One has to admit that the Holy Spirit Cult of this era is indeed worthy of being called "brimming with talent".
Even though several Main Team Members were lost in the previous rounds of competition, the substitute Reserve Team members who stepped up for the finals still possessed Spirit Emperor-level strength.
Therefore, in this final match, the Holy Ghost Team's lineup was still two Spirit Saints plus five Spirit Emperors, and its overall on-paper strength was almost the highest among all participating teams.
As for the Spirit Pagoda side, it was one Spirit Saint, two Spirit Emperors, and four Spirit Kings; judging solely from cultivation Ranks, the gap was indeed not small.
The match format was the same as before, divided into two rounds: individual matches and team matches, with the individual matches still taking place first.
The first contestant sent out by the Holy Ghost Team was a level-sixty-six defense-attribute Spirit Emperor named Lu Genggeng.
His figure was robust, and when he stepped onto the arena stage, his entire person was like a moving city wall.
The Holy Spirit Cult obviously intended to use his formidable defense to consume the opponent's stamina and strive for an advantage for the subsequent teammates.
However, what they did not expect was that the first to enter the stage for the Spirit Pagoda was Captain Jin Li.
No matter how powerful the Evil Soul Masters of the Holy Spirit Cult were in combat strength, Jin Li was even less weak.
Ultimate attributes combined with restraint against Evil Soul Masters, plus the gap in cultivation, resulted in the match between the two having not the slightest suspense.
Jin Li's strikes were crisp and decisive; after a few rounds of exchanges, Lu Genggeng's defense was broken through layer by layer.
If the referee hadn't stepped in time, Lu Genggeng's wretched life probably wouldn't have been saved.
However, his injuries were also extremely severe, and he would probably be unable to take the field for the subsequent team match.
Jin Li didn't even use much effort, standing in the center of the arena and patting the non-existent dust on her hands, her expression so relaxed as if she had just done a warm-up.
The entire audience instantly erupted into deafening cheers. Jin Li stood on the arena stage, slightly raising her chin, with a trace of uncontrollable smile at the corners of her mouth, clearly enjoying this kind of feeling.
The Holy Ghost Team's captain, Yan Feng, stood in the preparation area, gazing deeply at Jin Li on the arena stage, a trace of dread flashing in his eyes.
He did not hesitate for too long, making a decision a moment later.
Forfeit the individual matches and enter the team battle directly.
Judging from the overall strength, the Holy Ghost Team's lineup was indeed stronger than the Spirit Pagoda's. Two Spirit Saints pitted against the opponent's one Spirit Saint, and five Spirit Emperors arrayed against the opponent's two Spirit Emperors and four Spirit Kings—no matter how one looked at it, the Holy Ghost held the advantage.
Yan Feng's choice was correct in anyone's eyes. Rather than continuing to be consumed one by one by Jin Li in the individual matches, it was better to directly transition to the team battle and crush the opponent with the thickness of the overall lineup.
However, would all of this really develop as he expected?
Soon, the seven-person team match officially began.
The contestants of both sides ascended the arena stage one after another, standing opposite each other.
When the seven members of the Holy Ghost Team simultaneously released their Spirits and lit up their respective spirit rings, that fierce and oppressive aura almost condensed into substance, like a dark, heavy cloud pressing over the sky of the arena stage.
Watching this scene, the crowd in the spectator stands couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat for the Spirit Pagoda team.
With an order from the referee, the match officially began.
Without the slightest probing, the Holy Ghost Team took the lead in launching an attack. Seven figures pressed forward at almost the same moment, their movements tacit and decisive.
Captain Yan Feng locked his target onto Jin Li; from previous matches, he had already deduced that he might not necessarily be able to defeat her.
But after all, he was also a Spirit Saint, and he was quite confident in entangling Jin Li for a period of time.
As long as he could drag down the opponent's strongest combat power, the remaining teammates could be defeated one by one.
Vice-captain Tang Ya silently veered towards Wang Donger's direction. Wang Donger had displayed quite impressive combat power in previous matches, so she, a Spirit Saint, was sent to suppress her.
Obviously, Bei Bei's "sacrifice" had only awakened Tang Ya for a brief moment; now she was still an Evil Soul Master of the Holy Spirit Cult, so it could be said to be a wasted effort.
As for the Spirit Pagoda's third Spirit Emperor, He Caitou, the Holy Ghost Team only sent one Spirit Emperor to deal with him.
Although the Holy Spirit Cult's lair was established in the Sun Moon Empire, and some Evil Soul Masters in the cult also practiced Spirit Tools on the side, the vast majority of Evil Soul Masters still looked down on Soul Engineers in their bones.
As for the remaining four Spirit Emperors, their targets were naturally the four Spirit King-level members of the Spirit Pagoda.
Using Spirit Emperors against Spirit Kings, the cultivation suppressed a full major Realm; no matter how one thought about it, it was a sure-win situation.
As long as these four Spirit Kings were quickly resolved, the Spirit Pagoda would instantly fall into a desperate situation of being besieged.
The vast majority of the audience secretly sighed in their hearts, feeling that the Spirit Pagoda was likely in ominous peril.
However, sharp-eyed Spirit Masters at the scene also noticed some unusual details: when facing the four Spirit Emperors who rushed over with ferocious expressions and aggressive auras, the four Spirit Kings of the Spirit Pagoda unexpectedly did not have the slightest fear on their faces.
It was not that kind of fearless "generously going to one's death" style, but a calm composure born of true inner confidence.
Their gazes were calm, their breathing steady, and even their standing postures did not undergo any changes due to the opponent's approach.
Someone could even catch a trace of an extremely faint smile from the corners of their mouths—a smile they couldn't help showing whenever they thought of what they were about to do next.
Then, under the breath-holding and concentrated gazes of everyone, metallic lusters suddenly lit up on the bodies of those four Spirit Kings of the Spirit Pagoda.
In the blink of an eye, their bodies were covered by a layer of metal armor of various forms—some heavy and steady, others light and fluid.
Each set of armor fitted closely to the curves of the wearer's body, resembling a tailor-made second layer of skin.
Many people in the spectator stands had their first reaction as "spirit tool armor"; after all, in previous matches, members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy had also worn spirit tool armor onto the stage, and the visual effects were indeed somewhat similar.
But true Soul Engineers saw the difference at a glance: what these people were wearing on their bodies was definitely not some ordinary spirit tool armor.
The texture of that metal, the luster of the patterns flowing across the surface of the armor, and the aura perfectly fitting the wearer's Spirit Power all had an essential difference from the spirit tool armor they were familiar with.
The reason why these four people were so calm and confident on the arena stage earlier lay in this suit of armor.
And what they were wearing was precisely the "No. 1 Experimental Product" mentioned by Gongyang Mo before the match.
After bringing Forging technology back to this era, how could Huo Yuhao possibly not research Battle Armor?
That was the culmination of Spirit Tools Ten Thousand Years later, the highest form of Fusion between Spirit Masters and Spirit Tools.
Under Huo Yuhao's patient guidance, the Spirit Pagoda was now able to independently produce One-Word Battle Armor.
Although it was only the most basic Entry-Level, the enhancement effect it brought was already enough to let the Spirit Master wearing it undergo a complete transformation.
What these four people wore on their bodies was precisely their respective One-Word Battle Armor.
The instant the Battle Armor was fully donned, the auras on the four people suddenly surged dramatically, abruptly lifting their cultivation auras from the level of Spirit Kings to the strength of the Spirit Saint Rank almost in the blink of an eye.
The four Holy Ghost Team Spirit Emperors standing opposite them had just rushed to the front, their faces originally bearing ferocious and disdainful smiles, but at this moment, after suddenly perceiving the change in their opponents' auras, they collectively froze in place.
Their expressions were as if the pause button had been pressed; the disdain in their eyes shattered in an instant, replaced by an unmaskable panic.
They didn't know what had happened; clearly they were just four Spirit Kings a moment ago, so how did they turn into four Spirit Saints in the blink of an eye?
The change in this aura was too sudden, far exceeding the scope of their cognition, so much that even their actions to pull back their momentum were half a beat slow.
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.