Don't Hit Someone in the Face

A muffled boom rang out. Wu Feng staggered back four or five steps, each one leaving a deep footprint. The hardened ground shattered beneath her.

Wang Dong was sent flying several yards. Her butterfly wings spread fully, barely managing to halt her retreat.

Both were Power Attack System Soul Masters. The Red Dragon Martial Soul focused on physical strength, while the Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul favored energy attacks. In this clash, Wang Dong was at a slight disadvantage.

At that moment, Nanmen Yun'er of Ning Tian's team seized her chance to strike. Like a wisp of green smoke, she crossed more than ten yards in an instant and appeared before Xiao Xiao.

A pair of emerald-green wings had sprouted near Nanmen Yun'er's shoulder blades.

The small green wings were not as dazzling as butterfly wings, but they beat incredibly fast. Her body vanished from sight, leaving behind only afterimages. Nanmen Yun'er struck at Xiao Xiao's face, her hands so vividly green they looked carved from jade.

In the distance, Ning Tian raised her right hand and spoke in a clear voice. "Seven Treasures turn and bring forth glazed light."

Brilliant rainbow light in seven colors burst from her body and gathered in her right palm, taking the shape of a pagoda. Its tiers were distinct, and its surface shimmered with iridescence, as if encrusted with countless rare gems.

Two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring rose swiftly, circling the exquisite pagoda floating above her palm. Ning Tian held the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda in both hands and cried, "Seven Treasures Have Names: First, Speed!"

The First Soul Ring lit up. The exquisite pagoda radiated bright yellow light, which gathered into a brilliant glow and enveloped Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er.

Nanmen Yun'er's strikes against Xiao Xiao suddenly sped up. Her hands blurred until they lost all shape.

Xiao Xiao hadn't expected Nanmen Yun'er to attack so quickly. Fortunately, Nanmen Yun'er had only struck a few inches before her, and failed to land a hit.

Psychic Shield. Ralts monitored the battlefield at all times and instantly formed a Psychic Shield to block Nanmen Yun'er's rapid strikes.

Nanmen Yun'er's first attack missed. The shield transformed into chains, wrapping around her limbs and major joints.

With a thought from Xiao Xiao, the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron split into three. The three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons crashed to the ground with a roar, hemming Nanmen Yun'er in from three sides.

Cauldron Shock! Cauldron Sweep! Xiao Xiao's First and Second Soul Rings lit up in succession. The three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons slammed heavily into the ground, their shockwaves converging. Then the cauldrons followed close behind, charging in to strike with ferocious force.

Both of Nanmen Yun'er's Soul Rings flashed at once. Emerald light shone from her hands, and a faint green sheen spread over her arms. She broke the Psychic Lock around her elbows, pressed her palms together, and prepared to unleash her Second Soul Skill.

But the converging shockwaves swept over her in an instant, like a heavy hammer striking the back of her head. Nanmen Yun'er nearly fainted, and her Soul Skill stalled before she could release it.

A killing blow?

"Seven Treasures Have Names: Second, Dispel! Seven Treasures Have Names: Third, Strength!"

Ning Tian chanted her Soul Skill incantations at speed. Two beams of light shot through the gaps between the three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons and struck Nanmen Yun'er. A third hit Wu Feng, who was entangled with Wang Dong.

The dizziness vanished, and her strength surged. Nanmen Yun'er immediately broke free of the Psychic Lock and released her Second Soul Skill. The emerald light in her palms merged and extended into a blade of light, which spun as it slashed at the three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons.

The sharp ring of metal on stone rang out. The Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons paused for an instant, and Nanmen Yun'er seized the chance to leap clear of their combined attack.

Though she had escaped, Nanmen Yun'er paid a steep price. Her hands had nearly gone numb, her arms trembled violently, and her fighting strength plummeted.

Still, the exchange hadn't been entirely fruitless. Nanmen Yun'er fixed her gaze on Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao had also unleashed two Soul Skills and controlled three Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons. She had surely used more Soul Power than Nanmen Yun'er. But Xiao Xiao's Soul Power was only at level twenty-two, so their side had a slight edge.

"Imprison."

Bai Cai was brimming with confidence, as if victory were already in his grasp.

His Yellow Soul Ring flashed again and again as waves of mental energy surged forth. The gray-white color spread across all three of his Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple—and sealed them completely.

Ning Tian remained exceptionally calm. "Yun'er, keep Xiao Xiao occupied. Wu Feng, finish this quickly!"

Bai Cai's Soul Skill had already been revealed. As the young lady of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian naturally had ways to gather information.

On the surface, her team held an overwhelming advantage. But against Bai Cai's team, their chance of winning was probably only seventy percent, perhaps even less.

Though Wu Feng and Yun'er had been boosted to Soul Elder-level attributes, Wang Dong's Second Soul Ring was already a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. And was sealing three Soul Rings really the limit of Bai Cai's ability?

The longer they waited, the more could go wrong. They had to end this quickly!

"Dragon's Fury!"

A crimson light flared around Wu Feng's body, and her Second Soul Ring shone brightly. Dragon Fire burned a scorching dark red, her fine scales grew thicker and more fearsome, her eyes turned scarlet, and her left hand became a dragon claw.

Her Second Soul Skill: Dragon's Fury!

In the Dragon's Fury state, her attack and defense each increased by a hundred percent, while the effects of her other Soul Skills increased by an additional fifty percent. Wu Feng's body temperature soared, and heat waves warped the air until the world around her grew blurry.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, now at Soul Elder rank, had already reached a forty-percent amplification effect. With Dragon's Fury stacked on top of forty-percent increases to speed and strength, Wu Feng's true fighting strength was no weaker than a Soul Elder's.

Side kicks, thrusting claws, knee strikes, elbow strikes—every one of Wu Feng's attacks came with scorching flames. Wang Dong struggled to keep up and could barely defend herself.

Nanmen Yun'er kept Xiao Xiao occupied. Whenever the Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons shifted even slightly, she immediately charged in to intimidate Xiao Xiao and force her onto the defensive.

The scales of victory gradually tipped toward Ning Tian's team. Wu Feng's attacks grew wilder, and Wang Dong was driven back again and again.

"Light of the Butterfly Goddess!"

Wang Dong had nowhere left to retreat. Xiao Xiao and Bai Cai were behind her. Her Second Soul Ring lit up, its purple glow dazzling as the four wings of her Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul shone with intense radiance.

On the splendid azure-blue butterfly wings, golden patterns blazed with blinding light, like there were two suns in the sky. The patterns gathered across her forewings, and brilliant golden light swallowed Wu Feng in her Dragon's Fury state.

A Thousand-Year Soul Ring, an attack-type Soul Skill: Light of the Butterfly Goddess!

The amplification from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda stacked with Dragon's Fury. Wu Feng's body burned with Dragon Fire, and she managed to withstand the force of the Light of the Butterfly Goddess, stumbling back only a few steps.

"Light of the Butterfly Goddess!"

Wang Dong didn't spare her Soul Power. Her Second Soul Ring lit up once more, and brilliant golden light swallowed Wu Feng, who was still stubbornly resisting. The Dragon Fire was snuffed out by the golden radiance.

The golden light extinguished Dragon Fire, but its power did not diminish. It struck Wu Feng head-on, knocking her down as the hardened ground beneath her cracked in a spiderweb of fissures.

With a beat of her butterfly wings, Wang Dong gathered herself and dropped to her knees against Wu Feng. Wu Feng let out a muffled groan, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. The handsome youth panted heavily; unleashing the Light of the Butterfly Goddess twice in a row had taken a heavy toll.

A rich floral fragrance and moist vapor filled the air. Wu Feng's breathing quickened, and she suddenly came to her senses. Her First Soul Ring lit up again, and Dragon Fire roared to life.

But the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's double amplification had already faded. After continuously using Dragon's Fury, Wu Feng had spent nearly as much Soul Power as Wang Dong.

Wang Dong was handsome and dashing, but Wu Feng still felt she had suffered a grave humiliation. The way she and Wang Dong were fighting was especially improper—almost no different from the flirtatious scenes described in romance stories.

Unfortunately, Wang Dong paid no mind to the scene's alluring intimacy. She punched Wu Feng hard in the left cheek. The half of her face covered in fine dragon scales had an unusual beauty, and her skin was supple to the touch.