Douluo Continent: From Internal Martial Arts to the Law of Heaven and Earth

Tangshan smiled and nodded in response.

If the preliminary team members were still somewhat restrained, the seven regular team members were all taken aback when Tang Shan appeared. Then, they immediately abandoned their previous casualness in front of Qin Ming and adopted the posture of regular team members: each of them straightened their backs, raised their chins and eyebrows, took half a step forward in unison, and their soul power rippled slightly. They managed to exude the domineering aura of regular team members, looking just like the proud sons of heaven who had won one battle after another on the field.

But this imposing demeanor lasted less than half a second. Under Qin Ming's astonished gaze, the seven men's postures changed abruptly. They bent over, bowed in unison, and said in loud and respectful voices, "Greetings, Boss!"

One second he was arrogant and awe-inspiring, the next he bowed his head and submitted, which really opened Qin Ming's eyes.

Monkey Spirit secretly rejoiced. Luckily, he had praised Tang Shan lavishly earlier; otherwise, judging from Teacher Qin's attitude, he would most likely want Tang Shan to give them a good beating.

The other six main team members may not be particularly skilled in combat, but they come from prestigious families and are quite adaptable. With Xie Fei, who likes to take advantage of loopholes, by their side, they reacted very quickly and discovered the big pit that Qin Ming had dug for them almost at the same time as Hou Ling.

The team members, who bowed to Tangshan in greeting, exchanged glances for a moment, reached a tacit understanding, and then quickly got up and surrounded Tangshan.

Tang Shan gave Qin Ming a helpless look, leaving Qin Ming speechless.

It can only be said that his idea was good, but things went out of control from the very beginning, heading in a direction he never expected.

Shouldn't you all be arrogant and think you're invincible?

Shouldn't it be the heavens being number one, me number two, and the earth only ranking third with such arrogance? Why are you being so obsequious?

If the regular team members knew what Qin Ming was thinking at this moment, and if their strength allowed, they would most likely spit on Qin Ming and say, "We're lazy, not stupid. We don't want to take a punch from Tang Shan after he transforms into a giant. If he does, we'll definitely be bedridden for a long time."

Seeing that Qin Ming's plan had failed, Tang Shan remembered that this time the team was led by Miss Angel, and it would indeed be bad if the results were not outstanding. So he decided to help Qin Ming solve the problem he was facing.

He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the group of starting players with a terrifying intensity.

Anyone whose eyes swept over him instinctively held their breath and dared not continue to act recklessly.

"You guys seem to have been a bit lax lately?"

Monkey Spirit quickly replied, "Boss Tangshan, that's not true. I've just been training for a few months and I'm feeling a bit tired. I want to take a break."

Qin Ming's lips twitched: "Then where did the one day off we get every week go? It's like it doesn't exist in your mouth."

Tang Shan didn't intend to directly expose Hou Ling's somewhat lame excuse, as that would be a waste of time. He decided it would be better to get straight to the point.

"I'll give you a chance. Choose to challenge either me or Teacher Qin Ming, and you'll fight together. If you win, you can rest for a while; if you lose, everything will remain the same."

A fat man named Yang Lizhi shook his head without hesitation, like a rattle-drum: "Boss, you might as well just beat us up. Teacher Qin Ming is now a Soul Emperor, and you have defeated all the Heaven Dou level teachers in a row. What are we going to do against you?"

The other formal trainees echoed this sentiment, clearly finding Tangshan's request a bit outrageous—does it matter whether you hit him or Teacher Qin Ming? No matter how you look at it, it's the same result.

Tang Shan narrowed his eyes and a bright smile appeared on his face: "How about this, I promise you I won't use spirit rings, how about that?"

Is this true?

Upon hearing this, the students' eyes lit up, as if they saw a glimpse of their own leisurely and carefree future.

"Of course it's true, but I must remind you that I also have a self-created soul skill, which cannot be restricted and is quite powerful."

"Then I agree." Monkey Spirit agreed readily, completely ignoring Tang Shan's warning.

After all, it's one thing to have a fast cultivation speed and a high-age spirit ring, but it's impossible for them to also possess a very strong self-created spirit skill, right?

Regardless of whether this self-created soul skill was created by Tang Shan himself or given to him by his backing forces, it certainly wouldn't be that powerful. How could he miss such a golden opportunity?

Qin Ming hesitated, realizing that Tang Shan had acted somewhat impulsively. After all, challenging a perfect Soul Master combination—one Soul Master, six Soul Venerables, and support, defense, and agility-based attacks—without using Soul Rings was quite risky.

If Tang Shan used spirit rings, Qin Ming was 99% confident that Tang Shan could defeat them. The last point was to prevent some inexplicable external factors.

However, Qin Ming couldn't say for sure if Tang Shan didn't use spirit rings, since he had never seen Tang Shan use any self-created spirit skills.

Chapter 209 Official Team Members, Two Deans of Shrek Academy Arrive in Heaven Dou City

"bring it on."

Tang Shan glanced at everyone, then lightly leaped onto the arena stage. The other official team members exchanged glances without hesitation. After all, Tang Shan had said he wouldn't use soul skills anymore; if they were still timid, they would despise themselves.

"Monkey Spirit, Martial Soul: Gale Baboon, Level 39 Agility-Attack Type Battle Soul Master."

The slender, agile young man stepped forward first to introduce himself.

"Yang Lizhi, Martial Soul Lychee, Level 35 Food-type Soul Master."

Yang Lizhi was a round, fat man, his body piled high with fat, completely different from Xie Fei's fat but muscular build; he exuded a simple and honest air about him.

"Han Qi, Martial Soul Earth-Splitting Blade, Level 41 Power Attack Type Battle Soul Master."

Han Qi is tall and has an ordinary appearance, but there is a sharp and intimidating look between his brows. He is also the only Soul Master in the current Heaven Dou Royal Academy team.

"Elder Jun, your Martial Soul is the Bronze Ring, and you are a Level 39 Control-type Battle Soul Master."

Old Jun was a middle-aged man with a wrinkled face and gray hair. If it weren't for the information Qin Ming had given him that clearly proved he was only twenty-five years old, and the fact that the Heavenly Dou Empire would never be so foolish as to let an old man fake his age to participate in the competition, Tang Shan would have suspected that this person was a setup arranged by the Heavenly Dou Empire in private.

"We are the three brothers Hei Hu, Hei Xiong, and Hei She. Our martial souls are Black Tiger, Black Bear, and Black Snake, and we are all level 32 Battle Soul Venerables."

The three triplets, who looked exactly alike but varied in height and build, spoke in unison. Tang Shan stared at them, his expression twitching, utterly bewildered. How could the same parents give birth to three children with different beast spirits? And were their parents too hasty in choosing their names, or perhaps they had foreseen something? Otherwise, how could their names be so fitting?

In this respect, Tang Buddha should really learn from them. One is named "Wu Tong," whose martial soul is neither a tree nor a phoenix, but a butterfly; the other is named "Wu Lin," whose martial soul is Blue Silver Grass combined with the Golden Dragon King. They are far less fitting and impressive than the names given by the parents of these triplets.

After listening to everyone's self-introductions, Tang Shan instantly understood why Qin Ming had invited him to give these formal students a warning and urge them to cultivate.

Most of the students present were in their mid-twenties, with only average talent and nothing particularly outstanding. Their age was also the upper limit for registration. The main exceptions were Monkey Spirit and Elder Jun, both of whom had level 39 soul power. With some effort, they might be able to break through to level 40 before the finals.

Given the importance the Heaven Dou Empire attaches to this competition, they will undoubtedly find the Soul Rings for them as soon as possible. In this way, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy will have three Soul Masters leading the team, and the strength of the entire team will achieve a leapfrog improvement.

Any teacher would want them to give it their all.

Having understood Qin Ming's eagerness, Tang Shan decided to lend a hand. After all, the further this team went in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, the more benefits it would bring to Miss Angel. He had taken so many resources from them; he couldn't just take the benefits without doing anything.

"Come on, you can come."

Tang Shan raised his hand and beckoned to the seven men. The seven men exchanged glances, and the most clever one, Monkey Spirit, spoke first: "Boss Tang Shan, be careful."

After speaking, he immediately summoned his martial soul. His hands suddenly grew longer, his body swelled slightly, and green hair emerged from under his skin. A whirlwind swirled around him, making his movements even more agile. Three soul rings, two yellow and one purple, rose from his feet, rhythmically moving up and down.

The other official team members followed suit and activated their martial souls—Han Qi conjured a large, gleaming sword in his hand, Jun Lao's palm revealed an ancient bronze ring, Yang Lizhi silently chanted a soul incantation, and a bright red lychee appeared in his hand; the three Hei brothers roared at the same time, and their bodies transformed into the forms of a black tiger, a black bear, and a black snake, respectively.

One after another, shimmering spirit rings appeared beneath their feet. The vast majority had the standard configuration of two yellow and one purple rings, except for the three Hei brothers, who had the rare configuration of three yellow spirit rings.

Tang Shan's gaze swept across the entire arena, and his pupils contracted slightly when they landed on the spirit rings beneath the three brothers' feet. Given the quality of students at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, why send these triplets instead of other standard spirit ring configurations? The answer was obvious…

Upon thinking of this, Tang Shan's blood and qi surged rapidly, and a hint of excitement flashed across his face. He hadn't had a proper fight in a long time, and his hands were itching to get a good match. Although this competition might not be able to give him his full enjoyment, he figured it would at least allow him to stretch his muscles and bones.

On the other side, at the main gate of Tiandou City, two strangely-looking figures blended into the crowd without attracting much attention. At most, some people couldn't help but take a second look because of their unusual appearance.

The leader was a tall, middle-aged man, about fifty years old, with very distinctive features: a protruding chin, wide cheekbones, a flat face, and a hooked nose. If one had to find something to describe him, he would look like a shoe sole.

His eyes gleamed with cunning and shrewdness, and he wore a pair of black-rimmed crystal glasses with rigid square frames that accentuated his eccentric demeanor.

Following behind him was a burly man, also in his fifties, with an ordinary appearance and a rather short but extremely stocky build. His broad shoulders were as thick as city walls, and his coat could not conceal his massive, steel-like muscles. He wore a friendly smile, but his imposing physique exuded an unsettling sense of oppression.

"Boss Fu, is it a bad idea for us to run away?"

Zhao Wuji rubbed his hands together, a hint of nervousness on his face.

Flander pushed up his glasses and glared at him irritably: "Do you think I want this? If the academy weren't running out of money, I'd be happy to stay in the village for the rest of my life. Besides, there are no students in the academy right now, so what could possibly happen?"

Zhao Wuji looked on with suspicion: "Boss, you said the academy is out of money, is that true or not? With your money-grubbing personality, you wouldn't have fallen to this level, would you?"

Flander's eyes darted away, but his tone was deliberately assertive: "Why would I lie to you? The school really doesn't have much money left." He silently added to himself: My money has nothing to do with the school.

"Then where are we going to make money, boss? Are you thinking of gambling?"

Looking at the surging crowd below the city gate, Zhao Wuji suddenly realized, "That's right, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is about to begin, we can bet on the outcome of the competition."

Flander slapped his longtime friend across the face, annoyed: "Are you stupid? Gambling is so risky. What if you bet wrong? You'll lose everything."

Zhao Wuji looked puzzled: "Then, boss, how do you plan to make money?"

"Let's go inside and talk."

Flanders left a message and started walking into the city gate.

Soon, the two passed through the city gate. Flander reluctantly paid the entrance fee and then pulled Zhao Wuji to a secluded tea stall, where they ordered only the cheapest tea.

Zhao Wuji was already used to Flander's stinginess. He picked up the scalding hot tea and drank it all in one gulp, then exhaled a long breath of hot air.

"Ha! The tea in Tiandou City seems to have a bit more flavor than that in Soto City."

Flander also picked up his teacup, took a sip, and casually placed it on the table before slowly saying, "Our target this time is the Grand Soul Arena."

Zhao Wuji looked surprised upon hearing this: "Boss, do you mean you want to take advantage of the upcoming tournament and the gathering of high-level Soul Masters to fight Soul Saint-level Soul Battles? But there are very few Soul Saint-level Soul Masters who are willing to participate in Soul Battles, not to mention that we might not even be able to win. This risk is much higher than betting on the outcome of the tournament."

"I am confident of victory."

Flander's words were full of unquestionable confidence.

"Brother Fu, are you kidding me? Or has the academy gone bankrupt and made you lose your mind? How could you possibly have a 100% win rate?"

Zhao Wuji's suspicions deepened.

Flanders simply stared at him without saying a word.

Zhao Wuji felt uncomfortable under his direct gaze. After a while, he suddenly realized what was happening and asked in a low voice, "Boss, are you trying to throw the match?"

Flanders remained silent, only raising an eyebrow at him with admiration in his eyes.

Zhao Wuji couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder I'm the vice dean and you're the dean! In terms of shamelessness and utter disregard for justice, I'm far inferior to you."

Seeing that Zhao Wuji understood his intention, Flander immediately used his soul power to transmit his voice and explained his plan to him in detail: "Old Zhao, when the time comes, you go to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena to register for the Soul Battle. You don't need to worry about the registration fee. Now that the competition is about to begin, it is also the best time for the Soul Arena to do business. Not to mention the registration fee, as long as a Soul Saint-level Soul Master can take the stage, the Great Soul Arena is willing to pay you out of pocket."

"Boss Fu, what if I get challenged by someone else? What if the Soul Arena discovers our trickery?"

Zhao Wuji remained extremely cautious. This was Heaven Dou City, home to numerous Soul Douluo-level experts, and possibly even Title Douluos lurking within. If word got out that they had lied about the Heaven Dou Grand Soul Arena, they might not escape unscathed. It was important to understand that only the Heaven Dou Royal Family could operate the Grand Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City. Not to mention the Soul Douluo retainers under their command, any one of the three academic committee members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy could easily deal with them.

"If you are challenged, just accept it normally and give it your all. Winning or losing doesn't matter. As long as you can participate in the Soul Battle for free, apart from expending some soul power and suffering minor injuries, you won't lose anything else," Flander continued telepathically. "As for preventing being discovered, I won't challenge you immediately. I'll wait for a while. It would be best if someone else challenges you first. If not, I'll wait until the next day to make my move, which will avoid arousing suspicion. After I win, don't leave immediately. Continue to wait for your opponent in the Soul Battle Arena. Stay for at least another day or fight another match before leaving the Soul Battle Arena."

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Boss Fu, your shamelessness has exceeded my expectations." Zhao Wuji retorted irritably via telepathy, "I'm the one who suffers all the blame, but you crush me. Why can't we switch roles so you can be the bait and I can defeat you?"

Flander retorted directly via telepathy: "Although Soul Saints can fly, their speed isn't much faster than running. Do you think you, a clumsy bear, can defeat me, a four-eyed cat-owl that flies in the sky? Is that reasonable?"

Zhao Wuji was speechless after Flander's question, and for a moment he could not find a reason to refute it.

"Old Zhao, it's not that I don't want to get beaten up, it's just that you're the most suitable candidate. If our martial spirits were switched, I would definitely be the one getting beaten up."

Flander patted Zhao Wuji on the shoulder, his eyes full of "earnestness" and his tone full of "sincerity".

Chapter 210 The War Begins, the Sudden Arrival of the Audience

"I almost believed it!"

If Zhao Wuji hadn't known Flander's cunning nature, he doubted he would have actually believed the merchant's lies, given his earnest tone and sincere eyes.

However, Flander was right about one thing: as a newly learned flying, offensive-type Soul Master, he could never catch up with Flander, whose Martial Soul was the Four-Eyed Cat Owl. As bait, he was indeed the best choice.

"Tell me, when are we going to register?"