Facing Dai Yueheng's full-powered Sixth soul skill White Tiger's Extermination Ma Xiaotao did not dodge. The surge of soul power that erupted alongside the deafening phoenix cry was truly awe-inspiring.
Bathed in flames, with the blessings of the Fire Phoenix and Phoenix Wings, Ma Xiaotao resembled a goddess of fire. Her phoenix wings spread majestically behind her as she gazed down at the douluo continent below, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.
The power of her Phoenix Meteor Shower had now reached the level of a Soul Saint!
Fireballs exploded one after another, forcing Dai Yueheng, who was bolstered by three major soul skills, into retreat. The White Tiger's Extermination was soon rendered ineffective.
Seeing that his last-ditch effort had failed, Dai Yueheng immediately raised his right arm in defense, revealing his trump card.
His right arm shone with a dazzling light—this was Dai Yueheng's soul bone skill, Absolute Defense.
Although Absolute Defense could only be used once a day and lasted for an extremely short duration, during that moment, Dai Yueheng was nearly invincible. The only condition was that the opponent's attack had to first strike his right arm.
With this skill, as long as the opponent's attack wasn't at the level of a Super Douluo, Dai Yueheng could buy himself a crucial moment.
However, since Dai Yueheng hadn't reached the Soul Saint level, he couldn't fully utilize his strength while airborne. The timing of his descent from mid-air was his greatest weakness.
Using the brief Absolute Defense and the recoil from the Phoenix Meteor Shower, Dai Yueheng quickly landed. His fourth soul ring then lit up.
"Fourth Soul Skill: White Tiger Meteor Shower"
In the next moment, hundreds of golden orbs, each the size of a head, shot toward Ma Xiaotao in the air.
Dai Yueheng couldn't help but sigh in admiration for the wisdom of his ancestors.
The White Tiger Spirit excelled in close combat, but against long-range attackers like Ma Xiaotao, it would be powerless if it couldn't close the distance. Fortunately, the second and fourth soul skills of the White Tiger martial soul were designed to compensate for this weakness.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that her Phoenix Meteor Shower hadn't eliminated Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao let out a cold snort.
Her fifth soul ring ignited directly!
"Fifth Soul Skill: Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike!"
A stream of scorching air burst from the center of Ma Xiaotao's body. The phoenix flames around her surged, and her entire form seemed to vanish, as if she had merged with the flames.
The air in the arena grew intensely hot, and an indescribable majesty filled the space.
The next second, a domineering crimson flame soared into the sky, transforming into an exquisite and magnificent fire phoenix. Under the glow of the blazing flames, the majesty of the Empress of Birds was undeniable!
"Screech—!"
With a loud phoenix cry, the fire phoenix, trailing an unparalleled brilliant tail of flames, obliterated the golden orbs and crashed into Dai Yueheng like a blazing sun.
"How is this possible?!" Dai Yueheng screamed in shock.
"Dean, save me!!"
At this moment, Dai Yueheng's resolute face was scorched black by the previous phoenix flames, and a large portion of his school uniform had been burned away. His eyes, once fierce, now revealed fear.
Facing Ma Xiaotao's strongest single-target attack, Dai Yueheng knew his soul bone skill was on cooldown and he couldn't possibly block her assault. He quickly called out to Yan Shaozhe for help.
Yan Shaozhe, pleased with Ma Xiaotao's growth, immediately flashed in front of Dai Yueheng upon hearing his cry for help.
A rich power of light emerged, neutralizing Ma Xiaotao's attack.
The challenge was over.
It could be said that Dai Yueheng lost decisively. Under the relentless bombardment of Ma Xiaotao's firepower, he stood no chance of victory.
Although both were Soul Emperors of the attack type, there were clear differences between them. Ma Xiaotao relied on energy-based attacks, while Dai Yueheng focused on purely physical strikes.
But against the overwhelming power of the Evil Fire Phoenix, with twice the soul power gap and near-ultimate flames, the little white tiger was utterly powerless.
Dai Yueheng was thoroughly defeated.
His skills were inferior, and he was ready to relinquish his position as captain.
At the edge of the martial area, many inner court disciples who had been watching the spectacle stared wide-eyed at the arrogant Ma Xiaotao.
Dai Yueheng's strength was well-known, and against such a backdrop, Ma Xiaotao's power was fully displayed.
"Good heavens, this active volcano of the inner court is too strong!"
"Can't afford to provoke her, can't afford to provoke her!"
"Whoever marries her will truly be blessed."
"Junior Huo Yuhao, you must take care of yourself!"
Yan Shaozhe smiled contentedly and then announced loudly, "Ma Xiaotao wins. Next, Huo Yuhao, please choose the opponent you wish to challenge."
Finally, it was Huo Yuhao's turn.
The remaining opponents he could challenge were Chen Zifeng of the power attack system and Luo Sheng of the soul guidance system.
It was widely assumed that Luo Sheng would be the most likely choice. After all, it was common to pick the weaker opponent.
No matter how powerful Huo Yuhao was, he couldn't overcome the disadvantage of being only a Soul Ancestor cultivator.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Luo Sheng, who had already given up, and then turned his attention to Chen Zifeng, who was smiling.
'Let's kill the chicken to scare the monkeys first,' he thought.
"Senior Chen Zifeng, I wish to challenge you."
His words caused an uproar.
Even Yan Shaozhe hadn't anticipated this. Among the seven members of the reserve team, Chen Zifeng's strength was firmly in third place, with the potential to challenge for second. Luo Sheng, on the other hand, was at the bottom.
Although Luo Sheng was a Class 5 Soul Engineer, his martial soul wasn't particularly strong. Additionally, while soul tools were lethal, they had many limitations.
To unleash an attack powerful enough to threaten the Soul Kings of the inner court required significant preparation time. In a one-on-one duel, many team members could eliminate Luo Sheng before he could fully unleash his strength.
His inclusion in the reserve team was largely due to the academy's deliberate effort to reserve a spot for the Soul Tool Department.
Hearing Huo Yuhao's challenge, Chen Zifeng was momentarily stunned but quickly accepted the duel.
"Alright, Huo Yuhao and Chen Zifeng, step into the arena. The rest of you, step back," Yan Shaozhe commanded with a wave of his hand.
Although this wasn't exactly what he had planned, it didn't matter. The final challenge was about to begin.
Huo Yuhao and Chen Zifeng stood opposite each other on the arena, separated by 50 meters.
Chen Zifeng looked at the calm Huo Yuhao with a serious expression. His eyes burned with fighting spirit, and an unstoppable momentum erupted from him. To an ordinary observer, it wasn't a person standing there but a sharp, unyielding sword.
Chen Zifeng's martial soul manifested, and a blood-red rapier appeared in his hand.
This was the top-tier offensive weapon martial soul, the Soul-Chasing Sword!
The rapier was about three feet six inches long and only an inch wide. It had no guard, but three blood grooves ran along its length. Strangely, Chen Zifeng's five soul rings didn't revolve around his body but around the blood-red rapier.
Huo Yuhao, facing Chen Zifeng, opened his right hand, and a gorgeous ice blade appeared.
This was the Fourth-Turn Ice Knife Gu!
With the power of the Gu, Huo Yuhao's fierce momentum surpassed even Chen Zifeng's, and a strong sword intent emanated from him.
Indeed, after obtaining the Ice Knife Gu, Huo Yuhao had used the Five-Turn Memory Gu and his powerful mental coordination to deduce the sword intent. The main reason was that he didn't want to rely solely on punches. However, to use the sword intent, he still needed the Ice Knife Gu.
Activating the Ice Knife Gu allowed him to launch a powerful ice blade attack, which was extremely potent but also consumed a significant amount of energy.
After obtaining the Ice Knife Gu and combining it with the extreme ice of his second martial soul, Huo Yuhao had gradually developed a prototype for a killer move. If he used the Ice Knife Gu at full strength, he could even unleash a sword strike comparable to that of a Titled Douluo!
Of course, he wouldn't use such power against Chen Zifeng.
Sensing Huo Yuhao's sword intent, Chen Zifeng grew even more excited!
A rich blood-red light surged, and Chen Zifeng raised his head sharply, his momentum peaking instantly. His eyes turned blood-red, and Huo Yuhao's figure was reflected in them. The fierce murderous intent radiating from him seemed capable of slaughtering everything in its path.
Chen Zifeng took the initiative. He waved his right hand, and the blood-red long sword in his hand vanished instantly.
Then, he extended his right hand, index and middle fingers pointing forward. Suddenly, a blood-red light shot out, and the blood-red soul power released from his body merged with his martial soul, the Soul-Chasing Sword.
The blood-red light burst forth, and the thin sword hummed in the air before transforming into a blood-red lightning bolt. It cut through the air like a white rainbow piercing the sun, fiercely striking toward Huo Yuhao.
The concepts of "fast" and "sharp" were taken to an extreme level.
Although Chen Zifeng's martial soul was a sword, the Soul-Chasing Sword was actually a controllable flying sword. His development direction for the Soul-Chasing Sword was to remotely control it to attack his enemies.
Huo Yuhao, holding the ice blade, casually swung out a blue sword light to intercept the blood-red sword. He then sheathed the blade, his momentum rising wildly.
As Huo Yuhao's spirit gradually condensed on the sword blade, the shadow of the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress appeared behind him. A imitated purple soul ring rose and then flashed.
"Ice Empress's Claw!"
Under Huo Yuhao's control, a dazzling ice crystal film formed on the ice blade, and the sharp power of extreme cold emerged!
Feeling this immense threat, Chen Zifeng's right hand moved continuously, controlling the sword in the air.
As Chen Zifeng's martial soul, the Soul-Chasing Sword was naturally connected to his mind. As his thoughts shifted, the blood-red sword trembled slightly, and a sword cry rang out. The tip of the sword flashed with blood-red light, and a three-inch red sword light shot out.
At the same time, two yellow soul rings flashed.
"First Soul Skill: Sharpness!"
"Second Soul Skill: Break!"
Like the Po Yi Clan, one of the four affiliated clans of the Haotian Sect ten thousand years ago, Chen Zifeng's Soul-Chasing Sword pursued the ultimate in attack power.
Although more and more soul masters were developing in a balanced manner as times changed, it was undeniable that cultivation paths like Chen Zifeng's had their unique strengths. At least in terms of pure attack power, he was comparable to Dai Yueheng, who was at the Soul Emperor level.
The red sword light and the blue blade light collided and canceled each other out. At the same time, the Soul-Chasing Sword transformed into a blood-red rainbow, its speed increasing as it shot toward Huo Yuhao.
Chen Zifeng realized that although Huo Yuhao's second martial soul only had one additional soul ring, it was not to be underestimated! Especially the sharp ice blade, which was even more imposing.
Thus, the purple third soul ring of the Soul-Chasing Sword flashed.
"Third Soul Skill: Penetration!"
With the amplification of the three soul skills—Sharpness, Break, and Penetration—a ring of red sword light, like flames, rose around the sword's body. The penetration and attack power of the Soul-Chasing Sword had reached an extremely terrifying level.
The air seemed to be torn open, leaving a bloody gash. Before the sword even arrived, a strong smell of blood filled the air.
In the blink of an eye, the Soul-Chasing Sword appeared in front of Huo Yuhao.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Destruction!"
It was like a long river of blood, exuding a stench of corpses and gore.
Chen Zifeng no longer held back, planning to end the battle in one strike.
The next moment, Huo Yuhao swung his ice blade, colliding with the oncoming river of blood.
"Bang!!"
The river of blood froze instantly, shattered into pieces, and dissipated into soul power. The Soul-Chasing Sword was sent flying by Huo Yuhao's immense force.
At the same time, the blood-red light on the Soul-Chasing Sword dimmed.
Unlike the Soul-Chasing Sword, Huo Yuhao excelled in close combat, even with a blade. Only in close combat could Huo Yuhao's terrifying physical prowess be fully displayed.
Chen Zifeng, who had been elegantly controlling the flying sword, let out a pained groan, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
The martial soul and its user were closely connected. At the moment the river of blood was defeated, Chen Zifeng felt as though his Soul-Chasing Sword had been nearly severed, and the mental power he had attached to it was frozen and annihilated.
"Senior, be careful!" Huo Yuhao reminded, then kicked off the ground and charged toward Chen Zifeng.
In truth, he could have activated the teleportation ability of his Spirit Eye and ended the battle instantly. But that would have felt too unfair.
He still wanted to give Chen Zifeng a chance to shine.
Huo Yuhao understood Yan Shaozhe's nature. Although Ma Xiaotao had defeated Dai Yueheng, Dai Yueheng wouldn't be eliminated. If Chen Zifeng performed well now, he might still have a chance to remain in this year's Seven Monsters.
"Thank you!"
Chen Zifeng understood Huo Yuhao's intention.
There was still a chance for one last move!
Chen Zifeng, having recovered somewhat, called the Soul-Chasing Sword back to him.
As the black fifth soul ring flickered, a blood-red demon god appeared behind Chen Zifeng. The shadow of a slender sword overlapped with the Soul-Chasing Sword, as if the Nine Nether Hells had descended upon the douluo continent, filled with overwhelming killing intent!
"Fifth Soul Skill: Kill!"
Contrary to expectations, this sword skill was a close-range attack!
The main reason was that Chen Zifeng hadn't fully mastered this soul skill and could only use it for close-range slashes.
But it was enough!
The previous exchange between the two had lasted less than a minute.
The effects of the first three soul skills of the Soul-Chasing Sword were still active. Under the immense pressure from Huo Yuhao, Chen Zifeng seemed to have broken through his limits. At this moment, he unleashed the most murderous sword strike of his life!
In a flash, the sword and blade collided.
"Clang!"
The crisp sound of the Soul-Chasing Sword hitting the ground sounded, and Chen Zifeng fell to one knee, his knuckles broken.
Chen Zifeng, pale-faced, smiled bitterly. "I lost. Thank you for your mercy, Junior Brother Huo."
Although he had been defeated by this monster in the field he excelled in, Chen Zifeng had gained much from this battle.
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. "Thank you."
Although he didn't know any sword or blade techniques, it didn't matter.
With overwhelming strength, miracles could happen!
The selection of the Seven Monsters had come to an end.
…
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