[DD]: 206

The qualifiers were nearing their end, and Han Li couldn't justify slacking off any longer. He returned to the stands, resuming his duties as the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall and a guest of honor.

The atmosphere in the stands had improved significantly compared to earlier. The most obvious change was that the three board members and Xue Ye were conversing more frequently. This was understandable, as the second team of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy had been performing impressively and had essentially secured a spot in the finals.

Although this might not guarantee a championship win, at least they had preserved some dignity on their home turf.

Yu Yuanzhen's expression, however, remained neutral. Thunderclap Academy was nearly confirmed to be eliminated. Fortunately, Yu Tianheng, as the captain of Heaven Dou Academy's first team, was advancing directly to the finals, sparing him the embarrassment of complete failure.

Salas and Huyan Zhen were quite pleased. Among the five teams advancing from the Heaven Dou City division, both Skywater Academy and Elephant Armor Academy had secured spots, leaving them with little to complain about.

As usual, Ning Fengzhi's expression revealed nothing. He simply smiled and nodded in acknowledgment when Han Li arrived.

The competition proceeded as usual, and the atmosphere in the venue was high.

On the arena stage, the second team of Heaven Dou Academy and the members of Godwind Academy made their appearances.

Both teams were confident, and since Heaven Dou Imperial Academy no longer had to fight for a spot, the tension and hostility between the two sides were less intense than in previous matches.

There wasn't much strategy involved. As soon as the whistle blew, both teams sprang into action.

On the Godwind Academy side, all the students took to the air. They were the only academy in the tournament where all members had flying abilities.

On the Heaven Dou side, aside from Ning Rongrong and Oscar, faint pink wings appeared behind the other team members.

After activating their skills, Ning Rongrong and Oscar didn't hesitate. They immediately chose to concede and walked off the stage without looking back.

Oscar handed his last two flying mushroom sausages to Tang San. His soul power was nearly depleted, so there was no point in staying on the stage. The same went for Ning Rongrong—she had already provided her amplifications, and beyond that, she would just become a target.

The Godwind Academy members understood this clearly. The opposing team was preparing for a quick assault, something Godwind Academy excelled at as well.

Feng Xiaotian targeted Tang San, while the other six members instinctively surrounded the remaining four. Although the Heaven Dou team had two Soul Ancestors, air combat was Godwind Academy's specialty.

From the start, the battle escalated into a fierce confrontation.

Dai Mubai and the others knew they only had one minute of flight time, so they immediately charged at the opposing team, utilizing the speed granted by the flying sausage.

Meanwhile, Tang San and Feng Xiaotian engaged in a game of cat and mouse, with brief collisions as they intermittently used their skills to create trouble for each other's teammates.

In the chaotic melee, Godwind Academy's six members held a clear advantage, primarily because their wind attributes rendered Ma Hongjun almost useless. His abilities were awkward to use, and not using them wasn't an option either, so he became the first to be eliminated.

However, Ma Hongjun wasn't without contribution. His elimination created an opening for Xiao Wu, who exploited the gap in the enemy's defenses. Using her combo techniques, she took out one of the Godwind members and, with Dai Mubai's help, managed to eliminate another, though she was also taken out in the process.

The situation didn't improve much. The six-versus-four setup had now become four versus two, and their flight time was almost up. Once they landed, Dai Mubai and Tai Long would become sitting ducks. Even if they were stronger than their opponents, they would be slowly worn down and defeated.

But this scenario was something they had anticipated before the match. As their flight time was about to expire, the two of them flew toward Tang San and Feng Xiaotian, seemingly intending to regroup with Tang San for a final push to eliminate Feng Xiaotian, their biggest threat.

As expected, the Godwind Academy members took the bait.

One couldn't blame them—rushing to assist teammates during battle was natural. However, just as they chose to pursue, Dai Mubai and Tai Long unexpectedly turned back and activated the final burst of their flying mushroom sausages.

Amidst the White Tiger Meteor Shower launched by Dai Mubai, the two charged at the remaining four members of Godwind Academy, using shield skills to lock them in mid-air despite sustaining some attacks.

On the other side, Tang San smiled as he coordinated with them, activating his third spirit ability and, together with Dai Mubai and Tai Long, cast Spider Web Restraint, sending all six members flying off the stage.

In an instant, eight contestants were out. On the stage, only Tang San and Feng Xiaotian remained.

"Not a bad strategy."

Feng Xiaotian took a deep breath and looked at Tang San. They could only blame themselves for being careless. They hadn't fully taken advantage of their air superiority and had fallen into the habit of playing fast and loose, forgetting that this was a team that didn't follow conventional tactics.

"But I'm still going to win."

Feng Xiaotian was confident. Among all the participants in the tournament, the only person he was slightly wary of was Zhu Zhuqing, who could end a match instantly with a powerful opener. As for the others, including Huo Wu, whom he liked, he didn't believe any of them could defeat him.

"Your hidden weapons won't work on me."

As he spoke, a visible green whirlwind formed around Feng Xiaotian, its aura wild and fierce. Behind him, the phantom of the Double-Headed Swift Wind Wolf appeared, roaring in the direction of Tang San.

"Whether they work or not isn't for you to decide. And who told you that hidden weapons are all I've got?"

As Tang San responded, hidden weapons formed from his Blue Silver Grass shot toward Feng Xiaotian. Meanwhile, Tang San quickly consumed another flying mushroom sausage. Having a flight made a significant difference, bringing the match back to an even playing field.

Feng Xiaotian hadn't lied—Tang San's hidden weapon techniques were extraordinary, but in a one-on-one scenario, it was difficult for him to even get close.

Before the hidden weapons could reach him, the wind surrounding Feng Xiaotian either deflected them or shredded the leaves into tiny pieces. Other than consuming some of his soul power, the hidden weapons had no effect.

However, Tang San's goal had been achieved. It took a little time for Oscar's flying mushroom sausages to take effect, and this brief delay was all he needed.

The wings behind him had been restored, and to Feng Xiaotian's surprise, Tang San, using the acceleration from his wings, actively charged toward him.

Is he really that confident in his close combat abilities?

Feng Xiaotian thought. He admitted that Tang San's close combat skills, as demonstrated earlier, were indeed impressive. But let's not forget that Tang San's martial spirit was Blue Silver Grass. If he chose to engage in confrontation, could he withstand the impact?

Feng Xiaotian's attacks were sharp, a natural counter to Blue Silver Grass.

However, with Tang San already making his move, Feng Xiaotian didn't have time to think further.

He decided to meet Tang San head-on. As soon as he lunged forward, his first soul ring lit up.

Wind Blade Array.

With his wolf claws empowered by his martial soul, sharp talons extended from his hands. In a sweeping motion, ten crescent-shaped wind blades sliced through the air with a piercing scream, aimed directly at the charging Tang San.

Head, abdomen, feet—under Feng Xiaotian's control, the wind blades sealed off all of Tang San's possible paths of advance, attacking from tricky angles.

Faced with this dense barrage, Tang San didn't slow down. After all, this wasn't the first time he had encountered such attacks.

The Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track had long been ingrained into Tang San's body. With a slight movement of his toes, his figure began to flicker rapidly, leaving behind afterimages. His movements had the eerie quality of a ghost.

Feng Xiaotian, watching this, was stunned to discover that he couldn't lock onto Tang San's presence—let alone control the wind blades for precision attacks. As a result, he could only continue directing the wind blades in indiscriminate strikes.

But the wind blades missed. Under Tang San's unpredictable left-right swaying, they shot harmlessly toward the back of the arena, while Tang San reappeared in Feng Xiaotian's field of vision, unharmed.

Their eyes met in midair, but neither paused. Wolf's claws and palms collided head-on.

Feng Xiaotian's glinting wolf claws slashed straight toward Tang San's chest but were caught by Tang San's hands, wrapped in Blue Silver Grass. Though the Blue Silver Grass began to fracture upon contact, it held firm enough to divert the attack to the side before breaking completely.

Tang San, meanwhile, appeared calm.

Feng Xiaotian's first strike missed, and with a swift turn, he slashed again—this time even faster than before.

However, before his wolf claws could reach, Tang San's fist had already smashed into Feng Xiaotian's forearm.

The blow caused Feng Xiaotian to stagger, and at the same time, Tang San's footwork shifted again, closing the distance. Tang San's right hand transformed from a fist into a claw, aiming for the pressure point on Feng Xiaotian's wrist.

Meanwhile, Tang San's martial soul wasn't idle. As his soul ring flashed, Blue Silver Bind silently extended from beneath Feng Xiaotian's feet, attempting to hold him in place.

His close combat skills are better than mine, and he's incredibly strong, thought Feng Xiaotian, feeling the pain in his right forearm.

However, this didn't stop his movements. A gust of green wind surged from beneath him, shredding the Blue Silver Grass that tried to bind him. At the same time, Feng Xiaotian's wrist twisted suddenly, and several small wind blades shot from his hand toward Tang San's claw.

Unleashing wind blades at close range was one of the advantages of Feng Xiaotian's mutated martial soul. Although these wind blades weren't as powerful as a full spirit ability, they were still one of his key assets.

Seeing this, Tang San's expression darkened. He quickly withdrew his hands and leaped backward, putting distance between them once again.