The powerful meteor shower didn't fall before the Ice Radiance Ring.
Chen Zifeng and Bei Bei had already been lifted off the field by the Ice Radiance Ring.
Gongyang Mo, meanwhile, had been thrown out of the Ice Radiance Ring's range by Chen Zifeng.
Not being targeted by the Ice Radiance Ring didn't mean he was safe. Dai Yueheng's team had more than one control-type Soul Master.
The shattered ice crystals didn't fly at their normal speed. Gu Yuena used wind to accelerate the shards.
The stronger Ma Xiaotao was, of course, unaffected, while Xiao Xiao was rescued directly.
The ice crystals, driven by the violent wind, inexplicably melted. Flames ignited around Gongyang Mo.
Just before he was "killed," Gongyang Mo's Soul Skill suddenly shot toward Ling Luochеn.
It couldn't have been meant for Ling Luochеn. There was only one answer: Xixi, the Lightning Leopard.
This was Ma Xiaotao's team's hope of turning the tables.
Xixi gave it everything she had. Three of her five Soul Rings lit up, and she charged straight at Ling Luochеn.
The meteor shower in the sky also came crashing down in a frenzy.
Five seconds later, only Ma Xiaotao, Xixi, Dai Yueheng, Mu Xuanheng, and Gu Yuena remained on the field.
The enormous White Tiger said, "You've lost." Dai Yueheng was still in his enhanced state.
The number and strength of those left standing were enough to declare the match over. But Ma Xiaotao still didn't want to give up.
"Take them out!" Maintaining their enhancements also consumed Soul Power. They immediately moved to suppress Ma Xiaotao.
The terrifying Ultimate Ice completely suppressed Ma Xiaotao's flames, and Dai Yueheng knocked Xixi off the field with one swipe of his paw.
The winner was easy to determine.
But the battle had ended far too quickly. "Recover your Soul Power for an hour, then fight again!" Xuan Zi was very dissatisfied with this mixed-team battle.
"Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena switch places with Huo Yuhao, Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, and Xiao Xiao."
Everyone was puzzled as soon as the substitutions were announced. Wang Yan, standing to the side, voiced his question. "Elder Xuan, isn't this a little unfair to Xiaotao? You're swapping two reserve team members for two official team members."
Five official team members and two reserves against two official team members and five reserves—no matter how you looked at it, Dai Yueheng's team had the advantage.
Xuan Zi said, "It's not fair, sure. But Xiaotao lost. We can only give her stronger teammates."
Wang Yan was completely baffled. How was that even the same thing? Were the reserve team members stronger than the official ones?
The six switched places. Yan Shaozhe gave Ma Xiaotao a look, hoping she'd perform well.
Ma Xiaotao understood what Yan Shaozhe meant and looked toward Mu Xuanheng. Just then, Gu Yuena stepped in front of him, blocking him completely.
"Some people shouldn't just stand around and do nothing. When Ultimate Ice drifts about, who can tell whether it's yours or Huo Yuhao's? And when elemental attacks fly everywhere, who can tell whether they're yours or Gu Yuena's?"
Not a single sentence mentioned his name, yet every one of them was aimed at Mu Xuanheng.
"Old man, I've been trying my best, okay? I worked really well with my teammates." Mu Xuanheng's protest lacked conviction. He really hadn't put in any effort; he'd been slacking the entire time.
"You know that, then. Get out there and fight properly this time."
The teams were confirmed: [Ma Xiaotao, Xixi, Mu Xuanheng, Gu Yuena, Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong]
[Dai Yueheng, Gongyang Mo, Yao Haoxuan, Chen Zifeng, Ling Luochеn, He Caitou, Xiao Xiao]
The break was over in a flash.
The new battlefield was divided, and both teams summoned their Martial Souls again.
"With Gongyang Mo and Yao Haoxuan boosting him, I can't stop Dai Yueheng when he's triply enhanced. I'll need your help."
Even the competitive Ma Xiaotao began asking for assistance.
A flame no less powerful than hers hovered beside her. Gu Yuena showed her through her strength that someone was backing her up.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong clasped hands, activating Haodong Power.
Xixi immediately felt Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection and sharing. She suddenly thought her own Soul Skills were useless. With this skill, sneaking up on the back line would be easy.
"The match begins!"
After the previous battle, they knew better than to simply go all out right away.
If they failed to break through, they'd leave themselves wide open and give the opposing team a chance to pin them down.
Everyone started out by the book.
They activated their first and second Soul Skills. Only a few people used their third.
Mu Xuanheng was different, though. He was about to make his move.
Ice crystals formed beneath his feet and spread rapidly in all directions. The terrifying chill made everyone shiver.
Xiao Xiao was rescued before she could even get started.
"It's so cold! What is this? Huo Yuhao, aren't you an Ultimate Ice Soul Master too? Why are you shivering?" Wang Dong was already struggling to endure it.
"There are differences even between Ultimate elements. Senior Brother Xuanheng's Ultimate Ice is the coldest on the entire continent." Huo Yuhao only had an ordinary Ice Jade Scorpion, while Mu Xuanheng had the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, as well as the even more powerful Snow Empress.
Xuan Zi recognized the effect of the Soul Skill. "Eternal Frozen Domain? He's really raising the stakes?"
A long-range dragon claw struck out. Chen Zifeng had seen this move before and immediately swung his sword to deflect it.
What followed was a fusion of lightning and fire that briefly paralyzed Chen Zifeng. Bei Bei immediately followed up with a control effect. "Myriad Lightning!"
Mu Xuanheng's eyes turned snow-white. Ling Luochеn immediately sensed the suppression of her element. Faced with the absolute dominance of the king over ordinary ice Soul Masters, she couldn't summon the slightest urge to resist and slumped to the ground.
Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe knew exactly what was happening. In front of the Snow Empress, ice-attribute Soul Masters really were nothing but toys. She was a born ruler, an existence infinitely close to absolute zero.
But what happened next was completely beyond their expectations.
Rumbling thunder appeared with a storm, and dark clouds rolled in.
"What's going on? Where did all this lightning come from?"
Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena spoke in unison. "I never said I could only control wind, fire, water, and ice. Lightning is within my control too."
Astonishment was the first reaction for most of them. Xuan Zi, meanwhile, was already numb to it.
Ma Xiaotao was overjoyed and immediately used Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike to restrain Dai Yueheng.
The torrents of lightning didn't just fall straight down. Balls of lightning also drifted slowly around the field.
With Bei Bei restricting him, Chen Zifeng had no choice but to swing the Soul Chasing Sword at one of the balls of lightning. He was immediately electrocuted unconscious.
The lightning that had been building up soon crashed down from the dark clouds. Yan Shaozhe quickly rescued Chen Zifeng as well.
Anyone below Soul Emperor rank was knocked unconscious by a single touch.
But that didn't mean a Soul Emperor could take a direct hit without injury.
Even with boosts from two support-type Soul Masters and his own triple enhancement, Dai Yueheng only had to touch the lightning with his right hand to become paralyzed and briefly lose all sensation.
Paralysis was a powerful control effect. The rumbling lightning in the sky was also ready to strike at any moment.
The outcome was decided in an instant.
Xuan Zi keenly sensed that Mu Xuanheng couldn't have produced a move of this caliber on his own.
The terrifying lightning, which was close to Ultimate Lightning, had mostly come from Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena working together.
"A partnership on par with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill," Yan Shaozhe praised.
Ma Xiaotao snorted. "We didn't get a chance to show what we could do at all."
Xuan Zi made his decision. To see their full strength, he'd have to separate them. "Mu Xuanheng and Yao Haoxuan switch places. We'll have another match in half an hour."
The two, still breathing heavily as they recovered their Soul Power, refused. "No. We've already fought twice. You're making us fight again without even reviewing the matches?"
Mu Xuanheng was at least willing to reason with him. Gu Yuena was much more straightforward. "Why does it have to be seven against seven? Why not have the two of us fight all twelve of them?"
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