The golden light faded, and the Nether White Tiger reverted into two figures as they landed. The Gale Twin-Headed Wolf, still shaken, dispersed into blue light and vanished.
The referee's voice echoed through the arena: "Third Prince's team versus Wind God Valley's team. Two-on-two-three mode, first round , victory goes to the Third Prince's team! Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing each earn two points."
Glancing at the two brothers, Gao Jin and Gao Yuan, who lay on the ground, Dai Mubai reached out and pulled them up.
The Wind God Valley was a hidden sect, and showing goodwill toward them could only be beneficial, never harmful.
The Gao brothers looked at Dai Mubai and finally said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for showing mercy."
Dai Mubai waved his hand. "Friendship first, competition second. The purpose of the tournament is for the young talents of the nation to learn from one another. Victory and defeat are common in battle. We won by a small margin today , perhaps next time, we'll lose."
After saying that, Dai Mubai left the stage with Zhu Zhuqing. Long Wu and Qin Qiong stepped up to take their place.
As Gao Jin and Gao Yuan stepped down, Feng Qinglong patted their shoulders. "The Nether White Tiger is indeed powerful. Moreover, Dai Mubai is already a Soul Emperor. Losing to him is understandable. Don't be discouraged , we still have chances ahead."
The brothers nodded and sat cross-legged to recover their soul power and injuries.
For the second round, Wind God Valley sent out a man and a woman. The girl, Yun Yi, had been standing beside Feng Qinglong earlier. Her martial soul was the Emerald Demon Bird, a level 57 agility-attack Soul King.
Among soul beasts, the Emerald Demon Bird was considered top-tier. It was said that when one reached the hundred-thousand-year level, it could feast on dragon eyes. Its speed was unmatched, and its attacks were terrifyingly strong.
When Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai had first seen Yun Yi's martial soul, they had both paid her special attention. Neither expected her to appear as early as the second round.
Originally, Dai Mubai had assumed that Yun Yi would appear in the third round alongside team captain Feng Qinglong , after all, Ma Hongjun's strength was tremendous, and Feng Qinglong alone would never be enough to defeat him. Without Yun Yi in the final round, that match was essentially already won.
Even if Wind God Valley tied the score in the second round, the third round would still end in their defeat. Victory would ultimately belong to the Third Prince's team.
Yun Yi's teammate's martial soul was the Gale Tiger, with level 55 soul power , another wind-attribute soul. As the saying goes, "Clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger." A tiger with wind attributes would not be weak.
However, Qin Qiong was level 58 and Long Wu level 57, giving them a clear advantage in terms of soul power.
Furthermore, Long Wu was a defense-type soul master, and his combination with Qin Qiong, an attack-type, made for an ideal pairing.
Their only disadvantage was that they didn't know how to effectively counter Yun Yi's martial soul, and they had never fought an Emerald Demon Bird user before.
Still, Long Wu held some confidence. In addition to his powerful defense, he had other abilities that would be more than enough to handle a Gale Tiger.
At the referee's signal, both teams released their martial souls. Yun Yi and the Gale Tiger Soul King each possessed the ideal two-yellow, two-purple, one-black ring configuration.
Qin Qiong's Dragon Halberd gleamed with overwhelming might, while Long Wu's Lion King Armor covered him in radiant gold.
"Third Prince's team versus Wind God Valley's team, two-on-two-three mode, second round , begin!"
As soon as the words left the referee's mouth, Yun Yi's figure blurred into a streak of green light and rushed toward Qin Qiong and Long Wu.
Li Feng let out a tiger's roar, sending a blue wind blade slashing toward them.
Qin Qiong raised his Dragon Halberd, shattering the blades of wind. In the next instant, Yun Yi was already in front of him.
Long Wu stepped in to block her, activating his first yellow soul ring , a flaming barrier rose around him.
The Emerald Demon Bird's piercing power was terrifying. Yun Yi's purple soul ring glowed, shattering Long Wu's defense and splitting into three afterimages that surrounded Qin Qiong.
The battle erupted instantly.
Li Feng charged in as well, chaining soul skills together, trying to pin down Qin Qiong and Long Wu to give Yun Yi a chance for a killing strike.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others watched intently. The Emerald Demon Bird's speed was truly astonishing , Qin Qiong and Long Wu could hardly touch her.
Even with Long Wu's strong defense, he was pressured by Li Feng's frontal assault and Yun Yi's aerial strikes. They simply couldn't fight at full strength.
What had started as an even match shifted in favor of Wind God Valley due to the agility soul master's natural advantage. In the end, Long Wu and Qin Qiong lost narrowly, conceding the second round.
"Third Prince's team versus Wind God Valley's team, two-on-two-three mode, second round , victory to Wind God Valley! Yun Yi and Li Feng each earn two points."
Though Qin Qiong and Long Wu weren't injured badly, their soul power was nearly exhausted. They stepped down as Ma Hongjun, Li Sheng, and Zhao Lan took the stage.
Passing by Qin Qiong and Long Wu, Ma Hongjun patted their shoulders. "I'll get our honor back."
On the platform, the Wind God Valley team's three members appeared. Feng Qinglong looked at Ma Hongjun, smiling faintly. "You're strong, but I don't believe I'll lose to you."
Ma Hongjun glanced back. "Oh? Then show me what gives you the confidence to talk big."
The referee's voice rang out. "Both teams, release your martial souls!"
Ma Hongjun let out a cold snort. Blazing flames erupted, the phantom of a Fire Phoenix rising with a piercing cry. Six soul rings , two yellow, two purple, two black , rose slowly around him, and a pair of magnificent fiery wings spread open behind his back.
"Ma Hongjun , martial soul: Fire Phoenix, level 67 assault-type Soul Emperor."
Behind him, Zhao Lan and Li Sheng also released their martial souls. A wind flute gleamed in Zhao Lan's hands, and Li Sheng's Celestial Chain coiled protectively around him. Both had five soul rings , two yellow, two purple, one black.
Feng Qinglong's smile faded. A cyan radiance shimmered over his body, his long green hair flowing as he transformed into a dragon-like figure with a graceful, almost feminine aura.
Behind him, a pair of thin, translucent wings spread wide, stirring the air with a cool wind that caused Ma Hongjun's flames to ripple.
Six rings , two yellow, two purple, two black , rose around him as he floated into the air opposite Ma Hongjun.
"Feng Qinglong , martial soul: Wind Spirit Dragon, level 63 agility-attack Soul Emperor."
A dragon infused with the power of wind , this was the source of Feng Qinglong's confidence.
The Fire Phoenix was indeed among the top beast martial souls, but his Wind Spirit Dragon was no weaker.
He was the greatest prodigy Wind God Valley had produced in a century, reaching level 63 at just twenty-nine years old. He was confident he was no weaker than Ma Hongjun.
Moreover, he had two support-type Soul Kings boosting him. A mere four-level difference in power could easily be bridged.
The two remaining Wind God Valley members released their martial souls , identical flutes similar to Zhao Lan's wind flute, designed specifically to amplify wind-type soul masters.
"Qing Yan , martial soul: Spirit Wind Flute, level 52 support-type Soul King."
"Qing Yu , martial soul: Spirit Wind Flute, level 51 support-type Soul King."
Their levels alone at that age spoke of their extraordinary ability.
Hearing their introductions, Ma Hongjun frowned slightly. "Battle soul masters?"
That slip gave him insight , their abilities were clearly more than simple support.
Once all martial souls were released, the referee declared, "Third Prince's team versus Wind God Valley's team, two-on-two-three mode, third round , begin!"
As soon as the words fell, Li Sheng activated his first and third soul rings.
"First soul skill , Celestial Tenacity!"
"Third soul skill , Triple Spirit Light!"
His first skill strengthened his Celestial Chains, while the third created clones , one chain split into three, striking like silver serpents toward Feng Qinglong's group.
At the same time, Qing Yan and Qing Yu activated their first three soul skills. Six streaks of light merged into Feng Qinglong's body.
With the twins' dual support, Feng Qinglong's aura flared. A tempest formed around him, and with a flick of his hand, a wind-dragon tornado surged toward Li Sheng and Zhao Lan.
Ma Hongjun activated his second soul skill, Bathing Fire Phoenix, spitting a roaring column of flame to block the wind-dragon vortex.
Li Sheng's Celestial Chains slipped past the storm, coiling toward Feng Qinglong and his allies.
But Feng Qinglong only smirked. Turning into a blur, he caught the chains with ease, seemingly unbothered by being restrained.
At that moment, Li Sheng's second ring flared. "Second soul skill , Celestial Ring!"
As if premeditated, the three chains merged into a massive silver ring, trapping Feng Qinglong inside.
Ma Hongjun let out a phoenix cry and dived down. "Phoenix Nine Forms , Explosive Claw!"
But Feng Qinglong showed no panic. His fifth black ring glowed, and his body became one with the wind, slipping effortlessly from the trap. Catching the ring, he hurled it back at Ma Hongjun.
Meanwhile, his fourth purple ring shone. A gust swept past, and a massive cyan dragon claw formed above Li Sheng and Zhao Lan.
"Wind Dragon Claw!"
With the dual support from his teammates, the skill reached the power of a ten-thousand-year soul skill. Its sudden appearance caught everyone off guard.
He could control wind to such an extent? Even from that distance, his attacks remained precise and deadly.
Fortunately, Li Sheng and Zhao Lan reacted quickly. The returning Celestial Ring reformed into three chains that collided with the dragon claw, barely holding it back.
At the same time, Ma Hongjun's fiery strike landed , but Feng Qinglong once again became one with the wind, evading effortlessly.
His wings flared, carrying him toward Li Sheng and Zhao Lan. Once he eliminated them, dealing with Ma Hongjun would be simple.
That was why he had risked consuming so much soul power to keep using his fifth soul skill.
He knew how dangerous Li Sheng's control could be, but with his own fifth skill and the twins' support, he could ignore most control effects.
Ma Hongjun glanced at Feng Qinglong, then at Qing Yan and Qing Yu. If Feng Qinglong dared to leave them unguarded, it meant they had their own means of protection.
But all of this came down to mastery over wind.
If Feng Qinglong wanted to target his teammates first, then Ma Hongjun would do the opposite. Besides, Li Sheng's strength wasn't limited to control alone.
Ma Hongjun's fourth purple ring glowed, and Zhao Lan's soul skills poured into him, his flames burning even hotter.
"Fourth soul skill , Phoenix Meteor Shower!"
A storm of blazing meteors rained down, impossible to dodge.
As the flames engulfed Qing Yan and Qing Yu, the two smiled at each other. "You fell for it."
Their fourth purple rings lit up. They turned into streams of wind and merged with Feng Qinglong.
This was their proudest ability , "Wind Follows the Dragon."
After transforming into wind, they fused with their partner's body, but only if that partner's martial soul was a wind-type dragon.
In other words, this soul skill was designed specifically for Feng Qinglong.
As twin currents of wind, they slipped through the gaps in the meteor shower unharmed.
"What?!" Even Ma Hongjun, who had seen many strange soul skills, was caught off guard.
The two streams of wind merged into Feng Qinglong's body, each attaching to one of his dragon wings. The once-thin wings expanded dramatically.
With Qing Yan and Qing Yu's fusion, Feng Qinglong's power and speed soared to terrifying heights , effectively forming a three-in-one fusion skill.
And since their ability was tailored for him, his speed now reached its absolute limit.
Meanwhile, his Wind Dragon Claw shattered the Celestial Ring and descended with renewed force.
Zhao Lan activated her soul skills in rapid succession, sending energy to both Li Sheng and Feng Qinglong to weaken the latter's speed, though only slightly.
Li Sheng's fifth ring shone bright. The shattered chains reformed into three dragons of light, lunging toward Feng Qinglong.
"Fifth soul skill , Dragon Binding Chains!"
With his full strength and Zhao Lan's support, Li Sheng unleashed his strongest control yet.
But Feng Qinglong didn't bother resisting , he became wind once again, slipping past the chains and striking straight at Li Sheng.
"Bang! Bang!"
Zhao Lan was caught by the Wind Dragon Claw and gently tossed off the platform , Feng Qinglong was surprisingly gentle toward women.
Li Sheng was kicked off the stage with a single blow.
Ma Hongjun, rushing back, was still too late.
His blazing phoenix claws slashed toward Feng Qinglong's back, but Feng Qinglong seemed to have eyes there , he accelerated again, dodging and rising into the air with a smile.
"How about that?"
Follow me on my patreon for 60 Advanced chapters and 3 chapter daily updates pat*eon.com/GodofTranslation889