On the wide arena stage, tension filled the air as the two Soul Masters faced each other.
Every gaze in the audience was fixed upon them, the atmosphere thick enough to cut.
Liu Xiong stared coldly at his opponent, Yan, his sharp eyes gleaming like twin blades, attempting to crush Yan through sheer aura alone.
Suddenly, a smirk curved across his lips as he taunted:
"I've heard you're quite something.
Those last two matches of yours ended easily—both in under a minute.
But there's nothing to brag about there… because you've never fought a Water-attribute Soul Master before."
Yan only gave a faint, disdainful smile.
"Is that so? Then show me just how powerful a Water-attribute Soul Master can be.
Enough talk—make your move."
Yan's indifferent attitude instantly enraged Liu Xiong.
The first spirit ring around Liu Xiong flared brilliantly, surging with immense soul power.
In the next instant, a chilling aura erupted from his body, spreading outward like countless icy tendrils racing across the stage.
The cold was so intense that even the air itself seemed to freeze.
In the blink of an eye, the entire thirty-meter-wide arena was blanketed in a layer of thick, solid ice—
transformed into a frozen wasteland.
This was Liu Xiong's first soul skill — Ice Seal.
It not only restricted an opponent's movement within its area of effect, slowing them down,
but could also encase them directly in ice, forming a near-impenetrable prison.
Once trapped in that unyielding frost, few could break free—
and even resisting it consumed tremendous amounts of soul power to ward off the biting cold.
However, just as the audience expected Yan to be swallowed by the spreading frost, a shocking scene unfolded.
Though the arena was sealed under layers of ice, the area around Yan remained untouched—
as if an invisible barrier repelled the encroaching chill.
The frost halted several inches from him, unable to advance any farther.
"Such terrifying flame… Even the Snow-Soul Brown Bear's icy power can't suppress it."
From the stands, Shui Bing'er couldn't help but sigh in amazement at what she saw.
A Soul Master with the Snow-Soul Brown Bear Martial Soul possessed not only immense strength but also the ability to generate extreme cold—
a deadly combination that greatly enhanced both offense and defense.
Yet, no matter how much pressure Liu Xiong exerted, the frost could not reach Yan.
The flames roaring around his body were completely unshaken by the freezing aura.
Liu Xiong's expression froze in disbelief.
Only then did he realize—Yan's previous victories over higher-ranked opponents were no stroke of luck.
They were won by sheer, overwhelming power.
Yan had no interest in wasting time.
The first spirit ring around him flared, and his first soul skill — Infernal Magma Surge— erupted.
A column of molten lava surged violently upward from beneath Liu Xiong's feet, blazing toward the sky.
In the split second before it struck, Liu Xiong's figure flickered aside, narrowly dodging the attack.
Because of his Martial Soul, Liu Xiong was extremely sensitive to heat.
Moreover, he had studied Yan's previous battles and knew that Hell Magma Burst was a deadly single-target skill—
so he had been on guard from the start.
Yan hadn't expected the bulky man to move with such astonishing speed.
Even though that first strike missed, his offense didn't stop there.
His third spirit ring shone next—and the third soul skill — Infernal Flame— ignited in an instant.
The entire arena was suddenly consumed by raging crimson flames.
The air shimmered, and the heat was so intense it felt as though the world itself might melt.
Everything within the blaze's reach seemed destined to be devoured.
The Great Spirit Arena had become a blazing furnace.
Even from the audience stands, people could feel the scorching heat pressing against their skin.
Everyone began to wonder—
Could Liu Xiong possibly survive within that inferno?
"Rooooar!"
With a thunderous roar, Liu Xiong's massive figure fell into the sea of flames.
At the exact moment he landed, his third spirit ring flared—and a thick layer of icy-blue armor encased his entire body in an instant.
The ice gleamed like tempered steel—hard, cold, and unyielding.
This was his third soul skill — Ice Armor.
Encased in the frigid blue plating, Liu Xiong charged forward through the flames, shouting:
"Boy! You think a little fire can trap me?
How naïve!"
Yan's response was a sharp grin.
His fourth spirit ring burst to life—and a blinding blade of flame erupted forth, cleaving straight toward the airborne Snow-Soul Brown Bear.
The instant the two forces collided, a deafening explosion rocked the arena.
This was Yan's fourth soul skill — Blazing Flame Splash, a technique that condensed all of his strength into a single, wide-range slash of pure fire.
Liu Xiong's Ice Armor shattered instantly under the blow.
Yan gave him no time to recover.
In a flash, he lunged forward and unleashed a flurry of fiery kicks, each one striking with brutal precision—
sending Liu Xiong flying off the stage and crashing heavily to the ground below.
The entire exchange had happened so fast that no one could react.
The massive man's body hit the floor with a resounding thud, leaving the audience utterly stunned.
The referee hurriedly slammed the match timer.
"Fifty-nine seconds!" he announced, his voice shaking with excitement.
"Yama has defeated his opponent in just fifty-nine seconds!"
"So fast! Unbelievably fast!"
"Another victory in under a minute!"
"Congratulations to Yama on his win—marking his fourth consecutive victory!"
The arena erupted into a frenzy.
"Yama ! Yama!"
The crowd's cheers filled the air like thunder.
Watching from his seat, Yue Guan smiled faintly and rose to leave.
Yan stepped down from the stage as well, heading toward the Soul Master passage to collect his winnings.
Meanwhile, the girls from Tianshui Academy were still frozen in shock.
Shui Yue'er gasped in admiration:
"That Fire-attribute Soul Master is amazing!
He's so handsome—and so strong!"
"Yue'er, stop swooning,"
their teacher Shui Yue Ru, a level 75 Soul Saint, said with mild exasperation.
"He might be one of our potential opponents."
"What? A Fire attribute… could he be from Blazing Academy?
But I've never heard of someone like him before!"
"I'm not sure either," Shui Yue'er replied.
"Judging by his looks, he's about the same age as Bing'er.
He's probably a student from some academy."
Watching Yan's figure disappear into the Soul Master tunnel, Shui Bing'er sighed softly.
"It seems… we've found ourselves another powerful rival."
"All right," Shui Yue'ersaid, turning to her students.
"His match is over. Let's go as well.
Everyone, rest up and prepare for the second phase of our special training."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Back in the arena corridors, Yan reached the service counter, collected his points and gold soul coins, and was just about to leave when a voice called out behind him.
"Hey! Handsome Yan —wait up!"
Turning around, Yan saw a girl walking toward him.
She was stunningly beautiful—delicate features, fair skin, tall and graceful.
Though she looked only sixteen or seventeen, her figure was strikingly mature.
Long, dark-red wavy hair cascaded down her back like flowing fire, captivating and fierce.
Behind her stood a boy—not particularly handsome, but exuding a strong, confident presence.