The night sky was dim, scattered with only a few faint stars. Within Spirit City, silence reigned.
Inside the slightly darkened Pope's Hall, Bibi Dong sat high upon her throne, her expression cold and solemn as she looked down at the three standing figures before her—Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.
"Na'er, you three are the finest disciples Spirit Hall has produced in recent years. At such a young age, you've already earned the Purple Gold Medals and the title of the Golden Generation. Tomorrow, when you face Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, you must not fail."
Her voice dropped, carrying an ominous weight.
"If you lose, then once this tournament ends, you will be sent to train in the Valley of Death."
"We will not disappoint Your Holiness. In this battle, we will be victorious."
Hu Liena pressed her fist firmly to her chest and saluted with absolute confidence. Xie Yue and Yan followed suit, bowing in agreement.
For them, tomorrow's fight was as good as the true championship match. If three Spirit Kings and four Soul Ancestors above rank 47 could not crush a team with only two Spirit Kings, then perhaps they truly deserved to end their days in the Valley of Death.
Moreover, Hu Liena and Xie Yue's martial soul fusion skill, *Charm Demon*, could rival even a high-ranking Soul Emperor. Even if Ignaz was a level 59 Spirit King, they did not fear him. On top of that, the scarlet mist created by *Charm Demon* provided the perfect environment to disorient their opponents. Tomorrow's match was theirs to win.
Watching her most prized disciples brimming with confidence, even Bibi Dong allowed herself a flicker of expectation for the battle to come.
——
At the same time, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team had finished dinner and gathered in a wide room.
Yesterday's match had left them deeply unsettled—Spirit Hall Academy had obliterated their opponents before they even had a chance to fully activate their martial souls. The enemy team hadn't managed to use more than a handful of soul skills before being completely routed.
Ignaz read the unease in his teammates' faces and addressed them calmly:
"There's no need to worry about tomorrow. We are not like the other teams Spirit Hall has crushed. Yes, they have three Spirit Kings, but we have two of our own. The outcome is far from certain."
"That's right," Dugu Yan added, refusing to yield to fear. "We haven't even fought yet. Why should we bow our heads already? We are the strongest Heaven Dou team ever assembled."
Encouraged by their words, the others nodded, rallying their spirits. Ignaz then finalized their battle formation for the next day.
"Heaven Dou Imperial Academy will be victorious."
"Victory!" the team echoed in unison.
——
The following morning, the first match was announced: Spirit Hall Academy versus Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Both sides stepped onto the grand arena as the host's voice rang out:
"Winner's Group, Top Six into Top Three—Round One! Spirit Hall Academy versus Heaven Dou Imperial Academy! Begin!"
At once, Xie Yue and Hu Liena unleashed their martial soul fusion skill—*Charm Demon*. Scarlet mist spread outward from the fusion form, quickly engulfing Ignaz, who stood at the vanguard.
"Fall back!" Ignaz shouted.
The rear—Dugu Yan and the other five—immediately retreated, escaping the mist's range. Within the fog, *Charm Demon* let out a strange, seductive voice, both male and female at once.
"Hahaha… Ignaz, to think you'd be so foolish. We truly overestimated you."
Twin blades flashed as *Charm Demon* lunged. Yet Ignaz's eyes sharpened, unshaken.
"Do it."
At his command, Dugu Yan released her first spirit skill, stirring up a gale of toxic sand across the battlefield.
"You think a little breeze can hinder us? Laughable."
"Really?" Ignaz retorted.
He slipped past the first strike of *Charm Demon*, then stomped hard with his back foot and leapt away, creating distance.
"Fifth Spirit Skill—Battle Spear Dragon Dance!"
Scarlet light flared as his spear spun, summoning a howling dragon-shaped tornado of blood and sand. The combined power doubled its destructive force.
The violent whirlwind twisted the entire arena, flinging *Charm Demon* into the air while sweeping the scarlet mist across the field—straight toward Yan and the other Spirit Hall team members.
"Yan! Where are you? I can't see!"
"I can't find you either!"
Panic spread as the mist disrupted their senses.
"Attack!" Dugu Yan's voice cut through the chaos.
Her allies obeyed without hesitation.
"Fourth Spirit Skill!"
"Third Spirit Skill!"
"Fifth Spirit Skill!"
Together, Dugu Yan, the Shi brothers, and Yang Yong unleashed their strongest long-range strikes. Boulders, poison, and searing attacks rained down. Dugu Yan's *Venomous Rock Domain* especially devastated the field, smashing one Spirit Hall member unconscious on the spot—an auxiliary soul master with a golden staff.
If not for Yan reacting swiftly with his third spirit skill to block part of the barrage, half the Spirit Hall team would already have been crippled.
Meanwhile, Xie Yue and Hu Liena, finally shaken free from the tornado, were forced to dissolve their fusion. Before they could recover and activate their fourth spirit skills—
"Boom!"
Ignaz's spear swept across like a crimson thunderbolt, striking them in the abdomen. The blow sent them flying, wracked with pain as though their guts had been pierced.
High above, Bibi Dong's expression darkened. Watching her proud disciples collapse so easily, her fury boiled over. Her gaze locked on Ignaz, who now stood dominating the field.
"Ignaz… Heaven Dou Imperial Academy… If you will not submit to Spirit Hall, then none of you will leave here alive."
Back on the arena floor, only Yan and two agility-type soul masters remained standing.
Yan's face twisted with worry as he glanced at the unconscious Hu Liena.
"Na'er!"
His anger erupted.
"Ignaz—you're dead! Fifth Spirit Skill—Fiery Sand Eruption!"
The molten figure of a lava lord appeared behind him, hurling waves of flaming rock toward Ignaz.
But Ignaz only spun his spear faster and faster, forming a blood-red shield of energy around him. The barrier absorbed the raining magma, shimmering with deadly power.
This was his second self-created spirit skill.