area51novel Chapter 285
Chapter 285
At 5:30 PM, at the Yafei Auction House, the soul-guiding streetlights of Mingdu were not yet fully lit. Long You, who had already received the list of "Outstanding Participants" for this region from the auction house manager, walked ahead to his designated competition stage. The location was the same as before, but the screens around his workbench had been removed due to the special betting method for this round of the competition.
After adjusting for a while to the unobstructed view of the competition space, Long You, as usual, first checked the rare metal materials provided by the Ordinary Alliance. Compared to the previous round of competition, the variety of rare metals in the material cabinet was much richer, but the weight of each rare metal did not exceed 2 kilograms. Considering that the density of many rare metals is actually quite absurd, 2 kilograms is probably no bigger than a woman's finger.
"Is this a disguised way of increasing the difficulty? Completely preventing those Soul Masters with slightly lower skill levels from using pay-to-win methods to enhance the power of their Soul Guidance Devices?"
However, this won't affect me much; it's just a matter of a fixed-position soul-guided cannon shell. I should have enough time to properly appreciate the soul-guided weapon crafting techniques of the soul masters present, and also see if there are any experts who could truly affect my advancement to the finals.
Although the way to make money in this round of the competition is through time control (the time it takes to place a bet on the completion of the competition, and it's uncertain whether this will be blocked), which prevented Longyou from starting his operations before the precise timing device started, there is no doubt that Longyou has fully prepared for the competition.
However, when faced with an exam, some people are always unprepared. Compared to the confident Long You, He Caitou, whose mood wasn't so calm, was receiving extra help in the supervisor's lounge and incidentally encountered Huo Yuhao, a "true Holy Spirit follower." Meanwhile, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were racking their brains, planning what kind of soul tool they should create.
Although they had received on-the-spot training from three Soul Masters of at least Level 6 before coming here, the unexpected hurdle of being limited in the quantity of the same type of rare metals left the two slackers somewhat at a loss.
Considering that Huo Yuhao had used special means and the special background of the Qingse Hotel, the Tang Sect had already gained enough benefits in this underground Soul Master Competition. Therefore, the reason why Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were in such an "awkward" situation was obviously not because they were about to be eliminated, but because among all the participants from the Tang Sect, only the two of them would be eliminated.
Although everyone in the Tang Sect had acquired some skill in crafting soul tools under Long You's influence, considering their individual talents, only Long You, He Caitou, and Huo Yuhao truly mastered the craft. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Tang Ya, and Xiao Pangzi Songhe were merely at the "know-how" level. However, given the high frequency with which the Tang Sect members used soul tools in combat, their standard for "know-how" was slightly higher.
Specifically, this means everyone needs to possess the ability to repair their own soul tools, provided there are sufficient materials. Given the current levels of the Tang Sect members, using a level seven soul tool might be somewhat difficult, but a level six soul tool is definitely their primary equipment. A soul tool master capable of repairing a level six soul tool might have some difficulty crafting a level five soul tool, but they certainly won't be stuck on a level four one.
The fact that Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi are stumped by a level four soul tool clearly shows that these two haven't met the Tang Sect's standards and have been slacking off during practice for various reasons.
Long You and He Caitou, who were preparing for the competition in another venue, couldn't see the awkward expressions on Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi's faces. However, Huo Yuhao and his two companions, who were also at the Qingse Hotel competition venue, obviously wouldn't miss the opportunity to watch their friends make a fool of themselves. Their gazes, filled with obvious mockery, kept sweeping over Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, causing the already somewhat embarrassed two to show signs of becoming angry.
"Boom boom boom——"
A deep but clear chime rang out simultaneously in all three competition zones, and the timers on the crafting tables began to tick, signaling the start of the competition. Whether confident or hoping for a lucky break, all the competitors threw themselves into the crafting of their soul tools. This change greatly alleviated Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi's awkward situation, but then, realizing they hadn't received any hints from their friends, the two of them were once again stuck in a rut.
With the perspective shifting back, Long You, who was eager to gain some inspiration from this match, pushed his level seven Soul Master abilities to the limit. The smelting, inscription, and assembly of materials were executed flawlessly, not a single second wasted; each step was honed to the point of instinct. When a clearly dangerous RPG was quietly placed on Long You's crafting table, the timer on the corner of the table had only ticked for twenty minutes.
Waving for the referee to come and inspect his soul tool, Long You took a step back and sat comfortably in his chair. A small crossbow ornament was held lightly by Long You's two fingers, and the arrowhead of the nocked crossbow slowly rotated around the ornament's support. In Long You's slightly closed eyes, the scene of the entire underground hall flashed imperceptibly.
Having reached level five in the RPG, Long You had undoubtedly met the advancement criteria. Under the pretext of experiencing the competition atmosphere, he stayed in the underground hall. Although the observation time was short, Long You, lacking formal training (the unique Soul Master teaching program of the Sun Moon Empire), had already gained a lot of inspiration during this brief period. It was time to conduct further observation to stabilize his inspiration.
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Opening his eyes, Long You stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling for a while, until the knocking on the door grew louder and became unbearable to ignore. He lazily blinked, barely managing to rouse himself from the moment he woke up.
Although his body was in a deep sleep and recovering well, Long You was mentally exhausted after conducting numerous simulation experiments in the Pearl of Imagination last night, and even neglecting to sleep. Forcing himself to stay awake with a yawn, Long You quickly took care of his personal hygiene and listlessly walked to the suite's conference room, where he sleepwalked and picked up a slice of breakfast bread from the table to begin munching.
"Hey, Long You, don't go too far! All I did was let you play in the game today, do you have to act like this?!"
With a dazed look, Long You lifted his eyes, which he didn't want to open at all. His brain, sluggish from overexertion, struggled to process the "unfounded" accusations from his friends. A full ten breaths passed, and just as Xu Sanshi was about to check if Long You had fallen asleep again, Long You, having been frozen by Xiao Yan's Ice Soul Skill, finally returned to a normal state of mind.
A hint of helplessness crossed Long You's face as he realized that his actions were indeed too self-centered. Although he hadn't affected the Tang Clan's overall plans yet, his repeated departures without notice had certainly damaged the team's morale.
Admit your mistakes, and stand at attention when you're about to be punished. With his hands raised, Long You obediently made a gesture of surrender.
"No, absolutely not. I just slept in late last night and was a little sleepy. I'm here for the competition today. I'm grateful to all the gentlemen for their generosity in forgiving my unexcused absence and for giving me this opportunity to familiarize myself with my abilities."
Although Long You's expression wasn't entirely sincere, the Tang Clan members all relaxed upon hearing him say "unexcused absence." As teammates who had cooperated countless times, trust and mutual assistance were fundamental prerequisites. Seeing that their teammate had recognized his mistake, no one wanted to pursue the matter further, and the atmosphere at breakfast returned to normal.
At the competition venue on the outskirts of the city, in the athletes' rest area, with some time still remaining before the competition began, Long You simply slipped into a short nap on the comfortable sofa. In a state of deep sleep, it wouldn't take long for the effects of staying up all night to be alleviated. Even if he wasn't fully alert, at least he wouldn't be yawning on the field.
It's said that sleep is the only wonderful thing that allows ordinary people to experience a kind of time-traveling effect. Long You, who was in a deep sleep, was shaken awake by He Caitou next to him, and he experienced the pain of getting up that morning all over again. Shaking his head, he drank the iced tea on the coffee table next to the chair in one gulp, and only then did Long You's brain return to working mode.
As Long You followed his teammates to the preparation area at the edge of the arena, his eyes unconsciously drifted towards a team that had stood up alongside the Tang Clan members in the rest area. Excluding the team leaders, who were clearly overage, the team of fourteen participants was considered a full-strength team in the competition. However, unlike the usual full-strength teams that consisted of main players and reserves, this team from the "Pi Shi Sect" had no reserve team; all fourteen participants were young athletes in their early twenties.
"The Pi Shi Clan? I think it's the Pi Shi Army. Since the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy isn't taking the blame, Xu Tianran has sent out his own elite troops. It's quite impressive that His Highness the Crown Prince could find seven or eight Soul Kings among a bunch of low-level Soul Masters."
Since the start of the Mingdu Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, although Long You has missed many matches, his familiarity with the participating teams is second to none. In Long You's eyes, the military aura emanating from the fourteen members of the Pi Shi Sect is impossible to conceal. Whether it's their posture while walking, sitting, or lying down, or their fighting style that prioritizes efficiency over performance, it all indicates that they come from the military, from the most elite army of the Sun Moon Empire.
"An army? This Pishi Clan is an army? No wonder. According to the information we gathered before, this team is very good at team battles. Even if the opponent's strength on paper is obviously superior to that of the Pishi Clan team, they can often win the team battle decisively."
"The reason we wanted you to play in this match was partly to end the game in the individual stages. Given the team fight strength shown by the Pimuro team, once we get to the team fight phase, we'll need to demonstrate quite a bit to ensure victory without taking damage ourselves."
"Do I need to run seven games in a row? Sorry, I'm not very familiar with the rules of the game."
"That would be ideal, but if that's not possible, we should win as many matches as possible. As long as we don't have more than two players on the field in individual matches, we've won this match."
"The true strength of a Soul King in the army lies in teamwork; their individual combat prowess is probably not top-tier. Although I'm not yet familiar with the strength of a Soul Saint, I should be able to take on seven opponents at once, but wouldn't that be too conspicuous?"
"It is a bit high-profile, but we must show our strength. Fatigue will accumulate. Since the start of the competition, our Tang Clan has been fighting on two fronts, and we have already exhausted a lot of our physical strength and energy."
The most intense stage of the competition is always the knockout stage. We need to avoid matches that are unnecessary during the round-robin stage. Team fights are our trump card for turning the tide, so if we want to reveal our strength and intimidate our opponents, it's best to do so in individual matches.
That makes a lot of sense, but you guys want to test my strength, don't you?
Standing on the competition platform for the first time since the start of the competition, Long You's gaze was not focused. He recalled the entire discussion that had started because of a sentence he had said before going on stage, and thought with a slight sense of helplessness.
"Game start!"
The referee's pronouncement brought Long You's wandering thoughts back on track. In an instant, his battle armor materialized, and the six disguised spirit rings coiled around him, successfully transforming Long You into a seemingly ordinary six-ring armored Spirit Emperor. Although Bei Bei had said that Long You needed to demonstrate his strength to intimidate the competition, Long You, aware of the numerous conspiracies hidden behind this tournament, had no intention of revealing his true power in public.
The contestant from the Pishi Sect on the opposite side was also quick. It was clear that this elite soldier was pursuing a close-combat Soul Master path, and his own Martial Soul was likely a fairly powerful one. As his entire body expanded, he transformed into a streak of light and charged straight towards Long You, aided by both his Soul Guidance Device and Soul Skill.
The small crossbow bolts on the shoulders of the warrior's armor, seemingly like ornaments, slowly rotated, and the movement trajectory of the Pi Shi Sect contestants was clearly reflected in Long You's sea of consciousness. With a raised hand, the charging warrior stepped into a quicksand trap that seemed to have its own suction force.
The battle armor on his arms flowed, and a composite bow capable of rapid-fire appeared in Long You's raised hands. The simulated spirit rings flickered perfunctorily, and a stream of flame struck the Pi Shi Zong contestant who had just escaped from the quicksand trap.