Chapter 149: Bring It On!

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Wu Siduo had naturally considered this possibility.

In the heat of battle, such tactics were easy to anticipate. However, there was always a chance for the unexpected.

Before Mo Jue had used this tactic, Wu Siduo had clung to a sliver of hope—what if her soul skill had significant limitations? Perhaps it could only be used once a day or once every few hours.

But clearly, her hopes had been misplaced.

Ten seconds later, Mo Jue activated the same soul skill again.

"From the looks of it, the only limitation of this soul skill is that its effects cannot stack."

Wu Siduo had managed to deduce some information about Mo Jue's soul skills, which would prove useful in the upcoming team battles.

With twenty percent less soul power—effectively losing one-fifth of her total—Wu Siduo, who already lagged behind by nearly an entire rank in soul power, found herself at even more of a disadvantage.

Wu Siduo, with her soul power at Level 43, was now effectively reduced to around Level 41, while Mo Jue's soul power soared at Level 49!

"Netherworld White Tiger!"

Without hesitation or delay, she unleashed her self-fusion martial soul technique.

As expected, Wu Siduo lost the battle.

A prodigy from birth, Wu Siduo had always been at the top of her peers ever since her martial soul awakened. Her cultivation journey had been smooth, filled with victories that showcased her extraordinary talent.

However, after entering Shrek Academy, she suffered her first defeat at the hands of Xu Yuan.

Together with four other young geniuses, they had challenged Xu Yuan in a five-on-one battle, only to be utterly annihilated. Xu Yuan hadn't even paid a heavy price for his victory.

This blow was immense.

It was only because she had entered Shrek with the mindset that there would always be stronger individuals and because of her strong mental fortitude that she had managed to endure it.

Today, she had truly lost again.

Although Mo Jue was a third-year senior and her soul skills were highly restrictive against her, the fact remained that she had lost.

Mo Jue was also a Soul Elder.

Self-fusion martial soul techniques did not guarantee invincibility at the same level.

These two crushing defeats forced Wu Siduo to face reality and begin seeking her own path forward.

In a daze, she walked off the stage, only snapping out of it when Xu Yuan patted her on the shoulder.

"The effects of her soul skill are disadvantageous to you, and she has a full set of nine pieces of battle armor, almost fully nurtured and fused into one. Her base strength has reached the level of a Soul King. Combined with her combat techniques and the restrictive nature of her soul skills, defeating you was only natural."

"Losing isn't scary. Knowing why you lost and correcting it in the future is what matters."

Wu Siduo took a deep breath and nodded.

"This match should've been mine," Ye Xinglan spoke up nearby.

Her expression was serious.

Xu Yuan nodded. "Indeed, your sword intent is highly concentrated. Mo Jue's first soul skill might not necessarily work on you. But remember, the gap in base stats isn't something easily bridged. Achieving a cross-tier challenge isn't something that can be accomplished through sheer willpower alone."

Cross-tier?

Increasing one's own burst capacity to surpass the opponent's was one approach.

Suppressing the opponent's abilities, reducing their effectiveness, was another.

So-called cross-tier challenges ultimately came down to these two straightforward methods.

Anything else outside of these approaches was merely luck.

"Your sword intent is focused, but your burst is still lacking. Remember what I told you before? Sword intent comes in different forms. Pure sword intent is just a sword—it doesn't align with your Star God Sword. Delving into the star attribute is a key focus of your cultivation."

Ye Xinglan nodded silently and returned to her seat to ponder Xu Yuan's words.

"For the third match, Fang Yuan, you go."

Since the second individual match had been lost, Xu Yuan decided to abandon the original plan and no longer aimed for a perfect victory.

Let Fang Yuan attempt a cross-tier battle.

As a control-type soul master with the most well-rounded abilities, attempting a cross-tier battle at this moment would allow him to experience his weaknesses in all aspects.

This was an excellent opportunity for self-assessment.

More realistic than Wu Changkong's practical teaching.

After arranging the next participant, Xu Yuan didn't focus on the arena but instead turned his gaze toward the third-year preparation area, watching Mo Jue, who had just returned.

Black Swan.

"I wonder if this senior would be willing to help me with my training."

As expected, Fang Yuan lost the third individual match.

However, his eyes were bright. Though his soul power fluctuations were chaotic, the light in his eyes was tangible.

Gains were what mattered.

"Third match, third year wins."

Cai Yue'er cast a deep glance at Xu Yuan's side, her eyes reflecting satisfaction.

Not greedy for success, not reckless—this child was even more composed than she had imagined.

The purpose of this battle had been achieved.

"Fourth match, a two-on-two small group battle. Both sides, prepare your participants."

"Wulin, Le Zhengyu, you two go."

"Understood."

Their coordination needed no explanation—both exuded grandeur and overwhelming presence. One suppressed opponents with dragon might, the other with holy radiance. Both possessed the ability to overwhelm enemies with their aura.

Over the past month, the two had practiced together multiple times and had discovered some key points of cooperation.

In truth, the best pairing would have been Le Zhengyu and Yuanen Yehui—one a Holy Angel, the other a Fallen Angel. Practicing with sacred and fallen attributes as opposites would allow them to master combination techniques far beyond their individual bursts.

Unfortunately, at this stage, the two weren't familiar enough. In fact, not long ago, Le Zhengyu had pointed his sword at Yuanen Yehui, ready to execute her on the spot. Naturally, they couldn't practice any so-called combination techniques.

Moreover, Yuanen Yehui had already participated in an individual match and was resting to fully recover for the upcoming team battle.

Thus, the two-on-two battle was left to these two.

The outcome was already predetermined.

The difficulty of a cross-tier battle with a six-year age gap was simply too great.

They lost.

Perhaps in a year or two, Tang Wulin and the others' progress would outpace the third-year seniors, giving them a chance to attempt cross-tier battles. But at this moment, they had only been enrolled for less than half a year.

The two-on-two battle ended, and the combined first- and second-year team suffered another defeat.

The audience, who had hoped to see the first- and second-years triumph over the third-years, were deeply disappointed.

Sure enough, it was easy for first-years to defeat second-years, but challenging third-years was nothing short of a pipe dream.

The third year represented a qualitative leap!

To be precise, the transition from second to third year was where the qualitative change occurred.

"Final thirty-minute rest period. Both sides, please select the participants for the seven-person team battle and adjust your states."

Third Year.

Song Lin looked at her class monitor, Li Qiankun.

"Teacher Song, rest assured—I'll do my best."

"Teacher, I've already recovered to my peak condition," Mo Jue added.

Song Lin nodded.

She encouraged her seven students, then turned her worried gaze toward Xu Yuan, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

Thirty minutes passed.

Fourteen participants from both sides ascended the stage, each taking their positions fifty meters apart.

"Match begins!"

Xu Yuan stood at the forefront of his team. His presence was as deep and oppressive as an abyss or prison. He made no movements, didn't release his soul power, and kept his spiritual power concealed, yet he exuded a crushing sense of pressure.

Looking at the seven opponents, Xu Yuan felt a surge of anticipation.

He was close to reaching the point of nurturing momentum. Before that, he would unleash everything he had.

His eyes gleamed with intensity, his fighting spirit so fierce that it even affected the flow of ambient energy.

The Heaven Origin Five Elements Spear materialized in his hand, its tip pointing forward.

One by one, soul rings rose from beneath his feet.

Purple, purple, purple.

Just three soul rings—all purple—but they carried an overwhelming sense of oppression.

"Bring it on!"

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