68: Chapter 68 First Battle a Success
The registration process was completed quickly.
"The matching application has been submitted. Just wait for the results," Teacher An Nuolan said, handing the team card to Lin Mo.
The position of captain for the "Eastern Bully Squad" had defaulted to him, and no one else had any objections.
"Oh, the match is out!" Lu Mengmeng suddenly pointed at the public screen in front, her tone filled with excitement.
On the matching column of the screen, the opponent was clearly displayed: [Bronze Three-Star · Iron Blade Squad].
"Bronze Three-Star?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
Teacher An Nuolan explained from the side: "Bronze Three-Star means this squad has won at least three official duels, so they have some foundation."
"Oh, that's nothing."
Lin Mo nodded, his gaze lingering on the words "Iron Blade Squad."
"I just don't know if this team is a student group or a ragtag bunch from outside."
Niu Dachun rubbed his hands together: "Who cares what they are, as long as we win!"
Lu Mengmeng nodded along: "Exactly! It's the perfect chance to test the coordination we've been practicing these past few days!"
Mu Liuli and Su Xiaoxiao exchanged a look, and both saw anticipation in the other's eyes.
This was their squad's first official duel since being formed.
A mechanical voice suddenly blared from the broadcast beside the screen: "Eastern Bully Squad, Iron Blade Squad, please prepare to go to Battle Arena No. 3 in ten minutes."
"Yo! That was fast." Lin Mo waved at the four of them.
"Let's go!"
Waving at the two teachers, Lin Mo led the squad toward the dueling arena first.
Just as they left, the loudspeaker announced another notification.
"Ding! The odds for Battle Arena No. 3 have been calculated. Eastern Bully Squad is 1 to 2.5, Iron Blade Squad is 1 to 1.9. Betting is now open."
Hearing the odds, Teacher An Nuolan's face immediately lit up with pleasant surprise.
"Teacher Shen, how about that? I told you the odds for new teams are high!"
"But, are we really going to bet everything on Lin Mo and his team winning?"
Teacher Shen Yao was still a bit uneasy.
To scrape together a few million, she had even mortgaged her equipment and car.
"You're just being timid. Lin Mo and his team were able to hold off the attack of a group of Tier 2 and Tier 3 beasts. Do you really think they'll lose in a mere Bronze-tier match?"
"Trust me, if we bet this ten million, we'll have twenty-five million in capital and profit later. Don't you want to earn back the money for your awakened Soul Skill?"
Teacher An Nuolan's words were like a devil's whisper, constantly tempting the greed in Teacher Shen Yao's heart!
"Fine, I'll do it!"
Once Lin Mo and the five others were far away, the two of them immediately went to the betting counter.
When the ten minutes were up, the alloy gate of Battle Arena No. 3 slowly rose with a low hum.
The five members of the Iron Blade Squad were already standing on the opposite side, all of them sturdy with uniforms stained with oil and grime.
As soon as Lin Mo's group walked into the arena, the audience exploded, and boos rang out one after another.
"So it turns out this 'Bully' team is just a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears students!"
"Haha, my bet was right, it's a sure win!"
"If I had known they were this weak, I would have bet more!"
On the dueling stage, the bearded captain leading the Iron Blade Squad looked Lin Mo and his team up and down.
Especially when he saw the girls, the mockery at the corner of his mouth almost spilled over.
"Eastern Bully Squad? Just this?" He sneered, and his teammates followed with jeers.
"A few yellow-haired boys and girls, and you dare to come for a ranking match?"
"Looks like our promotion to four stars is a done deal!"
They certainly had the capital to be arrogant.
The average Soul Power of the five was level 27, with the weakest being level 25.
On Lin Mo's side, he was level 22, Lu Mengmeng was level 23, and the remaining three were around level 10, averaging less than level 20.
With such a gap, anyone would see this as a one-sided fight.
Lin Mo's group stood in formation, expressions calm, not responding.
"Boss, I think it would be more appropriate to call them the 'Farm Tool Squad'," Niu Dachun whispered into Lin Mo's ear.
Lin Mo nodded, in total agreement.
The Martial Souls of the five opponents had already silently manifested.
Axes, hoes, sickles, wood axes, rakes... Aside from their shapes being stranger than ordinary farm tools and emitting a cold metallic light, they were truly no different from farm tools.
Seeing that they didn't speak, the bearded captain assumed they were scared and became even more smug: "Kids, if you're sensible and surrender now, you'll suffer less!"
Lin Mo raised his eyes and gave him a faint glance: "Let's talk after the fight."
The referee's voice sounded at the right moment: "Both sides prepare, countdown ten seconds — 10, 9, 8..."
The lights shone down from the dome, one side the eager "Farm Tool Squad," the other the underestimated student team, the atmosphere suddenly tightening.
"3, 2, 1 — Start!"
As soon as the referee finished speaking, the bearded captain made the first move, his giant axe Martial Soul slamming down.
A gust of wind rushed toward Niu Dachun: "Soul Skill: Mighty Mountain Cleaver, break for me!"
"Well come!"
Niu Dachun advanced instead of retreating.
He initiated his first Soul Skill: "Great Sumeru Pot!"
A phantom of a giant Gilded Frying Pan met the giant axe phantom, which was only a fifth of its size.
With a crisp "clang," the giant axe and the Gilded Frying Pan collided.
The bearded man was actually shaken back half a step, the smugness on his face instantly freezing.
"How is this possible?!" He stared at his numb hand in disbelief.
How could this kid's defense and strength be stronger than his as a level 28 Soul Master?
And his Soul Skill was a Yellow-tier intermediate one.
Just as he was stunned, Lu Mengmeng's Devil Vine shot out like a spirit snake, tangling toward the two people in the back row of the Iron Blade Squad.
Before those two could react, they were tightly bound by the vines, unable to even release their Soul Skills.
"Ambush?!"
The sickle Soul Master of the Iron Blade Squad roared, his figure flashing to the flank, the blade shimmering with cold light as he slashed toward Lu Mengmeng.
"Your opponent is me."
Lin Mo's voice suddenly sounded behind him.
The sickle Soul Master turned his head abruptly, only to see Lin Mo holding a round, chubby stove in both hands, smashing it down on his head.
He was a bit bewildered, truly stunned by such a rough fighting style.
Subconsciously, he raised his blade to block.
With a "bang," a force like Mount Tai pressing down shook his Soul Power into chaos, and the sickle Martial Soul in his hand shattered with a "crack."
"You..." He wanted to say something in terror, but was hit on the head by Lin Mo's unceasing stove.
He was smashed directly to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
All of this happened in a flash. The boos in the audience died out, and everyone was stunned.
No, is this Martial Soul that looks like a Medicine Cauldron and a stove used like this?
Not to mention them, even Teacher An Nuolan and Teacher Shen Yao were dumbfounded. They had never seen Lin Mo use his Martial Soul like this before.
But thinking about it, they felt relieved; Lin Mo was clearly deliberately hiding his strength.
"Trash!" The bearded man roared when he saw this, greeting the remaining teammate, "Attack together, kill that big-breasted little loli first!"
The greatest threat to close combat is definitely the Control-type Martial Soul. This is common sense.
As long as the big-breasted loli is dealt with, not only can the two teammates be saved, but the threat can also be eliminated.
The rake Soul Master and the bearded man immediately flanked from both sides, their Martial Soul lights flaring, clearly intending to kill Lu Mengmeng in one blow.
"Little Fox, slow them down!" Lin Mo shouted.
"Received!" Su Xiaoxiao activated her Martial Soul, immediately using her only Mysterious-tier primary Soul Skill.
A layer of thin ice instantly condensed on the ground.
The rake Soul Master stumbled and slipped directly.
Lin Mo and Da Chun seized the opportunity, one holding the stove, one holding the pot, and went up for a round of smashing.
"Clang, bang, crash!" It looked like the Eighteen Bronze Men fighting with stools; it was incredibly reckless.
The audience outside the arena stared in dumbstruck amazement.
No, is this how you duel?
Watching his teammates fall one after another, the bearded man was so angry he smashed an axe into the ground. The ice on the ground was directly shattered.
Then, gripping the axe handle with both hands, he began to spin.
"Crazy Axe Whirlwind!"
"It's over."
Seeing his powerless, angry little whirlwind, Lin Mo shook his head.
"Suppress for me!"
A phantom of a giant Pill Furnace smashed down.
"Boom!"
The bearded man was directly pressed under the Pill Furnace, with only his constantly twitching limbs visible.
"Ow, we surrender, we surrender!"
The two people entangled by Lu Mengmeng were so scared they shouted loudly.