The Heaven Dou Royal Team's momentum had already reached its peak on the arena.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er exchanged a glance, a trace of resolve flashing in both their eyes.
Their Soul Power began to meld, and a chill far stronger than before spread out from them.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
A trace of disdain flashed in Yu Tianheng's eyes.
"You have no chance against me!"
Before he had finished speaking, Yu Feng at his side understood at once. His figure became a green whirlwind and appeared at the sisters' flank in an instant.
"First Soul Skill, Wind Blade!"
The razor-sharp Wind Blade cut precisely toward the point where their Soul Power was fusing.
Buzz!
The fusion was interrupted. Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both let out muffled groans, their faces turning even paler.
"It's over."
Yu Tianheng's voice rang out like a sentence being passed. His blue-violet dragon claw was already swinging toward them.
Bang! Bang!
Two figures flew backward and fell off the arena.
At this point, only one member of the Skywater Team remained on the field.
"Lingling."
Yu Tianheng returned to the center of the formation and spoke in a low voice.
Ye Lingling, standing at the very back of the team, nodded and stepped forward.
"Nine Heart Begonia, Possession."
A pink begonia flower quietly bloomed in her palm, its stamen radiating a gentle pink glow.
"Nine Heart Begonia!"
Ye Lingling gave a soft cry, and the pink glow suddenly expanded like a warm tide, enveloping every member of the Heaven Dou Royal Team in an instant.
The Soul Power they had expended and the minor injuries they had sustained under the dragon claws all recovered at a visible speed within that radiance.
Even the violent lightning coursing through Yu Tianheng seemed to grow much more docile.
In the VIP seats, Xue Qinghe's gaze fell upon the begonia flower, and a trace of admiration crossed his mind.
Sect Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had once said that the Nine Heart Begonia was the most powerful auxiliary Martial Soul on the continent.
Seeing it in person today, he found that its reputation was well deserved.
It could heal everyone across a wide area, at will. As long as its wielder did not die, her teammates would never truly fall.
On the arena, Yu Tianheng felt his Soul Power rapidly recovering and looked toward the lone figure at the other end.
He smiled, his expression brimming with ease and arrogance.
"Easy."
"You're the only one left."
"And we have seven."
"Seven against one. The advantage is ours."
Lan slowly raised his eyes, calmly sweeping his gaze over the seven who had returned to full strength.
He walked two steps forward and took his place at the front of the team.
"Skywater Team captain, Lan."
The instant the words left his mouth, he vanished.
No, he hadn't vanished.
An elusive afterimage streaked across the bluestone arena in a straight line, heading directly for the Heaven Dou Team.
No Soul Rings lit up, and no one shouted out a Soul Skill.
Only a bone-chilling glint slid from his sleeve.
"Silent Azure Wave, Shark Shadow Crack."
The soft words seemed not to come from his mouth, but to ring directly in everyone's hearts.
In the VIP seats, the gentle smile on Xue Qinghe's face froze.
He shot to his feet, a golden glimmer flashing in his eyes!
On the arena.
Yu Tianheng didn't even have time to react.
He felt an irresistible force strike his chest, and then his whole body was flying through the air.
The world spun around him.
"S-so... so fast..."
He stammered out a few words midair.
"I couldn't... react at all..."
"Tianheng!"
Dugu Yan cried out, her jade-green snake pupils contracting sharply.
She saw it clearly!
That boy named Lan hadn't used a Soul Skill at all. He hadn't even used Martial Soul Possession!
He had done it with nothing but his body, with speed and strength so astonishing they defied belief!
"How is that possible?"
Every spectator present, including the Soul Masters in the VIP seats, wore an expression of disbelief.
They hadn't seen a thing.
They had only glimpsed a shadow flash by, and then the Heaven Dou Royal Team's captain—the arrogant heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—had gone flying.
Boom!
Yu Tianheng crashed heavily onto the ground beyond the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust. He fainted on the spot.
Lan's figure had already appeared in the center of the Heaven Dou Team's formation, as if he had been standing there from the very beginning.
He wouldn't stop just because his enemies were shocked.
For an assassin, mercy toward one's enemies was cruelty toward oneself.
If this weren't a competition arena, but the icy plains of the Far North, the Shark Blade would already have drunk its fill of blood.
Thump!
Osler, an agility-type Soul Master, hadn't even had time to summon his Ghost Leopard Martial Soul before Lan struck the back of his neck with a knife-hand. Osler's eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground.
Thump!
Yu Feng had just taken to the air when a figure appeared behind him like a ghost and kicked him back down.
Thump!
The Shi Brothers hadn't even had time to raise their Black Tortoise Shells before a deft blow struck their joints. Both dropped to their knees, unable to fight.
Ye Lingling stood frozen in place, the Nine Heart Begonia in her hand still giving off its gentle light.
But she realized she didn't even have a chance to heal her teammates.
Too fast!
Her teammates were falling faster than her Soul Skill could take effect!
In the blink of an eye.
On the arena, only she and Dugu Yan, on the other side, were still standing.
So strong!
Those two words surfaced in everyone's mind at once.
The entire arena fell silent.
The nobles in the VIP seats and the commoners among the spectators all seemed to have their throats clamped shut. Not a sound escaped them.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy was one of the continent's top Soul Master academies, and its ace team was made up of the best of the best.
And yet four of its seven members had been swept off the field in the space of a lightning flash by a boy who hadn't even activated a Soul Ring.
This was no longer a competition.
It was a one-sided rout.
Dugu Yan's body trembled slightly. Her jade-green snake pupils fixed on Lan, as if trying to brand his image deep into her soul.
She couldn't hold back any longer!
She knew full well that ordinary attacks were useless against the monster before her. Her only chance was the poison she took pride in!
"Fourth Soul Skill, Jade Scale Snake Poison!"
Her black fourth Soul Ring suddenly lit up, blazing brilliantly!
Hiss—!
A giant green snake made entirely of Soul Power rose behind her, its forked tongue flicking as it gave off a skin-crawling hiss.
The phantom of the Jade Scale Snake slowly merged with Dugu Yan's figure.
The next moment, she opened her mouth.
Whoosh!
A thick green mist, so dense it seemed almost solid, billowed from her mouth like a green tide and swept toward Lan in an instant.
Wherever the poisonous mist passed, the arena's hard bluestone gave off a sizzling sound as it corroded, and wisps of white smoke rose into the air.
"It's the Jade Scale Snake Poison!"
Someone in the VIP seats cried out in alarm.
"And it's being released with the boost from the Fourth Soul Skill by the granddaughter of that old monster, Poison Douluo!"
"That poison... it's deadly. An ordinary Soul Master would die from a single touch. Even a Soul King caught in that mist would have to immediately circulate his power to purge the poison. Otherwise, in moments, his whole body would go numb, leaving him at the mercy of anyone!"
"That boy named Lan is in trouble now."
The poisonous mist churned, quickly swallowing Lan's lone figure until he vanished completely. Only an eerie green haze remained at the center of the arena.
Below the arena, the Skywater Academy team held their breath.
"Lan!"
Shui Bing'er clenched her hands tightly.
"Captain..."
Shui Yue'er and the others were also filled with worry. They had faith in Lan's strength, but his opponent was the infamous granddaughter of Poison Douluo, and the deadliness of her poison had already spread throughout the Soul Master World.
Seeing Lan swallowed by the poisonous mist and motionless for a long time, the tension in Dugu Yan's body finally eased a little.
"My Jade Scale Snake Poison has taken down countless arrogant Soul Elders who thought too highly of themselves."
"You're strong, I admit it. But now that you've been poisoned, even a Soul Emperor would be in great discomfort."
She paced slowly, her jade-green snake pupils looking even more uncanny against the poisonous haze.
"I've had this snake poison with me since the day I was born. More than ten years have passed, and its power has long since surpassed your imagination."
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