Chapter 283: Trends and Conversations
On the stage, after holding on for a few more minutes, Elephant Armored Academy had no choice but to concede.
Huyan Li could have continued fighting, but there was no point. This was a tournament, not an elimination match. Rather than forcing a tough battle and getting injured, surrendering was the better option.
They needed to stay in top condition for the matches ahead. Thunderclap Academy had already set an example if they weren't careful, someone else would take advantage of their weakness.
Heaven Dou Imperial Academy claimed victory, and the once dominant Elephant Armored Academy fell. This was, without a doubt, a strategic defeat. A triumph of tactics that won the audience's applause.
In the competitors' spectator area, Han Li looked at the group with a grin.
"So, what do you say?"
"A bet is a bet. We owe you a favor."
Huo Wu and the others had no intention of going back on their word. They could afford to lose, though they still looked a little frustrated.
If Han Li had known some insider information, it would've been one thing for Elephant Armored Academy to lose. But the truth was, the Imperial Battle Team's second squad had won through pure strategy. Forget Huyan Li even they hadn't expected someone to literally set their martial soul on fire.
They had to admit respect where it was due.
At the same time, they quietly raised the Imperial Battle Team's priority in their minds. Regardless of their reputation, their strength was undeniable, even if their lineup seemed somewhat unconventional.
They watched a few more matches, including an easy win by Blazing Academy, before the day's battles concluded.
In the following days, Canghui Academy stole the spotlight not because of their fighting skills, but because they had truly entered a winning streak.
Aside from Blazing Academy, which attempted a full team battle against them and immediately fell into the same predicament as Thunderclap Academy, every strong team that faced Canghui Academy simply chose to forfeit.
Yes, this included Tianshui Academy. Since no one had figured out how to counter their Seven in One Fusion Technique yet, and their pride wouldn't allow them to just throw themselves into a losing fight, they opted to surrender. Thus, Tianshui Academy suffered their first defeat of the tournament.
As for the lower tier teams? They didn't care about strategy. They charged in headfirst, got obliterated, and walked off the stage like nothing happened.
Even though Canghui Academy was racking up wins, they weren't in high spirits. Several days had passed, and Shi Nian was still missing. Even the slowest among them could sense that something was wrong.
They promptly reported the matter to the Heaven Dou Empire, but the investigation led only as far as the city gates, where all traces of Shi Nian disappeared. The only certainty was that he had left the city.
The general consensus? Shi Nian was probably dead.
Word spread quickly, and that was the conclusion everyone arrived at. Maybe it had something to do with that Seven in One Fusion Technique. Either way, no one wanted to invite trouble by discussing it further.
As for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, they could only tighten security for the competing academies as a way to prove their innocence after all, they were the prime suspects.
In the end, the case remained unresolved, fading into obscurity.
As the tournament continued, so did people's indifference toward Shi Nian's disappearance.
With the preliminaries nearing their conclusion, many academies had fully revealed their strengths. More teams began forfeiting, and the tournament seemed to enter fast forward mode.
Of course, the clashes between strong teams became even more exciting.
Tianshui Academy vs. Blazing Academy Tianshui Academy wins.
With superior overall strength and the resources Han Li had invested in them, Tianshui Academy opened with two martial soul fusion skills. While the synergy wasn't perfect, their elemental advantage was clear. Before Huo Wu could even unleash her ultimate move, she was swept off the stage.
With their fusion techniques exposed, Tianshui Academy no longer held back. In every match thereafter, they started with an instant clear fusion attack. By the time the preliminaries ended, they had secured the first qualifying spot with only one loss.
Blazing Academy vs. Thunderclap Academy Blazing Academy wins.
Blazing Academy vs. Elephant Armored Academy Blazing Academy wins.
Blazing Academy vs. Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's second squad Blazing Academy wins.
After getting completely crushed by Tianshui Academy, Huo Wu couldn't take it anymore. In her words, she refused to be eliminated before even showing her full strength that would be way too frustrating.
In the following matches, she decisively revealed her Fusion Ring ability. With the support of her six teammates, she turned the battlefield into an inferno.
Clearly, in this tournament, no one could withstand her relentless bombardment. And with a full minute of preparation time, Blue Silver Grass lost its fire resistance. Despite Tang San's desperate struggle, he was eventually swallowed by a massive white firestorm.
He didn't even get the chance to use his Clear Sky Hammer he couldn't get anywhere close.
As for the remaining teams, the situation was chaotic. But without a doubt, the ones suffering the most were Thunderclap Academy. Whether it was due to the mental toll from their previous losses, they performed terribly in their subsequent matches. One by one, they lost to the other elemental academies, becoming the first powerhouse team to officially fail to qualify.
On the other hand, Canghui Academy's matches weren't over yet, but with only a single loss to Elephant Armored Academy, they were among the top ranked teams. No matter how ugly their upcoming matches were, they had already secured a spot in the finals.
Inside Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Tang San and his teammates were discussing their remaining matches.
They had two battles left, both against formidable opponents Divine Wind Academy and Canghui Academy.
"So, what do you all think? Should we go all out in the upcoming matches?"
The one speaking was Yu Xiaogang. He was quite satisfied with their current performance. Even if they lost the rest of their matches, with Thunderclap Academy at the bottom, they had already secured a spot beyond the qualification line.
Tang San was also one of the most talked about contestants in this year's tournament. Though their team had once suffered the humiliation of a full capture, he had still made a name for himself.
"Fight."
Tang San answered without hesitation. He had received another letter from Tang Hao, subtly urging him to perform well, stating that he would be watching closely.
Though Tang San knew that the true stage for his performance would be the elimination rounds, where individual matches would showcase his abilities best, since Tang Hao had spoken, and there would be a rest period after the preliminaries, how could he make his father wait?
Hearing his response, the others were momentarily surprised but didn't object.
Since their place in the finals was already secured, their goal was achieved. And with Tang San as the backbone of the team, if he wanted to fight, then so be it. Even if they got injured, there would be plenty of time to recover it wasn't a big deal.
Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly. His original plan was to hold back a little, but remembering the letter Tang Hao had him deliver to Tang San yesterday, he kept silent.
"Alright, we'll go with your decision."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in agreement. After giving them a few reminders, he left the room somewhat unenthusiastically.
So far, Tang San's performance in this Spirit Master Tournament had been quite good. Lately, he had even overheard people talking about him.
As Tang San's teacher, his own identity had been dug up as well. Compared to before, his reputation had improved somewhat.
But most of the discussions were still about Tang San's self created soul skills. Even after their flawless tactical victory against Elephant Armored Academy, that remained the focal point.
Tang San's ten thousand year fourth ring had been overshadowed by the sudden emergence of Zhu Zhuqing. Furthermore, his martial soul had performed rather ordinarily, failing to meet Yu Xiaogang's expectations.
Some had even used Yu Xiaogang's own "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls" to analyze the mismatch between Tang San's abilities. Of course, Yu Xiaogang chose to ignore such discussions.
He had once longed to be in charge of the Imperial Battle Team's second squad. But now that he had actually become the team's strategist, he found himself with an unexpected superior Tang Hao lurking in the shadows. It wasn't as satisfying as he had imagined.
As Yu Xiaogang's figure disappeared down the hallway, Tang San's eyes flickered. He exchanged a few words with his teammates before following him.
In the letter, Tang Hao had cryptically mentioned that Yu Xiaogang seemed to be analyzing Canghui Academy's Seven in One Fusion Technique. But this time, he had gotten smarter and left no written records. Tang Hao had advised Tang San to maintain their teacher student relationship.
Yu Xiaogang had experience with martial soul fusion techniques both father and son knew that. He wasn't incapable of deriving insights from real world examples.
It might have been a coincidence, but the existence of the Bone Transformation Secret Method proved this point Yu Xiaogang was useful at times.
"Teacher, are you worrying about the upcoming matches? You've been working really hard lately. You should allow yourself to relax a bit."
Tang San caught up with Yu Xiaogang, putting on a concerned expression.
He wasn't being entirely insincere. When it came to analyzing opponents and devising strategies, Yu Xiaogang was undeniably dedicated, far more so than Flender or Sun Buyu.
Hearing his disciple's concern, Yu Xiaogang smiled, feeling a rare sense of comfort.
Though Tang Hao treated him with blatant hostility, Tang San had always shown him respect. Even when his martial soul had been crippled and Yu Xiaogang had been of no help whatsoever, Tang San had merely grown a little distant never truly resentful.
"I've been thinking about the finals. You've already done well enough."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head with a smile and gestured for Tang San to sit down.
"As for the Seven in One Fusion Technique, I have some ideas, but I can't be certain I'll succeed in a short time. You'll have to rely on yourselves for the rest."
Yu Xiaogang didn't hide anything from his student. While the results weren't quite what he had hoped for, he had at least achieved something. At the very least, when people spoke his name now, it was no longer as a joke.
"Thank you, teacher."
Tang San stood up and respectfully bowed. Whatever had happened in the past, Yu Xiaogang had treated him well.
After pulling Tang San back into his seat, Yu Xiaogang studied him. "You have something else to tell me, don't you?"
Tang San had hesitated several times earlier it hadn't gone unnoticed.
"As expected, nothing gets past you, teacher. My father's letter said I am now allowed to reveal my second martial soul."
Yu Xiaogang was momentarily stunned but quickly composed himself. He had already suspected this was coming based on Tang Hao's behavior. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Had they already prepared for the consequences of revealing his identity?
Yu Xiaogang wasn't entirely sure. Tang Hao had been acting strangely mysterious lately was this what he had been preparing for?
Without much reaction, Yu Xiaogang simply nodded. This was something beyond his control, so there was nothing for him to say.
The next moment, he heard Tang San's voice, laced with emotion:
"Teacher, is it really impossible for twin martial souls to be cultivated simultaneously?"
(End of Chapter)
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