At this moment, the starlight crown above Xu Jiujiao's head flared with dazzling brilliance. Her third soul ring lit up, and a pillar of radiant golden light shot skyward.
Inside that golden pillar swirled a mist-like radiance filled with glittering starlight, rising and spiraling—strange and mysterious. The golden mist quickly spread outward, enveloping her six teammates.
"Wind and Fire Dual Control—release!"
Two sharp cries rang out from the Star Luo Academy battle team. Two girls simultaneously conjured halos, one green, one red.
They were the team's control-type soul masters, their martial souls elemental in nature: one of wind, one of fire.
Under the golden aura Xu Jiujiao radiated, the two colored halos intertwined, expanding rapidly. Their power faintly surpassed even the full-strength strike of a Soul Emperor.
As the saying goes: wind fuels the fire. The instant the two halos surged together, the air split with howls and explosions.
A massive pillar of wind and fire roared into the sky. The flames, sharpened by the gale, became like a colossal grinder, surging inward, crashing toward the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's formation.
"Beware their control! I'll take Xu Jiujiao—scatter and engage separately!"
Ma Rulong bellowed, biting into the bun in his hand. A series of soul tools appeared all over him, spitting streams of fire like a mobile cannon turret as he charged from the flank.
Jiang Jue and the others moved just as swiftly, scattering to the sides.
The roaring tornado of fire and wind tore through the spot Sun Moon Royal had stood, splitting the stage clean down the middle. The solid ground cracked wide open.
Seeing her strike dodged, Xu Jiujiao showed no disappointment. She hadn't expected it to land. Its purpose had been to split their formation apart—for her to defeat them piece by piece.
"Huang Heyun, intercept Ma Rulong. Wang Yichen, support him."
Xu Jiujiao gave her orders calmly. Wang Yichen was the fire controller from earlier.
"Roar!"
A tiger's roar shook the air. Black energy swirled around Huang Heyun as his body swelled, muscles bulging, a black 王 (King) character forming on his brow.
This was his martial soul: the Dark Demon Tiger, a rare dark-attribute beast soul, its strength rivaling even the Evil-Eyed White Tiger.
Jiang Jue's lips curled as he watched.
"I wonder what Elder Wuyun would think, seeing this…"
Both bore dark-attribute martial souls. Yet Huang Heyun, born a noble, could represent Star Luo in the Continental Advanced Academy Tournament, while Wuyun Douluo was branded a heretic, hunted everywhere.
In the end, it was all about birth. Who at Star Luo Academy wasn't from privilege?
Meanwhile, above, Chen Xiaojie—the Lightning Falcon soul master—was clashing midair with Chen Fei. Both were lightning-attribute flyers, though Chen Fei was also a close-combat soul engineer. The sky rumbled endlessly with thunder and lightning.
Lin Xi and Xiao Xiafeng, from below, supported Ma Rulong's charge with long-range soul tools.
The battlefield grew ever more intense.
Jiang Jue unleashed his immense spiritual power across the arena, while icy thorned vines writhed madly behind him.
"It's you—Gu Du Shangshan."
His eyes chilled. Blood and qi surged, extreme cold bursting from his body. Like an arrow from the bow, he shot forward, shadows trailing, straight at Gu Du Shangshan, who stood guarding that flank.
"A mere Soul Sect dares this much?!"
With a lion's roar, waves of sound surged. Possessed by the Nether Lion, Gu Du Shangshan's body turned faintly ethereal.
"Wind's Agility!"
A gust of emerald wind swept forth—Wind Controller Wang Shiying's strike.
Jiang Jue faced it head-on. His right arm glowed emerald, covered in crystalline ice.
Clang!
The razor-sharp winds battered him like blades, yet he raised his right hand, cold mist swirling. In an instant, the winds froze and dissipated.
"Fight me!"
"Nether Rage!"
Gu Du Shangshan roared, his body bulking up, muscles surging. Dark red flames burst over him, blazing with scorching heat.
"Flames, is it…"
Jiang Jue murmured softly. Behind him, the phantom of a mighty scorpion flickered. His sleeve ripped apart, revealing the savage tattoo of the Ice Emperor on his arm.
The ice thorns at his back came alive, lashing toward Gu Du Shangshan.
Zzzzz!
Fire and ice clashed. Steam instantly shrouded the battlefield, obscuring all sight.
"Where is he?!"
Within the mist, Gu Du Shangshan suddenly realized Jiang Jue had vanished—not only from sight, but from his perception altogether. A sense of dread seized him.
"Your flames mean nothing before me. I am the Sovereign of Ice!"
Suddenly, Jiang Jue appeared behind him. A flash of emerald brilliance, faster than the eye could follow—
"Wrath of the Ice Emperor!"
Boom!
The flames on Gu Du Shangshan's body vanished. His martial soul withered as if smothered by its nemesis. Terror surged through him; it felt as though he had plunged into the Nine Hells.
The emerald light spread from a single point, consuming his body. He frantically tried to circulate soul power, but it was frozen, sluggish, useless.
"Impossible—I'm a Soul King!"
Jiang Jue was already at his back. His ice-blue soul power surged into his palm, which pressed gently against Shangshan's spine.
Blue merged with emerald. In an instant, Gu Du Shangshan was encased in ice, frozen solid, his face locked in disbelief.
He could not believe that in so short a span, he had been defeated by a Soul Sect.
"A Soul King? It's not like I haven't beaten them before."
"In this tournament, you're neither the first, nor the last."
The icy vines behind Jiang Jue whipped down like a lash. The frozen statue that was Gu Du Shangshan shattered and flew off the stage—eliminated.
That was the tyranny of elemental restraint. Or rather, the tyranny of Ultimate Ice.
"This might be a chance!"
Xu Jiujiao was briefly stunned, but reacted swiftly as Ma Rulong and Jiang Jue pressed closer.
Her golden eyes narrowed. Slowly, she raised her right hand skyward, a spark of golden light at her fingertip. The crown on her head flared again.
A golden sphere burst forth—a shining barrier.
Seeing it, Huang Heyun immediately pulled back, abandoning his block on Ma Rulong.
The barrier expanded, transforming into a golden curtain. At its peak hovered a radiant jewel, with 108 facets gleaming like stars, fist-sized and spinning rapidly.
"Star Guardian!"
Xu Jiujiao's voice was low and firm. Light from her Starlight Crown poured into the shield. The barrier swelled, enveloping both Ma Rulong and Jiang Jue.
"Damn—it's an Absolute Defense soul tool!"
Ma Rulong cursed. He had been careless.
He hadn't expected Star Luo to produce such a priceless item. On the market, such a tool could fetch over a million gold soul coins—and it was single-use.
Xu Jiujiao smiled faintly, watching the two trapped inside.
This Absolute Defense soul tool could last for a full quarter of an hour. Only a Soul Sage or higher could hope to break it.
With Ma Rulong sealed away, when fifteen minutes passed, the outcome was already decided.
But suddenly, she noticed something unsettling—inside the golden barrier, Jiang Jue remained utterly calm. He even met her gaze and…smiled.
A chill crept into her heart.
"He… shouldn't be able to escape… right?"
(End of Chapter)