In the first match of the second round of the Promotion Competition, the Seven Treasure Team faced off against the Skywater Team. The first person to represent Seven Treasure was Zuo Yan, while Skywater surprisingly sent out their captain, Shui Bing'er, as their lead.
Zuo Yan's soul power had reached Rank 45, while Shui Bing'er was at Rank 44—a one-rank difference. Though Shui Bing'er possessed the top-tier Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, Zuo Yan's martial soul had evolved from the Wind God's Wings into the Phoenix God's Wings after consuming the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. In terms of quality, it was no lower than the Ice Phoenix. Generally speaking, Zuo Yan held the advantage, but the outcome remained uncertain.
Under the referee's announcement, the two stepped onto the stage. Standing thirty meters apart, they released their Martial Souls.
"Zuo Yan, Martial Soul: Phoenix God's Wings, Rank 45 Agility Attack Type Soul Ancestor."
Four rings—two yellow, two purple—rose around him. While it was an optimal configuration, his third ring was two thousand years old, and his fourth was eight thousand five hundred years old. Even compared to soul masters of the same rank, Zuo Yan held a clear edge in both soul power intensity and physical strength.
"Shui Bing'er, Martial Soul: Ice Phoenix, Rank 44 Control Type Soul Ancestor."
Shui Bing'er's expression didn't change. Despite Zuo Yan's strength, she faced him bravely; even if she was to lose, she would do so with dignity.
"Match... Start!"
As the referee's voice fell, both moved simultaneously. A pair of cyan wings fringed with crimson flames erupted from Zuo Yan's back, their span reaching a staggering six meters. With a light flap, he soared thirty meters into the air. Shui Bing'er did not hide her strength either; ice-blue wings unfurled, and she followed him upward.
Zuo Yan looked at her and said softly, "I admire you, so I will use my full strength to defeat you."
"As will I," Shui Bing'er replied calmly.
Zuo Yan's first yellow ring lit up. He split into three, lashing toward her. On a hundred-meter stage, the fifty-meter gap was nothing for an Agility Attack specialist.
"First Soul Skill: Phantom!"
In an instant, three phantoms closed in from different directions. Shui Bing'er reacted instantly, her first ring glowing as she threw out three ice-blue halos.
"First Soul Skill: Ice Bind."
It was an instantaneous cast. She fired three times in succession, each halo locking onto one of Zuo Yan's forms. However, Zuo Yan had already studied her first skill. It could be fired instantly and could lock on, but it didn't hit instantly. Using his speed boost, he led the halos on a chase before diving toward her.
Just as the halos were about to hit, Zuo Yan's forms brushed past her, causing her own halos to home in on her. She didn't panic; she controlled them to fly past her flank and resume the pursuit. Her control was flawless.
Seeing this fail, Zuo Yan stopped dodging. His second yellow ring lit up, and the flames on his wings transformed into blade-edges shimmering with a sharp, cold light.
"Second Soul Skill: Fire Blade Guillotine!"
His wings swung, and Shui Bing'er's "invincible" first skill was sliced to pieces. While her skill was top-tier, it could be neutralized by pure energy attacks, especially since Zuo Yan's fire attribute was currently superior.
Shui Bing'er closed the distance, her fourth purple ring lighting up. This was the first time she used her fourth skill in the tournament. Zuo Yan, not wanting to wait, activated his own fourth skill. His two phantoms became solid. Three identical Zuo Yans appeared, though they differed slightly: the original's wings were cyan with crimson flames; the other two were predominantly cyan and red, respectively—clones representing wind and fire.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Wind-Fire Clones." Each clone possessed 40% of the original's strength and genuine offensive capabilities. The three Zuo Yans scattered to evade her attack.
Shui Bing'er knew Zuo Yan could swap places with his clones as long as they existed. However, she had also studied him. She swung her ice-blue wings, and countless ice feathers shot out, covering a massive area.
Zuo Yan's original body swapped places with the wind clone to avoid the feathers, while the clone itself stayed to clash with the skill and drain her power. Meanwhile, Zuo Yan and the fire clone flanked her, their third purple rings flaring.
"Third Soul Skill: Cyclone Mangle!"
Crimson guillotines fell toward her. Shui Bing'er didn't stop; she flew outside the stage boundaries into the high sky, activating her second skill.
"Second Soul Skill: Ice Armor!"
She intended to tank the hit! But Zuo Yan saw through her. If a flight-type stayed outside the boundary for more than ten seconds, they were disqualified. Zuo Yan's fire clone retreated to the stage while his original body dove in for the kill.
Shui Bing'er had planned to use her third skill, Defying Light (similar to Huo Wu's), to blast him out of bounds while he was mid-attack, but Zuo Yan's caution ruined the plan. She didn't give up. She fired her Ice Bind around her own body, hoping to freeze him for just one second upon contact.
Zuo Yan didn't fear it. His blades slammed into her. The first strike shattered half her armor; the second and third followed. His skill was like Feng Xiaotian's—each strike stronger than the last. The ice halos slowed his momentum, but couldn't stop the fire.
By the third strike, her chest armor shattered. She groaned, blood seeping from her lips. On the fourth strike, she saw an opening. Instead of defending, she lunged forward, locking her arms around Zuo Yan's waist and her legs around his. She shackled him.
Zuo Yan realized her resolve—if she couldn't win, she would take him down with her. His clone-swapping required him to be unburdened. Locked together, Shui Bing'er's remaining ice power flared, dampening his flames as they both plummeted from thirty meters.
The crowd gasped. From that height, a defenseless fall would result in severe injury.
Looking at the determined face inches from his own, Zuo Yan felt a stirring in his heart. After being rejected by Li Li repeatedly, he had planned to lock his heart away. He knew Li Li only had eyes for Gu Xuan, and Gu Xuan was his big brother, so he had no choice. Yet at this moment, he was captivated by Shui Bing'er's decisiveness.
"Silly girl," Zuo Yan whispered. "My physical stats aren't what an ordinary Soul Ancestor can compare to. Anyone else might be helpless, but not me."
Shui Bing'er froze at his words, then felt a terrifying surge of strength as he broke her hold. Her hope for a draw was shattered.
"You are strong," Zuo Yan's voice rang in her ear, "but not strong enough. Though... I truly admire you."
Terrifying crimson flames erupted. The opposing attributes collided, but there was no steam—they merged. A soul-piercing phoenix cry shook the arena. The falling pair was enveloped in a red-and-blue light and soared back into the sky.
When the light faded, a single figure remained. The figure had long ice-blue hair with crimson bangs like phoenix feathers. Its eyes were heterochromatic—blue on the left, red on the right. A set of cyan, red, and blue wings shimmered with a holy light. Its feet had transformed into ice-blue phoenix claws, and it was clad in feather-like armor.
The crowd was stunned. 'A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?! They fought so hard they triggered a fusion?!'
Those who knew Gu Xuan looked at him with strange expressions. Aside from the wings and claws, the fused form looked remarkably like Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan was equally shocked and annoyed. 'Did they just steal my legendary skin?!'
From the sky, a magnetic, ethereal voice—neither clearly male nor female—rang out. "What just happened?"
(End of Chapter)
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