NOVEL WEB Chapter 146: Chapter 146
Less than three days remained before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition. On this day, Qin Ming gathered everyone to discuss the details of the upcoming event.
Additionally, he introduced a new member to the team. She was a strikingly beautiful female soul master, only slightly less captivating than Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling. She appeared a little older and was likely a senior student, but Jun Tianlin couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen her before.
"Teacher Qin, who is this senior?" As the team leader, Yu Tianheng took the initiative to ask
"She is your substitute player. Originally, she was set to join the first team, but as you know, our academy's first team has no future. At the recommendation of her boyfriend, I recruited her instead" Qin Ming explained before turning to the new arrival "Please introduce yourself."
The woman gave a graceful bow "Hello, Emperor team. I have heard much about you. My name is Huanyin, and my martial soul is the seven-stringed ancient zither. I am a level 40 control-type fighting soul master, 23 years old—just a bit older than you all. You can call me Senior Sister."
A control-type soul master! Everyone instinctively glanced at Dugu Yan. It was clear that Huanyin was brought in to rotate with her.
"In our Emperor team, we have strong agility, defense, and power. However, we have only one control-type soul master—Yanzi. To ensure we preserve her strength and maintain flexibility, we need a second control specialist. Moreover, Yanzi's poison is incredibly lethal. In the preliminary rounds against weaker teams, we must be cautious not to cause excessive casualties. I intend to keep Yanzi in reserve until the finals. Her martial soul fusion technique with Tianheng will serve as our hidden ace and should not be revealed prematurely" Qin Ming explained
"That makes sense. Since Sister Yanzi's martial soul completely inherits her grandfather's large-scale attack capabilities, I was worried we wouldn't have a chance to engage in proper combat. Now, that won't be an issue. Senior Sister, welcome to the Emperor team" Jun Tianlin said warmly
With Jun Tianlin's endorsement, no one objected. After all, once Dugu Yan's venomous fog spread, there would be little room for anyone else to fight.
Huanyin chuckled "I've heard from my boyfriend that Junior Jun Tianlin is the star of the Emperor team. Seeing you today, I understand why. Thank you for the warm welcome."
"Your boyfriend? Is he familiar with our team?" Jun Tianlin asked, puzzled
At that moment, Yufeng stepped forward and took Huanyin's hand "Actually, Huanyin is my girlfriend. We've been together for over four years. I apologize for not introducing her to you all sooner."
Jun Tianlin clapped his hands in realization "Ah, now I understand why Senior Sister looked so familiar. She's the girl you were secretly dating last time."
With this revelation, the team welcomed Huanyin even more warmly. The group now had ten members, allowing for greater flexibility in rotations.
Qin Ming then explained the competition rules. Jun Tianlin listened absentmindedly. His enthusiasm for the tournament had waned since he absorbed the spirit ring and spirit bone of Tian Meng. Even without activating the Holy Spirit Pearl, his strength now rivaled that of a Spirit Saint. No one in the competition could truly challenge him.
Noticing Jun Tianlin's lack of focus, Qin Ming admonished him "Xiaotian, don't get careless. This competition is important for you as well. Do you know what the final prize is? Three soul bones from different body parts. Although this hasn't been publicly announced, Elder Meng Shenji learned it when negotiating with the Spirit Hall. The information is reliable."
"Three pieces!" Everyone's eyes lit up with excitement. Soul bones were the ultimate treasures in the soul master world. Yu Tianheng smirked "The Spirit Hall is being bold. Aren't they afraid someone will snatch their soul bones? I think just one of us—Jun Tianlin—is enough to put their entire team in trouble."
"Tianheng, you're not wrong, but do you think the Spirit Hall hasn't considered this? Do you know why they still made this decision?" Qin Ming challenged
Yu Tianheng frowned and shook his head. He couldn't guess their reasoning
"First, they may be wary of Jun Tianlin, but he is only one person, while the Spirit Hall's golden generation consists of three. When Jun Tianlin defeated them last time, they underestimated him and lacked proper intelligence. This time, they will prepare countermeasures specifically against him."
"Second, once they neutralize Jun Tianlin, they believe no other team—including ours—can stop them. Their confidence in their strength is absolute."
Qin Ming's words ignited a fire within the team. Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan bristled with determination "The Spirit Hall looks down on us too much! Do they think we have no one but Jun Tianlin?"
"Hmph! The Spirit Hall doesn't know that I've also broken through to the Spirit King level. Let's see how they handle me now!" Gu Ran declared
"Jun Tianlin, Gu Ran—just go all out. No matter how much damage you take or how much soul power you expend, I'll restore you to peak condition." Ye Lingling activated her Nine Hearts Flowering Apple martial soul, her confidence unwavering
"As seniors, it's our duty to protect the juniors. Brother, we can't let Jun Tianlin shoulder everything. He's already done too much for us" one of the Shi brothers said
"Of course, brother. Let's become the strongest shield" his twin agreed solemnly
"Heh, Jun Tianlin, I'll take on one of the golden generation members myself. Consider the debt I owe you repaid," Osler grinned, wrapping an arm around Jun Tianlin's shoulder
Jun Tianlin sighed. Osler had owed him money for ages and still hadn't paid it back. However, with two power attackers and one control specialist in the golden generation, there wasn't an ideal opponent for him. Just as Qin Ming had worried, Osler—an agility-type fighter—wasn't interested in taking down their backline supports but seemed intent on facing the enemy's heavy hitters head-on.
Jun Tianlin glanced at Qin Ming, realizing that his usually straightforward teacher had deliberately provoked the team's fighting spirit. Ever since they had taken the magical herbs Jun Tianlin provided, their strength had increased rapidly, but so had their arrogance. In reality, they weren't strong enough to be complacent just yet.
Without Jun Tianlin, they would never be able to counter the Spirit Hall's golden generation's spirit fusion technique, Yaomei, even with Gu Ran having reached level 50.
Today, Qin Ming had rekindled their determination. The mobilization before the battle was complete. Now, all that remained was to prepare for battle.