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

Chapter 51 Combination and Fusion Techniques
The rest day passed quickly. Although the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy was directly admitted to the finals as a guaranteed team, they did not receive a bye because they did not participate in the preliminary rounds and qualifying rounds.

After eliminating half the teams in the first round, the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy drew the relatively unknown Star Luo Longkui Academy in the second round. Led by Feng Yao, the Royal Dou team easily won, demonstrating the strength of a seeded team.

The match continued, with the referee in red stepping onto the stage. "Round two: Star Luo Empire Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy versus Shrek Advanced Soul Master Academy."

The referee's voice made Feng Yao's gaze sharpen, and he turned to the Shrek waiting area. Sure enough, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's auras were different, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

The two teams took to the stage and lined up. Feng Yao noticed a familiar figure from the Star Luo Royal Academy—Zhu Zhuyun. On the Shrek Academy side, the six monsters excluding Ma Hongjun, along with Yu Tianheng, stood ready. Dai Mubai's evil eyes were more solemn than ever before, while Zhu Zhuqing coldly stared at Zhu Zhuyun opposite him.

"Zhu Qing, you've always had good luck," Zhu Zhuyun sneered. "Zhu Qing, I must say, you've always been very lucky. Back then, that kid saved you in Tian Dou, and now you and Mu Bai have even gotten involved with the three upper sects. However, that's where your relationship ends. Actually, your father and mother miss you very much, but we can't go against the ancestral rules. After the competition, you'll come back with me."

Zhu Zhuqing responded with a cold laugh, without uttering a word.

The referee in red stepped between the two teams. "Ready for the match. You may release your Martial Souls. The rules remain the same: the loser will be eliminated, and the winner will advance to the top eight. Shrek Advanced Soul Master Academy vs. Star Luo Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy. Ready."

Dai Mubai and Davis, Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun, their gazes clashed fiercely in the air. Amidst the roars of dragons and tigers, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng both summoned their martial souls, while Tang San unleashed the Clear Sky Hammer without any spirit rings. The dark hammer changed size in his hands, finally resting steadily on his shoulder.

Feng Yao was quite surprised to see Tang San like this. He wondered what it would be like for someone who was good at hidden weapons and tactics to use a weapon like the Clear Sky Hammer, which was meant for head-on combat.

"Huh? Tang San didn't seem to participate in the last match, right? Can he really handle the Clear Sky Hammer without spirit rings?" Dugu Yan asked doubtfully.

Feng Yao smiled and explained with a glint of surprise in his eyes, "Weapon spirits are different from beast spirits. For a spirit like the Clear Sky Hammer, which is of extremely high quality, even without spirit rings, it weighs 500 jin. For Tang San, although its power is not as great as a spirit of the same quality with spirit rings, this weight actually allows him to better control his spirit. His spirit power cultivation is still there, and compared to ordinary spirit masters, the quality of his spirit is enough to bridge the gap. He just lacks spirit skills."

The seven members of Xingluo Academy instantly released their soul power, with Davis and Zhu Zhuyun standing at the forefront, their soul power fluctuations being the most significant.

In the blink of an eye, four spirit rings, two yellow and two purple, appeared on their bodies.

Even more surprisingly, of the five people behind Davis and Zhu Zhuyun who released their martial souls, four were above level 40. Including the two of them, the total number of Soul Masters in the entire Star Luo Academy team reached six.

Apart from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team and the Spirit Hall Academy team that have already appeared, they are the team with the most Soul Masters above level 40 among the teams that have appeared so far.

"Game start!"

The battle is imminent!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand shimmered with light, and several beams of colorful light precisely entered Dai Mubai's body. At the same time, Oscar's sausage, under Tang San's exquisite hidden weapon technique, shot like a meteor into the hands of Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng. Tang San and Xiao Wu quickly retreated, forming a solid defensive line to protect the two support-type Soul Masters.

"Dragon and Tiger?" Feng Yao's eyes flashed with anticipation. He was eager to see what tactics Yu Xiaogang had designed for this combination.

Dai Mubai swallowed the sausage without hesitation, and the pink amplifying light intertwined and rose around him with the colorful light of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. On the opposite side, Davis and Zhu Zhuyun launched their attacks simultaneously.

Davis took the lead, instantly activating the White Tiger Protective Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation, attempting to single-handedly confront Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Yu Tianheng. Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuyun, empowered by her auxiliary soul skill, vanished like a ghost, leaving only an afterimage as she pounced on the rear from the flank.

"Overestimating yourself." Dai Mubai's lips curled slightly.

Just as Davis was about to collide with the three, a cold smile suddenly appeared on his face: "Naive!" A strange mirror appeared out of thin air, and Davis's figure instantly passed through the mirror and actually reunited with Zhu Zhuyun.

Tang San's pupils contracted—the opponent had clearly studied their tactics, and this was aimed at the weakness of the Clear Sky Hammer without rings!

Davis's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Amplified by the White Tiger Vajra Transformation, a White Tiger Blazing Light Wave shot straight at Tang San, while his tiger paws opened wide, aiming directly at Ning Rongrong and Oscar.

Facing the oncoming light wave, Tang San remained calm, lowering his body and whipping out his right hand like a whip:

"With combined strength and power, one can break through with swiftness—the key to breaking!"

The dark Haotian Hammer, accompanied by a howling wind, met the golden light wave head-on. Without any fancy soul skills, relying solely on the pure weight of the martial soul and exquisite force, it actually shattered the violent energy wave! Wherever the hammer's wind passed, the air trembled.

"Isn't this the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique?"

Off the field, Feng Yao frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. In his understanding, Tang San should only use the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique with the Clear Sky Hammer, and most of his other uses were throwing them as hidden weapons.

But the scene before them was completely different—Tang San’s starting stance was calm and restrained, and his hammer strikes were simple and sharp, as if he had been tempered by a thousand hammer blows, clearly a more exquisite technique of exerting force.

Noticing Feng Yao's confusion, Dugu Bo, standing not far away, chuckled and slowly explained, "A peerless Battle Soul Hammer, from the mighty Haotian Sect. Kid, watch closely, this is one of the Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian."

Feng Yao was taken aback upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes—this was completely different from the Haotian Sect's ultimate techniques as described in the original novel in his memory.

Dugu Bo stroked his beard and continued, "Doesn't it seem rather ordinary?" The old poison master narrowed his eyes. "This is simply the most basic method of generating power, though it's a closely guarded secret of the Haotian Sect."

At this point, he glanced at Tang San on the field: "But in different hands, the power varies drastically. This kid's current skill level is still far from sufficient."

Feng Yao suddenly understood. It was the product of honing the most basic power generation techniques to their ultimate form. Just like music, the simplest notes can evoke vastly different moods under the fingers of different people.

Feng Yao casually adjusted his posture, his slender fingers gently stroking the strings of the "Fuxi" zither. Strands of ultrasonic waves silently spread out, precisely locking onto Tang San, who was engaged in fierce combat. The invisible sound waves rippled like waves, clearly transmitting every subtle movement of Tang San into Feng Yao's consciousness. He thoughtfully stroked the zither, secretly reflecting that his mastery of powerful sonic attacks over the years was indeed limited. His strongest attack method was currently only compressing sound waves into sword-like sonic blades. This technique was sufficient against ordinary Soul Masters, but it proved inadequate against opponents of the same level—after all, sound waves attenuate with distance, an unchangeable natural law.

Dugu Bo, being extremely close, naturally sensed Feng Yao's subtle movements. A playful smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Kid, trying to steal my skills?" The old poisoner lowered his voice, "The Haotian Sect's secret techniques aren't so easy to learn."

Feng Yao smiled without saying a word, but the melody of his zither subtly changed. He continuously verified the details of the force he perceived with ultrasound with his own understanding of music, exploring entirely new possibilities in his mind.

The fierce battle raged on the field. Tang San, wielding the ringless Clear Sky Hammer, clashed head-on with Davis's White Tiger Martial Soul. The dark hammerhead and the sharp tiger claws collided with a deafening roar, resulting in a draw.

"Combining movement and stillness, using specific points to reveal broader implications—the key to understanding!"

Tang San shouted in a deep voice, his hammer stance suddenly changing. Both of them retreated several steps at the same time. Davis's tiger palm trembled slightly, a piercing pain coming from his palm, and his expression immediately became serious.

Feng Yao, through ultrasonic perception, instantly discerned the essence of Haotian's Nine Absolute Techniques: Tang San's legs were like bowstrings gathering power, his feet firmly planted on the ground, the power rising from the earth; and at the moment of striking the hammer, the imperceptible tremor of his wrist was the key to determining the direction of the power—like the last bit of force when a musician plucks a string, seemingly light, but actually containing the mystery of changing the timbre.

"I see." Feng Yao's fingertips trembled slightly on the strings, mimicking that way of exerting force. He suddenly understood why Tang Chen could be called invincible on land—this kind of technique that borrows the power of the earth would indeed be much less powerful in the air where there is nowhere to borrow strength.

A glint of light flashed in Feng Yao's eyes, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. He looked down at Fuxi in his arms, his fingertips gently caressing the strings of the zither, a completely new understanding forming in his mind.

“While playing the zither doesn’t require the same grounded force as striking a hammer,” he mused to himself, his fingers gliding gracefully across the instrument, “it is actually superior in terms of wrist dexterity and finger technique.”

The strings trembled slightly under his fingers, producing a clear and melodious resonance. Feng Yao seemed to have already seen that when he incorporated this essence of power into his zither playing, each note would contain a different kind of force—sometimes as gentle as a spring breeze and rain, sometimes as violent as a thunderbolt, and sometimes even like Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer, concealing penetrating power within its fierce hammering technique.

"Weiss! Are you alright?"

Zhu Zhuyun's figure appeared like a ghost, her slender hand steadily supporting the staggering Davis. A hint of worry flashed in her purple eyes, but it turned into determination when she met her lover's resolute gaze.

"The Netherworld White Tiger?" She parted her red lips slightly, and before the words were finished, their soul powers had already merged like a tide. The moment their fingers intertwined, a dazzling white light shot into the sky, and a giant tiger with a dark blue body proudly appeared in the world, its eyes flickering with Netherworld fire.

Dai Mubai sneered, "This is the moment we've been waiting for!" Almost simultaneously, another Netherworld White Tiger, slightly smaller but more agile, tore through the light barrier. The two divine beasts confronted each other, their violent soul power creating a hurricane in the arena.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Blue Lightning Dragon Swiftness!"

Yu Tianheng suddenly erupted, his dragon roar shaking the heavens. Shockingly, the colossal blue lightning dragon, carrying immense thunder, changed direction and charged straight at Dai Mubai's Netherworld White Tiger!
"What is this?!" The spectators exclaimed in shock. The electric dragon and the white tiger were entangled. In the blue and white energy storm, the Netherworld White Tiger appeared in a new form. The blue electric dragon was wrapped around the white tiger's body like a tattoo, and the white tiger's four claws emitted dazzling lightning.

"Combination Fusion Technique - Blue Lightning White Tiger Strike!"

With a roar from Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai, this unprecedented fusion beast charged towards the enemy formation with earth-shattering force, distorting the space in its path.

In the VIP section, Sword Douluo Chen Xin narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze piercing through the raging energy storm: "Using the White Tiger's body to bear the power of thunder? That's quite ingenious." He lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips. "Unfortunately, the Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian are merely empty shells in his hands."

Ning Fengzhi gently twirled the glass cup in his hand, his gentle voice carrying a hint of amusement: "Xiao San is still young, after all, and his main cultivation is Blue Silver Grass. It's already quite remarkable that he can wield the Haotian Hammer to this extent."

Bone Douluo Gu Rong suddenly chuckled, his hoarse voice tinged with mischief: "Feng Zhi, that kid from Tian Dou isn't exactly honest."

Ning Fengzhi's lips curled slightly, and his soul power echoed among the three: "It's alright. If the Haotian Sect's secret techniques were so easy to grasp, how could they have stood firm?"

boom--!
With a deafening roar, the raging energy formed by the intertwining of blue lightning and the power of the white tiger swept across the entire arena like a raging torrent. Despite the formidable strength of Davis's Netherworld White Tiger, it ultimately could not withstand the combined soul skill amplified by the double power. Blinding lightning tore through the tiger's body, the Netherworld power crumbled inch by inch, and the enormous white tiger phantom dissipated with a mournful cry.

The outcome is decided!

The lingering impact of the Netherworld White Tiger still raged like a hurricane, sending five figures flying like kites with broken strings, crashing off the arena one after another. As the dust settled, the remaining colossal beast in the arena gradually blurred, turning into specks of soul energy, and finally dissipating into nothingness.

Feng Yao stared at the fading afterglow of soul power in the arena, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "Yu Xiaogang is quite skilled, at least in terms of martial soul fusion techniques." He gently stroked his chin with his slender fingers, his thoughts flowing as he saw through the mystery.

“However,” a playful smile curved his lips, “this tactic can only work once.” Feng Yao’s gaze swept over the opponents on the sidelines, their expressions varying, and he thought to himself, “Unless they’re all fools, why would they give me a second chance?”

The members of the Royal Fighting Team watched the breathtaking scene unfold, their expressions varied. Feng Yao's lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes: "It seems he's thriving at Shrek Academy."

Upon hearing this, Yu Feng's expression froze, and his usually incessant mouth fell silent for once. He gave Feng Yao a strange look, his expression shifting several times before he finally remained silent.

Ye Lingling stood quietly to the side, her cool eyes sweeping lightly over Yu Tianheng on the stage. A barely perceptible ripple appeared in her eyes, but it quickly returned to calm.

The Shi brothers exchanged a smile, scratched their heads with a simple and honest expression, and their rugged faces were filled with genuine joy.

"Heh," Dugu Yan toyed with a strand of purple hair that fell over her shoulder, a meaningful smile appearing in her purple eyes, her red lips parting slightly: "Little Feng, aren't you feeling too good?"

"Just kidding." Feng Yao chuckled and waved his hand, but a glint of something unfathomable flashed in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)