Chapter 516: The 99,999 Year Soul Bone · Sixteen
The 99,999 year Titan Gorilla Right Arm Bone came with the Great Force Fury skill, doubling overall strength for three minutes.
Of the two remaining left arm bones, one was the Ice Jade Scorpion bone designated for Huo Yu'er, whose effect needed no further explanation. The Ice Burst skill would greatly enhance her extreme ice attribute. Imagine the terror of her Emperor's Cold Sky Domain filled with ice and snow that could explode at any moment each fragment a potential bomb. With Ye Wen's enhancements, the ice explosion not only gained more power but also reduced energy consumption for Huo Yu'er, an unusual and formidable upgrade.
Even if Huo Yu'er didn't add another spirit ring to her Ice Snow Maiden martial spirit, this single soul bone ability would still place her above her era.
As for the last left arm bone, its soul bone skill was rather unique.
Typically, the six standard types of soul bones each had general properties: arm bones boosted strength, leg bones increased speed, torso bones provided overall toughness and defense, and head bones focused on mental defense or attack. However, this final left arm bone was different; Ye Wen didn't choose a standard augmentation skill but instead selected a rare spatial skill: Teleportation.
Although a non offensive escape technique, Teleportation was the perfect choice for Xiao Xiao, whom Ye Wen had in mind. Xiao Xiao had deviated from the usual path of a twin martial soul user. While her father, Ding Douluo, was a strong attack type peerless Douluo, she'd developed his martial spirit, the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, into a control type weapon instead.
Although her elders hoped to prevent her from following in her parents' footsteps, this choice wasted much of the cauldron's potential as a national treasure. Although it wasn't too late to retrain Xiao Xiao in the heavy attributes of the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, at present, she was only a weak soul master barely touching the edge of the Soul Elder realm. A life saving ability like Teleportation would be invaluable.
After all, their true enemies were notorious for their ruthlessness.
Ye Wen couldn't always protect his cherished disciples, so they needed life saving measures of their own.
The 99,999 year Heavenly Profound Spirit Turtle Left Arm Bone, with its Profound Teleportation skill, allowed the user to teleport freely within a ten kilometer radius, three times a day.
It was already late at night by the time Ye Wen finished his meticulous work. Even with his immense power, crafting each soul bone's specific effects was no quick task.
The rest of the night passed quietly.
The events of the previous night had been so intense that the Star Luo Royal Family couldn't hope to cover it up. Although Tianxing Academy's fame had already spread among the upper echelons, this was Ye Wen's first experience with their awe and respect. The looks he received were filled with reverence and even a touch of fear.
As he was about to enter the competitors' rest area, an elderly man stepped forward, blocking his path.
A flicker of recognition crossed Ye Wen's gaze as he identified the man: Jing Hongchen. Though he was only Rank 94, he exuded an aura of considerable influence and authority.
"Jing Hongchen, what do you want?" Ye Wen asked coolly.
Jing Hongchen noted the chill in Ye Wen's tone but remained unfazed; after all, anyone in his position had to be thick skinned. With a warm smile, he bowed respectfully to Ye Wen.
"Greetings, Senior Ye. May I have a private word with you?"
Ye Wen didn't respond immediately, his gaze lowered in thought. But the two princesses beside him were already bristling. The Sun Moon Empire was universally recognized by the three Douluo nations as an enemy, and Jing Hongchen, as the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, was among their top five most despised figures. His presence here was enough to make the princesses' blood boil.
Ye Wen's voice broke the tension, "I doubt there's anything we need to discuss. After all, I am from Douluo, and you are from the Sun Moon Empire." This time, Ye Wen clearly stated his allegiance, bringing a glint of joy to the princesses' eyes.
Jing Hongchen, however, remained unperturbed and continued, "Oh, Senior Ye, must you push me away so quickly? Our Sun Moon Empire has a peace treaty with Douluo "
Seeing Jing Hongchen trying to press on, Ye Wen's aura suddenly flared with raw, overwhelming power.
"I'll say this once more. There's nothing I need to discuss with you. Keep pushing, and I can't guarantee that the talents you brought here will return intact."
A blatant threat.
Accustomed to the empty niceties of noble society, Jing Hongchen broke out in a cold sweat as he found himself faced with pure, unfiltered power. His attempt to sow discord between Ye Wen and the Douluo nations had been flipped on its head, the conversation tabled before he even got started.
Realizing that he could push no further, Jing Hongchen straightened himself, retaining what little dignity he could muster.
"Senior Ye, please forgive my offense. I'll take my leave now." He managed a hasty bow before leaving in visible embarrassment.
Once Jing Hongchen had disappeared, Ye Wen turned to his disciples. "Let's go."
Ye Wen had considered taking down the Sun Moon Empire here and now, especially given that this era would soon see the development of soul tools capable of killing even peerless Douluo. The Sun Moon Empire's potential could not be overlooked.
However, the empire harbored a dangerously unstable "ticking bomb."
The Crown Prince, Xu Tianran.
A terrifying genius who, despite being crippled from the waist down, still managed to cultivate to the level of a Titled Douluo. If Huo Yuhao and Huo Yu'er, the so called children of destiny, had not emerged, Xu Tianran would be the one to unify Douluo Continent.
Xu Tianran was calm and ruthless. To secure his position, he committed atrocities against his kin, carrying out massacres and purges. Because of these actions, he lost his ability to produce an heir and became disabled, but his position as crown prince remained unchallenged.
Ye Wen's expression turned strange at the thought.
"Hmmm, I haven't paid much attention to the situation in the Sun Moon Empire. With Huo Yu'er now the female version of Huo Yuhao, I wonder… is Juzi, who was supposed to betray Huo Yuhao and carry his child, male or female now? And what about Xu Tianran?"
Ye Wen's gaze grew distant as the unfolding possibilities intrigued him.
With so many academies competing in the preliminary rounds, it would still be a while before Huo Yu'er and the others took the stage. Ye Wen handed out the enhanced soul bones to his disciples, instructing them to refine them.
After all, a little last minute preparation was a wise use of their time.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 517: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part One
On this battlefield, where Soul King level strength is the basic standard, the students of Tianxing Academy were slightly behind in terms of cultivation level. But under Ye Wen's dedicated guidance, with their self created soul skills and tactical teamwork, they progressed smoothly, facing few truly challenging opponents.
The academies directly representing the three Douluo nations were wise enough to surrender immediately when facing Tianxing Academy, avoiding the risks of offending Ye Wen by either winning or losing. Why invite trouble needlessly?
However, Sun Moon Academy was in a different position. Since joining the Douluo Continent's exchange system, they had been perpetually suppressed by Shrek Academy. Conceding to Tianxing Academy, whose students were generally a level below them, would only add to their humiliation.
But it must be said that the girls of Tianxing Academy were indeed strong.
Jing Hongchen gave his grandchildren, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "No need to put too much pressure on yourselves. You're facing disciples trained by the strongest peerless Douluo on this continent. Just give it your best; that's all that matters."
Although Jing Hongchen was trying to encourage his grandchildren, he couldn't help voicing his frustration. "Tch, it's Shrek who benefits. If we weaken Tianxing Academy now, Shrek will likely swoop in and take advantage."
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen laughed at their grandfather's grumbling, finding renewed determination. After all, they were the chosen talents of the Sun Moon Empire no room for cowardice.
And as Jing Hongchen predicted, the Shrek team was indeed delighted. They had already advanced to the semifinals.
Shrek had drawn Star Luo National Academy, a challenging team due to Xu JiuJiu's powerful Star Crown martial spirit, but far more manageable than facing the Sun Moon Academy's resource intensive, bombardment focused strategies.
In the competitors' lounge, Ye Wen's group was discussing their strategy. With everyone's attention on him, Ye Wen tapped his fingers rhythmically against the table, filling the room with a clear, crisp sound. After a while, he spoke calmly.
"This round is a singles format. While this gives us a slight advantage compared to a team battle, every member of the Sun Moon Empire's team is at least at the Soul King level, putting considerable pressure on you all. Their attacks rely heavily on soul tools, whereas the self created skills I've taught you are primarily for close combat.
"So " Ye Wen paused, "I'm allowing you to use the ultimate trump cards I prepared for you. Originally, I planned to save these as a surprise against Shrek, but it seems we'll have to bring them out early."
Ordinarily, news of extra strength would have been met with excitement. But the girls' expressions turned slightly awkward. They exchanged silent glances, nudging one another, until the youngest, though still the senior disciple, Huo Yu'er, finally stepped forward to speak.
Huo Yu'er hesitated, looking up at Ye Wen with pleading eyes. "Master, I think we can manage without using those final measures. We could still fight them head on…"
Ye Wen placed a gentle hand on Huo Yu'er's shoulder, wearing a kind smile that, to the girls, radiated anything but warmth.
"Such foolishness, Yu'er. Sun Moon Academy is nothing. Your real opponent is Shrek. If you refuse to use these measures now and instead rely only on your raw strength, you'll likely suffer some injuries. I'll be heartbroken, of course, but "
Ye Wen's tone turned severe, and Huo Yu'er stiffened.
"Have you forgotten your mission, Yu'er? The activation conditions may be a little humiliating, but if you can't overcome even this minor obstacle, how can I trust you with more difficult tasks in the future? And you wouldn't want to miss your chance to see your mother again, would you?"
"Master!" Huo Yu'er stared at Ye Wen in shock, incredulous that he would bring up this matter as a form of coercion. Yet she couldn't resist him; it was maddening!
With his point made, Ye Wen shot her a sidelong glance. "Do you have any objections?"
Huo Yu'er, full of grievances, nodded emphatically. But Ye Wen's next words shattered her resolve.
"In that case, you'll be going first."
"Ah " Huo Yu'er stared blankly at Ye Wen, completely caught off guard.
"Why? I'm our team's final trump card, aren't I?"
Ye Wen chuckled, amused. Huo Yu'er was still so young, so easy to mislead with just a few words. It was time for her to face the true ruthlessness of this world.
"No particular reason. I just don't want you all treating this like child's play. Besides, as the senior disciple, shouldn't you be the one to bear the responsibility of facing challenges first? I have high expectations for you, Yu'er. You're the first to go out there. Don't disappoint me."
Ye Wen patted Huo Yu'er on the shoulder with solemnity, but the gesture only made her feel worse. Instinctively, she looked to her friends for support, but they all looked away.
After all, better her than them. Besides, if someone else went first, their own shame would be less noticeable when their turn came.
Seeing her so called friends abandoning her, Huo Yu'er felt as if her heart had turned to ashes. She may have been teary eyed, but no tears fell; she was strong. She would stand up and fight alone.
Silently, Huo Yu'er steeled herself. The opponents were strong, but she had her own tricks up her sleeve. She was determined to defeat them without resorting to her master's humiliating trump card.
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy had successfully defeated Star Luo National Academy's elite.
Had Star Luo not drawn a team battle, they might have been able to weaken Shrek significantly. With three Soul Emperors on Shrek's team and two on Star Luo's, a direct fight between them might have produced an unpredictable result, especially with a few hidden aces in play.
Unfortunately, they had drawn a group battle format, which played right into Shrek's hands. From the first moment of the fight, Shrek's team focused all their firepower on the Star Luo captains, disabling them before they could retaliate.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 518: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Two
The remaining Soul Kings on Star Luo's team, even with soul tools, were swiftly defeated by Shrek within a few short minutes.
Neither the spectators nor the leaders of the major powers were surprised by this outcome. Since the collision of the Sun Moon Continent with Douluo, Shrek Academy had won the championship of every Advanced Spirit Master Tournament, proof of Shrek's immense strength and combat prowess. In this era, the only institution truly capable of challenging Shrek on equal ground was the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, which had raced ahead through its advanced soul tool technology.
This is precisely why the match between Tianxing Academy and Sun Moon Imperial Academy had captured the audience's attention.
Under normal circumstances, Tianxing Academy was expected to be no match for Shrek, which meant that their traditional cultivation methods had yet to reach Shrek's level. But Tianxing Academy's combat performances so far had shown the crowd the power of self created soul skills, demonstrating a new approach within the cultivation systems and sparking a sense of possibility.
Of course, creating a unique soul skill is no easy feat. Almost every force guards its self created skills as precious heirlooms, protected by secrecy and strict defense against any leaks. Even Shrek is no exception.
But in the midst of these secretive powers, Tianxing Academy stood out as an exception, sharing their self created soul skills openly, offering a new hope to many civilian soul masters.
To enter Shrek Academy, one needed not only connections but exceptional talent; otherwise, the rigorous six year elimination process in the outer court would filter them out. Entering Sun Moon Imperial Academy or other soul engineering schools required wealth, as the crafting and purchasing of soul tools were costly endeavors.
Tianxing Academy, however, was different. They had no entry barriers; if they had any standard at all, it would be talent. Many commoner soul masters without access to resources were already eyeing it with hope.
For these soul masters, Tianxing Academy was the embodiment of an ideal academy for the common folk.
Rumor had it that the Heavenly Soul Empire had even developed a new subsidy program for highly talented Tianxing Academy students, further enticing these promising, resource poor soul masters.
Tianxing Academy vs. Sun Moon Imperial Academy
Huo Yu'er stepped onto the arena wearing her white battle uniform embroidered with the characters for "Tianxing." Her cold expression carried an unyielding frost. Sun Moon Academy's team, resigned to their likely defeat, had still sent a reasonable contender to face her.
Her first opponent was a Level Five soul engineer named Mika. At most schools, someone of Mika's caliber would be a team captain, but at Sun Moon Imperial Academy, he was merely a team member. Such was the strength of Shrek's longtime rival.
When the referee called for readiness, both contestants immediately entered their martial spirit possessed states.
Huo Yu'er had defeated several Soul Kings and even a Soul Emperor on her way to this match, so she wasted no time and activated her martial spirit, transforming into her Ice Snow Maiden form.
No matter how many times people saw her like this, it was breathtaking. Admiring gasps echoed from the audience.
But as a soul engineer, Mika's true combat strength didn't lie in his martial spirit; his martial spirit simply served as a power source.
The rules prohibited soul engineers from using soul tools before the referee started the match, as their attacks were almost instant, which would be unfair to traditional soul masters.
Ye Wen couldn't help but scoff at this rule, finding it absurd. In real combat, no one has time to wait, and people use every trick at their disposal to kill their enemies. However, as the defeated party, the Sun Moon Empire had no say in these rules imposed by Douluo Continent.
But constraints often drive innovation. Forced to accept these terms, the Sun Moon Empire had developed ways to equip their fighters even faster.
The moment the referee shouted "Begin," a series of metallic clangs rang out as Mika swiftly activated his soul tool. In the blink of an eye, brilliant blue armor unfolded from his back, encasing him completely.
Ye Wen suddenly remembered that this armor like soul tool prototype already existed at this point. This might very well be the precursor to battle armor.
Moreover, he recalled that in the original storyline, the Sun Moon Empire had already begun developing humanoid soul tools, the forerunners of the soul mechas that would emerge millennia later technological advancements that would eventually give Douluo Continent the power to resist gods.
As Mika's armor locked into place, Huo Yu'er closed the distance in an instant with her Flash Step.
"First Soul Skill: Emperor's Palm!"
No matter how many times people saw it, her ten thousand year spirit ring with seven golden lines inspired awe. Nobody in the audience doubted that Huo Yu'er's future would be extraordinary; she was not only Ye Wen's disciple but also a monstrous talent, able to leap thirty levels and defeat a Soul Emperor while only a Soul Elder.
However, after so many battles, much about Huo Yu'er's Ice Snow Maiden martial spirit had been exposed. Every major power knew by now that the Snow Empress, ranked third on the list of fearsome soul beasts with a cultivation of 700,000 years, was famous for her three ultimate skills: Emperor's Sword, Emperor's Palm, and Emperor's Cold Sky.
As soon as Huo Yu'er closed in, Mika summoned a shield.
White mist rose, bringing a chill so intense it was tangible.
In a mere blink, Mika's shield was coated in a thick layer of ice. But with a surge of soul power, he used the shield to push himself back, widening the distance between them.
Only a fool would engage in close combat with a soul master wielding an Ultimate Ice martial spirit.
Mika knew he couldn't defeat Huo Yu'er outright, but his mission was to deplete her strength.
Steadying himself, Mika summoned six floating soul cannons in the air around him.
Without hesitation, he activated his soul ray cannon.
Because soul tools in this era lacked recharging devices, their power depended on the soul master's cultivation. But for this Soul King, even the destructive force of a Soul King level cannon was sufficient against Huo Yu'er.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 519: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Three
As Mika activated his soul ray cannon, Huo Yu'er suddenly burst forward with astonishing speed, vanishing from her original position. Mika recognized this movement technique as Flash Step, a body technique from Tianxing Academy's self created skill set, capable of multiplying the user's base speed several times over in an instant.
Any attack that couldn't hit its target was worthless, and Mika was all too familiar with the difficulty of dealing with this speed. If a soul engineer couldn't keep up with it, they'd be pressed into a one sided fight, with defeat inevitable.
But Sun Moon Academy had come prepared. Mika's Level Five soul armor wasn't originally capable of tracking Huo Yu'er's movements, but under Jing Hongchen's guidance, it had been upgraded with a tracking mechanism. Although it wasn't quite a Level Six soul tool, it was at the peak of Level Five, equipped with a high end targeting system not available to ordinary soul engineers.
"Right there. You're not getting away!" Mika thought as he pinpointed where Huo Yu'er had paused.
Flash Step's drawback was a brief deceleration after each burst of speed, and if an opponent caught that pause, they could exploit it.
But Ye Wen's Six Styles combat technique had taken such flaws into account. Each skill complemented the others, covering weaknesses. Ideally, Huo Yu'er should have used Iron Body here to shield herself, but that wasn't feasible. Soul rays carried heat and a paralyzing effect, making a direct block unwise.
Three soul rays shot toward Huo Yu'er, who, well accustomed to fighting soul engineers, wasn't about to take the attack head on. With a casual gesture, she summoned a thick ice wall in front of herself.
The soul rays collided with the ice wall, creating a brilliant flash. Though Huo Yu'er hadn't used her full strength to create it, the formidable properties of her Ultimate Ice were apparent, and the rays managed to melt just a meter into the wall before losing their force and dissipating.
Meanwhile, Mika's soul armor unleashed a powerful burst of air, propelling him to Huo Yu'er's side with a sudden boost in speed. Only three of his six soul ray cannons had fired earlier; he'd held back the remaining three, intending to use them for a surprise strike. He wasn't so overconfident as to think he could knock her out in one move.
But Huo Yu'er's reflexes were sharper than he'd anticipated.
Determined not to resort to Ye Wen's trump card, Huo Yu'er only had four spirit rings active around her: red gold, white, yellow, and purple.
Mika was slightly taken aback but couldn't afford the luxury of thought in such intense combat.
There are differences between twin martial spirits, and they lie in their types. The ideal twin martial spirit configuration is one like Huo Yu'er's, where both spirits can be used simultaneously. The worst setup would be like Bibi Dong's two beast martial spirits, which she could only use one at a time, requiring her to switch between them. While this allowed her to add rings to both after becoming a Titled Douluo, thus raising her power quickly, it also increased the risk of self destruction if the soul master couldn't handle the combined energy.
Huo Yu'er activated the Mental Detection skill from her Lingmu spirit's first ring, giving her unparalleled battlefield awareness. Easily anticipating his plan, she gracefully sidestepped Mika's attempted ambush.
Mika had prepared for the worst, but seeing her dodge his attack so effortlessly left him disheartened. Still, he wasn't about to give up.
His soul armor emitted another powerful burst of air, propelling him at Huo Yu'er. As he closed in, a blue flash appeared on the right hand of his armor, revealing an exquisitely crafted blue greatsword a top tier Level Five soul tool, almost at the threshold of Level Six.
Within striking range, Mika's armor radiated intense blue light.
"For the honor of Sun and Moon!" he thought, swinging the sword with all his strength, the armor's boost amplifying his power.
As the sword came close, Huo Yu'er's gaze remained eerily calm.
In a normal fight, she would have countered with Emperor Sword, her first soul ring's second skill, and relied on her combat skills to defeat her opponent. But doing so would drain her energy, forcing her to exit the match and allow her teammates to take over.
But Ye Wen had given her strict orders for this battle: either defeat every opponent alone or use his trump card to achieve victory.
Although Huo Yu'er was already somewhat desensitized to embarrassment, she wanted to prove she could take down her opponent without relying on her master's "cruelly devised" final card.
"Mother, I'll make sure you're proud of me when you return," Huo Yu'er silently vowed. Planting her feet, she narrowly avoided the sword strike.
The tournament platform was specially designed, remaining undamaged by Mika's strike. Instead, the impact left Mika's hands stinging from the recoil.
But he knew that missing this attack had cost him his best chance. He needed to retreat quickly, or
Before Mika could activate his armor's acceleration again, Huo Yu'er was already in front of him.
Huo Yu'er, usually described as merely "delicate," was still a captivating presence due to her youthful vibrancy. But in her Ice Snow Maiden form, she transformed into a celestial beauty, momentarily stunning Mika.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 520: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Four
Although Ye Wen hadn't yet taught Huo Yu'er the technical skills of crafting soul tools, he had taught her and the other girls methods for fighting against soul engineers. In this soul tool era, such knowledge was essential.
Soul armor existed in this era but was similar to the ancient wearable armors of ten thousand years later, like the battle armor. Due to competition rules, however, soul tools couldn't be worn before the start of a match, so this powerful tool had yet to make an appearance in tournaments.
The Sun Moon Empire's elite soul engineers weren't about to be easily constrained by Douluo's rules. With those rules in place, they found loopholes, leading to the invention of self wearing, automatic soul armor a crucial step in the modernization of soul tools for the Sun Moon Empire.
But perfection is elusive, and automatic soul armor was no exception. Though Ye Wen hadn't taught Huo Yu'er specific techniques for countering soul armor, the principles were the same. Soul armor primarily enhanced a soul master's defense and overall abilities factors Ye Wen had already taught Huo Yu'er to counter.
In her enhanced "god's eye view," Huo Yu'er quickly identified a weakness in Mika's armor. The rapid automatic deployment made it formidable, but this feature required a very precise, delicate design, and with delicacy came vulnerability.
As Mika's focus wavered for a split second, Huo Yu'er seized the moment, gripping his shoulder.
In that brief interval, Mika was momentarily bewildered; he was a soul engineer, not a battle expert. Huo Yu'er's Ice Snow Maiden martial spirit might have looked graceful, but its close range skills like the Snow Empress's triple strikes indicated her deadly capability in melee combat.
Additionally, Huo Yu'er's intense physical training made her Ice Snow Maiden form physically comparable to that of soul masters with powerful beast martial spirits.
A sharp crack resounded as Mika felt searing pain his arm twisted in a grotesque position. Before he could scream, Huo Yu'er continued her assault.
She swept his legs.
Dropped her weight.
And locked his joints.
Within moments, Mika lay twisted on the ground, his limbs unnaturally contorted in a gruesome sight.
Huo Yu'er straightened, composed, and summoned her Emperor's Sword with her first soul skill. She pointed the icy blade at Mika.
"Yield. I can't promise you'll leave this match intact if we continue," she warned, voice calm.
Relieved that Huo Yu'er had shown restraint, the Sun Moon Empire members breathed a collective sigh. Unlike ten thousand years ago, where brutal injuries could be excused as intentional maiming, modern tournaments allowed for actual fatalities.
Jing Hongchen immediately declared their forfeit. He'd seen too many young competitors let pride drive them to death; these prodigies from the Sun Moon Empire couldn't be lost for such a foolish reason.
But as Mika was carried back, Jing Hongchen couldn't help but inhale sharply at his disheveled state.
Soul engineers came in different types. The most common were those focused on long range attacks like soul rays, and these engineers rarely needed close combat. To these sophisticated engineers, melee was a relic of the past.
Despite expecting a loss, Jing Hongchen found himself intrigued by Tianxing Academy's fighting techniques, considering sending some students there to learn these self created skills. After all, Tianxing Academy's policy was open to anyone willing to join.
"Grandfather, let me take the next match," said Xiao Hongchen, stepping forward eagerly.
But Ma Rulong, the captain of the Sun Moon team, blocked him.
"This one is mine."
Seeing Ma Rulong's determined gaze, Jing Hongchen nodded approvingly.
From the last match, it was clear that Mika hadn't even managed to deplete much of Huo Yu'er's spirit power. It was almost laughable a Soul King failing to exhaust a Soul Elder and ending up in such a pitiful state. But this was the surreal nature of the times they were living in.
Although Xiao Hongchen was a prodigious talent with the power of a Soul King, Jing Hongchen didn't think he could defeat Huo Yu'er. Xiao Hongchen's reputation, after all, held a bit of exaggeration, while Huo Yu'er had led her team through the semifinals, her strength evident.
The Sun Moon Empire could afford to lose a match, but back to back losses would be a blow to their reputation.
Ma Rulong ascended the arena, his golden red combat uniform standing out on his tall, sturdy frame.
Huo Yu'er narrowed her eyes. She had thoroughly studied the Sun Moon team's members before the competition, aiming to achieve a seven round sweep. While Soul Emperor was now the upper limit for the tournament's participants, no one close to Soul Sage level had joined the competition.
But Ma Rulong was different.
A pure soul engineer, he had trained all his skills solely to enhance his use of soul tools. Ma Rulong was a soul engineer specializing in high level soul tools a rare type.
Even in this pre refilling era, Ma Rulong was one of the few soul engineers who could bridge the gap between classes and wield soul tools beyond his rank.
With the referee's signal, Ma Rulong entered his martial spirit state. His martial spirit was indeed unusual: his head swelled disproportionately, making it appear almost comical, with thinning hair that gave him an oddly unbalanced look.
This was his martial spirit, the Big Headed Spirit Ape, an auxiliary beast martial spirit. Its lack of direct combat abilities had driven Ma Rulong down the path of an extreme soul engineer.
(End of Chapter)
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