Chapter 154: The Spearhead Strategy
The originally tall and well-proportioned Dugu Yan had vanished, replaced by a muscular, beastly figure resembling a tiger-man.
The 'king' symbol on his forehead glowed brilliantly.
After activating his White Tiger Dark Gold Transformation, his aura surged to a new peak, reaching an intimidating level.
Looking at Dugu Yan, who seemed like an ancient beast, the seven members of the Elephant Armor Academy's team couldn't help but feel a sense of fear. They all unconsciously turned their gazes to Huyan Li.
Huyan Li took a deep breath and commanded, "Don't panic. Keep your formation. No one can break through the defenses of Elephant Armor Academy!"
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan smiled slightly, turned his head, and looked at Luo Feng, waiting for his orders.
Control-type soul masters served as the brain of the team. No matter how powerful Dugu Yan was, he could never replace the control-type soul master's position. They were the ones who chose the most appropriate tactics based on the situation on the field.
Looking at the massive figures of the Elephant Armor Academy, Luo Feng's body trembled slightly. He felt a bit nervous. As the commander, he bore a heavy responsibility. Facing the prestigious Elephant Armor Academy, a layer of pressure naturally settled in his heart. Furthermore, he wasn't the primary control-type soul master of the team—he was only a substitute, which made the pressure even greater.
But pressure was also a source of motivation.
Trying to calm his inner turmoil, Luo Feng felt Dugu Yan's gaze. He nodded slightly, his eyes becoming firm as he shouted, "Spearhead strategy!"
Although his voice wasn't loud, everyone could hear it clearly, and they all began to wonder what exactly this "spearhead strategy" was.
The moment Luo Feng finished speaking, a loud explosion rang out.
Dugu Yan stomped the ground fiercely, causing the earth beneath his feet to crack open, small stones flying everywhere. He charged forward, leading the way directly toward Elephant Armor Academy.
Immediately, Feng Qianli raised his Xuanwu Shield; Dai Yuan summoned his sword Qi, shaping the blade, and the two of them flanked Dugu Yan, rushing relentlessly toward Elephant Armor Academy.
The seven from Elephant Armor Academy were large and broad-shouldered, their steps synchronized, forming an impenetrable wall like a massive steel fortress. They were the ultimate defense.
Meanwhile, the trio from Oakland was brimming with momentum, charging forward fearlessly, a sharp spear cutting through the air.
The so-called "spearhead strategy" was about using the strongest point of your team to take on the opponent's strongest point head-on. It was like a spear cutting through the enemy's formation.
In soul battle competitions, formation was of utmost importance.
Once a formation was broken, it became impossible to protect the control and support soul masters in the rear. If the enemy found an opening and dealt with those support and control-type soul masters, the remaining offense and speed-type soul masters would be powerless against an intact enemy formation. After all, without a control-type soul master guiding the team and support-type soul masters assisting, the team would eventually be drained of spirit power.
On the other hand, if the enemy has both control and support-type soul masters, the chances of victory greatly increase.
But Elephant Armor Academy was different. They didn't have a well-rounded team with different soul types.
All of their members were defense-type soul masters. There were no speed, control, or support soul masters, which made their stamina and endurance significantly weaker compared to teams with balanced formations. However, their defense was unmatched by any other academy, making them a fortress that no one wanted to face head-on.
For Oakland's spearhead strategy, while it wouldn't be effective against Elephant Armor Academy when their formation was intact, it was still the best choice they had, despite the risks. After all, to take on the enemy's strength head-on wasn't the most rational decision.
"Ha!"
Feng Qianli, holding his Xuanwu Shield, looked determined as he shouted.
As the captain of the Oakland team, he had initially intended to use a more evasive approach against Elephant Armor Academy, as it would have maximized their chances of victory.
But Dugu Yan had refused.
"This is the first match, and all the audience is watching us. If we drag things out and use a defensive strategy, even if we win, it won't be impressive."
"We need to establish dominance from the very first match! Use Elephant Armor Academy's most powerful style and defeat them head-on!"
"Captain, don't you want to bring glory to Oakland? Don't tell me you don't have the courage to go all in?"
Feng Qianli remembered Dugu Yan's words and felt a surge of boldness.
As the team's captain, he carried immense pressure and expectations. Everything he did had to be carefully considered. Patience and rationality were his characteristics.
"This time, I'll fight alongside Dugu Yan! If we lose, we'll lose together. If we win, Oakland Academy will be remembered by everyone!"
In the rest area, the other teams looked on in shock at Oakland's decision to clash head-on with Elephant Armor Academy.
"They've gone mad! Why challenge Elephant Armor Academy head-on? Don't they know how incredible their defense is?"
"Unwise, the commander of Oakland must be out of his mind!"
"Oakland may be strong, but they're reckless. A team like this won't last long in a tournament."
Tang San shook his head and said, "They're making a foolish decision."
However, Huo Wu seemed very intrigued. Her eyes sparkled with interest. Dugu Yan's tactical decision was exactly the kind of strategy that would appeal to their Fire Academy.
"We fire-type soul masters are naturally aggressive and fierce. No wonder that Wutong follows Dugu Yan."
On the battlefield, the situation suddenly changed.
Dugu Yan noticed the vigilant gaze of Huyan Li and sneered. After activating the White Tiger Dark Gold Transformation, his power, defense, and speed increased by more than three times, reaching an unimaginable level.
His muscles tensed as he prepared to strike. When he reached Huyan Li, he unleashed a powerful punch, accompanied by a loud whistling sound as it cut through the air.
Seeing the overwhelming force behind Dugu Yan's punch, Huyan Li's pupils contracted slightly. He quickly crossed his arms in front of him, and his soul power surged as his first soul ring flickered.
"First Soul Skill—Copper Wall Iron Shield!"
After activating the first soul skill, Huyan Li's body expanded slightly, and a silver glow appeared on his arms, signaling a layer of body reinforcement.
Dugu Yan, however, didn't use any attack-based soul skills. His simple punch was enough to show just how much he feared Dugu Yan.
Boom!
The loud sound echoed as Huyan Li's body bent like a shrimp. His fat rippled as it absorbed the force of Dugu Yan's punch.
Though he was firmly planted on the ground, Dugu Yan's punch sent him sliding backward for dozens of meters, his feet scraping a shallow mark into the ground.
He grunted in shock, his mind racing.
"I've used my Copper Wall Iron Shield, and even a Soul King from the Fire Academy can't harm me without using their third soul skill or higher."
"Yet, I've been sent back this far by Dugu Yan's punch, and he hasn't even used an offensive soul skill. Is he even human?"
Thinking this, Huyan Li quickly regained his composure, realizing the situation. He growled angrily:
"Surround him! Spearhead, spearhead! I'll crush your blade!"
He thought angrily.
With his command, a Soul Master and a Soul King from Elephant Armor Academy immediately responded and positioned themselves around Dugu Yan, forming a triangle with Huyan Li at the third point.
In the VIP section, Ning Fengzhi smiled gently and said, "Dugu Yan is in danger now."
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Snow Night Emperor asked with a frown.
Ning Fengzhi explained, "Oakland's spearhead strategy requires Dugu Yan to break into Elephant Armor Academy's formation and tear a gap."
"Since that's the case, hasn't Dugu Yan already entered Elephant Armor Academy's formation? Doesn't that mean he's succeeded? Why do you say he's in danger?"
"Your Majesty, when a spearhead breaks through the enemy's defenses, it will also get surrounded. If Dugu Yan can't hold off Elephant Armor Academy's counterattack, not only will the strategy fail, but Oakland will lose a major force."
"I see now. Ning Sect Master, as the world's top support-type soul master, your understanding of tactics is truly extraordinary!"
"Your Majesty overpraises me."
Huyan Zhen, watching Huyan Li's swift response, nodded slightly and smiled at Salas:
"It seems Dugu Yan was too reckless. He has great potential, but he's still too young. Few people can escape unscathed when trapped by Elephant Armor Academy's encirclement!"
Salas, with a glimmer of concern in his narrow eyes, stroked his beard and replied:
"The outcome is still undecided. There's no need to rush, Your Majesty."
Upon hearing Salas' words, Huyan Zhen sneered, dismissing the concern as a futile attempt to deny Dugu Yan's inevitable failure.
For a brief moment, the situation turned on its head, and the defeat of the Oakland team seemed imminent!
"Copper Wall, Iron Wall!"
The three surrounding Dugu Bo shouted in unison, activating their first soul skill. They formed an impenetrable barrier around him, like a city wall, trapping him with no way to advance or retreat.
Huyan Li's huge eyes locked onto Dugu Bo as if he were prey. His gaze gleamed with a bloodthirsty light.
Soul power surged, and his third purple soul ring flickered, releasing a massive shockwave from his body.
"Third Soul Skill: Crushing Strike!"
Huyan Li roared, his massive body leaping into the air. His fists were tightly clasped together behind his head, and he tensed like a bowstring, ready to release all of his force in a devastating blow.
The enormous weight of his body, combined with the power of his coiled fists, ensured that this strike would be earth-shattering.
At the same time, the soul masters and soul elders surrounding Dugu Bo also activated their third soul rings, just like Huyan Li.
"Third Soul Skill: Crushing Strike!"
The Crushing Strike was composed of two parts: the "Crushing" part applied a powerful gravity that immobilized the enemy, while the "Strike" part was a devastating attack launched with enormous force.
All three used the Crushing Strike simultaneously, and the combined weight of the gravity suppression ensured that Dugu Bo would be unable to move, forcing him to take the blow.
"Kid, pay the price for your arrogance!" Huyan Li's body soared into the air, roaring.
The 80,000 spectators were in an uproar, many covering their eyes, unable to bear witness to the impending cruelty.
Even though Dugu Bo had activated the White Tiger Dark Gold Transformation, facing three simultaneous attacks from 1,000-year-old soul techniques made it difficult for him to move.
However, with his Explosive Step, he could move out of the range of the Crushing Strike, but he didn't want to just retreat.
His gaze turned, locking onto the three towering meat mountains in the air. Feeling the combined pressure, he smiled coldly.
Three of his soul rings glowed simultaneously—yellow, purple, and purple—creating a dazzling light that left everyone in awe.
A white protective barrier surrounded him completely. Countless white light dots appeared around him, slowly gathering at his mouth. Finally, soul power surged like a river, pouring into his right arm.
With the powerful pressure bearing down on him, he stepped forward, inching closer to Huyan Li.
Huyan Li's eyes froze for a moment, unsure of Dugu Bo's intentions. However, he had no intention of holding back—whatever Dugu Bo was planning, he was going to stop it.
With three loud roars, Huyan Li released the full power of his fists, the tension in his arms snapping like a bowstring. The air was torn apart by the force, and all the spectators could see the shockwave cutting through the air.
As Huyan Li descended, Dugu Bo's fist shot up with explosive power, shouting:
"Eight Extremes Burst!"
Boom!
The fists collided with a violent burst of sound, the air ripping apart as the two were thrown back, each grunting in pain from the immense force.
While Dugu Bo only staggered back a step, Huyan Li was sent flying even further, much faster than his initial leap.
Huyan Li felt the immense discomfort. He hadn't expected Dugu Bo's Eight Extremes Burst to be so terrifying—it not only stopped his Crushing Strike, but also sent him flying backward.
However, Dugu Bo couldn't afford to relax. He knew there were still two more Crushing Strikes to deal with. The pressure from behind was palpable.
He tilted his head, feeling the pressure building up behind him. The white light points around him had gathered completely at his mouth, and his second soul skill, White Tiger Fierce Lightwave, was ready to unleash.
"Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Fierce Lightwave!"
A white energy wave shot out, crashing into one of the soul masters who had used the Crushing Strike, sending them flying.
Two attacks had stopped the two soul masters, but the last soul elder had no way to defend against it.
With a loud explosion, the Crushing Strike from the soul elder collided with Dugu Bo's White Tiger barrier. After a moment, the white light shield shattered, and the elder's fist struck Dugu Bo directly.
A muffled grunt escaped Dugu Bo as the pain surged through him. His pupils dilated, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Blocking a thousand-year soul skill with his own hundred-year soul skill had been a reckless move, but it was the best outcome he could have hoped for. He had blocked the most dangerous attack with Eight Extremes Burst, used White Tiger Fierce Lightwave to stop one soul master, and absorbed the punch from the soul elder—he could accept that.
In fact, he wasn't seriously injured. It was just a little pain, which wasn't much for him. He had experienced worse on the battlefield.
But he didn't care about the soul elder who had just attacked him. Instead, he coldly looked at the wounded Huyan Li, who struggled to get back up. With a sneer, Dugu Bo slowly extended his right hand, tightening his fist.
"Explode!"
The spectators were momentarily stunned, as was Huyan Li.
In that moment of hesitation, Huyan Li suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his body. A burst of internal energy exploded inside him.
"Ah!"
Huyan Li screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground. His expression twisted in pain, drenched in cold sweat, and he was unable to speak.
"Is this Dark Energy?"
Huyan Li's face contorted in pain as he spoke, unsure of what had just happened.
"Yes," Dugu Bo said, retracting his fist and standing still.
"It's over!"
He coldly looked down at Huyan Li, who was on the ground, emotionlessly announcing the brutal result.
As the spearhead, he had completed his mission flawlessly—he had taken down Huyan Li, their strongest member, and torn apart their formation. Now, it was up to the rest of the team to clean up the rest.
One soul elder, seeing Dugu Bo completely exposed, prepared to strike.
But Dugu Bo's icy gaze swept over him.
"Hmm?"
His voice was cold, a top-tier leader questioning a subordinate, as if asking, Are you sure you want to attack me?
The soul elder's heart tightened under the pressure of Dugu Bo's cold gaze. He swallowed nervously, his lips dry, and muttered, "N-no, I didn't intend to attack you!"
The battle had ended so quickly. Dugu Bo, caught in a siege, had faced attacks from two soul masters and one soul elder. In the blink of an eye, he had dealt with them all.
He had knocked Huyan Li flying with a punch, intimidated the soul elder with a glance, and struck a kingly pose, looking down on his enemies. This left many of the girls in the audience swooning.
The 80,000 spectators were left speechless, dumbfounded by what had just unfolded.
Looking at the stunned faces of the audience, Huyan Li felt a wave of emptiness. He recalled the harsh words he had said to Dugu Bo earlier, but reality had quickly shown him how easily Dugu Bo had overpowered him.
His forehead was veined, his teeth clenched, grinding as he hissed:
"It won't be so easy to defeat us at Elephant Academy!"
(End of Chapter)
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