"It's actually a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
In the VIP seats, Xue Qinghe sat upright. He had come specifically to watch this high-level preliminary match.
One of the participants was Ning Rongrong, which was another reason for his attendance.
But he hadn't expected to witness so many interesting things.
Soul Power Fusion, Martial Soul Fusion Skills, Soul Bones…
Xue Qinghe couldn't help but sigh.
"Each new generation surpasses the last! The young Soul Masters of this tournament are shockingly powerful, wouldn't you agree, Teacher?"
"Indeed." Ning Fengzhi didn't argue, replying thoughtfully, "I've heard that Your Highness's… close friend will also be participating. Could you perhaps share some details about her strength? I must admit, I'm somewhat curious."
"I'm not entirely sure myself!" Xue Qinghe sighed in frustration.
"She's always busy training and never has time to visit. If it weren't for her formidable strength, those ministers would probably be pushing noble ladies from the Heaven Dou Empire onto me again. Sometimes, it's quite troublesome."
Xue Qinghe vented his grievances, acting as though only in front of his teacher could he reveal his true feelings—as if he had no one else to confide in.
"You've had it hard, Qinghe…" Ning Fengzhi chuckled.
"As your teacher, I'm quite curious—just how far has your relationship with that Miss Qian Renxue progressed?"
"Teacher, I didn't expect you to be so nosy." Xue Qinghe looked exasperated. "How can I focus on romance when the empire is unstable? Matters of the heart can wait until the rebellion is dealt with."
"Ah, everything is just so troublesome."
"Honestly, I envy the teams competing in the Soul Master Tournament. They don't have to worry about these things—they just need to train hard and become powerful Soul Masters."
"Perhaps everyone has a youthful heart, dreaming of standing victorious on the tournament stage." Ning Fengzhi didn't argue, recalling his own participation in the tournament many years ago.
"Teacher, who do you think will win?" Xue Qinghe gazed at the arena below, his tone questioning.
"The Seven Treasures team. I have some confidence in the academy I support."
"Is that so…" Xue Qinghe's gaze grew distant. "Then I'll support them as well."
...
While Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi were talking, the surrounding spectator stands, VIP rooms, and exclusive team lounges were abuzz with excitement.
Most were discussing the Blazing Wind team's strength—not only did they have a Soul Bone Set, but they also possessed Soul Power Fusion and a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Many exclaimed that their tickets today had been well worth it.
If not for the slightly small arena, the intensity of this match could rival—or even surpass—the finals of past Elite Soul Master Tournaments.
"Surrender. Now it's our turn to say that." Huo Wu and Huo Wushang, controlling their nearly completed Martial Soul Fusion Skill, stared coldly.
"Are you celebrating too early?" Ning Rongrong's calm voice rang out.
Huo Wu frowned, a faint sense of unease rising in her heart.
But now, there was nothing to fear. With Xue Ke's Soul Bone Set enhancing them, even a Soul King wouldn't be able to break their defenses quickly. Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill was bound to succeed.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skills aren't exclusive to you." Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda glowed as strange patterns appeared beneath her feet.
An Eight Trigrams formation rapidly expanded outward from her, the black and white symbols slowly rotating clockwise.
"This is…"
Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu were stunned.
But among the spectators, a well-informed Soul Master stood up, exclaiming in shock:
"A domain! It's a domain!"
Even Title Douluo might not comprehend a domain.
Though in some cases, innate domains existed, they were rarer than winning the lottery.
For example, Tang Yuehua of the Moon Pavilion, despite not being a Soul Master, possessed the unique innate domain "Nobility's Ring"—an almost inconceivable phenomenon.
Could the evolution of the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda have granted an innate domain?
"Damn it, what use is a domain?" Huo Wu gritted her teeth, pouring all her effort into completing their skill.
"You're just a Soul Ancestor. The Martial Soul Fusion Skill between me and Feng Xiaotian rivals that of a Soul Emperor!"
"Oh, really?" Ning Rongrong smiled. "I believe I just said that Martial Soul Fusion Skills aren't anything special. Who doesn't have one?"
"You—!" Huo Wu wanted to retort, but a chilling sensation suddenly crept over her body.
"N-no way…!" Huo Wu trembled, her widened eyes betraying disbelief and shock.
"Xiao Wu, stay calm! We haven't lost yet!" Feng Xiaotian shouted, also sensing the bone-piercing cold spreading across the arena.
"A… Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
In the distance, Xue Ke, who had been providing buffs to Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian, paled in astonishment.
Ning Rongrong's domain seemed to have accelerated the activation time of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Normally, Martial Soul Fusion Skills required some preparation, but the fusion of Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er's Martial Souls, combined with the profound mysteries of the Taiji diagram beneath Ning Rongrong's feet, defied logic.
The fusion of their Soul Power was occurring at an unprecedented speed, far surpassing the usual rate.
"Damn it, we're not done yet!" As one half of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Huo Wu could sense the disparity between the two sides.
Terrifying flames surged across the battlefield, the intense heat clashing with the encroaching cold, creating billowing steam.
The flames condensed into a two-headed fire wolf, its body towering and imposing.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Blazing Wind Surge!"
The moment Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian's voices fell, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er also completed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill at the critical moment.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Frostfall Blizzard!"
Countless translucent ice shards formed, each feather-like crystal a meticulously crafted work of art, radiating piercing cold.
A crystalline phoenix of ice appeared above the arena, its frigid aura spreading outward.
The extreme cold was met by scorching flames—a two-headed fire wolf, its entire body wreathed in blazing fire.
Every strand of its fur burned like a flickering flame, the friction with the air producing crackling explosions.
The two-headed wolf howled, charging forward with lightning speed, waves of heat rolling off it.
Flames and frost collided, hissing as steam erupted between them.
The ice phoenix let out a cry, diving down as its wings unleashed countless ice arrows, relentlessly bombarding the fire wolf.
The arrows sliced through the air, leaving trails of freezing energy—even distant spectators could feel the biting cold on their skin.
At the moment of impact, the two forces were evenly matched, erupting in a shockwave of heat and cold that split the arena in half.
But after a dozen seconds, the surrounding temperature gradually dropped. The heat was frozen by the cold, and with a final unwilling roar, the fire wolf dissipated.
A terrifying explosion sent residual energy rippling outward.
The ice phoenix broke through Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, continuing toward the three of them.
Even weakened, it was more than they could withstand.
However, the ice phoenix seemed to lose momentum, crashing to the ground just short of them.
A violent burst of icy energy followed, kicking up a fierce storm.
Xue Ke's protective barriers for herself, Feng Xiaotian, and Huo Wu shattered under the gale, the powerful winds hurling all three out of the arena.
All three sustained injuries and were eliminated.
Now, only Ning Rongrong, Ye Lingling, Shui Bing'er, and Shui Yue'er remained on stage.
Shui Yue'er staggered, nearly collapsing, but Shui Bing'er caught her in time.
The clash of Martial Soul Fusion Skills had been as dazzling as a cinematic spectacle, leaving the audience in stunned silence.
After a moment, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Glazed Academy!"
"Glazed Academy!"
"Glazed Academy!"
...
Meanwhile, Bi Ji quietly appeared beside Xue Ke.