While Li Luo was fighting Zhao Xingying and the other two commanders, the other two routes saw similarly heated fights.

Qin Zhulu's golden tiger avatar was roaring at full power as he fought with bestial fury. He was in his element—against impossible odds that triggered his primal instincts for aggression.

His heavy spear twirled effortlessly in his hand as he took on three opponents at once.

All three of them were First Changings, but even with the numbers advantage, they were steadily being swatted backwards by Qin Zhulu.

His power was undisputed—he had only been overshadowed by a freak like Li Luo. Not even Zhao Xingying could have stood against him in a one-on-one battle. And now that the three commanders were busy with Li Luo, he was the next biggest fish in the pond.

The combined school forces had no choice but to assign their three strongest students to deal with Qin Zhulu.

And still, the results were not looking good for them.

Qin Zhulu was a monster on the battlefield, built for offense, offense, and then more offense. Whether in terms of moves or personality, he had committed all of his efforts into relentless attack.

However, he was not defenseless.

A glittering armor of ice sheathed him at strategic points of his body, morphing and repositioning to block any attacks that came in while leaving his movements unrestricted. It not only bolstered his defenses substantially, but the armor itself would counter their attacks with a chilling blast of power that numbed them and left them vulnerable.

It was like putting wings on a tiger.

This frustratingly useful armor had been provided by a beautiful girl in Qin Zhulu's squad. She was currently wielding a high-grade ice resonance with skill.

The three that were fighting Qin Zhulu could only grit their teeth and soldier on, doing their best to hold the line. Secretly, they prayed that the other fighters were doing better.

The other fighters were not doing better.

Yi Lisha's squad had taken the fight to their opponents as well, holding them back. Plus, Yin Yue had come from Qin Zhulu's squad to support them, and they were holding their ground easily.

Lu Qing'er was truly proving her worth. Not only was she shielding the solo Qin Zhulu, she had to face five opponents all by herself. However, this cloud had a silver lining. These five were un-coordinated, their leaders all being occupied by Qin Zhulu.

Which meant that their combined strength was probably not even at the Evolving Resonance Tier.

On the other hand, ever since Lu Qing'er's ice resonance had reached the lower eighth-grade, her cultivation speed had increased. Combined with the resources that the school provided, she was already a First Changing, catching up to the other squad leaders besides Qin Zhulu and Li Luo. In the open clearing, nothing stood between the girl and her opponents.

A tuft of snowflakes swirled around Lu Qing'er, and the dry leaves under her feet hardened and turned brittle with cold. She looked coolly at her opponents, ice-silk-gloved hands open and ready to fight.

Her five opponents trembled.

Lu Qing'er did not hesitate. Snow-white resonant power blasted forth from her elegant hands, covering the sky in ice before sending it down in a thick blanket on her unfortunate foes.

At the same time, she blew out a harsh, icy mist from her lips that obscured their vision and slowed them down.

Five on one, and yet they were forced to defend themselves, flailing helplessly in the mist.

All in all, Qin Zhulu's route was doing very well.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the last route, where Bai Doudou, Wang Hejiu, and Yu Lang were.

Thanks to Yu Lang's rumored status as a dual resonance user, the three schools had sent a large number of squads to deal with him.

"One, two, three... six squads?!"

Yu Lang stared at the opposing force in dismay. "We only have two squads. How are we going to fight so many?"

"Scared?" Bai Doudou glared at him.

Yu Lang shook his head. "No, no. I'm not scared. Of them. Anyway, I was just thinking that since they have so many people, they might try to slip past us. If they get into the valley, we'll be in trouble." 

Bai Doudou frowned. "We don't have a choice. We must keep all of them busy."

Yu Lang chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Well, I mean... It'll be too hard to fight them all in a straight fight. We should try to even the odds a little."

Bai Doudou stared at him. "What's on your sneaky, little mind now?" Yu Lang might be weaker than them, but his brain moved like it had its own wind resonance.

Yu Lang smiled cheekily. "Why, we do sneaky things, of course. For example..." he looked over at the impassive Wang Hejiu. "We put the covers over their heads and send them poisonous farts underneath!"

"Watch your tongue," Wang Hejiu hissed.

"Now, now, don't mind my language." Yu Lang hurriedly tried to calm him. "What I meant to say was that your poison resonance could be very crucial in helping us turn the tide, with a bit of luck.

Wang Hejiu frowned. "My poison resonance isn't powerful enough to make them drop instantly. If they have wood or water resonance users in their ranks, they'll be able to nullify it easily. Besides, poison gas works best in an enclosed area."

"We can set up the environment," Yu Lang assured him. "I just want to know this: if we can lure them to a sealed environment, can your poison take them down?"

Wang Hejiu thought it over. "I have a secret art that can strengthen the poison gas temporarily," he finally said. "If you can really trap them in a closed environment, I can make them pay the price."

"Good!" Yu Lang said, satisfied.

"You're going out to be bait?" Bai Doudou asked him.

Yu Lang sighed. "I might as well... They already think I'm the second dual resonance user. Only I have the power to tempt them. When I get them where we want them, just lay on the poison. Don't worry about me. If we waste time getting me out, they'll escape," he said firmly.

Wang Hejiu looked at him doubtfully. "My poison is no joke. And you're already quite weak. When the poison gas gets into your body, you'll suffer very badly."

Yu Lang shook his head sadly. "It can't be helped. If they smell the trap, all our efforts will be wasted."

Wang Hejiu looked at Yu Lang. Until this moment, he had never paid the least bit of attention to this guy, but now he felt a bit of respect for his willingness to sacrifice himself.

Bai Doudou looked at Yu Lang a little more kindly. "Take care out there," she said softly.

She did not object to the plan. Indeed, this was a time when heroics were needed. And Yu Lang was good at this.

Yu Lang gave them a jaunty wave as he stepped forward. He looked back at the others, basking in their awe and respect for a moment. He felt like a king.

He turned back to Wang Hejiu. "Look here, mate. I don't think you think too highly of me. Just to confirm... you're not going to poison me to death, are you?"

Wang Hejiu scowled. "I don't plan on having my house wiped from the school by Vice Principal Su Xin."

Yu Lang nodded to himself, satisfied with the answer. He turned away. "Well, I'll be going."