I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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Three days later, at the Grand Spirit Arena.
"Preliminary Round 19, Group One, Central Platform—Lan Ba Academy versus Thunderbolt Academy."
The host, holding an amplifying soul-guided device, loudly announced the lineup of players entering the arena. Both teams strode confidently onto the central competition platform.
In an instant, a tsunami-like wave erupted in the audience, with cheers rising and falling like thunder.
Some supported Thunderbolt Academy, as it was backed by the legendary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and had historically performed as the strongest among the Five Elements Academies. However, the majority of the audience rooted for Lan Ba Academy.
Setting aside the "Lan Ba" name, which sounded even more like the direct lineage of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan than Thunderbolt Academy, the sheer strength displayed by Lan Ba Academy's team alone was enough to win the support of most spectators.
Lan Ba Academy had already defeated two of the Five Elements Academies: Blazing Fire Academy and Elephant Armor Academy. If they could defeat Thunderbolt Academy again, the first-place spot in the preliminary round of the Tian Dou Division would almost certainly belong to Lan Ba Academy.
Chu Chengzhou still led the way, followed by today's lineup of Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Tai Long. Behind them were the three substitutes: Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan.
It's worth noting that after Dai Mubai withdrew from the competition, leaving the team short one main member, Tai Long—having the highest soul power level and the strongest overall strength among the four substitutes—was promoted to the main squad.
Moreover, since Lan Ba Academy's team now operated under a 7+3 model (seven main members plus three substitutes), with Chu Chengzhou and the three substitutes fixed in every match, there was no need to draw lots for the remaining three players. They were simply divided into two groups: Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Tai Long in one group, and Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing in the other. The two groups alternated.
"Both teams bow, release your martial souls—the match is about to begin!"
With both teams in position, the referee announced.
The next moment, fourteen players from both sides activated their martial souls—materializing equipment or manifesting beast avatars, with numerous yellow and purple soul rings glowing brightly.
Once the soul rings appeared, the surface-level strength comparison between the two teams immediately showed Lan Ba Academy at a disadvantage.
Today's lineup for Lan Ba Academy consisted of only two Soul Ancestors—Chu Chengzhou and Oscar—with the other five being Soul Elders.
On the other hand, Thunderbolt Academy's team, led by Yu Tianxin—a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—had four Soul Ancestors and three Soul Elders.
Among the twenty-eight academy teams participating in the Tian Dou Division preliminaries, Thunderbolt Academy, with four Soul Ancestors, was arguably the strongest team on paper—excluding Lan Ba Academy.
After all, the other four element academies each had at most three Soul Ancestors.
However, levels are just numbers, and actual strength isn't determined solely by how many soul rings a team has.
"Chu Chengzhou, you're very strong. Aunt Liu Erlong having students like you makes me genuinely happy for her.
But our Thunderbolt Academy isn't weak either. If you want to defeat us, you'll have to show some real skill!"
With his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul activated, Yu Tianxin spoke in a deep voice.
His grandfather, Yu Luo Mian, was the second-in-command of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, while Liu Erlong was his grandfather's illegitimate daughter—and thus, his aunt. Their blood relationship was quite close.
If Liu Erlong had been an illegitimate son, Yu Tianxin and his father might have resented her, as illegitimate sons often contested family inheritance. But an illegitimate daughter was different; if not for Liu Erlong's mother being a woman of ill repute, making her socially inferior, their branch of the family wouldn't have opposed her and her mother returning to the clan.
After all, a mother's status rose with her daughter's achievements. Liu Erlong's talent wasn't lacking—despite being only in her forties, she was already a seven-ring Soul Sage, and breaking through to eight rings was practically guaranteed.
Aside from the clan patriarch, Yu Yuanzhen, the strongest elder in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was only a Soul Douluo.
An additional powerful expert in the family was something no one would reject.
Though Aunt Liu Erlong's relationship with the family wasn't particularly close, it wasn't estranged either.
Moreover, the establishment of Lan Ba Academy owed much to his grandfather, Yu Luo Mian, who had generously funded it.
Otherwise, relying solely on Liu Erlong's resources, there wouldn't have been enough money to establish a high-level soul master academy in Tian Dou City.
"Please!"
Chu Chengzhou smiled and nodded, gesturing with his hand.
The preparation time quickly passed, and the match officially began.
Instantly, the first soul ring on Chu Chengzhou lit up, and the massive Sky Azure Tree Summoning Beast, Xiao Qing, materialized.
Following this, several emerald streaks shot out, landing on Ma Hongjun, Tai Long, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Blazing Fire Incineration Sausage!"
Since Thunderbolt Academy had no female members on the field, there was no risk of causing social embarrassment. Oscar's fourth soul ring shone repeatedly, and his potent "Blazing Fire Incineration Sausage" materialized, enhancing Ma Hongjun and Tai Long.
At the same time, Thunderbolt Academy's team also made their move.
"Dragon Transformation!"
With a loud shout, Yu Tianxin's already bulging sleeves, tightened by his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul activation, burst into ashes. His arms grew another half-foot in length, becoming extremely thick and covered with solid blue-purple scales. His fingers turned into sharp claws, with crackling blue-purple lightning snakes coiling around his transformed arms. His four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—didn't circle his body like other soul masters but instead spiraled around his mutated arms.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul masters, starting at level 30, gained partial dragon-like transformations with each new soul ring through the Dragon Transformation technique.
Back when Yu Tianheng encountered Shrek Academy, he hadn't yet reached the Soul Ancestor level, so only one arm had transformed. But now, with Yu Tianxin surpassing level 40, both arms could undergo Dragon Transformation.
Whether in presence or power, Yu Tianxin was far stronger than Yu Tianheng had been back then.
But to Chu Chengzhou, it seemed…just like that?
The next second, Ma Hongjun and Tai Long charged into Thunderbolt Academy's formation.
Feeling the aura of Yu Tianxin's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, Ma Hongjun and Jing Ling weren't affected much. Ma Hongjun's martial soul was the top-tier Lava Phoenix, and Jing Ling's was a humanoid Skeleton—not a beast-type martial soul, so it wasn't suppressed despite its lower quality compared to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
However, Tai Long and Huang Yuan were different. Their martial souls—a Great Ape and a Lone Wolf—were both beast types. While not dragon subordinates, they still faced immense suppression when facing the self-proclaimed strongest beast-type martial soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Facing Yu Tianxin, Tai Long and Huang Yuan were essentially crippled due to the severe suppression of their martial souls.
If not for Xiao Qing's emerald protective barrier, they would've been eliminated within three seconds.
Of course, Tai Long and Huang Yuan weren't the only ones suffering from suppression. Lei Tian, one of Thunderbolt Academy's four Soul Elders, whose martial soul was a lightning-attribute bird called the Thunder Eagle, also suffered suppression from Ma Hongjun's superior Lava Phoenix.
And unlike Tai Long and Huang Yuan, Lei Tian didn't have a strong defensive shield. At the start of the fight, he was forced off the stage by Ma Hongjun's lava fire attack.
Though Thunderbolt Academy lost a member first, with Chu Chengzhou acting as a humble support, their team's effective combat strength was reduced to "four out of seven," while Thunderbolt Academy's was "six out of seven." The situation turned unfavorable for Lan Ba Academy.
Without hesitation, the second soul ring on Chu Chengzhou lit up, and with a surge of soul power, the two-zhang-long Light Lion Summoning Beast, Xiao Bai, materialized.
Roar—!
A deafening lion roar echoed, announcing Xiao Bai's arrival.
The next moment, two white streaks shot out, merging into Ma Hongjun and Jing Ling.
Instantly, Jing Ling, who was surrounded by Thunderbolt Academy, and Ma Hongjun, launching aerial attacks, saw their auras skyrocket. Jing Ling's aura instantly matched that of Lei Dong and Lei Mie, both Soul Ancestors, while Ma Hongjun's power rivaled Yu Tianxin's after activating Dragon Transformation.
After all, Oscar's "Blazing Fire Incineration Sausage" boosted all attributes by 30%, and Xiao Bai's blessing skill added another 50%. Since the effects didn't conflict, the total 80% boost was enough to bridge the gap between them.
Seeing Chu Chengzhou summon the long-awaited second summoning beast, excitement erupted across the stadium as the commentator's voice boomed: "Ladies and gentlemen, look closely!
On the central platform, Lan Ba Academy's Chu Chengzhou has finally summoned his second summoning beast during a match. If I'm not mistaken, this soul beast is called the Light Lion, a highly capable support-type soul beast.
His first soul skill summons the healing and defensive Sky Azure Tree, and his second soul skill summons the support-type Light Lion. Who dares say Chu Chengzhou isn't an support-type soul master?
This naturally makes us wonder—what will his third and fourth summoning beasts be?"
The audience had seen Chu Chengzhou's True Spirit Flag soul weapon and the patterns of four summoning beasts on it. However, these patterns were abstract and lacked detail. Beyond the tree and lion, they could only discern a red bird and a dark bear. With so many soul beasts on the continent matching those vague descriptions, no one dared claim their guesses were accurate.
In the VIP section, front row.
"Ning Patriarch, it seems your nephew is indeed a support-type soul master. Perhaps one day, he'll become the strongest support-type soul master on the continent?"
Emperor Xue Ye turned and smiled at Ning Fengzhi.
"Your Majesty flatters him!"
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, inwardly rolling his eyes.
What kind of support-type soul master is this guy?
Only the first two summoning beasts fooled people—the last two were pure offensive powerhouses.
That Phoenix summoning beast could easily crush a Soul KingSoul King, rivaling an ordinary Soul Emperor. And that Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear summoning beast? Its strength surpassed even a Strong Attack Soul Sage.
How did he know this?
During the recent assassination attempt on Lan Ba Academy, two Soul Emperors from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect witnessed Big Brother Bear's might firsthand. Even the Golden Rampage Bear Soul Douluo assassin hesitated to face it head-on!
On the battlefield.
After summoning Xiao Bai and having it bless Ma Hongjun and Jing Ling with its skill, Chu Chengzhou didn't send Xiao Bai directly into the fray.
The Light Lion's bloodline wasn't particularly strong—it wasn't a top-tier soul beast—and it still faced some bloodline suppression against Yu Tianxin's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
However, since Xiao Bai was a ten-thousand-year soul beast and Yu Tianxin was only a Soul Ancestor, the power difference meant the bloodline suppression wouldn't be significant. Against Yu Tianxin using Dragon Transformation, Xiao Bai still had a chance.
But in Chu Chengzhou's view, with Xiao Bai's attribute boosts and Xiao Qing's super-strong shields, Ma Hongjun and Jing Ling should be able to handle Thunderbolt Academy.
As long as he still had soul power, even if their emerald shields were shattered, Xiao Qing could quickly restore them.
Invincible defense, comparable offense—even if they were outnumbered two to six, what of it?
Can't beat four hands with two fists? Break through my defensive shield first!
With their newfound power and invincibility-granting shields, Ma Hongjun and Jing Ling went berserk. Ignoring Thunderbolt Academy's soul skills, they relentlessly attacked Lu Chen, Xiao Yunju, and Lei Jiuchong—the three weaker Soul Honored members—planning to eliminate them first before turning their attention to Yu Tianxin and the others.
"Damn it!"
Yu Tianxin's fourth soul skill, Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Strike, landed on Jing Ling's emerald shield. But after the lightning dissipated, he found the shield unbroken, leaving him furious.
This emerald shield's defense was absurd—it was like a ten-thousand-year turtle shell, stronger than Huyan Li's fourth defensive soul skill from yesterday's Elephant Armor Academy match!
Just then, Lei Mie's fourth soul ring lit up, and a nearly five-thousand-year-old powerful attack soul skill struck Jing Ling.
Instantly, Jing Ling's emerald shield twisted violently and then shattered into countless fragments.
While the emerald shield's defense was impressive, it had its limits. After enduring numerous attacks earlier, it couldn't withstand two consecutive fourth-rank powerful attacks.
Seeing this, Yu Tianxin's heart leaped, and he immediately moved to knock Jing Ling out of the match.
But at that moment, an emerald streak shot toward Jing Ling, and the shattered shield reformed around him.
"I %@*#&$@#!"
Seeing the indestructible turtle shell return, Yu Tianxin couldn't help but unleash a string of curses.
This was too unfair! He'd barely managed to destroy it with his ultimate move, and here it came again?
Furious, Yu Tianxin glared at Chu Chengzhou on the opposite side of the platform.
In response, Chu Chengzhou gave a faint smile.
"Forget these two green turtles—go deal with that bastard first!"
Roaring at his teammates, Yu Tianxin abandoned his fight with Jing Ling and charged toward Chu Chengzhou.
This turtle shell was too strong, and they kept coming. How could Thunderbolt Academy afford to waste so much soul power breaking through them?
If they didn't take Chu Chengzhou out first, with these endless shields, Thunderbolt Academy had no hope of winning.
At that moment, a green shadow lunged at him. Yu Tianxin, having only moved a few meters, froze in place.
Looking down, he saw Tai Long clinging tightly to his right thigh, protected by the turtle shell.
At the same time, another green shadow darted across the platform—Huang Yuan latched onto Lei Dong's leg.
Yu Tianxin and Lei Dong: "..."
Though their martial soul powers were suppressed, it didn't mean they were completely immobilized. A Soul Elder's physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.
With Xiao Qing's emerald shield protecting them, Tai Long and Huang Yuan weren't afraid of being killed by Yu Tianxin and Lei Dong. As long as they held on tight, they were safe.
With an inseparable attachment on their legs, how could Yu Tianxin and Lei Dong continue fighting?
But while Yu Tianxin and Lei Dong had human-shaped attachments on their legs, the other four members of Thunderbolt Academy were free to act. Dodging Ma Hongjun's aerial assault, Lei Mie and the others charged toward Chu Chengzhou, Oscar, and Jiang Zhu at the rear.
"Forget it, let's end this farce!"
Observing the situation, Chu Chengzhou clicked his tongue, deciding to finish the match.
Tai Long and Huang Yuan's "leg-hugging" antics were truly unbearable to watch.
Waving his hand, Xiao Qing's dense roots and vines shot out, immediately demonstrating the meaning of "two fists can't beat four hands."
Though plant-type soul beasts were less mobile, when their strength surpassed their opponents, their threat in stationary combat was no less than that of beast-type soul beasts of the same age.
One vine or root strike might not overwhelm a Soul Ancestor like Lei Mie, but dealing with Soul Elders was manageable.
But Xiao Qing's roots spread across the entire platform, almost tripping people, and its hundreds of vines danced wildly. On average, Lei Mie and the others were struck over a dozen times per second.
Before Yu Tianxin and Lei Dong could shake off their leg attachments, Lei Mie and the others were already hung from trees by Xiao Qing's vines.
"Thunderbolt Academy forfeits!"
Seeing the dense roots and vines sweeping toward himself and Lei Dong, Yu Tianxin immediately raised his hand and shouted.
"Eh, won't you guys hold on a bit longer?"
Chu Chengzhou paused, somewhat surprised.
"Hmph!"
Yu Tianxin didn't reply, only letting out a cold snort.
That Chu Chengzhou was utterly despicable. Hold on longer? Did he really have to wait until he was hung from a tree to concede?
When watching Lan Ba Academy's matches earlier, seeing their opponents hung from trees had seemed amusing. But now that it was his turn, there was nothing funny about it.
He, Yu Tianxin, a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, couldn't possibly allow himself to be hung from a tree.
Admitting defeat early was better than being publicly humiliated like that.
"Young man, life is long! You must learn perseverance!"
Chu Chengzhou said earnestly.
Yu Tianxin: "..."
"I declare that in Preliminary Round 19, Lan Ba Academy versus Thunderbolt Academy—Lan Ba Academy wins!"
At this point, the referee stepped in to announce the result.
After leaving the platform, Chu Chengzhou and his team headed straight to the stands to join Xiao Wu and the others, watching the subsequent matches.
Not long after taking their seats, all five matches of the first group had concluded, and the host began announcing the matchups for the second group.
Chu Chengzhou ignored the other four groups, focusing solely on the eastern platform among the five platforms (central, east, west, south, north).
The eastern platform's second group featured one of the Five Elements Academies, Elephant Armor Academy, versus Canghui Academy.
The preliminaries were already in the nineteenth round, two-thirds through the schedule. So far, apart from their losses to Lan Ba Academy, none of the Five Elements Academies had fallen to any non-element academies—a testament to their strength.
However, unless something unexpected happened, Elephant Armor Academy was likely to stumble today.
Elephant Armor Academy's team consisted entirely of tanky, defensive-type soul masters, while Canghui Academy had a hidden ace up their sleeve. If Elephant Armor Academy failed to interrupt it in time, their opponents' seven-man unified soul skill fusion technique would surely overwhelm Huyan Li and the others.
At this moment, Elephant Armor Academy and Canghui Academy took to the eastern platform.
On the surface, Elephant Armor Academy's momentum absolutely crushed Canghui Academy.
All seven members of Elephant Armor Academy were burly, standing over two meters tall. Their leader, Huyan Li, was well over two-and-a-half meters, with arms thicker than most people's legs.
In contrast, Canghui Academy's members, none of whom were beast-type soul masters, appeared "frail" by comparison. The tallest was barely 1.8 meters, while the shortest stood at 1.7 meters. Standing beside Elephant Armor Academy's giants, they immediately looked like dwarves.
Moreover, only Canghui Academy's captain Shen Xinshui was a Soul Ancestor, while Elephant Armor Academy boasted three.
Whether comparing physique or soul power levels, Canghui Academy seemed to have no chance against Elephant Armor Academy.
But the ones who laughed last weren't always the biggest or strongest.
Didn't the Deep Sea Demon Whale King have a massive size and a million-year lifespan, standing just half a step away from godhood? Despite being the strongest known entity on Douluo Planet (aside from the Silver Dragon King), it still fell to Tang San in the original storyline.
Someone mentioned a certain God King cheating (Adjudicator: Don't look at me, I didn't do it)? Cough~ anyway, Tang San absorbed and refined its soul rings and soul bones.
As expected, the match began with Elephant Armor Academy hurriedly forming a line and releasing defensive soul skills, preparing to overwhelm their opponents with sheer power.
But before they could form their "mountain-like" formation, Canghui Academy completed the setup for their seven-man unified soul skill fusion technique.
A towering pillar of seven-colored light rose and rapidly expanded, covering more than half the platform within moments and engulfing all seven members of Elephant Armor Academy.
After a long moment, when the dazzling seven-colored pillar faded, only Canghui Academy's seven members remained standing.
Elephant Armor Academy's seven members, including Huyan Li—who possessed a mediocre head-type soul bone—were all unconscious on the platform.
Of course, they were merely unconscious.
The rules of the Soul Master Tournament forbade killing or intentionally severely injuring opponents, unless directed by an untouchable authority figure.
Besides, Canghui Academy wouldn't dare provoke Elephant Armor Academy, which was backed by one of the Spirit Hall's four lackeys, the Elephant Armor Clan.
Following Lan Ba Academy, another element academy had fallen to a non-element academy.
Thunderbolt, God Wind, Blazing Fire, and Sky Water Academies: Where are the Five Elements Academies in Tian Dou Empire? Clearly, there are only Four Elements Academies!
"I declare that in Preliminary Round 19, Canghui Academy versus Elephant Armor Academy—Canghui Academy wins!"
The referee stepped in to announce the result.
Instantly, a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the audience.
Elephant Armor Academy losing to Canghui Academy? That was absurd!
But the emergence of a dark horse in the tournament was something the audience loved. Compared to predictable matches, upsets were far more entertaining.
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