Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu strode forward and announced the rules in a low voice:
"The finals will be decided by the best of three matches, held in this order: a team battle, an individual elimination match, and a two-two-three battle. Each team battle will have seven contestants, with only one substitution allowed afterward. The lineup will remain fixed for all subsequent matches. I will be responsible for the contestants' safety. If anyone faces mortal danger, I will intervene by force and disqualify the team that benefits from it. However, I cannot guarantee absolute safety, so I hope both sides will show restraint. You have one minute to prepare. Then the team battle begins!"
His words fell, and the tens of thousands gathered at Star Luo Plaza fell silent. Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
"Both teams, take the field!" The minute passed quickly, and Huang Jinxu barked the command.
Only Xiao Jinchen walked onto the arena for Zhengtian Academy. The others from Zhengtian Academy no longer dared to join him on the field, all because he couldn't tell friend from foe. Take that Buddha Fury Fire Lotus from a few days ago...
Xiao Jinchen stepped onto the arena, and the students from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy followed suit.
At the head of the Sun Moon Empire's soul engineer academy were Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. As soon as they took the field, they sized up Xiao Jinchen. Meng Hongchen looked him over from head to toe, then nodded and murmured, "He's pretty handsome."
Xiao Hongchen stepped forward, raised one hand across the lower half of his face, and left only his cold eyes exposed. He rested his fingertips against his brow in an utterly chuunibyou pose, then said to Xiao Jinchen, "Xiao Jinchen, you're certainly strong. But the future will belong to Soul Tools. Your Douluo Three Kingdoms cling to old ways, and your vaunted Soul Master system will eventually be surpassed by us Soul Engineers!"
"Mm-hmm." Xiao Jinchen nodded in agreement. "Indeed. In my view, a Martial Soul is an extension of the body, while a Soul Tool is the embodiment of the will. Since both represent power, why can't they follow different paths to the same destination? So, in the future, my Soul Hall will visit the Sun Moon Empire and pay a visit to Mingde Hall."
"Mm, I knew a genius from the Douluo Three Kingdoms like you would reject Soul Tools... Huh? Wait a minute!" Xiao Hongchen stopped halfway through his sentence, then stared at Xiao Jinchen in surprise. "You don't reject Soul Tools? And you want to visit my Mingde Hall?"
"Mm." Xiao Jinchen nodded. "Why? Is that not allowed?"
"Of course it is!" Xiao Hongchen abruptly reached out his right hand toward Xiao Jinchen. He felt like he'd met a kindred spirit, and excitement welled up in his eyes.
In Xiao Hongchen's mind, people from the Douluo Three Kingdoms were all stubborn and looked down on Soul Tools. But this genius from the Douluo Three Kingdoms actually acknowledged their potential. That delighted him. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to befriend Soul Hall, the mysterious force behind Xiao Jinchen.
Xiao Jinchen smiled and stepped forward to shake Xiao Hongchen's hand. The development of Soul Tools was an irreversible trend. He'd already made up his mind: Soul Hall would develop Soul Tools, while Pill Tower would focus exclusively on refining pills. Heh heh, that way, Soul Masters and Soul Engineers could develop side by side.
The audience couldn't help but stare when they saw Xiao Jinchen and Xiao Hongchen shaking hands on the arena. The two hadn't lowered their voices, so everyone in the stands had heard their conversation. Murmurs immediately rippled through the crowd.
"Then, Brother Xiao, when will you come visit my Mingde Hall?" Xiao Hongchen asked.
"Once I've taken care of everything on my end," Xiao Jinchen replied.
Xu Jiawei had also heard Xiao Jinchen's words from the stands. He paused in surprise, then turned to Dai Hao beside him and asked, "Brother, what do you think of that kid spending so much effort accepting Soul Tools?"
The White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, furrowed his brow. "They're just external objects. For a genius like him to dabble in Soul Tools is a complete waste of time."
Xiao Jinchen and Xiao Hongchen exchanged smiles, and the tense atmosphere from before vanished without a trace.
"Both sides, retreat." Just then, Huang Jinxu's voice rang out.
Xiao Hongchen nodded at Xiao Jinchen, then followed the other Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team members as they moved back.
"Brother, why are you chatting with him?" Meng Hongchen asked Xiao Hongchen as they retreated.
"Dream, you don't understand." Xiao Hongchen shook his head. "I think this is a chance for our Mingde Hall to become friends with them."
"Tsk." Meng Hongchen curled her lip and fell silent.
"Begin!" Once both teams had retreated to the designated distance, Huang Jinxu roared. His figure vanished from the arena in an instant.
The seven members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy moved in perfect unison, drawing all kinds of Soul Tools from their Storage Soul Tools.
Every student from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy was equipped with a Level 5 Linked Soul Cannon. The cannons were mounted at their waists and on their backs, while Ma Rulong, opposite them, carried a Level 6 Energy-Gathering Soul Main Cannon on his shoulder.
In an instant, terrifying Soul Guidance Rays and piercing beams, along with countless balls of light condensed from Soul Power and released through their Soul Tools, surged toward Xiao Jinchen like a peacock spreading its tail.
The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy had prepared a simple strategy: blanket him with firepower. They had witnessed Xiao Jinchen's terrifying strength. Before overwhelming force, all techniques were like mayflies trying to shake a tree. If they blanketed him with firepower from the start, perhaps quantity could give rise to quality, and they might have a chance of beating him.
Xiao Jinchen merely shifted his foot in the face of the incoming barrage. Several afterimages instantly appeared.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Every attack from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy struck one of Xiao Jinchen's afterimages. The shots missed and slammed into the ground, unleashing deafening explosions and kicking up clouds of smoke and dust.
"Let's settle the team battle in one go. I can't be bothered with the matches afterward." Xiao Jinchen moved, instantly appearing in the center of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's formation.
"What?! How can you be this fast!?" Ma Rulong's heart jolted. He immediately roared, "Activate the Invincible Barrier!"
They knew this sight all too well. When Xiao Jinchen fought Star Luo National Academy, hadn't he charged behind them and then used a Fire Lotus Soul Skill to wipe them out? So Ma Rulong activated the Invincible Barrier without the slightest hesitation.
In a flash, everyone from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy slapped their chests. A golden light glimmered there, and a golden barrier immediately enveloped them.
"Soul Tools are great, but they're useless." Xiao Jinchen smiled faintly.
"Earth Gale Flame!" Xiao Jinchen shouted, then stamped down hard. The space beneath his feet instantly began to seethe violently.
A ten-zhang-wide torrent of scorching magma erupted like a volcano, soaring skyward. In the blink of an eye, it spun wildly into a suffocating scarlet fire tornado that engulfed everyone from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.