Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 139: Tianshui Academy

While Heaven Dou's First Team encountered some turbulence in their battles, Heaven Dou's Second Team continued their relentless winning streak, easily overcoming all opposition—even Blazing Fire Academy, which had a lineup of all fire-attribute spirit masters that posed a natural counter to Dugu Yan's poisons.

Although Blazing Fire Academy's Huo Wushuang had enough strength to go toe-to-toe with Yu Tianheng, he found himself outmatched against Heaven Dou's Second Team's powerhouses, Yang Ping'an and Niu Meng. The two, an offense-defense duo, bulldozed through the opposition with raw power and resilience. Even Huo Wu's powerful Blazing Sun Dance was thwarted by Niu Meng's Copper Wall and Iron Shield—a defense skill that was astonishingly strong for just a millennium-level skill, which left the crowd in awe.

Many began to speculate about how one could possibly break through Niu Meng's defense. His resilience seemed unbreakable within the Spirit Ancestor rank, and perhaps only a fusion technique or a unique attack would work. Yet, even one of the strongest offensive abilities like Blazing Sun Dance had failed to faze him.

More troubling for opponents was Yang Ping'an, who had yet to reveal his full power, keeping his fourth and fifth skills in reserve. His 10,000-year spirit ring hinted at fearsome power, making Heaven Dou's Second Team a daunting contender in the tournament. Not only did they boast the strongest offense, defense, and healing within the Heaven Dou Division, but even their three Spirit Elders—Yang Tianyue, Yang Yuxuan, and Niu Kui—were noteworthy. Yang Tianyue and Yang Yuxuan, both at level 38, could fight on par with Spirit Ancestors, while Niu Kui's defense made him a smaller, formidable version of Niu Meng, leaving other teams with an uphill battle.

The highly anticipated match between Heaven Dou's Second Team and Tianshui Academy finally arrived. Many dubbed it "the battle for first place," with both teams eager to seize the top spot. The atmosphere was tense, and the crowd watched intently as both teams took their positions on the stage, eager to catch every detail of the upcoming clash.

As soon as the starting signal was given, Shui Bing'er initiated her attack, using her first skill, Ice Seal, to instantly encase all of Heaven Dou's Second Team in ice.

Yang Potian observed the skill with some frustration. While he had seen impressive first-ring skills before, Shui Bing'er's was on another level. With a mere century-level ring, Ice Seal could lock opponents in ice upon casting. As long as she locked her gaze on the targets, they would freeze immediately, and it could target multiple opponents at once. This skill's combination of area control, instant casting, and freezing effect earned her the title of Heaven Dou Division's top control spirit master.

Seeing their opponents temporarily immobilized, Tianshui Academy wasted no time advancing, their goal being to overwhelm the three Spirit Elders in Heaven Dou's lineup before dealing with the rest.

Unexpectedly, Niu Meng reacted first, activating his third skill, Heavy Armor Guard. His martial spirit, the Armored Giant Rhinoceros, shielded him and took the brunt of the attacks, buying the team enough time to break free of their icy restraints. Yang Ping'an was the first to shake off the ice effect, positioning himself to counter the advancing Tianshui Academy team. With his Break Soul Spear at the ready, it was as though Tianshui's team had walked straight into his trap.

In a swift response, Shui Bing'er activated her third skill, Repelling Ice Ring, creating space between her team and Yang Ping'an's spear, causing both sides to retreat. It was clear to the audience that Heaven Dou's Second Team had a substantial advantage. Yang Ping'an's attack was casual, yet it forced Shui Bing'er to use her third skill defensively, revealing how much they needed to compensate against his strength.

Seeing the mounting pressure, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu took to the air, clearly preparing to activate their fusion ability, Snowfall in Ice. Tianshui Academy's other members launched attacks nonstop, attempting to hold off Heaven Dou's Second Team and buy time for Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu.

Oddly, Heaven Dou's Second Team didn't rush forward to interrupt the fusion technique but instead assumed a defensive formation, allowing the two to proceed.

The audience was puzzled. With Yang Ping'an's and Niu Meng's strength, they could easily have disrupted the fusion ability, yet they stood back, seemingly making a fatal tactical error. Heaven Dou's First Team had made a similar misstep, allowing Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu to execute Snowfall in Ice, forcing Tang San and Yu Tianheng to face it head-on, which ultimately led to their first defeat.

With Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's fusion completed, the arena transformed into a wintry landscape as a massive ice phoenix emerged, blanketing the entire platform in frost. This soul fusion ability was widely recognized as one of the strongest in the tournament, boasting immense power and indiscriminate reach. Even Spirit Kings would find it challenging to defend against such a powerful attack.

From the audience, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were equally perplexed. Yu Xiaogang muttered, "How could Heaven Dou's Second Team make such a blunder? With Yang Ping'an's strength as a Spirit King, he should be able to prevent the fusion."

Tang San shook his head. "I'm not sure, Teacher. Yang Ping'an has yet to go all out in any match, but his power is undoubtedly formidable. I don't believe they would make such a strategic error so easily."

Yang Potian, observing from the sidelines, shook his head as well. The team had previously strategized on how to handle Tianshui Academy, weighing their options between interruption and defense. Surprisingly, they all decided to take the attack head-on. During training, Niu Meng and Yang Ping'an had even argued over who would handle the brunt of the fusion's power. Despite the difficulty of this choice, with Ye Lingling's unrivaled healing support, the team felt confident.

As the fusion attack neared, the remaining five Tianshui Academy members jumped off the stage to avoid the imminent blast radius.

Yang Ping'an took the lead, moving toward the ice phoenix with his Break Soul Spear in hand. His black spirit ring shone brightly as his fifth skill, White Tiger Annihilation Strike, activated. The Break Soul Spear, infused with the power of the 15,000-year White Tiger spirit beast, radiated intense energy, growing larger and fiercer.

Meanwhile, Niu Meng summoned his martial spirit, the Armored Giant Rhinoceros, positioning himself in front of his team as a shield. Ye Lingling called forth her Nine-Hearted Begonia, casting a potent healing aura over Yang Ping'an and Niu Meng.

In the sky above, the massive ice phoenix descended upon Heaven Dou's Second Team. Yang Ping'an raised his enormous Break Soul Spear, thrusting it directly into the heart of the incoming attack. A resounding crash filled the air, followed by a blinding flash that obscured everyone's view. When the scene settled, the audience could see that Yang Ping'an bore a few visible injuries—his first wounds since the start of the tournament. Meanwhile, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu lay unconscious on the ground, clearly overpowered by the clash.

Ye Lingling's soul rings glowed as she swiftly healed Yang Ping'an, Shui Bing'er, and Xue Wu. Yang Ping'an recovered quickly, while Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu regained consciousness only after a prolonged treatment. As the pain and injuries faded, the two women rose shakily to their feet, visibly drained of spirit power.

Shui Bing'er looked at Yang Ping'an with awe and asked, "Yang Ping'an, I never expected you to be this strong. Could you tell me how you became so powerful?"

Since Yang Ping'an's participation in the tournament, his background had become widely known. He was an orphan from the Yang clan, adopted and raised by Yang Zhentian, the clan's young patriarch, and his wife. He started with an innate spirit power of seven, which was unremarkable compared to most Spirit Masters in the competition, particularly for the core members of major academies. Most top competitors boasted innate spirit power levels of eight or higher; Feng Xiaotian, for instance, had full innate spirit power, yet at twenty-two, he was only at rank 44.

Despite these circumstances, Yang Ping'an had managed to reach the Spirit King level by the age of nineteen. His growth was nothing short of astonishing, even surpassing the legendary Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall, most of whom were older than him.

In response to Shui Bing'er's question, Yang Ping'an merely shook his head. "I don't have any extraordinary talent or insight. I just follow my big brother's training plan. Every one of my teammates has the same regimen."

Shui Bing'er glanced over at Yang Potian, intrigued. "Why hasn't your brother fought in any matches? If he's trained you to be this strong, then his own power must be formidable."

Yang Ping'an thought for a moment and replied, "My brother's strength runs deep, but he'll likely only compete in the finals."

"Is it for the spirit bones?" Shui Bing'er asked, frowning in curiosity.

Yang Ping'an shook his head. "My brother isn't focused on the spirit bones. His goal is the resurgence of our Yang Clan and the Yushi Clan. For our clans' rise, he's willing to sacrifice anything."

Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu shared a wistful smile before they quietly left the stage.

The result of the match was indisputable. With five members having left the ring earlier, and Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu both having collapsed, Heaven Dou's Second Team secured yet another victory. Though Yang Ping'an sustained a minor injury, Ye Lingling's rapid healing ensured he recovered quickly, allowing the team to claim yet another near-flawless victory.

Thunderous applause and enthusiastic cheers filled the stadium. The audience roared for Heaven Dou's Second Team, the undefeated contenders representing the might of the Heaven Dou Empire.

(End of Chapter)

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