As Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng clashed with Ma Xiaotao, the center of the battlefield erupted into waves of blistering heat. The others instinctively avoided the inferno, steering clear of the deadliest zone.
While the two powerhouses fought at the core, the controllers on both sides began their own duel — Ling Luochen and Yao Haoxuan.
Yao Haoxuan roared as his martial soul possessed him, his already four-meter-tall frame expanding further, muscles bulging like iron cables. Under the enhancement of his third soul ring, he looked less like a support-type controller and more like a full-blown assault-type Soul Master.
His first and second soul rings flared next, sending out two golden ripples that enveloped Huo Yuhao's side. Their aura instantly sharpened, morale surging.
Across from them, Beibei, Wang Dong, and Jiang Nannan — charging forward at the front — felt a sudden dizziness, as if struck in the head by a hammer.
Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons moved up quickly, releasing concentric black shockwaves that worked in tandem with Yao Haoxuan's sound-based abilities to suppress the trio's advance.
But Ning Tian and Gongyang Mo immediately countered, combining their auxiliary abilities to cleanse the debuffs. Within seconds, Beibei's group recovered, their footing stabilized.
Then a flurry of icy rain fell.
Ling Luochen stood poised, gripping an ice crystal staff taller than herself, encased in armor of frozen light. Her first soul skill, Ice Staff, amplified her control over the frost, while her second soul skill, Frost Armor, offered solid defense.
'Interesting girl,' Electrolux's voice echoed in Yuhao's mind. 'If she'd been born in my world, she'd have made quite the mage.'
Raindrops of ice pattered down like starlight. Though not powerful individually, the constant freezing drizzle disrupted Yuhao's team's rhythm — especially Xiao Xiao, whose physical endurance was weakest.
She pulled her cauldrons close to shield herself from the worst of the icy barrage.
Yet this was only the prelude. Ling Luochen's martial soul embodied the purest form of ice, and her attacks reflected that elemental mastery.
Meanwhile, Xi Xi, the agile-type Spirit King on Dai Yueheng's team, held back. She hid behind Yao Haoxuan's massive form, using his towering body as cover as she inched closer to strike.
The air grew colder. The clash between ice and flame loomed. Xu Sanshi knew it was time. Gritting his teeth, he unleashed his fourth soul skill – Mysterious Underworld Exchange.
In an instant, Ling Luochen's figure swapped places with his.
But Ling Luochen did not panic. Her fifth soul ring lit up — Glacial Radiance was about to erupt.
The battlefield around them had already been saturated with ice elements, at least fifty percent denser than normal under her control. If she released her strongest skill here, bolstered by the Ice Staff's amplification, Yuhao's side would have no chance to dodge.
Clearly, the Inner Court team had learned of Xu Sanshi's swapping ability and prepared for it.
But before the ice explosion could detonate, Yuhao's Mental Invasion struck.
He didn't completely dominate her mind — their cultivation gap was too wide — but he severed her conscious control for five heartbeats. It was enough.
Five seconds may sound brief, yet in battle, that span was an eternity. Even a Spirit King like Ling Luochen couldn't defend without awareness.
Xi Xi struck instantly. Lightning-fast, she closed the distance — and before anyone could react, Elder Xuan intervened, pulling Ling Luochen out of the field to prevent serious injury.
Across the arena, Gongyang Mo's brow dripped with sweat. He and Ning Tian had tried to dispel the mental interference, but their efforts vanished like stones into the sea.
The reason was simple — their soul skills were clashing against Yuhao's mental control and Ling Luochen's own disrupted spiritual force. To break Yuhao's grip, their power would have to vastly exceed Ling Luochen's own spiritual strength — and it didn't.
Their removal attempts failed completely.
"This junior's ability is absurd…" Gongyang Mo muttered, his voice trembling. "A compulsory effect like that — I thought only ten-thousand-year rings could carry it. But my ring is ten-thousand-year…"
His teammates didn't answer — they were too busy dealing with Xu Sanshi. Though the defender fought valiantly, surrounded by enemies, he was clearly reaching his limit.
"Junior Xu, your task is done!" Yao Haoxuan bellowed.
Without hesitation, Xu Sanshi triggered Mysterious Underworld Exchange again, switching positions with Yao Haoxuan to pull himself out of danger.
With Ling Luochen down, the icy rain and cold air faded from the field. Yuhao's team pressed forward, closing the gap with Beibei's squad.
As soon as Yao Haoxuan landed among the enemy, his second soul ring flared wildly. Sonic waves rippled outward in a dome of concussive force, shaking everyone's senses.
Even with Gongyang Mo and Ning Tian gritting their teeth to clear the status effects, the disruption lingered.
Beibei, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong charged through the dizziness, trying to interrupt Yao Haoxuan's casting — but stopping him mid-skill was far easier said than done.
A flicker of killing intent flashed by — a swift shadow slicing toward Gongyang Mo. In that instant, Wang Dong vanished from the field, rescued by Elder Xuan.
Xi Xi had moved. Passing through Yao Haoxuan's group like a phantom, she had struck cleanly — eliminating the weakest target first.
Seeing this, Gongyang Mo exhaled bitterly. "Ning Tian, stop. Pour everything into Ma Xiaotao. From here on, it's up to her."
He withdrew his support from the team. Behind him, the Rainbow Dragon unfurled its radiant wings — red, orange, yellow, and blue lights rippled out, channeling elemental power directly into Ma Xiaotao.
Almost simultaneously, Xi Xi's claws cut through the air, slashing away several of his rainbow feathers. Beside him, Ning Tian barely managed one last speed buff for Ma Xiaotao before she, too, was taken out by Xi Xi.
Both were soon pulled from the field by Elder Xuan.
Now only Beibei and Jiang Nannan remained, fighting desperately. Jiang Nannan's Invincible Golden Body could buy moments, but no more.
Yuhao's eyes flicked toward them, then to the blazing core where Ma Xiaotao battled Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng.
Even though the flames obscured sight, Yuhao's Eye of Truth pierced through easily.
It wasn't a fight — it was annihilation.
Dai Yueheng's once-proud White Tiger fur was scorched black and patchy, while Chen Zifeng's Soul-Chasing Sword had been shattered by another Phoenix Pierces the Clouds. Elder Xuan had already pulled him out to prevent fatal injury.
Seeing this, Yuhao activated Mental Suggestion again. But this time, he didn't attempt to seize control — doing so would only worsen things. Ma Xiaotao's body was brimming with evil energy. Even without her consciousness, that corruption would drive her to fight uncontrollably.
Instead, he wove subtle suggestions — bending her senses, directing her awareness away from himself.
A small deviation in perception could change the entire flow of battle. In combat, even the slightest cognitive misstep could cascade into disaster.
Moments later, another burst of flame filled the sky. From within that inferno, a figure slowly emerged — her silhouette graceful yet chilling.
Her long ponytail had come undone, crimson hair cascading freely. The golden-red light of her flames should have illuminated her, yet her face remained shrouded in shadow, her dark-red eyes glowing faintly beneath.
Under the sunlight, her fiery aura paradoxically exuded an icy stillness.
When the smoke cleared, the battlefield lay in ruins. Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng were gone, their positions replaced by charred earth and cracked stone.
Even knowing Elder Xuan had intervened, everyone felt a cold fear — if he hadn't, they would've been ashes.
"W-What the hell… what happened to Sister Xiaotao?" Xu Sanshi muttered, face twitching.
Even the usually cheerful Yao Haoxuan had gone pale. Xi Xi didn't dare advance either. They all knew how strong Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng were — yet both had fallen like insects before her flames.
Her strength now was beyond what any of them could comprehend.
"This is insane," Xu Sanshi whispered. "She's not fighting anymore — she's destroying."
"Then we fight!" Yao Haoxuan roared, bracing himself.
Xu Sanshi gritted his teeth and joined him. Xi Xi followed, darting forward under his cover.
But Ma Xiaotao had no intention of giving them a chance.
Her dark-red eyes swept across the survivors — Yao Haoxuan, Xu Sanshi, Xi Xi, and Xiao Xiao. Her phoenix wings spread wide, radiating power.
Her second soul skill – Rebirth of Fire, and third soul skill – Soaring Phoenix Wings, ignited simultaneously.
Gold-red flames engulfed the sky. Her wings grew even larger, each beat stirring cyclones of burning air.
The last remnants of Gongyang Mo's and Ning Tian's boosts reached their climax.
Then, three soul rings flashed at once — fourth, fifth, and sixth — as spheres of molten flame condensed overhead.
Phoenix Meteor Shower.
Fireballs rained down like falling stars, each one exploding with catastrophic force. And Ma Xiaotao herself became the brightest meteor, a colossal phoenix descending from the heavens.
The pressure was unbearable.
Facing that apocalyptic onslaught, despair flickered in their eyes. This wasn't sparring. This was obliteration.
Even Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Underworld Exchange couldn't save them. The moment he swapped, he'd land inside the inferno and be burned down instantly.
Outside the ring, Elder Xuan sighed softly. He had waited too long, hoping to see how far they could go. Now he had no choice.
He raised his hand, summoning immense force. In an instant, he pulled Yao Haoxuan, Xu Sanshi, Xi Xi, and Xiao Xiao out of the firestorm.
Even so, the shockwave left them all battered and scorched.
When the flames finally subsided, only two figures remained on the field — Ma Xiaotao, and the one she had subconsciously "ignored": Huo Yuhao.
Her aura flickered; her soul power was nearly exhausted.
Elder Xuan's gaze shifted to Yuhao.
Would a miracle happen?
(End of Chapter)