But just then, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi actually embraced.
What was that supposed to mean?
Even Tang Wulin and Xie Xie couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
Suddenly, a dense black fog surged around the two of them, enveloping them completely. It was impossible to see what they were doing inside.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stopped as well. They could tell that the black fog was Zhang Yangzi's ability, and they knew it could suppress Soul Power. If they rushed in recklessly, their own strength would be greatly diminished.
But the shadows Zhang Yangzi had been able to release earlier were nowhere near this numerous.
Something must have changed.
The black fog spread farther and farther, reaching a diameter of more than five meters.
Wei Xiaofeng, who had already stepped down from the platform, let out a cold laugh at the sight. He clearly knew something.
"Wulin, what do we do now?" Xie Xie asked, gripping the Light Dragon Dagger.
"Don't rush in. Let's watch and see first."
"Okay!"
Xie Xie nodded, but a deep, muffled growl suddenly came from within the black fog.
A black figure several meters tall burst out of the fog in an instant. It was so fast that it left an afterimage in the air. With some of the black fog still clinging to it, it was impossible to see what it was.
Its speed already surpassed that of a qualified agility-type Soul Master.
Was it Zhang Yangzi?
No, impossible!
Aside from whether Zhang Yangzi still had enough Soul Power to reach that speed, the figure's size alone didn't match.
"It's coming for me!"
Xie Xie reacted instantly and dodged to the side.
But just as he thought he had evaded the attack, the black figure suddenly appeared behind him.
Xie Xie turned and saw what the figure looked like.
It was a giant dragon made almost entirely of bones, more than five meters long. A pair of enormous black eagle wings sat awkwardly on its back, while wisps of black fog curled around its body.
"This is... a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Wu Zhangkong, watching from below the platform, turned pale with shock. He truly hadn't expected first-year students to produce a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. This had to be the first time one had appeared at the East Sea Spirit Master Academy!
Beside him, Ye Yingluo looked at him smugly and spoke just loudly enough for him to hear. "Teacher Wu, see that? This is Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle. No matter how strong your students are individually, they can't possibly stand against the power of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
Wu Zhangkong made no response to Ye Yingluo's taunt.
Xie Xie had no time to dodge. A massive bone claw slammed toward him.
"Xie Xie!"
Tang Wulin wanted to help, but the attack was coming from so close that there was no way he could reach him in time.
Perhaps Gu Yue could have used her spatial element to save Xie Xie again, but she had nearly exhausted her Soul Power performing a large-scale Elemental Combination attack. Spatial power required more Soul Power than any of the other five elements, so even though Gu Yue saw what was happening, she was powerless to help.
"Boom!"
In that split second between life and death, Xie Xie could only raise his arms to shield his head. The tremendous force still sent him flying.
"Damn it!" Long Hengxu cried out inwardly. He wanted to step in and save Xie Xie, but he was already too late.
The dense black fog dissipated.
Tang Wulin leaped up first and caught Xie Xie in midair, holding him in his arms before carefully laying him on the ground.
Several bones in Xie Xie's arms were broken. His head had taken a tremendous blow, and blood slowly seeped from his nose, mouth, and ears. His breathing was erratic. He was clearly gravely injured.
Tang Wulin's eyes reddened as he looked at the badly injured Xie Xie and clenched his fists tight.
"You bastards! This is only a match!"
Tang Wulin cursed, then stood and looked up at the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle in midair.
"Tang Wulin, admit defeat! I admit that you're strong, but we can't let you take the honor of Class One from us." The voices of Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi came from within the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle.
"Xie Xie is out!" Long Hengxu announced helplessly. Then he called for the medical staff to carry Xie Xie toward the infirmary.
Long Hengxu had gradually sensed that the match was becoming unstable, but it hadn't yet spiraled completely out of control, so he couldn't bring himself to stop it.
"Wulin... don't push yourself." Gu Yue walked over to Tang Wulin and shook her head slightly. Then she slowly left the platform and went to stand beside Wu Zhangkong.
"Teacher Wu, I'm sorry. We might lose."
Wu Zhangkong gently patted Gu Yue on the shoulder and said calmly, "You've already done very well. Besides, Tang Wulin is still up there. You haven't lost yet."
"Still refusing to admit defeat? Then I'll have to send you down myself!"
The Dark Phantom Demon Eagle let out a long cry and spread its wings. Its enormous bone dragon claw struck at Tang Wulin.
"Boom!"
The black fog scattered, and a brilliant golden light flashed. Tang Wulin released his Golden Dragon Claw once more, directly blocking the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle's attack.
At once, that strange sense of dread rose in Wang Jinxi's heart again. Even Zhang Yangzi was affected to some degree.
"Your golden claw may counter me, but you only have one ring, while both of us have two. You can't stop us!"
Wang Jinxi roared. The force behind the Bone Dragon Claw increased again, while dense black fog poured from the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle and wrapped around Tang Wulin, beginning to suppress his Soul Power.
"Eight-Level Collapse!"
Tang Wulin withdrew his Golden Dragon Claw, rapidly circulated the Soul Power in his body, and adjusted his strength before punching again. At the same time, his Soul Spirit, Golden Scale, appeared on his shoulder, further boosting his mental power and strength.
The Golden Dragon Claw version of Eight Extremities Collapse—its first strike.
This attack gathered all of Tang Wulin's Soul Power and Bloodline Power. He had staked everything he had on this one blow.
"Bang!"
The Golden Dragon Claw struck the Bone Dragon Claw with a muffled thud.
"Hahaha! Tang Wulin, why did your attack get weaker?" Wang Jinxi laughed loudly.
Wang Jinxi had barely finished speaking when the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle involuntarily shifted back a little.
"What's going on?" Zhang Yangzi asked, at a loss.
"Nothing..."
But before Wang Jinxi could finish, the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle's body shuddered again.
"Something's wrong! There's a problem with the Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Zhang Yangzi shouted, trying to break their fusion.
But just then, an explosion erupted directly on the Bone Dragon Claw, destroying one of the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle's bone claws.
Then came its chest, back, tail... and head. Eight explosions appeared across the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle's body.
The power of the eight bursts of hidden force from Eight-Level Collapse erupted all at once. The Dark Phantom Demon Eagle staggered, its body swaying on the verge of collapse. When the final burst exploded, the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle came apart.
Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi dropped from midair onto the platform like two corpses, motionless.
Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw slowly faded. He closed his eyes and fell unconscious as well.
Before you continue