A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the Promotion Tournament of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was set to officially begin tomorrow.
The Promotion Tournament remained divided by the two great empires. On the Heaven Dou Empire side, a total of fifteen teams—including the five that qualified from the Heaven Dou City preliminary round—had completed their registration by the morning and gathered at the location of the Promotion Tournament.
The Promotion Tournament also followed a round-robin format, but because the number of teams had decreased significantly, the duration of the competition was reduced from one month to half a month.
Furthermore, unlike the preliminary round, the Promotion Tournament did not allow any spectators. Therefore, the chosen venue was not a typical Soul Arena, but the Royal Hunting Ground, the military camp of the Royal Knights of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The Royal Hunting Ground was located fifty kilometers southwest of Heaven Dou City. The terrain within the hunting ground was varied and vast, serving as a place for members of the royal family to hunt and train.
After Yun Ming showed the promotion qualification certificate to the knights stationed at the hunting ground, they were guided by soldiers to a grassland behind the hunting ground.
On the grassland, a large number of military tents were arranged in a circle, and the arena for the Promotion Tournament was located at the very center of the camp.
After being led by the commanding officer to view the competition venue, Yun Ming and the Empire Team were taken to the barracks assigned to them, which would be their residence for the coming period.
After explaining all the detailed rules to the members of the Empire Team, the commanding officer took his leave.
Yun Ming spoke to the members of the Empire Team.
"Alright, everyone has worked hard during this month of training. Rest well today, and tomorrow, show everyone your individual style!"
The group responded.
"Yes, Captain!"
The next morning, the Promotion Tournament officially began at the main drill ground of the Royal Knights.
A total of fifteen teams participating in the Promotion Tournament would engage in fourteen rounds of round-robin matches, one round per day, with one team receiving a bye each day, totaling seven matches. All of them would take place on this same field.
On the north side of the main drill ground, a VIP viewing stand had been erected facing south, though the number of VIPs who could attend today was much smaller than during the preliminary round. Looking out, apart from Emperor Xue Ye in the first row, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, and the Platinum Bishop Salas, everyone else consisted of high-ranking military officials of the Heaven Dou Empire and the higher-ups of the Spirit Hall Holy Temple in Heaven Dou City.
After all, team battles were different from individual battles. In team battles, besides individual strength, coordination and tactics were also very important factors, so sometimes it was inevitable to sacrifice a bit of individual style to complete the team, making it impossible to perfectly display individual ability. Individual battles were different; one-on-one duels would fully display a person's combat proficiency before the spectators, and it was also the best reflection of a soul master's true individual combat power.
All fifteen participating teams had arrived at the scene, even the team that had a bye today. They were all future opponents, so it was good to see as much of their strength as possible.
The rules for the Promotion Tournament were that both sides would send seven members to participate. Each member who took the stage had to fight until they were defeated; the winner would then face the next opponent until all seven members of one side were defeated.
As for today's matches, the drawing of lots had been completed last night, and the Empire Academy was scheduled to face the Blazing Academy in the first of the seven matches today.
Although there was a certain possibility that it was due to luck, Yun Ming preferred to believe that this was the Heaven Dou Empire pulling strings behind the scenes, aiming to use the formidable strength of the Empire Academy to display national power and intimidate the kingdoms and duchies under the Heaven Dou Empire.
With all the teams gathered, the members of the Empire Team naturally saw many familiar faces.
Yu Tianxin of Thunder Academy, Shui Binger and Shui Yue'er of Tianshui Academy, the Huo Family Siblings of Blazing Academy, Ma Hongjun, and the old Shenfeng teammates of Feng Xiaotian.
While the Empire Team saw others, many teams were also staring at them.
The academies from other kingdoms and duchies were fixated on the Four Elements Academy, because the element academies had always been the leaders in the Heaven Dou academic world. And because the four element academies—Thunder, Shenfeng, Blazing, and Tianshui—had all suffered crushing defeats at the hands of the Empire Team in this tournament, they were all staring at the Empire Team, which in turn caused the other participating teams to watch the Empire Team as well.
On the podium, the tournament commentator announced.
"The first match of the first round of the Promotion Tournament, Empire Academy versus Blazing Academy, officially begins. Will both sides please send their first combatant to the stage."
Before Yun Ming could send anyone, he heard Huo Wu of Blazing Academy step onto the arena and call out to the Empire side.
"Feng Xiaotian, come up here and fight me again!"
During the last team battle, when Blazing faced the Empire, it could basically be said to be a total rout, and even in the team battle, the disparity in individual strength was clearly visible.
The Empire Team had fought for a full month in the preliminary round, but they couldn't really be said to have used tactics. In most cases, it was purely relying on the formidable combat power of each member to fight one-on-two or one-on-three, plus Gong Ming's occasional sniping and the few battles where they used Ye Qingyin's Song of Exhaustion.
But Huo Wu was unconvinced! She was naturally competitive, and losing was already enough to make her furious. Last time she fought Feng Xiaotian, she was forced into a draw by Feng Xiaotian playing around, and this kind of "throwing the match" to get a draw made her even more dissatisfied, which led to her challenging Feng Xiaotian today.
When Feng Xiaotian heard Huo Wu calling him out by name to challenge him, his face turned bitter. He really didn't want to fight Huo Wu! Maintaining the same situation as last time—a draw that didn't hurt Huo Wu—was very difficult for him, after all, Huo Wu was not weak.
Seeing Feng Xiaotian like this, Yun Ming really couldn't stand it anymore; he was too much of a simp. He reminded him.
"Feng Xiaotian, girls like Huo Wu probably like men who are stronger than them, not just in strength, but also in character. If you act so humble, it might be hard to win her favor."
Hearing Yun Ming's love analysis, Feng Xiaotian's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly.
"Captain, are you telling the truth?!"
Yun Ming said calmly.
"Probably!"
Mainly, in Yun Ming's impression, being strong enough and handsome seemed to satisfy the mate selection criteria of the vast majority of young girls on the continent, and this was even more true for powerful female soul masters.
As for theoretical foundations, Yun Ming had none; it was all experience. After all, he, Yun, was a man who, even after getting married in his previous life, was still being pursued by several powerful and beautiful soul masters!
With Yun Ming's abstract guidance, Feng Xiaotian saw a new path.
How should he put it! He would give it a try. At worst, if he won against Huo Wu on stage and failed to win her heart, or if he caused Huo Wu's dissatisfaction, he could let her beat him back after getting off the stage and continue his practice of being a simp.
With this thought in mind, Feng Xiaotian walked onto the arena.
Seeing that Feng Xiaotian had finally come up, Huo Wu said seriously.
"Feng Xiaotian, this time I want you to go all out, and I will definitely defeat you."
Regarding Huo Wu's pre-match harsh words, Feng Xiaotian subconsciously wanted to brush it off harmoniously, but thinking that he was here to practice new tactics today, he pretended to be tough.
"The one who wins in the end will definitely be me."
This was Feng Xiaotian's confidence, and also the most likely result in the end; this was already the toughest thing he could say to Huo Wu.
Seeing that the two were in position, the referee announced.
"The match begins!"
The referee exited the arena, Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu activated their Martial Soul Avatar, and the battle officially commenced.
Feng Xiaotian entered combat mode, casting aside all other emotions. He pushed off the ground, turning into a blur as he lunged straight toward Huo Wu.
The two had started fifteen meters apart—a distance neither long nor short—but for the current Feng Xiaotian, it was covered in the blink of an eye.
Huo Wu had only just registered Feng Xiaotian's movement when he appeared right before her the next second. Her heart surged with shock: So fast!
It wasn't as if she hadn't fought Feng Xiaotian before, but the Feng Xiaotian of the past was not only weaker than he was now, he had also always held back during their spars. Consequently, their matches had always ended in draws or Huo Wu's victories; Feng Xiaotian had never won.
But now, facing a Feng Xiaotian who was using his full strength, she felt an unprecedented pressure, stronger than any of her peers she had encountered before.
Huo Wu was a Control System Soul Master, and her Martial Soul was the Fire Shadow. It was not a physical enhancement type of Beast Spirit, so she was not adept at close-quarters combat. Now that she had lost the initiative, she had no choice but to use her core control soul skill.
Beneath Huo Wu's feet, her Third Soul Ring lit up, and the 'Repelling Fire Ring' was activated.
The Repelling Fire Ring skill possessed no offensive power, but it could knock back all enemies within its range. The distance of the knockback and the ability to distinguish between friend and foe depended on the Soul Master's own control.
A dazzling ring of fire erupted instantly, expanding to cover the necessary area.
Watching the flames surging toward him, Feng Xiaotian's response was equally direct.
Feng Xiaotian's Third Soul Ring lit up, and the 'Gale Wings' were activated. A pair of massive cyan wings unfurled from his back, and Feng Xiaotian soared into the sky.
Huo Wu's soul skill had many merits—a large range and powerful effects. As long as the opponent's offensive skill did not exceed Huo Wu's own Soul Power by ten levels, it could ignore any skill or defense, temporarily repelling everything within the fire ring. However, it had one drawback that wasn't quite a flaw: the flames did not exceed three meters in height. Thus, Feng Xiaotian chose to simply fly over it.
Feng Xiaotian remained airborne, his movements fluid. Having just dodged the encroaching flames, his First Soul Ring lit up, and the 'Wind Blade Array' was activated.
Sharp Wolf Claws extended from Feng Xiaotian's palms. He swung them, unleashing ten semi-circular wind blades that completely sealed off all of Huo Wu's potential escape routes. At the same time, he dove from the sky, accelerating as he flew toward Huo Wu.
Seeing that she had just dealt with Feng Xiaotian's charge only to be met with a wind blade attack already within arm's reach, Huo Wu gritted her teeth.
Her First Soul Ring lit up, and a fireball appeared directly in front of her, which she then detonated.
Feng Xiaotian's offensive was too fast; this was the only way she could minimize the damage.
The explosion of the fireball shattered the wind blades and injured her in the process, but it was better than being slashed directly by Feng Xiaotian's wind blades.
Yet, even so, it was the end of the line. Feng Xiaotian tore through the smoke and dust with one claw, while the other stopped directly in front of Huo Wu. Feng Xiaotian whispered.
"Little sister Huo Wu, you've lost!"
Seeing that Huo Wu, a renowned genius of Heaven Dou, had been defeated by Feng Xiaotian in mere moments, the entire arena erupted in an uproar.
"The signature genius of Blazing Academy, defeated just like that?!!"
"This Feng Xiaotian is too strong, how is anyone supposed to win against this!"
"..."
Although it involved Feng Xiaotian's familiarity with Huo Wu and the natural suppression between their soul master types, it was still far too fast. Feng Xiaotian's old rivals, Yu Tianxin and Huo Wushuang, felt immense pressure watching Feng Xiaotian's performance today.
Yu Tianxin was certain that Feng Xiaotian was even stronger than he had been during the Preliminary Round.
Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, and Salas also had their eyes brightened by Feng Xiaotian's combat prowess. The rhythm of the battle had been so seamless that if the situation hadn't been inappropriate, they would have gone down to the stage to recruit him right then and there.
Huo Wu stared at the wolf claws before her, feeling dazed. Had she really lost so easily? She hadn't even used her Fourth Soul Skill or her Ring Fusion Secret Method! She felt a sense of unwillingness!
Feng Xiaotian looked at the expression in Huo Wu's eyes and recalled his former self. He could roughly guess what she was thinking, and remembering the first lesson Yun Ming had taught him, he spoke with a cool air of superiority.
"Combat is actually very simple. It's about landing an attack with the right amount of force, at the right time, and in the right place. That is how you win."
"No matter how powerful your charged attacks are, if you can't use them and can't hit your target, they are useless."
As his words faded, Feng Xiaotian turned and walked off the stage, leaving Huo Wu with a dashing silhouette—a perfect curtain call!
ps: Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendations.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader