Baili Chiyan, Battle of the Wager

While the improvement of the elders of the Sword Sect is certainly cause for celebration, Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai have worked incredibly hard.

After defeating Wind God Valley, the Promotion Match rounds were quickly past the halfway mark. Although the other teams they encountered were all quite strong, they were not as good as Wind God Valley, or even as good as the Holy Dragon Sect Team.

However, just a week later, they encountered a second opponent that would give them their all.

Divine Fire Gate is Hermit Sect on par with Wind God Valley. Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai have not missed a single one of Divine Fire Gate's matches these past few days, so they are well aware of the strength of the Divine Fire Gate Team.

In addition, there are two other teams: the Star Crown Sect team and the First Prince's Team, which are enough to make Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai take them seriously.

After all, there are matches every day in the competition, so they rarely have time to rest.

Moreover, Ma Hongjun and his group have Oscar's Super Recovery Great Sausage, and the other forces also have a top-notch recovery team, so in the end, everyone will be competing on their true strength.

It's practically impossible to take shortcuts.

Now, Dai Mubai and his team's next opponent is the Divine Fire Gate. Looking at the collected information on the table, Ma Hongjun's face showed a smile.

Like Divine Fire Gate Wind God Valley consists entirely of single-attribute Soul Master. All members of the Divine Fire Gate are Fire Attribute Soul Master, and their fighting style is known for its speed and explosiveness.

But how many Soul Masters on this continent today possess flames that can surpass Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix? Since breaking through to Soul Master, Ma Hongjun has been pushing his limits step by step. Later, he even consumed the Immortal Herb Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, along with several kinds of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Grass, to refine the Phoenix Nirvana Pill.

Now, his Fire Phoenix Martial Soul has been purified in terms of flames and enhanced in terms of bloodline, making it a truly top-tier Beast Spirit.

Playing with Fire Phoenix?

Moreover, most of the Soul Master in the Divine Fire Gate possess Fire Attribute Beast Spirit, making the natural suppression of the Fire Phoenix an insurmountable chasm.

Looking at the documents on the table and then at Ma Hongjun, who had a smile on his lips, Dai Mubai and the others felt much less apprehensive about the Divine Fire Gate.

The only one who is difficult to deal with is probably the captain of the Divine Fire Gate.

The captain of the Divine Fire Gate is named Baili Chiyan. His Martial Soul is a pure fire element, which is extremely rare. Furthermore, Baili Chiyan's Soul Power Level is as high as level 63, on par with Feng Qinglong.

This kind of pure elemental Martial Soul was something they had never encountered before. They wondered whether Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame or the opponent's Crimson Flame would prevail.

Just as everyone was discussing, the host's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Please have the Third Prince's Team and the Divine Fire Gate Team enter the preparation area. The captains of both teams will come up on stage to draw lots."

Dai Mubai stood up, his eyes gleaming. "Who cares about fire or wind? We'll only know how powerful it is after we fight it. Brothers, let's go!"

The group followed Dai Mubai out of the lounge and headed towards the preparation area with high spirits.

Upon arriving at the preparation area, at the referee's signal, Dai Mubai and another burly figure in fiery red walked onto the Spirit Dueling Platform and stood side by side in front of the giant roulette wheel for the draw.

This person had long, flowing red hair, a unique flame-like pattern between his eyebrows that resembled a birthmark, and even his pupils were red. Dai Mubai, standing next to him, felt incredibly hot; the person was like a walking flame.

This person was Baili Chiyan, the captain of the Divine Fire Gate Team. Unlike Feng Qinglong, he didn't waste words. He calmly exchanged a glance with Dai Mubai, and then the two of them spun the wheel at the same time.

The turntable spun like a whirlwind, and after a long while, it slowly came to a stop in the One-on-One Mode area.

Seeing that it was a one-on-one area, a hint of disappointment flashed in Baili Chiyan's eyes; clearly, this was not what he had expected.

However, that hint of disappointment was quickly masked, replaced by absolute confidence.

Even though Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai both have high Soul Power Level, their Divine Fire Gate might not necessarily lose. Even if they do lose, they won't let their opponents win so easily.

However, it must be mentioned that the One-on-One Mode is indeed not very friendly to the Divine Fire Gate, because their overall individual strength is indeed not as good as that of the Third Prince's Team.

They have been undefeated since the Promotion Match began, but this may be their first defeat.

Seeing that it was One-on-One Mode, Dai Mubai couldn't help but smile. In a one-on-one fight, who could beat Ma Hongjun? Who could beat him? Unless it was Martial Soul counter, they were invincible in a one-on-one fight.

Moreover, there's Li Sheng, the strongest single-target control Soul Master, in the game. In a one-on-one match, Li Sheng's Heavenly Machine Lock is definitely one of the most troublesome.

After the draw results were announced, the referee's voice continued, "Both teams have 15 minutes to decide their order of play and submit it to the referee team. The match will begin in 15 minutes."

Listening to the referee's words, Dai Mubai glanced at his teammates. Although Ma Hongjun and the others were strong, they had one weakness: Zhao Lan had almost no offensive capabilities.

Unless her opponent is also Support System Spirit Master, she can at least get a draw.

However, none of the seven members of the Divine Fire Gate were purely Support System Spirit Master. Even the two who were in support positions had considerable attack capabilities, so they had already lost a match from the start.

In order to secure the overall victory of seven points, the team must win at least four of the remaining six games.

This is the difference between the National Tournament and the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament across the continent. The Star Luo Empire National Tournament has a fixed seven Soul Masters.

Therefore, it is essential to position each player appropriately; otherwise, they may not be able to guarantee four victories against the opponent's countermeasures.

The strengths of the seven Soul Masters of the Divine Fire Gate are as follows:

Captain, Baili Chiyan, Martial Soul: Crimson Flame, Level 63 Assault System.

Vice Captain, Baili Chiling, Martial Soul: Fire Dragon, Level 59 Assault System.

Team member, Xiao Xiafeng, Martial Soul: Flamingo, Level 57 Agile Attack System.

Team member, Huo Xuan, Martial Soul: Flame Mantis, Level 55 Agile Attack System.

Team member, Huo Lie, Martial Soul: Flame Demon Bear, Level 55 Assault System.

Team member, Huo Zhentian, Martial Soul: Fire Spirit Staff, Level 52 Support System.

Team member, Huo Zhendi, Martial Soul: Fire Spirit Staff, Level 52 Support System.

Their overall Soul Power Level is slightly inferior to that of Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and others.

Both Huo Zhentian and Huo Zhendi are Support System Battle Spirit Master, possessing not only excellent support abilities but also formidable combat power.

Fortunately, this is One-on-One Mode, so the advantage still lies with Dai Mubai and his team.

In the first match Dai Mubai immediately sent out his strongest player, Ma Hongjun, showing no fear of the opponent's rotation tactics. The second Qin Qiong, the third Zhu Zhuqing, the fourth Zhao Lan, the fifth was Long Wu, the sixth was Li Sheng, Dai Mubai was the last to hold the fort.

At the referee's signal, Ma Hongjun and Baili Chiyan stepped onto the Spirit Dueling Platform at the same time. This scene seemed to be no surprise to everyone, as both were sending out their strongest fighters.

To everyone's surprise, Baili Chiyan directly said to Ma Hongjun, "You're very strong. How about we make a bet?"

Ma Hongjun glanced at Baili Chiyan. To be honest, this kid looked aloof and fiery, but his appearance was only slightly inferior to Ma Hongjun's.

Ma Hongjun replied calmly, "How do you want to bet?"

Baili Chiyan chuckled, "How about we settle this with one battle?"

Ma Hongjun instantly understood what the other party meant, but he couldn't understand where Baili Chiyan got his confidence from. Ma Hongjun had never hidden his strength; his six Soul Skills and Spirit Bone Skill had already been exposed. He had even received news from the Shadow Hall that someone had coveted the Spirit Bone on his body.

Knowing that the Sword Sect, a behemoth, stood behind him, he abandoned the idea of killing him and taking his bones.

The Sword Sect dared to lead its elders to Spirit City to question Pope Bibi Dong. Later, they not only reconciled but it is said that the Sword Sect also had a close relationship with the Spirit Hall.

Ma Hongjun is also the good brother of the Sword Sect Young Sect Master. With such a relationship, who would dare to have designs on Ma Hongjun? Moreover, Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai are protected by experts, so it is not easy to succeed in the first place. With such a huge figure as a guarantor, those who had designs on him naturally suppressed their extra thoughts.

Even if Ma Hongjun has completely made no attempt to hide his abilities and everyone wants to thoroughly understand him, he is still a level 67 Soul Emperor and possesses at least two Top-grade Spirit Bones of the ten- Ten Thousand Year Level.

Although Baili Chiyan is also a genius, having already reached level 63 at a young age, and his performance in the previous Promotion Match was also very impressive, what makes him so confident? With only level 63, why does he dare to bet one-on-one with a top-tier Soul Emperor who is level 67 and possesses two Spirit Bones? And even say that he can decide the fate of the world in one battle?

While everyone was puzzled, only the Soul Master and Protectors of the Divine Fire Gate remained calm, as if they were not worried at all that Baili Chiyan would lose the bet, and even had an expression of confidence in their victory.

Ma Hongjun wasn't stupid; he naturally understood that the other party must have some kind of backing for making such a decision.

So what? Should we back down just because we know the other party has something to rely on? What's the point of being a Soul Master then? We might as well go home and grow potatoes.

Since his opponent wanted to play along, Ma Hongjun naturally agreed, because he was certain he wouldn't lose!

Aside from Oscar, Ma Hongjun is second to none among his peers, even though Baili Chiyan is more than ten years older than him...

But they are all Soul Emperor, and Ma Hongjun's Soul Power Level is four levels higher than Baili Chiyan's. If they don't dare to accept the challenge, even without anyone else's help, Oscar will be in for a beating if he finds out! Ma Hongjun's lips curled up slightly. "Since you want to play, then I'll play with you. But just setting a winner is too boring. How about adding some stakes?"

Upon hearing this, Baili Chiyan raised an eyebrow. He liked Ma Hongjun's temperament; he was indeed a top-tier Soul Master of the same Fire Attribute as Ma Hongjun.

Baili Chiyan spread his hands. "Sure, what kind of prize do you want? As long as I, Baili Chiyan, can afford it, I'll definitely take double!"

Seeing Baili Chiyan's confident demeanor, Ma Hongjun pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "In that case, let's stake our future on it."

"?" Baili Chiyan was stunned for a moment. "It's just a competition, is it worth risking your life? Of course, I don't mean I'm afraid of losing, because I have no chance of losing. I just don't want to see a genius like you perish like this..."

Seeing Baili Chiyan's regretful expression, Ma Hongjun's lips twitched. Clearly, this guy had misunderstood.

Wait, what do you mean you have no chance of losing? A mere six Soul Rings, daring to challenge the mighty Fire Phoenix Soul Emperor? Ma Hongjun interrupted Baili Chiyan: "I didn't mean to gamble with your life, after all, I quite admire you."

Baili Chiyan paused. "Then what future are you willing to gamble on?"

Ma Hongjun grinned, his eyes gleaming. "If I lose, I'll follow you into the Divine Fire Gate and serve as your underling for ten years, whether I win or lose. Dare you?"

As soon as Ma Hongjun uttered these words, Baili Chiyan's eyes changed. Instead of backing down, his excitement was palpable.

He wasn't afraid of losing and having to serve Ma Hongjun as his underling for ten years, because he knew he could never lose to Ma Hongjun.

The reason he was so excited was that he could gain a top-tier genius Soul Master whose talent was even greater than his own through a single competition! With Ma Hongjun's addition, the rise of his Divine Fire Gate was only a matter of time! The members of the Divine Fire Gate, including the few protectors, were just as excited as Baili Chiyan.

Especially Baili Chiling, she had always found Ma Hongjun very pleasing to the eye. Since childhood, apart from her brother, no man could compare to her, so naturally no one could catch her eye.

With the sect's emergence imminent, she encountered a young man she found attractive on her first outing, and the crucial point was that he was even more handsome than her brother...

She now only hopes that her brother will agree to Ma Hongjun's request soon, because none of them believe that Baili Chiyan will lose.

If she wins this bet, wouldn't she be able to openly get to know Ma Hongjun? Ten years... that's plenty of time for her to get to know this handsome young man properly.

Even...

Looking at Baili Chiyan's eyes, Ma Hongjun was puzzled. How could this kid be so confident?

Do you think it's an exaggeration that you dare to say this?

Although he didn't know what trump cards Baili Chiyan was hiding, Ma Hongjun didn't think he would lose, let alone lose to an opponent whose Soul Power Level was four levels lower than his own.

Baili Chiyan laughed heartily, "Alright! I'll bet with you!"

This bet was thus formed between the two young prodigies. No one considered that the other might go back on their word, because it was a tacit understanding and a sign of pride between them.

The referees never rushed the competition, because this is the kind of atmosphere National Tournament should have – no restrictions, and the competition between the contestants can ignite the audience's enthusiasm!

After the two made their agreement, the entire audience erupted in thunderous cheers. They didn't care too much about who joined whose faction; they only knew that today's battle was bound to be spectacular.

Seeing that the two were already Full of Fighting Spirit, the referee smiled and said, "Please release your Martial Soul Master."

As soon as the referee finished speaking, Baili Chiyan smiled slightly, his fiery red hair began to flutter, and then transformed into a handful of blazing Lie Yan. With six Soul Ring— Two Yellow Two Purple, and two black—rising from his body, he had become a fire person, though his original human shape could still be vaguely seen.

This is his Martial Soul, a pure elemental Martial Soul — Crimson Flame! "Baili Chiyan, Martial Soul: Crimson Flame, Level 63 Assault System Spirit Emperor, please enlighten me."

Opposite him, a loud phoenix cry resounded throughout the entire Great Soul Arena, and equally terrifying flames began to rise. The Fire Phoenix Phantom flashed by and merged with Ma Hongjun. Lie Yan rose from his body, and a bunch of huge wings unfolded behind him. Six Soul Ring Two Yellow Two Purple, and two black, also rose up.

"Ma Hongjun, Martial Soul: Fire Phoenix, Level 67 Assault System Spirit Emperor, please."

The two Fire Attribute Soul Emperor unleashed their full Martial Soul, causing the temperature in the arena to rise uncontrollably. Immediately, Ice Attribute Soul Master referees rushed to the sidelines to cool the arena and prevent the audience from being accidentally injured by the excessive heat.

At the same time, the referee's voice rang out again. "23rd Promotion Match, the Third Prince's Team versus the Divine Fire Gate Team, the first and decisive match of the One-on-One Mode, the match... begins!"

P. S.: Typos will be corrected first and then fixed later.