A divine spectacle unfolded above the Soto City Great Spirit Arena—the figures of a dragon and a phoenix manifested in the sky, their overwhelming auras engulfing the heavens.
On one side, thunderclouds surged and lightning arced wildly, amidst which a colossal Azure Dragon's silhouette coiled and loomed. On the other, raging flames danced across the air, giving rise to a soaring Vermilion Bird wreathed in blazing fire. The dual forces clashed in grandeur, dividing the sky in two.
The power exuded by these two top-tier martial spirits was utterly soul-shaking. All who bore witness were struck with terror. Those with low soul power fell to their knees in awe or collapsed outright, unable to withstand the crushing pressure.
Even the elites of the Emperor Team, closest to Yu Chen, found themselves overwhelmed. Each member was forced down by the sheer force of Yu Chen's spiritual suppression.
Yu Tianheng, who bore the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Spirit—a direct-line descendant of the dragon lineage—was affected the most. Despite being a Rank 37 Soul Elder, his martial soul paled before Yu Chen's Azure Dragon. Beneath the might of the Nine Heavens Azure Dragon, all dragons submit!
Beside him, Dugu Yan, inheritor of the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit, turned ghostly pale under the Azure Dragon's majesty. Her snake spirit, powerful as it was, seemed minuscule before such a being.
Even Wind Chime, a support-type spirit master of the team, found her body trembling uncontrollably under the spiritual might of the Vermilion Bird.
"A twelve-year-old Soul Sovereign... at Rank 34 already?"
"Twin martial spirits... and every spirit ring is ten thousand years?"
"And what even are those two spirits?!"
Yu Tianheng, groveling on the arena floor, looked up at Yu Chen in disbelief. His expression was warped by shock and awe.
He had heard from the family elders that Yu Chen was a once-in-a-century prodigy of the Yu Clan. Back then, he assumed the gap between their talents wouldn't be too vast. But now… the difference was vast enough to leave no comparison.
"Nine Heavens Azure Dragon… it's truly this terrifying…"
"So that's why he never needed to summon his martial spirits in previous matches. He never had to."
"It's over! If the Nine Heavens Azure Dragon is this powerful, does the Emperor Team even stand a chance? Wait… can he defeat all eight of them alone?!"
The crowd around the arena erupted in exclamations. None had ever witnessed a twelve-year-old at the Soul Sovereign rank, nor seen a soul master whose first and second spirit rings were both ten thousand years in age.
Spectators who had bet against Yu Chen now regretted their choices, watching their wagers drift into uncertainty.
"Captain," one of the Black Tortoise twin brothers muttered to Yu Tianheng. "Even if his martial spirits overwhelm us, his power consumption must be enormous. We still have numbers. Eight to one—we can still win!"
The logic was clear. As terrifying as Yu Chen was, he was still just one person.
With renewed determination, Yu Tianheng pushed back against the crushing pressure with all his soul power. Muscles strained, he slowly stood upright.
"Uncle… your talent is truly unmatched."
"If you had two or three more years, perhaps none of us together could rival you…"
"But it's not that time yet!"
Buzz!
As Yu Tianheng rose to his feet, the light of a yellow and a purple spirit ring shone beneath him.
"Second Soul Skill: Thunderclap!"
"Third Soul Skill: Wrath of the Dragon!"
"Team, now!"
At his signal, the Emperor Team sprang into action. Dugu Yan unleashed her venomous fog. Wind Chime manipulated the battlefield's airflow. The twin brothers formed a defensive front as elemental strikes surged toward Yu Chen.
"Brother Chen! We'll fight with you—!"
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing prepared to assist.
But before they could move, Yu Chen calmly raised a hand.
"No need."
With a single step forward, both his Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird spirits erupted simultaneously. Two dazzling ten-thousand-year-old spirit rings burst into brilliance under his feet.
Behind him, a massive hundred-meter Azure Dragon materialized, roaring to the skies. At the same time, the Vermilion Bird spat forth an ocean of searing flames!
"First Soul Skill: Nine Heavens Dragon Roar!"
"First Soul Skill: Raging Flame Wildfire!"
These two soul skills weren't mere attacks—they were domain-like effects. Dragon Roar drastically suppressed the opponents' attributes, while Wildfire inflicted burning damage over time and hindered spiritual recovery.
"What is this suppression?! My strength… it's dropping!"
"And this fire—it's eating at my soul power! I already need spirit power to resist his martial pressure, now I'm bleeding it just to hold off the flames!"
The Emperor Team's formation faltered. Just then, their combined soul skills, a flurry of elemental attacks, finally reached Yu Chen.
Shing!
Yu Chen's third spirit ring—jet black—flared beneath him.
"Third Soul Skill: Sky-Cleaving Dragon Fist!"
ANGGGG!
A golden dragon projection burst from Yu Chen's raised fist.
BOOM!
The golden dragon, empowered by the weakening debuffs from Dragon Roar and Wildfire, annihilated the team's combined attack in one explosive burst.
But Yu Chen wasn't done.
With a faint push of his palm, another spirit ability burst forth—this time with destructive follow-through.
From his palm surged eighteen roaring golden dragons!
"Defend!!" Yu Tianheng bellowed.
The twin Xuanwu Spirit Masters activated their strongest defense: soul rings flashed, tortoise shells enlarged, and a haze of purple mist enveloped their bodies.
Their defense was among the toughest for their level. Against ordinary Soul Sovereigns, this defense would be unbreakable.
But this wasn't an ordinary Soul Sovereign.
BOOM!
The dragons slammed into the shield. Cracks spiderwebbed across the tortoise shell before it shattered completely, sending the brothers flying from the platform.
The rest of the team—already suppressed and drained—were caught in the wake of the golden assault. One by one, they were thrown from the battlefield.
Only three remained: Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling.
"T-Too strong…"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling barely clung to consciousness, their auras flickering as they stared at Yu Chen's immovable form.
They had just been utterly outclassed—by a twelve-year-old.
There was awe in their eyes now, not just fear. Curiosity and admiration began to take root.
"I can heal you," Ye Lingling said softly to her team.
"No need," Yu Tianheng cut in.
"We lost. Completely."
He staggered to his feet, eyes never leaving Yu Chen.
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