NOVEL NEXT Chapter 216: Alliance of Offense and Defense
In a flash, battle erupted!
The Clear Sky Sect and Shrek Academy joined forces to attack the Holy Spirit Church. Though they had a numbers advantage, the Church had Yan Feng and Tang Ya—two Soul Emperors—with Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection support, so they weren't at a disadvantage.
Yan Feng alone could hold off a Clear Sky Soul Emperor and two Soul Kings; Tang Ya suppressed Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou. The other Church members—Skeleton King Tang Dai, Lich King Xiao Lei, Abomination Lu Genggeng, and Bone Staff Gu Yu—were all formidable, each able to fight two opponents at once.
The wicked soul masters' strength was on full display—they were all elite, with the potential to become Titled Douluo.
While the battle raged, Zhu Zhuqing and the others slipped past unnoticed and reached the revival point. They quickly recovered Tang San and Xiao Wu's revival chips and brought them back.
A pillar of blue light shot skyward as Tang San was revived. His eyes were bloodshot, face grim and silent, but the killing intent he exuded was chilling.
No one knew what horrors Tang San had just endured. Though the simulated universe didn't allow real death, the experience was psychologically and spiritually damaging.
Tang San seemed rational, but in truth, he teetered on the edge of madness. If Huo Yuhao reappeared, he might completely lose control.
Xiao Wu, revived, felt guilty and heartbroken, knowing all too well what Tang San had suffered—and that she'd unwittingly helped cause it.
"Xiao San, we need to get out of here. The poison zone's closing in," Dai Mubai reminded, glancing at the shrinking boundary.
"Right. Let's find supplies and avoid other teams for now." Tang San's voice was hoarse, but he forced himself to stay rational. Revenge would have to wait for the right moment.
The closer to the island's center, the fiercer the fighting. He believed he'd get his chance for revenge there.
…
"This is getting more interesting. Whoever wins those ten-thousand-year soul bones and rings will boost their power—and their backers'—to a whole new level. That's what makes it fun," Lu Jingming mused.
This tournament was just as he'd hoped—a showcase of uniquely talented teams, a splendid drama.
As his power grew, Lu Jingming found the authority of reality easier to wield. True power came from changing the world. A lifeless, stagnant world—or one strictly controlled by the divine—wasn't what he wanted.
He wanted a world full of diversity and possibilities. So, he was happy to provide opportunities and resources for others to grow. Otherwise, the future would be boring and dull.
The annual battle royale was just the beginning; his grand plans went far beyond this.
Even as others grew stronger with his help, his Haiyuan City would grow even more powerful.
In his vision, the world would become one superpower, many strong powers—and his force would be that unique superpower.
He recalled that before being swept into a black hole by the time-space storm in the Douluo God Realm, six other god realms had been drawn in. If he released them, how much more reality power could he gain? Would it be enough to summon the full might of Acheron?
With his collector's obsession, he already possessed Raiden Makoto. If he could gather Raiden Mei, Raiden Ei, and Acheron—the scene would be quite amusing.
But he needed vast amounts of reality power. Stirring up trouble on Douluo Star alone wasn't enough; he had to look further.
Among the many worlds he'd observed, there was a parallel "Throne of Seal" world, where he'd seen the fledgling Saint Cai'er. In that world, becoming a god meant the body dissolved, the consciousness merged with the plane, and one's power aided the world's growth.
That world was rich in divine and super-divine artifacts, especially the legendary Divine Throne of Eternity and Creation. If he could get those, it would be amazing.
But those were plans for the future; for now, his focus remained on the two Douluo Continents.
…
As time passed, most of the 100 teams had been eliminated. The poison zone continued to shrink toward the island's center, forcing the remaining teams to gather.
Only the best survived—some through sheer power, some through cunning alliances or luck.
Among the surviving teams, those chosen by Firefly and her peers all had a real shot at victory.
Firefly chose the Body Sect; Castorice picked the Spirit Hall; Robin and March 7th backed St. Freya Academy's second team; Jinhsi picked up Dou Ling, Mingdu Academy, and even roped in Star Luo Royal Academy, forming a powerful alliance.
Gu Yue took a similar approach, gathering Skywater, God Wind, Blazing Fire, Thunder, and Nature Academies into an Elemental Academy Alliance. She armed them with soul tools and supplies, making them quite formidable.
These were the main contenders for the championship, though the Holy Spirit Church, Clear Sky Sect, and Shrek Academy's main and second teams shouldn't be discounted.
As the map shrank, chaos and fighting intensified. Jinhsi's alliance and Gu Yue's alliance even clashed, with both leaders joining in. Both knew their numbers advantage wouldn't guarantee victory against Firefly or Castorice's chosen teams—or Robin and March 7th's St. Freya second team, especially with Robin's unrivaled support.
So, after initial skirmishes and casualties, Jinhsi and Gu Yue tacitly withdrew to revive their teammates, knowing they couldn't cooperate—if they did, it would be too unfair, and Lu Jingming might intervene himself.
Robin's support was accepted; Jinhsi and Gu Yue's alliance was too much.
If Firefly and Castorice were forced to team up, things would get truly tricky. Among the seven of them, aside from Lu Jingming, Firefly and Castorice were the strongest fighters.
With Long Aotian and Weina from the Body Sect, and Qian Renxue from Spirit Hall, the situation would be even tougher. Not to mention Hu Liena and Xie Yue's martial soul fusion technique, which could let them fight at almost Soul Sage level.
Unable to cooperate, Jinhsi and Gu Yue focused on strengthening their own teams, fighting fiercely over every high-level supply spot, and the elimination rate soared.