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"Captain, did you draw the short straw or something? Who starts off by fighting a boss right away?" Lian Yue was on the verge of tears.
Their first-round opponent in the elimination round turned out to be Ning Tian's team from the Nine Treasure Glazed Clan!
Though she had already given up hope of winning the championship, she at least made it to the elimination rounds and didn't want to be eliminated in the very first match.
"What's there to fear? We would have faced them sooner or later anyway. Better to take care of them now," Xiao Xiao said, cracking her knuckles with excitement, completely unafraid.
It wasn't blind confidence in herself; rather, she had absolute faith in Yuwen Tuo.
Even a high-level Soul Emperor like Bei Bei had once fallen to Yuwen Tuo. What were these low-level Soul Emperors compared to that?
"Hmph, such arrogance from a mere little girl," one of the three girls on the opposing team sneered.
The three girls on the other side were all exceptionally beautiful. The leader stood tall and commanding, with short golden hair giving her a strikingly sharp appearance. If Wang Dong could be described as a feminine boy when cross-dressing as a male, then this girl could easily pass for a masculine female—using the word "handsome" to describe her wouldn't feel out of place.
Behind her, the fiery-tempered girl who had just spoken had short red hair reminiscent of flames, with rare crimson eyes. Her entire body seemed to shimmer with heat, indicating she shared the same fire attribute as Yuwen Tuo. Upon closer inspection, however, her features were exquisitely refined, her skin as pale as jade.
On the far right stood a girl who was the complete opposite. Her long hair cascaded down her back, and her emerald-green eyes radiated gentleness, giving her an air of fragility. She gazed curiously at Yuwen Tuo, exclaiming, "Wow, he's so handsome! I've never seen anyone like him before."
"You two, stay focused. Feng, don't underestimate them. And Yun'er, stop swooning. That Yuwen Tuo is no ordinary opponent. Even though he's only at the second soul ring level, remember—he defeated Bei Bei, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, while still at the first soul ring," the golden-haired leader reminded sternly.
The fiery-tempered girl snorted dismissively. "Hmph, I heard that Bei Bei fought Xu Sanshi beforehand. Those two are evenly matched, so even if Bei Bei won, it must've drained him severely. Yuwen Tuo probably just got lucky picking off the scraps."
The leader shook her head. "Even if it was luck, defeating a third-ring opponent while being at the first ring is still an incredible feat."
The proctor overseeing the match called out, "Both teams, enter the arena and state your names."
The six participants stepped into the arena, taking their respective positions. Yuwen Tuo's team maintained their usual formation: Yuwen Tuo leading the charge, Xiao Xiao positioned centrally, and Lian Yue tucked safely in the corner.
On the opposing side, the three girls adjusted their stance. The golden-haired leader retreated to the rear, while the fiery-tempered girl and the gentle-eyed girl moved forward to protect her.
"I'm Wu Feng, from Class Nine, a Level 25 power-type Battle Soul Master," the fiery-tempered girl declared confidently.
This self-introduction method had been passed down for thousands of years in the world of Douluo Continent, serving both as a sign of respect and a declaration of intent during sparring matches.
Following suit, the long-haired girl introduced herself. "I'm Nanmen Yun'er, also from Class Nine, a Level 24 agility-type Battle Soul Master."
Finally, a calm voice emanated from behind the two girls. "I'm Ning Tian, also from Class Nine, a Level 31 support-type Weapon Soul Emperor."
Support-type souls were notoriously difficult to cultivate. Even with the backing of a prestigious clan, reaching the Soul Emperor rank by age twelve was a testament to Ning Tian's extraordinary talent—it wasn't solely due to family resources.
"L-Lian Yue… Level 18 support-type Weapon Soul Master," Lian Yue stammered, her introduction laced with insecurity. Despite sharing the same age group and specialization, she lagged behind her opponent by a full two soul rings.
"Yuwen Tuo, Level 24 power-type Battle Soul Master."
"Xiao Xiao, Level 23 control-type Battle Soul Master!"
Unlike Lian Yue, Yuwen Tuo and Xiao Xiao showed no signs of intimidation, unaffected by the opponents' higher ranks.
Still, their highest-ranked member was tied with the lowest-ranked opponent, making it hard for spectators to view their chances favorably.
"Desire Disk: Attack Aura activated!"
With the start of the duel spirit battle, Lian Yue, despite her lack of confidence and timid nature, fulfilled her role dutifully. At the onset of the match, she cast an attack-enhancing aura onto Yuwen Tuo.
Seeing this, Ning Tian couldn't help but smile smugly. Displaying a support-type martial soul in front of her was like bringing a knife to a gunfight.
Placing her hands together, a dazzling seven-colored pagoda materialized between her palms.
"The continent's top-tier auxiliary martial soul—the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda!" Instructor Zhou Yi murmured from the stands.
She had come specifically to watch the match. Though Yuwen Tuo's team wasn't her primary concern, they were still part of her class, so she decided to drop by.
"Teacher Zhou, is this really your class's strongest team? How weak can they be? With these levels, do they honestly think they can defeat the continent's premier auxiliary martial soul, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda?" A female instructor in her early thirties approached Zhou Yi, chuckling mockingly.
Zhou Yi's gaze sharpened. "Mujin, do you really think your students are guaranteed to win? Don't forget about Yuwen Tuo. Didn't the outer courtyard's number one attack-type beast soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, fall to him? Besides, after millennia of development, while the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda may still be considered top-tier, it can no longer claim to be the absolute best."
Back when the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda earned its reputation as the ultimate auxiliary martial soul, few other top-tier martial souls existed. Additionally, there weren't nearly as many auxiliary pills available back then, such as Xuan Water Pills, Soul Ascension Pills, or Black Tortoise Pills.
Support-type martial souls were inherently difficult to cultivate, resulting in very few reaching the Title Douluo or even Spirit Douluo ranks. Though the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda had a maximum limit of seven soul rings, most other auxiliary martial souls rarely surpassed this due to cultivation difficulties.
Within the same tier, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's support capabilities were unparalleled.
However, times had changed. Not only had more top-tier martial souls emerged, but the advent of auxiliary pills had significantly mitigated the difficulties associated with cultivating support-type martial souls. As a result, auxiliary Title Douluos began appearing more frequently, while the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda remained constrained by its seven-ring limit.
No matter how powerful the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's support might be, how could seven rings compare to the nine-ring potential of other top-tier auxiliary martial souls?
Take, for example, the Life Tree martial soul wielder residing within Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion—a healing-type Title Douluo whose auxiliary abilities far surpassed those of the current head of the Seven Treasures Glazed Clan. Though Elder Zhuang's enhancements couldn't double someone's strength, they allowed fighters to trade blows relentlessly without faltering.
Mujin smiled faintly. "Hehe, I acknowledge Yuwen Tuo's strength, but how can one person possibly take on three? While the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda may no longer reign supreme among auxiliary martial souls, it's still leagues ahead of something like the Desire Disk. Aside from Yuwen Tuo, I haven't heard anything particularly impressive about your class. No Soul Emperors, right? Truly pitiable."
Zhou Yi's eyes narrowed. "Are you here to provoke me?"
"And what if I am?" Mujin shot back defiantly.
These two had been bitter rivals for years. Decades ago, they were even rivals for the affections of Fan Yu, the Spirit Tool Department's prodigy. In the end, Zhou Yi won his heart, leaving Mujin harboring resentment ever since.
To make matters worse, Mujin's younger brother was expelled under Zhou Yi's supervision, deepening their animosity.
Zhou Yi smirked coldly. "Hehe, how about we make a bet?"