Xu Xiaoyan's delicate face tightened as the starlight at the tip of her star staff blazed with an intense brilliance. Her third soul ring flickered violently.
"Starlight Feedback!"
A distorted ripple of starlight shot toward the core of the rapidly expanding, low-rumbling "Infinite Water Tornado" above Bo Xi's head.
She aimed to disrupt its rotation trajectory or even divert it.
However, reality was harsh.
The fundamental gap between thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul rings, the vast chasm in soul power between a Soul Elder and a Soul King, was like an unbridgeable abyss.
That ripple of starlight merely created a faint disturbance on the surface of the violently spinning water tornado. Its expansion paused for an imperceptible moment before being completely overwhelmed and devoured by even more surging water currents and soul power.
The diameter of the water tornado expanded visibly, and the gale force from its rotation made nearby teammates struggle to stay on their feet.
"Blue Silver Golden Light Array!"
Seeing this, Tang Wulin disregarded Long Yue's relentless assault and forced himself to split his attention to unleash his Blue Silver Emperor martial soul.
Countless vines adorned with golden patterns burst forth from the ground, attempting to weave into an array to strip away the dense water elements—a desperate attempt to cut off the source.
"Hmph! Never!"
Long Yue sneered, his fifth soul ring glowing!
"Mountain Suppression!"
A massive dark golden mountain phantom crashed down with tremendous force, smashing onto the Blue Silver Emperor vines that had just emerged.
The resilient Blue Silver Emperor was instantly crushed into the alloy floor, breaking into pieces. The golden light array collapsed before it could fully form!
Tang Wulin grunted painfully as backlash from the soul skill combined with enduring Long Yue's attack caused blood to trickle once again from the corner of his mouth.
"We can't wait any longer!"
Yuan'en Yehui's eyes flashed with resolve. She abruptly retracted her Titan Giant Ape martial soul, and her aura instantly turned dark and sinister.
Fallen Angel martial soul activated!
Black wings spread behind her back, and purplish-black patterns crept over her fair face. With both hands forming seals, a colossal gateway brimming with sulfur and despair, burning with black-purple flames, thunderously opened before her—"Gate of Hell!"
"Roar—!" "Hiss—!"
Several hideous, chaotic evil-energy exuding low-level demons howled as they charged out, rushing straight toward the nearest members of Monster Academy.
Hua Lantang was closest. Caught off guard while trying to pounce on Yuan'en Yehui, he was fiercely struck in the abdomen by the sharp claws of a horned demon. A chilling, evil curse energy instantly invaded his body.
"Ugh!"
Hua Lantang's face turned deathly pale. His movements noticeably slowed, his gaze became hazy, and his previously fierce fighting spirit quickly waned like doused flames.
Curse effect activated!
In the stands, Le Zhengyu's expression turned incredibly serious, even carrying a hint of icy killing intent.
"Gate of Hell... An anchor point to the Demon Plane!"
He muttered under his breath. If Yuan'en Yehui weren't part of Shrek, the duty of the Angel Family would have compelled him to act immediately to purify it. Such a martial soul was far too dangerous.
More demons poured endlessly from the gate. Yuan'en Yehui's body trembled slightly, the purplish-black patterns spreading faster. Her eyes alternated between clarity and ferocity.
She was gambling! Betting that her allies or opponents would defeat her in time to stop the Gate of Hell from expanding further!
Her gamble paid off. The chaos and additional threat brought by the Gate of Hell instantly broke the deadlock.
Bo Xi's face changed slightly, forcing him to momentarily divert some attention even from the wildly charging water tornado above his head.
"Eliminate that gate first!"
Bo Xi's voice carried an undeniable authority. He directed a stream of water toward the Gate of Hell, and a high-pressure water arrow shot out precisely, obliterating a newly emerging demon into black smoke.
Long Yue, Dai Yueyan, Su Mu, and others were also forced to divert their focus, either dodging or attacking the fearless, lunging demons.
Teng Teng was compelled to abandon her plan to assassinate Xu Lizhi again. Her shadow darted swiftly through the shadows, her dagger striking accurately into the vital points of the demons.
The situation, due to this sudden variable, was pulled back into a delicate balance.
However, the "Infinite Water Tornado" above Bo Xi's head did not cease.
It continued to voraciously absorb the water vapor and energy gathered from the Steam Domain and Deep Sea High Pressure Domain.
Its diameter had already swelled to an astonishing ten meters. The suction force from its rapid rotation began pulling debris from the edges of the platform. The terrifying pressure caused the protective shield to emit a strained buzzing sound.
The accumulated destructive power was enough to make even a Soul Douluo pale in fear!
Bai Yuan's eyes grew utterly serious. No more waiting. If this water tornado were allowed to fully form, the entire platform would be destroyed, and none of their team had full battle armor protection.
"Roar—!"
A roar akin to one from primordial times erupted from Bai Yuan's mouth.
His surrounding abyssal presence surged to its peak instantaneously.
"Three Heads, Six Arms!"
Soul power surged, and a towering five-zhang, grotesque Abyss Taotie Dharma Body rose from the ground.
Three enormous Taotie heads emitted greedy roars, six robust arms bulged with muscles, each palm splitting open to reveal a devouring maw filled with sharp teeth.
Immediately following, Abyss Phantom activated.
Bai Yuan's physical body along with the massive Dharma Body instantly became semi-real, resembling a demon god shrouded in abyssal mist.
His speed surged twofold. He transformed into a giant, moving source of destruction, bearing an overwhelming oppressive force, charging directly at Bo Xi.
Any attack—whether it was Su Mu's attempted halos, Dai Yueyan's mid-air tiger claw gust, or Hua Lantang's dragon-wolf claw shadow enhanced by Ye Zhi—
Within ten meters of Bai Yuan's body, it had to first pass through the weakening effects of the "Abyss Domain," then be partially devoured by the maws on the palms of the "Taotie Dharma Body," and only then could it affect Bai Yuan's formidable defense, which fused the abyss and Taotie bloodlines.
Under these triple layers of weakening, even Long Yue's full-powered strike struggled to truly injure Bai Yuan in his current fully unleashed state. He descended like a demonic god, unstoppable.
"Come on, let's see who wins this round!"
A flash of crimson light gleamed in Bo Xi's eyes.
"Outrage!"
His fourth soul ring glowed, and his dragon lineage instantly surged.
His physique slightly expanded, red light radiating beneath his azure scales. His presence erupted like a volcano, doubling his strength, speed, and soul power fluctuations.
He abandoned defense, his dragon scales manifesting all over his body, instinctively defended by water flow. Clenching his fists, he chose to engage Bai Yuan in close combat!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every punch landed solidly! Every palm strike clashed fiercely!
Bo Xi's fists were enveloped in scorching high-pressure steam, each strike exploding like a steam bomb.
Bai Yuan's Taotie palms carried incomparable devouring power, tearing madly at Bo Xi's soul power and blood qi.
The shockwaves from the steam explosions were continuously swallowed and annihilated by the abyss, while the devouring force was constantly countered by the rampant power and high-temperature steam under the Outrage state.
The two engaged in frenzied attacks within the core of the intertwined domains of high-pressure steam and the dark abyss. Their speed left trails of afterimages, and the dull impact sounds resonated like war drums.
Bo Xi's endurance was astonishing, replenishing endlessly with "Boundless Ocean." Bai Yuan's devouring power had near-infinite sustainability.
For a time, neither could gain the upper hand, and the battle reached its most intense stalemate!
On the other side, Tang Wulin's situation grew increasingly dire.
Although he activated "Unmovable as a Mountain" to endure, the vast gap in cultivation was like an insurmountable chasm.
With Ye Zhi's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda support, Long Yue's attacks came like a tempest.
Each blow sent numbness coursing through Tang Wulin's arms. The alloy platform beneath his feet was already shattered beyond recognition. Like a reef amidst raging waves, though not broken, he was continuously forced back, blood trickling from his mouth.
'Wulin, imagine drawing out the spear! Hurry!' Tang San's divine consciousness voice exploded in Tang Wulin's mind, guiding him to unlock the divine artifact.
"Spear? I don't have..." Tang Wulin shouted in his mind.
'Use your imagination, your blood, your will, awaken it! The power of the Golden Dragon King is the key!'
At this life-and-death juncture, enlightenment dawned upon Tang Wulin.
He bit his tongue sharply, spitting a mouthful of essence blood imbued with the aura of the Golden Dragon King onto his chest. At the same time, he poured all his anger, defiance, and the will to protect his comrades into the dormant rib artifact within his body!
Buzz—!
An unprecedented brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from Tang Wulin's chest.
Wherever the golden light reached, even Bo Xi's Steam Domain and Bai Yuan's Abyss Domain were temporarily repelled.
A golden spear, entirely radiant, ancient and domineering in design, exuding supreme dragon might, appeared in Tang Wulin's hand.
Golden Dragon Spear!
Though the spear was covered in intricate sealing patterns, its divine might was restrained, but the sharpness and weight originating from the Dragon God's essence instantly silenced the entire platform.
Long Yue bore the brunt. It was as if his Mountain Dragon King martial soul emitted a mournful tremor. He felt as though he were being targeted by an ancient beast, a terror deep within his bloodline causing his hair to stand on end.
He unleashed the Mountain Dragon King's Wrath, but the opponent casually raised the Golden Dragon Spear to block.
Clang—Crack!
A teeth-grinding sound of shattering rang out! The scales on Long Yue's body were directly shattered.
A boundless, irresistible force accompanied by a terrifying dragon aura transmitted through the spear shaft. Long Yue suffered a heavy blow. For the first time, his massive body uncontrollably flew backward, crashing heavily onto the protective shield dozens of meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood!
He stared in horror at the golden spear in Tang Wulin's hand, emitting an aura that made his soul quiver, and dared not advance for a moment.
He had a premonition that if he were struck by that spear, he would surely die!
"Now!"
Xu Lizhi seized this brief respite, his obese body unleashing its final potential. He threw the last batch of buns he had prepared—"Recovery Bun," "Agility Buns," "Bloodthirsty Red Bean Bun," "Puncture Pork Buns"—precisely toward his teammates.
After completing this, his soul power was nearly depleted, and he fell to one knee, gasping for breath.
However, Teng Teng, who had been lurking like a venomous snake, waited exactly for this moment.
As Xu Lizhi's guard dropped, he emerged ghost-like from the shadow beneath Xu Lizhi's feet, his dagger gleaming with cold light, gently pressing against Xu Lizhi's neck.
"Out."
Teng Teng's icy voice rang out. Xu Lizhi's body stiffened, and he was reluctantly judged out by the referee.
"Bastard!"
Ye Xinglan angrily shouted as she followed her sword.
A dazzling sword light, condensed with her fury and sword intent, streaked across space like a meteor cutting through the night sky, piercing straight toward Teng Teng.
Teng Teng reacted extremely quickly, attempting to blend into the shadows, but the sword light seemed to lock onto his soul.
Thud!
The sword light pierced through his body. Teng Teng grunted, his figure falling out of the shadows, a deep bone-exposing sword wound on his chest, similarly removed by the referee.
Ye Xinglan also breathed heavily after her full exertion.
Yuan'en Yehui maintained the Gate of Hell to her limit. Purplish-black patterns almost covered half her face, her eyes battling fiercely between madness and clarity.
After releasing another demon, her body swayed, and she voluntarily cut off her soul power supply. The Gate of Hell thunderously closed.
She weakly knelt on one knee, and Dai Yueyan seized the opportunity. A tiger claw gust swept past, and she was judged out.
Meanwhile, Hua Lantang, plagued by the demon's curse, his condition continuously declining, was also brushed by the residual wave of Ye Xinglan's sword energy in the chaos, rendering him unable to continue and eliminated.
By this time, the "Infinite Water Tornado" above Bo Xi's head had finally completed its charge.
The giant water tornado, over fifteen meters in diameter, emitted a deafening roar, like a water serpent connecting heaven and earth, wreaking havoc with destructive force, rampaging and sweeping across the platform!
"Quick, dodge!"
Wu Siduo screamed. Her Nether Spirit Cat reacted, narrowly avoiding the sweeping water blade.
Xu Xiaoyan's star staff tapped repeatedly, star chains wrapping around herself and Ye Xinglan, pulling them forcefully toward the edge.
Dai Yueyan, Su Mu, and Ye Zhi also scrambled desperately to avoid this indiscriminate catastrophic disaster.
Rumble—!
Wherever the water tornado passed, the hard alloy platform was torn apart like tofu.
The raging water currents, carrying high pressure and ultra-fast rotating cutting force, even tore vacuum pockets in the air!
Although Wu Siduo, Xu Xiaoyan, and Ye Xinglan tried their best to evade, they were ultimately grazed by the edge of the raging water current. Their protective soul barriers shattered instantly, and they were gravely injured, coughing up blood, promptly rescued by the referees.
Dai Yueyan, Su Mu, and Ye Zhi were likewise not spared. Though Bo Xi deliberately controlled it to avoid fatal injuries, they were still heavily wounded by the residual force of the water tornado, losing their ability to fight.
As the rampaging water tornado slowly dissipated, it left behind a devastated platform, resembling a meteorite impact site. The protective shield was riddled with cracks, its glow dimmed.
On the field, only four figures remained.
To the east, Bai Yuan and Bo Xi continued their frenzied assault.
Steam explosions and abyssal devouring continually annihilated each other. Both were injured, yet their auras remained terrifying.
To the west, Tang Wulin held the Golden Dragon Spear, its tip pointed at the struggling-to-rise Long Yue. Watching the golden spear that made his soul tremble, Long Yue's eyes filled with fear and unwillingness, his aura thoroughly suppressed.
The balance of victory, the moment Tang Wulin revealed the Golden Dragon Spear, had already tilted.
Bo Xi glanced distractedly at Long Yue's condition, then at Tang Wulin holding the divine artifact, his momentum overpowering. A trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He suddenly unleashed a powerful strike, temporarily forcing Bai Yuan back, and retreated.
"Walking Wake Divine Kill!"
Even with the unfavorable battle situation, having received benefits from the Star Luo Empire, Bo Xi at least needed to make the scene look good.
Bo Xi leaped into the Infinite Water Tornado, using water dominion to control two soul skills, merging them into one. The water tornado transformed into a massive turbine blade, slicing everything on the platform!
Tang Wulin was forced to retreat. The nearly three-meter-long Golden Dragon Spear was supremely sharp, yet couldn't reach Bo Xi at this moment, nor could it cut through the continuously rotating water currents!
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