BOOOOM—!
In an instant, the colossal bronze palms descended with earth-shattering force.
At the edge of the arena, over a quarter of the platform instantly disintegrated, collapsing into rubble. Wu Feng's side of the protective barrier flickered violently, and more than twenty soul engineers maintaining it spat blood simultaneously from the backlash.
Where the palms struck, the ground was flattened into smooth, glassy surfaces—as if molten bronze had been poured over them. Only one spot remained intact:
Wu Feng, shielded by her Invincible Barrier, stood nearly unharmed. But sustaining the barrier had drained her soul power catastrophically, leaving her reeling.
Wang Yanfeng was in no better shape.
Thus, the two entered a silent standoff—neither daring to pull out a soul recovery bottle. At this stage, even a momentary lapse could be fatal.
What Wang Yanfeng didn't know was that Wu Feng had a hidden ace.
Amidst the settling dust, faint runes on her wristband pulsed—unnoticed by all. Ambient spiritual energy seeped into her body in subtle waves, accelerating her recovery far beyond Wang Yanfeng's.
As the smoke cleared…
ROAR—!
A draconic bellow erupted!
Wang Yanfeng's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible?!"
Her black soul ring flared—a Crimson Flame Mad Dragon materialized! Though spectral, its obsidian-like scales shimmered with flowing crimson magma, smoke curling from its jaws.
This was Wu Feng's ten-thousand-year soul spirit.
But Wang Yanfeng wasn't shocked by the soul spirit—he had one too (his sixth ring was soul-spirit-derived). What stunned him was how Wu Feng, after such massive soul power expenditure, could still fuel her soul spirit!
"Let's continue!" Wu Feng's eyes gleamed with exhilaration.
ROAR—!
The Crimson Flame Mad Dragon lunged, leaping high before whipping its tail down like a meteor!
Hah—!
Wang Yanfeng roared, thrusting his palms upward. His third ring blazed as he clenched his fists, slamming them into the dragon's tail.
His soul power was too depleted for his ten-thousand-year skill—he'd have to rely on brute force with Mountain-Shattering Strike.
The result?
BOOM!
The dragon's tail plunged deep into the earth.
Wang Yanfeng crashed into the already-ruined arena. A meter-deep crater formed within a ten-meter radius of impact, while cracks spiderwebbed outward, hurling debris skyward.
As for Wang Yanfeng himself…
His pupils dilated, stars swirling in his vision.
Huff!
Wu Feng exhaled sharply. "Next!"
After checking Wang Yanfeng's condition, the referee declared:
"Round-Robin Group One, Match One: Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect vs. Snow Demon Sect. Individual Elimination Round, First Match—Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect wins!"
"Second match competitors, take the stage!"
In the ready zone, Chen Junting glanced at Wu Feng's still-thrilled expression, then whispered to Ning Tian. Receiving her nod, he called out:
"Xiao Feng, come down! Yuhao will take the next round."
"Huh?" Wu Feng turned, pouting. She'd just gotten started!
But under Chen Junting's unwavering gaze and Ning Tian's expectant look, she reluctantly trudged off the stage.
Fine.
Though disappointed, it didn't matter. Against the Snow Demon Sect—no, the Body Sect—she'd have little chance of winning the next round anyway.
Better to conserve strength. Save her hidden trump card for those "sewer rats"!
She shot a glare toward the Holy Spirit Church's rest area—then froze.
In the crowd, one figure stood out.
Partially concealed, yet unmistakably extraordinary. Golden hair framed a face of refined aura, but what caught Wu Feng's eye was his downcast gaze fixed on the Holy Spirit Church team. Even from the pavilion, she felt he'd locked onto the evil soul masters.
But the moment she blinked—it vanished, as if nothing happened.
"How strange…" she murmured.
Just then, Huo Yuhao's voice sounded in her ear: "Sister Xiao Feng, hurry down!"
"Oh! Right! Yuhao, next round's yours!"
"Leave it to me, Sister Feng!"
Huo Yuhao strode confidently to the center. From the Snow Demon Sect, a youth leapt onto the stage, taking position opposite him.
Back in the ready zone, Wu Feng reported her observation to Chen Junting and Ning Tian.
The two exchanged knowing smiles.
"She's already tempted," Ning Tian said softly.
"Then we wait," Chen Junting replied, lips curving. "Her decision won't disappoint us."
Wu Feng nearly tore her hair out. I made the discovery—why am I left in the dark?! They're definitely hiding something huge!
"And cryptic riddles are so annoying!"
—
The second match began—and ended swiftly.
In less than a teacup's time, despite Chen Lü of Snow Demon Sect deploying every trick—including activating a Grade-5 Invincible Barrier three times—he still fell to Huo Yuhao.
Once Huo Yuhao unleashed his first four soul skills, a simplified illusion realm formed instantly. Without special countermeasures or vastly superior spiritual power, opponents were helpless.
Snow Demon Sect then sent a spirit-attribute Body Martial Soul user—only a Soul King, but some believed his Secondary Awakening and skills could break illusions. Yet again, Huo Yuhao's first four skills overwhelmed him.
Two matches—both ending in baffling obscurity.
The audience raged: "RNM! Refund our tickets!"
Unbeknownst to them, in the third match, Huo Yuhao escalated further. The moment his simplified illusion formed, he exploited his opponent's confusion to unleash his Sixth Soul Skill:
Bewildering Illusion Realm!
Drawn from Ahri's ultimate spirit technique, this skill elevated Huo Yuhao's illusions to peerless mastery. Even average Soul Saints could perish within it—unaware they'd even died.
—
In the preparation area:
"My apologies, Princess," Gu Tong said, head bowed in shame after regaining consciousness. He'd activated his Secondary Awakening—yet lost without landing a single blow. How humiliating!
"Don't dwell on it," Vina consoled. "You're only a Soul King. When you reach Soul Emperor, he might not beat you."
The words didn't ease Gu Tong's gloom. Vina frowned, pondering:
Should I go next?
Among the remaining fighters, only she possessed spirit-attribute compatibility.
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