(Cui Yajie fan art)
Even more remarkably, Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao shared in this perception too.
The two girls' hearts jolted at the same time. They could clearly "see" the position and speed of every person across from them, even the routes their Soul Power surged along through their meridians.
This crystal-clear sense of control over the entire battlefield was downright terrifying.
This was the first Soul Skill Lin Ye had mentioned before the match!
Lin Ye wasted no time. "Xiao Xiao, left side. Cauldron Shock!"
Xiao Xiao was startled. How did Lin Ye know about this special way she could combine her two Soul Skills?
But she didn't hesitate for a moment.
The three cauldrons blazed with black light and instantly slammed toward the center, colliding with one another.
The two Soul Rings attached to the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron around Xiao Xiao also lit up at the same time.
Just as the cauldrons collided, a black shadow suddenly flashed into view on the left!
Zhu Lu's figure blurred as her speed suddenly exploded.
Her target was Xiao Xiao—she intended to use her speed to take out the opposing control-type Soul Master in an instant!
But what she crashed into was a massive cauldron that had been waiting for her.
"Heavy Artifact of the Nation, Cauldron Shock!"
The three cauldrons merged into one with a thunderous boom.
A colossal cauldron twice the size of any of the previous ones appeared in midair.
Strange runes seemed to emerge across its surface, and an indescribable majesty burst forth with the deafening boom.
No matter how fast Zhu Lu was, she couldn't outrun Lin Ye's command.
She slammed heavily into the giant cauldron, and her whole body seemed to stick to it.
Circles of black light continuously invaded her body. She could feel the Soul Power within her evaporating at an astonishing rate, while the vibrations pinned down every part of her body.
Her strength had never been great to begin with, and once stuck to the cauldron, she couldn't struggle free.
Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth. Fine beads of sweat had already appeared on her forehead, but her gaze was more resolute than ever.
With Lin Ye there, it seemed impossible for them to lose.
Meanwhile, Lin Ye had already met Dai Huabin head-on!
Dai Huabin had only one choice now—take Lin Ye out quickly, then go save Zhu Lu.
He had absolute confidence in his own strength.
Their strongest fighter was only that Wang Dong. Cui Yajie would keep her occupied, while his overwhelming strength would let him deal with this obstacle in an instant.
Dai Huabin charged forward with a ferocious burst of force. His tiger claws tore through the air, lunging straight for Lin Ye's face.
Lotus light flashed beneath Lin Ye's feet. His body drifted sideways as though borne aloft by the wind, easily evading the claw that had seemed certain to hit.
"Second Soul Skill, Lotus Wind Shadow Step."
Dai Huabin's pupils contracted. One attack after another came in quick succession, but Lin Ye dodged every one by a hair's breadth.
His figure wavered in the lotus wind, afterimages blooming and fading like layers of lotus petals, making him extremely difficult to pin down.
And that wasn't all. The speed boost from Lotus Wind Shadow Step also enhanced Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao!
Wang Dong'er felt wind spring beneath her feet as her speed surged.
Cui Yajie was no match for her. She didn't even have time to release a Soul Skill
before Wang Dong'er twisted and landed a solid side kick against her, sending her flying. Cui Yajie rolled across the ground several times before finally coming to a stop.
"Lin Ye, your Soul Skill is amazing!" Wang Dong'er's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"It lets us anticipate the enemy and boosts our speed. How is anyone supposed to fight against that?"
On the other side, Dai Huabin grew more and more agitated as the fight went on.
His cultivation was clearly far above his opponent's, yet he couldn't even touch the hem of Lin Ye's clothes.
Seeing Zhu Lu still stuck to the cauldron and unable to move, he made a decisive choice. Instead of pressing the attack, he turned and charged toward Zhu Lu.
Lin Ye's lips curved slightly upward. "You want to use Martial Soul Fusion? Then I'll make you submit completely."
"Xiao Xiao, recall the cauldron!"
Xiao Xiao recalled the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron at his command, and the black cauldron turned into a streak of light and vanished into her body.
She had used up quite a bit of Soul Power. Sweat stuck the loose strands of hair to her cheeks, but her eyes still shone brightly.
The instant the cauldron was recalled—
A tiger's roar burst from Dai Huabin's mouth!
As the roar rang out, his entire body swelled again. White fur mixed with black tiger stripes surged wildly from within him, and his body grew much larger.
Zhu Lu bit her lip. A faint black light covered her body as she drifted like an illusion, spreading her arms and throwing herself toward Dai Huabin.
The moment their bodies fused, they disappeared.
All that remained in the center of the Assessment Area was a giant white tiger.
It was over eight meters long and more than two meters tall, its entire body gleaming with a translucent sheen. White fur, black stripes, and twin purple pupils gave it a fearsome aspect.
It stared coldly at Lin Ye and the other two. Its overwhelming ferocity made the watching students at the sidelines hold their breath without even realizing it.
Xiao Xiao's expression shifted. "Lin Ye, this is bad. It's their Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Not a single teacher or student watching believed Lin Ye's group could still win.
A Martial Soul Fusion Skill appearing in the Freshman Assessment was practically an unsolvable threat.
Even a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor would have to think twice before facing this Hell White Tiger.
The enormous white tiger crouched slightly. The next instant, it surged forward with a transparent ripple, hurtling toward the three of them at terrifying speed!
"Lin Ye, what do we do?" Wang Dong'er instinctively stepped forward, placing herself in front of Lin Ye.
Lin Ye reached out and moved her behind him. His voice was calm. "You two, fall back."
He took a deep breath, his gaze settling on the giant beast racing toward him.
Time to show off.
Lin Ye didn't have much Soul Power left in his body, but he still had a trump card that didn't take much Soul Power to use.
The Hell White Tiger leaped with overwhelming force, its huge paw coming down over his head. The gust of wind kicked up a layer of dust from the ground and stung everyone's cheeks.
The terrifying pressure descended like a small mountain. For an ordinary freshman, that sheer presence alone would have been enough to make their legs go weak and leave them unable to move.
At the sidelines, the referee had already reacted.
He leaned forward slightly, Soul Power coursing rapidly through his body as he prepared to intervene at any moment and prevent the strike from endangering Lin Ye's life.
The power of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill was no joke. At this level of combat, even the slightest miscalculation could have dire consequences.
But before the referee could act—
Lin Ye's left arm swung out!
In that instant, his entire arm turned a burning crimson. Lotus-petal patterns flowed across his skin, and scorching waves of heat exploded outward from him, warping the air.
"Red Lotus Burning Heaven Strike!"
His fist shot out.
A massive crimson lotus phantom instantly condensed and bloomed over his fist. Its nine layers of petals opened one after another, each blazing with golden-red flames.
The fist's force carried a wave of heat hot enough to melt gold and iron. Like a sun compressed to its limit, it exploded with a deafening roar, swallowing the oncoming Hell White Tiger head-on!
Boom!
Flames soared into the sky.
The golden-red blaze roared like a fire dragon, completely swallowing the translucent giant beast.
The Hell White Tiger let out a deafening wail. Its enormous body trembled violently in midair, and its black stripes crumbled inch by inch like scraps of paper consumed by flames.
The referee's charge came to an abrupt halt, his pupils contracting sharply.
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