Without the Blazing Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass lacked immunity to fire and water. As Thunderclap Academy's control-type soul master, how would he respond?
If Thunderclap Academy's strength remained similar to the original story, they wouldn't stand a chance against Blazing Fire Academy.
In the original, Huo Wu's fourth spirit ability, with the support of two Soul Elders, already rivaled a typical Soul King's fifth ability. And now?
With Huo Wu at Level 47 and two supporting Soul Ancestors amplifying her fourth ability, the power was formidable. Not to mention Huo Wu's unique gift—soul ring fusion. Even if she struggled to control it, her unleashed power would definitely rival a Soul Emperor's.
Furthermore, Tang San didn't even have his Eight Spider Lances. A direct hit could kill him on the spot!
Also, without the boost from the Moonlight Dew, Tang San's Purple Demon Eye was likely still at the Micro level, not the Seed level. If Shinian from Canghui Academy targeted him, only an intervention from Tang Hao would save him.
Reflecting on these scenarios, Su Ming felt a profound 'concern' for Tang San's safety. There was Shui Bing'er's ice, Huo Wu's fire, Shinian's illusions, and Canghui Academy's seven-in-one fusion technique—more than enough to keep Tang San preoccupied!
On the way back to the academy, Su Ming began writing in his diary.
Diary Entry: "Today was the opening of the Continental Spirit Master Elite Tournament. After a long ten months, I finally saw Tang San and Dai Mubai again."
"Surprisingly, Tang San managed to hold back in the face of my provocation. He truly knows how to endure. Judging by their demeanor, I suspect he has some hidden tricks up his sleeve. But even if he does, without the aid of three celestial herbs and his external spirit bone, how will he fare against Tianshui Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, or even Canghui Academy?"
Upon seeing Su Ming mention Canghui Academy, the women were baffled. While Canghui was certainly reputable, it seemed unlikely that Thunderclap Academy would lose to them.
As for Tianshui and Blazing Fire, the women were confident Thunderclap wouldn't stand a chance.
Diary Entry: "Oh, and there was an old acquaintance, Yu Tianheng. What a coward—hiding behind Thunderclap Academy instead of facing his former teammates. Pitiful!"
"On the bright side, Dugu Yan's attitude was refreshing. She intends to settle things with Yu Tianheng, and I hope Thunderclap can at least make it through the preliminaries. Otherwise, her teammates won't even get the chance to avenge themselves."
"As I see it, Thunderclap Academy will need some luck to advance. The strong teams in this bracket alone—like Elephant Armored Academy, Blazing Fire, Tianshui, Plant, and Canghui—make six challenging opponents. If Thunderclap ends up against Blazing Fire, Tianshui, Godwind, or Canghui, and those teams don't hold back, Thunderclap could easily end up fifth."
"And if they mess up their strategy or encounter some unexpected setback, they might miss the finals altogether. What a pity!"
This intrigued the women even more—especially Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong. They had interacted with Canghui Academy at the tavern and hadn't thought much of their strength. How could Canghui surpass Thunderclap Academy?
Unfortunately, Su Ming provided no further explanation, leaving them even more curious.
Diary Entry: "And then, the opening match. Team Two drew Blazing Fire Academy, of all teams. What terrible luck for their captain!"
"The Heaven Dou division has nearly thirty teams. To draw one of the Five Elemental Academies right away? Ridiculous. The same thing happened in the original story when the Lan Ba Academy, which had replaced Shrek, drew Team Two as their first opponent."
"What happened was hilarious. Before the match, Team Two looked down on Shrek Academy, only to be knocked out in under a minute. It was beyond embarrassing!"
Some of the female protagonists found this amusing, while Dugu Yan was irritated. This Team Two was utterly hopeless, managing to draw strong opponents two tournaments in a row!
Diary Entry: "What surprised me most, though, was Blazing Fire Academy's overall strength. Their team had six Soul Ancestors. In the original, only three reached that level, while three others were just below it. Yet now, all of them broke through to Level 41!"
"It's absurd. But even more absurd is Huo Wu, already at Level 47. With her cultivation speed, this shouldn't even be possible."
Huo Wu: "Su Ming, who are you calling weak? Just wait until we meet in the tournament—I'll show you!"
Huo Wu knew Su Ming was strong, but she didn't believe she was without a chance. With her trump card and the amplification from two Soul Ancestors, she felt confident.
If she could incinerate Su Ming's Wood Dragon spirit completely, he wouldn't be able to regenerate.
Diary Entry: "But Huo Wu indeed has some skills, or she wouldn't have led her team to the Soul Ancestor level. She's a determined woman."
"I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing Tang San face Blazing Fire, Tianshui, and the others. Hopefully, they'll push him enough to reveal his trump card. Tang San's calm demeanor today suggests he's got something up his sleeve."
"With Huo Wu's ring fusion and her amplified fourth spirit ability, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's fusion skill, and Canghui Academy's seven-in-one fusion technique, I'm sure we'll see Tang San's secrets come out."