The White-Armored Earth Dragon roared toward the sky, letting out an earth-shaking bellow. Zhu Zhuqing, who had just leapt forward, was instantly blown back.
Dai Mubai knew that the Holy Dragon Sect was powerful, but he had never imagined that their strength could be this terrifying.
Fortunately, he also had a trump card to respond.
In a flash, Dai Mubai dashed forward, catching the falling Zhu Zhuqing. The two exchanged a glance, and their auras began to merge.
Black and white halos intertwined as a terrifying fluctuation of soul power erupted.
Seeing this, the White-Armored Earth Dragon would not foolishly wait for Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing to complete their fusion. It instantly extended its massive claw toward the fusing pair.
Unfortunately for it, the two's Martial Soul Fusion Technique was already near perfection, and the process was completed in the blink of an eye.
Just as the dragon's claw came crashing down, a Netherworld White Tiger,equal in size to the White-Armored Earth Dragon,appeared and struck back with its own claw.
_Boom!_
The collision of the two giant claws sent out a shockwave that forced everyone else to retreat.
Dai Mubai, at level sixty-four, and Zhu Zhuqing, at level fifty-six, combined their Martial Souls with a fusion level completely above that of the White-Armored Earth Dragon.
However, the White-Armored Earth Dragon was formed by the fusion of seven Soul Kings and above. Although its enhancement was not as refined as a true Martial Soul Fusion Technique, the immense soul power of seven people together was still enough to exceed the current Netherworld White Tiger.
If the Netherworld White Tiger's combat strength was ten thousand, then the seven fused into the White-Armored Earth Dragon reached about twelve thousand.
But the Third Prince's team still had Ma Hongjun, a level sixty-seven Soul Emperor, and four other Soul Kings. Overall, their strength was even greater.
The Netherworld White Tiger and the White-Armored Earth Dragon clashed fiercely. The tiger spread its massive wings, gaining flight, which increased their odds of victory once more.
But the White-Armored Earth Dragon was not stupid. Feeling the White Tiger's strength, it turned its gaze away from Ma Hongjun and focused on the others instead.
It shoved the White Tiger aside with brute force, opened its enormous jaws, and gathered golden light inside before releasing it in a beam toward Li Sheng and Zhao Lan at the rear.
"Earth Dragon's Breath!"
Though not a true dragon's breath, under the White-Armored Earth Dragon,whose strength was comparable to a Soul Saint's True Martial Form,its power far exceeded an ordinary Soul Emperor's full-force attack.
Even with the level fifty-seven defensive Soul King, Long Wu, standing guard, it was doubtful he could withstand it.
The beam's diameter was vast and its speed near-instantaneous, leaving no time to dodge.
Golden light flared across Long Wu's Lion King Armor as his first, third, and fifth soul rings lit up simultaneously. A blazing Lion King phantom appeared, roaring across the arena.
"Flame Barrier!"
"Lionheart Shield!"
"Lion King Guardian Armor!"
All three soul skills activated at once. Flames roared across his body as he shielded Li Sheng and Zhao Lan, raising a massive fiery barrier to resist the attack.
_Boom!_
The golden beam struck the barrier, forcing Long Wu backward across the stage. Even with Li Sheng and Zhao Lan bracing behind him, they could not stop the retreat.
Cracks spread rapidly across the barrier,it was about to shatter.
But the Netherworld White Tiger didn't go to rescue them. Instead, it dove toward the White-Armored Earth Dragon like a blazing cross of light.
"Netherworld White Tiger Strike!"
Attack where the enemy must defend,if the Earth Dragon didn't block this, the full strike could cripple or destroy it.
Even if Long Wu's group failed to stop the breath attack and were eliminated, the wounded fusion team would no longer be a match for the Netherworld White Tiger.
And Ma Hongjun would not stand idle.
Flames erupted around him as he dove down, his yellow first soul ring lighting up.
"First Soul Skill: Phoenix Flame!"
A blazing pillar of fire burst forth, colliding with the dragon's breath and easing Long Wu's burden. But the effort drained Long Wu's soul power heavily, leaving him as exhausted as Qin Qiong nearby.
Still, neither had reached their limit,they simply dared not recklessly enter such a high-level clash.
The Earth Dragon's breath was blocked, and it was too late to defend against the incoming White Tiger. But it didn't withdraw.
Its huge tail suddenly expanded, whipping toward the White Tiger.
"Divine Dragon Tail Strike!"
The tail intercepted the White Tiger's assault, though it shattered in the process.
The broken tail meant the Earth Dragon had to spend enormous soul power to reform it.
Yet it still charged through Ma Hongjun's flames, determined to eliminate him before dealing with the White Tiger.
But Ma Hongjun was not so easily handled.
Not only was he a level sixty-seven Soul Emperor, but he also possessed two soul bones, absorbed higher-level rings, and refined rare immortal-grade elixirs. He could already rival an ordinary Soul Saint,and he had not even gone all out.
Since the enemy insisted on facing the wrath of the Fire Phoenix, he saw no need to hold back.
His black fifth soul ring lit up. Fiery chains burst forth, entwining the charging Earth Dragon.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Phoenix Heart-Devouring Chains!"
The flaming chains coiled around the dragon, restraining it while the Phoenix Fire burned through its body.
At the same time, Li Sheng's fifth soul ring glowed black. His Heavenly Machine Lock transformed into a white dragon that bound the Earth Dragon atop Ma Hongjun's flames.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Dragon-Binding Lock!"
Though only a Soul King, his added restraint was perfectly effective alongside Ma Hongjun's power.
Trapped and bound, the Earth Dragon could not move. Ma Hongjun was about to strike again, but then a terrifying beam of Netherlight had already gathered,locked onto the dragon.
He stopped. His part was done.
"Netherworld White Tiger Light Beam!"
A surge of black-and-white energy erupted from the tiger's mouth, piercing through the Earth Dragon from behind and bursting out through its head.
The White-Armored Earth Dragon shattered. The seven fused Soul Masters screamed as the fusion broke apart, fire chains wrapping around them, burning even their souls.
The Dragon-Binding Lock held all seven suspended in midair.
Leader Tuoba Hu had already fainted from the pain, his body twitching violently.
Vice-captain Tuoba Gui howled, "We surrender! We surrender!"
The referee's voice rang out, "The Third Prince's team versus the Holy Dragon Sect team,victory to the Third Prince's team!"
As the referee spoke, Ma Hongjun withdrew his flaming chains, and Li Sheng released his locks. The white dragon circled back to him.
The Netherworld White Tiger dissolved, revealing Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. Their sharp gazes swept toward the viewing stands, locking on Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun.
The team stepped off the arena, heading back to the rest area to recover.
This battle proved that their opponents were strong,but only to a point.
After all, Ma Hongjun had used less than seventy percent of his strength. He was the team's true trump card.
Dai Weisi watched them coldly, then turned to two black-robed men beside him. "How about it? Do you have confidence?"
One of them sneered, "As long as you can hold off the Netherworld White Tiger, I alone can deal with Ma Hongjun."
Hearing that, Dai Weisi finally relaxed. He and Zhu Zhuyun couldn't defeat Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, but delaying them was no problem.
Once Ma Hongjun was taken out, the rest would crumble.
At the far edge of the spectator stands, another team stood out. They wore brilliant gold uniforms embroidered with a star-shaped crown. Their leader was a woman in her mid-twenties,beautiful, elegant, and regal.
Watching Ma Hongjun leave the arena, she smiled. "Such powerful Phoenix Flames... but unfortunately for you, your fire is destined to be restrained by me."
"The first public appearance of our Star Crown Sect will begin by defeating the Sword Sect's young master's closest ally."
A handsome man beside her echoed, "Indeed, young mistress. If the Sword Sect can rise to fame, our Star Crown Sect will not be any lesser."
The woman frowned slightly. "It seems that since the Sword Sect's return, many hidden sects are preparing to reemerge."
The man nodded. "You mean the Divine Fire Sect and the Wind God Valley... those weren't fake academies, but the real hidden sects of old?"
She nodded. "Exactly. Though Heaven Dou sent many to this competition, how could mere academies compare to a sect?"
"And aside from those two, there may be others as well. Beyond the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament, this National Elite Spirit Master Tournament of the Star Luo Empire is the next grand stage."
"If we achieve a top ranking here, our sect's return will shake the entire continent."
"The continent is in turmoil. A chaotic age is coming. If we seize the moment and turn chaos into order, we will soar to the heavens."
...
Back in the rest room, Ma Hongjun and the others each consumed a Super Recovery Sausage to restore their energy.
Dai Mubai's eyes gleamed. "Hongjun, how did that battle feel?"
Lying on the sofa with a lollipop in his mouth, Ma Hongjun grinned. "Like you said, the national tournament used to be full of Soul Kings. But now even a team like the Holy Dragon Sect has a Soul Emperor. Seems every power across the continent is sending their best."
He paused, took out the lollipop, and smirked. "But no matter what monsters come crawling out, they're still no match for us."
"This time, only you, Zhuqing, and Qin Qiong went all out. The rest of us held back."
Li Sheng nodded. "Indeed, Your Highness. I haven't even shown the true power of my Heavenly Machine Lock. Among Soul Kings, my single-target control is unmatched."
Long Wu grimaced. "I used three soul skills just to barely block that Earth Dragon. I almost didn't make it."
Qin Qiong rolled her eyes. "You're a defensive-type soul master, but your abilities go far beyond defense. You'll have your moment."
Zhu Zhuqing and Zhao Lan sat quietly nearby, listening to the men brag. Unlike them, the women didn't boast,but what they said was true. They hadn't shown their full strength yet.
Unless they faced someone who could restrain the Netherworld White Tiger, they were nearly unbeatable.
Ma Hongjun suddenly said, "By the way, you've all heard the Shadow Hall's intel, right?"
Dai Mubai nodded. The Shadow Hall was a force funded by Oscar to support him, led by a Soul Sage-level Sharp-Tailed Swift master and composed of thirty members.
Though lacking in attack power, their unmatched speed made them ideal for gathering intelligence, allowing Dai Mubai to plan his political moves with precision.
Recently, the Shadow Hall had been investigating all participating teams,and discovered some big names.
Aside from Dai Weisi's cooperation with Spirit Hall and the two Soul Emperors backing him, several other hidden powers had infiltrated the tournament.
The Star Luo Emperor, however, turned a blind eye. Whatever the outcome, their involvement would still temper his nation's youth.
The Star Luo Empire was founded on martial strength,unafraid of secret maneuvers or hidden agendas.
Unlike the declining Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo royal family possessed three titled Douluo, enough to suppress any troublemakers.
Dai Mubai said seriously, "Those academies pretending to be Blazing Fire and Divine Wind may in fact be founded by the real hidden sects behind them."
"I suspect their reappearance has something to do with the Sword Sect's rise."
Zhu Zhuqing spoke quietly, "There's also the Star Crown Sect, a powerful sect long hidden within the Star Luo Empire. According to my family's ancient records, they once had ties with the royal family."
Dai Mubai nodded. "Yes, Father once mentioned them. If they're returning now, it's likely after negotiating with him,they probably share certain interests."
"He didn't tell me the details, and I didn't ask."
Ma Hongjun shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Whoever stands in our way,God or Buddha,we'll crush them all. Let's get you that crown prince title first, then deal with the rest."
Everyone chuckled. His words were crude but true. With enough strength, all schemes became meaningless.
Li Sheng and Zhao Lan looked at their companions with admiration. They had chosen the right side. Soon, their families might rise alongside the Nether Duke's household itself.
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