Chapter 521: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Five
Facing Ma Rulong, Huo Yu'er felt a heavy sense of pressure. Against this opponent, she would have to go all out and abandon her original plan of conserving her spirit power as she fought.
"You really shouldn't have come up so soon," Huo Yu'er muttered in frustration before the match began.
Ma Rulong didn't look down on her due to her lower rank; instead, he replied earnestly, "You're too strong, and the Sun Moon Empire can't afford to lose too disgracefully."
Huo Yu'er realized that her overpowering performance had backfired. Her attempts to save energy had left Sun Moon Academy feeling humiliated, making her opponent even more determined to redeem their honor.
"Begin!"
At the referee's signal, Ma Rulong instantly summoned a soul tool. Knowing he possessed a Level Seven soul cannon, Huo Yu'er immediately opted for close range combat rather than keeping her distance.
But Ma Rulong had anticipated her strategy.
Unexpectedly, his first move wasn't an offensive soul tool but a Level Four flash bomb. A bright silver sphere formed and fired instantly.
Instinctively, Huo Yu'er summoned an ice wall of Ultimate Ice to block, expecting an attack. However, instead of an assault, a blinding flash erupted, catching her off guard.
"Ah!" Her eyes seared with pain, and she let out a pained shout.
In the audience, those who hadn't recognized the flash bomb soul tool were likewise caught off guard, their cries of discomfort echoing throughout the arena. Only a handful of soul engineers who recognized the tool had shielded their eyes in time.
Ma Rulong showed no sign of remorse for the widespread blinding. There was no rule against flash bombs in the tournament; thus, he had merely exploited an opportunity.
Now was the time to press his advantage, to repay Huo Yu'er for embarrassing the Sun Moon Empire in the previous match. But because she had created a thick ice wall just before the flash, Ma Rulong had to reposition himself to get around it.
As a skilled soul engineer and self sufficient in creating his own soul tools, Ma Rulong was well aware of the weaknesses in the automatic armor Mika had used earlier. Thus, he didn't use that type of armor himself.
With a quick command, Ma Rulong activated a pair of specialized boots. An explosive burst of energy propelled him, and in an instant, he was at Huo Yu'er's side.
But then she was gone.
"What?! Where did she go?" Ma Rulong gasped.
Realizing his miscalculation, he quickly summoned a defensive soul tool, just in time for a wave of freezing energy to sweep over the spot he had just vacated. His shield activated in time to protect him from the icy blast.
Ma Rulong tightened his brow, impressed. "As expected of someone who fought her way here as a Soul Elder. It seems your second martial spirit has powerful sensory abilities as well."
Huo Yu'er's use of her Lingmu martial spirit's abilities was largely a mystery to most, as she had refrained from revealing its full potential during previous matches. Ma Rulong and others speculated that it gave her extraordinary perception.
Determined to win quickly, Ma Rulong had resorted to the flash bomb to disrupt her awareness, but it became clear that Huo Yu'er's perception extended beyond mere eyesight her Lingmu martial spirit gave her mental acuity that surpassed the limitations of vision alone.
Though still in pain, Huo Yu'er forced herself to concentrate, mentally chastising herself for the oversight. She quickly spread her spiritual awareness across the entire arena. Her opponent was formidable, but Huo Yu'er was not about to concede.
Back in Tianxing Academy's lounge, the other girls had been briefly blinded by the flash bomb, but the distance had weakened its effect, allowing them to recover quickly. Jiang Nannan looked worriedly at Huo Yu'er on the stage, then glanced back to see Ye Wen casually sitting with a pair of sunglasses, watching calmly.
"Master!" she called out, incredulous.
Ye Wen chuckled, removing his glasses and turning his attention back to the fight. "Relax. Your senior sister won't be defeated so easily."
Meanwhile, on the stage, Huo Yu'er exhaled a chilling breath. Her tears, caused by the flash bomb's blinding light, froze into ice crystals as they trailed down her cheeks.
"I won't give you a second chance for any more of your tricks," she warned.
Ma Rulong looked equally serious. He didn't have any tools that could counter her mental detection, so he'd have to face her directly.
"Let's see how well this works," he muttered.
Within moments, Ma Rulong summoned a series of ten light bullets around him and launched them toward Huo Yu'er.
Instead of clashing head on, Huo Yu'er deftly dodged, steadily closing the distance between them. Her swift evasion and quick movements startled Ma Rulong, as she effortlessly exposed the weaknesses in his technique.
The Big Headed Spirit Ape was not suited for close combat, and although Ma Rulong had some close range soul tools, he knew better than to challenge Tianxing Academy in hand to hand combat.
Instantly, Ma Rulong's boots expelled another gust of air, propelling him to a safer distance. If he couldn't defeat her in close quarters, he would play keep away.
From a safer position, Ma Rulong mounted a barrage of attacks, surrounding himself with a dozen soul cannons and directing them at Huo Yu'er.
Although most of the cannons were Level Four or Five, Huo Yu'er, as a Soul Elder, would struggle to endure them head on.
She had faced similar opponents before, but Ma Rulong's skill was on an entirely different level. His shots were tightly focused, and he expertly anticipated her movements, landing several hits on her.
At last, Huo Yu'er understood the severity of the situation.
"If this continues, I'm certain to lose!" she thought, her resolve hardening.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 522: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Six
Huo Yu'er knew there was still one way she could turn the tide: by using her spirit bone ability to activate the Emperor's Cold Sky domain. But Ye Wen had explicitly warned her not to use this trump card lightly. Without that ability, though, she saw no path to victory against an opponent as cunning as Ma Rulong.
"So frustrating!" Huo Yu'er muttered, halting her pursuit. Her expression was one of sheer exasperation.
She had carefully studied the Sun Moon team beforehand, hoping to defeat at least four or five of their members before having to resort to Ye Wen's "socially mortifying" trump card.
Seeing Huo Yu'er's conflicted state, Ye Wen smirked knowingly from his seat. When he first introduced this trump card to her, Huo Yu'er had initially been thrilled. But upon learning its activation requirements and testing it once, her enthusiasm quickly turned to resistance, and she hadn't used it since. The same had gone for her fellow disciples.
Ma Rulong noticed Huo Yu'er had stopped pursuing him and was momentarily puzzled. He didn't hesitate, however, and readied his remaining soul cannons, summoning five or six dozen barrels all pointed at Huo Yu'er.
The resources of the Sun Moon Empire's soul engineers were truly staggering. Using such overwhelming firepower against a mere Soul Elder seemed like swatting a fly with a cannon.
As Ma Rulong gathered his energy to attack, Huo Yu'er planted her sword into the ground, reached for her necklace, and pulled off a small round metal plate. She shot a glare at Ma Rulong, her expression saying, You're forcing me into this, you jerk.
Realizing she couldn't delay any longer, Huo Yu'er struck a flamboyant pose and pressed the metal plate to her left wrist.
Ma Rulong unleashed his attack.
A volley of sixty soul cannons exploded toward her.
At that moment, Huo Yu'er reluctantly uttered a phrase she didn't even fully understand, but that still embarrassed her to say:
"Henshin."
As the blazing soul rays converged, the audience instinctively shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Sixty soul cannons at full power even a Soul Sage would struggle to survive.
When the barrage ended, and the audience dared to look back, a shocking sight awaited them.
Huo Yu'er was unscathed, standing in a protective, spherical energy barrier.
At first, spectators assumed it was an invincible shield, capable of blocking even a Contra's attacks for a few seconds. But then they noticed the shield remained active well past the typical three second duration of such a tool.
Huo Yu'er's wrist now bore a heavy metal gauntlet, with the metal plate seamlessly embedded in it. Only a few sharp eyed viewers noticed the geometric snowflake symbol on the plate.
Ma Rulong, meanwhile, was trying to make sense of this mysterious barrier when Huo Yu'er's body began to move almost involuntarily. What seemed like fighting movements were more akin to a dance one she clearly didn't want to be performing.
With every step, her gauntlet emitted powerful, booming sounds.
"Ultimate."
"Absolute Cold."
"Empress of Ice and Snow Final Fusion!"
At the last phrase, Huo Yu'er stopped moving, and a phantom light enveloped her, transforming into solid armor.
"Empress Mode, GO!"
Unlike Mika's futuristic soul armor, Huo Yu'er's armor had an ancient, battle ready design reminiscent of Douluo's battle armor, though it was something else entirely. Rather than the usual twenty level power boost of a One Word Battle Armor, her armor directly elevated her spirit power to seventy.
Though this boosted level seventy was not entirely equivalent to a true Soul Sage, it allowed her to activate her Martial Soul Avatar.
This was the result of centuries of accumulated technological prowess: spirit power armor.
The armor sacrificed all enhancements except for defense, putting all its energy into elevating the soul master's spirit rank. Research had shown that achieving Martial Soul Avatar required only a sufficient amount of spirit power, regardless of its form. Tang San's Seven in One Fusion Skill from ten thousand years ago had already proven this theory.
As embarrassing as the activation moves were, Huo Yu'er felt a surge of confidence as she sensed the vast power within her. She was puzzled, however, by the sudden silence of the crowd. A moment ago, they had been murmuring constantly.
Glancing around, Huo Yu'er saw countless eyes locked onto her with expressions of awe.
Huh? She frowned, confused, and conjured an ice mirror to check herself for anything odd.
In the reflection, she saw herself clad in armor styled like Douluo's battle armor, though different in design. Instead of a helmet, she wore an elegant ice crystal crown, and her height had jumped from about 160 cm to roughly 175 cm. Her golden eyes, combined with her cold, Snow Empress like features and the regal blue white armor, transformed her into the image of a victorious Valkyrie atop a mountain peak.
Realizing what had captivated the crowd, Huo Yu'er scoffed.
A bunch of lowlifes drooling over my appearance, she thought with disdain.
Years of hardship had made Huo Yu'er distrustful of others, with her heart open only to Ye Wen and her fellow disciples.
Huo Yu'er's gaze locked onto Ma Rulong, who snapped out of his trance with a shiver.
"Shall we continue? Round two," she said coldly.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 523: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Seven
Ma Rulong's face turned pale.
A moment ago, he had been momentarily captivated by Huo Yu'er's beauty, forgetting his professional focus as a soul engineer. But as he regained his senses, he realized that the armored Huo Yu'er standing before him was no longer the same opponent. Her entire presence had transformed, and her spirit power now seemed unfathomably beyond his own.
The thought of her being at the Soul Sage level flashed through Ma Rulong's mind, but he quickly dismissed it as impossible. Yet he knew he didn't have time to dwell on it.
Huo Yu'er was done giving Ma Rulong time to strategize. Earlier, she had shown restraint by warning him, but now she was stepping forward, lifting her sword.
Such a simple action, but with the force of a Soul Sage behind it, it radiated terrifying power.
By the time Ma Rulong noticed the slicing energy rushing toward him, it was already too late.
The blade's energy left a trail of frost in the air, with icy shards forming around it. Ma Rulong was struck across his right shoulder to his left side, and his armor split open under the impact.
Yet there was no blood. The wound had frozen instantly, transforming into a streak of blood red ice crystals across his torso.
Ma Rulong's face was full of disbelief, but he couldn't even move now. If this ice had been ordinary, moving might have just deepened the wound, causing severe injury. But this was Ultimate Ice.
His professional knowledge filled him with dread he couldn't even feel cold, a sign that Huo Yu'er had concentrated the ice's extreme chill directly into the wound. If he broke the connection between his body and these icy crystals, he would likely freeze solid in an instant.
Ma Rulong realized that, with a single thought, Huo Yu'er could activate the explosive ability of her Ultimate Ice spirit bone, potentially killing him. His heart sank in defeat and frustration, but he raised his voice, saying, "I surrender!"
Seeing Ma Rulong admit defeat so readily, Huo Yu'er calmly lifted the ice from his body, allowing him to leave the arena heavily injured but alive.
Though the audience admired Huo Yu'er's stunning beauty, they were baffled by how Ma Rulong, after just one hit, suddenly chose to forfeit. But to the trained eyes in the crowd, the reason was clear.
The senior Douluo Continent soul masters in the audience saw that Huo Yu'er's spirit power had somehow been elevated to the level of a Soul Sage, which explained her easy dominance over Ma Rulong. The advanced soul engineers of the Sun Moon Empire, meanwhile, found themselves captivated by the unusual design and power of her soul armor.
Among them, Jing Hongchen, the most accomplished soul engineer present, was especially intrigued.
"What an extraordinary piece of soul armor. If our Sun Moon Empire could harness this technology, we wouldn't need human shaped mechas to enhance our forces. With such armor, even low level soul masters could be transformed into Soul Sage level warriors," he thought. His eyes lit up at the mere possibility. "I wonder could this girl even use her Martial Soul Avatar with that armor? If so, that would be terrifying."
Jing Hongchen found himself too absorbed in the allure of this armor to worry about the sequence of the following matches. Winning or losing mattered little in the face of such technological potential. He could only think of the countless possibilities if he could study and reproduce that armor.
But despite his expertise, he realized that he couldn't discern the armor's true intricacies from afar. Then, something else struck him as off.
"What metal is this armor made of?" he muttered. As the head of the empire's metal resources, he should have recognized the material, yet this metal was entirely unfamiliar.
He dismissed the possibility of the metal simply being painted; soul engineers typically left their soul tools in their natural state, showing the beauty of their raw metal. But after eliminating that, he realized that Huo Yu'er's armor used a metal he had never seen.
Such a realization left him deeply unsettled. He had already made up his mind that he had to obtain the technology for Huo Yu'er's soul armor. Without it, any future Sun Moon Empire campaign against the Douluo Continent would be much harder to win. If the continent's forces were equipped with Soul Sage level armor, their advantage would be insurmountable, no matter how many soul cannons the Sun Moon Empire amassed.
Initially, Jing Hongchen hadn't been alarmed. After all, with their empire's vast resources and the expertise of its top tier soul engineers, they should have been able to reverse engineer the armor. But if this armor required a unique metal unknown to them, then even cracking its secrets might prove futile.
Jing Hongchen realized with mounting horror how inadequate their current metal refinement technologies were. For millennia, Douluo's metallurgy had been held back by the purity of their ores, which required little refinement to be usable. As a result, they hadn't even developed alloy production yet, a skill that would take another ten thousand years to arise.
This alloy technology was precisely one of the methods Ye Wen had used to create Huo Yu'er's armor.
The more he thought, the more Jing Hongchen replayed in his mind Huo Yu'er's demonstration of the armor's power. Another, far more alarming possibility dawned on him.
"No... it can't be," he murmured in a trembling voice. Yet as his memories of the fight sharpened, he felt a chill settle over him, and he unconsciously looked over at Ye Wen, sitting calmly in the contestants' lounge.
It was as if he were gazing upon a god.
If his memory served him correctly, Huo Yu'er's armor incorporated soul engineering technologies far beyond the current age.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 524: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Eight
Ye Wen noticed Jing Hongchen's gaze but was unfazed. To him, Jing Hongchen was simply a relic of a soon to be forgotten era. If this relic ever dared stand in Huo Yu'er's path, he would be courting death nothing more than a dead man walking.
Jing Hongchen's realization about the significance of Huo Yu'er's soul armor came when he noticed something extraordinary: unlike standard soul tools, her armor was not summoned from a storage device. Instead, it emerged from within her body, almost like a spirit bone, before seamlessly integrating with her.
Most of the Douluo Continent's spectators missed this subtle detail. Even some eighth level soul engineers failed to notice it, but as the head of Mingde Hall and a ninth level soul engineer, Jing Hongchen's experienced eye caught on.
It was technically possible to achieve a similar effect using numerous storage devices, yet he had seen none of these devices on Huo Yu'er, which only solidified his hypothesis.
With each passing moment, as the scope of Huo Yu'er's armor's capabilities dawned on him, Jing Hongchen's anxiety deepened. The Sun Moon Empire's strength lay in its soul tool technology, which allowed them to stand toe to toe with the Douluo Continent, despite their smaller territory. Now, seeing such a technological marvel in the hands of an academy from the Douluo side made him uneasy.
"This... I can't allow this technology to fall into Douluo hands," he thought, his resolve hardening. "No matter the cost, this Heavenly Path Douluo, his academy, and anyone connected to this soul armor must be eliminated!"
Jing Hongchen's eyes blazed with intent, but as he glanced back at Ye Wen, he quickly suppressed his killing intent. Patience was necessary he couldn't afford to act impulsively here. But his agitation was evident in his eyes.
Ye Wen glanced at him with mild amusement, then shifted his attention back to the main event: his prized disciple's solo performance.
Ye Wen had no intention of underestimating the power of advanced soul tools. Unlike the fate of Ye Xishui, who met a gruesome end after underestimating them, Ye Wen was well aware of the destructive force behind ninth level soul guided missiles. He also knew about the deeply hidden threat of a tenth level soul engineer lurking in the Sun Moon Empire. But Ye Wen was no mere deity; he was a god king, the strongest among his kind. Though only an avatar, this manifestation still possessed much of his true power, a power unmatched at the 150th level.
If the Sun Moon Empire attempted anything foolish, Ye Wen was prepared. In such an event, he would do nothing to resist. Instead, he'd allow Huo Yu'er to shine on her own and rise as the destined hero. With the Sun Moon Empire revealing its true strength, they'd inevitably draw the wrath of the three Douluo nations. The advent of such a chaotic era would be the perfect stage for Huo Yu'er to embrace her role as the child of destiny.
Back in the arena, Huo Yu'er found herself almost... bored. Her entire battle plan had been overturned, and with her temporary Soul Sage level power, every opponent had fallen in short order. It was no surprise when Tianxing Academy was declared the victor of this match.
In Tianxing Academy's section of the audience, the two princesses watched Huo Yu'er in her armor with shining eyes. They had heard Ye Wen mention a "final trump card" prepared for their senior sister, but they had assumed it would be some sort of powerful soul skill or rare spirit bone. They had never expected something as impressive and capable as this soul armor.
Unlike Jiang Nannan and the other girls, the two princesses had been raised with an elite education and a refined sense of ambition. They understood what this armor could mean for their kingdom's future.
Seeing their gazes, Huo Yu'er felt a little uncomfortable and tugged at Ye Wen's sleeve for support.
Ye Wen had initially wanted to savor Huo Yu'er's slightly embarrassed reaction, but he relented under her gentle request.
"Relax," he said, smiling at the two princesses. "As your teacher, I treat all my disciples equally. But once you accept this soul armor, remember, you'll be irrevocably tied to me and my academy." He cast them a meaningful glance.
"Take your time and think it over. If you've made up your mind, come find me by 9:00 p.m. on the night we win the championship. I won't force you, but once you become my disciples, I'll do everything in my power to protect you."
The princesses glanced at each other in surprise, suddenly aware that all their plans and ambitions might already be known to Ye Wen. His words and gaze seemed to carry hidden implications.
For a moment, they were lost in thought, sensing that this decision could be a pivotal moment in their destinies and that of the royal family.
As expected, Shrek Academy triumphed over their opponents, advancing to the finals to face Tianxing Academy. For the first time in history, the Sun Moon Empire's team had to settle for third place.
Members of the Sun Moon team felt a heavy sense of defeat, frustrated that an academy like Tianxing had appeared out of nowhere to block their path. If Tianxing Academy continued to compete in future tournaments, the Sun Moon Empire might find itself forever stuck in third place.
However, only the Hongchen siblings noticed that their grandfather, Jing Hongchen, had slipped away.
Had Xuan Zi been present, things would have been different. But his absence provided Jing Hongchen with the perfect cover to quietly disappear.
The soul armor Huo Yu'er had shown them was unlike anything he'd ever encountered, and the more Jing Hongchen pondered over its implications, the more unnerved he became.
The Sun Moon Empire had no Super Douluo at or beyond the 95th level, but with the boost of a ninth level soul tool, even someone like Jing Hongchen, who was at level 94, could still hold his ground against an opponent like Xuan Zi.
But this armor was something else. It had granted a mere Soul Elder like Huo Yu'er the power of a Soul Sage. If Ye Wen possessed soul armor capable of elevating Titled Douluo to higher levels, the implications would be catastrophic for the Sun Moon Empire.
The implications were staggering, especially since Super Douluo, though rare, weren't absent from the three Douluo kingdoms. With such an armor, any Super Douluo's strength could be further amplified, placing the Sun Moon Empire at a serious disadvantage.
Now more than ever, Jing Hongchen knew that the Sun Moon Empire needed to prepare for whatever was coming and fast.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 525: The New King Ascends, the Old Emperor Fades · Part Nine
Shrek's Exclusive Luxury Suite
Wang Yan was carefully reviewing the roster from Tianxing Academy. Normally, a lower tier academy without even a single Soul King wouldn't warrant his attention. However, Tianxing Academy's unprecedented rise had shocked every academy; a Soul Elder defeating Soul Emperors, even reaching Soul Sage level prowess, was an absurd reality that left Wang Yan a Soul King himself questioning what he'd thought possible.
The arrival of the soul tool era, it seemed, was inevitable. The thought that a Soul Elder could one day wield the power of a Soul Sage stirred Wang Yan's pride in his own Soul King abilities but also left him feeling an undeniable sense of urgency.
"Teacher, what do you think about tomorrow's match?" Ma Xiaotao's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Since leaving Shrek, Ma Xiaotao had come to admire Wang Yan's tactical insight. Against other teams, like the Sun Moon team, she wouldn't hesitate to engage directly. But Tianxing Academy was different; their capabilities were just too strange.
Shrek's current team included three Soul Emperors, including Ma Xiaotao, and four Soul Kings. Although both Shrek and Tianxing were traditional soul master teams, Ma Xiaotao had watched recordings of Tianxing Academy's matches. Though their team members were relatively low ranked, each one could transcend their own level with Tianxing's unique self created soul techniques a frightening prospect.
The most unbelievable thing was Huo Yu'er's soul armor. With it, she had ascended from Soul Elder to Soul Sage and completely overwhelmed the Sun Moon team's captain, who could use a seventh level soul tool. Even Ma Xiaotao, with her considerable pride, found herself seeking out Wang Yan's advice for this match.
Wang Yan rubbed his temples thoughtfully. "It all depends on tomorrow's draw whether it's a team match or individual battles."
Ma Xiaotao caught the implications in his words and, sensing he had an idea, asked, "Teacher, do you have a plan?"
Wang Yan nodded and openly shared his thoughts. "If it's a team match, we have a 70 percent chance of winning. From what I've observed, their team was recently assembled, so their coordination isn't up to our level. And their team composition is flawed, as they lack support type soul masters."
The Shrek team members all nodded in agreement. Each one was a core member of Shrek's inner court enforcement team, and despite a recent defeat by a Soul King level evil soul master, they retained the pride forged by years of intense training.
Dai Yaoheng, born into a military family, voiced his concerns. "But Teacher, if other members of Tianxing Academy have that soul armor, our teamwork won't matter. Our strategy would be useless."
The room fell silent. Against such overwhelming power, even the best team coordination would be meaningless.
Wang Yan smiled reassuringly. "I understand, but let me put your minds at ease. A soul tool that can elevate a Soul Elder to Soul Sage level strength isn't simple. We're likely looking at an eighth or even ninth level soul tool, which would be exceedingly rare and precious. I'd say Tianxing Academy doesn't have many of these, as we've only seen Huo Yu'er the chief disciple of the Heavenly Path Douluo wearing it so far."
The others relaxed at his reasoning. But then Wang Yan grew serious again. "What I'm most worried about is if we draw the individual match format tomorrow. I have no doubts about your individual abilities, but if Huo Yu'er uses that soul armor to reach Soul Sage level and brings her Extreme Ice attribute to bear, then aside from Ma Xiaotao, none of you stand a chance against her."
He then turned to Ma Xiaotao, his gaze intense. "If tomorrow's match is indeed individual battles, you'll go first, Ma Xiaotao. If even you can't stop her, the others won't stand a chance either. Defending Shrek's honor will then rest solely on your shoulders."
Since the Sun Moon Empire had joined the soul master tournament, Shrek had consistently claimed the top spot, rallying support from all three Douluo nations. Defeat was simply not an option.
Ma Xiaotao recognized the gravity of the situation. However, with her current Soul Emperor level strength of 67, she felt she might still stand a chance against a Soul Sage. "Leave it to me, Teacher. If I end up facing Huo Yu'er, I'll give it my all to take her down."
Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction. A powerful opponent wasn't frightening; what was terrifying was losing confidence before the fight even began. Such a mindset would already mean half the battle was lost.
Hoping to boost Ma Xiaotao's confidence further, he said, "Confidence is good, Ma Xiaotao, but there's no need to be overly tense. After all, Huo Yu'er is ultimately only a 32nd level Soul Elder, so her temporary surge to the 70th level is merely borrowed strength. In my analysis, her elevated power is likely unstable. With your experience and honed skills, you should have the upper hand. Just don't rush stay grounded and steady."
Wang Yan's analysis was logical and reasonable, and Ma Xiaotao accepted it readily. Their real challenge would lie in individual battles, so Wang Yan further analyzed Huo Yu'er's personal abilities, helping Ma Xiaotao prepare to counter her more effectively.
Although Huo Yu'er's Ice Jade Empress Scorpion martial soul had only one spirit ring, Wang Yan suspected that she could likely access four spirit skills. After all, it was almost certain that her 700,000 year beast ring came from a sacrificial contract a reasonable explanation, but an alarming one all the same.
However, the lack of detailed information on the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion limited his analysis. Wang Yan knew of only three signature techniques associated with this spirit: the Imperial Sword, Imperial Palm, and the Heavenly Frost Domain. As for a potential fourth ability, he could only guess. In addition, Huo Yu'er had the Ice Jade Scorpion left arm bone, which could potentially carry an explosive skill similar to corpse detonation. This thought made Ma Xiaotao wary, as she'd had her own brush with this horrifying technique, and she kept it firmly in mind.
Watching Wang Yan focus on Ma Xiaotao and seemingly disregard the others, Dai Yaoheng couldn't help but sigh. He understood, though. Their martial souls were indeed ordinary compared to hers. Extreme attributes like Huo Yu'er's were simply on another level, almost like a power beyond this world.
(End of Chapter)
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