First Move: Shielding Shui Bing'er in His Embrace

Watching the strange scene unfold in the arena, Shui Yuanqiao sprang to his feet from his seat.

He had watched the entire match from beginning to end.

He had long seen that Huo Wu's Resisting Fire Ring was extremely domineering, capable of forcibly dispelling attacks and defenses of the same level or lower within its range.

At that moment, the two hundred-year soul rings and one thousand-year soul ring on Huo Wu's body fused together. When she unleashed the Resisting Fire Ring, it pushed the power of this soul skill to a level exceeding two thousand years.

Meanwhile, Shui Bing'er's Ice Ring Armor defensive skill came only from a seven-hundred-year soul beast.

She would likely find it difficult to withstand Huo Wu's attack.

"Bing'er, don't try to take it head-on. Even if you have to expose your External Soul Bone, it doesn't matter..."

Shui Yuanqiao was both tense and expectant.

As the dean of Skywater Academy and Shui Bing'er's father, he naturally hoped that his daughter could represent the academy and defeat the Blazing Fire Academy that had come to challenge them.

But he cared even more about his daughter's safety.

He knew that Shui Bing'er possessed an External Soul Bone, the Wings of the Phoenix.

However, Shui Bing'er had intended to use it against the stronger Godwind Academy and did not want to reveal this trump card ahead of time.

He had never expected Huo Wu to possess a hidden trump card as well—one that could fuse her own soul rings together.

In that case, Shui Bing'er's External Soul Bone would probably be impossible to keep hidden.

In the stands.

Leng Qinghuan looked tense, her palms drenched in cold sweat.

Beside her, Leng Jun smiled faintly and said in a low voice:

"Qinghuan, don't worry. Bing'er will be fine."

"Father, do you mean Bing'er will use her External Soul Bone?"

"Possibly. Just watch closely. In any case, she won't lose."

Leng Jun knew very well that Shui Bing'er's strength went far beyond this.

Her Wings of the Phoenix were a genuine Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Once released, let alone a thousand-year soul skill, even a ten-thousand-year soul skill would not be able to harm her in the slightest.

At the edge of the arena.

Xue Wu and the others watched with their own eyes as the three soul rings on Huo Wu's body merged into one, and they were all left dumbfounded.

"Big Sister, be careful!"

Shui Yue'er cried out loudly.

Huo Wushuang at the side of the arena also widened his eyes.

He had not expected his proud little sister to be forced into using her trump card—Ring Fusion, a technique that came at an enormous cost—in an exchange match like this!

Everyone stared intently at the arena.

In the air.

As Huo Wu fell downward, she thrust both arms forward.

The profound purple halo behind her suddenly blazed with light.

A massive ring of fire descended like divine punishment from the heavens, carrying a searing heat that could burn everything to ash and a tremendous impact force as it crashed straight down toward Shui Bing'er on the ground!

The power of this Ring Fusion strike far surpassed her previous attacks.

The arena was limited in size, leaving Shui Bing'er nowhere to evade.

Huo Wu had deliberately used the Fire Leopard's leap to launch herself into the air precisely to block Shui Bing'er's aerial retreat.

In the exchange match two years ago, Blazing Fire Academy had defeated Skywater Academy.

But Huo Wu had been restrained by Shui Bing'er's Ice Seal and had fallen slightly short.

She was used to pride and hated failure.

She had kept telling herself that she could not lose to Shui Bing'er again.

She wanted to win this match and prove that she was stronger than Shui Bing'er.

This was an all-or-nothing strike.

After using Ring Fusion, her Soul Power would be completely depleted, and it would take several days for her to fully recover.

But she could no longer care about any of that.

She only wanted to win!

Shui Bing'er raised her head, the rapidly expanding crimson fire ring reflected in her clear, beautiful eyes.

She could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within it—the resolve of Huo Wu staking everything on this attack.

"Shui Bing'er, you can't withstand this attack of mine! Admit defeat and leave the arena now!"

Huo Wu's urgent voice rang out from high above.

She wanted to win this match, but she did not truly want to hurt Shui Bing'er.

Even she herself could not predict the consequences of this out-of-control attack.

Surrender?

Shui Bing'er pressed her lips together, a trace of stubbornness flashing through her eyes.

After fighting continuously, she had indeed expended a great deal of Soul Power and mental strength.

Ice Ring Armor would likely struggle to withstand Huo Wu's full-force attack.

Did she really have to use her External Soul Bone?

Shui Bing'er hesitated inwardly.

The Fire Ring was already right before her. Its scorching heat distorted even the air above her head.

She had to make a decision quickly.

Just then, an indescribably powerful force suddenly surged forth from behind her!

It felt as though she had been tightly embraced by a warm, solid pair of arms.

Shui Bing'er was startled.

She felt as if her Ice Phoenix martial soul had become a real human at that very moment.

A person with warmth had embraced her from behind.

She could even feel those tangible arms and chest, brimming with an unbelievable power of protection.

"Phoenix Brother..."

"Bing'er, your hundred-year soul skill can't withstand this attack. Let me handle it."

Xu Feng's voice rang out in Shui Bing'er's mind.

The next instant—

BOOM—!!!

It was as though a meteor had struck the earth!

The enormous Fire Ring slammed squarely into the spot where Shui Bing'er stood!

Red and blue, fire and ice—the two extreme types of Soul Power exploded!

In an instant, dazzling flames shot into the sky!

A deafening blast erupted alongside a shockwave that swept across the entire arena!

The Fire Leopard Soul Master at the edge of the arena did not even have time to react before the terrifying aftershock sent him flying. He rolled as he crashed beyond the edge of the arena.

The light faded.

Everyone stared at the arena.

There, a figure in ice-blue stood silently.

It was Shui Bing'er.

After taking Huo Wu's full-force attack, she was completely unscathed.

Her long ice-blue hair drifted gently. There was not even a trace of sweat on her delicate face, while her cool eyes calmly gazed at Huo Wu across from her.

The contrast was stark.

Huo Wu was down on one knee, barely holding herself up with one hand to keep from collapsing.

Her face was pale as paper, and her aura had weakened to the extreme. The flames around her had long since gone out, and she no longer even had the strength to stand.

That Ring Fusion attack had exhausted all her Soul Power and drained her physical strength as well.

A deathly silence fell.

Shui Bing'er had actually emerged completely unscathed from such a terrifying attack?!

Meanwhile, Huo Wu, who had given it everything she had, had already lost her ability to fight!

Though both of them remained on the arena, the winner had been decided.

Huo Wu slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on Shui Bing'er with utter unwillingness.

Since childhood, she had never suffered such a crushing defeat.

At that moment, her pride shattered into pieces.

"Why... Why could your hundred-year defensive skill withstand my two-thousand-year soul skill...?"

"Because the Ice Phoenix protected me."

Shui Bing'er's voice remained calm, yet it carried through the arena's amplifiers and reached everyone's ears.

The entire audience erupted.

"Is Senior Bing'er referring to her own martial soul?"

"Ice Phoenix truly deserves to be called a top-tier ice-element beast martial soul!"

"Senior Bing'er won! Not only did she defeat Huo Wushuang, she took on three opponents alone and completely crushed Blazing Fire Academy!"

The discussions went on without end.

Even the senior girls had been won over by Shui Bing'er's strength.

Leng Jun looked at Shui Bing'er on the field and smiled with satisfaction.

Only he knew just how extraordinary the "Ice Phoenix" Shui Bing'er spoke of truly was...