Chapter 190: Shock at the Instantaneous Activation of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill
Shui Bing'er stared in disbelief at the lightning storm cascading from above. Her throat felt dry as she swallowed, and her gaze at Dai Yao was filled with both incredulity and frustration.
"You can activate your fourth soul skill instantly?"
Dai Yao nodded.
"But then… why did you need your teammates to buy you time during the fight against the Godwind Academy?"
"Take a closer look. Feel the true power of this fourth soul skill," Dai Yao replied, gesturing at the countless silver arcs above him.
Shui Bing'er frowned, focusing her senses on the energy within the crackling lightning surrounding them. That's when she noticed that the range of Dai Yao's "Forest of Lightning" was considerably smaller than in the Godwind Academy match, and its intensity was noticeably reduced.
Even so, the skill's power was equivalent to the strongest attack of a Soul King.
She understood at once: that devastating blow from before had required him to gather an overwhelming amount of lightning energy, reaching the power of a Soul Douluo. But with reduced intensity, he could now unleash the technique instantly.
Though the skill's power was far less than that of a Soul Douluo, it was still leagues beyond what Tianshui Academy—who were all Soul Elders—could handle. Moreover, with water as their primary attribute, they were highly vulnerable to Dai Yao's dominant lightning.
Shui Bing'er glanced at her teammates, seeing their fierce determination wavering.
The instantaneous release of a ten-thousand-year soul skill had shattered their understanding of soul skills and destroyed their confidence in themselves.
Knowing her team's fighting spirit had been shaken, she realized that defeat was inevitable. Turning her gaze back to Dai Yao, she studied him intently, hoping to discern some weakness, then gave up with a sigh.
"Even if I tried our fusion skill with Xue Wu, it likely wouldn't hold up against his lightning attacks. And he used that ten-thousand-year skill so effortlessly. Who knows how many times he can use it... Truly a monster."
Her ice-blue eyes reflected her inner pain. As a soul master, she wanted nothing more than to challenge Dai Yao, to test herself against someone this strong. But as the captain of Tianshui Academy, she couldn't afford to be reckless. She was responsible for her academy's reputation and future.
Securing a spot in the qualifying rounds was the minimum expectation for the Five Elemental Academies, and failure meant facing the same fate as Elephant Armor Academy. Even if her teachers forgave her, she would never forgive herself.
"We surrender."
After a long breath, Shui Bing'er spoke calmly.
"Are you sure?" the referee asked, threading his way cautiously through the lightning, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"Yes," she affirmed.
Stunned, the referee turned his gaze to Dai Yao, barely able to meet his eyes. After a light cough, he announced the result.
The referee's voice echoed through the loudspeaker, and as soon as the audience heard that Tianshui Academy had surrendered, they erupted in shocked murmurs.
While most had expected Auckland to win, no one had anticipated such an easy victory. Dai Yao's single move had forced Tianshui to surrender without a fight.
The battle may not have been long or intense, but seeing Dai Yao unleash his ten-thousand-year soul skill again made the spectacle more than worthwhile.
In Shrek Academy's waiting area, both team members and teachers sat in stunned silence as they watched Dai Yao on the platform.
Dai Yao's power had shaken them to the core.
Oscar, about to take a bite of his sausage as he settled in for the match, froze mid-chew.
"Wait... it's over already?"
Fatty, whose small, greedy eyes had been admiring Feng Wutong and the Tianshui girls, dropped his jaw in disbelief.
Swallowing hard, he turned his gaze toward Dai Mubai. "Boss Dai, you're related to Dai Yao, right? How can he be so powerful, while you…"
Dai Mubai smacked Fatty on the head with a scowl. "Say that one more time."
Fatty wisely zipped his lips.
Dai Mubai exhaled deeply, his gaze shifting to Tang San, who seemed equally stunned. After a long silence, he finally asked, "Tang San, tomorrow we're up against Auckland. Do you have any ideas?"
Tang San exchanged a look with Dai Mubai and saw a rare hint of hesitation in his friend's eyes.
Dai Mubai was known for his fierce fighting spirit, and he feared no one, not even Soul Masters with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit. Yet Dai Yao's display of power had crushed even his confidence.
Tang San forced a smile. "Mubai, I know what you're thinking."
"Dai Yao's fourth soul skill is far more impressive than I expected. He can instantly activate an attack with Soul King-level power. Auckland's strength is almost incomprehensible, and our chances of winning are slim."
"What makes Auckland so formidable is Dai Yao's overwhelming strength," he continued. "I don't mean to belittle you, Mubai, but Dai Yao's power is simply on another level."
The rest of the team gathered around, listening intently. Dai Mubai didn't take offense; instead, he wore a somber expression and nodded for Tang San to continue.
Tang San met their worried faces with a reassuring smile. "Auckland is strong, no doubt. But their control and support Soul Masters are weak, while we have solid support from both Rongrong and Oscar."
"There are ways to counter Dai Yao. Mubai, with your White Tiger and Rongrong's support, you could hold him back. Plus, Xiao Wu's teleportation and Invincible Golden Body should be enough to delay him."
"If we can keep him occupied, I believe Xiao Wu's Eight Stage Drop would even be a threat to him."
Hearing Tang San's strategy, Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. "Right! I'd forgotten about Xiao Wu's Eight Stage Drop. Didn't she use it to take down a Soul King once?"
The others' spirits lifted at the reminder of Xiao Wu's deadly move. The Shrek Seven Devils remembered just how devastating that attack could be; Tang San had advised her to save it only for the direst circumstances.
Meanwhile, the newer recruits, like Tailong and Huang Yuan, were unfamiliar with this technique.
"Fatty, who's this Soul King you guys took down? And what is Eight Stage Drop, exactly?" Tailong asked.
Fatty's face reddened. Back then, he had picked a fight with Unhappy at a brothel, leading to a brawl and ultimately requiring backup from his friends. It wasn't a story he was eager to retell.
Tang San, seeing Fatty's discomfort, explained Eight Stage Drop to their new teammates, who were left awestruck. He noticed Xiao Wu looking somewhat pale and reached out to touch her face with concern.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong? You look pale."
Xiao Wu glanced at Tang San, her gaze holding a trace of hidden meaning, before she shook her head with a smile.
"It's nothing, really… It's just that we're up against Auckland tomorrow, and I feel the pressure."
"Don't worry. I've got you," Tang San replied warmly.
Xiao Wu felt a surge of comfort at his reassurance, nodding quietly. Though she said she was fine, deep down, she couldn't shake a sense of dread about facing Dai Yao. Just seeing him again filled her with an unexplained fear. Dai Yao had once seen through her identity as a spirit beast. If he hadn't been so focused on her spirit ring, she might already have been exposed, imprisoned in some dark, hidden place.
Clutching the Acacia Heartbroken Red in her hand, she took another look at Tang San's familiar face, and that underlying fear eased somewhat.
At the back of the group, Ning Rongrong watched Dai Yao's powerful figure on the battle stage, her heart conflicted and her expression strained. Her usual playful liveliness was nowhere to be seen. She had thought that the memories of that illusion would fade quickly, but every night, that figure would return to her mind, keeping her awake.
But she didn't regret her choice. She couldn't let her personal feelings lead her to drag her clan into ruin. After a long pause, her hands clenched into fists, her gaze hardening with determination.
"For tomorrow's match, I won't let him think I'm doing poorly. I'll show him that I'm strong enough to make it to the qualifiers!"
Seeing the renewed confidence among the Shrek team as Tang San helped restore their spirits, Grandmaster smiled with satisfaction. "Looks like Dai Yao's performance today didn't break their resolve. They're growing up."
Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang's profile with a hint of concern. "Xiaogang, Auckland is a strong team. Don't you think you should help the kids come up with a strategy?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head with a sigh. "It's unnecessary. The team's morale is already at a critical point. If I go in with more strategies, it could backfire and mess with their performance tomorrow."
Liu Erlong and Flender nodded in understanding, and Yu Xiaogang added, "Besides, I trust Tang San. His ability to read the rhythm and flow of a match has already surpassed my own. I'm just a Great Soul Master. Even without me, he's more than capable of formulating a sound strategy and making solid tactical judgments on the spot."
"You really picked an excellent disciple," Flender commented, impressed.
Hearing Yu Xiaogang mention his low-level rank, Liu Erlong's heart ached. She looked at him with concern and asked, "Xiaogang, do you think the kids have a real chance of winning tomorrow?"
Yu Xiaogang sighed. "It doesn't look promising."
"What?!" Flender's eyes widened in alarm.
"What's wrong, Boss?" Liu Erlong asked.
Flender looked as though he might cry. "If they lose tomorrow, what about all my ad revenue?!"
Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong exchanged a look and couldn't help but laugh at his despair.
Back in the arena, amidst the cheers of the crowd, Auckland clinched victory in today's match. After waving to the audience, both teams slowly left the stage. Though Tianshui Academy had conceded, the audience didn't seem to hold it against them. Many male fans saw them as goddesses and simply being able to see them on the battle stage was enough to make them happy.
Once they entered the contestant tunnel, Shui Bing'er turned and, with a smile, extended her hand to Dai Yao.
"Congratulations. You're quite impressive."
Dai Yao was momentarily surprised. As he shook her hand, the softness of her touch stirred something in him slightly, and he responded, "It was mostly just an attribute advantage."
"That's still a part of your strength," Shui Bing'er replied, gently sweeping a few loose blue strands of hair behind her ear. "Hopefully, we'll get another chance to meet in the qualifying rounds."
Dai Yao could see the lingering frustration in her eyes and smiled. "I hope you all make it through smoothly."
At that moment, a voice spoke from nearby.
"Are you two going to keep holding hands forever?"
Startled, Shui Bing'er quickly let go, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as she turned to see all six of her teammates staring at her intently. Shui Yue'er looked suspiciously between Dai Yao and Shui Bing'er, her gaze shifting back and forth.
With a hint of amusement, Shui Yue'er teased, "You called me the fangirl, but I was just thinking about him. Someone here's already making a move!"
"Little brat, are you looking for a fight?" Shui Bing'er playfully pretended to scold.
"Hehe." Shui Yue'er's expression shifted from teasing to laughter as she darted behind Xue Wu. As her younger sister, she knew Shui Bing'er's mood inside and out. Teasing her was a way to distract her from the disappointment of the loss while also getting a rare glimpse at her usually composed sister's reaction around a man.
"No more handshakes?" A gentle voice sounded behind Dai Yao.
Turning around, he saw Dugu Yan with her arms crossed, a playful smile on her face, though there was an unmistakable chill in her eyes.
Pulling her into a sudden embrace, Dai Yao felt her softness against him, and the previously composed Dugu Yan playfully blushed, her voice barely a whisper. "Let me go…"
"Still thinking of getting jealous over nothing?" he teased.
She huffed softly and wriggled from his grasp with a slight twist of her slender waist. Casting him a sideways glance, she murmured, "Getting all worked up for nothing."
Dai Yao chuckled, aware her shyness had been an act. Next to him, Zhu Zhuqing's lips lifted in a slight smile, her gaze contemplative. Dai Yuan couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "Dai Yao really is the most popular guy with the ladies."
Luo Ling tugged at his ear. "Oh? So you're saying you'd like some of that popularity too?"
"No, no, not at all!" Dai Yuan quickly shook his head in denial.
"Glad to hear it." The team's laughter echoed through the tunnel as Luo Ling playfully let go. Luo Feng glanced up at the matchup board above them, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Tomorrow's opponents are Shrek Academy, another black horse team, but not on par with the Five Elemental Academies. It looks like it'll be an easy win for us."
Feng Qianli frowned. "We can't afford to be careless. Even if the opponent's weak, we must avoid any hint of overconfidence."
Turning to Dai Yao, he suggested, "Dai Yao, tomorrow is the last match. It's too important to risk. How about letting Zhu Zhuqing participate as well?"
Dai Yao shook his head, surprising Feng Qianli. This didn't seem like the Dai Yao he knew. He was about to argue further when Dai Yao spoke with firm seriousness.
"No. Tomorrow, we're putting in all our main players, including Dugu Yan."
"What?" Feng Qianli's eyes widened. Almost everyone on the Auckland team was startled by Dai Yao's decision.
--- (End of Chapter)
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