Chapter 162: The Second Set of Tactics – Decapitation Strategy
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing perform her soul skill, Huo Wu snorted coldly with disdain.
"Truly overestimating herself, trying to block my Fire Dance Radiant Sun with just her own strength."
"My Fire Dance Radiant Sun is powered by the soul energy of two support-type soul masters, and fire attribute soul power is inherently violent and fierce, known for its overwhelming attacks. How could one fourth soul skill possibly block it?"
However, just as these thoughts flashed through her mind, two soul skills collided.
Zzzz...
After a tremendous roar, the white-hot fireball clashed with the pale energy wave, neither side yielding to the other.
Although the power of both was nearly identical, Zhu Zhuqing's Yin Ming Realm greatly altered the surrounding environment.
The entire battlefield floor had actually formed a layer of hard, cold ice, and even the intense heat from the Fire Dance Academy members could not melt it.
This wasn't ice created by extreme cold, but rather the materialization of the Yin Ming aura in the real world. While similar to extreme cold, it was fundamentally different.
"How could this be?" Huo Wu couldn't believe it. The situation before her was completely different from what she had expected.
Her Fire Dance Radiant Sun should have easily crushed Zhu Zhuqing's soul skill.
It wasn't just Huo Wu who was shocked. The entire Fire Dance Academy team was in disbelief. They knew just how powerful the Fire Dance Radiant Sun was, but they never imagined that such a terrifying attack would be blocked by a single woman using her fourth soul skill.
Huo Wushuang, sweat dripping from his forehead, stared blankly, murmuring in disbelief:
"This girl, like Dai Yao, is a monster!"
No wonder they were so stunned. Almost all the teams, the audience, and the VIPs were shocked.
Who would have thought that the Fire Dance Academy's strongest combined attack, formed by the soul energy of three individuals, would be blocked by a previously unknown woman using her fourth soul skill?
Fire Dance Academy's attacks were considered second to none among all the academies!
How powerful must this woman be?
After using the soul skill, Zhu Zhuqing felt somewhat exhausted.
To block Fire Dance Academy's strongest attack had not been easy.
First, she had used her domain ability to reduce the concentration of fire elements in the environment, weakening the power of Fire Dance Radiant Sun; second, her domain had also amplified the power of her fourth soul skill, Yin Ming Realm.
Lastly, her fourth soul ring was from an 8,000-year-old Yin Ming Soul, which was far more powerful than a typical fourth soul ring, causing her soul skill to be much stronger than ordinary fourth-level skills.
These three factors together were the reason she could directly block Fire Dance Radiant Sun.
The 8,000-year-old soul ring granted her soul skill much greater power than the same level skill, but it also consumed an extraordinary amount of soul energy. Using her fourth soul skill had drained most of her soul power.
Zhu Zhuqing's breath had slightly quickened, and a subtle blush appeared on her cold, frost-like face.
Her appearance was stunning, but what was even more striking was her noble and dignified aura, like a queen ruling over the world.
It was the kind of presence that made others feel they could never harbor any thoughts of disrespect.
"Yao Ge, I... I did it?" Zhu Zhuqing's delicate face displayed a hint of joy.
Dai Yao smiled and nodded:
"Yes, you did it."
Dai Yao felt immense pride in his heart. Zhu Zhuqing had far surpassed the version in the original story, where she merely weakened attacks before being used as a summoner for the Yin Ming White Tiger.
The rest of the Auckland Team was also very pleased.
They knew Zhu Zhuqing was powerful, someone who could perform a martial soul fusion with Dai Yao was no ordinary person. But they hadn't expected her to be this strong!
Dai Yao's sharp gaze swept over the silent audience, and then he made eye contact with Feng Qianli, giving a slight nod.
Turning back, stepping on the thick ice beneath him, he raised his voice and called out to the Fire Dance Academy:
"Brothers of the Fire Dance Academy, the situation is at its current stage. Don't you think it's time to surrender?"
Huo Wushuang and the team members looked at each other, shook their heads, and forced a bitter smile.
Their soul power had been drained considerably. Huo Wu and the two support-type soul masters were utterly exhausted, and the previous attack had cost them heavily.
Just as Huo Wushuang was about to admit defeat, he heard Huo Wu's voice:
"Brother, I still have one last trump card. I want to give it a try."
Huo Wushuang spun around quickly. He naturally knew what Huo Wu's last card was and anxiously stopped her:
"No, sister. You must save that for..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes met Huo Wu's stubborn gaze, and his heart trembled.
Thinking of how his determined sister had spent the last half year preparing for this moment, using her Fire Dance Radiant Sun yet still failing to force Dai Yao's hand, even he, in her place, would feel unwilling to give up.
He sighed quietly and turned to his teammates:
"Everyone, I want to support Huo Wu. Let's give it one more try. If anyone has a different opinion, now is the time to speak up."
"Let's fight to the end with Auckland!"
"Captain, we don't want to lose like this!"
...
Huo Wu was deeply moved by her teammates' words. Warmth filled her heart as she nodded firmly:
"I don't believe Zhu Zhuqing can use that kind of terrifying attack again. This time, let's see how Auckland will counter it!"
"Give me all of your remaining soul power!"
With a command from Huo Wu, the two support-type soul masters, whose martial souls were related to Fire Star, exchanged a glance and, with their last reserves of energy, summoned fiery red energy to infuse into Huo Wu's body.
At this point, after the two support-type soul masters' reinforcement, Huo Wu's soul power had been restored to its peak—about 80%.
"With this much soul power, I can now execute the Fusion Ring!" Huo Wu thought to herself.
At the same time, Huo Wushuang and the others also took action. They formed a line, positioning themselves in front of Huo Wu and the two support-type soul masters, clearly preparing to defend against any attack from Auckland.
"Fire Dance Academy still refuses to surrender?" someone exclaimed in awe.
Despite nearly exhausting their soul power, Fire Dance Academy was still not willing to give up, trying for one last desperate effort. Even if they lost, their fighting spirit was truly impressive.
Seeing their defensive formation, Dai Yao let out a helpless sigh and whispered to Luo Feng:
"Second plan?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Feng nodded.
With his approval, Dai Yao exchanged a glance with Zhu Zhuqing, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
His third soul ring lit up, and his entire aura suddenly intensified. His fourth black soul ring also flickered faintly.
Lightning crackled beneath his feet, and this transformation instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Did I see that right? Is that his fourth soul ring?"
Numerous spectators began murmuring, discussing whether this was Dai Yao's fourth soul skill.
"Teacher, this ten-thousand-year soul skill... Why does it feel like it has no attack power?" Tang San asked, puzzled.
Master Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brows in deep thought before replying:
"That's not right. This isn't his fourth soul skill. Although his soul ring is glowing, his soul power remains still, not a ripple—like a calm lake."
"This isn't the appearance of someone using a soul skill…"
"Then how do you explain the lightning at his feet?"
"He's likely channeling the power of his soul ring to control the lightning. If I'm not mistaken, Dai Yao's fourth soul skill must be a lightning-based attack."
"He's already an exceptionally powerful assault-type soul master, and if his fourth soul ring contains an offensive lightning-based skill, there might not be anyone in this tournament who can withstand him."
Hearing the master's analysis, Tang San's heart tensed.
If Dai Yao were to use his fourth soul skill against Shrek, Dai Mubai would never be able to block it. Tang San knew that the only way to stop such an attack would be to use his second martial soul—the Clear Sky Hammer.
Boom!
Dai Yao stomped on the ground, shattering the icy floor beneath him, shards flying in all directions.
Electricity crackled at his feet, and a sonic boom resounded as he vanished.
In the audience's view, a streak of blue-purple lightning suddenly shot between the Auckland and Blazing Academy teams. The space surrounding the lightning seemed to distort, a testament to Dai Yao's speed.
The master's prediction was correct: Dai Yao was indeed channeling the power of his fourth soul ring to harness the lightning.
With the boost from the lightning, Dai Yao's Explosive Step had reached an entirely new level, far surpassing the speed of even agility-type soul masters.
As Dai Yao charged at the Blazing Academy team with blinding speed, another figure darted from a shadowed corner of the battlefield. Zhu Zhuqing became a streak of dark light, trailing just slightly behind Dai Yao.
In the audience's eyes, two lines now streaked across the battlefield: one, a bolt of blue-purple lightning; the other, a shadowy blur.
In the blink of an eye, they crossed hundreds of meters, closing in on Blazing Academy's formation.
"Not good! Stop them!"
Huo Wushuang's instincts screamed at him, and he roared out his orders.
"Huo Yun, Huo Yu, block Dai Yao with me! Huo Lie, deal with Zhu Zhuqing!"
Huo Wushuang knew that Dai Yao posed an immense threat. He was under no illusions—he couldn't stop Dai Yao on his own. Only by combining his strength with two agility-type soul masters could they hope to stall Dai Yao for even a moment.
Meanwhile, Huo Lie, the Fire Leopard soul master, was tasked with handling Zhu Zhuqing. His mission wasn't to defeat her but simply to delay her movements.
As a power-type soul master, Zhu Zhuqing, an agility-type, wouldn't easily escape his grasp.
They only needed to stall for a short time to allow Huo Wu to complete her Fusion Ring skill. With that power, they could decide the outcome of the entire match.
But just as Dai Yao's fist closed in on his opponents, Huo Wushuang and his team heard his voice—calm and composed.
"You've taken the bait."
Even as Huo Wushuang and his team managed to block Dai Yao, they couldn't stop themselves from staggering backward under the sheer force of his blow. The raw power in his punch was overwhelming.
But instead of feeling elated at successfully stopping Dai Yao, a chill ran down their spines.
What did Dai Yao mean by those words?
Suddenly, Huo Wushuang's heart sank, and his gaze snapped toward Zhu Zhuqing.
There, the Fire Leopard soul master, Huo Lie, was sent flying with a single strike. Zhu Zhuqing's first soul ring had lit up, and her shadowy figure had easily knocked Huo Lie into the arena wall with a loud crash.
"This… this is an agility-type soul master?"
Huo Lie's jaw dropped in shock, utterly dumbfounded.
With Huo Lie out of the way, Zhu Zhuqing continued her advance. Her shadowy form moved with undiminished speed, weaving through the battlefield. In just a heartbeat, she had breached the core of Blazing Academy's formation, closing in on Huo Wu.
At that moment, Huo Wu was still in the middle of activating her Fusion Ring skill. Her four soul rings glowed brightly as she concentrated, unaware of Zhu Zhuqing's approach.
By the time Huo Wu noticed the cold sensation at her neck, it was too late.
Zhu Zhuqing's Ghost Thorn Strike had immobilized her in one move.
This was the Auckland Team's second strategy: Decapitation Tactic.
As the name suggested, this tactic involved breaking through the opponent's defenses with overwhelming speed to eliminate their most crucial player.
Executing this strategy required two key attributes: unparalleled speed and exceptional individual strength.
The operative needed to be able to protect themselves while achieving their objective, and then retreat safely from the enemy's encirclement.
Taking the head of the enemy general amidst ten thousand troops.
Auckland Team possessed not one but two such operatives: Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing.
Together, they could execute the Decapitation Tactic flawlessly. They worked in tandem, covering each other's weaknesses and amplifying each other's strengths.
In this match against Blazing Academy, Dai Yao had served as the bait, drawing the team's full defensive power. This left Zhu Zhuqing with only a lone Rank-30 Soul Elder standing in her way.
"You've lost."
Zhu Zhuqing's cold voice echoed in Huo Wu's ears.
Huo Wu's eyes widened in disbelief, her mind blank. She couldn't comprehend how she had lost so suddenly.
In that moment, she was transported back to six months ago when she had lost to Dai Yao.
The figure of Zhu Zhuqing seemed to blur, morphing into Dai Yao. The icy voice in her ears was the same. Even the words were identical:
"You've lost."
Huo Wu stared blankly at Dai Yao, who stood calmly amidst the battlefield. The thunderous cheers and murmurs of the audience dragged her back to reality.
"I… lost to Dai Yao's woman?! No! No, that's not it! Every move I made was as if guided by Dai Yao's hand. Every time I thought I was winning, he had already set a trap for me."
"When the plan to encircle Dai Yao failed, I was forced to use Flaming Dance of the Sun, only to fail again. That left me with no choice but to rely on the Fusion Ring."
If Dai Yao had known her thoughts, he would have laughed and said: "Is it my fault? Blame it on the fact that I've read the original story!"
Huo Wu felt like a puppet, manipulated by Dai Yao at every turn. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't force him to reveal any new tricks.
Her frustration boiled over. Clenching her teeth, she spat out her next words.
"We... concede."
Her voice carried bitterness and defeat.
As someone who prided herself on her abilities, Huo Wu couldn't bear the thought of losing. She hated the helplessness of having her strength rendered useless.
For someone as talented as she was, being outsmarted was worse than being overpowered.
This wasn't the physical defeat of six months ago. This was a crushing loss in terms of strategy and intelligence, and it stung deeply.
Tears welled in her eyes, but her pride refused to let her cry in front of Dai Yao. Turning to her team, she forced herself to stay composed.
"We... are leaving."
(Chapter End)
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