The collision of the two powerful soul skills stirred up a searing storm across the battlefield, so intense that ordinary spectators couldn't withstand it.
Fortunately, a Soul Sage-level expert stepped in just in time, dispersing the blast and protecting the crowd.
"I never expected that even in this small Heaven Dou Empire, a Soul Ancestor could unleash power comparable to a Soul King," Salas remarked, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
"It seems this year's Advanced Soul Master Academies from Heaven Dou Empire truly have some strength."
"Still, even so… they'll never rival the glory of Spirit Hall."
"Neither Heaven Dou Empire nor any other force can shake the foundations of the Spirit Hall.
These young Soul Masters may shine for a moment today — but eventually, they'll fade beneath the radiance of the Spirit Hall."
"Only the Spirit Hall is the true ruler of this continent."
—
Though wind-fueled fire, Huo Wu's power came from an explosion, while Feng Xiaotian's power was sustained and steady — a clear contrast in their soul techniques.
Initially, their attacks were evenly matched. But as time dragged on, Huo Wu's short burst of soul power began to show its limits.
Her Fire Dance, Shining Sun, was overwhelmingly powerful, but it relied on an explosive surge of energy. Such strength was devastating in a short time, but it consumed her soul's power rapidly.
Once she unleashed it, her energy reserves plummeted, leaving her unable to sustain prolonged combat.
Feng Xiaotian, on the other hand, wielded his Demon Wolf Storm with a controlled rhythm. It may not have dazzled like Huo Wu's, but it offered consistent pressure.
His years of harsh training in Hurricane Gorge had refined his control and elevated his soul power quality immensely.
The outcome was decided.
Huo Wu said nothing more. She simply turned and walked off the stage in silence.
Huo Wushuang watched his usually fiery sister retreat in defeat, then turned and glared hard at Feng Xiaotian before leading the rest of Blazing Fire Academy off the stage.
—
In Shrek Academy's spectator seats, Flender clenched his teeth.
The better Oscar performed, the more regret he felt.
Why hadn't he paid more attention to Oscar back then?
Why hadn't he taken it more seriously when Oscar left?
Why didn't he try harder to bring him back?
Even Yu Xiaogang — who rarely kept quiet — was silent.
The rest of Shrek's group remained speechless as well.
Both Blazing Fire Academy and Wuji Academy had displayed overwhelming combat strength.
Especially the explosive powers shown by Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian — among Shrek's current team, only the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing might stand a chance.
—
Back in the rest area, Huo Wu knelt on the ground, staring blankly ahead.
"We lost…"
In that moment, she was no longer the proud, aggressive, sharp-tongued Huo Wu known for her competitiveness.
She was just a defeated warrior, one who had given it everything but still failed to achieve victory.
"Sister!"
"Huo Wu-jie!"
Huo Wushuang and the others rushed forward, their expressions filled with concern.
"Sigh… Victory and defeat are part of every battle," Huo Wushuang said, though he struggled to find the right words of comfort.
"I just didn't want to lose… to him," Huo Wu muttered bitterly.
"Sister, you shouldn't be so obsessed with this," Huo Wushuang said gently. "Truth be told, you didn't lose unfairly."
He went on, hoping to ease her frustration:
"You may not know — or maybe you've just never cared—but the reason Feng Xiaotian hasn't been chasing after you like he used to these past few years is because… he's been training relentlessly."
"Think about it. Every time you saw him lately, didn't he look beaten up? Like he'd just been in a fight?"
"Of course, you hated seeing him. You'd turn and leave without a word, so you never paid attention."
"But that beat-up look — it's because he'd just returned from Hurricane Gorge."
"Why do you think he always came to our academy after returning from there?"
He chuckled bitterly:
"You don't think he came to see me, do you?"
"And I'm sure you've noticed it — he's grown colder toward you."
Huo Wushuang's only choice was to guide her emotions away from loss and toward something else — Feng Xiaotian.
Huo Wu also had one powerful hidden skill: a ring-fusion technique, but it was only used in life-or-death situations. If she were truly desperate or enraged, she might have unleashed it without hesitation.
Her duel with Feng Xiaotian hadn't pushed her that far — not to the point of risking everything.
By the end of the sixth round, Wuji Academy held an undefeated 6–0 record.
Also undefeated were:
Thunderclap Academy
Tianshui Academy
Elephant Armor Academy
Godwind Academy
Shrek Academy
Blazing Fire Academy, having just lost to Wuji, dropped to 5 wins and 1 loss.
In the Heaven Dou Empire's capital tournament zone, only Wuji Academy and Blazing Fire Academy had directly clashed among the major powers, but more high-profile matchups were coming.
—
In round seven, Wuji Academy defeated an ordinary academy with ease.
Shrek Academy, however, met Godwind Academy earlier than expected.
Even without Feng Xiaotian, Godwind still had two Soul Ancestors and five high-ranked Soul Elders — and it was Shrek's toughest match so far.
In round eight, Wuji Academy faced off against Godwind Academy.
With Feng Xiaotian now on Wuji's team, and Godwind aware they couldn't win, they chose to forfeit outright.
Wuji's winning streak continued up to round ten.
Then came round eleven — Wuji Academy would face Elephant Armor Academy, who were also on an undefeated 11-win streak.
When the round eleven matchups were announced, the crowd erupted with excitement.
Since round one (which had been drawn by Spirit Hall's Platinum Red-Robed Bishop Salas), Salas had not interfered in the pairings.
So this battle between Wuji Academy and Elephant Armor Academy was one of the most anticipated of the tournament, just like Wuji vs. Blazing Fire, or Shrek vs. Godwind.
In the Heaven Dou City division, only a handful of academies had Soul Ancestors on their teams.
These powerhouse clashes were exactly what the spectators came for.
Though Wuji vs. Elephant Armor wasn't the first match of round eleven, the tension was palpable.
"Yan'er, I'll leave this one to you," said Yun Yibai casually.
"Don't worry. They won't even get the chance to make a move," said Dugu Yan, lazily twirling her hair.
Her words might've sounded indifferent, but her confidence was absolute.
Against opponents like Elephant Armor Academy — Soul Masters, known for their thick defenses and overwhelming strength, poison was the perfect counter.
And Dugu Yan, a Level 54 Control-type Battle Soul King, was more than capable of making Soul Ancestors suffer.