Chapter 186: Trinity

Today, facing Canghui Academy, Tie Li sat in the spectator seat and did not take the field; everyone on the Second Team believed they could defeat Canghui Academy.

Among the seven from Canghui Academy, the leading Team Leader was a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, and the other six were Soul Elders.

At the referee's signal, the Soul Battle began, and both sides simultaneously released their martial souls and Soul Rings.

On Canghui Academy's side, three people's martial souls were Gem martial souls, which, highlighted by their Soul Rings, emitted dazzling radiance.

The other four possessed high-quality Beast martial souls, strong in both offense and defense.

The initial fight was fairly ordinary, a standard Soul Master duel; the Second Team held a strength advantage, gradually consolidating their position.

Canghui Academy's Combined Attack Technique clearly lacked mastery; targeting a weak point would quickly break through their defense.

At that moment, Canghui Academy abruptly changed formation, and the three students with Gem martial souls gathered together, their souls flashing with light.

"Sure enough, it's a Three-in-One Fusion Technique, same‑type Gem martial souls—this differs from a Three-in-One Fusion Technique using same‑attribute martial souls."

An anxious glint appeared in Zhao Tianhe's eyes; he felt a bad premonition.

Tuo Yu constantly monitored the opponent's movements; back at Xin Yue Sect he had sparred with their disciples and knew how unstoppable their Fusion Technique was in same‑level Team Soul Battle, yet Tuo Yu wagered that Canghui Academy's students were less proficient with the Fusion Technique than Xin Yue Sect's disciples.

Therefore, he guarded against their Fusion Technique from the start.

When their positions shifted, Tuo Yu commanded Red Fire Thorns to surge toward the three Soul Masters with Gem martial souls.

"Only now noticing it—perhaps it's too late?" the Canghui Academy Team Leader sneered.

Their Fusion Technique was complete; three‑colored light, like a tri‑hued mirror, emitted a three‑colored divine ray that struck the Second Team's members.

The Red Fire Thorns, first hit by the three‑colored light, were the first to act erratically, falling into a chaotic state.

It was a mental‑level attack; simple soul skill defenses could hardly resist it.

The entire Second Team was enveloped by the three‑colored radiance, their gazes becoming dazed; Tuo Yu's released Vajra Bear and Ghost Vine, like the Red Fire Thorns, also fell into chaos.

"Attack."

The Canghui Academy Team Leader shouted, and the four who received the order immediately charged at Tuo Yu and the others, intending to eliminate them all.

Only Tuo Yu remained unaffected; protected by his Head Soul Bone, ordinary mental interference could hardly affect him.

It was a Head Soul Bone the family had extracted after an elder's death when he returned home, ultimately bestowed upon him as the most gifted clan member.

He usually kept the bone concealed and dared not reveal it lightly; exposing the soul bone would bring him many troubles.

In the audience, Tie Li sensed the soul power fluctuation from Tuo Yu's recent move and grasped its significance.

Canghui Academy's Three-in-One Fusion Technique captured everyone's attention; no one had ever seen such a unique and formidable soul skill, prompting a chorus of exclamations.

Even teachers and students from the major teams first assumed it was a Soul Fusion Technique, but upon reflection they doubted it—such power should not be merely that.

Some well‑grounded academies quickly learned the true situation.

"Yu Xiaogang, is this a Three-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Technique?" Fulangde asked in surprise.

"Fulangde, do you think the Soul Fusion Technique is a piece of cake, that any student could master it?"

"This is merely a Three-in-One Fusion Technique, not something special."

In Yu Xiaogang's eyes there was a hint of arrogance; for someone who had mastered the Seven-in-One Fusion Technique, this truly was nothing.

Moreover, this was a Three-in-One Fusion Technique of the same martial soul type.

"Master, the Tian Dou Royal Academy should be losing, right?" Zhao Wuji said.

Zhao Wuji had previously been poisoned by Du Gu Bo, and Tang San helped him neutralize it, though it cost considerable time and effort.

During that time, Zhao Wuji endured excruciating torment; his body was immobilized, yet his mind remained clear, feeling the process required for detoxification.

Different toxins used his body as a battlefield, colliding and impacting; the remaining toxins were drawn out of him under Tang San's guidance.

This was one of Tang San's detox methods, arguably the safest.

Yu Xiaogang was about to speak when the situation shifted again; the three who were executing the Three-in-One Fusion Technique suddenly let out a wail.

Immediately after, they collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

"What?"

This turn slowed the actions of the other four by a beat.

"Are you idiots? Hurry up and finish the match."

The Team-leading Teacher of the spectator division shouted an angry rebuke, displeased with the four students' performance.

Gu Qi was the first to regain consciousness, and Tuo Yu pretended to be the second; at that point, attempting to eliminate team members was nearly impossible.

Tuo Yu was startled; he had only tried a mental strike, yet it caused the three to suffer backlash, an effect beyond his expectations.

The remaining four were no match for Gu Qi's group, being eliminated one after another, which also declared the Tiandou Royal Team's victory.

Yet they felt a slight unease about the victory, as if they had won without reason.

"Canghui Academy's Three-in-One Fusion Technique may have lacked proficiency, causing a forced interruption and resulting in backlash," Bai Baoshan explained.

It seemed only this explanation could make sense, since the VIP seats were some distance from the arena, preventing clear sensing of its changes.

Ning Fengzhi was not in the VIP seats today; on the other side sat the red‑cloaked bishop of the Spirit Hall.

Saras was sent by the royal family to the Spirit Hall, but his toxins remained unresolved.

They hadn't fully broken with the Spirit Hall yet, wanting to save face; leaving a poisoned, comatose White Gold Bishop for them was to make them understand that even the Spirit Hall must pay a price.

"I heard Zhao Tianhe talk about Canghui Academy; their Team‑leading Teacher includes an elder from Xin Yue Sect, but when I later investigated Canghui Academy, their vice‑principal seemed rather unusual," Zhi Lin said.

Zhi Lin relayed the information he knew.

"So it's that old fellow Shi Nian," the others said, showing a look of realization.

Securing this match's victory brought the Tiandou Royal Team's ranking a step closer, greatly increasing the chance of entering the top five.

After Canghui Academy, the next two teams they faced were both fairly strong, each with unique tactical systems that gave them considerable trouble.

Zhang Xiaohe's soul bone was exposed in one of the matches, yet it also helped them win that match.

This was the second soul bone to appear in the Preselection; it wasn't intended to be revealed then, but without using a soul bone there was a high chance of losing that Soul Battle.

(End of Chapter)