Auckland Arena.
As the competition began, gasps of surprise rose and fell from the audience as they discussed the performance of the players.
"The gap between the second team and the first team is still too big."
"Some people sighed."
It turns out that Auckland Academy has become increasingly powerful, and like the Royal Academy of Heavenly Battle, it has established two teams.
"Especially Wang Lin, he's practically Dai Yao back then! He can defeat an entire team all by himself."
A man stared in shock at a spirited figure on the battle stage and exclaimed.
Listening to their conversation, Dai Yao couldn't help but look at the man still standing on the Soul Battle Platform and couldn't help but chuckle.
Wang Lin's martial soul is a mutated fire dragon martial soul, comparable to some top-tier martial souls, and his soul power has reached level 44. Dai Yao deduced that his strength was only about equal to that of Huo Wushuang back then.
Dai Yao didn't know why, but it seemed that the class five years ago had gathered all the geniuses from several eras, resulting in the quality of this year's young powerhouses being far inferior to that of the previous ones.
Even among the Spirit Hall teams this year, the strongest only has a spirit power of level 49.
If Wang Lin's strength were placed in the previous competition, he would only be considered first-rate, but in this competition, his strength is unparalleled. The so-called Auckland team only has three Soul Masters, three fewer than the previous competition.
The match was a foregone conclusion; Auckland Team One decisively defeated Team Two. Wang Lin stood proudly on the fighting platform, basking in the cheers of all the students.
"My soul power level is now the same as Dai Yao's five years ago. What he could do, I can definitely do too!"
Amidst the cheers of everyone, Wang Lin stood at the forefront of the team's six members, thinking excitedly.
Outside the Battle Arena, Feng Qianli watched Wang Lin's heroic performance, shook his head in disappointment, and sighed.
He knew that Wang Lin had always followed in Dai Yao's footsteps, wanting to become the next Dai Yao. However, the strength of this generation was too weak, which meant that Wang Lin could not find an opponent who could match him. As a result, he developed an arrogant personality and believed that he was invincible.
However, he knew that Wang Lin's strength was not very strong. If it were the previous season, Wang Lin would only be considered the core of a strong team, and it would be a stretch for him to even make it into the qualifying rounds.
He's nowhere near capable of defeating all his opponents single-handedly. He's worlds apart from Dai Yao of yesteryear.
If things continue like this, Wang Lin's arrogant and conceited nature will only harm him.
However, he couldn't find any young people who could rival Wang Lin. Helpless, he couldn't help but think of how Dai Yao had crushed all the top teams and led them to victory.
"It's been five years, Dai Yao. I wonder how you've been doing in Spirit City?"
Gazing at Wang Lin's figure on the Soul Battle Stage, Feng Qianli seemed to see, in a daze, the spirited young man he once was...
······
The match is over.
The members of Team Oakland slowly left the arena, but even after they left, the atmosphere inside remained incredibly lively.
Looking at the imposing Feng Qianli walking ahead, the seven official team members could clearly feel his unwavering steadiness from his back. They couldn't help but admire him, thinking that he truly deserved to be the captain who won the championship back then.
"Team leader, how did we perform today?"
A young and beautiful girl skipped and hopped up behind Feng Qianli and asked excitedly.
As soon as he finished speaking, all the team members looked at Feng Qianli, and Wang Lin also glanced over. They cared a lot about the impression they made on Feng Qianli.
Feng Qianli paused, his heavy footsteps creating a small vortex of air. Five years had passed, and although his progress couldn't match that of Dai Yao and the others, it was still considerable.
He slowly turned around, hands behind his back, and swept his gaze across the seven members' slightly expectant, youthful faces. A fleeting, almost imperceptible, disappointment crossed his deep, unfathomable pupils as he said in a low voice:
Do you want to hear the truth?
The seven members were taken aback, exchanging glances and bewilderment. The girl stammered:
"Team leader, please tell the truth."
Feng Qianli scanned the faces of the seven members and said earnestly:
"You are indeed the elite of the academy; among Soul Masters of the same type, it's practically impossible to find anyone who can match you. But looking across the entire continent, there are countless Soul Masters of your age who are stronger than you..."
Wang Lin frowned and interrupted with displeasure:
"Team leader, I know you are the champion of the last competition, and we respect you very much, but we are not stupid. We have won in the exchange competition among many colleges."
"We are determined to win this competition!"
"We do not agree with your statement that there are countless Soul Masters stronger than us."
These words immediately drew agreement from the other members, who nodded in unison, their gazes towards Feng Qianli now clearly carrying a hint of skepticism.
Feng Qianli's face darkened, and he said earnestly:
"Indeed, you are geniuses among your peers, and few can match you in this competition. But in the history of the continent, you don't even rank among the top."
"Not to mention Dai Yao, whom you all yearn for, he is not even as good as Huo Wushuang from the previous generation."
"Arrogance will only make your future path as Soul Masters more and more difficult. Don't limit your vision to this competition, but to your entire Soul Master career."
One person was dissatisfied and said:
"Team leader, you're underestimating us. We're invincible in the Heavenly Dou Battle, and even the Five Elements Academy is no match for us."
"In our opinion, the captain is completely comparable to Dai Yao from your year."
"yes."
"right!"
The other team members echoed this.
Wang Lin, standing to the side, looked smug and agreed wholeheartedly.
Feng Qianli looked at this group of arrogant fellows, sighed helplessly, and said:
"You don't understand how terrifying Dai Yao is..."
He wanted to change the children's personalities, and even wanted to challenge them all himself, using setbacks to change them. But these children were no ordinary people either; to defeat them, Feng Qianli had to go all out and risk everything to win.
But such a failure obviously wouldn't attract their attention.
Now that things have come to this, a drastic measure is needed to change their minds. But he doesn't have that kind of power.
"If it were Dai Yao, he could definitely defeat them easily and teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget..."
Feng Qianli thought helplessly.
Just then, his gaze swept across the audience, as if he had noticed something, and his heart skipped a beat. He turned his gaze back to the audience, searching for anything that made him feel uneasy.
Suddenly, a figure in a black robe came into view, and his pupils contracted sharply. Under the black brim, those bright golden eyes were all too familiar to him!
It was Dai Yao!
Despite the black robes obscuring his face, Feng Qianli recognized Dai Yao at a glance, and a rare smile appeared on his lips.
The members who noticed Feng Qianli's change in expression were all taken aback, because in their memory, they had never seen Feng Qianli smile; he always had a rigid expression.
Feng Qianli smiled, gathered the members of the Auckland team, and said:
"Since you are not convinced, I can give you a chance to prove yourselves."
All eyes turned intently to Feng Qianli. Then, Feng Qianli pointed at the black-robed man in the audience and smiled:
"If you defeat that man in black, I will apologize for what I said earlier. How about it?"
Everyone looked in the direction Feng Qianli had pointed, and several people frowned when they saw the man in black robes. The beautiful young woman couldn't help but say:
"Team leader, you're underestimating us. Do you think you can defeat us by just pointing at one person?"
Her words immediately resonated with the others, but only Wang Lin and the control-type soul master noticed something amiss.
Given the team leader's composed personality, how could he be the kind of person who speaks without any rhyme or reason?
"Don't ask me, do you dare to accept? If you dare, then go and challenge him yourselves."
Feng Qianli laughed, a hint of mockery in his eyes. With their strength, challenging Dai Yao would result in a crushing defeat…
Wang Lin gritted his teeth, led the other six team members back to the Soul Battle Platform, and under the questioning gazes of everyone, stared at the black-robed figure that Dai Yao had transformed into, and said coldly:
"Hey you in the black robe, do you dare to fight me? It would be your honor to fight me!"
In his view, there was no need for the whole team to play; he alone was enough.
The students who hadn't left yet were already puzzled by the Oakland team's return to the stage, and their reaction to Wang Lin's words caused an uproar.
Who is Wang Lin?
The most powerful offensive Soul Master at Auckland Academy, unmatched in the entire Heaven Dou City, challenged the man in black robes by name. Who exactly is that man in black robes?
All eyes turned to Dai Yao, trying to guess his identity.
Under the watchful eyes of many, Dai Yao shook his head, stood up, slowly walked down from the audience seats, came to Feng Qianli's side, and said speechlessly:
"I finally managed to come back to the academy, and you found out, now you want me to play in a competition. I was exhausted back then, and now you want me to compete again..."
Feng Qianli patted Dai Yao on the shoulder, not revealing Dai Yao's identity, his eyes filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion, and said with a smile:
"Don't complain. Who told you to join the Spirit Hall and take Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong away? As a result, no one in the academy can control these arrogant guys."
"Now that you're back, help me out. Teach them a lesson and give them an unforgettable defeat."
Dai Yao couldn't help but laugh:
"They're really unlucky to have a team leader like you, actually sending people to teach them a lesson. Fine, then I won't let them off easy..."
Feng Qianli laughed and said, "Alright, I also want to see how much you've grown in the past five years. Don't let me catch up with you."
"good."
Dai Yao swung his arm, smiled and responded, and slowly walked onto the Soul Battle Platform amidst everyone's probing gazes.
A guy who can talk to Feng Qianli like an old friend for so long must be no ordinary person.
Many spectators who were about to leave after the match stopped and returned to their seats, their eyes filled with curiosity as they prepared to watch the next round of battles.
Although the outcome of the battle is a foregone conclusion, it's still nice to see more of the Oakland team's matches.
Wang Lin stared intently at the black-robed man's movements, trying to analyze his opponent's strength, but clearly, he couldn't discern anything. In his eyes, the black-robed man was no different from an ordinary person.
After the man in black robes stood on the Soul Battle Platform, he slowly spoke:
"Wearing a black robe to cover himself up, could it be that his appearance is too ugly?"
Beneath his black robe, Dai Yao chuckled softly upon hearing this, lowered the brim of his hat, and said with a smile:
"Does a battle between Soul Masters have anything to do with appearance? You'd better all come at me at once, lest you say I'm bullying you."
Dai Yao's words immediately caused an uproar. Many students who had already left the arena heard the commotion and rushed back like ants returning to their nest.
"you······"
The beautiful young woman's eyebrows furrowed in anger. In her view, Dai Yao's words were undoubtedly an insult to them.
Wang Lin glanced at the man in black robes, then at the intrigued Feng Qianli, gritted his teeth, and said:
"Alright, let's go together!"
"team leader!"
His words immediately drew the ire of the others. They were geniuses among their peers, each with their own pride.
From the black-robed man's voice, it was clear he wasn't much older than them. To have seven of them attack someone their own age was an insult!
It's important to know that when Dai Yao participated in the last competition, he was several years younger than the other participants. Even now, at his age, he could still participate in this competition, but he simply doesn't want to.
His age is similar to that of the people in Auckland's cohort.
"Since the team leader says we should all go together, then we'll listen to the team leader."
Upon hearing Wang Lin's words, everyone fell silent. Feng Qianli's name still held considerable weight in their minds.
Left with no other choice, the Oakland team set up their formation, with the control-type Soul Master in the center and Wang Lin standing on the strongest side, just like the Oakland team's spearhead tactics back then.
Seeing this scene, Dai Yao couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
"The battle begins!"
Feng Qianli, acting as the referee, directly pronounced the verdict.
"Brothers, activate your Martial Souls!"
Wang Lin shouted.
In an instant, the spirit rings, yellow and purple, shone brightly, drawing cheers. With the appearance of the spirit rings, seven different martial spirits appeared simultaneously, working together to create a formidable opponent even for a Soul King.
Suddenly, Wang Lin's eyes narrowed as he stared at the motionless man in black robes, and he said coldly:
"Aren't you going to activate your Martial Soul?"
A detached voice rang out from beneath the black robe:
"With your strength, it seems I have no need to use my Martial Soul."
"Arrogant!"
Wang Lin finally couldn't suppress his anger and roared.
"I'll see just how powerful you are! Third Soul Skill, Fiery Dragon Claw!"
The third spirit ring suddenly shone brightly, and Wang Lin's entire body seemed to be flowing with molten lava, his arms transforming into dragon claws. He charged wildly towards Dai Yao.
Flames fell from his dragon claws, instantly scorching a shallow crater in the granite fighting arena.
The sound of wind breaking through the air drew an overwhelming cheer.
They had never witnessed Dai Yao's battle, but in their hearts, Wang Lin was their Dai Yao! They watched Wang Lin's explosive figure with anticipation, as if they could already see Wang Lin crushing the pretentious black-robed man with overwhelming force.
"The Fire Dragon Martial Soul has decent fire element condensation, but that's about it."
Dai Yao commented casually.
When Wang Lin rushed close and unleashed his Fiery Dragon Claw, he slowly raised his right hand and gently waved it towards Wang Lin, striking first despite being behind.
Wang Lin's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately used the Fiery Dragon Claw to defend himself.
To his horror, those ordinary hands easily shattered his Fiery Dragon Claws and then slammed into his chest.
Thump!
With a crisp thud, Wang Lin let out a painful groan, his face contorted, and he was blasted into the wall surrounding the Soul Arena like a cannonball, whistling through the air.
The cheers of everyone abruptly ceased, and they stared in disbelief at Wang Lin, who lay helplessly sprawled on the ground.
Just then, the man in black robes moved.
No one saw how he moved; one second he was standing still, and the next he appeared in the center of Auckland's camp.
The control-type Soul Master from the Auckland team, his expression still frozen in shock, suddenly found himself in front of a figure in black robes. His pupils constricted, his Soul Power surged, his Soul Rings shone brightly, and he shouted:
"The man in black robes is in the center of the formation, surround him!"
Several members turned around in astonishment, looking at the black-robed figure standing with his hands behind his back, completely unaware of how he had suddenly appeared in the center of the formation.
It should be noted that this man in black robes did not even use his martial spirit; the only possibility is that he relied on his own speed.
A speed invisible to the naked eye, what a terrifying physique!
Thinking about this, the group felt a chill run down their spines.
"The reaction was good, but the strength was too poor."
A calm voice rang out again from beneath the black robe. The black-robed figure vanished abruptly, and the next moment, several people were struck as if by a heavy blow, their chests feeling as if hit by a giant hammer. With a series of muffled thuds, they were all sent flying backward.
It crashed against the wall, keeping Wang Lin company.
The young girl, a support-type Soul Master, stood on the stage, clutching her healing staff, her eyes filled with terror as she looked at the black-robed figure who had reappeared before her.
"Will you go down by yourself, or should I take you down?"
The man in black robes slowly withdrew his right hand; those people who had been sent flying were clearly his doing. He stood with his hands behind his back, turned to the side, and looked at the girl. From beneath his black robes, a detached voice slowly emanated.
At this moment, the arena was completely silent, save for that indifferent voice that slowly echoed. (End of Chapter)