Chapter 69: First Group Soul Battle
"Wow, I didn't expect Teacher Qin Ming to be a graduate of that run-down academy—oh no, I mean, Shrek Academy!" everyone exclaimed in surprise.
After all, Qin Ming was publicly known as the "second youngest Soul Emperor." So when they learned his alma mater was Shrek, it came as a shock.
Especially to Xiao Wu—she had personally experienced Shrek's learning environment. Compared to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, or even Nuo Ding Academy, Shrek seemed far inferior.
Qin Ming nodded, his face revealing a look of reminiscence. It had been more than a decade since he enrolled.
"Shrek Academy may be a bit shabby, but its teaching staff is exceptionally strong. Dean Flender is a Soul Sage-level expert."
"And every student is outstanding. You all know Zu Zong's little girlfriend, Zhu Zhuqing, right? She's a Shrek student—at twelve years old, her soul power already reached Level 27."
Everyone understood now and no longer dared to underestimate Shrek Academy. Even the always-proud Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng had somber expressions.
Someone approaching Soul Elder level at age twelve was a rarity. Not everyone could be like Zu Zong or Xiao Wu, already Soul Elders at twelve.
Seeing their expressions shift, Qin Ming nodded in satisfaction. That was the effect he wanted—pressure breeds motivation.
Clearing his throat, Qin Ming's tone grew serious. "All right. Your opponents for today's group soul battle have been decided. Take a look."
As he spoke, Qin Ming distributed the opposing team's profiles to everyone.
Zu Zong flipped through the documents and muttered, "The Berserk Battle Team? Now this is going to be interesting."
The Berserk Battle Team was strong among average Soul Elders. In the original story, Tang San and his team had to put in significant effort to defeat them.
But against the Emperor Battle Team—whose members (excluding Xiao Wu) were all above Level 35 with standard soul ring setups—they were nothing worth mentioning.
Qin Ming said, "Zu Zong and Xiao Wu have been observing these past few days. For this seven-man group battle, I plan to have them replace Yufeng and Oslo."
"Consider it practical training—after all, practice is the only true test of truth."
"Any objections?" Qin Ming asked as he looked around.
"I've got no problem." The playful Yufeng was entirely indifferent—whether he participated in one more match or one less made no difference.
Oslo nodded too. "Doesn't matter to me."
Zu Zong said, "Fine."
Xiao Wu jumped up excitedly. "Finally! Sister Xiao Wu's getting on stage? Oh yeah!"
Qin Ming smiled and nodded. Over the past few days, he had intentionally kept an eye on Zu Zong's duels.
Ordinary Soul Elders weren't even a match for one move. It was only yesterday, when a Shrek junior forced out Zu Zong's second soul skill, that Qin Ming was truly stunned.
He could hardly believe it. That second soul skill held such immense power.
If not for seeing the soul ring colors himself, he would've thought Zu Zong had absorbed soul rings beyond his level.
"All right, go prepare. I'll head out and coordinate the match details with Supervisor Ao at the arena."
Time passed quickly, and the match hour arrived.
There were five team battles scheduled for Area Ten today. After the previous rounds, the Emperor Battle Team had earned half an hour of rest.
Now, it was finally their turn to fight.
Zu Zong's Emperor Battle Team and the Berserk Battle Team emerged from the soul master preparation zone at the same time.
Finally, they saw the full lineup of the Berserk Battle Team.
The original members of the Emperor Battle Team didn't use codenames. Only Zu Zong and Xiao Wu had aliases.
Zu Zong still went with "Uchiha Zong," while Xiao Wu, as in the original story, used "Soft-Boned Demon Rabbit."
Both now wore the fox and rabbit masks Zu Zong had purchased earlier.
Notably, Ye Lingling had also taken off her black veil and wore a mask—one Zu Zong had chosen for her.
A crystal mask, which, paired with her cold and elegant temperament, stunned many onlookers.
Across from them, the Berserk Battle Team's captain, Kuang Xi, stood at the forefront—tall and powerfully built.
Behind him were two middle-aged men, roughly his age, bearing similar features—likely brothers.
Their builds were ordinary, their faces dark and gloomy.
Trailing them was a seductive-looking woman—the only female in the Berserk Battle Team.
Her heavy makeup made it difficult to guess her age, but judging from her figure, she was clearly over twenty.
Her outfit was extremely revealing: just a bandeau on top, and though she wore a skirt, it was sheer as gossamer, barely hiding the skin underneath.
Zu Zong couldn't help cursing inwardly, "Damn, what a damn slut."
Behind the seductive woman stood two slim and small-framed youths. Their eyes flickered constantly as they glanced around nervously.
At the rear of the Berserk Battle Team walked the oldest man—clearly over forty.
He appeared utterly ordinary, both in appearance and attire. Were it not for the setting of the Great Soul Arena, it would be hard to associate him with the word "soul master" at all.
While the Emperor Battle Team observed their opponents, the Berserk Battle Team was naturally doing the same.
Yu Tianheng and the others were fine—based on their age, they looked to be around seventeen or eighteen.
But Zu Zong, Xiao Wu, and Ye Lingling had their faces hidden behind masks, making it nearly impossible to judge anything from their appearances.
The group soul battle platform was significantly larger than those used for one-on-one or two-on-two matches.
It spanned forty meters in diameter. The surrounding spectator seats were also doubled in size.
At this moment, the stands were fully packed. There were still faint traces of blood on the stage—left behind from earlier group battles.
The moment the Berserk Battle Team stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted in frenzy. Thunderous cheers filled the arena.
"Tear them apart… Kill them…"
Shouts like these didn't just create pressure—they also stirred the blood. All those voices supported the Berserk Battle Team.
Of course, the Emperor Battle Team had no shortage of supporters either.
After all, they had maintained a near-unbroken winning streak in recent days.
In terms of sheer supporter count, they even outnumbered the Berserk Battle Team.
But since many of the Berserk Team's fans were lovers of gore, their voices were simply louder.
The announcer on stage was none other than Supervisor Ao, whom Qin Ming had mentioned earlier.
Standing in the center of the arena, he called out:
"Ninth match, group battle. The two sides: Berserk Battle Team versus Emperor Battle Team!"
"I don't think the Berserk Battle Team needs much introduction—they've already achieved an impressive five consecutive wins."
"If they can maintain this momentum and win a few more matches, they may break the record for the fastest promotion to Bronze Soul Master at the Soto Great Soul Arena."
"Now, let's turn to the Emperor Battle Team on the other side of the arena."
"Though two new faces are appearing in this match, this team is incredibly strong."
"Prior to this, they too have secured four straight wins. This marks their fourth group battle."
"So—will the vicious and brutal Berserk Battle Team seize another victory?"
"Or will the ever-advancing Emperor Battle Team claim triumph?"
"Find out—after the break!"
—Spit! Just kidding, there are no ads.
[End of Chapter]
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