Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1507 Moon Shadow Scheme
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……

Moonlight streamed into the quiet study, and steam rose from the cups on the desk.

Xia Yun seemed to want to dispel some of the solemnity, so she changed the subject: "I haven't congratulated you yet, young master, on winning all seven matches in the first round."

Chen Xiaojun tapped the table lightly with his fingertip, his tone calm: "Isn't it common for top academies to win all their first round matches?"

“The value of your seven wins is different.” Xia Yun raised his eyes. “Leaving aside the other teams, Shenfeng and Leiting are both recognized as the second strongest academies in their respective provinces.”

"Thunder Academy is particularly surprising this time, as it actually has six Soul Kings."

"If it weren't necessary to retain Lei Jiuzhong's 'Thunder Umbrella' to control the entire field, he could probably field a starting lineup of all Soul Kings."

"Such a display of power is rare even among top-tier academies."

Chen Xiaojun picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his vision: "The martial soul mutations of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus lineage are endless... truly a prosperous clan."

His words were not particularly dramatic, yet they were like gentle ripples on a still well.

Xia Yun couldn't help but reveal a complex expression that was hard to describe, as if it was a mixture of admiration and a little helplessness: "They are really good at having children. Their bloodline is so abundant. How can others not be envious? But they can't have it."

Chen Xiaojun did not linger on this topic, but instead asked, "The Five Mountains Academy performed quite well this time, defeating Moon Bay Academy, which was ranked second in Tosk Province."

Xia Yun nodded, but her tone was not relaxed: "Yes, but we originally planned to take advantage of the foreign aid to win a spot in the next round... Now it seems that will be difficult."

He shook his head slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table. "Thunder Academy's ability to field such a lineup is unexpected, but it also reveals something about them."

"At this conference, those truly powerful sects must have all gone all out, otherwise there wouldn't be so many Title Douluos present."

His gaze was serious as he began to list them: "The Heaven Dou Empire is filled with numerous sects."

“Just take the other four provinces as an example: the Moon Palace of Tosk Province, the Ice Palace of Tianshui Province, the Body Sect of Grahamma, and the Hall of No Return of Oswell…aren’t they all powerful and influential?”

“Our province of Fasno is unique in its location. It has been a battleground since ancient times and has never had a top-tier sect.”

"Add to that the Nine Heavens Sect in the Central Right District," Xia Yun leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice a few decibels, "and there are as many as five of the Nine Imperial Gates that Suppress the World within the Empire."

“Not to mention,” he added, “the three guardian sects of the central district, which are considered the pillars of the empire.”

"The top sects gathered in the Heavenly Dou Empire account for half of the sixteen major sects on the entire continent."

"Aside from the Body Sect, which has always been sparsely populated, highly secular, and almost integrated with the Oasis Academy, which of the remaining sects doesn't manage the most elite academies under its command?!"

"This academy is truly a wonderful thing."

"Their strength surpasses that of the traditional five provincial colleges, which... have all firmly secured the top spot in their respective divisions."

Chen Xiaojun gently brushed his fingertips across the warm, smooth surface of the teacup, realizing that this competition was indeed a difficult situation, surrounded by strong competitors.

He pursed his lips. "The overall structure of Tian Dou is a product of the prevailing trend."

“With its geographical features intertwined and sects deeply rooted in this land, the system can only survive in this way, or rather, it can only survive in this way.”

He looked up at Xia Yun, “The Nine Gates of Zhenshi are five branches in Tiandou and two branches in Xingluo.”

"These academies, which are rooted in the foundation of these sects, have always been evergreen trees in the arena."

“The fact that Wushan wants to qualify this time,” Chen Xiaojun continued, his gaze becoming slightly focused, “means that… they need to pull down at least one or two strong opponents from that formidable group before they have any room to maneuver.”

Xia Yun sighed softly: "The manpower of the Five Mountains can be considered sufficient, but... they are strong but not overwhelming, and I'm afraid they don't have enough trump cards."

"This year's competition is a well-known grand contest, with hidden talents and geniuses emerging from various academies, making it far superior to the past."

"The depth of its hidden cards is unknown."

He rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, his exhaustion barely concealed. "This situation doesn't even take into account the Heavenly Stars of those family branches and lineages..."

Before the words were finished, the meaning was already clear—just imagining the details made it difficult to continue.

“Therefore,” Xia Yun’s voice lowered, with a hint of understanding, “if Wushan can fight for a chance to survive and qualify, that would be the best outcome.”

He slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky outside the window. "If in the end... it doesn't happen, then so be it."

Chen Xiaojun replied softly, "There are still opportunities. We should avoid the strong and attack the weak, and seize the variable."

After that, they sat in silence.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the moonlight silently spreading out.

They both understood each other's meaning.

Given the current strength of the Five Mountains Sect, it is absolutely unwise to directly confront giants like Yuehua, who are supported by top sects and have almost secured their spots. They are championship contenders.

The real focus must be on securing as many easy wins as possible from relatively weaker academies.

This is our lifeline, we can't afford to lose a single game!
Teams under the command of top sects may also have various problems or underestimate their opponents.

If Wushan can win an unexpected victory against two or three of these teams by using a strategy similar to Tian Ji's horse racing, employing superior counter-strategies, ingenious tactics, or even a sudden burst of combo attacks, or at least drag the match into a Pyrrhic victory, thus depleting the opponent's core players and breaking their momentum, then they have successfully created chaos.

Xia Yun unconsciously tapped his knuckles on the table, a deep sigh rolling down his throat: "Tian Dou and Yan Wu's Yuehua should be the strongest, followed by Bingfeng, Wujian, Lvzhou, and Jiutian." "Hopefully, these top teams will trample each other."

"At the same time, it requires our Wushan team to have superb on-the-spot adaptability, to treat every key match as a final where we can turn the tide and use every chip to fight for even the slightest chance."

"We must also stir up trouble in the Fasnow Houses, so that the 'east wind' that will disrupt the enemy's battle—that is, those intricate schemes—will fall on their heads at the right time."

If they fight each other to the death, creating a vicious cycle, the qualifying score for the entire semi-finals will be lowered.

Wushan not only wants to steadily devour those 'small fry' that belong to him, but also wants to tear open the powerful dragons to trigger a chaotic war, while hoping that other powerful dragons will kill each other and pick up the 'chaos dividend'.

Well, I still need to prevent myself from being defeated by a lower-tier team of the same level, such as Tianshan, Leiting, Shenfeng, Liuli, Tianshui, and Tianling.

There was supposed to be a Moon Bay, but we've already passed it.

Xia Yun looked up at Chen Xiaojun's calm eyes, "Tianling is as stable as a rock but lacks adaptability, Tianshui is cold and icy but lacks strength, and Tianshan is brave but lacks agility. These three are ultimately provincial-level strongmen."

"The Nine Heavens Martial Soul is exquisite, the Thunder Soul King is in formation, and the Divine Wind is as fierce as fire—it is balanced and steady, but lacks the sharpness to break the deadlock."

"The key to survival lies here."

Chen Xiaojun nodded and said, "Yes, this situation is quite similar to the situation that the Five Mountains Academy faced during the Fasno Province competition."

His tone softened: "On the other hand, in Fasno Province, Qinglin Academy certainly has its unique features, but its core tactics are almost entirely based on a 'blood spear formation'."

"Although this formation is unpredictable and has no obvious flaws to break, Qinglin's own foundation is ultimately shallow. With only one Soul King in charge, the power of its battle formation can probably only be exerted up to the peak of the middle stage of Soul Saint."

Chen Xiaojun tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "If it is to support that long five rounds and thirty-five life-and-death cycle of gauntlet battles... its subsequent strength will probably be difficult to sustain."

“On the other hand,” he said, changing his tone, “Yuesi Academy has a solid foundation and abundant potential.”

"Furthermore, the 'mudslide' fusion skill of Shen Yuan and Lu Kun is also helpful—its power can reach the peak of the Soul Emperor realm, and what's even more rare is that it has a wide range of applications, coupled with its exceptionally sticky and tough characteristics, making it extremely strong in binding force."

"With its existing four Soul King-level main force members and strong bench strength, the tactical combinations it can choose from are diverse and flexible."

A hint of appreciation flashed in Chen Xiaojun's eyes: "What's especially important is that Yue Si has clearly learned from his defeat in the provincial competition this year."

"Lower your stance and stop trying to be aggressive and forceful."

"In previous competitions, they even chose to give up when they met Yuehua Academy, and they also strategically 'lost' to Chang'an. On the surface, they have suffered two consecutive defeats and are currently ranked in the middle to upper teens."

"However, the team did not appear agitated, and they continued to play steadily in subsequent matches."

"It is evident that the team has already reached a consensus, formulated strategies, and knows when to advance and retreat. The potential for future breakthroughs is already evident."

He then cut to the heart of the matter, his gaze fixed intently on Xia Yun: "If the outcome of this tournament is as expected, one or two seeded teams may fall from grace due to unexpected setbacks or being forcibly eliminated by other rising stars, thus freeing up one or two spots... in addition to the original vacant spot."

"Therefore, for the Wushan and Yuesi Academies, which are not weak in themselves and have different but complementary tactical styles, the opportunity to join forces to survive in the cracks and compete for those two precious spots is right in front of them."

"This matter is of great significance." Chen Xiaojun's voice was deep and resonant, carrying a clear sense of purpose.

"If Wushan Academy can turn the tide and break through the encirclement in this national competition to win a ticket to the continental finals—this alone will be enough to make the name 'Wushan' resound throughout the empire, and its significance will be far greater than in previous years."

"This is not only the highest testament to the strength of the academy itself, but also lays the most solid and appealing foundation for a crucial part of our future grand plan in the Fasno Province—to create another sacred place of cultivation comparable to the 'Plant Academy'."

"At that time, attracting talents and gathering resources will greatly enhance our reputation and make our efforts twice as effective."

"As for Qinglin Academy," his tone returned to calm and pragmatic, "its specialization in spearmanship is a distinctive path. This opportunity to make it onto the national stage is already an excellent chance to gain fame."

"Even if they ultimately fail to qualify, as long as they can fully demonstrate the exquisite beauty of their unique 'Blood Spear Formation,' the dragon-like spear strikes, and the overwhelming power of their blood-red and flower-like formations in their battles against many strong opponents, thus imprinting the name of 'Qinglin' ​​and the art of 'Divine Spear' in the hearts of the spectators, it will be an invaluable opportunity for their own reputation and long-term development."

……

The sound of steady footsteps came from the porch outside the door.

The two glanced sideways as the door was gently pushed open.

An elderly man with a face etched with the marks of time and the use of a cane walked in slowly, carrying a blue-and-white porcelain plate containing several delicate pastries that exuded a faint sweet aroma.

The pastry was small and exquisite, moist and smooth, with a layer of fine icing on the surface, and tiny, crystal-clear petals embedded in it could be faintly seen – “Amethyst Osmanthus Pastry”.

Old Master Shi gently placed the plate on the table beside Chen Xiaojun, his calloused hands exuding steadiness: "Young Master, this is a new dish from the kitchen, made with seasonal osmanthus flowers. Try it and see if you like it."

Chen Xiaojun did as instructed, picked up a piece, took a bite, and the cake melted in his mouth, the rich fragrance of osmanthus spreading on his tongue.

He looked at Old Shi, whose weathered face now revealed a warmth that was both kind and expectant of an elder towards a younger generation.

"Elder Shi," Chen Xiaojun swallowed the pastry in his mouth, his tone gentle, "is something the matter?"

Old Master Shi nodded slightly: "Reporting to Young Master, there is new information from Chang'an City. Tang Yuchen has already set off. According to the schedule, he should arrive in the territory of Lankai County in the next few days."

Chen Xiaojun paused slightly in the hand holding the half-eaten pastry.

Outside the window, sparse shadows swayed, and the bright moonlight silently filled half the room.

He remained silent for a moment before slowly turning his gaze to the cool, round moon outside the window, and murmured, his voice seemingly blending into the moonlight: "Is that so... it's finally about to begin."

(End of this chapter)