"You agreed so quickly, I feel like I've been tricked."
Huo Wu was momentarily stunned, then regretfully slapped her forehead.
"The match hasn't started yet. There's still time to back out," Han Li remarked leisurely, glancing at her. He had agreed on a whim and wasn't paying much attention to it.
"I, Huo Wu, always keep my word. How could I back out? Just wait and see, you're going to lose."
Huo Wu flared up, unable to tolerate being provoked. On the side, Huo Wushuang had already covered his eyes, unable to bear watching.
However, he didn't oppose Huo Wu's decision. A bet with Han Li was a win-win for them.
During the Soul Master Tournament, his father, the academy head, had been communicating with Skywater Academy, and with more interactions, they were already leaning towards the Spirit Hall. The same went for Godwind Academy.
Even if they lost the bet with Han Li, it wouldn't matter much to the three of them. They might even strengthen their relationship further. Including Yu Tianxin in this was purely accidental, something he hadn't anticipated.
But what did that have to do with him? Huo Wushuang shot a glance at Yu Tianxin without showing any emotion. To be honest, Yu Tianxin was the only outsider here.
"I thought you were going to say, 'This is your way of the ninja,' Uzumaki Huo Wu," Han Li joked to himself but didn't dwell on it.
The real highlight today was still on the stage. Tang San wouldn't be able to hold back much longer, right? After today, the Soul Master Tournament would truly start heating up.
After chatting a bit more, the match finally began, and the atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly lively.
Two-thirds of the preliminary rounds had already passed, and the stronger teams were gradually revealing themselves. Today's match could already be classified as a showdown between two powerful teams.
On stage, the two teams exchanged formalities, and after the referee announced the start, he quickly stepped back.
Although the two teams had never faced each other before, they were not unfamiliar with each other's strategies. Both sides wore confident smiles, and when their eyes met, there was even a hint of amusement.
As the whistle blew to officially start the match, both sides moved quickly. The formations they used during the preparation phase were just to confuse the other team.
Of course, compared to the second team of the Imperial Academy, Elephant Armor Academy's formation didn't change much. They simply lined up in a row and activated their first soul skill collectively.
Under the effect of the soul skill, the originally dark yellow keratin on the seven giant figures gained a shiny layer. It looked as if each of them was covered in a layer of enamel, and just by appearance, anyone could tell their defense was formidable.
The most ridiculous part was that the members of Elephant Armor Academy held hands, forming a moving wall as they pressed forward toward the second team of the Imperial Academy, seemingly trying to squeeze them out of their space.
However, seeing this, the members of the Imperial Academy's second team didn't panic at all. Instead, they smiled.
This tactic wasn't new for Elephant Armor Academy. Whenever they faced a slightly stronger academy, this was more or less their go-to strategy. But this time, they might be disappointed.
On stage, Elephant Armor Academy steadily advanced, continuously shrinking the space available to the Imperial Academy's second team. Meanwhile, besides Tang San occasionally harassing them with hidden weapons made from Blue Silver Grass, the rest of the team stood there quietly, as if they were just spectators, not even attempting a serious attack.
The students of Elephant Armor Academy found this odd. Tang San's hidden weapons were like a mild itch, barely breaking through their defenses. But they didn't abandon their strategy and became even more cautious.
In the audience, the noise grew louder. To them, the second team of the Imperial Academy was playing passively. If they couldn't win, why not just surrender? Why waste everyone's excitement?
Even in the contestants' viewing area, the other teams were scratching their heads, unsure of what the second team of the Imperial Academy was up to.
"If I'm not mistaken, Tang San seems to be spreading spores," the captain of the Botanical Academy suddenly spoke up. While she couldn't be sure about other things, she was well-versed in plant-based techniques.
Tang San wasn't standing at the front this time. He had Tai Long and Dai Mubai in front of him, launching his hidden weapons from behind them.
On stage, due to the angle, the members of Elephant Armor Academy couldn't see this, but the audience had a clear view.
Even though Tang San's soul rings were dim, and he was controlling his soul power fluctuations, the captain of the Botanical Academy, who had been paying close attention, still noticed.
"Yeah, he's definitely spreading spores, and they've already covered a quarter of the stage," Han Li nodded and added. The plant spores were as clear as day to him.
"Could it be that they're planning to…"
Huo Wu seemed to have thought of something and was about to speak, but there was no need for her to guess anymore. The situation on the stage had already changed.
Once the students of Elephant Armor Academy crossed the red line they had set in their pre-match strategy, they decisively added another layer of protection to themselves and accelerated their charge toward the opposing team.
They didn't care what the other team was planning. All they needed to do was charge. Whatever schemes the other side had, they would have to survive this charge first.
Just as Elephant Armor Academy launched its charge, Tang San and the others on the opposite side began to move.
This time, Tang San quickly summoned Blue Silver Grass, forming a wall of vines that pushed toward the opposing team.
Yes, it was just pushing forward — soft and seemingly harmless, with no offensive power. It only served to block their line of sight.
But that was exactly what Tang San wanted — to block their vision.
"Now."
A small voice rang out from within the second team of the Imperial Academy. This was the first command Tang San had given since the match began.
As soon as his voice rang out, blue silver grass wrapped around the waists of the other five members, excluding Ma Hongjun. Behind Tang San, a pair of light red wings appeared.
This was Oscar's third soul skill, the Swift-Flying Mushroom Sausage. Although its duration was short, it allowed for very fast flight over short distances.
Taking advantage of the blue silver grass, which blocked the enemy's view, Tang San unhesitatingly took the other five members into the air, soaring over the heads of the Elephant Armor Academy team and landing behind them.
Ma Hongjun was slightly slower than the others, but compared to the members of Elephant Armor Academy, he was still much more agile.
"Fatty, block the path."
The Elephant Armor Academy team's charge was not yet complete, but Tang San and his team, now positioned behind them, were ready to strike back.
"Got it."
Ma Hongjun didn't hesitate for a moment. Almost as soon as Tang San spoke, he was prepared. His three soul rings flashed one after the other.
Behind him, Ning Rongrong's amplification skills had all been applied.
However, unlike before, Ma Hongjun's attack wasn't directed at the members of Elephant Armor Academy. Instead, following the guidance of the blue silver grass on the ground, he used his Phoenix Fire Line to create a wall of fire that covered one-quarter of the arena, trapping the opponents in their original position.
In an instant, the situation seemed to reverse from what it had been just moments before.
There was no need for anyone to point it out — the members of the Elephant Armor Academy team already knew they had fallen into a trap.
Hu Yanli's face turned grim. They had information on the other side, and although Ma Hongjun's level was relatively low, because of his martial soul, his flames were much stronger than those of most people.
That was bad enough, but the key issue was that his flames had a strong adhesive property, not to mention the support from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Now, with their retreat cut off, aside from Hu Yanli, the others would have a hard time crossing that wall of fire unscathed. This was going to be trouble.
While Hu Yanli hesitated, Tang San, hovering in mid-air, smiled. It was time for his performance.
"Parasite."
The word left his mouth clearly, and in the area where the Elephant Armor Academy team stood, blue lights began to flicker as Tang San's soul ring shimmered. Some of the blue silver grass grew from the bodies of the Elephant Armor Academy members, while even more sprouted out of thin air.
[Parasite], Tang San's second soul skill, allowed him to use spores attached to his enemies to absorb their soul power and grow, though he could also fuel the growth with his soul power.
Tang San's previous hidden weapon attacks had been aimed at delivering those spores. Though the opponents' soul skills had prevented deep parasitism, it was enough to conserve his soul power to the maximum extent.
Most of the blue silver grass growing in the arena was still fueled by Tang San's soul power, but since it was blue silver grass, the energy expenditure wasn't particularly heavy for him.
"Fatty, increase the firepower."
Even without Tang San's reminder, Ma Hongjun was already excited. He unleashed his flames recklessly, throwing them onto the arena, which was now almost completely covered in blue silver grass. He had been itching to do this for a while.
While they were elated, the members of Elephant Armor Academy were in agony. The blue silver grass, which they had been able to break easily before, had now become their executioner.
Despite their best efforts to destroy the blue silver grass around them, it was futile. The grass was growing too fast.
Worse yet, that annoying guy flying in the air started manipulating the blue silver grass leaves again. This time, the leaves flew toward them, only catching fire just before reaching them. The leaves burned, but what landed on them was the fire they dreaded the most.
On the stage, the members of Elephant Armor Academy struggled to maintain their defenses. In the contestant viewing area, Han Li shook his head.
It was already time for them to concede. It was just a matter of time. Even if they managed to survive this wave of attacks, there were still two full-strength Soul Ancestors waiting for them.
The soul bone they had was purely defensive and consumed a lot of soul power. There was no point in holding on.
However, Han Li was slightly surprised that Tang San hadn't directly revealed the Clear Sky Hammer.
He just wondered if Tang San's tactic of setting the blue silver grass on fire should be called [Braised Blue Silver Grass] or [Stir-fried Blue Silver Grass].
Using a hammer to protect the grass?
Recalling the contents of a letter he had previously spied on, Han Li's smile grew strange. Still, he had to admit that Tang San's tactics were solid and commendable.
PS: Han Li's naming sense still sucks.