Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 41 Attack
As dusk settles, the city lights begin to illuminate the night.

In a VIP room on the top floor of a luxurious hotel in Tiandou City, Ning Fengzhi and his beloved daughter Ning Rongrong sat facing each other. The two pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong—stood quietly on either side as always. The light from the crystal chandelier shone through the glazed lamps, casting a dreamlike glow throughout the room.

The maids quietly laid out the tea and refreshments, bowed, and left, the gilded doors closing silently, completely shutting out the noise from the outside world.
Ning Rongrong put down her silver chopsticks and blinked her clear, glassy eyes: "Dad, what is it that you have to tell me during dinner?"

Ning Fengzhi elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth and said gently, "Rongrong, Dad wants to ask you about someone."

Seeing the puzzled look on his daughter's face, he continued, "How much do you know about Feng Yao, the captain of the Royal Fighting Team?"

"Feng Yao?" Ning Rongrong's expression suddenly became subtle. "Why doesn't Dad just ask Brother Qinghe about this?"

Ning Fengzhi chuckled and shook his head, lightly stroking his scepter. "Your brother Qinghe is extremely busy and is the Crown Prince, so it wouldn't be appropriate for your father to directly inquire about his subordinates." He looked at his beloved daughter with gentle eyes. "I understand that you once engaged in a Soul Battle with the Royal Fighting Team, so I wanted to ask you about it."

Ning Rongrong slowly put down her teacup, her glassy eyes filled with reminiscence: "He was so strong that even Third Brother was defeated by him."

"What?" Ning Fengzhi paused slightly with his chopsticks. Even Chen Xin and Gu Rong, who had maintained a calm expression, couldn't help but show surprise.

Ning Fengzhi's voice rose unconsciously, and he asked incredulously, "Even Tang San... isn't his match?"

“In that battle, we were almost completely crushed.” Ning Rongrong unconsciously rubbed the rim of her cup with her fingertips. “Even when Third Brother used all the hidden weapons he had, he still couldn’t defeat him. Instead, he was seriously injured by his zither music, and his internal injuries took a long time to heal.”

Ning Fengzhi's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Rongrong, tell me about that match in detail."

As Ning Rongrong recounted her story, the atmosphere in the private room grew increasingly tense. When she spoke of Feng Yao's exquisite zither music controlling the entire arena and suppressing the Shrek Seven Devils, and mentioned that Tang San's hidden weapons were all deflected by the sound waves, Chen Xin and Gu Rong's expressions became extremely interesting.
When Ning Rongrong described Feng Yao's unpredictable use of his martial soul, even the usually aloof Sword Douluo Chen Xin couldn't help but exclaim, "That child's understanding of the essence of martial souls far surpasses that of his peers."

Gu Rong stroked his chin and continued, "Based on the Limitless Style, yet through unique understanding, he has managed to develop such a balanced martial soul ability. Offense and defense are seamlessly integrated, with virtually no weaknesses. If one had to nitpick..." He paused, "perhaps only slightly inferior in close combat."

"Close combat?" Chen Xin sneered. "Among Soul Masters of the same rank, how many can be faster than his fingers plucking the strings?" The implication was that unless it was a peak expert like Gu Rong who was proficient in spatial power, ordinary Soul Masters would have no chance of winning against Feng Yao.

Ning Rongrong suddenly remembered something and pouted, "I saw him practicing distraction control today, could it be you, Dad?"

“It wasn’t instructed by me.” Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a wry smile. “If I’m not mistaken, it should be Qinghe’s doing.”

A glint flashed in Chen Xin's eyes: "Distraction control is useless in the hands of ordinary Soul Masters, but in this young man's hands," he looked meaningfully out the window, "...every additional level of mastery adds another killing move."

A moment of silence fell over the private room, broken only by the wisps of smoke rising from the gilded incense burner. Ning Fengzhi gazed at the trail of the smoke, lost in thought.

Time flies like an arrow, and with the conclusion of the tenth round of qualifiers, the battle situation in the Tiandou region is becoming clearer.

Shrek Academy, with an impressive record of ten wins out of ten, has surged ahead to the top of the standings. This once-unknown team has now become the most dazzling dark horse of this tournament.

Currently, only the four other strong teams among the Five Elements Academy besides Elephant Armor Sect—Divine Wind, Blazing Fire, Heavenly Water, and Thunder Academy—have maintained an undefeated record, matching Shrek Academy.

Interestingly, since their first battle against the Elephant Armor Sect, Shrek Academy has not encountered any other elemental academies. Instead, the Elephant Armor Sect has faced four other elemental academies in succession, suffering defeat after defeat each time. Their prized diamond defense proved utterly ineffective against these familiar opponents.

At this point, the preliminary round standings were clear: Shrek Academy and the Four Elemental Academies, with perfect records, firmly held their positions in the top group, the five teams shining like five suns atop the leaderboard. Meanwhile, the once-powerful Elephant Armor Academy had only managed a dismal five wins and five losses, struggling in the middle of the standings. This situation caught not only Elephant Armor Academy off guard, but also the tournament organizing committee completely off guard.

As the competition progresses, the gap between the teams is widening. The top five teams have already pulled far ahead, leaving the other participating academies far behind.
As usual, Feng Yao strolled into the VIP section, his moon-white robe spotless in the morning light. He held the ancient "Fuxi" zither in his arms, his fingertips habitually caressing the strings, creating a tranquil space amidst the bustling arena.

The waiter respectfully led him to a seat, a spot perfectly positioned to have a panoramic view of the entire central arena. Feng Yao nodded slightly in thanks, but his gaze was already fixed on the green team in the arena.

"Round One, Center Arena: Shrek Academy vs. Blazing Fire Academy!" The host's enthusiastic voice resounded throughout the arena. The members of both teams entered the arena amidst deafening cheers, and the entire Great Soul Arena instantly erupted in excitement.

A deafening roar erupted from the stands. While many supported Blazing Fire Academy, the cheers were largely for the dark horse team that had been creating miracles along the way. Since defeating Elephant Armor Sect, Shrek Academy's popularity had skyrocketed. If they could defeat Blazing Fire again, they would surely forge a new legend.

Feng Yao's fingertips paused abruptly on the strings, his brows furrowing involuntarily. Through the perception of "Fuxi," he clearly sensed the abnormality in the Shrek Academy team's lineup—Tang San, who should have been the core player, was nowhere to be seen.

"The plot has gone awry," he muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the "Fuxi" character. According to his memory of the original story, this crucial battle against the Blazing Fire Academy should have been Tang San's stage to shine.

Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng walked at the front of the group, followed closely by Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. Behind them were Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu, whose iconic green team uniforms were now densely covered with various sponsor logos—next to the "Wash for Better Health" slogan, several more company logos had been added. Feng Yao closed his eyes, his mind rapidly reviewing the original plot from his memories. Suddenly, he slightly opened his eyes, a hint of realization flashing in them, followed by a subtle change in his expression.

"Without the divine herbs and opportunities of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well," he lightly tapped the zither with his fingertips, "Tang San not only cannot refine a hidden weapon like the Yama's Decree, but his fire resistance is also greatly reduced. The Blazing Fire Academy's natural advantage is something even Yu Xiaogang might be helpless against."

Thinking of this, Feng Yao suddenly realized something, a strange smile appearing on his lips: "That extra, Shi Nian... wait..." His gaze unconsciously swept towards the contestants' passage, "If Shi Nian really succeeds, how will Xiao Wu concentrate on the competition?"

This discovery sent a chill down his spine. It seemed the course of this world's story had already been unpredictably altered by his existence.
"A dragon and a tiger pairing? Interesting." Feng Yao gently plucked the strings of his zither. "It seems this butterfly's wings are flapping more vigorously than expected."

His gaze darted back and forth between the arena and the VIP seats. He suddenly realized a more terrifying possibility—if Tang San had truly met with misfortune, that Haotian Douluo would probably have already turned Heaven Dou City upside down. The fact that the arena was calm and peaceful now precisely indicated…
"It seems that the variable of Shi Nian has been dealt with." Feng Yao murmured softly, his fingertips gently plucking the strings of his zither. An invisible sound wave quietly spread out, attempting to probe for clues hidden in the shadows of the arena.

Feng Yao gently shook his head, his fingertips tapping thoughtfully on the strings. Through the perception of "Fuxi," he could clearly judge the fatal flaw in Shrek Academy's current lineup—the lack of Tang San as a control core, relying solely on the offensive combination of Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng, made their tactical choices extremely extreme.

“Either crush Blazing Fire with overwhelming force,” he said, his gaze sweeping over the Netherworld White Tiger and Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex poised to strike, “or…” his gaze shifting to the fiercely prepared Fire Dance on the opposite side, Feng Yao's brow furrowing slightly, “you will be slowly strangled by Blazing Fire's control chains.”

"Wait a minute, shouldn't they have abstained in this situation?"

This all-or-nothing lineup arrangement was clearly not Yu Xiaogang's style. Feng Yao's fingers suddenly paused, a flash of realization crossing his eyes: "Yu Tianheng shouldn't have revealed this trump card so early unless..."

Unless Tang San is truly too injured to fight. This thought made Feng Yao unconsciously sit up straight.

Feng Yao's gaze unconsciously swept to the other side of the VIP seats, and Ning Fengzhi seemed to have noticed the abnormality as well. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang on the sidelines frowned. With the schedule locked, the time for forfeiting had already passed, leaving him with no choice but to make this arrangement—to use the powerful explosive force of the Netherworld White Tiger and the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus to try and gain a sliver of hope.

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the center of the arena. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul Fusion Skill and Yu Tianheng's Thunder erupted simultaneously, but Huo Wu's bug-like Resistance Fire Ring not only interrupted their Martial Soul Fusion Skill but also sent Yu Tianheng flying.

Yu Xiaogang, standing in the stands, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. He stared intently at the arena, his eyes flashing with resentment: "The combined energy of two fire-attribute support soul masters, with such control intensity, even Tianheng..."

His gaze was fixed on the red-haired girl opposite him—Fire Dance from Blazing Academy. This girl's targeting of Dai Mubai was simply outrageous; every time the Netherworld White Tiger was about to take shape, she would precisely interrupt it.

"The Martial Soul Fusion Technique is completely locked down." Yu Xiaogang's tactical board groaned under the strain. Veins bulged on his forehead as he thought bitterly, "It's all that bastard Shi Nian's fault! If it weren't for him..."

A sharp pain spread from his chest, and Yu Xiaogang had to clench his clothes tightly and take several deep breaths to calm himself down. However, the worry in his weathered eyes grew even deeper.

"Even if the mistress hadn't met with misfortune," he thought bitterly, gazing at the raging flames, "faced with this level of fire control, I'm afraid..."

This thought made his fingers tremble involuntarily. As a master of theory, he knew better than anyone that in the face of absolute elemental suppression, even the most exquisite control was nothing more than empty talk. The firepower displayed by Blazing Academy at this moment had already exceeded the scope of ordinary Soul Masters.

On the field, Dai Mubai's tall figure swayed slightly, sweat mixed with dust sliding down his resolute face. He looked around—Yu Tianheng was kneeling on the ground, his soul power completely exhausted; the other team members were also at their limit.

“We…” His voice was hoarse, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Finally, a resolute glint flashed in his tiger-like eyes, and he practically spat out two words through gritted teeth: “We admit—defeat—”

Those two words weighed heavily, striking the hearts of every member of Shrek Academy. Dai Mubai turned away after speaking, not wanting his teammates to see his red-rimmed eyes. As captain, this was the first time he had uttered those two words on the field, each syllable feeling like a knife cutting through his skin.

Feng Yao watched the Shrek Academy team's dejected retreat and couldn't help but smile. "It's just a loss, why be so dramatic?" He gently stroked the strings of his zither, shaking his head and chuckling. These young people take winning and losing too seriously, losing the composure that a Soul Master should have.

As his fingertips gently brushed across "Fuxi," Feng Yao quickly regained his composure and continued practicing his mind control. A wondrous balance gradually formed within his sea of ​​consciousness.

Ning Fengzhi, sitting in the VIP section, seemed to sense something and glanced back. He saw the white-robed youth with his eyes lowered, playing the zither, as if the surrounding clamor was irrelevant to him. This detached demeanor caused a flicker of surprise in the eyes of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's sect master.
Huo Wu, who was in the middle of the match, keenly noticed the unusual situation on Shrek Academy's side. She frowned slightly, and a hint of doubt flashed in her ruby-like eyes. As a genius girl from Blazing Fire Academy, she had studied Tang San's tactics and fighting style extensively, and she knew every match of Shrek Academy inside and out.

Huo Wu crossed her arms, her ruby-like eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze swept across the arena to Dai Mubai: "Why didn't Tang San play?" She deliberately raised her voice, her tone carrying a hint of provocation.

A cold glint flashed in Dai Mubai's platinum pupils. He straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, his voice steady and restrained: "Sorry, this has nothing to do with you." He paused for a moment, then straightened his tall frame, enunciating each word clearly: "Next time, we won't lose again."

Huo Wu gave a soft hum, her fiery red hair swaying gently in the breeze. A meaningful smile played on her lips: "I hope so." As she turned to leave, she tilted her head slightly, her voice clear: "Tell Tang San I'm looking forward to his appearance—don't keep me waiting too long."

As Dai Mubai watched Huo Wu's departing figure, his fists clenched unconsciously.

(End of this chapter)