Phoenix Cry and Mystic Ice: Faction Battle

Phoenix Cry and Mystic Ice: Faction Battle

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The independent Small Courtyard lay deep within the Dormitory Area, still some distance from the Soul Duel Zone.

There were thirty-six Soul Duel Stages in all, including both outdoor open-air platforms and indoor venues.

This time, the one they had chosen was an indoor Soul Duel Stage, its structure rather similar to an indoor basketball arena.

Because of that, the Soul Duel Stage had a certain soundproofing effect. When Chen Xiaojun had passed by earlier, he had vaguely heard some cheering, but had not paid much attention.

Chen Xiaojun and Xiao Yi walked over together. Around them, aside from the sounds of fierce fighting, there were only the spectators holding their breath, with the occasional low gasp of surprise or sharp intake of breath.

Looking up, dozens of fiery fist shadows merged together, concentrating on a single point to form a blazing phoenix head of flame.

Phoenix Comet Fist!

It was Ma Liang!

The person opposite him was instantly enveloped, then blasted flying.

The person sent flying traced a sorry arc through the air like a kite with its string cut, then slammed heavily onto the edge of the Soul Duel Stage, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A wave of cries rang out below the stage, then quickly fell silent again. Everyone's eyes were locked tightly on the platform, afraid they might miss even a single thrilling moment.

Chen Xiaojun and Xiao Yi stood in the crowd, watching without blinking.

Xiao Yi could not help gently tugging at Chen Xiaojun's sleeve. "Ma Liang's Phoenix Comet Fist is pretty good."

Chen Xiaojun narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Ma Liang and the fallen man. He said in a low voice, "These matches on the Soul Duel Stage may be sparring to decide victory and defeat, but no one is holding back."

"Still, judging from that man's aura, though it's somewhat disordered, his life doesn't seem to be in danger."

As he spoke, the man on the ground struggled and slowly stood up.

His clothes were in tatters, and his face was covered in dust and scrapes, but there was a stubborn refusal to admit defeat in his eyes.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shouted, "Again!"

Before his voice had even faded, he charged fiercely at Ma Liang like an enraged bull.

He swung a Mystic Ice Long Blade in his hand, the blade flashing with cold light as it chopped straight at Ma Liang with a sharp, imposing momentum.

Ma Liang looked calm. Facing that menacing slash, he shifted sideways and easily avoided it.

At the same time, his claws moved rapidly, and streams of blazing flame gushed from his fingertips, weaving in the air into a huge net of fire that came down over the man's head.

Seeing this, the man hurriedly swung his long blade, cutting apart the flames one after another.

However, the flames clung like a bone-deep rot, coming in an endless stream and leaving him somewhat overwhelmed.

The instant he was distracted, Ma Liang seized the chance. His figure flashed, and he appeared behind him in an instant, kicking him in the back.

The man fell to the ground again. This time, he struggled for a long while before slowly climbing back up, the aura around him clearly much weaker.

But he still gritted his teeth and refused to admit defeat.

The spectators below the stage were also swept up by the intense battle, and waves of cheers rang out one after another.

Watching the battle on the stage, Chen Xiaojun turned to Xiao Yi and said, "Soul duels to decide victory and defeat really can bring out a person's potential, and let people witness scenes they'd rarely see in ordinary times."

Xiao Yi nodded without speaking.

For the two of them, what they watched was not merely combat strength, but also the rational use of Soul Skills, the continuity of moves, tactical intent and other aspects of combat talent, as well as fighting will.

The battle continued. The two on the stage went back and forth, neither giving an inch.

Suddenly, they saw the phantom of a fire phoenix more than ten meters long appear, its cry deafening as it resounded through the entire Soul Duel Arena.

Phoenix Meteor Fist!

The moment this move appeared, everyone recognized it as Ma Liang's ultimate technique!

A Combination Skill of his First Soul Skill, Phoenix Burst Fist, and his Third Soul Skill, Phoenix Shockwave!

The air of the indoor Soul Duel Stage was seared into a red-gold color, with fine sparks hovering inside the dome's barrier.

Wrapped in scorching waves of heat, the ten-meter fire phoenix dove down, the gale raised by its wings plowing charred furrows across the mystic steel floor.

The opponent it had locked onto crossed his Mystic Ice blade shadows into a barrier, instantly condensing seven layers of prism crystals, but the moment the phoenix phantom touched them, they all vaporized.

The Scarlet Mist brand gushing from the phoenix's beak turned into a rain of meteoric fire, every cluster of light and flame carrying explosive force.

From the spectator stands came the crisp cracks of several Soul Tool lenses shattering. Amid the mist steamed up by the heat wave, distorted spatial ripples surfaced.

Within the chaotic currents of red-gold and Mystic Ice Soul Power, the phoenix's wings suddenly refracted the phenomenon of Sun and Moon Shine Together. The instant the Third Soul Ring bloomed, all the scattered energy actually rolled backward into the fist edge like A Hundred Rivers Flow into the Sea.

Looking again at the person fighting Ma Liang, he was instantly enveloped by the fire phoenix phantom, followed immediately by a thunderous boom.

The clanging shards of Mystic Ice had not yet hit the ground before they melted in the high temperature into flowing liquid soul silver.

Under the fire phoenix's violent impact, the man was blasted away.

A blood mist burst open inside the barrier like a crimson curtain, only to be instantly steamed dry by the lingering sacred Core Flame.

The healer in the very front row of the spectator seats had already rushed up and pressed down hard on the opponent's chest.

Healing soul power spilling through his fingers collided with the lingering pressure in the air, sparking fine threads of electricity.

"That's way too ruthless."

"You really couldn't tell. Our graceful, refined 'Chang'an Jade Lang' fights with such wild abandon and fearless ferocity!"

"What he does is explosive by nature."

"That's also because his opponent was strong, one of the fierce fighters from the Upper Grades. Of course he had to go all out. There was no room for mercy."

"So this is the strength of the Middle Department's Main Team Members?"

"Yeah. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't have believed they were this strong."

"Seeing is believing, hearing is unreliable. What a shame. If I'd known, I would've gone to watch the China-England Competition finals no matter what."

"Hindsight!"

"Are all these Middle Department Main Team Members already Soul Ancestors?"

"Yeah. Even Gao Cuilan—I remember she used to be Level 35, but just like that, she's a Soul Ancestor too. During the previous fight, she even unleashed such a powerful attack skill."

"What's so strange about that? They were already geniuses with Extraordinary Talent, and with their family resources fully poured into them before the competition, they all received a huge boost."

"The most unexpected one is Zhu Wuneng!"

"I really didn't expect this tournament selection to turn into an intense clash between factions."

"Look, Zhu Wuneng is coming out."

"Marshal Canopy!"

"Marshal Canopy!"

"Brother-in-law, you can do it! Smash them!" (Where did that one come from?)

Zhu Wuneng sprang nimbly onto the arena. He lightly patted Ma Liang's slightly tense shoulder, furrowed from the reluctance on his face, then slammed the Nine-Toothed Rake heavily into the ground, kicking up a little dust.

He stood tall, puffed out his chest, pointed straight at the other side, and roared, "You—are you still going to keep fighting?"

The group opposite him instantly darkened, their expressions as gloomy as deep water, the atmosphere so heavy it seemed it could drip.

The person who had just fought Ma Liang was already considered one of the experts among their bunch, with a Soul Power Level as high as Level 48!

Such strength already placed him among the best of his peers. After all, was the realm of Soul King so easily reached?

Never mind the Golden Generation, who had six great Soul Kings aside from Gu Wuyan.

The reason they could shine so brilliantly was all because of their Extraordinary Talent. Not only did they possess Mutated Martial Souls, they also had Innate Soul Power above rank eight.

This kind of innate talent was praised in the Soul Master World as that of a "great genius," but in truth, their numbers were few.

Among the several thousand students of Chang'an Academy, if one excluded elite little groups like Chen Xiaojun's, there were definitely no more than ten people with Innate Soul Power at rank eight.

Taking it a step further, if the seven members of the Golden Generation were excluded as well, such geniuses across the entire school could be counted on one hand—there were probably fewer than three.

From this, it was clear how rare such talent truly was.

Thus, three years ago, when the genius youth ranked first—even surpassing Su Ningxia—was secretly poached by Heaven Dou Academy, everyone throughout the academy sighed with regret and grieved bitterly.

One had to know that Innate Soul Power at rank eight was one of the important thresholds for Upper Grades students attempting to break through to the Soul King realm.

Of course, the Golden Generation's smooth advancement to Soul King was due not only to their outstanding aptitude, but also to the wholehearted support of their respective families' resources.

Without the Chen Clan silently backing them, how could Liu Ruyan, Shen Youchu, and the others have had such smooth sailing?

By contrast, Chen Ze and Chu Youwei had a much rougher path of advancement, only stepping into the Soul King realm this year.

Therefore, looking back at previous competition years, it had already been no easy feat for Chang'an Academy to have two or three Soul Kings holding the fort.

And among this group of challengers today, there was not a single Soul King.

To Chen Xiaojun, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was no big deal. In fact, it was not even very important.

After all, the abundant resources he possessed were more than enough for him to easily make up on his cultivation path for the baptism effect brought by a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

(PS: To him, high-level resources had long since become as ordinary as daily meals, even reaching the saturated point of "eating until he wanted to throw up.")

However, for the many students in the academy, whether or not one possessed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was the difference between heaven and earth.

At the realm of Soul Ancestor, unlike among high-level soul masters where vast gaps were created by differences in Soul Power Level, the contests between students were reflected more in the fine details.

Zhu Wuneng and the others, who possessed Top Martial Souls, relied on the purity of their soul power and the depth of their soul power reserves brought by Top Martial Souls and high-level Meditation Methods to smooth out the soul power gap caused by differences in age.

And the large number of high-level inheritances and rich combat experience possessed by their small team only gave them wings like a tiger, granting them an advantage difficult to shake.

As time passed, this seemingly insignificant contest gradually brewed, fermented, and developed, raising waves on flat ground.

The students began spontaneously banding together for warmth, forming clearly divided factions.

Zhu Wuneng and the others naturally became the representatives of the Noble Family Descendants.

Uh, Ma Wencai was there too. At a time like this, he couldn't be absent. Though he hadn't appeared much, his performance was still pretty good.

Of course, he was not a Main Team Member of the Middle Department, only a substitute who came on.

Their opponents, meanwhile, were mostly expert soul masters from commoner backgrounds.

It made sense. Among these upper-grade students, they were the experts apart from the Golden Generation, and most belonged to the commoner academy faction.

As for the small number left on the other side, they mostly watched from the sidelines and only occasionally stepped in for fun.

They came from the powerful clans of the middle strata, maintained a neutral stance, and played a subtle role in the clash between the two major camps.

Before they knew it, the spectators watching from the sidelines had also quietly split into three major camps.

Over the past three days, the fierce battles on the Soul Duel Stage had not been a matter of a few decisive one-on-one matches, nor just a dozen or so bouts, but over a hundred brilliant duels staged one after another.

It was not about winning a set number of rounds, but fighting in constant rotation until the other side was truly convinced, leaving them no room for excuses.

On the first day, those commoner experts relied on what little they knew about Zhu Wuneng's small team, along with the information gap created by the team knowing nothing about them, and fought them to a deadlock.

Though they were slightly at a disadvantage, it was still enough to make their blood boil. They rubbed their fists, eager to leap into action.

However, the good times did not last. By the second day, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

As the members of the small team gradually grew familiar with the moves and fighting styles of these commoner experts, the battle began to tilt one-sidedly. The commoner experts lost far more than they won, and their morale took a blow.

By today, the situation had grown even bleaker. The commoner experts could hardly find even a sliver of a chance to win, suffering defeat after defeat, a sight that made people sigh.