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"How is this possible?"
Charm Demon was horrified. Even without the red mist that could shroud the enemy's vision and slash their senses, speed, and soul power by fifty percent, he was still a fusion of Hu Liena and Xie Yue, two Spirit Kings with Xie Yue taking the lead. Their combined soul power surpassed level sixty.
Yet, he couldn't block a single sword strike from Ning Tian; a strike that didn't even use a soul skill.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing and her three teammates clashed once more with Yan and his group.
Zhu Zhuqing now moved with blinding speed under Ye Lingling's area-wide amplification. With her external soul bone activated, she was a blur of motion.
She darted past Yan with ghostly agility, reaching the Spirit Hall's support-type soul master and slashing out with a claw.
Yan tried to intervene, but it was too late; the support soul master was knocked off the stage by Zhu Zhuqing's swift attack.
"Damn it!" Yan roared, furious. He swung a massive lava fist toward Zhu Zhuqing.
Unfazed, Zhu Zhuqing flickered out of the way, dodging the blow with ease. She retaliated, directing her Black Widow external soul bone to stab at Yan.
The Spirit Hall had detailed intel on Zhu Zhuqing, and Yan knew her external soul bone carried lethal poison. Having already suffered from her Nether Thrust breaking his defenses earlier, he didn't dare take the hit head-on. He was forced into a desperate, defensive stance.
Elsewhere, the Shi brothers and Yufeng picked their own targets. Boosted by Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and Ye Lingling's Sacred Heart Begonia, their power surged, and they fought without fear of injury.
They threw themselves into the fray with reckless abandon, driving the Spirit Hall team back step by step.
If Zhu Zhuqing and her group held the advantage, then Ning Tian was an unstoppable force.
Even though both wielded soul power above level sixty, Charm Demon was utterly outclassed, Qian Renxue eclipsed it in every possible way.
The only reason Ning Tian hadn't unleashed his Evil-Warding Divine Thunder to crush them was to witness Charm Demon's self-created soul skill, Full Moon.
Seeing Ning Tian's relentless dominance, Xie Yue drew a deep breath. Finally, he commanded Charm Demon to unleash Full Moon, transforming into a radiant white orb. In response, Ning Tian brandished his Seven Kill Sword Technique, unleashing three consecutive "Kill" characters in a blazing assault.
…..
From the VIP seats, Sword Douluo, seated beside Ning Fengzhi, watched with gleaming eyes.
A pleased smile crossed his face. "I never imagined his Seven Kill Sword Technique had reached such heights. An attack stacking three 'Kill' characters; it's on par with a ten-thousand-year soul skill."
Ning Fengzhi nodded with a smile. "True, but Xie Yue's self-created skill isn't to be underestimated, especially with Charm Demon's enhancement. Ning Tian's cultivation still lags far behind. Even with three stacked 'Kill' characters, it might not stop Full Moon's strike."
"I believe he'll find a way to break through," Sword Douluo replied, his voice brimming with confidence in Ning Tian.
As they spoke, the white full moon crashed into the three "Kill" characters.
The first "Kill" held for only a heartbeat before being sliced apart. The second followed suit. Only the third slowed the moon's momentum, locking them in a tense stalemate.
Ning Tian seized the moment. With a light tap of his toes, he spiraled skyward, sword in hand. Just as the third "Kill" character faded, the tip of his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword struck the white full moon's center with pinpoint precision.
A streak of blood flashed.
The white moon halted abruptly, revealing Charm Demon's form. Its twin Moon Blades slipped from its grasp and flew outward as it disintegrated, splitting back into Hu Liena and Xie Yue, who crashed to the ground.
At that same moment, Zhu Zhuqing and Yan's duel reached its climax. Her Nether Ghost Claw shattered Yan's defenses, and she followed up with a swipe from her Black Widow external soul bone, grazing his back. The neurotoxin took hold, and Yan crumpled, unable to move.
The remaining three Spirit Hall Spirit Ancestors fought on desperately.
Just as Zhu Zhuqing moved to aid the Shi brothers and Yufeng, the Spirit Hall Academy's team leader could bear it no longer. "Spirit Hall Academy concedes," he declared.
Zhu Zhuqing halted. After detoxifying Yan, she joined the Shi brothers and Yufeng at Ning Tian's side, with Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong stepping up beside them.
Ning Tian had warned Zhu Zhuqing against using her devouring ability lightly, so she'd only absorbed the toxin this time, sparing Yan's soul power and life force.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling stood to Ning Tian's left, while the Shi brothers and Yufeng flanked his right.
The seven faced the crestfallen Spirit Hall team.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena struggled to their feet, leaning on each other, blood dripping from fresh wounds on their shoulders.
Yan rose with help from another Spirit Hall Spirit Ancestor. Their earlier bravado was gone, replaced by bitter defeat.
Xie Yue fixed a burning gaze on Ning Tian. "I never thought you'd grown this strong. We didn't even qualify to push you to your limit."
That "limit" clearly meant Ning Tian's second martial soul.
Ning Tian wasn't surprised, his second martial soul was no secret to Spirit Hall's upper ranks.
As a member of the Golden Generation, Xie Yue knowing wasn't odd.
Ning Tian gave a faint smile. "You're not bad yourselves. You live up to the Golden Generation's name."
In the original story, Spirit Hall Academy's talents had withered after Tang San's Eight Spider Lances drained their life force. Now, they were poised to achieve what the original story never allowed.
"Still, we lost to your Heaven Dou Imperial Academy main team or rather, the New Heaven Dou Battle Team," Xie Yue sighed, his eyes drifting over Ning Tian, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling. "That bunch of mediocre people at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy could never produce geniuses like you."
The Shi brothers and Yufeng were decent, ordinary talents at best. They were dime a dozen in Spirit Hall.
But Ning Tian and his trio? They were rarities among rarities.
Especially Ning Tian, whose strength bordered on miraculousness.
Ning Tian offered no reply.
Hu Liena stepped forward beside Xie Yue. "Ning Tian, next time, I swear I won't lose again."
This defeat cost them more than the match. They'd lost the soul bones her teacher had fought to secure for them, branding them as Spirit Hall's failures.
Her enchanting eyes blazed with defiance.
"Fine. I'll be waiting," Ning Tian said, offering no harsh words. He turned and led Zhu Zhuqing and the others off the stage.
The tournament's most gripping match was over.
The crowd below sat frozen, dumbfounded.
Even as Ning Tian's team descended, the onlookers didn't stir, their eyes locked on them.
Who could've predicted that Spirit Hall Academy, with three Spirit Kings, four Spirit Ancestors above level forty-five, and a martial soul fusion skill would fall so utterly?
More shocking still was the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy main team's might, especially Ning Tian, Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lingling, and Ning Rongrong.
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