"Captain of the Mirror Battle Team, Qiu Lian. Martial soul: Mirror Shadow Dragon. Rank 39, Assault-type Soul Elder. Personal Soul Badge Level: Silver."
"Vice-Captain Lin Si. Martial soul: Mirror Shadow Beast. Rank 39, Assault-type Soul Elder.
Team member Lin Mo, martial soul: Mirror Shadow Beast, Rank 39, Assault-type Soul Elder.
Team member Lin Wu, martial soul: Mirror Shadow Beast, Rank 39, Assault-type Soul Elder."
"Team member Smoky, martial soul: Silver Mirror. Rank 38, Defense-type Soul Elder.
Team member Smoka, martial soul: Silver Mirror. Rank 38, Defense-type Soul Elder."
"Team member Liu Qing, martial soul: Prism. Rank 37, Support-type Soul Elder."
After reading through the Mirror Battle Team's data sheet, Lü Buliang immediately noticed the absence of any Control-type soul masters among the seven members. For a team clearly built with care, it was unlikely they'd overlook the importance of a Control-type soul master.
If there wasn't one on the surface, then chances were, one was hidden in plain sight.
Lü Buliang thought to himself: in the Royal Battle Team, his role was officially listed as a Support-type soul master, but in actual combat, he could fulfill Control or even Agility-Attack functions.
If the Mirror Battle Team lacked a visible Control-type member, it might very well be hidden in that so-called Support-type soul master, Liu Qing.
A prism martial soul? Lü Buliang recalled the original novel. The Mirror Shadow Beast had made an appearance, but a prism-based martial soul was completely unheard of. Even Education Commissioner Zhilin hadn't mentioned it. Martial souls truly came in endless, unpredictable varieties.
Looking over the Mirror Team's formation, there were two soul masters with the "Silver Mirror" martial soul. Zhilin had briefly covered this in theory class—it was said to be a kind of mirror tougher than steel, capable of reflecting attacks defensively.
Lü Buliang's previously grim expression shifted into a faint smile. He was beginning to piece together the Mirror Team's battle style. The two Silver Mirror soul masters were Defense-type, but unlike Shi Mo and Shi Mo in the Royal Team, they didn't take the frontline. Instead, they stayed in the rear.
The Mirror Team had three frontliners—Mirror Shadow Beast users, all Assault-type soul masters. Meanwhile, the two Silver Mirror soul masters likely served to protect the prism-wielding Support-type soul master.
Even with a peerless Support-type like Ye Lingling of the Nine-Heart Begonia, the Royal Battle Team wouldn't go so far as to allocate two entire positions for her protection. The Mirror Team, however, did just that—proving this prism martial soul user was absolutely critical to their strategy.
It seemed the Mirror Battle Team's combat style revolved around the prism soul master, whose soul skills likely served both support and control purposes—just like Lü Buliang himself.
Once he realized this, the fog lifted. The only thing left to understand was the Mirror Team captain's Mirror Shadow Dragon martial soul. After that, this team battle would be much easier to handle.
"Tianheng, the Mirror Shadow Dragon is a dragon-type martial soul, right? You should have heard of it?" Lü Buliang turned to Yu Tianheng. "How does it compare to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
Yu Tianheng chuckled. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is hailed as the number one beast martial soul on the continent. In terms of potential, no beast-type soul can rival it. The Mirror Shadow Dragon? It doesn't even qualify to be compared with a true dragon."
"You mean the Mirror Shadow Dragon isn't a true dragon-type?" Lü Buliang asked curiously.
Yu Tianheng nodded. "I don't know much about it—only heard about it from clan elders. From what I've gathered, it's a sub-dragon beast martial soul. Sub-dragons rank lowest among dragon-kind. While they may have the potential to evolve into true dragons, they're completely suppressed by true dragon martial souls before that evolution."
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is a true dragon. That's why I felt confident when I saw their captain's martial soul."
After hearing this, Lü Buliang's final doubts vanished. He was almost certain that the three Mirror Shadow Beast soul masters had some kind of copying ability. In the original novel, Oscar had obtained the ability to replicate martial souls by absorbing a Mirror Shadow Beast's soul ring.
That meant these three were likely capable of copying their captain's Mirror Shadow Dragon martial soul—forming a four-strong lineup of Mirror Shadow Dragon soul masters.
But then why not just recruit four of them directly?
Lü Buliang mused that the three Mirror Shadow Beast soul masters probably had additional utility beyond mimicking their captain's martial soul.
That additional role was likely tied to something called the "Mirror World."
There was only one truth.
The Mirror Team's combat style centered around the prism soul master, using the three Mirror Shadow Beast users to create the Mirror World and replicate the Mirror Shadow Dragon's spatial properties—gaining the ability to freely traverse that space.
If someone was trapped inside the Mirror World, they'd be swarmed by the Mirror Team and beaten down in a brutal coordinated assault.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Lü Buliang was grateful for the wealth of films and novels he'd consumed—his knowledge far exceeded that of the natives. That was why he could so quickly decipher the enemy's hidden tactics.
Since he already knew their plan, he could simply counter it.
If the Mirror Team liked to gang up on people in the Mirror World, then he'd flip the script—and gang up on them inside their own realm. It looked like his Ghost Shadow Legion would play a pivotal role in this battle.
After sharing all his deductions with the team, Lü Buliang and the others started strategizing. About ten minutes later, the second team battle ended. Up next was the team match between the Royal Battle Team and the Mirror Battle Team.
…
District 13 Team Soul Arena.
The team battlefield was much larger than those used for one-on-one or two-on-two matches—forty meters in diameter. The surrounding spectator stands were also twice the size. At this moment, every seat was filled.
There were faint traces of blood on the platform—left over from the previous match.
After each match, both teams were led off by their respective captains.
Official team matches were considered sparring-based soul battles. Killing was strictly forbidden.
So although each combatant bore minor wounds, none were life-threatening. A healer soul master could patch them up in no time.
As the second match's teams left the stage, the crowd remained captivated—some were jubilant, others gnashing their teeth in frustration. Many had bet large sums on the teams they favored, and the losers now faced serious financial loss—no surprise they were bitter.
Those who won, however, were naturally elated, shouting at the top of their lungs: "Well done!"
"Teacher, the third team match is about to begin," said a nobleman in the stands to the refined man beside him. "The team entering the field now is the Royal Battle Team—widely considered the finest soul master team from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. This will be their first official match."
"Oh?" The refined man looked intrigued as he glanced toward the information board at the edge of the platform, noting the data on a soul master named Shadow Monarch.
After reading it, his expression subtly changed. "Shadow Monarch, martial soul: Shadow. Rank 38, Support-type Soul Elder? Shadow martial soul—likely a variant of a shadow-type, then. There are a few shadow martial soul users on the continent, though most are tied to elemental affinities. So this one must be of the darkness element?"
Turning, he addressed the tall, thin elder beside him. "Uncle Bone, what do you think?"
The tall elder known as Uncle Bone was casually playing with a young girl as he replied, "Maybe his shadow martial soul is similar to Ghost Douluo's. Shadow types usually lean toward Control or Agility-Attack. I've never seen one used as Support before."
The refined man nodded in agreement, smiling at the nobleman. "Your Highness, it seems this Shadow Monarch isn't just an ordinary support-type, am I right?"
The nobleman—Crown Prince Xue Qinghe—nodded. "As expected of you, Teacher. You saw through it instantly. That Shadow Monarch fellow fills both Support and Control roles in combat. If necessary, he can also engage with agility and speed as an Agility-Attack fighter."
The refined man and the elder both raised their brows in interest. Any experienced soul master could tell—handling multiple roles in battle wasn't just about martial soul talent. It required a masterful grasp of battlefield dynamics.
If the Crown Prince held such high regard for this Shadow Monarch, then the man must truly be remarkable.
"Papa, Grandpa Bone, what's so amazing about that?" the girl beside the tall elder pouted as she noticed the attention shifting to Shadow Monarch. "So he can do both Support and Control? Rongrong can do that too!"
Uncle Bone ruffled her hair and chuckled. "Of course you can, Rongrong. You're the best."
The girl, not amused by his flattery, muttered, "I might as well go back to the sect. Grandpa Bone's just humoring me. Only Grandpa Sword truly believes in me."
The refined man chuckled softly. "Rongrong, you're the one who insisted on coming with Daddy. If you want to leave, just ask your Grandpa Bone to escort you."
"Nope. I changed my mind." She grinned cheekily. "I want to stay here and watch the soul master battles. Better than doing boring training back home."
The refined man sighed and returned to his discussion with the Crown Prince, while the tall elder kept the girl entertained.
The nobleman was Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the empire. After finishing academy affairs, he often strolled through the Great Spirit Arena—both to scout for talent and to observe the progress of the Royal Battle Team's training.
The refined man beside him was none other than Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Whether inspecting civil conditions or attending events at the Soul Arena or auction houses, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi often traveled together as teacher and student, enjoying a close relationship.
Seated beside Ning Fengzhi was one of the continent's most powerful soul masters—Bone Douluo, Gu Rong, a titled Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
And beside him was Ning Rongrong, the only daughter of the sect master. She'd tagged along after growing tired of the dull training back home, insisting on joining Ning Fengzhi for a bit of fun in Heaven Dou City.
Ning Fengzhi had not objected. After all, watching real soul battles could offer valuable lessons for any Support-type soul master. If his daughter was going to spend her leisure time this way, he could take the opportunity to teach her more about the art of soul mastery and combat.
Once the platform was fully cleaned, a host in a tailcoat stood at the center of the stage and shouted, "Up next is the third team battle of District 13's team soul matches! The Mirror Battle Team versus the Royal Battle Team. Both teams, please prepare to take the stage in five minutes!"
At this announcement, the attention of Xue Qinghe, Ning Fengzhi, and the others sharpened, while the rest of the audience watched with bated breath.
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