Chapter 70: Breakthrough.
Tang San's expression was a little grim as he watched Shi Yi in the arena. He had grown up with Shi Yi, so how could he not know what Shi Yi's spirit rings were like?
While the appearance of a ten-thousand-year spirit ring was normal, given the Tang Sect's history of predecessors constantly pushing boundaries to create the dazzling Tang Sect treasures, he never imagined Shi Yi could even surpass the spirit rings he had already absorbed. This was something completely counterintuitive.
"No matter what method he used, he could only absorb nine spirit rings, but I can absorb eighteen. He must die for peeping into the Tang Sect's techniques," Tang San consoled himself. The Elephant Armor Academy players on the stage, observing Shi Yi's spirit rings and feeling the immense pressure emanating from his unassuming frame, wore solemn expressions.
His already immensely powerful body swelled again under the roar of his spirit. Some of the sagging fat rapidly swelled, transforming into exaggerated and terrifying muscle. A layer of dark yellow stratum corneum emerged from the surface of his skin, gleaming with a metallic sheen. What made them look even more inhuman was that their noses simultaneously extended and lengthened, their upper lips curled up, and their fangs grew a full foot longer.
Facing an opponent like Shi Yi, the seven members of the Elephant Armor Academy stood in a row, their first spirit rings flashing simultaneously. With each steady step, the effect of their first spirit rings transformed the seven fleshy mountains' originally dark yellow keratin into a translucent hue, each one seemingly coated in enamel.
"A shield formation that reduces the enemy's range of movement? It's all just a leftover from our ancestors, but you've picked the wrong opponent," Shi Yi thought to himself.
If the Elephant Armor Academy was the thickest shield of this tournament, then Shi Yi was its sharpest spear.
"Three Soul Masters stand in the center, on either wing. If attacked, they can simply turn and change formations. It's truly an iron barrel formation, but..."
Shi Yi's lip curled slightly. With a bang from the arena, Shi Yi's ghostly figure vanished from view, his feet atop the phantom shadow. The very ground where Shi Yi had stood shattered.
Dai Mubai and the others were bewildered. Yu Xiaogang had instructed them to follow Shi Yi's instructions before taking the stage, but now Shi Yi hadn't said anything.
Seeing this, the seven disciples of the Elephant Armor Sect shouted in unison, their second spirit rings illuminating simultaneously. An explosive burst of power instantly solidified the solid shield formation, harnessing it not only for attack and speed but also for defense and stability.
When Shi Yi reappeared, his purple first spirit ring had illuminated. His eyes shone purple, his hands like jade. His moves were unadorned. Leveraging his explosive power and speed, he launched a punch that launched like a cannonball, appearing before an Elephant Armor Sect Spirit Master.
The sheer force of his strength and speed caught the Elephant Armor Sect's members off guard. While his massive size lent them immense strength and defense, his speed made it impossible for even Zhu Zhuqing, let alone Shi Yi, to catch up.
As Shi Yi's fist landed, the defensive armor formed by his soul skills shattered like a shred of paper under Shi Yi's overwhelming force. The disciple was instantly sent flying off the stage. Hu Yanzhen, seated on the dais, instantly stood up.
"A pure strength-based Thousand-Tenant Ant Soul Master."
Even Hu Yanzhen, even at his slowest, understood Shi Yi's general situation. The strength and speed displayed by Shi Yi were simply not at the level of a Soul Master. Shi Yi's strength wasn't at the level of a Soul Emperor, but it was certainly on the level of a high-level Soul King, even surpassing even an ordinary Soul King.
This massive disparity caused Hu Yanli to lose a team member before he could even react.
"Your bucket isn't very strong; it's leaking," Shi Yi said, patting Hu Yanli's shoulder from behind and chuckling. Hu Yanli, regaining his composure, swung his palm back with all his might, but it hit nothing. The next moment, the familiar explosion echoed, and another Soul Master from the Elephant Armor Sect was sent flying out of the arena.
"Come at me if you dare!" Hu Yanli roared as he saw his teammate flying out.
"What's the difference between you and them?" Shi Yi's voice slowly reached Hu Yanli's ears.
At that moment, the completely absorbed Hu Yanli finally reacted, his fourth spirit ring illuminating in an instant. "Fourth spirit skill, Thousand-Force Guidance."
Hu Yanli's skin instantly transformed again, a layer of icy protection appearing.
When Shi Yi's fist instantly slammed into the protective layer, it was merely a layer of paper under Shi Yi's overwhelming power. The crushing attribute still couldn't be compensated by spirit skills.
Hu Yanli tried to use his towering frame to resist the force, but in an instant, he could only watch as Shi Yi's fist broke through his defenses. Feeling the overwhelming force, his massive body suddenly retreated, and in an instant, it flew off the field.
"Second place," Shi Yi chuckled.
Hu Yanzhen's face darkened as he pondered the matter. Even though his grandson, the captain, had been disqualified, he still refused to let the Xiangjia Academy leader surrender. He understood that Shi Yi's decision to keep the other players stationary was intended to give the Xiangjia Sect a chance of defeating Shi Yi. This was Shi Yi's declaration of war against the Xiangjia Sect, and as the sect leader, he couldn't afford to surrender, even for the sake of his sect's reputation.
Hu Yanli's five remaining teammates reacted and double-teamed Shi Yi.
"Should we do something?" Huang Yuan asked, looking at Dai Mubai.
Shi Yi said nothing, so Huang Yuan naturally turned his gaze to Dai Mubai, who had the highest cultivation level.
"Since you haven't said anything, let's just watch," Dai Mubai said nonchalantly. A sinister glint flashed in his evil eyes as he watched Shi Yi disappear into the encirclement of the Xiangjia Academy.
Zhu Zhuqing gave Dai Mubai a deep look but remained silent, confident that Shi Yi wouldn't play with her life.
"Second soul skill, a thousand-pound shockwave." Feeling the double-team, Shi Yi showed no sign of panic. His second purple ring lit up, and an invisible wave of power emanated from Shi Yi's center.
Though it was a second soul skill, it was enough to hold off the oncoming force for a moment.
The next second, another Elephant Armor Sect disciple was sent flying, and the crowd in the stands watched as Elephant Armor Sect disciples were continuously flung out.
As the number of disciples dwindled, the last Elephant Armor Sect disciple looked at Shi Yi with despair, clearly losing his will to fight. Then, as if in resignation, he calmly accepted Shi Yi's punch and flew off the field.
As the last Elephant Armor Sect disciple flew out, the referee arrived. "Second round, first qualifying match: Shrek Academy defeats Elephant Armor Academy."
Bang! A loud bang echoed from the VIP seats. It was Elephant Armor Sect Master Tianxiang Huyan Zhen who crushed the armrest of a chair. His eyes, as large as copper bells, seemed to be emitting fire. To call this the Elephant Armor Sect's lifelong shame was no exaggeration.
From now on, how could the Elephant Armor Sect still claim to be the strongest defensive sect? Shi Yi single-handedly pierced seven men, and he didn't even use his third or fourth soul skills, relying solely on the most basic power-boosting abilities to dispatch them one by one.
Platinum Bishop Salas, sitting next to Hu Yanzhen, also looked at Shi Yi with a solemn expression.
Emperor Xue Ye remained perpetually smiling, occasionally whispering something to Xue Qinghe.
Ning Fengzhi gazed at Hu Yanzhen, who was standing nearby, with amusement. Gu Rong sighed softly, "This kid reminds me of Tang Hao back then. Aside from Tang Hao, I'm afraid no one in the future will be able to surpass this kid in strength."
"Hmph..."
Hu Yanzhen snorted coldly in the VIP seats, unable to sit any longer. He swept off his feet.
Shi Yi slowly returned to his team, glanced at Dai Mubai, smiled faintly, and said to the crowd, "Let's go."
With that, Shi Yi headed back down to the stage. Everyone smiled at the cheers from the stands, but Dai Mubai's expression darkened as he gazed at Shi Yi's back.
The Tiandou Soul Fighting Arena didn't calm down with their departure. The atmosphere inside was already boiling with excitement, and the cheers for Shrek continued until the second match began.
Back in the rest area, the players from each academy cast serious glances at Shi Yi.
"Good job, kid," Zhao Wuji grinned at Shi Yi.
Yu Xiaogang watched Shi Yi's eyes flicker with worry as he slowly said, "Too ostentatious."
Liu Erlong, seemingly struck by a thought, slapped Yu Xiaogang in a sullen manner. Then, looking at Shi Yi, he said, "Don't listen to your teacher. He's getting old and muddleheaded. I don't believe she'd dare do anything to Xiaoyi."
Yu Xiaogang said nothing, only sighing silently.
Shi Yi feigned confusion and didn't ask further questions. He knew Liu Erlong was referring to Bibi Dong, but with Qian Renxue's protection, it shouldn't be a big deal. It would just be a matter of calling her "Master's Wife" a little more.
A week passed quickly.
The first six rounds of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition were successfully concluded. Three academies, including Shrek Academy, had won all six matches.
Aside from the second match against Shi Yi of the Elephant Armor Academy, Tang San led his team to easy victories against the next four opponents. None of their opponents appeared above level 40, evidently realizing the futility of backroom tactics, and Saras had abandoned them.
These days, teams have become quite familiar with each other, and those with lesser strength automatically forfeit when facing Shrek. The reason is simple: Tang San's tactics are too brutal.
Many feel that losing to Tang San is worse than losing to Shi Yi. Tang San's attacks are direct firepower, and those with lesser strength will be injured by Tang San's attacks. Injuries are secondary, after all, no battle between spirit masters is without injuries. However, if Tang San's attacks can't decide the outcome, the match will often be prolonged.
With so many wounds inflicted by Tang San, if a team lacked a healing spirit master, the bleeding would intensify as the match progressed. Compared to Shi Yi's clean, decisive crushing, Tang San's victory was like a blunt knife cutting flesh. Not only were the injuries severe, but the opponent, constantly bleeding, couldn't withstand the damage, often suffering from a loss of both Qi and blood. How could they possibly face the ensuing battle?
There were only two ways to deal with Tang San: either become as tough and impenetrable as the Elephant Armor Sect, or outmaneuver Tang San's hidden weapons. However, a team's composition was often complex, and even if defensive and agile attack types could survive, standard offensive and support types would struggle to evade Tang San's delicate tactics.
However, Tang San's style was highly effective. The numerous teams that withdrew made Shrek's schedule easier, giving Shi Yi ample time to cultivate.
Another two weeks passed, and during the course of the competition, Tang San successfully broke through the level 40 bottleneck, becoming a Spirit Sect master.
In Sunset Forest, Tang Hao, driven by the need for efficiency, personally led Tang San in his search for spirit beasts.
"Dad, how far do I have to go before I can find Xiao Wu?" Tang San asked cautiously, perhaps afraid of angering Tang Hao.
Tang Hao gazed deeply at Tang San, as if trying to discern something from him.
"What's wrong, Dad?" Tang San asked, somewhat bewildered.
Recovering, Tang Hao shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly. If Tang San hadn't truly awakened the Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer, he wouldn't have believed him to be his child. After all, the things on Tang San's person were too bizarre for a Titled Douluo like him.
Even as a Titled Douluo, Tang Hao had some foresight. The origins of the things on Tang San's person were inexplicable, and he could only attribute them to Tang San's natural talent. After all, with twin spirits appearing, what was impossible?
Tang Hao also understood why Tang San and Shi Yi didn't have a good relationship. While Tang San might be able to hide these unusual things from ordinary people, he couldn't hide them from Shi Yi. Tang San's reserve towards those around him meant he couldn't possibly become friends with someone like Shi Yi.
With this in mind, Tang Hao sighed softly and said, "Don't dwell on Xiao Wu's affairs for now. You're still far from perfect. If you can catch up to your senior brother, you should be able to do so soon. If you can become true brothers, Xiao San, perhaps your spirit ring will resemble his."
"He won't tell me those things. Not even Master would know," Tang San said calmly.
Tang Hao shook his head and said, "Your teacher knew and even told me, but you can't achieve it. You've learned too many different things, and your body isn't nearly as polished as your senior brother's."
Hearing this, Tang San's face showed a complex expression. "Dad, he told the teacher because he knew I couldn't do it."
Tang Hao looked at Tang San and said, "No, to be more precise, that kid knew very well that even if he told you, you wouldn't do it. You've always been proud of your own creations, and even the development of your spirit has chosen to align with those creations."
Hearing this, Tang San slowly lowered his head.
"Do you know where the gap between you and him lies?" Tang Hao said calmly.
Tang San raised his head, somewhat bewildered, and looked at Tang Hao. Tang Hao spoke slowly, "You have great ideas, but you've overlooked the most fundamental thing. Are your skills any less powerful in that child's hands? Not only are they just as powerful, they might even be more so. But how long has he been practicing those things?"
"While you're practicing your techniques, skills, and footwork, that child is constantly honing his body and cultivating his spirit power. His goal isn't to defeat his opponent, but to break through himself. On this point, the gap between you two is enormous. The skills must serve me, not you, the master, to adapt them."
Tang San looked at Tang Hao with a dazed look, unsure what to say. Tang Hao was right. Shi Yi, a non-Tang Sect disciple, could wield the Tang Sect's unique skills with even greater effectiveness than he, a hidden weapon prodigy.
Feeling he'd spoken too harshly, Tang Hao patted Tang San's shoulder and said softly, "Alright, after this competition, I'll take you away from the academy to hone your skills."
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(End of Chapter)