As Yun Yibai had predicted, although the fusion soul skill was powerful, the poison inside Huyan Li had not lessened in the slightest—it had merely slowed its infiltration.
Moreover, as the law of cause and effect teaches, where there is yin, there is yang; where there is power, there is balance. Everything in the world exists in contrast to something else. Great power always comes with great cost.
A soul skill that grants a level of strength beyond one's ability to control must inevitably carry a fatal flaw. If the wielder fails to maintain control, it will backfire. Additionally, a fusion soul skill includes the spiritual will of multiple people—if not properly managed, it could cause mental damage to the user as well.
"Hahaha! What a thrilling match!"
"Wuji Academy may have a Soul King, but now Elephant Armor Academy has shown a fusion soul skill?! Incredible! Now that Huyan Li has transformed into a giant, maybe they really can turn the tide!"
"Excellent! Hahaha! Teach Wuji Academy a lesson—for daring to challenge the authority of Spirit Hall!"
As he watched Huyan Li's transformation and the explosive surge of soul power, Salas, previously grim-faced, now wore a manic grin.
To him, the mere presence of a Soul King-level youth outside Spirit Hall was an act of rebellion—a direct challenge to Spirit Hall's supremacy.
Whether the poison hurt Huyan Li or even if he lost control of his soul power and was injured, it was of no concern to Salas.
In his eyes, not just Huyan Li, but the entire Elephant Armor Academy was merely a pawn in Spirit Hall's greater plan.
Now in his giant form, Huyan Li's body was encased in stone armor. His defense was significantly enhanced, and the increased power also helped him resist the encroaching poison to some extent.
"ROAR!"
With a feral growl, he released a powerful shockwave that blasted away the surrounding toxic mist.
"You damned insects—you've pissed me off! DIE!"
The massive Huyan Li raised his foot, intending to crush Dugu Yan beneath it.
She and the rest of Wuji Academy dodged backward.
"Hah! What are you? Crawling little bugs?"
Now towering over them, Huyan Li's twisted face sneered. From his vantage, their movements looked like ants scurrying.
But even before the fight began, Oscar had already distributed Frenzied Flying Mushrooms to his teammates.
After narrowly avoiding Huyan Li's stomp, they consumed the mushrooms, boosting their agility and speed midair.
"You're flying too low."
Huyan Li had studied the Wuji Academy in advance and had anticipated their tactics.
He raised a giant palm, slapping toward the closest group.
"Break!"
Yang Tai didn't back down. He thrust his Soulbreaker Spear at the oncoming hand, buying the others time to escape.
But the power gap was too great. Yang Tai was instantly knocked flying by the impact.
"Hmph," Dugu Yan snorted coldly.
She hadn't planned on using her fifth soul skill, but she hadn't expected Elephant Armor Academy to have such a technique either.
While her Frost Toad Venom, inherited from the Zhuqing Ice Toad, would eventually defeat Huyan Li through attrition, that would take too long, given his current form.
And in a match like this, prolonging the fight increases the chances of unexpected mishaps.
Dugu Yan didn't tolerate uncertainty.
She flew above Huyan Li's head. Her third, fourth, and fifth soul rings lit up in rapid succession.
Cold poison once again enveloped Huyan Li, the poison ring shrinking under her control and intensifying in power.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Frost Serpent Corrosion!"
Her fourth soul skill released an extremely potent toxin.
Her third soul skill amplified the toxin's strength.
And her fifth soul skill—a fusion of her poison and soul power—concentrated the dispersed venom into a focused, ice-elemental toxic blast.
A storm of ice shards, gleaming with killing intent, erupted in a volley of chilling attacks.
Huyan Li's stone armor cracked audibly under the pressure.
Though it had seemed impenetrable, it now shattered like brittle paper before Dugu Yan's ice spears.
Not only were the attacks powerful, but they also carried ice elemental energy, allowing the venom to spread faster.
The exposed areas of Huyan Li's massive body instantly turned pale with frostbite.
"ROOOAAR!!"
Overwhelmed with pain, Huyan Li howled. He could feel the poison rampaging inside his body.
Despite his tremendous physical defense and resistance, under Dugu Yan's elemental toxin fusion, he was as vulnerable as any ordinary man.
After all, he was still human, not one of the ten-thousand-year soul beasts they once faced in the frozen north, like the Frost Thunder Dragon.
"BAM!"
Moments later, Huyan Li lost all feeling in his legs. Without conscious control, they collapsed beneath his massive weight.
"No… how… how could I…"
He struggled to speak but collapsed heavily to the ground before he could finish his sentence.
His eyes were filled with unwillingness.
He hadn't even used the artifact gifted by Spirit Hall—yet it was already too late.
"Unbelievable! In a devastating combo, Dugu Yan has used her fifth soul skill to bring down Huyan Li from Elephant Armor Academy!"
"Let's cheer for Wuji Academy and their Valkyrie—Dugu Yan!"
The announcer roared with excitement, as if he had won.
"WHOOOOO!!"
The audience erupted in thunderous cheers.
This match had been an absolute spectacle, filled with twists and turns:
First, Wuji Academy unveiled a Soul King-level powerhouse.
Then, the Elephant Armor Academy responded with a giant fusion soul skill.
That giant form might've been ugly, but it was memorable.
But the most jaw-dropping moment was Dugu Yan's fifth soul skill, which brought down the giant in one stunning blow.
The audience, unaware of the role poison had played, simply believed her ice-elemental power was overwhelmingly strong.
"Hmph."
Watching Huyan Li's defeat, Salas let out a cold snort, his expression grim.
With a flick of his sleeve, he stormed out.