Am I a mutant in soul land?

The next four days dragged on in boredom as every team promptly forfeited upon being matched against Lanba. Then, on the fifth day, Godwind Academy finally faced Lanba. Feng Xiaotian, restless and driven, had been pushing his training hard, eager for his match against Tang Yin.

Tang Yin was equally intrigued by this rumored genius—Feng Xiaotian, who had downgraded himself to a "normal genius" by relying solely on self-created skills. Tang Yin found it laughable; unique techniques meant nothing if your cultivation couldn't keep up.

Self-created skills work best when backed by enough strength or soul power to overpower higher-level opponents. Since Tang Yin lacked such skills, he planned to steal them from Feng Xiaotian in their upcoming fight.

Onto The Tournament Arena,

As both teams entered the arena, the crowd buzzed with excitement and speculation, voices rising in waves of anticipation:

Would it be Feng Xiaotian, the Godwind Academy genius known for his self-created storm techniques? Or Tang Yin, the devilishly handsome and unpredictable captain of Lanba, whose every move seemed to defy logic?

The host's voice rang out, introducing both teams to roaring applause. When Tang Yin extended his hand, Feng Xiaotian took it—and squeezed hard. Tang Yin, unfazed, smirked

"Got baby arms?" he taunted lightly. "I can't feel a thing."

Feng Xiaotian's eyes flared with anger, his brows tightly knitted in restrained irritation.

"I'll show you what I've got," he growled.

As the host counted down, the match kicked off with the faint smell of gunpowder in the air. Like last time, Tang Yin said nothing about strategy—he just let things roll.

Both teams simultaneously released their wuhun and soul rings, unleashing bursts of soul power that dazzled the crowd.

The Godwind Academy fielded two Spirit Ancestors and five Spirit Elders, while Lanba Academy's lineup was the exact opposite: five Spirit Ancestors and two Spirit Elders. The balance between the teams was uncertain, but the battle was far from decided.

Feng Xiaotian, captain of Godwind Academy and a Soul Ancestor with the mutated beast-type wuhun Stormwind Double-Headed Wolf, dashed confidently toward Tang Yin and went straight into a brutal clash.

Lei Zhanyu, a Soul Ancestor wielding the Cyclone Blade, a tool-type agility system martial soul, clashed with Zhu Zhuqing.

But unlike her usual evasive style, Zhuqing chose not to rely on her movement technique this time. Instead, she focused purely on offense—using the fight to refine and sharpen her attack-oriented soul skills.

Long Yufeng, a Soul Elder with the Wind Falcon beast-type martial soul, soared into the sky—only to be instantly locked onto by Meng Yiran. It was almost unfair; she was a living nightmare to any and all airborne opponents.

Her first soul skill, honed and continually refined through the tournament battles, had evolved into a specialized counter for flight-type soul masters— She was forcing them to fight at a disadvantage in what should have been their domain.

Qin Yunzhe, a Soul Elder with the Wind Compass, a tool-type support-oriented wuhun, was positioned to enhance his team with wind-attribute buffs. But Ye Lingling gave him no such chance.

From the moment the battle began, Ye Lingling applied relentless pressure, leaving Qin Yunzhe no room to breathe. He was forced to abandon his support role entirely and focus solely on defending himself.

Qin Yunzhe, a Soul Elder wielding the Howling Wind Staff, a tool-type wuhun, launched a relentless barrage of wind attacks towards Ning Rongrong.

Rongrong skillfully dodged with her imperfect movement technique, turning the extremely dangerous assault into valuable training to strengthen one of her weaknesses.

Han Baiyu, a Soul Elder with the Gale Leopard beast-type martial soul, faced off against Dai Mubai head-on. As an agility-attack type, Han Baiyu danced around Dai Mubai's strikes, evading with effortless swiftness & delivering precise counters whenever an opening appeared.

Meanwhile, Yun Mo, another Soul Elder wielding the Wind Baboon beast-type martial soul, clashed brutally with Tai Long. Their battle was a raw contest of strength—blow for blow, neither backing down as they traded hits like relentless titans.

Feng Xiaotian had completely abandoned his duties as captain, choosing to focus solely on his personal battle with Tang Yin. As a result, the rest of the Godwind Academy team was now facing a very serious problem.

There were no team tactics, no synergy—just a chaotic mess. Their coordination was sloppy at best, and it became painfully obvious when their support-type soul master was taken out by Ye Lingling within seconds.

Without missing a beat, Ye Lingling rushed to support Ning Rongrong, who was barely holding the line. Together, the two support-types quickly stabilized the flow of battle—Ye Lingling providing timely healing to Tai Long and Dai Mubai, while Rongrong amplified their strength with her buffs, turning the tide in their team's favor.

In truth, Tang Yin felt that aside from Feng Xiaotian, the rest of the Godwind Academy team paled in comparison to the Thunderclap Team. Feng Xiaotian was entirely fixated on his one-on-one duel with Tang Yin, throwing himself into the fight with reckless abandon.

"First Soul Skill—Wind Blade Burst!"

Ten half-crescent wind blades surged toward Tang Yin, who barely moved to dodge each attack with effortless precision. Feng Xiaotian's face grew grim at Tang Yin's reaction speed. Without hesitation, he activated his second and third soul rings.

"Second Soul Skill—Double Wolf Body Boost!"

Feng Xiaotian snorted arrogantly and taunted, "Aren't you confident in your speed? Watch this! My attack, defense, and speed all increase by 50%! What are you gonna do now?!"

"Third Soul Skill—Stormwind Wings!"

Sharp, razor-like wings sprouted from Feng Xiaotian's back. He hovered briefly, then vanished, reappearing behind Tang Yin to launch a sudden offense. He slashed fiercely with his wings, but Tang Yin sidestepped each strike with laid-back ease.

Frustration crept in as Tang Yin repeatedly dodged every attack with what seemed like lazy nonchalance. Feng Xiaotian's grip tightened as he activated his fourth soul ring.

"Fourth Soul Skill—Wind Blade Fist!!!"

Three wolverine-like claws materialized between his knuckles. He unleashed a rampaging assault, the air distorting into sharp blades. But the attack lacked the speed to faze Tang Yin, who barely flinched.

Having exhausted his soul skill arsenal, Feng Xiaotian knew he had to go all out.

With a wild grin, he kicked off the ground, wind howling violently as two sharp wings of wind burst from his back—his Wind Shadow Wings flaring to life. Tang Yin narrowed his eyes with interest.

"Let me show you what makes me the pride of Godwind Academy!" Feng Xiaotian roared, spinning mid-air in a blinding spiral. "Self-created Spirit Skill—Double Storm Slash!"

Two arcs of condensed wind energy, shaped like crescent blades, exploded from his wings and tore toward Tang Yin with the force of a raging gale. The pressure alone split the arena floor where they passed.

"Ah… self-created skills, huh?" Tang Yin muttered, intrigue flickering in his eyes. "Now it's getting fun."

Tang Yin hastily leaned back, carefully maneuvering to avoid the blast and protect his expensive garment from tearing.

But Feng Xiaotian wasn't done.

"Not bad! But I'm not finished—Triple Storm Slash!!" he yelled, chaining the next technique mid-air. Three more wind crescents shot forth, faster and more precise, crisscrossing like a deadly net aimed at Tang Yin's heart.

The wind howled past Tang Yin, ripping a jagged slash through his sleeves as if the world itself was tearing apart.

"Damn it all—!!!" Tang Yin bellowed, a storm of rage igniting in his chest as he stared down at the small piece of fabric torn to shreds.

Tang Yin's patience finally snapped. With a flash of fury, he activated Mysterious Jade Hand, channeling all the absorbed kinetic energy into a devastating punch that struck Feng Xiaotian squarely in the abdomen.

Feng Xiaotian spat blood, flying backward like a broken kite before crashing down—disqualified.

Tang Yin immediately activated his telepathy on the unconscious Feng Xiaotian, diving deep into his memories. He absorbed detailed knowledge of the Wind God's Wolf Slash—a powerful, rapid, and continuous slashing technique.

Each strike built momentum for the next, allowing up to 36 chained slashes in a single devastating combo. Yet, the technique demanded intense energy and exacting control, and the more slashes used, the greater the strain on the user.

Though the skill was originally designed for those with flight-based soul abilities, it actually suited Zhu Zhuqing even better. Despite not having a flying skill or wind attribute, she could still perform the full set of thirty-six rapid claw strike with less strain and energy consumption —thanks to the internal control and efficiency granted by the Mysterious Heaven Technique.

Tang Yin hoped to combine this skill with the Clear Sky clan's secret skill—creating a new skill tailored to his Spirit Body.

The Seven Dragons of Lanba remained undisputed, having defeated four of the tournament's strongest contenders one after another. Their dominance was undeniable, and fear gripped the hearts of the remaining teams—many of whom forfeited without hesitation.

Four days later came the final match of the preliminary rounds—against none other than Tianshui Academy.

The stands were packed to capacity. It was the last round, and it was Tianshui. That alone guaranteed a full house.

In the arena, the Tianshui Team made their entrance with their signature traditional dance, elegantly twirling across the stage to entertain the crowd.

The male spectators were clearly having the time of their lives. Their cheers were borderline deafening. Their female companions, however, looked significantly less amused—jealousy smoldering in their eyes as they glared at Tianshui's flawless porcelain-like faces, perfect figures, and those endlessly long legs.

As if in silent protest, they threw their support behind the Lanba Team, hoping the Seven Dragons would avenge their wounded pride and humble the icy goddesses of Tianshui.

After Tianshui's graceful performance ended, the Lanba Team strode confidently into the arena. The atmosphere shifted immediately—the female audience erupted in cheers, their voices clashing with the male crowd's, igniting a competitive fire even in the stands.