Soon, the finals began.
Both teams entered the ring area at the referee's signal.
As the two teams stood in the arena, the Spirit Hall Team captain crossed his arms and slowly raised his eyes. In that instant, it felt as if a sleeping beast had awakened. An overwhelming pressure surged forward like a tsunami, crashing directly toward the Heavenly Dou Team.
The other members of Heavenly Dou Team paled, their bodies trembling slightly.
But at that moment, a sharp aura suddenly appeared, forcefully slicing through the thick, suffocating pressure.
Zhao Yu and the others suddenly felt their bodies lighten. The suffocation vanished without a trace.
The Soul King's gaze landed on Lin Yang. His eyes blinked, and a solemn expression flashed across his face for an instant.
Lin Yang didn't flinch either. His black pupils were as calm as a still lake.
After the referee introduced both teams, the audience's cheers grew even louder, and the atmosphere gradually reached its peak.
"Prepare for the match! Both sides, release your Martial Souls!"
The moment the words were spoken, the seven members of the Spirit Hall Team simultaneously released their soul power, emitting colorful lights. Soul rings rose beneath their feet one after another—two yellow and two purple each, uniformly arranged. The central Soul King wore an even deeper black ring—a ten-thousand-year black soul ring.
In comparison, Heavenly Dou Team was at a disadvantage. With only two five-ring Soul Sages, they had three fewer soul rings. Not to mention, Spirit Hall's overall soul power level was higher.
"Let's go up and crush them."
The Spirit Hall Team took the initiative, charging head-on without fancy tactics. They weren't reckless—they had absolute confidence based on their strength. When the gap was this large, what tactics were needed? Just crush them.
The only one who didn't move was the Soul King.
Lin Yang narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Spirit Hall Team's Soul King was named Jin Feng. His surname was Jin, but he had no relation to the Golden Kirin Douluo of Spirit Hall. His Martial Soul was not a crocodile but a dark gold bear.
The Dark Gold Bear was a subspecies of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and the strongest among bear-type Martial Souls. Aside from lacking terrifying claws, its power and defense far surpassed other Martial Souls. Few at the same level could break through his defense. In terms of Martial Soul quality alone, even Zhao Wuji's powerful Vajra Bear was inferior to the Dark Gold Bear.
"The Seven Treasures are named…" Beams of light from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda poured down on the Heavenly Dou Team. Except for Lin Yang, Zhao Yu and the others took deep breaths and charged.
They knew they were no match for Spirit Hall but refused to admit defeat.
In an instant, everyone except Lin Yang, Jin Feng, and the support-type Soul Masters in the rear became entangled.
Jin Feng raised his eyelids and looked at Lin Yang, speaking in a low voice, "Aren't you going to help them? If they lose, your team has no hope of winning."
Lin Yang shook his head lightly. "Helping them for a while is possible, but not forever."
"Fourth Soul Skill: Earthquake Tremor."
"Fourth Soul Skill: Spear Shadow."
"Third Soul Skill: Hurricane Tornado Kill."
"Third Soul Skill: Slow Light."
Bang! Bang! Boom!
The arena was filled with dazzling light. Figures intertwined, various soul skills clashed, creating a magnificent visual feast.
Zhao Yu and his companions showed great courage, but as time passed, the gap in soul power level and combat experience became increasingly obvious. Heavenly Dou Team inevitably fell into a slump and was barely holding on.
"The Seven Treasures are named: First, Soul; Second, Power; Third, Speed!"
Three beams of light simultaneously struck Lin Yang. The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Soul Master's face paled. He could only force a smile. "President Lin, I can't hold on any longer. The rest is up to you."
Seeing Lin Yang nod, he jumped off the stage without hesitation.
The army collapsed like a castle on sand. The other members of Heavenly Dou Team also withdrew from battle one after another. They either jumped off the stage themselves or were knocked off by Spirit Hall.
Even Zhao Yu, who had been desperately clinging on, reached his limit. He shouted toward Lin Yang, "President Lin, please!" Then, his soul power exhausted, he withdrew from the competition.
At this moment, only Lin Yang remained on Heavenly Dou's side.
Spirit Hall still had all seven members. Aside from some soul power consumption, they were nearly at full strength.
To everyone's eyes, the outcome of the Heavenly Dou match was already decided.
At this moment, Lin Yang summoned his Martial Soul.
"Why didn't you do it earlier? Isn't it a bit too late to use your last resort now?" A member of Spirit Hall mocked.
There were seven of them. Even one person could easily drown him with a single soul skill.
"How would I know if this is a comeback from a desperate situation without trying?" Lin Yang smiled lightly. With his right thumb, he gently pushed the hilt of the flying blade, extending it half an inch.
In that instant, an extremely terrifying sharp metal energy erupted from Lin Yang, exploding in all directions indiscriminately.
Jin Feng's pupils shrank to needlepoints. His previous composure vanished. He roared…
"Retreat!"
In truth, he didn't need to tell them again. The sharpness and bone-chilling intensity instantly gripped the hearts of the entire Spirit Hall Team. Both mind and body issued dual warnings, causing their bodies to instinctively distance themselves from the danger.
But it was too late!
No matter how fast they tried to retreat, they couldn't escape this terrifying sharpness.
Shush! Shush! Shush!
The blade hadn't even been fully drawn, yet the sharpness of the Nichirin Blade was already felt. Moreover, they moved too fast and had no time to react.
Accompanied by the sound of flesh being torn, the six members of Spirit Hall were simultaneously slashed out of the arena. They fell to the ground one after another like dumplings dropped into a pot.
After a brief moment of confusion, the first thing the six did upon getting up wasn't to lament their failure. Instead, they checked whether their limbs were missing.
Only later did they realize that the most serious damage was to their clothes. Their bodies had no small wounds—nothing at all.
In the arena, only Lin Yang and Jin Feng remained standing.
At the critical moment, Jin Feng had completed his Martial Soul Possession. His entire body was covered in thick golden fur, allowing him to withstand the attack.
The entire venue fell silent for a moment at this astonishing reversal.
Then—
Boom!
The entire 80,000-seat stadium erupted in deafening cheers.
"Lin Yang!"
"Lin Yang!"
"Lin Yang!"
The shouts surged like a tsunami, causing ringing in people's ears.
Those who had originally thought Heavenly Dou was destined to lose and that Lin Yang was too arrogant now all stood up and shouted at the top of their lungs. Even if their voices were off-key, they didn't care.
Shock! Worship! Fanaticism!
At that moment, Lin Yang's figure was deeply etched into the hearts of everyone present.