As Dai Yaoheng began his battle with Chen Zifeng and Ma Xiaotao, terrifying heat erupted at the center of the battlefield. Seeing this, everyone else tacitly avoided the most dangerous area in the middle of the arena.
As both sides gradually drew closer, the control-type soul masters Ling Luochen and Yao Haoxuan were the first to engage.
Yao Haoxuan let out a roar. His already massive body, over four meters tall under Martial Soul Possession, grew even larger, muscles swelling. With the boost of his third soul ring, Yao Haoxuan looked more like an assault-type soul master than one who specialized in support and control.
Soon after, his first and second soul rings shone. Two yellow lights swept outward, enveloping Huo Yuhao's team in a sharp aura that made their entire presence more intense.
Meanwhile, on the opposing side, Beibei, Wang Dong, and Jiang Nannan,who were closest to the front,felt their heads spin, as if struck by a heavy blow.
At the same time, Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Town Soul Cauldron joined the fray. With her first and second soul skills unleashed, waves of black shock energy combined with Yao Haoxuan's attacks to continuously suppress Beibei's group.
However, Ning Tian and Gongyang Mo quickly joined forces to remove the abnormal effects from their teammates.
Then, icy rain began to pour from the sky. Ling Luochen held a two-meter-long crystalline staff taller than herself, clad in armor made entirely of frost.
This was her first and second soul skills at work,the Ice Staff amplified her control over the ice element, while the Ice Armor served as her defense.
"This little girl is quite impressive. What a pity… If only she were born in my world," Electrolux's aged voice echoed in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Tiny shards of icy rain fell upon Huo Yuhao's group. While not particularly damaging, they caused great discomfort,especially to Xiao Xiao, whose soul power and physical endurance were the weakest.
Xiao Xiao quickly recalled her cauldron to shield herself from the freezing rain and the cold.
Yet this was merely the prelude to Ling Luochen's true attack. Her martial soul was pure ice element, and she was merely shaping and controlling that element.
Following the team's strategy, Xixi, the agility-type Battle Soul King, stayed behind Yao Haoxuan, concealing herself behind his enormous frame instead of rushing ahead.
As both sides drew nearer, the air grew colder. Xu Sanshi realized he couldn't wait any longer and gritted his teeth. "Fourth Soul Skill,Mysterious Underworld Swap!"
In an instant, Ling Luochen's figure switched places with Xu Sanshi. Yet she remained calm. Her fifth soul ring lit up,Ice Radiance Ring was about to explode.
Under her prior control, the ice element in the battlefield had become denser than usual,by at least fifty percent. If she released her most powerful fifth soul skill, Ice Radiance Ring, enhanced by her Ice Staff, Huo Yuhao's group would have no chance to dodge. Clearly, Ling Luochen's team had already learned about Xu Sanshi's fourth soul skill and prepared for it.
But the skill failed to activate as planned. Under the effect of Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Ingestion, her spiritual power was temporarily severed,not fatally, but just enough to interrupt her control.
Given the vast gap in cultivation between Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen, even this five-second disruption strained his limits.
Yet five seconds was enough. Ling Luochen's second soul ring was only a hundred-year one,how could she, without consciousness, defend against an agility-type Soul King like Xixi for five seconds?
Lightning flashed. Before long, Ling Luochen was pulled out of the field by Xuanzi. In the distance, sweat beaded on Gongyang Mo's delicate face.
When Ling Luochen had been swapped, both he and Ning Tian tried desperately to break Huo Yuhao's control over her, but their efforts vanished like stones sinking into the sea.
Because of the influence of Spiritual Ingestion, their soul skills were clashing against Ling Luochen's own spiritual power, which was under Huo Yuhao's interference.
If they forced a release, it would severely deplete Ling Luochen's spirit instead,something neither wanted. But without that, there was nothing they could do. While her consciousness was trapped, their soul skills were useless.
"This junior's ability is terrifying. Such a forcibly effective skill… I thought something like this could only appear with ten-thousand-year soul rings. My own ring is ten-thousand-year too,why can't I resist it?" Gongyang Mo muttered.
No one answered. They were struggling against Xu Sanshi, who had charged deep into their formation and was barely hanging on.
"Junior Xu, your mission's complete!" Yao Haoxuan bellowed.
Hearing that, Xu Sanshi immediately triggered Mysterious Underworld Swap again, exchanging places with Yao Haoxuan.
With Ling Luochen down, the icy rain and cold dissipated, and Huo Yuhao's group advanced rapidly toward Beibei's team.
As Yao Haoxuan arrived, his second soul ring pulsed wildly. Rings of sound burst out like shockwaves, deafening and disorienting everyone nearby.
Even Gongyang Mo and Ning Tian, strong support types, struggled to clear the debuffs in time.
Beibei, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong fought against dizziness, forcing themselves to attack Yao Haoxuan, trying to stop his second skill,but it was no easy task.
A faint murderous intent swept past and struck toward Gongyang Mo. Wang Dong, already dazed from the soundwaves, was pulled off the field by Xuanzi just in time.
Xixi had made her move,on her way past Yao Haoxuan's group, she took down the weakest member, Wang Dong.
Seeing this, Gongyang Mo smiled bitterly. "Ning Tian, give up. Use your last enhancement on Xiaotao. From here on, she's our only hope."
Gongyang Mo stopped supporting the others. Behind him, the Rainbow Dragon's wings unfolded, glowing red, orange, yellow, and blue. Streams of power, spirit, speed, and elemental force shot toward Ma Xiaotao.
But as he did, Xixi's claws sliced through the air, tearing a few of his radiant feathers. Ning Tian barely managed to cast one speed boost on Ma Xiaotao before Xixi eliminated her too.
Both were rescued by Xuanzi, forced to watch helplessly from the sidelines.
With Gongyang Mo and Ning Tian out, Beibei and Jiang Nannan's defenses began to crumble. Jiang Nannan still had her Invincible Golden Body, but using it now would only buy a few seconds and lead to Beibei's faster defeat. She chose to keep fighting instead, to weaken the enemy as much as possible.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Beibei and Jiang Nannan, then turned his eyes toward Ma Xiaotao's blazing battle with Dai Yaoheng and Chen Zifeng.
Though the fire blocked normal sight, Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection and True Sight could see through it.
The scene was tragic,Dai Yaoheng's White Tiger fur was burned to patches, Chen Zifeng's sword was shattered by Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Soaring Strike, and he had already been pulled off the field.
Huo Yuhao activated Spiritual Ingestion again,not to control Ma Xiaotao, but to influence her perception.
If he tried to control her mind, her inner demonic energy would simply take over. Worse, without her self-control, she might become even more dangerous. She hadn't even used her strongest sixth soul skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower, yet.
So instead, he used mental suggestion,subtly guiding her to overlook his presence and distort her senses.
In battle, even the slightest error in perception could lead to devastating consequences.
A burst of golden-red light filled the air. Everyone, except Huo Yuhao, stared at the graceful figure emerging from the flames.
Her long ponytail had come undone, dark red hair scattering wildly. The golden-red firelight failed to illuminate her beauty,it only deepened her cold, dangerous aura. Her crimson eyes glowed beneath the shadow of her hair, chilling even under the blazing sun.
When the flames subsided, the battlefield revealed only Ma Xiaotao. Dai Yaoheng and Chen Zifeng were gone.
The ground was blackened and cracked from the intense heat,an impressive feat, considering this arena was specially reinforced by Shrek Academy for elite training.
If not for Xuanzi's oversight, everyone might've thought Ma Xiaotao had incinerated her teammates entirely.
"What the… What happened to Sister Xiaotao?" Xu Sanshi twitched, sensing something ominous.
Even Yao Haoxuan, usually cheerful, looked grim. Xixi didn't dare approach. Everyone knew how strong Dai Yaoheng and Chen Zifeng were,and yet both had fallen so quickly.
Ma Xiaotao's power had far exceeded their expectations. They had assumed the two could hold her off until the team finished the fight elsewhere,but now their main fighter was gone.
"Let's go all in!" Yao Haoxuan gritted his teeth. Xu Sanshi lined up beside him, Xixi close behind, using his size as cover to advance toward Ma Xiaotao.
But Ma Xiaotao clearly wasn't planning to give them a chance.
Her dark red eyes swept across the four remaining opponents,Yao Haoxuan, Xu Sanshi, Xixi, and Xiao Xiao. Her massive phoenix wings spread wide behind her.
Second Soul Skill: Phoenix in Flames.
Third Soul Skill: Phoenix Wing Ascension.
Golden-red flames erupted, her phoenix wings expanding even further. With the earlier buffs from Gongyang Mo and Ning Tian reaching their peak, her aura blazed to its fullest.
Her fourth, fifth, and sixth soul rings shone together. Fireballs condensed in the sky, falling like meteors.
Ma Xiaotao herself transformed into a colossal flaming phoenix,a burning comet hurtling down toward them.
Facing her, despair filled everyone's hearts. This wasn't a spar,it was annihilation.
Even if Xu Sanshi used his Mysterious Underworld Swap, he couldn't save anyone. The instant he switched, he'd be consumed by the meteor flames.
Outside the field, Xuanzi sighed softly. He had hesitated too long, hoping to observe their teamwork,but now he was forced to act.
In quick succession, he pulled Yao Haoxuan, Xu Sanshi, Xixi, and Xiao Xiao out of the arena.
Yet the Phoenix Meteor Shower had already inflicted severe injuries on them all.
When the flames finally vanished, only Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao,whom she had unconsciously ignored,remained standing. Her soul power was nearly spent.
Xuanzi's gaze fell on Huo Yuhao.
Would a miracle happen now?
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