"The time to fight back has come, sisters!" Xu Tianzhen shouted excitedly.
But Long Aotian responded coldly, "You're celebrating too early! You think your mere domain leaves me helpless? Innate True Qi, activate!"
As Long Aotian spoke, he seemed to establish a special connection with the heavens and the earth. A colorless, transparent energy called True Qi (true energy) emerged around him, gradually expanding under his control.
This True Qi forcibly pushed back the triple Dragon Maiden Domain, shielding Long Aotian and his teammates from its suppression entirely.
Even Xu Tianzhen's soul-guided laser attacks were completely blocked by the True Qi, unable to make the slightest impact.
Thus, the protective force formed by the True Qi and the triple domain stood divided yet balanced on the stage—locked in a stalemate, evenly matched.
On the stage, both Shadow Douluo and Porcelain Douluo looked visibly shocked. As Title Douluo, their senses were keener.
"He's actually drawing on the elemental force of heaven and earth? No, it's being used by him—turning into a defense mechanism? This is a technique from the Body Sect? A battle skill that can do this?" Shadow Douluo was astonished.
Porcelain Douluo's expression was solemn as he analyzed silently, "This so-called Innate True Qi can resist the power of domains, and as long as it's consumed, the elemental energy of the world replenishes it on its own. If you can't break through in a single strike, it's impossible to wear it down by attrition."
Both began weighing the techniques of the Third Prince against this Innate True Qi—wondering which was stronger.
The various factions watching from below had also noticed the key details and were full of admiration.
Inevitably, some eyes gleamed with greed. After all, a battle technique that could rival domains was priceless. Domains were unattainable for most, but what Long Aotian used was a technique—something that could be learned and passed on!
However, remembering Long Aotian's background in the Body Sect, many quickly suppressed any inappropriate thoughts. After all, the Body Sect was truly capable of exterminating entire bloodlines.
Moreover, Long Aotian's group was accompanied by elders for protection—two Title Douluo openly escorted them, and who knew how many hidden powerhouses were lurking in the shadows?
Although the audience couldn't understand the deeper principles, they loved a good battle between evenly matched foes and burst into enthusiastic cheers.
That said, most people still rooted for the Xu Clan team from the Sun Moon Empire, since the audience was mostly locals.
But Long Aotian couldn't care less about the cheers or opinions of the crowd.
The Innate True Qi was a technique passed down to Long Aotian by Huo Yuhao. And this ability wasn't limited to resisting domains.
In fact, being able to counter domains was just a minor passive effect.
The Innate True Qi was actually an advanced version of the Body Sect's original battle technique "Unity of Man and Heaven", which also involved drawing on the elemental energy of nature.
The difference was, while "Unity of Man and Heaven" focused on channeling this energy to enhance offensive power, Innate True Qi focused on using it to empower and protect the body, with added benefits like healing, detoxification, and defense.
Its full name was actually "Innate Invisible Protective True Qi."
Having nullified the triple domain,
Long Aotian locked his gaze on Nana, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. Compared to the others, Nana's strength clearly stood out, leading Long Aotian to conclude that she must be the leader of the Xu Clan team.
Defeating Nana would deal a serious blow to their morale.
"Now it's our turn to strike back!" Long Aotian said coldly. "Innate Formless Sword Qi!"
Without wielding a sword, he simply raised his palm and struck through the air. That strike unleashed wave after wave of sword-like energy—razor-sharp, as though it could pierce and obliterate everything in its path.
The sword qi tore a hole in the triple domain, heading straight for Nana.
In the next second, the attack shredded her black robe and mask—but miraculously, no blood or limbs fell.
At the moment her disguise shattered, multiple ghostly shadows burst out from her garments, evading the sword qi's destructive force.
Eventually, those shadows gathered around Luan Fei, forming back into Nana's solid body.
She stood tall, with a lithe figure, sun-kissed bronze skin, and long dark-red hair flowing freely—its tie severed by the sword qi. Once an unremarkable girl, Nana had transformed through cultivation—her beauty and aura significantly elevated.
Her face now near flawless, she wore bold crimson eyeliner, with a white lotus mark on her forehead. The eerie charm in her appearance, paired with her dark-red hair, gave her the allure of a sorceress.
Combined with her ghostly martial spirit, she would undoubtedly be mistaken for an Evil Soul Master in the other three nations.
The audience erupted again at her revealed appearance—she was still a stunner, and they were not disappointed.
"Our Third Prince really knows how to pick them!"
"Of course—everyone knows the Third Prince has taste!"
"Another day of being jealous of the Third Prince!"
Nana, however, paid no mind to having her identity exposed. So long as she didn't reveal her true self, not even former friends would recognize her now.
Escaping danger, Nana locked eyes with Long Aotian, a trace of dread surfacing.
From that sword qi, she had genuinely felt a sense of mortal danger—as if her ghostly martial spirit itself could be harmed.
"You big liar! You didn't even use a sword!" Xu Tianzhen shouted at Long Aotian.
"Hmph. Is sword qi something inconvenient? Can't I unleash sword qi without using a sword?" Long Aotian scoffed, arms crossed.
But the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips showed he was definitely enjoying the showmanship.
In truth, Long Aotian had practiced swordsmanship in the past, but he'd already reached the point where he could release sword qi without an actual blade.
The Third Prince watched the match from above, his expression calm—he knew Long Aotian well.
True to his name, Long Aotian's talent far surpassed ordinary people. The Innate Invisible Protective True Qi and Innate Formless Sword Qi were among the most powerful offensive and defensive techniques passed on to the Body Sect by Huo Yuhao.
If an ordinary genius could master even one, they'd be considered a prodigy.
Yet Long Aotian had mastered both.
And to even use these techniques required first cultivating a method capable of generating innate true qi.
Huo Yuhao had passed down three such cultivation techniques to the Body Sect. The one Long Aotian practiced was the hardest—"Purple Mist True Qi", and he had already mastered it.
With just a light move, Long Aotian had instilled a sense of death in Nana and the others.
And he wasn't one to show mercy. Giving them a moment to catch their breath was already his way of fighting with honor.
"Surrender. Otherwise, I can't guarantee you'll walk off the stage in one piece," Long Aotian said coldly.
"Try me if you dare!" Nana snapped, then launched a counterattack.
This time, she didn't turn into ghostly shadows. Instead, she formed a lotus shape with her hands, and a phantom white lotus bloomed behind her.
"Threefold White Lotus—Sun and Moon Eclipse!"
In that moment, all light in the arena seemed to be devoured by the phantom lotus. Darkness engulfed the stage—only the slow-blooming white lotus shone faintly, like the sole glow in endless night, radiating a sacred aura.
Yet the stronger fighters present could feel it—it held not serenity, but a bone-chilling killing intent.
Nana's cultivation consisted of two parts.
The first was the White Lotus Sect's cultivation method, and the second was the "Demonic Heaven Codex".
The White Lotus Sect's "Holy Lotus Art" was a meditative visualization technique, while the "Demonic Heaven Art" from the Demonic Heaven Codex was a Qi-circulation method. The two did not conflict and could be cultivated together.
And the results were far from a simple one-plus-one.
Besides, let's not forget—Nana was a registered disciple of the Death God's Emissary, and now one of the White Lotus Sect's administrators. Naturally, she had access to techniques that ordinary disciples did not.
Back when she became a registered disciple of the Death God's Emissary, he had taught her several secret ghost-cultivation techniques, which happened to suit Nana well due to her Ghost-type Martial Soul, making her combat methods all the more eerie and unpredictable.
Later, after being subdued by Huo Yuhao, he bestowed upon her a set of three powerful killer moves called the White Lotus Triple Secrets—three special, devastating techniques.
These were side products from his own cultivation in Demonic-Buddhist methods.
At this moment, knowing that the Demonic Heaven Codex would be ineffective against Long Aotian, Nana decisively unleashed the White Lotus Triple Secrets.
These techniques were immensely powerful—but naturally, not without cost. Their usage consumed a vast amount of energy.
Given her current cultivation, Nana could only unleash the White Lotus Triple Secrets once. For the next month, she wouldn't be able to use any battle or soul techniques.
Thankfully, it wouldn't affect her foundational cultivation or soul power progression.
To combat Long Aotian, Nana no longer cared about the cost.
At worst, she would just hide in the Third Prince's manor afterward. Who would dare to barge in there and kill her?
Besides, the upcoming operations didn't require her involvement anyway, so losing combat power was no big deal.
On the arena now engulfed in darkness, only a single swaying White Lotus radiating sacred light could be seen.
Everyone's eyes were fixated on the swaying lotus, their gazes gradually dazed, as if their minds were being entranced.
Even Long Aotian was affected—but only briefly. He quickly regained clarity and looked at the White Lotus with dread in his eyes. He tried to warn his teammates, but it was too late.
BOOM!—the White Lotus exploded.
"Innate Qi Shield!" Long Aotian shouted furiously, using his soul power to shield himself and his teammates.
But those under the lotus's influence didn't snap out of it immediately.
In the Shrek Academy rest area, Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er both shouted, "Wake up!"
They used soul power to protect those around them, jolting the others awake. Realizing how close they were to disaster, many were struck with fear.
Only Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Zhang Lexuan, thanks to their Title Douluo-level spiritual power, had remained unaffected.
"What… was that just now?" asked Wang Dong, visibly shaken, no longer daring to look at the arena.
Xiao Xiao took the opportunity to hug Wang Dong's waist, seemingly for comfort. Wang Dong didn't think much of it.
"I sensed a strange spiritual ripple inside that White Lotus—it disturbed people's minds," Zhang Lexuan said gravely.
At the same time, she harbored some suspicions.
The moment she saw the White Lotus, she thought of the White Lotus Sect. She suspected a link between Nana and the sect—and increasingly suspected a connection between the Third Prince and the sect.
Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao wasn't present. Otherwise, she'd want to discuss it with him to reach a clearer conclusion.
At that moment, "Huo Yuhao" was resting alone in a private lounge, reportedly adjusting his condition to face the upcoming match against the Holy Spirit Sect.
Everyone understood—since the Holy Spirit Sect included Bei Bei, with whom Huo Yuhao had deep ties. They assumed it wasn't his condition he was adjusting, but his state of mind. So, no one disturbed him.
When the crowd turned their attention back to the arena—
The arena had returned to normal.
But several people were missing.
Four of Long Aotian's Soul Emperor-level teammates had been rescued from the field by Shadow Douluo.
The explosion was too close. Long Aotian only had time to protect himself, Wang Yanfeng, and Luo Feng.
Thankfully, the others were pulled out in time by Shadow Douluo. Otherwise, there would have been devastating casualties.
Of course, Nana looked extremely pale, clearly drained. But she had already retreated to the rear of her team's formation.
Long Aotian's eyes showed a trace of regret. He realized that he had underestimated Nana—her abilities weren't like those of typical soul masters.
This led him to a bold guess. He glanced—without drawing attention—toward Shrek Academy's rest area but didn't see Huo Yuhao there. He quickly withdrew his gaze.
"I should've known—this isn't the Body Sect. Outside, where would you find so many battle skills and secret arts? With his means, controlling a few factions from the shadows is child's play. If these moves were passed down by him, then it all makes sense."
"But I'm not one to admit defeat so easily!"
A glint of resolve flashed in Long Aotian's eyes. He shouted to Wang Yanfeng and Luo Feng, who had regained clarity, "Use our real skills!"
The two paused briefly but then nodded seriously.
They didn't overthink it—they just assumed Long Aotian was angered because several teammates were eliminated, and now he was ready to go all-out.
In other words—they would forfeit the next two one-on-one rounds and instead go all-in during the team battle.
Without hesitation, the two activated their seventh soul rings.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Bronze Palm True Body!"
"Seventh Soul Skill: Heaven-Devouring True Body!"
Wang Yanfeng and Luo Feng both activated their Martial Soul True Bodies, which had evolved due to their cultivation techniques, altering their abilities.
True bodies based on innate Martial Souls differed somewhat from those of conventional ones.
Wang Yanfeng turned into a bronze man, with oversized palms glowing with bright metallic light—making him look extremely tough.
Luo Feng, however, vanished, replaced by a massive stomach with teeth and a tongue, floating in midair—creepy and grotesque. The teeth opened and closed, radiating a terrifying suction force, as if it could devour everything around it.
Luo Feng's cultivation relied on devouring to accelerate progress. He had fused this with his Martial Soul and developed it into a second-stage technique he called the Heaven-Devouring Divine Art, hoping one day to even devour the skies.
His True Body was named Heaven-Devouring Stomach True Body.
Long Aotian didn't use his own Martial Soul True Body. Instead, cloaked in Innate Qi, he stormed into Nana's Triple Dragon Maiden Domain, charging straight at her.
"You're too dangerous—you must be eliminated!"
Ye Guyi and Luan Fei tried to intercept Long Aotian but were blocked by Wang Yanfeng, who, with his impenetrable defense, ignored all their attacks.
With his True Body active, Wang Yanfeng's Bronze Palms were devastating—one palm smashed down, leaving a clear handprint on the arena floor. If that landed on a person, it would surely snap them in two.
Since Ye Guyi and Luan Fei weren't defense-type soul masters, they had no choice but to retreat.
Xu Tianchen's soul-beam attacks were devoured by Luo Feng's Heaven-Devouring Stomach, turning into energy for him instead.
From the stomach's mouth came Luo Feng's voice:
"Not enough. Give me more!"
Xu Tianchen frowned in disgust but grit his teeth and fired again.
"Let's see if you can eat until you burst!"
By now, Long Aotian had reached Nana.
Though Nana had expended a third of her soul power and looked pale and drained, she didn't dodge.
Instead, she stepped forward to meet Long Aotian head-on.
"Innate Body-Breaking Invisible Sword Qi!" Long Aotian's palm slashed, releasing another sword wave.
"White Lotus Triple Secrets: Darkness Over Heaven and Earth!" Nana shouted again.
If previously only the arena was shrouded in darkness, now everyone watching Nana found their entire vision engulfed in it—completely blinded.
Some powerful individuals immediately reacted, channeling their soul power to restore their vision—but even they took a full second to recover their sight.
Let alone Long Aotian.
This time, Long Aotian couldn't shake off the visual restriction so easily.
And one second was all Nana needed to launch an attack.
The crisis followed in rapid succession.
Sensing imminent danger, Long Aotian's hairs stood on end. But he didn't panic or retreat to defend.
Even though his vision was limited, Long Aotian relied on his memory of Nana's position and unleashed his Innate Invisible Sword Qi at full power.
Under pressure, the sword qi he released became even more powerful, surpassing his usual limits.
Nana's attack this time didn't cause a terrifying explosion, but it exuded a dangerous, destructive aura.
As people regained their vision, they saw Long Aotian's enlarged sword qi dissolve eerily into a soft white light—silent destruction.
That white light advanced slowly yet inexorably, eventually enveloping Long Aotian.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!"
In an instant, Long Aotian let out a blood-curdling scream. His innate protective qi shattered. He felt countless steel needles piercing his skin through every pore, trying to turn him into a sieve before obliterating him entirely.
Even those who didn't personally experience it could vividly imagine the agony from the sheer intensity of Long Aotian's scream.
Many watching shuddered in unison.
Those who still couldn't see were even more terrified, instinctively curling into themselves as if seeking some form of comfort.
Just when everyone thought Long Aotian was doomed, his shattered protective qi suddenly reignited within him—stronger and more solid than before.
With a boom, the innate qi surged outward, forcefully expelling the invading energy and shattering the white light enveloping him.
Beads of blood seeped from every pore of Long Aotian's body, instantly dyeing him red like a blood-soaked man—but he had survived the danger.
Up in the viewing stands, the Third Prince revealed a look of interest.
"To think he broke through under that pressure? As expected of Long Aotian~"
Long Aotian: "Breaking through mid-battle? Standard move, nothing special~"
Nana, having just expended another third of her soul power, turned even paler. She hadn't expected Long Aotian to achieve a breakthrough mid-fight. Caught off guard, she couldn't withdraw in time and was blasted away by his newly unleashed qi.
Luckily, she wasn't completely defenseless. She quickly stabilized herself midair and landed safely.
But her eyes locked tightly onto Long Aotian.
Right now, Nana only felt one thing: he was troublesome.
"A breakthrough in the heat of battle? What luck! And he has abilities not inferior to the White Lotus Three Supremes? Should I use my final move? But I can't control it well—if I mess up, I could also be in danger," she thought, mind racing.
Long Aotian, having just broken through, landed steadily on the ground, his face filled with joy.
Not only had his innate qi advanced, but his sword qi had also improved. With more time to consolidate, it too would soon reach a breakthrough.
His vision had recovered, his injuries were rapidly healing—one of the perks of innate qi: self-recovery.
And with a continuous influx of energy from the environment, not only was his protective qi restored, but his soul power was replenishing rapidly as well.
The powerful experts below the arena looked on in awe.
Ordinary spectators who had just regained their vision were still confused about what had just happened.
Even the two powerful spectators—Shadow Douluo and Porcelain Douluo—admitted they couldn't understand the younger generation anymore.
You call this a Soul Sage?
What kind of Soul Sages are like this?!
Just now, Nana's strike reached Titled Douluo level strength—it was the only reason it could break through Long Aotian's defense.
Yet Long Aotian had taken that blow, broken through on the spot, and turned the tables.
"We thought the times had changed and Soul Engineers were the future, but it turns out Soul Masters are still this strong," Shadow Douluo and Porcelain Douluo mused.
At least, setting aside soul-guided artillery shells, regular soul tools could never give a Soul Sage the power to rival a Titled Douluo.
And now, Soul Sages like Nana and Long Aotian were displaying Titled Douluo-level combat ability. And they weren't the only ones.
Long Aotian casually wiped off the blood, stripped off his tattered clothes, revealing a muscular, powerful upper body. With hands behind his back, he stared at Nana with a smile.
"Thank you for helping me break through. In return, I'll end this with my strongest attack!"
"Arrogant!" Nana replied coldly. Finally, she stopped hesitating. Her seventh soul ring began to glow.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Ghost True Body!"
Nana's form changed—no longer flesh and blood, she became a towering three-meter-tall ghostly figure. But this was different from her usual Ghost Martial Spirit form.
Because now, two additional souls—a man and a woman—were linked to her true body.
Two crimson soul chains extended from her ghostly body, flowing into the two spirits, who then changed—donning skeletal masks of a wolf and a sheep. Both emitted Soul Sage-level soul power, just like Nana.
They flanked her front and back, guarding her center.
In other words, in her Martial Spirit True Body form, Nana now fought as three Soul Sages.
Boom!
Xian Liner slammed her seat's armrest and stood up, eyes icy, staring at Nana with undisguised killing intent.
Cai Meier also looked grim.
Hua Yao, stunned, looked at the arena and said in shock,
"That Nana… she kind of looks like…"
"She's an Evil Soul Master," Cai Meier said coldly, finishing the thought. "Those two masked souls aren't part of her martial spirit. She's enslaved them."
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked.
An Evil Soul Master in the Xu Family team? Had the Xu Family of the Sun-Moon Empire fallen from grace?
Other strong figures noticed it too—including members of the Holy Spirit Sect. They were all too familiar with such methods.
Tang Ya smirked playfully.
"So the Third Prince isn't clean either, huh?"
But when Tang Ya looked toward the royal viewing box, she saw the Third Prince still wearing a calm expression.
Still, with the Holy Spirit Sect already participating, another Evil Soul Master wasn't that surprising anymore.
No one dared say much.
On the arena, with Nana activating her Martial Spirit True Body, the battle intensity soared.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Angel True Body!"
"Seventh Soul Skill: Flying Phoenix True Body!"
Ye Guyi and Luan Fei also activated their True Body forms.
Xu Tianzhen quickly retreated—her own Martial Spirit True Body was still on cooldown after using a secret technique earlier.
Now, the arena turned into a battlefield of Martial Spirit True Bodies.
Five True Bodies stood tall and proud.
The audience couldn't help but think:
"Is this really free to watch?!"
If they started going all out, would the arena barrier even hold?
Would a stray AoE blast just accidentally take them all out?
Long Aotian stared at Nana and the two souls beside her, who exuded an eerie aura. Without the slightest fear, he even took the initiative to strike.
He didn't activate his Martial Soul's true form, nor did he use any soul skills. Long Aotian simply unleashed his innate qi shield, then launched his attack with his innate sword energy, starting from zero-frame movement.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Three massive sword strikes fell in quick succession, as if aiming to decapitate Nana and the two souls beside her in one blow.
The two souls beside Nana made the first move. The male wolf-faced soul leaped forward, transforming into a werewolf form—clearly specialized in close combat. The female sheep-faced soul stayed behind, forming a spectral bow and shooting soul arrows, showing her expertise in ranged attacks.
Together, the wolf-faced and sheep-faced souls managed to shatter the three sword strikes. The wolf-faced soul took some damage up front, but fortunately, the sheep-faced soul had healing abilities and began restoring him.
Their objective was singular: protect Nana and defeat her enemies.
Because Nana was their daughter. They were determined to protect their daughter!
That's right—the male and female souls were none other than Nana's parents.
Once, Nana had been enslaved by a branch of the Holy Spirit Sect due to the manipulation of her parents' souls. Later, the Messenger of Death "rescued" their souls and returned them to Nana.
Originally, her parents' souls had been on the brink of destruction after prolonged torment. But after the Death Messenger taught Nana some ghost cultivation techniques, she gained the ability to repair their souls.
Given the chance to restore their souls—and perhaps even let them live a second life—how could Nana bear to let them fade away?
Though incomplete and lacking full awareness or speech, her parents' souls could silently remain by her side, and their love for Nana was undeniably real.
The wolf and sheep faces were a result of the "Demonic Blood Art" from the Demonic Heaven Codex.
The Demonic Blood Art allows the integration of external bloodlines to enhance a cultivator's potential and grant new abilities.
To strengthen herself, Nana absorbed the bloodlines of a wolf-type and sheep-type soul beast—both possessing soul attributes.
She was then able to attach these soul beasts' powers to her parents' souls, reinforcing their strength.
Thus, her Martial Soul true form took on a one-to-three transformation.
Long Aotian struck again. His earlier attack had merely been a warm-up. Now, he would go all out.
Massive, sharper, and stronger waves of sword energy erupted with a swing of his hand.
Don't ask why—this move simply worked!
Nana quickly warned, "Be careful!"
Ghost-type Martial Souls have a special trait: when their true form is activated, the user becomes ethereal—almost like a soul body. Physical attacks without spiritual damage are greatly weakened against this form.
However, Long Aotian's invisible sword energy made Nana feel a spine-chilling threat. Her instincts screamed: this was dangerous!
His sword energy could harm souls directly!
Fortunately, her parents' souls still retained their battle instincts from when they were alive as soul masters—even if their awareness was limited.
Together, they managed to block the sword strike again, though Nana's father took heavy damage. Her mother immediately began healing him.
But before her father could fully recover, another wave of sword energy arrived.
Her mother had no choice but to move up and help shield him.
Seeing her parents struggling even together, Nana realized it was time to use her trump card.
"Hold him off for two seconds!"
She focused all her strength. Her ghostly true form erupted with an even more terrifying aura, becoming increasingly mysterious and eerie.
Just like Xu Tianzhen before her, Nana activated a secret technique only usable in true form: Demonic Heaven Aspect—forcefully amplifying her Martial Soul's power.
At this moment, her parents' souls were sent flying by the sword energy and severely wounded. Long Aotian, however, held back from delivering a fatal blow.
Nana stepped in front of them, shielding them from harm. With a solemn heart, she unleashed the final move of White Lotus Three Absolutes:
"White Lotus Three Absolutes: World of Light!"
The sun and moon dimmed. The world fell into darkness.
Believe in my White Lotus—a world of light!
This time, her ghostly true form radiated a sacred white light that flooded the arena and overwhelmed everyone's sight.
Truth be told, this move was quite harsh on spectators' eyes—most of them left the match with vision worsened by at least 200 degrees.
The invisible sword energy aimed at Nana was instantly shattered by the white light, which burst forth with unstoppable power, spreading in all directions.
No matter how many sword strikes Long Aotian unleashed, they couldn't pierce through the white light.
This move bore an uncanny resemblance to Long Aotian's innate qi shield.
"Stop this!" Long Aotian roared, thrusting his hands forward and pushing his innate energy to its limits in an attempt to block the light.
Although the light couldn't penetrate his shield, it compressed it relentlessly, forcing Long Aotian to struggle just to hold on.
Even the other contestants on the stage—Ye Guyi, Luan Fei, Wang Yanfeng, and Luo Feng—had to stop fighting and retreat from the expanding light.
"So strong!" Wang Yanfeng exclaimed.
"My stomach hurts… I can't even intervene," Luo Feng groaned.
Long Aotian had no choice but to activate his Martial Soul true form:
"Seventh Soul Skill: Innate True Form!"
His body expanded to three meters tall, skin jade-white and glowing with a newborn's radiance, surrounded by innate energy.
Only in this state could his energy barely resist the white light.
Or rather—barely hang on was more accurate.
The clash of energies shook the arena's protective barriers, designed to withstand the full power of Title Douluo.
Spectators couldn't help but worry that the barrier might collapse at any moment.
If not for the fact that this was a Soul Master Tournament, and both Nana and Long Aotian were officially ranked Soul Saints, one would think two Title Douluo were battling.
Suddenly, the white light began to destabilize—like a ticking time bomb.
"Not good! Nana's soul power is depleted. The attack is going out of control!" Ye Guyi shouted urgently.
The others knew some of Nana's capabilities, and hearing that the move might explode made the Shadow Douluo and Celadon Douluo break into cold sweat.
Nobody had warned them that they might have to intercept Title Douluo-level attacks as referees!
Shadow Douluo: "Are you serious right now?"
Celadon Douluo: "This is a high-tier match!"
Just as the two referees were considering how to step in without overstepping, the three Dragon Maidens from the Heavenly Dragon Clan—silent until now except for releasing their domain—finally acted.
They stood in a triangle formation, linking soul power, and summoned a pillar of holy light, enveloping their figures.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Technique?!"
"No—it's a Three-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Technique!"
Even the strongest present gasped in astonishment.
When the light faded, a three-headed dragon appeared—ten meters long, pure white, exuding sacred majesty and untouchable authority.
Its aura neared the level of a ferocious beast.
This was the ultimate Martial Soul Fusion of the three Dragon Maidens:
Three-Headed Heavenly Dragon—Descent of the Sacred Dragon!
The dragon dove.
One head devoured Nana's white light.
Another consumed Long Aotian's invisible energy.
Then—SMACK!
Long Aotian, still in his true form, was pinned to the ground by a massive dragon claw.
When he regained his senses, he was staring into a golden dragon eye, calm and unfathomable, like a god overlooking the world.
His clenched fists slowly loosened.
The crisis had passed.
And with it, came the announcement of Long Aotian's defeat—and the fall of the Body Sect Team.
The match between the Sun-Moon Xu Family Team and the Body Sect Team ended in the blink of an eye. At the climax of the battle, the three-headed Heavenly Dragon descended like a deity, putting a sudden end to the fight.
After the team battle ended, the Body Sect conceded the rest of the matches and chose to surrender outright.
Nana had depleted all her soul power and fell unconscious after her techniques ended. She was carried off the stage by Xu Tianzhen and immediately sent for medical treatment.
Shangguan Weier stayed by Nana's side, not out of concern, but clearly to guard against others.
Though Long Aotian still had fighting spirit when facing the three-headed Heavenly Dragon, he had no complaints about his loss. Martial soul fusion skills are a legitimate tactic, and he couldn't counter the strength shown by his opponents.
Even after the martial soul fusion was undone, Long Aotian could feel an oppressive power emanating from the three Dragon Maidens.
He also faintly sensed a familiar aura from them—something akin to Huo Yuhao's bloodline!
With years of cultivation experience, Long Aotian was exceptionally perceptive to powerful individuals. Practicing innate true energy further heightened his sensitivity.
Often, he didn't need to fight personally to detect power disparities—this was what people called combat intuition.
Given his suspicion that Nana was someone secretly trained by Huo Yuhao, and the similarity in aura between the Dragon Maidens and Huo Yuhao, Long Aotian began to form bold speculations about the secrets behind the Xu Family Team and even the Sun-Moon Empire.
True power is rare. When powerful individuals suddenly appear in groups, one has to wonder whether they've fallen behind the times—or if there's some hidden force or connection behind them.
But whether his guesses were true or not, Long Aotian didn't dig further, nor did he feel the need to worry.
After all, when the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up.
The Body Sect's forced submission to Huo Yuhao was effectively them clinging to a powerful ally. If trouble came, it was Huo Yuhao's problem, not theirs.
Although the Xu Family Team paid a heavy price in the battle, it was clear to all that—even without the Dragon Maidens' martial soul fusion technique—the Xu Family's four members could still hold their own against the Body Sect.
Likewise, the audience saw just how terrifying the younger generation of the Body Sect was.
Wang Yanfeng and Luo Feng were monstrous talents even among their peers.
And Long Aotian's power was beyond human. If not for Nana's three ultimate skills, Long Aotian might have cut through the four members of the Xu Family Team.
But Nana paid a significantly higher price than Long Aotian.
Still, both had the strength to rival Titled Douluo on their own!
As for the three-headed Heavenly Dragon that "intervened," their overwhelming might was even more shocking.
The rest of the participants, under the brilliance of these few, appeared a bit lackluster.
Because the arena was damaged, the next semifinal didn't begin right away. The match was paused for repairs.
With soul masters involved, the repairs were fast and wouldn't keep the players or audience waiting long.
Shrek Academy's Rest Area
"That Long Aotian... His power is already comparable to an Ultimate Attribute Soul Master. He might be Yuhao's greatest rival in the future. The Body Sect's inherited techniques are truly formidable. No wonder Elder Mu valued them so much," said Cai Meier in a serious tone.
Xian Lin'er added, "That Nana is terrifying too—and she's an evil soul master. If she continues to grow, she'll become a calamity for the entire continent."
The Shrek Academy upper echelon had deeply ingrained biases against evil soul masters.
"Nana is a member of the Sun-Moon Empire—more precisely, she belongs to the Third Prince. Let's hope he can keep her in check and not follow her down the path of darkness. If the future emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire is also an evil soul master, it would spell disaster for the continent," Zhang Lexuan sighed.
Perhaps due to Beibei's past, Zhang Lexuan had a unique view on evil soul masters.
She preferred to believe that every evil soul master was forced into it, not that they chose it—perhaps that way, Beibei wouldn't seem like an outlier, and his sins could be somewhat absolved.
"I'm more concerned about the martial soul fusion technique those three used. It must be the legendary 'Three-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Technique.' And they even transformed into dragons. That's quite similar to the records about the Golden Iron Triangle from ten thousand years ago," said Hua Yao suddenly.
Her comment drew everyone's attention.
Cai Meier nodded. "It must be the Three-in-One technique. It's even stronger than ordinary martial soul fusion. According to records, ten thousand years ago, two Soul Saints and one Soul Grandmaster formed the Golden Iron Triangle, and their combined technique could rival a Titled Douluo."
Xian Lin'er analyzed further: "I wonder if Yuhao can counter that fusion technique. But since they already used it today, they must be drained. This might be Yuhao's opportunity."
As the Shrek team discussed, the spectators were equally animated.
But their chatter focused more on the Xu Family Team's seven members.
This time, all seven of them had shown their faces:
The sweet and adorable princess, Xu Tianzhen
The seductive and stunning Nana
The holy and radiant Ye Guyi
The elegant and graceful Luan Fei
And the three Dragon Maidens, who embodied both purity and nobility
It was certain: if these seven girls were to make a public debut, they could quickly become the Sun-Moon Empire's most popular girl group.
Only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed, and the arena was fully repaired.
The second semifinal match begins!
Shrek Academy Team vs. Holy Spirit Cult Team!
Huo Yuhao, who had been resting in his room, finally stepped out. His expression was icy cold. Gone was the sunny warmth from his face—he now exuded a chilling aura like a glacier from ancient times.
"Is Yuhao okay?" Wu Ming asked, clearly concerned.
"I believe in Yuhao!" Ma Xiaotao replied firmly.
Ling Luochen also nodded.
Hua Yao sighed, "Let's just hope Yuhao doesn't lose his composure because of Beibei. Beibei is strong, but if he slips up, he could be in real danger."
Everyone looked at Yuhao with anxious eyes. Regardless, Shrek had to fight this match!
As Shrek Academy stepped onto the stage, the audience's cheers reached a crescendo. In contrast, when the Holy Spirit Cult entered, they were met with prolonged booing.
After all, compared to a team of evil soul masters, even the Sun-Moon Empire's citizens preferred to support Shrek Academy.
The Third Prince adjusted his posture, appearing more focused—as if he was looking forward to this match.
Round One: Team Battle!
For Shrek Academy, the participants were:
Huo Yuhao
Jiang Nannan
Wang Dong
Xiao Xiao
Bai Shanshan
Ou Ou (support-type, Martial Soul: Holy Grail)
Tantai Jiayao (ranged attack-type, Martial Soul: Myriad Flower Bow)
Cao Jinxuan did not appear. He was replaced by Bai Shanshan.
Xu Sanshi had not yet recovered, so he remained on the bench. His replacement was Ou Ou from the reserve team, a healing-type soul master.
Because Ou Ou and Vina were both support-type, Vina was also replaced. In her place came the reserve team's ranged attacker, Tantai Jiayao.
This meant they gave up on the powerful martial soul fusion technique between Huo Yuhao and Vina.
On the Holy Spirit Cult's side, their core members also appeared—led by Tang Ya and Beibei, followed by five others composed of Soul Emperors and Soul Kings.