Chapter 120: First Battle Against Elephant Armor Academy
"That Tang San... he really went all out. That student from Balak Academy is practically crippled!"
Outside the arena, Xiao Yu rubbed his chin and sneered.
With his cultivation level, he could easily see the subtle actions of Tang San. Those four Blue Silver Grass vines had pierced the critical meridians of the Balak Academy student's limbs. Even if the student recovered, he would likely have impaired movement for the rest of his life.
"Why did Tang San go so hard? It's just a tournament!"
Beside Xiao Yu, Ye Lingling leaned sweetly against his shoulder, but upon hearing this, she furrowed her brows, her gaze toward Tang San filled with disgust.
As for Huo Wu, who was scheduled to be the first to fight for their team, she could barely contain her excitement, eagerly awaiting her turn.
Xiao Yu explained to Ye Lingling, "If I'm not mistaken, Tang San is venting on behalf of his teacher. Shrek Academy was originally set up in Soto City within the Balak Kingdom's borders, but the kingdom never granted Shrek official teaching credentials. Balak Academy is a state-sponsored institution of Balak Kingdom, so this is Tang San's way of striking back at the kingdom."
Ye Lingling's frown deepened as she responded, "It's Balak Kingdom's issue that Shrek Academy couldn't get their teaching credentials. That student was just attending Balak Academy—he wasn't the one denying Shrek's credentials. Why take it out on him?"
"You'll get used to it!"
Xiao Yu shrugged nonchalantly. Tang Shenwang's twisted logic was something only a handful of people could understand.
To be frank, was Balak Kingdom wrong in not approving Shrek Academy's credentials?
Not at all!
A school with nothing, exorbitant tuition fees, a completely hands-off approach to student education, and a death rate far exceeding normal standards—Balak Kingdom should count themselves lucky for not shutting them down. The fact that Shrek was allowed to advertise and recruit students within their borders was something they should be grateful for!
Bang! Bang!
The next few fighters from Balak Academy, all of whom were at the Soul Elder level, had already been intimidated by Tang San's ruthlessness. Without even fighting, they were nervous, and none of them lasted more than three moves before being knocked out.
After eliminating five members of Balak Academy, Tang San's soul power was running low, so he chose to forfeit and step down.
Next up was the notorious "Evil-Eyed White Tiger" Dai Mubai. As a senior member of Shrek Academy, his grudge against Balak Kingdom was even deeper than Tang San's. His attacks were just as brutal, if not more so. Even the last fighter from Balak Academy, a Sunflower martial soul user who, in the original story, had his martial soul shattered by the Yearning Heartbroken Red, was sent flying off the stage by Dai Mubai after having two ribs broken.
The only saving grace was that Dai Mubai, unlike Tang San, wasn't very familiar with human anatomy. Although the remaining fighters suffered broken bones, they would at least be able to fully recover after a few days of rest.
After the Shrek-Balak match ended and the arena was briefly restored, the next round of matches quickly began.
Due to the Nine Stars Palace's affiliation with the Kingdom of Sylvia, which had a special status within the Heaven Dou Empire, their match against Elephant Armor Academy—who had barely made it to the tournament—was scheduled as the second-to-last round.
Huo Wu was itching to fight, while Xiao Yu had no intention of stepping in, leisurely sitting in the reserve area, observing the strength of the participants from various academies within the Heaven Dou Empire.
The one who caught Xiao Yu's eye the most was Feng Xiaotian from Godwind Academy. After some convincing from Xiao Yu in the past, Feng Xiaotian had temporarily set aside his self-created soul skill research to focus on cultivating his soul power. Now, his power level was somewhere between fifty-three and fifty-four, surpassing even the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall.
Now that's how someone with innate full soul power should be!
"Advancement Tournament, Round Six: Nine Stars Academy versus Elephant Armor Academy. Teams, please prepare!"
"Finally, it's my turn!"
As the referee's voice echoed, Huo Wu couldn't contain her excitement. She leaped onto the stage in a few swift, graceful strides.
"It's you!"
The first fighter from Elephant Armor Academy was Huyan Shi, a level thirty-six Soul Elder. As a member of one of the Five Elemental Academies, even though the relationship between Elephant Armor Academy and the others was distant, he still recognized the daughter of the Blazing Academy's noble family.
"Little Sister Huo Wu!
At that moment, an excited voice rang out from below the stage. It was none other than Feng Xiaotian, the notorious admirer of Huo Wu, who had just shown off his prowess in the arena.
Everyone knew that Huo Wu didn't like Feng Xiaotian, which was why her family hadn't informed him that she had joined Nine Stars Academy. Now, suddenly seeing his goddess appear out of nowhere, Feng Xiaotian nearly rushed onto the stage, if not for his quick-thinking teammates holding him back.
"Feng Xiaotian, shut up!"
Huo Wu furrowed her brows and snapped at him. She had always despised his fawning behavior. Now that she had taken the next step in her relationship with Xiao Yu, her thoughts were entirely consumed by him, and she didn't want Xiao Yu to get the wrong idea.
"Well, well, isn't this the little princess of Blazing Academy? Couldn't make it to the finals with your own academy, so now you're running to another school to stir up trouble?"
As Huo Wu scolded Feng Xiaotian, her opponent, Huyan Shi, sneered at her from the other side. Blazing Academy, which was loyal to the Heaven Dou Empire, had a tense relationship with Elephant Armor Academy, which was aligned with Spirit Hall, and the two sides never got along well.
"Huyan Shi, you're asking for it!"
Huo Wu was instantly enraged. The fact that Blazing Academy failed to qualify for the finals was a sore spot for her, and Huyan Shi daring to taunt her over it was like stepping on a landmine. In a flash, her fiery temper exploded.
"Competitors, please prepare!"
Seeing that tensions were already flaring before the match had even started, the referee coughed and reminded the two, "Summon your martial souls. The match is about to begin!"
"Hmph, watch how I take you down!"
With an angry snort, Huo Wu summoned her martial soul. A faint orange-red silhouette slowly emerged behind her, and four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—rose from her body.
At the same time, the large display screen behind Huo Wu began to show her personal information: Huo Wu, Martial Soul: Fire Shadow, Level 46 Control-Type Battle Soul Master.
"Impossible!"
Huyan Shi, who had just summoned his own martial soul, was instantly dumbfounded. Outside the arena, students from Tianshui, Thunderclap, and Godwind Academies erupted in shock, even Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu's ever-loyal admirer, was in disbelief.
Throughout the entire Heaven Dou division, the only soul master who had broken through level 45 was Feng Xiaotian, who had innate full soul power. The second-ranked in soul power was Yu Tianheng of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, who had just recently reached level 45.
However, both Yu Tianheng and Feng Xiaotian were already over twenty years old. Yu Tianheng was twenty-two, while Feng Xiaotian was nearly twenty-five, with only three months left before his birthday. But Huo Wu—she wasn't even twenty yet! She was still eligible to compete in the Soul Master Tournament five years from now.
(End of Chapter)
🌟 Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! 🌟
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:
📚 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!
💬 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.
👏 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