"Ready!" Xuan Zi said. "Let's begin!"
At his command, the battle erupted. Zhu Ziyang and Dai Yaoheng led the charge, with Chen Zifeng and Tang Ya following close behind. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao positioned themselves at the rear in a two-two-three formation.
On the opposing side, Ma Xiaotao surged forward, with Jiang Nannan, Beibei, and He Caitou behind her. Gong Yang Mo, Ling Luocheng, and Xu Sanshi took the rear positions.
Zhu Ziyang, wielding the Repose of the World Reaper Scythe, and Dai Yaoheng, empowered by the White Tiger, charged straight toward Ma Xiaotao, who had her wings unfurled. Her fiery wings burned with intense flames, and her beautiful eyes glowed with a dazzling array of colors. Behind her, Gong Yang Mo released his martial soul, and six soul skills from his Rainbow Dragon martial soul were simultaneously cast on Ma Xiaotao.
With the six auxiliary rings – strength, speed, soul power, defense, attack, and attribute enhancement – Ma Xiaotao's strength skyrocketed. Just from the momentum, she appeared as powerful as a peak Soul Saint, which was why she dared to take on two opponents at once.
Her second and third soul rings lit up simultaneously, and Ma Xiaotao's face flushed with energy. A scorching fire ray shot from her mouth, accompanied by a fierce heatwave, heading directly for Zhu Ziyang and Dai Yaoheng.
Naturally, neither Zhu Ziyang nor Dai Yaoheng stood idle. Though Zhu Ziyang did not show his soul rings, his soul skills flowed smoothly. He activated his second and third soul skills simultaneously, his body darting forward toward Ma Xiaotao. Dai Yaoheng, not daring to slack off, activated his first, third, and fifth soul skills at once. A White Tiger's fiery wave of light shot from his mouth, meeting Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Fire Ray head-on.
The flames and light wave collided, briefly locking in a stalemate before the flames consumed the light, pushing toward Dai Yaoheng. However, before the flames could reach him, they vanished as Zhu Ziyang appeared beside Ma Xiaotao, the scythe's blade swinging toward her.
Ma Xiaotao, seeing this, immediately abandoned her attempt to press the attack on Dai Yaoheng. She retracted her Phoenix Fire Ray in an instant, and with a swift movement of her foot, she leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the scythe's horizontal swing.
Zhu Ziyang leaped as well, closing the distance, and thrust the scythe forward, its tip shining with brilliant light, aiming straight at Ma Xiaotao. She tightened her fists, gathering fiery energy around them, and swung her pink fists toward the scythe's tip. The blow deflected the scythe's trajectory.
Unfazed, Zhu Ziyang twisted his wrist, flipping the scythe so that the blade faced inward. In a swift motion, he lashed it backward, targeting Ma Xiaotao again.
Ma Xiaotao immediately squatted low and leapt backward, creating more distance between herself and Zhu Ziyang. Then, with a powerful flap of her wings, she soared into the air and activated her sixth soul skill. A torrential meteor shower of fiery projectiles rained down on Zhu Ziyang.
Zhu Ziyang, seeing the meteor firestorm descending upon him, smiled slightly. He twirled the Repose of the World Reaper Scythe, forming an impenetrable barrier with it. The meteors exploded upon impact, but none managed to harm him. After blocking the meteor shower, the scythe continued to spin and was swiftly hurled toward the ground, aiming straight at Jiang Nannan, Beibei, and He Caitou.
Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao's expression changed. She immediately tried to return to protect her teammates, but Dai Yaoheng, who had been charging up, wouldn't give her a chance. His sixth soul ring flared with dazzling golden light, and in a blur of motion, he formed a "kill" symbol in the air, sending it crashing toward Ma Xiaotao.
Sixth Soul Skill: White Tiger's Destroying Kill!
Ma Xiaotao, seeing the attack, had no choice but to take it head-on. She didn't hesitate and immediately activated her fifth soul skill. A phoenix composed of blue flames rose into the air, its wings beating with the might of the sky's king, charging toward Dai Yaoheng's attack.
The two soul skills collided with a massive explosion, sending a deafening roar through the battlefield, engulfed in smoke. The outcome was still unclear.
Meanwhile, as Zhu Ziyang and Dai Yaoheng clashed with Ma Xiaotao, the others were not idle. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stood closely together. Huo Yuhao's eyes glowed faintly, and he used his mental detection to share the battlefield status with the others. However, his body suddenly radiated black light, and Wang Dong's face changed immediately. Before he could react, Huo Yuhao disappeared, replaced by Xu Sanshi, who wore a satisfied grin on his face.
This sudden change left Chen Zifeng bewildered, but Tang Ya, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao reacted quickly. Tang Ya and Xiao Xiao immediately released their soul skills to control Xu Sanshi, while Wang Dong, with a furious expression, used his second soul skill, unleashing butterfly-winged light that rained down on Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi raised his martial soul, trying to block Wang Dong's attack. But Tang Ya's first soul skill bound his limbs first, and Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Calming Ding sent a shockwave, delaying his reaction. By the time he freed himself, Wang Dong's Butterfly Light was already upon him.
It was clear that Xu Sanshi was eliminated when Xuan Zi pulled him out of the testing area. There, he saw Huo Yuhao, his face full of resentment.
A few moments earlier, Xu Sanshi had used his fourth soul ring to swap positions with Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao found himself in the enemy formation, where Beibei and He Caitou wasted no time attacking. Huo Yuhao didn't even have time to resist before Xuan Zi pulled him out of the testing area, making him the first person to be eliminated.
He was helpless. In the opposing team, Beibei, He Caitou, and Xu Sanshi all knew his soul skills, so being targeted was only natural.
With one member lost on each side, it appeared that Ma Xiaotao's team had suffered more, but in reality, Dai Yaoheng's team was at a greater disadvantage. Without Huo Yuhao to coordinate, both Zhu Ziyang and Dai Yaoheng struggled to communicate and assess the situation. Meanwhile, Wang Dong's combat value had drastically decreased, going from a fusion skill user to a regular Soul Sovereign.
The battle raged on. Jiang Nannan, with her incredible speed, immediately launched an attack on Xiao Xiao. Even with Chen Zifeng's interference, she broke through, eliminating Xiao Xiao in an instant.
On the other side, Beibei and He Caitou, with the help of Gong Yang Mo and Ling Luocheng, forced Chen Zifeng, who was level 59, into retreat. Chen Zifeng's waist was wrapped with a blue crystal vine, Tang Ya's second soul skill.
Without Huo Yuhao's support, Wang Dong seemed lost, but thankfully, Tang Ya took over as the team's controller, guiding Wang Dong's actions. Together, they attacked He Caitou. Wang Dong's waist was also wrapped with a blue-gold vine, but this one glowed green.
This was Tang Ya's fourth soul skill, Soul-Chain Vine, which allowed them to share soul power.
With Tang Ya's support, Wang Dong temporarily reached Soul Sovereign peak. His third soul ring activated, and his butterfly wings radiated dazzling light, forming a massive guillotine of light. The blade slashed toward He Caitou.
He Caitou, carrying a level-four soul cannon, remained calm under the assault. After loading a new shell, he fired, the cannonball clashing with Wang Dong's soul skill.
The cannonball was split in two by the butterfly blade, and He Caitou quickly raised a soul shield to block the remaining attack, though he was pushed back several steps.
Frustrated at not taking He Caitou down with a single strike, Wang Dong prepared to attack again, but suddenly, ice crystals appeared beneath his feet, freezing him in place. His expression darkened, and then he heard Tang Ya's surprised shout:
"Ah! Nannan, how could you be so ruthless to your sister?"
After Tang Ya and Wang Dong's joint attack on He Caitou, Jiang Nannan, having taken out Xiao Xiao, turned her attention to Tang Ya. Her second soul skill activated, and with a flash, she appeared before Tang Ya. In an instant, Tang Ya was lifted into the air, experiencing the sensation of flying.
Tang Ya was eliminated, and Wang Dong followed soon after, sent flying by Ling Luocheng's third soul skill, Ice Ring of Radiance. Xuan Zi caught him and placed him outside the testing area.
By this point, only Zhu Ziyang, Dai Yaoheng, and Chen Zifeng remained on Dai Yaoheng's team. Chen Zifeng, about to be eliminated by Jiang Nannan, Beibei, and He Caitou's joint efforts, was saved by Zhu Ziyang's timely assistance.
The rapidly spinning Repose of the World Reaper Scythe formed a powerful light vortex, halting the trio's advance. Jiang Nannan's incredible speed allowed her to break free, and Beibei, with his powerful Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon energy, resisted the pull, while He Caitou was sucked in helplessly.
Xuan Zi intervened just in time, rescuing He Caitou.
The battle had reached a fever pitch: Zhu Ziyang and Chen Zifeng versus Jiang Nannan, Beibei, and Ling Luocheng, while Dai Yaoheng faced off against Ma Xiaotao and Gong Yang Mo.
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