Chapter 178: Chapter 178: One Strike to Defeat the God Wind
Chapter 178: One Strike to Defeat the God Wind
Feng Xiaotian led the charge, with the remaining seven members of the God Wind Academy following closely behind. The sharp sound of piercing air echoed deafeningly as God Wind Academy sliced through Oakland's solid defense, like a dagger cutting through a tough shield.
What had seemed like an impenetrable sea of flames was now under attack by Feng Xiaotian, who, with immense willpower and courage, found a crack in the defense. At this moment, the God Wind Academy, led by Feng Xiaotian, was almost upon them!
If Feng Xiaotian could interrupt Dai Yao's soul skill preparation, victory would be in the grasp of God Wind Academy!
The situation was perilous, and Dai Yao, staring at the incoming opponents, slowly closed his eyes amidst the shocked gazes of the spectators.
At that moment, all of his focus was on channeling his soul skill. The thunderous energy he was gathering had already exceeded the limit of what a Soul Sovereign could control. He had to be fully concentrated to keep the thunder under control.
Despite the dangerous situation, Dai Yao's mind remained as calm as water.
"To win, it's not just about me alone," he thought. "My teammates may lack strength, but they must be reliable. These final five seconds… it's all up to them."
Feng Xiaotian's sharp eyes locked onto Dai Yao and noticed that Dai Yao had closed his eyes. His heart stirred.
"This is my chance!"
In an instant, Feng Xiaotian's wind powers surged, increasing his speed. His wings, like blades, prepared to strike at Dai Yao, but just as he moved forward, a wall of fire appeared in his path.
Amidst countless watching eyes, the clash of wind and fire was thunderous. The howl of the wind echoed through the sky, causing many in the audience below to cover their ears in shock.
The terrifying power of the South Bright Flame (Nanming Li Fire) showed itself again. As the wind collided with the white flames, the fierce wind was consumed like snow melting under the heat, the wind blades burned away into pure wind energy.
"What kind of fire is this?" Feng Xiaotian was dumbfounded.
"I told you," came the voice of Feng Wutong, "if you want to hurt him, you must first defeat me!"
The fiery figure of Feng Wutong, with her Vermilion Bird wings, stood as an unshakable barrier in front of Feng Xiaotian, blocking the rest of the Oakland team behind her.
"Kill!"
Feng Xiaotian hesitated not a moment. As captain, he knew the strategy: suppress Dai Yao, prevent him from unleashing his full potential. He immediately unleashed countless green wind blades for cover, spinning in mid-air, utilizing the wind's momentum to push through the flames and charge directly at Feng Wutong.
Feng Wutong's phoenix eyes narrowed, and she knew Feng Xiaotian was as formidable as his reputation. Calm, decisive, and extremely powerful. Despite the threat of the South Bright Flame, he showed no fear.
But Feng Wutong wasn't backing down. With a soft cry, the battle spirit ignited in her eyes. Her Vermilion Bird wings fluttered, and she charged fiercely into Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Wutong was a Soul Exalted, while Feng Xiaotian was a Soul Sovereign of the highest rank. In a direct confrontation, she immediately fell into a disadvantage. Though her South Bright Flame gave her an advantage, it couldn't stop Feng Xiaotian from overwhelming her with his superior strength.
After a few exchanges, Feng Xiaotian was taken aback by the fierceness and bravery of this young woman. He suppressed his astonishment, gathering his energy into another green cyclone, unleashing it at her while coldly declaring, "You are no match for me!"
"I know," Feng Wutong replied confidently. "But my mission is to hold you off!"
Undeterred, her phoenix eyes blazed with cold light as her red lips parted. A line of white flames shot out, directly blocking the green cyclone before it exploded in a burst of power.
Despite Feng Xiaotian holding the upper hand, defeating Feng Wutong quickly proved difficult. He found himself growing more frustrated—how could a Soul Exalted possess this much strength? Gritting his teeth, he continued fighting while his eyes scanned for his teammates.
The audience watched in stunned silence as Feng Wutong and Feng Xiaotian clashed. The murmurs grew louder, even overpowering the sound of the torrential rain.
"Is this a Soul Exalted? She's blocking a Soul Sovereign's attack head-on!"
"And it's Feng Xiaotian!"
"How many more hidden cards does Oakland have?"
Meanwhile, the remaining seven members of the God Wind Academy, seeing Feng Xiaotian being held back, quickly shifted their focus to Dai Yao. They still had three Soul Sovereigns and three Soul Exalted, maintaining a significant advantage over Oakland.
Everything was happening at lightning speed. Only three seconds had passed, and Dai Yao still needed two more seconds to complete his soul skill preparation.
True to their reputation as a top-tier team, the God Wind Academy worked in perfect coordination, without the need for a single word. They immediately made the best tactical decisions.
One Soul Sovereign aimed for Feng Qianli, to distract Oakland's strongest defensive force. Another Soul Sovereign targeted Dai Yuan, a formidable swordsman. Three Soul Exalted dashed towards Luo Feng, Luo Ling, and Dou Yu.
With these five pressing engagements, Oakland had no one left to support Dai Yao. The final Soul Sovereign of God Wind Academy had a clear path to Dai Yao.
If they could interrupt Dai Yao's soul skill, victory was all but assured for God Wind Academy.
With all eyes on the battle, at this critical moment, the entire Oakland team chose to use their strongest soul skills—except their targets were not their own opponents, but the Soul Sovereign charging towards Dai Yao!
They knew well that while sacrificing their defenses might make them vulnerable, it was the only way to stop the incoming threat to Dai Yao.
Feng Qianli threw his tortoise shell, Dai Yuan swung his sword like a dragon, and Luo Feng invoked his towering green wood power.
"Have they all gone mad?" one spectator gasped.
The Soul Sovereign from Shenfeng Academy charging at Dai Yao stared in shock. He could hardly believe what he saw: the Oakland team had abandoned their defenses entirely, choosing to protect Dai Yao at any cost.
The nearly 80,000 spectators, peering through the thick rain, watched the scene unfold with a collective sense of awe. Oakland's team would rather risk injury themselves than allow any attack to reach Dai Yao—what a spirit of dedication! And it wasn't just one or two of them—all of Oakland's members shared the same resolve.
For a moment, admiration for the Oakland team filled the entire stadium.
Feng Xiaotian, locked in combat with Feng Wutong, caught a glimpse of this and paused, a slight smile crossing his face.
"So what if you shield Dai Yao?" he thought. "With no defenses, you'll all be severely wounded, leaving only Dai Yao to fight us. Let's see how he thinks he'll defeat all seven of us alone!"
A sharp whistle cut through the rain as the Shenfeng Academy Soul Masters, seeing their teammate's attack on Dai Yao blocked, hesitated not a moment, their wing-like blades slicing through the rain. The raindrops appeared split by their blades, leaving streaks of green through the mist.
In the next instant, Shenfeng Academy's five members knelt down on one knee, digging their heels into the ground to slow their momentum.
Cries of pain resounded from behind them.
Their razor-sharp wings had torn into the unguarded members of Oakland, instantly wounding them. If they hadn't held back slightly, it could have been lethal.
Except for Dai Yao and Feng Wutong, the other five members of Oakland were down, unable to continue fighting.
The scene sent a shockwave through the audience.
Now it was only Dai Yao and Feng Wutong against Shenfeng Academy's full team. How could they possibly stand a chance?
Even the most supportive fans of Oakland found their hopes sinking. Those with any understanding of soul master combat knew that Oakland's chances of victory were almost nonexistent.
Salas remained expressionless, though a hint of disappointment flickered in his gaze.
"It looks like Oakland will lose," he muttered. "Kid, your personal power truly surpasses all your peers, but your team's strength falls far short."
"Seems your dream of challenging the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall won't be happening. If you can't overcome Shenfeng Academy, you're far from matching the Golden Generation."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, also convinced that Oakland was facing certain defeat.
Thud!
A sudden, piercing sound rang out behind him. Ning Fengzhi turned around to see Sword Douluo Chenxin, who usually remained composed no matter the circumstances, suddenly standing, his face full of shock.
"Uncle Jian, what happened? Why are you…?"
Chenxin's pupils contracted slightly, disbelief evident in his voice.
"How can this be? What exactly is that kid doing? Why is there such an immense concentration of thunder elements? Is he still just a Soul Sovereign?"
"Uncle Jian, who are you talking about?" Ning Fengzhi asked, confused by Chenxin's cryptic words.
Taking a deep breath to calm the shock Dai Yao had caused him, Chenxin explained. As a Title Douluo, his understanding of energy was far beyond that of a Soul Douluo, and he could feel the thunder elements boiling in the arena, surging madly towards Dai Yao.
"It's Dai Yao!"
Chenxin finally spoke, his voice barely more than a murmur.
It was as if Dai Yao were a black hole, pulling every ounce of thunder energy from the surrounding area into himself.
Despite his severe injuries, Feng Qianli struggled to stand. The rain washed away the blood at the corner of his mouth, but his determination was undiminished. Glancing back at Dai Yao, he turned back to face the regrouping Shenfeng Academy team, glaring coldly.
His Xuanwu Turtle Shield returned to his hand, and he slammed it into the ground with force, declaring, "If you want to get to Dai Yao, you'll have to get through me first!"
In the sky above, Feng Wutong and Feng Xiaotian separated after their clash and returned to their respective sides.
Looking at the fallen team members surrounding Dai Yao, Feng Wutong took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, and knew her own soul power was nearly depleted. Against an opponent like Feng Xiaotian, she had only managed to hold out for ten seconds with her deadly South Bright Flame.
Then, her phoenix eyes snapped open, resolute and unwavering.
Raising two white flames in her hands, she proclaimed, "I'm still here!"
Like an unbreakable wall, the two of them blocked Shenfeng Academy's path to Dai Yao.
In that moment, everyone was moved. Here stood two people, one badly injured and the other nearly drained of soul power, yet they were unwavering in their defense. Such was their faith in Dai Yao!
Dugu Yan, watching this, felt a thunderclap echoing in her heart.
She had once looked down on Oakland's so-called weak soul masters, but now, she felt something inside her breaking.
Feng Xiaotian's gaze wavered slightly before he scoffed.
"Surrender now! You two are practically spent, and with only Dai Yao left, there's no way he can defeat us all!"
Feng Qianli's gaze wavered, acknowledging the slim odds, but he'd promised Dai Yao that he would hold them back.
"Whether we win or lose isn't up to you to decide!"
"Stubborn fools!" Feng Xiaotian sneered, raising his hand towards Dai Yao.
"Everyone, attack!"
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—
The sound of wings slicing through the air filled the arena as Shenfeng Academy's seven members charged once more at Oakland's formation.
As Shenfeng Academy's fierce onslaught bore down on the Oakland team, countless spectators felt a pang of despair. Shenfeng Academy's might was unparalleled—no team could best them. Even Oakland, with its twelve consecutive victories, seemed poised to face defeat today.
Feng Qianli, injured and sweating from the strain, watched the seven airborne figures of Shenfeng Academy hurtling toward them. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to raise his Xuanwu Turtle Shield, desperately attempting to hold off the attack. Nearby, Feng Wutong's phoenix eyes gleamed coldly as she tried to take flight again, her spirit wings barely visible, fading in and out of view. She lifted off the ground by mere inches before the torrential rain forced her back down. Stubbornly, she stood her ground, her gaze fixed on the advancing Shenfeng Academy members, without the faintest trace of fear.
Many spectators averted their gaze, sensing that they were about to witness Oakland's members suffer a devastating onslaught at Shenfeng Academy's hands. However, just as disaster loomed, a pair of hands gently rested on Feng Qianli and Feng Wutong's shoulders.
"You've done enough. Leave the rest to me."
A quiet voice came from beside them.
The two paused in surprise and turned toward the sound.
Standing there was Dai Yao, his golden hair flying wildly upward as if crackling with energy. His eyes glowed with blue-purple lightning, while small arcs of electricity flickered around him, dancing across his body. His ten-thousand-year spirit ring glowed brilliantly around him, emitting dazzling light and electricity that snapped and crackled through the air.
At that moment, Oakland's team had successfully bought Dai Yao the ten seconds he needed.
Shenfeng Academy's members, boosted by the fierce wind, had reached him in the blink of an eye. Gray light glinted from their wings as they closed in, surrounding him from all sides.
Feng Xiaotian's face was already triumphant; victory was within his grasp!
Dai Yao glanced back at his fallen teammates, then turned his gaze upon the approaching opponents. He let out a quiet scoff, his expression icy.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Dai Yao raised his right foot, then brought it down with a thunderous crash.
Crack!
A massive bolt of lightning, a full meter thick, shot up into the sky, illuminating the darkened arena as brightly as day. Thunder roared deafeningly, overwhelming the crowd's hearing; people instinctively clapped their hands to their ears against the piercing noise.
The massive bolt struck with divine power. Centered around Dai Yao, a wave of energy erupted violently, sending Shenfeng Academy's elite members tumbling backward.
Led by Feng Xiaotian, Shenfeng Academy's members struggled to flap their wings, barely managing to regain control in the chaotic wind.
The audience gaped in stunned silence. With a single spirit skill, a Soul Ancestor had sent all of Shenfeng Academy's members flying—a terrifying display of strength. But they didn't realize this was only the beginning.
The enormous bolt of lightning lasted barely a second before it vanished into the stormy sky.
Whipping winds lashed at Feng Xiaotian's face, stinging his skin. Staring at the sky where the lightning had disappeared, he felt a chill of fear.
Dai Yao's previous strike had already reached the level of a Soul King.
Had he taken the blow directly, he'd be dead or gravely injured.
Steadying himself with a deep breath, Feng Xiaotian gazed at Dai Yao from a distance and shouted, "Dai Yao, your fourth spirit skill lives up to its reputation as a ten-thousand-year spirit skill, powerful enough to rival a Soul King's! But it must have drained a lot of your spirit power—I won't give you a second chance to use it!"
Feng Xiaotian assumed Dai Yao needed time to charge up before using his fourth skill, unaware that Dai Yao could unleash attacks at a Soul King level instantly if he chose.
At Feng Xiaotian's confident taunt, Dai Yao merely smiled and turned away, addressing Feng Qianli and Feng Wutong, who stared at him in shock.
"Take care of the others," he instructed calmly. "I'll handle the rest."
Feng Qianli, overwhelmed by the sheer power emanating from Dai Yao, managed a shaky nod, then began assisting his fallen teammates. Feng Wutong, relieved, let herself relax. Her remaining spirit power drained away, and the torrential rain soaked her to the bone.
Feng Xiaotian removed his face mask, revealing his sharp features and a fierce battle-ready gleam in his eyes. Summoning his teammates, he launched another assault on Dai Yao.
Purple light flared as they unleashed their strongest skills. Their wings sliced the air like blades, each raindrop appearing to twirl midair in their wake. The sheer force of their spirit power and the intense sounds of their wings left the other teams in stunned silence. The assault was terrifyingly fierce, leaving them in awe of Shenfeng Academy's power.
The audience watched anxiously. With only Dai Yao left to face the oncoming attack, what could he possibly do?
Under countless watchful eyes, Dai Yao ignored the oncoming assault. Instead, he calmly raised his right hand, where a small, writhing snake of lightning formed.
Confusion spread across the audience as they watched him. Then, in an instant, the pitch-black sky erupted with blinding light as countless bolts of lightning descended like a storm, crackling and splitting the heavens.
Thunder crashed as the entirety of Tian Dou City lit up as bright as day. Amidst the torrential rain, every drop gleamed crystal clear, revealing the audience's shocked, wide-eyed faces.
At that moment, the entire world seemed transformed into a forest of lightning.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10