He thought rapidly, brow furrowed. Could this aura of Evil Fire be Ma Xiaotao? But that can't be right. According to the original timeline, Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire should have run wild when Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong arrived by Sea God Lake. How could it have erupted early, right now?
Before he could unravel his doubts, a figure wrapped in sinister flames had already charged up close.
It was Ma Xiaotao, her Evil Fire completely out of control and her reason gone!
At that moment, Ma Xiaotao's eyes were scarlet, and flames roiled around her. The violent Evil Fire had devoured her mind, leaving her utterly frenzied and savage, without a shred of reason.
With nothing in her eyes but an endless urge to destroy, she made no distinction between friend and foe. She unleashed a thunderous attack on Su Ming before her, and blazing Evil Fire came crashing down on him, scorching the air until it warped and twisted.
Su Ming remained composed, utterly unafraid. Facing the raging fireball hurtling toward him, he planted his feet and gathered the power of Ultimate Gold in his fist. Without the slightest attempt to dodge, he threw a heavy punch, meeting the ball of Evil Fire head-on!
Boom—!
A deafening crash rang out. Golden fist force collided with scarlet Evil Fire, sending violent ripples of energy bursting in every direction. The fireball, powerful enough to grievously injure a Soul Master, was shattered by Su Ming's single punch and scattered into sparks that vanished in the air.
But Ma Xiaotao's assault did not stop. She charged again like a madwoman. Su Ming's gaze sharpened. He immediately raised his hands, forming the armor's signature secret technique, and decisively used the Zen Seal!
His hands flashed through the hand seals. A golden restraining ring spread out in an instant, forming an absolutely sealed spatial domain around him. Space was completely locked down, isolated inside and out: nothing could enter or leave, and it could not be forcibly broken. The Zen Seal also possessed the power to deter evil spirits and suppress darkness.
Against sinister, frenzied targets, it had a powerful suppressive effect, forcing them into fear and paralysis. It was specifically suited to countering the out-of-control Evil Fire within Ma Xiaotao.
Unfortunately, the difference in strength between them was simply too great.
Ma Xiaotao was a level 68 Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor, her cultivation far beyond Su Ming's. What was more, her Evil Fire naturally countered his Gold attribute. Even with his exceptionally rare Ultimate Gold Martial Soul and its pure, profound power, he could not withstand the combined suppression of their difference in rank and attribute.
The sealed space created by the Zen Seal held Ma Xiaotao for only a few seconds before she broke free by force.
Ma Xiaotao let out a sharp howl. Six Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, and black—appeared around her, all blazing brighter as she unleashed the full power of her sixth Soul Skill.
Her immense soul power surged like a raging tide, forcibly tearing open the Zen Seal's confinement. The violent Evil Fire grew even more rampant, and her attacks turned fiercer.
Seeing this, Su Ming's expression grew more serious. He no longer dared to underestimate her in the slightest.
He knew that Ma Xiaotao was one of the academy's top Power Attack System Soul Emperors even before losing control. Now that she had gone berserk, her strength had surged. On top of the attribute suppression of Fire over Gold, the gap in rank could not be ignored.
If he still refused to go all out and fully unleash the power of his Snow Mastiff Armor, Ma Xiaotao could very well beat him into critical condition today—or even put his life in danger.
Su Ming steadied his breathing. Golden light flared across his armor as he fully circulated the power of Ultimate Gold and braced himself for battle. His yellow, purple, purple, and black Soul Rings appeared as he faced the rampaging Ma Xiaotao, prepared for the brutal fight ahead.
Scarlet, vicious Evil Fire churned in Ma Xiaotao's eyes. The out-of-control Ultimate Fire inside her had long since devoured her reason.
The fifth, deep-black Soul Ring around her blazed with fiery light. Without the slightest hesitation, she shouted, "Fifth Soul Skill: Phoenix Cloud-Piercing Strike!"
A small, exquisitely formed fire phoenix took shape at her call. Ultimate Evil Fire, hot enough to melt gold and scorch stone, burned across its body. Its wings spread with the force to sweep all before it, and it became a crimson streak of light, howling through the air.
It shot straight toward Su Ming. The air twisted violently under the scorching heat, while the nearby plants instantly turned brown and curled.
Facing this powerful single-target fire attack, Su Ming's gaze stayed steady and fearless. At a thought, the Snow Mastiff Armor Martial Soul inside him erupted. His first yellow Soul Ring and fourth purple Soul Ring shone brightly at once, and thick, domineering Metal energy swept over him.
"First Soul Skill: Golden Mastiff Defense!"
Pale golden mastiff-armor patterns spread across his body in an instant, as though he had donned an indestructible metal battle armor.
Each pattern gleamed with a cold metallic sheen. His physical defense, strength, and constitution all increased dramatically, while an invisible barrier enveloped him. It reduced most of the fiery impact, yet no matter how the flames surged,
his figure remained as steady as a mountain, not retreating by an inch. He had truly taken the close-range assault head-on without his armor buckling.
Next, Su Ming activated another Soul Skill, pouring the raging power of Metal into every part of his body. "Fourth Soul Skill: Golden Mastiff Berserk Body!"
Rich golden light completely enveloped him. His body seemed to swell, and every attribute surged wildly. His strength, defense, and constitution doubled outright, while an unyielding, battle-mad aura radiated from him.
His muscles tensed. Beneath every inch of skin lay the force to shatter mountains and split stone. Of the five armor sets, the Snow Mastiff Armor was a heavy suit that reigned supreme in sheer strength.
In terms of raw physical power, it far surpassed the others. Now, with both enhancements layered on, Su Ming looked like a moving white tank.
He had always fought with brutal directness. Now, relying on the two powerful boosts, he swung his right hand. The Universe Belt at his waist spun rapidly, and the massive, sharp Thunder-Shock Axe, white-gold from end to end, appeared in his grasp.
He gripped the axe handle and stamped down hard. The ground rumbled beneath him as he charged straight at Ma Xiaotao, fearlessly forcing his way through the scorching flames.
Ma Xiaotao, her reason completely consumed by the Evil Fire, had already lost all judgment in battle. When she saw the "white tank" charging toward her so brutally,
she did not spread her phoenix wings and use her aerial advantage to pull away and attack from a distance. Instead, she deliberately dropped lower, hoping to rely on the power of her Evil Fire and engage Su Ming in close combat.
A cold glint flashed in Su Ming's eyes. This was exactly what he had been waiting for: her coming close! He put his strength into both arms and swung the Thunder-Shock Axe with all his might. The unmatched power of Metal, wrapped around the keen edge of the blade, cleaved straight toward the fire phoenix.
Before the absolute sharpness and crushing force of Metal, the blazing Evil Fire burst apart and scattered like soft butter!
Ma Xiaotao hastily spat out a Phoenix Fire Line to block the blow, but the axe's edge split it with ease. The flames blasted toward the woods on either side, setting a swath of trees alight in an instant and raising a roaring blaze.
Su Ming pressed his advantage. He abandoned the axe and switched to his fists, golden light surging around him as two heavy punches, carrying the force of a thousand tons, slammed mercilessly into Ma Xiaotao.
Even with the fiery defense of her Phoenix Martial Soul, Ma Xiaotao was shaken by the immense force of his punches, her blood and qi churning. The out-of-control Evil Fire inside her grew unstable as well. Though the Evil Fire had clouded her reason, she finally sensed the deadly danger, and a sudden alarm rose in her heart.
She no longer dared to keep fighting. Flames surged around her as she hurried to spread the phoenix wings formed by her Soul Skill, hoping to take to the sky and put some distance between them. She planned to use her aerial advantage to strike from above and completely suppress Su Ming, who could not fly.