Chapter Thirty-One: The Nine Stars Battle Squad

Thinking he had already seen through the true strength of his opponents, Morro swiftly unleashed his first and second soul skills. His body swelled rapidly, and his speed even increased by a few notches as he charged headlong into the formation of the Nine Stars Team, ready to display his might and slaughter his enemies.

But at that very instant, the thousand-year soul ring of Mi Yimei at the rear began to glow with a deep purple light.

Deprivation!

The violet radiance fell upon Morro in a flash, and his expression changed dramatically as he felt the empowering effects provided by his own support soul master vanish without a trace.

At that moment, Zilong, who had been retreating in defeat, surged forward once more. The two clashed head to head yet again.

This time, however, Zilong did not fall back as easily as before. Instead, it was Morro, startled and disoriented by the sudden loss of his enhancement, who was forced back three steps by Zilong’s mighty punch.

I’ve been tricked!

Years of experience in the Soul Arena allowed Morro to instantly realize that Zilong’s earlier easy defeat had been a ruse—to lure him into overconfidence and draw him deeper into the trap.

“Support me! Quickly!” Morro roared, hastily retreating in an attempt to regroup with his teammates.

“Second soul skill, Phoenix Fireline!”

Yihui’s second soul skill, like Ma Hongjun of the Shrek Seven Devils, was a true Fire Phoenix, untainted by any evil fire, and its flames were purer and more intense than Ma Hongjun’s. A roaring wall of fire blazed up, forming an impenetrable barrier between Morro and his allies.

Witnessing this, a sly smile played at the corner of Xiao Yu’s lips. Just as Morro’s team had access to the Nine Stars’ information, the reverse was equally true. From their data, Xiao Yu had deduced that Morro, the captain, was the pillar and soul of his squad. Defeat Morro, and the entire team would collapse.

“Twenty seconds—take Morro down!”

Though Yihui’s flames were formidable, they couldn’t last forever. The team had to combine their strength and defeat Morro before his teammates could break through the wall of fire.

“Third soul skill, Lightning Shackles!”

Eden, the control-type soul master who oversaw the battlefield, struck first, his third soul skill binding Morro with paralyzing force.

“Third soul skill, Rising Dragon Strike!”

Zilong also went all out, sending a beam of light soaring like a dragon through the air.

Morro, seeing the assault, responded with his own most powerful third soul skill. The golden lion burst forth in a dazzling blaze, shattering its cage.

Lion and Azure Dragon collided in a brilliant flash, and after a fierce struggle, the Azure Dragon ultimately prevailed, dispersing the image of the golden lion.

Although Morro’s soul power exceeded Zilong’s by almost five levels, one must not forget that team battles are not duels. Zilong had Mi Yimei’s support behind him, while Morro’s boost had been forcibly stripped away. Moreover, although Morro managed to break free from Eden’s shackles with his third soul skill, the paralysis effect it left behind did not vanish. Coupled with Zilong’s superior martial soul, the outcome was no surprise.

Just then, as Yihui’s flames began to wane, Morro’s hulking form was sent hurtling back through the fire wall, landing squarely amidst his teammates.

Seeing their captain unconscious, the remaining members of Morro’s team panicked. Morro was their leader and backbone; without him, they were utterly lost.

“Surrender,” Xiao Yu said coolly, gazing at the demoralized team whose eyes had lost their fighting spirit. “With your captain gone, your strength is cut by at least half. It’s meaningless for you to continue. There’s no need for needless injury. Quickly, find a healing soul master for your captain. Though we’ve held back, there’s no telling what lasting harm may come if he remains unconscious.”

“S-surrender…” The team looked at Xiao Yu, full of unwillingness, but in the end, could not deny the truth of his words. The vice-captain raised his hand and declared their surrender.

“In the team battle, victory goes to the Nine Stars Team.”

Upon hearing Morro Team’s surrender, the host immediately announced the result.

“Nine Stars! Nine Stars!”

The crowd erupted as they witnessed the Nine Stars Team, with exquisite strategy, defeat the well-known Morro Team in less than a minute, forcing them to concede.

Xiao Yu and his companions maintained their composure, descending from the arena amid thunderous applause and heading to the registration desk to claim their points before leaving the Great Soul Arena. Their purpose here was to hone their skills and teamwork, not to win the favor of the crowd.

In the days that followed, the Nine Stars Team shone like a newly risen star, sweeping through formidable opponents in the Soul Arena with overwhelming force and climbing rapidly to the top of the Seal Soul Arena’s rankings. They became the idol team in the eyes of the city’s audience.

To curb their winning streak, Seal Soul Arena urgently requested reinforcements from headquarters. Whenever the Nine Stars Team appeared, the audience would bet on them without hesitation. Even with the odds set to the lowest possible, the sheer volume of wagers meant the house could barely break even.

Headquarters dispatched several Soul Sovereign-level teams from across the land, but none could halt the Nine Stars Team’s advance.

The Soul Arena, with its thousand-year history on the Douluo Continent, had its own code of conduct and could not afford, at least openly, to break its ancient rules for the sake of one team.

Privately, the Seal Soul Arena did consider contacting the Nine Stars Team to suggest they “do the arena a favor,” perhaps by throwing a match or two. But when the manager glimpsed the eight soul rings on Huohui, the team’s representative, he wisely chose to say nothing.

Still, business is business. While they couldn’t target the Nine Stars Team directly, they could certainly capitalize on their newfound fame: scheduling matches on the central arena to raise ticket prices, selling themed merchandise and masks, and so on.

Thus, nearly eight months passed, and the Nine Stars Team, once dazzling in the arena, suddenly vanished. Their fans noticed they hadn’t seen a single match from them for half a month.

This brought a quiet relief to the Seal Soul Arena. Despite their many efforts to balance the books, the number of bets on the Nine Stars Team grew daily, and they were only just able to keep income and expenses in check. The team's abrupt disappearance was a secret boon.

As for why the Nine Stars Team stopped fighting? The reason was simple: Xiao Yu had reached the fortieth level.