Chapter 97: The Seventh Member of Imperial Fighting Team Two Takes His Place

"Controlling the flow of battle—is that what your elders taught you?" Wu Qi asked, annoyed.

Qiangu Changkong scratched his head, his expression awkward.

The staff is the ancestor of all weapons, possessing infinite power and tricky, ever-changing techniques, making it extremely easy to control the flow of battle.

But Qiangu Changkong lacked the necessary skill to perform such a delicate task, leading to countless vulnerabilities when facing familiar opponents.

This point could be considered a drawback of learning directly from a Title Douluo.

A Title Douluo powerhouse has experienced countless life-and-death struggles and long ago established one or even multiple combat systems.

Qiangu Changkong regarded Thousand Armies and Demon Subduing Douluo as his role models, often imitating their behavior and combat styles.

A word or two from an elder, spoken unintentionally, could have a profound influence on him.

Demon Subduing Douluo had never known defeat; this was not an empty claim, but a fact.

Controlling the flow of battle can indeed lead to victory in every fight, but the prerequisite is having the strength to back it up.

To imitate blindly, thinking one is devising strategies in a command tent, is in reality just asking to be laughed at.

"The opponents in the finals will likely be ones we recognize from the Preliminary Tournament or the Promotion Tournament. If you maintain this mindset, you can only be a substitute."

Sun Buyu furrowed his brows, hoping to snap the other person out of it with this scolding.

Huo Wushuang patted Qiangu Changkong on the shoulder, "Changkong, your strength is indeed very high, but your mindset is truly a problem."

"If one day we were to become enemies and engage in a life-and-death struggle, if you continued to maintain this mindset, you would inevitably be killed by me in a counterattack."

Human potential is infinite, especially on a stage like the Spirit Master Tournament; to leave no regrets, one must surely exhaust all trump cards, with tactics impossible to predict.

Qiangu Changkong perhaps realized his mistake and silently lowered his head.

Wu Qi continued, "No one is a sage; who can avoid making mistakes? To correct them when you have them is the greatest virtue."

As the lesson was being delivered, the door to the Training Pavilion was pushed open, and Feng Xiaotian walked in, bringing Chen Ping with him.

"Captain, this brother Chen Ping is here to see you," Feng Xiaotian said.

Chen Ping stepped out from behind him, noticed Wu Qi and Qiangu Changkong, and his face lit up with joy as he hurriedly waved, "Old Wu, Changkong."

Qiangu Changkong seemed to have grabbed a "lifeline" and responded loudly, "Old Chen, you finally made it."

Sun Buyu realized something, leaned into Wu Qi's ear, and asked softly, "Little Wu, is this the genius you invited?"

Wu Qi nodded and simultaneously arranged, "Teacher Sun, please step forward later to handle his enrollment procedures."

Sun Buyu was a Soul King powerhouse and could clearly perceive Chen Ping's soul power aura.

For such a young level 34 Soul Elder, Tiandou Huangjia Xueyuan had no reason to miss out.

Once the Three Education Committees learned of the situation, they would likely handle the enrollment procedures for him personally.

After introducing Chen Ping to everyone, the final piece of the puzzle for Imperial Fighting Team Two was finally in place.

"As of today, the team is finally assembled. Next, I will have you conduct a Spirit Fighting match as a team, how about it?" Sun Buyu looked at Wu Qi with a questioning gaze.

Receiving an affirmative reply, he immediately went to make arrangements.

Chen Ping, after all, came from the Spirit Hall Academy, so his personal competence was not poor.

Different types of Spirit Masters have different roles within a team.

In the past, while at the Spirit Hall Academy, although Chen Ping did not have a team, he was very clear about his own positioning.

His martial soul was the Giant Rock Turtle, a powerful Defense System martial soul.

When introducing their martial souls, he stated, "I will protect the back row. My turtle shell can be attached to teammates, which is enough to withstand attacks from average Agility Attack System Spirit Masters."

As he spoke, he looked at Wu Qi with some lack of confidence.

It was not that he was boasting; it was just that Wu Qi's attack power was too outrageous, even stronger than Power Attack System Spirit Masters of the same level, so his turtle shell would naturally be hard to defend against.

The only one in the back row of Imperial Fighting Team Two was Ning Rongrong; Huo Wu, as a Control System Spirit Master, also counted, but she had a certain ability to protect herself.

It must be known that not all Control System Spirit Masters are like Tang San; most do not have strong self-preservation abilities and need the help of teammates to escape after being engaged in close quarters.

During the sparring with the teachers, the pressure on the back row's defense would be relatively small.

The teachers knew how to pull their punches, so Wu Qi was not worried about problems in the back row and decided to adopt a more aggressive tactic.

In his view, a defensive counter-attack strategy was a lineup chosen out of necessity when there was a vast gap in strength.

If one's own strength is sufficient, there is no reason not to adopt a strong offensive formation.

"Chen Ping will protect the back row; Changkong, Wushuang, you two form the double front line. Xiaotian and I will be on the left and right wings of the team, ready to support at any time!"

That afternoon, at a piece of wasteland behind Tiandou Huangjia Xueyuan.

Imperial Fighting Team Two and the teachers' team stood on opposite sides.

Every member of Imperial Fighting Team Two was a treasure of the academy, so to avoid unknown accidents during the sparring, Zhilin Hun Douluo arrived on the scene personally.

"Don't mind me, just make your own arrangements."

Zhilin waved his hand, retreated to a distance, and silently observed the match.

Sun Buyu briefly introduced the five teachers, "They were the main members of the academy team from the previous session; their coordination is very tacit, and for you, this will be no small test."

The students of Huangdou Academy were all nobles, and these five seniors were no exception.

Huangdou Academy was an academy directly under the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and working here could be considered paving the way for a future official career. Therefore, most outstanding graduates were certainly willing to stay at the academy as teachers if given the chance, to expand their network of connections.

Wu Qi had an impression of these five; he had watched them compete in person at the previous Spirit Master Tournament.

That Tiandou Huangjia Xueyuan could enter the top six was proof of their strength.

The tournament was three years ago; among the seniors, the strongest had already broken through to become a Soul King, and the others were all High-level Soul Ancestors.

There was a gap in strength between the two sides, but it was not large, making them good targets for training.

Both sides cupped their hands in salute, and at Sun Buyu's signal, the sparring officially began.

In the five-person team composed of teachers, there was no Support System Spirit Master, so the pressure on the back row was not great, and they also adopted an offensive formation.

Both sides focused on offense, destined to be a clash of needles against wheat awns.

The captain Aguda's martial soul was a long staff; as the front line, he directly clashed with Qiangu Changkong and Huo Wushuang.

A Soul King against Soul Elders, the gap was vast, but relying on the advantage of his staff technique, Aguda was unexpectedly unable to defeat the two of them in a short time.

"Staff techniques blooming like flowers, good lad, impressive," Aguda couldn't help but praise.

Having just been taught a lesson, Qiangu Changkong dared not underestimate his opponent, "Senior is not bad either, Third Soul Skill, Panlong Fury!"

The battle on the front line entered a white-hot stage, and the others were not idle.

Feng Xiaotian and Wu Qi went left and right, respectively restraining two Agility Attack System Spirit Masters.

Wu Qi's opponent was Wang Liang, an Agility Attack System Winged Tiger martial soul, possessing both attack and Speed, extremely troublesome.

"Third Soul Skill, Flying Tiger Treading Clouds!"

The Winged Tiger soared into the air, its speed surged, and it extended its tiger claws, sweeping toward Wu Qi.

"Well come!" Wu Qi shouted loudly.

The two had the same cultivation direction, making them good sparring partners for each other.

But in a team Spirit Fighting, one does not simply look for one's own opponent on the field to engage in one-on-one sparring!

"Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, Seven Treasures Named, the second is Speed."

(End of this chapter)