Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 147: Yang Tianyue's Breakthrough

With Ye Lingling's surprising victory, she shattered all preconceived notions; a support-type Spirit Ancestor actually won a one-on-one match against a power-attack Spirit Ancestor, a feat unheard of in any spirit match. This left everyone questioning if she really was a support-type—she seemed more like a combatant.

Especially stunned were Yu Xiaogang and his disciple Tang San, who had previously analyzed, "Support-type Spirit Masters typically have no offensive capabilities, making them highly disadvantaged in one-on-one duels against Spirit Masters of the same level. For Heaven Dou Team Two, with only eight members, Ye Lingling will be a clear weak link—unless Yang Potian steps in to fight."

Yet Ye Lingling quickly dispelled this notion, proving herself as more than capable, even defeating the other team's captain—a victory so unexpected it almost seemed theatrical.

Tang San couldn't hold back and asked, "Teacher, can you tell how Ye Lingling developed that self-created spirit skill?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head, "Her performance was more remarkable than I anticipated. Not only her physical strength but her spirit power is on par with battle Spirit Masters at her level. Self-created spirit skills usually reflect a Spirit Master's spirit and innate abilities. I can't tell how she managed to create one with such power."

After Ye Lingling's win, Heaven Dou Team Two continued with their unique rotation strategy. Over the following days, the team's approach remained consistent: five random members would compete first, with Dugu Yan taking the sixth spot, leaving Yang Ping'an in reserve. Remarkably, Yang Ping'an didn't even need to fight—Dugu Yan often secured the final victories, even when facing three opponents alone.

Each member's contributions were impressive. Yang Tianyue consistently won her matches, Niu Mang quickly overpowered his opponents, and Ye Lingling, shockingly, won four out of her five battles, stunning everyone.

Even the team's lowest-ranked members, Niu Kui and Yang Yuxuan, managed to defeat Spirit Elders consistently, only struggling when faced with Spirit Ancestors. Heaven Dou Team Two's extraordinary combat strength left many teachers bewildered. Observers noticed that all the members of Heaven Dou Team Two seemed to have improved since the qualifiers—their agility and reflexes had visibly sharpened.

Some teachers attempted to decipher Heaven Dou Team Two's strategy, hoping to leverage a "strategic substitution" approach. But after much analysis, they found no clear pattern in their lineup; even Yu Xiaogang was stumped, frustrated to discover the team's order seemed entirely random, thwarting any pre-match planning.

Time flew by, and halfway through the qualification matches, Heaven Dou Team Two maintained an unbroken winning streak, holding firmly to first place. Even more impressive was that, after ten intense matches, Ye Lingling's spirit power had risen by a level, reaching 49th level.

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened at the sight of Ye Lingling's rapid progress, beginning to understand Yang Potian's underlying strategy.

In the twelfth round, Heaven Dou Team One and Heaven Dou Team Two finally met—two undefeated teams ready for a showdown. Yu Xiaogang meticulously strategized for this pivotal match.

Heaven Dou Team One's first competitor was Yu Tianheng, while Yang Tianyue from Heaven Dou Team Two stepped forward to face him.

Surprisingly, despite being only a 39th-level Spirit Elder, Yang Tianyue showed no hesitation, confidently attacking the 43rd-level Yu Tianheng. She gripped her Breaking Spirit Spear, ignoring the crackling lightning around her, and lunged forward.

With Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon fully activated, Yu Tianheng responded with equal force. The intense clash of lightning and spear shadows left the audience breathless, the back-and-forth battle exceeding everyone's expectations.

As the fight wore on, Yu Tianheng gradually gained the upper hand, his higher rank and the power of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon granting him an edge. Every spirit ring of his had been carefully selected by his clan, and he wielded family-exclusive techniques.

Though Yang Tianyue exhausted her first three spirit skills, leaving her spirit power nearly depleted, she stubbornly held her ground. Despite nearing exhaustion, she continued to wield her spear with relentless determination, matching Yu Tianheng strike for strike.

When Yu Tianheng unleashed his fourth spirit skill, Thunderous Dragon's Charge, Yang Tianyue, undeterred, activated her third spirit skill to counter him. The two clashed in an explosive collision, with Yu Tianheng taking two steps back, and Yang Tianyue getting blasted off her feet. However, as she landed, her spirit power began to surge, shaking violently. In the intense struggle, Yang Tianyue experienced a breakthrough, reaching the 40th level and advancing to Spirit Ancestor.

Though ultimately defeated, Yang Tianyue's mid-battle breakthrough left the entire arena stunned.

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened as he watched Yang Potian from across the field, surprised at Yang Potian's audacity to let his sister attempt such a risky breakthrough. Yang Tianyue's talent was awe-inspiring—at just thirteen, she'd reached the Spirit Ancestor level and achieved a breakthrough under intense pressure, displaying an extraordinary aptitude for combat and cultivation.

The match continued, but with his energy drained, Yu Tianheng fell to Ye Lingling in the second bout, bringing an embarrassing loss to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Victory or not, it was still humiliating for a Spirit Ancestor to lose to a support-type Spirit Ancestor.

Heaven Dou Team One's next fighter was Bai Xiaofei, who faced Niu Kui from Team Two. Bai Xiaofei, with superior spirit power and agility, defeated Niu Kui with ease.

Yang Yuxuan, stepping up next, managed to overcome Bai Xiaofei in a challenging fight, breaking Team Two's losing streak. Still, with only two fighters left for Team Two, things looked precarious.

The fifth contestant was Niu Mang, facing Heaven Dou Team One's Ma Hongjun, who was competing for the first time. Though Ma Hongjun was only at the 35th level, his Phoenix Fire Spirit granted him tremendous speed and agility. It was clear that Yu Xiaogang's strategy relied on wearing down Heaven Dou Team Two through strategic substitutions, aiming to exhaust the opposition while seizing opportunities to tip the balance.

Despite Ma Hongjun's attempts to use his flight abilities to hold his ground, facing Niu Mang with his powerful spirit abilities at the 45th level left him at a clear disadvantage. Niu Mang's strength, refined from his higher spirit level and combat experience, quickly began to overwhelm Ma Hongjun.

In the spectator stands, Teacher Li Xiang turned to Yang Potian and whispered, "Potian, should we alter our strategy a bit? Perhaps Niu Mang should stay in the fight and try for another win—he likely has enough spirit power left for one more round, and he could secure a victory."

Yang Potian shook his head. "No need. We set this strategy in advance, and there's no reason to change it now."

Teacher Li Xiang looked slightly worried. "But if we stick to this, it means Dugu Yan and Yang Ping'an will have to face Tang San, Tai Long, Dai Mubai, and Xiao Wu. That's a heavy load for just two people."

Yang Potian smiled, undeterred. "That's exactly what I want—to see them under pressure. Without pressure, there's no breakthrough."

Many onlookers had their eyes on Dugu Yan, curious if she would break through to the Spirit King level. If she succeeded, Heaven Dou Team Two would have two Spirit Kings, making them a serious contender against the Spirit Hall team. But for the past two months, despite being at the peak of level 49, Dugu Yan had struggled to take that final step, possibly due to mental pressure or external distractions.

Yang Potian knew he could use other methods to help her advance, but he refrained. In his view, breakthroughs achieved through combat and self-training built a stronger foundation for facing future challenges. Relying on external help might undermine her resilience when faced with future bottlenecks.

Moreover, while both Dugu Yan and Yang Ping'an had started with seventh-level innate spirit power, Yang Ping'an's strength, determination, and insight had grown under Yang Potian's training, which is why he'd advanced to Spirit King at a younger age.

Similarly, Tang San's indomitable will and refusal to accept defeat had driven him forward, enabling him to fight above his level and push his limits. This fighting spirit was one of the keys to his rapid advancement and formidable achievements.

In the arena, after a fierce battle, Niu Mang ultimately won, although his spirit power had been somewhat depleted by Ma Hongjun. He stepped down from the stage to the surprise of the audience, even though he still had over half of his spirit power remaining.

On the opposing side, Yu Xiaogang looked visibly relieved. If Niu Mang had stayed in the fight, he could have defeated another opponent and still depleted most of Heaven Dou Team One's fifth fighter's spirit power.

Yang Potian, observing from the stands, turned to Yang Ping'an beside him. "This match is critical for Dugu Yan, and just as crucial for you. Today, you'll face a more formidable opponent than ever, one who will test both your strength and your resolve."

Yang Ping'an nodded resolutely, his gaze fixed on Tang San. He understood that his real test would not only be Tang San, but also any other Spirit Ancestors he would have to face beforehand. Tang San's skills, shown in the qualifiers, included an impressive array of self-created spirit techniques, making him as dangerous as any Spirit King in the eyes of the spectators.

(End of Chapter)

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