Star Crown Shines, Ice and Fire Break the Deadlock

Star Luo Plaza, the focus of all eyes.

The atmosphere at the semi-finals of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament had frozen to the extreme.

On the side of Shrek Academy, the lineup could be described as luxurious and... bizarre.

Leading them was naturally the Flame Maniac Ma Xiaotao, her red robes snapping in the wind as she unleashed the pressure of a Spirit Saint without restraint.

Beside her stood the slender and cold-faced Ling Luochen, though this ice-control Spirit King looked somewhat pale at the moment, her legs even trembling slightly—not because of the opponents, but because of the young man standing behind her, Huo Yuhao.

Ever since she had been "educated" by Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice last night, Ling Luochen had developed a deep psychological trauma regarding this bastard; it was a fear stemming from the very origin of her martial soul.

Besides these three, there was Jin Nier, who possessed the Golden Dragon Spear, along with Wang Dong and the sisters Lan Ruoruo and Lan Susu.

Opposite them, the Star Luo Royal Academy Team stood in battle formation. Standing at the very back of the team was the apple of the Star Luo Empire's eye, Princess Xu Jiujiu.

She wore a brilliant crown, her temperament elegant and noble, and she held her magnificent Star Crown martial soul in her hands, with five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black—shining in harmony.

"The match begins!"

Following the referee's command, Ma Xiaotao launched the first attack.

"Little ones, Big Sister is here to loosen your bones!"

With a sharp cry from Ma Xiaotao, a massive phantom of a fire Phoenix soared into the sky behind her. The scorching Phoenix flames instantly turned half the arena into a sea of fire, and she herself smashed toward the Star Luo Team's formation like a meteor.

"Form up!"

Xu Jiujiu's expression was steady, and her Star Crown shone brilliantly.

First soul skill, Star Attraction Technique!

Countless threads of starlight shot out from the Star Crown, precisely connecting to every teammate while simultaneously locking onto the charging Ma Xiaotao.

Immediately following, her third soul skill, Star Radiance Technique!

Brilliant starlight showered down upon the members of the Star Luo Team, causing their auras to surge instantly; their speed, strength, and soul power recovery rates were all greatly amplified.

With the princess's powerful support, the Star Luo Team's defense-type soul master roared, bracing against a heavy shield to withstand Ma Xiaotao's first wave of impact. Although pushed back several steps, their formation remained intact.

"Interesting." Ma Xiaotao narrowed her beautiful eyes, preparing to increase her firepower.

Just then, Xu Jiujiu waved her Star Crown again.

Second soul skill, Star Fall Technique!

It was as if stars were falling from the sky, with large spheres of light carrying intense impact force smashing toward the Shrek team. This was not just an attack; it also carried knockback and stun effects, attempting to disrupt Shrek's offensive rhythm.

"Ling Luochen, move."

Huo Yuhao, who had been standing at the back without moving, spoke calmly.

Hearing this voice, Ling Luochen shuddered, raising her ice staff as if by reflex.

"Ice... Ice Seal!"

She gritted her teeth and released her wide-range control soul skill. At the same time, Huo Yuhao quietly stepped forward and placed a hand gently on Ling Luochen's back.

Ultimate Ice soul power injected!

Boom—!

The ice mist, which had originally been ordinary cold air, underwent a qualitative change in that instant.

A terrifying storm of extreme cold centered on Ling Luochen and instantly swept across the entire arena.

The "Star Fall Technique" light spheres falling from the sky were actually frozen solid in mid-air, turning into ice balls that fell powerlessly to the ground.

"Crack, crack..."

The entire arena instantly turned into a world of ice and snow. The members of the Star Luo Team discovered in horror that the biting cold ignored their soul power protection, invading their marrow directly until even their blood felt like it was freezing, making their movements incredibly sluggish.

This was the tyranny of Ultimate Ice!

"How is this possible?!" Xu Jiujiu was shocked. She had researched the intelligence on Ling Luochen; it was impossible for her to possess ice attributes of this level!

Seeing her teammates about to be frozen into ice sculptures, Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix flames pressed in right behind, and under the dual pressure of ice and fire, the Star Luo Team was in imminent danger.

"Star Protection!"

Xu Jiujiu held nothing back, her fourth soul ring flashing suddenly.

A golden light barrier appeared out of thin air, enveloping everyone on the Star Luo Team. This barrier not only isolated the cold of the Ultimate Ice but also formed an indestructible shield.

At the same time, she brought out a Level 6 defensive soul tool from her storage soul tool, merging it perfectly with the Star Protection.

Hum—!

A golden, hemispherical shield covered the arena like a golden turtle shell, and no matter how Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix flames bombarded it, it did not budge.

"Damn it! This turtle shell is too hard!" Ma Xiaotao was somewhat annoyed; the continuous heavy attacks had consumed a significant amount of her soul power.

Xu Jiujiu panted slightly inside the shield, a trace of triumph flashing in her eyes. With this Star Protection combined with the soul tool, even a Spirit Saint couldn't break through in a short time. As long as they dragged it out until the opponent's soul power was exhausted, they would be the winners!

"Is this your trump card?"

A calm voice pierced through the noisy battlefield.

Huo Yuhao walked slowly to the very front of the team, looking at the golden shield with golden light swirling in his eyes.

"Absolute defense? In front of me, there is no such thing as absolute."

Huo Yuhao slowly raised his right hand, pointing his index finger at Xu Jiujiu.

Spirit Eye martial soul, Mental Shock!

But he did not attack the barrier directly; instead, he condensed his vast mental power into an invisible needle, piercing through the energy nodes of the barrier and striking straight into Xu Jiujiu's Sea of Consciousness!

Although Star Protection could isolate physical and energy attacks, its defense on the mental level was not impregnable.

"Ah--!"

Inside the barrier, the once confident Xu Jiujiu suddenly let out a shrill scream. She felt as if a sharp sword had been driven deep into her brain, the excruciating pain causing her to lose control of her martial soul in an instant.

The light of the Star Crown dimmed, and the indestructible golden barrier instantly began to fluctuate violently, cracks appearing across its surface.

"Now, Senior Sister!" Huo Yuhao shouted.

Having long been prepared, Ma Xiaotao let out a wild laugh: "Shatter for me!"

Sixth soul skill, Phoenix Cloud-Piercing Strike!

A massive flaming phoenix, carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth, struck precisely at the weakest crack in the barrier.

"BOOM--!!!"

A heaven-shaking explosion rang out, and golden fragments flew everywhere.

Star Protection, broken!

The terrifying shockwave sent the members of the Star Luo Team flying, each of them spitting blood as they collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. Xu Jiujiu was deathly pale, nearly losing consciousness.

The dust settled.

On the arena, only the members of Shrek remained, standing proudly.

Huo Yuhao stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, as if he had just done something trivial.

Beside him, Ma Xiaotao looked satisfied, patting Huo Yuhao on the shoulder: "Well done, you rascal!"

After a moment of dead silence, the entire arena erupted into thunderous applause.

Shrek, victory!