Douluo Continent: The Legend of the Gods

The training ground was much livelier during the holiday than usual.

All seven members of the starting lineup have arrived. Zhou Zhengyuan is standing in the center of the field, holding the list in his hand, making the final confirmation.

Yun Qinglin came with Xu Jiujiu and Shi Tou.

Zhou Zhengyuan called the regular players over and explained today's training schedule.

The morning session consisted of live-fire exercises, while the afternoon session was dedicated to tactical discussions.

When he mentioned the tactical discussion, he glanced at Yun Qinglin and added, "As the captain of the reserve team, Yun Qinglin should also participate in the tactical discussion. You should listen carefully to his opinions."

The expressions on the selected players' faces changed slightly after these words were spoken.

Shen Hanzhou remained expressionless. Zhao Tieyi glanced at Yun Qinglin. Chen Luoyan lowered her head and tidied the soul tool in her hand. Han Li was training with the Broken Army Spear and didn't react much.

Cheng Hu whispered, "He's just a reserve player, what right does he have to tell us what tactics to use on the starting lineup?" His voice wasn't loud, but everyone around could hear him.

Zhou Zhengyuan didn't reply, but just glanced at Cheng Hu, and Cheng Hu didn't dare to say anything more.

Yun Qinglin knew why Zhou Zhengyuan had made this arrangement.

He was renowned, but few had actually witnessed him in action. Most of the regular team members had only heard that he had defeated a Soul Master during his Soul Grandmaster era and knew that he had improved many Soul Tool blueprints, but those things had no direct relevance to them.

They trained together every day for almost a year and were familiar with each other. Suddenly, a reserve team captain appeared and wanted to interfere with their tactical arrangements. Anyone would feel uncomfortable in that situation.

Zhou Zhengyuan was also aware of this, so today's actual combat exercise, on the surface, was training, but in reality, it was to allow Yun Qinglin to demonstrate his strength.

Zhou Zhengyuan called Shen Hanzhou aside, said a few words to him, and then turned to everyone and said, "Hanzhou, you make the arrangements. Qinglin will handle things himself. You can arrange the tactics as you see fit."

After he finished speaking, he smiled, a smile that looked quite different from his usual seriousness. The corners of his mouth turned up, and his eyes narrowed into slits, as if he was waiting to see some good show.

Cheng Hu happened to see that smile, shuddered, and whispered to Zhou Xiaofan next to him, "Why is Teacher Zhou smiling so strangely today?"

Zhou Xiaofan nodded in agreement.

Yun Qinglin, Xu Jiujiu, and Shi Tou walked to a row of benches at the edge of the venue and sat down, putting the things they didn't need into the Star Essence Ring.

She sat to his left for a long time, gathered her skirt, and turned to look at him.

"Qinglin, how are you planning to play today?" Xu Jiujiu asked with a grin, she didn't think Yun Qinglin would lose.

"Let's see who they send," Yun Qinglin said after stretching and thinking for a moment.

"No matter who it is, Qinglin, you can win," Shi Tou added from the side, his tone very firm.

Yun Qinglin shook his head helplessly.

These two people trust him more than he trusts himself. Sometimes he feels this is a kind of pressure, but he also feels it's good to have such people around. At least he doesn't have to spend time explaining why he is confident.

On the other side of the field, Shen Hanzhou gathered the starting players together. He didn't rush to speak, but thought for a while before speaking after everyone had quieted down.

"You all heard what Teacher Zhou meant. Yun Qinglin is alone, so we can arrange our own tactics. My idea is to send someone to test his strength first. Don't underestimate him. I heard from the teacher that his talent for soul tools is extremely high. Even in the Sun Moon Empire, he is a genius."

You all know how much Luo Yan has improved after equipping herself with soul tools. Most of these soul tools have been modified by her. If you lose because you underestimate her, don't blame me for giving you extra training.

"Understood." Everyone nodded. Shen Hanzhou had a high reputation within the team. He was not only skilled, but also good at tactical arrangements. Everyone respected him.

"I'll do it," Han Li said.

Han Li is the strongest attacker among the regular players. Even Zhao Tieyi would have a hard time with his attacks. It is most appropriate to let him test Yun Qinglin's limits.

If Yun Qinglin can win, then it will depend on Shen Hanzhou.

Shen Hanzhou agreed after a moment's thought, "Han Li, be careful not to underestimate your opponent, and go all out."

"it is good."

After hearing this, Han Li walked to the center of the field and looked at Yun Qinglin.

Yun Qinglin walked down from the stands. The flying soul tool was already equipped. Although the Emerald Swan itself has the ability to fly, the two martial souls cannot be shared. If he wants to use mental detection, he must recall the Emerald Swan. Therefore, the flying soul tool is more convenient.

Zhou Zhengyuan raised his hand, then lowered it for a split second: "Begin."

Han Li released his martial spirit immediately.

The Po Jun Spear is surrounded by five optimal soul rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black.

The first soul skill is activated.

The Broken Army Spear shone with a silvery-white light, and a semi-transparent spear tip extended from its tip, nearly a foot longer than the original spear body.

This was his first soul skill, "Spear Aura," which amplified his attack range and penetration. He pushed off the ground with his right foot, and his whole body rushed towards Yun Qinglin like an arrow, his Breaking Army Spear thrusting straight forward, the spear aura in front, moving at an extremely fast speed.

Yun Qinglin's mental detection began the moment he released his martial soul. It wasn't a large-scale scan, but only covered a 30-meter radius around him.

He had already taken out a pair of silver-white metal gauntlets from the Star Ring and put them on his hands.

These gauntlets were made by him last year. They are level 5 melee soul tools with small core magic arrays embedded in the knuckles. When they hit a target, they release a shockwave that penetrates the defense and directly impacts the opponent's body.

He never used it in actual combat.

Han Li's movements were all within his perception.

He stepped to the left, avoiding the direct impact of the spear's edge, while simultaneously slapping the side of the gun with his right gauntlet.

The core magic array of the gauntlet was triggered, and a shockwave traveled along the gun barrel. Han Li's wrist trembled, and the tip of the gun deviated by half a foot.

Shen Hanzhou found the gauntlets rather strange. Was he going to use close combat to fight a power-attack type Soul Master head-on? Instead of using Soul Guidance Rays or Soul Guidance Cannons? Wasn't the Emerald Swan a healing-type Martial Soul?

And he hasn't even released his martial soul yet? His spirit rings haven't even appeared?

Han Li reacted quickly. As soon as the spear tip deviated, he used the elasticity of the spear to pull it back, and at the same time activated his second soul skill, "Armor Break".

The silver-white light on the Broken Army Spear turned into a dark silver, and a layer of fine lines appeared on the tip of the spear.

This soul skill increases penetration power and is specifically designed to break through the shields of defensive soul masters.

He swept his gun horizontally, the barrel whistling as it lashed out at Yun Qinglin's side.

Yun Qinglin did not take the hit head-on.

He activated his flight soul tool, and his body suddenly rose three feet upwards. The Breaking Army Spear swept past his feet, and the wind from the gun made his trouser legs flutter loudly.

He adjusted his posture in mid-air, and the soul-guided reflective shield on his wrist lit up with a layer of pale golden light. He then swooped down towards Han Li.

Han Li looked up and saw Yun Qinglin rushing down. Instead of retreating, he activated his third soul skill, "Sweeping Through the Battlefield".

The Broken Army Spear spun in his hand, its silvery-white light forming an arc two meters in diameter, enveloping him entirely.

This is his area-of-effect attack skill, combining offense and defense. Enemies who get close will be hit by the spear's edge, while ranged attacks will be deflected by the rotating spear shaft.

Yun Qinglin did not force his way in.

He stopped abruptly three meters away from Han Li, and the nozzle of his flying soul tool sprayed a stream of air downwards. His body paused in the air for a moment, then drifted sideways and landed ten meters to Han Li's side.

Han Li's Sweeping Strike lasted for less than two seconds before he stopped. This skill consumes a lot of resources, and he couldn't keep it active indefinitely.

The moment Han Li holstered his gun, Yun Qinglin rushed forward again.

This time, he didn't use a flying soul tool, but instead used an acceleration soul tool that was grounded in reality.

Han Li had just retracted his spear and hadn't even had a chance to unleash his power again when Yun Qinglin had already rushed to within half a meter of him.

Han Li reacted quickly. He didn't have time to thrust with his gun, so he held the gun horizontally in front of him, blocking Yun Qinglin's gauntlet.

The shockwave from the gauntlet traveled through the gun to his arm, causing it to go numb and making him take a step back.

After regaining his footing, Han Li activated his fourth soul skill, Spear Soul.

The silvery-white light on the Broken Army Spear intensified, the brightness of the spear body doubled, and the length of the spear's aura extended to nearly two feet.

This soul skill's effect is to comprehensively enhance the attack power and attack speed of the Breaking Army Spear, lasting for twenty seconds.

This is his burst skill; once activated, he becomes a completely different person, his movements become at least 30% faster.

Yun Qinglin felt the pressure.

Han Li's gun speed was much faster than before, and each shot carried a spear aura, covering a wider area.

Although his mental detection could predict Han Li's attack route, his body sometimes couldn't keep up with the predicted speed.

After dodging three shots in a row, he was unable to completely avoid the fourth shot. The bullet grazed the outside of his right arm, tearing a gash in the sleeve of his school uniform and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his arm.

"Why doesn't Yun Qinglin use his Martial Soul?" Even Zhou Zhengyuan was a little puzzled. You know, Yun Qinglin hasn't revealed any of his Martial Soul Rings yet. His understanding of Yun Qinglin is actually extremely limited. He only knows that the other party's Martial Soul Rings seem to exceed the normal optimal ratio.

Shen Hanzhou and the others also thought that Yun Qinglin was being too arrogant, fighting a five-ring opponent with his martial soul not even igniting.

"Something's not right. There seems to be a fluctuation of spiritual energy on the field." Zhou Zhengyuan carefully sensed it and then discovered the anomaly.

It seems he underestimated Yun Qinglin. How could a fourth-ring cultivator use his mental power so skillfully? You know, this mental power fluctuation is not much weaker than his, and in terms of control, it is even superior.

He's a Soul Saint!

After succeeding, Han Li did not stop, and immediately released his fifth soul skill, "Sky Rift".

All the silvery-white light on the Broken Army Spear condensed at its tip, making it shine like a small sun. He gripped the spear with both hands and thrust it towards Yun Qinglin.

This thrust was not a straight stab, but a downward slash. The spear tip cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and the wind from the spear scraped a shallow mark on the stone slabs on the ground.

At the critical moment, Yun Qinglin immediately switched his martial soul. The moment the emerald swan's green wings unfolded behind him, four spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

Purple, purple, black, black.

The colors of the four spirit rings were exceptionally dazzling. The stands were silent for a full two seconds before everyone gasped.

Zhou Zhengyuan was somewhat stunned. He had heard that Yun Qinglin's spirit ring configuration was stronger than usual, but he did not expect it to be this strong. He could withstand and use two ten-thousand-year spirit rings normally at the fourth ring stage. This physical quality and mental strength could not be measured by common sense.

Cheng Hu was the first to speak. He stood up abruptly from the bench, his mouth agape, his voice distorted: "What the hell is this? Are you dreaming?"

Shen Hanzhou himself did not speak. His gaze was fixed on the two black soul rings on Yun Qinglin's body, and his fingers unconsciously clenched.

Han Li's fifth soul skill, "Sky Rift," had already come down, the spear tip flashing with blinding white light as it fell toward Yun Qinglin's head. However, when he saw the four soul rings, his hand movements slowed down for a moment, and the spear's momentum weakened slightly.

Yun Qinglin's fourth soul ring lit up, and a layer of emerald green light formed on the surface of his body. Han Li's Sky-Splitting Spear struck the light shield with a muffled thud. The spear tip and the white light exploded at the same time, and the shockwave spread in all directions, blowing several stone slabs off the ground.

Han Li was pushed back several steps by the recoil, and only managed to stay upright by using his gun to brace himself against the ground.

His arm was numb from the shock, and a gash appeared on his hand, with blood flowing down the gun barrel.

He looked down at his hands and then looked up at Yun Qinglin. Yun Qinglin stood still, without moving an inch, and the emerald green light shield didn't even have a crack.

"How is this possible?" Han Li said in a low voice, his voice filled with disbelief rather than anger.

His Sky Rift was his fifth soul skill, granted by a soul ring of twelve thousand years. When he struck with all his might, even Zhao Tieyi's iron wall trembled. Yet, when he hit Yun Qinglin, he didn't even break through the opponent's shield.

Xu Jiujiu turned her head to look at Shi Tou, who also turned to look at her. The two looked at each other and smiled simultaneously. Their expressions when they first saw Yun Qinglin reveal those two black spirit rings were not much better than Cheng Hu's.

Seeing the reactions of the starting players, they felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction, like, "I knew this would happen."

After regaining his footing, Han Li took a deep breath and gripped the Broken Army Spear tightly again.

He did not give up the attack just because his previous strike was blocked; his pride would not allow him to back down at this moment.

He reactivated his fourth soul skill, "Spear Soul," and the silver-white light on the Breaking Army Spear intensified once more. At the same time, his first soul skill, "Spear Aura," was also added. He pushed his soul power to the limit and charged straight at Yun Qinglin.

Yun Qinglin stopped using his fourth soul skill to withstand the attack and instead engaged in guerrilla warfare with his opponent. This is the advantage of a soul master in dealing with a soul master who launches a direct attack.

Han Li's spear light struck the spot where he had been standing. His soul power was already depleted, and constantly using soul skills consumed a huge amount of soul power.

On the other hand, Yun Qinglin summoned a soul-guided cannon and aimed it at him.

Zhou Zhengyuan blew his whistle: "Stop! Yun Qinglin wins this match."

Han Li straightened up, put away the Broken Army Spear, walked up to Yun Qinglin, and extended his hand.

Yun Qinglin shook hands with him briefly. Han Li's hands were rough, his palms were covered in calluses, and he had a strong grip, but he let go after only a short time.

"You are very strong."

He didn't say anything because Yun Qinglin used a soul tool. There were plenty of people using soul tools in the Soul Master Competition, but no one could know his attack route so accurately. He felt that his offensive was completely seen through, and he had a feeling of having power but nowhere to use it.

"If you ever want to use a soul tool later, you can come find me."

Yun Qinglin also acknowledged Han Li's abilities. He had actually expended a lot of energy in this match. The opponent's relentless attacks were suffocating. If it weren't for the fact that his two martial soul skills had a certain degree of restraint on the opponent, the outcome would have been uncertain.

Han Li nodded. He was genuinely tempted. Before this, even if Chen Luoyan made great progress with her soul tool, he had never been tempted. He was a staunch supporter of soul masters.

Cheng Hu came forward as if to say something, but Han Li waved his hand to indicate that he didn't want to talk. He sat down on the bench, closed his eyes, and began to recover his soul power.

Shen Hanzhou walked out of the starting team and stood in the center of the field, looking at Yun Qinglin: "You are no weaker than our starting team members. Considering your age, you are really terrifying."

"We've seen your skill. On behalf of the main team, I'd like to say that we'll take your opinions seriously in future tactical discussions." He paused, "But personally, I'd like to have a match with you. If I lose, you'll have full control over the match strategy."

Zhou Zhengyuan stood by and watched without interfering.