Chapter 130: Being Countered

At the moment the competition began, both sides' members completed the embodiment of their martial souls.

Xu San Shi not only manifested a pitch‑black shield on his hand, but also several cigars, which he promptly stuffed into his mouth, then held the shield in front of He Caitou.

Soul‑guidance cannon‑type soul instructors are at their most vulnerable when arming themselves; he must protect He Caitou during that period.

He Caitou wasted no time; a clang of metal rang out as the sixty‑four Soul‑guidance cannons were again mounted on him, instantly turning him into a spiked iron hedgehog.

But before he could fire, an accident occurred: a swirl of purple smoke engulfed the arena, completely blocking the previously open view, and He Caitou lost sight of the enemy entirely.

Damn…

Xu San Shi couldn't help but mutter lowly.

When he first saw the enemy, an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

This time both of their opponents were control types; the one called Qing Feng was fine—Earth‑element Four‑Ring Soul Sect, adept at defense and containment, posing little threat to Xu San Shi and He Caitou.

The problem lay with the fellow called Xiao Feng.

He is a level‑54 control‑type Soul King, whose cultivation even surpasses Deputy Captain Qian Yuan of the Dou Ling Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy; he wields the martial soul Mystery Pearl, and like the former Shangguan Can, is a mental‑type soul master, also the primary controller of the academy's main team.

However, unlike Shangguan Can and Huo Yutong, Xiao Feng mainly excels at creating illusions, reshaping the environment to bewilder and control opponents, thereby creating combat opportunities for his teammates.

His combat style effectively counters He Caitou, whose main tactic is ranged attack; if this were a team fight, Huo Yutong could assist with Mental Detection Sharing, but this is a 2‑2‑3 scenario, and just two days ago Huo Yutong and Tang Wulin had just rejected a cheating proposal.

During this continent‑wide Advanced Soul Master Academy elite tournament, members of Shilake Academy repeatedly faced opponents they were countered by; this was the first time they encountered a counter to themselves.

Suddenly, Xu San Shi seemed to sense something and stepped forward, blocking in front of He Caitou; the next second, a long earth spear slammed into his shield with a booming sound—clearly, Qing Feng had acted.

Xu San Shi remained motionless, his expression growing ever more serious.

"We're screwed, we can't determine the direction this earth spear was fired from… Caitou, can you figure it out?"

He Caitou shook his head, his demeanor also turning serious.

"No, the smoke's shielding effect is strong; it interferes not only visually but also blocks all other senses."

"Tch, that's troublesome."

Xu San Shi again casually blocked the incoming earth spear, squinting toward its source.

"Looks like we have to test the direction the spear came from. Caitou, fire one that way."

"Alright."

He Caitou replied, loaded his ammunition, and without hesitation launched a level‑4 Soul Guidance Cannon shell.

With a "whoosh", the cannon shell shot into the smoke, yet no feedback returned—no flash of explosion, not even a sound, as if it vanished into thin air.

Both Xu San Shi and He Caitou fell silent.

This was Xiao Feng's fourth soul skill, capable of shielding all sound, light, scent, and even mental force within its radius; unless the opponent's mental power exceeds Xiao Feng's, being enveloped by this skill is akin to being blinded. In the instant this skill was released, the two Soul Ancestors lost any initiative.

Now the only thing they could be grateful for was that their opponents were two control types, severely lacking offensive means, leaving them with no real options.

He Caitou whispered, "San Shi, what should we do now?"

Xu San Shi whispered back, "We bide our time, using inaction to meet all changes. Recklessly attacking would cost us; they can't break through my defense, so we just wait for them to expose a flaw."

"What if they stop attacking?"

"Not attack proactively?" Xu San Shi smiled faintly, "Then it's fine. This soul skill is so strong that the drain on that Soul King Xiao Feng won't be small; even as a Soul King he can't sustain it long, so he'll exhaust his soul power first. Besides, aren't we the ones who most want to waste time on the stage?"

Xu San Shi and Bei Bei were so familiar that the moment Bei Bei sent him onto the field, he instantly read her mind.

"It's just waiting for Tang Wulin to return—what's so hard? He doesn't believe the two opponents, whose main tactics are containment and control, can breach his iron wall."

"He does have a trump card he hasn't used yet!" Xu San Shi thought confidently.

However, a strange event occurred: as He Caitou said, after the opening ceremonial exchange of two shots each side, neither side's forces engaged again.

Xiao Feng and Qing Feng seemed to vanish, launching no further proactive attacks.

Weird…

Xu San Shi frowned; an ominous feeling told him he'd missed something, yet his mind felt shrouded in fog, unable to pinpoint what was wrong.

At that moment, He Caitou suddenly said:

"San Shi, do you feel a bit dizzy?"

"!"

A single word awakened him; Xu San Shi suddenly understood.

He instantly grasped the opponents' intention.

"Damn! Is it poison!"

He guessed correctly; the reason they felt slowly dizzy and their thoughts sluggish was that Xiao Feng's first soul skill had taken effect.

Xiao Feng's skill can mix neurotoxin into his smoke; although being a first‑level soul skill the toxin's effect is weak, over time it gradually takes hold.

Xu San Shi's guess was right—Xiao Feng and Qing Feng lacked any physical means to breach his defense, but they didn't need to; by subtly seeping neurotoxin into their opponents' minds they could drag them down into the abyss.

It must be said, their luck in this battle was poor; this Soul King's skill not only nullified He Caitou, the main damage dealer, by shielding perception, but also bypassed Xu San Shi's defense with invisible toxin, making their combination overly countered.

Their cultivation suppressed, compatibility unfavorable, at this moment it seemed only a destined defeat awaited Xu San Shi and He Caitou.

(End of Chapter)