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Seeing Ma Xiaotao's approach, Tang Ya was startled and instinctively generated a thick layer of Blue Silver Emperor strands to envelop herself.
To the audience, it appeared as though Ma Xiaotao had abandoned all technique, opting for a reckless, all-or-nothing assault.
However, when Ma Xiaotao finally stood before Tang Ya, everyone realized how wrong they were.
A sly smile crept across Ma Xiaotao's lips, revealing her cunning plan. With a sudden stomp on the ground in front of Tang Ya, an elegant phoenix imprint pattern appeared beneath her feet.
While the crowd was still confused, Ye Wen understood exactly what Ma Xiaotao was up to and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Indeed, when people are pushed to their limits, they'll do anything. Even someone as proud as Ma Xiaotao has resorted to clever tricks now."
"Fourth Soul Skill—Phoenix Sky-Shattering Strike!!!"
A blazing column of ultimate fire erupted from the ground, shooting straight into the sky as if attempting to burn a hole through the azure heavens.
The heat itself wasn't the issue—it would take time to burn through Tang Ya's defenses. But Tang Ya suddenly realized that the Blue Silver Emperor strands she had generated weren't rooted in the ground; they were like floating weeds with no anchor.
Unable to exert force, Tang Ya could only let the momentum of the flames hurl her cocooned form high into the air.
For a moment, the Blue Silver cocoon was sent flying skyward, leaving the audience cheering at the spectacle.
Faced with this unfamiliar situation, most people would experience a brief mental blank, unsure of what to do—and Tang Ya was no exception.
But Tang Ya was different. Her tumultuous life experiences had forged nerves far stronger than those of ordinary people. She quickly regained her composure and almost immediately realized the inevitability of her defeat.
But Tang Ya refused to accept it! She had been so close to victory!
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao gazed intently at the Blue Silver cocoon soaring into the air, her expression serious. Far from feeling relieved, she flapped her fiery wings, rapidly closing the distance. Her plan was simple yet effective: kick Tang Ya out of the arena and secure her elimination—a clever shortcut to victory.
In Shrek's competitor lounge, Wang Yan's eyes lit up upon seeing Ma Xiaotao's maneuver, exclaiming at its brilliance. The others from Shrek nodded in agreement, silently acknowledging that their captain was truly unmatched.
Ten meters… eight meters… five meters… two meters… As Ma Xiaotao approached the Blue Silver cocoon, now scorching hot from her ultimate fire, she twisted her waist with all her might, aiming to deliver a decisive kick.
In Ma Xiaotao's mind, Tang Ya's ability to withstand her ultimate fire was entirely due to that bizarre Level 9 soul-guided device. However, the device had only enhanced her martial soul, not Tang Ya herself. This meant one thing: Tang Ya's body couldn't endure the extreme heat of her flames.
Ma Xiaotao was certain—Tang Ya couldn't escape the cocoon's protection. Victory was hers!
But just as Ma Xiaotao believed she had secured her win, the cocoon suddenly opened.
"This can't be!?" Ma Xiaotao exclaimed in shock.
Inside, Tang Ya was using her right arm, wrapped in thick layers of Blue Silver Emperor strands, to desperately block Ma Xiaotao's kick.
"Don't underestimate me!!!"
The exposed parts of Tang Ya's body emitted a burnt odor, but she had entered a frenzied state, completely oblivious to the pain. With all her strength, she commanded the Blue Silver Emperor strands to tightly bind Ma Xiaotao!
"What!?"
Faced with this sudden restraint, Ma Xiaotao instinctively tried to ignite her flames to break free. But these Blue Silver Emperor strands had been imbued with the power of ultimate gold—how could she possibly escape?
By now, Tang Ya had already begun falling toward the ground due to gravity.
Yet the connection between Tang Ya and Ma Xiaotao didn't break. Instead, the Blue Silver Emperor strands stretched taut.
"Come down here, you!" Tang Ya roared, her entire body straining as she yanked the struggling Ma Xiaotao from the sky and slammed her onto the ground.
There were no flashy soul skills involved—this was pure physical strength. Even so, Ma Xiaotao was brutally smashed into the ground, leaving her disoriented.
"Ahh—"
Ma Xiaotao's fall was painful, but Tang Ya wasn't faring much better. After all, she had directly faced the searing heat of ultimate fire. Even without any active soul skills, the flames had inflicted severe damage on Tang Ya, a plant-type soul master.
The sight of two beautiful women battling so savagely on the arena stage left the audience stunned, though they were also curious about who would emerge victorious.
At this moment, the near-ultimate life attribute of the Blue Silver Emperor truly showcased its power. Under the immense soul power provided by the soul-guided armor, Tang Ya's injuries began healing at a visible rate.
Countless Blue Silver Emperor leaves sprouted rapidly, hovering around Tang Ya. Enhanced by the ultimate gold attribute and illuminated by the sunlight, they gleamed brilliantly.
"Tang Sect Hidden Weapon Technique, Fourth Rank—One Thousand and One Nights!!!"
A murderous glint flashed in Tang Ya's eyes as her hands began moving rapidly. Streams of Blue Silver Emperor strands imbued with ultimate gold shot out in complex, unpredictable trajectories.
But there was no doubt about their target—the struggling Ma Xiaotao, who was painfully trying to get back on her feet.
Watching this perilous scene, the two guardians in Shrek's competitor lounge grew restless. After all, Ma Xiaotao was one of Shrek's top prodigies!
Ma Xiaotao watched the overwhelming barrage approach, her heart heavy with bitterness. At this moment, she felt as though her body had been shattered, and even moving an arm was excruciatingly difficult.
But surrender was absolutely out of the question!
With only a little over 30% of her soul power remaining, a look of resolve flashed in Ma Xiaotao's eyes.
"It seems this is as far as I can go…
But I absolutely cannot leave this trouble for my teammates who come after me!"
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao's body erupted once more with blazing ultimate fire.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Phoenix Meteor Shower!!! Aaaah!!!"
Ma Xiaotao staked everything she had left, vowing to fight Tang Ya to the bitter end!
The sky was filled with a dazzling collision of fiery meteors and Tang Ya's swirling hidden weapons. For a time, the audience could no longer see what was happening on the battlefield.
Explosions of ultimate fire obscured Tang Ya's vision, forcing her to rely on instinct as she continued attacking Ma Xiaotao.
Suddenly, a figure burst through the haze of flames.
Tang Ya instinctively thought Ma Xiaotao was attempting the same trick again.
But Tang Ya had already overcome her fear of fire and was determined to confront Ma Xiaotao head-on.
Without hesitation, she hurled countless Blue Silver Emperor hidden weapons directly at Ma Xiaotao!
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