could feel the augmentation effects provided by his support soul master vanish.
At that moment, the previously defeated Zilong rushed forward again, and the two clashed head-on once more.
This time, however, Zilong did not retreat as he had before. Instead, Moro, thrown off by the loss of his augmentations, was punched back three steps by Zilong.
"I've been tricked!"
Having spent many years in the Soul Arena, Moro immediately realized that Zilong's earlier easy defeat was a ploy to lure him into underestimating them, thereby leading him into a trap.
"Support me! Quickly!"
Moro shouted and quickly retreated, intending to regroup with his teammates.
"Second soul skill, Phoenix Fireline!"
Yihui's second soul skill was similar to that of Ma Hongjun from the Shrek Seven Devils. Without the influence of evil fire, Yihui's Fire Phoenix martial soul was a true embodiment of the ultimate fire, and the flames he spewed were stronger than Ma Hongjun's.
A fierce wall of flames rose, separating Moro from his teammates.
Seeing this, Xiao Yu's lips curled into a satisfied smile. Just as Moro's team could gather information on the Nine Star Team, the Nine Star Team could also gather information on Moro's team.
According to their data, Xiao Yu concluded that Moro was the strongest member and the spiritual pillar of his team. Defeating Moro would collapse the entire team.
"Twenty seconds, defeat Moro!"
Although Yihui's flames were powerful, they couldn't burn forever. Thus, the team needed to defeat Moro before his teammates could break through the wall of fire.
"Third soul skill, Thunder Shackles!"
As the team's control system soul master, Eden was the first to strike. He unleashed his third soul skill, and paralyzing thunder energy firmly locked Moro in place.
"Third soul skill, Rising Dragon Strike!"
Zilong also went all out, launching a radiant dragon-shaped beam.
Seeing this, Moro unleashed his strongest third soul skill. A golden lion emitted a dazzling light, breaking free from its constraints.
The lion and the green dragon clashed violently, emitting a blinding light. After a fierce struggle, the green dragon ultimately prevailed, shattering the golden lion's projection.
Although Moro's soul power was nearly five levels higher than Zilong's, it was important to remember that team battles were not solo duels.
First, Zilong had Mi Yimei's support, while Moro's support had been forcibly stripped away by Mi Yimei.
Furthermore, although Moro had used his third soul skill to break free from Eden's bindings, the paralysis effect of Eden's third soul skill remained. Additionally, Zilong's martial soul quality was superior to Moro's. Given these factors, the outcome was not surprising.
At this moment, the power of Yihui's flames weakened, and Moro's massive body was sent flying through the fire wall, landing right in the middle of his teammates.
Seeing their unconscious leader, the remaining members of Moro's team panicked. Moro was their leader and backbone; without him, they were at a loss.
"Surrender!"
Xiao Yu looked at the demoralized members of Moro's team and said calmly, "Without your captain, your team's strength is reduced by at least half. Fighting us is meaningless and will only cause unnecessary injuries. Go find a healing-type soul master to treat your captain. While we held back, we can't guarantee that his prolonged unconsciousness won't have any side effects."
"Surr... surrender!"
Despite their resentment, they had to acknowledge the truth in Xiao Yu's words. Reluctantly, the vice-captain raised his hand and declared surrender.
"Team battle soul duel, Nine Star Team wins."
Upon hearing the announcement of Moro's team's surrender, the host immediately declared the result.
"Nine Star Team, Nine Star Team!"
Seeing the Nine Star Team's ingenious strategy swiftly subdue Moro, who had gained some fame in the Soul Arena, and force the Moro team to surrender in less than a minute, the audience erupted in excitement.
Xiao Yu and the others remained composed, stepping down from the Soul Arena amidst the crowd's cheers.
They returned to the registration desk to collect their points and left the Great Soul Arena. Their main goal was to train and synchronize their teamwork, not to please the audience.
In the following days, the Nine Star Team emerged like superstars, crushing multiple strong teams in the Soul Arena with overwhelming force.
With an undefeated record, they quickly climbed to the top of the Syl Soul Arena rankings, becoming the star team in the eyes of Syl City's audience.
To curb the Nine Star Team's winning streak, the Syl Soul Arena urgently sought help from the Soul Arena headquarters.
Now, whenever the audience knew the Nine Star Team was competing, they would unhesitatingly bet on them.
Even though the Syl Soul Arena reduced the odds for the Nine Star Team to the lowest possible, the sheer number of bets placed on them meant the profits still piled up.
The Soul Arena headquarters, in response, brought in several strong teams of Soul Masters from other arenas with high rewards. However, regardless of the team, none could stop the Nine Star Team's advance.
The Soul Arena, with over a thousand years of history on Douluo Continent, had its own rules. At least on the surface, they couldn't break their long-standing traditions for a single team.
Privately, the Syl Soul Arena did consider contacting the Nine Star Team to have them throw a match or two, for the sake of the arena's reputation.
But when the arena's manager saw the eight soul rings on the representative from the Nine Star Team, Hui Huo, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Businesspeople being what they are, while they couldn't manipulate the Nine Star Team, they could still capitalize on their immense popularity.
For example, they arranged for the Nine Star Team to fight in the central arena, raising ticket prices, and sold merchandise like team-themed clothing and masks.
And so, nearly eight months passed. The once dazzling Nine Star Team suddenly disappeared. Their fans realized they hadn't seen a match involving them for half a month.
This brought a sigh of relief to the Syl Soul Arena. Although they had devised numerous ways to balance their earnings, the increasing number of bets on the Nine Star Team only allowed them to break even. The sudden cessation of the Nine Star Team's matches brought them unexpected joy.
The reason for the Nine Star Team's absence was quite simple: Xiao Yu had reached level 40!
(End of this chapter)
๐ Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ๐
Hello, beloved readers and supporters!
I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:
๐ Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regular readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!
๐ฌ Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.
๐ Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!
patreon.com/anish_44