Symbiotic Martial Souls

Many spectators in the arena were stunned by the way Amphoreus Academy was doing things.

Seriously, not again?

Because Amphoreus had sent out new challengers one after another, plenty of people had lost money betting against them.

"Damn, what bad luck. But this time, I'm betting on the newcomers!"

"Hey, brother, calm down. It's not a sure thing. Their opponents are the Cat and Mouse Duo, and they have a high win rate in doubles matches."

"Yeah, brother, don't be rash. They're newcomers, after all. They might still lose."

"Come on, you haven't seen enough of that one-eyed kid from last time? He scared Iron Wood right to his knees."

"This is a doubles match. It's different."

The arguments rose and fell throughout the Soul Fighting Arena.

The host spoke again:

"Let's welcome both teams to the arena!"

Two people, a man and a woman, walked out of the passage on the left.

They were the famous Cat and Mouse Duo, a pair with a solid win rate in the Soul Fighting Arena.

As soon as they appeared, the stands erupted in cheers.

On the right, Castorice and Polyxena also walked out at an unhurried pace.

At the sight of them, the stands fell silent for a moment.

"Two young girls again?"

"Don't underestimate them. Didn't Caesar look like a kid too? And look how that turned out."

"That's true."

After seeing what had happened several times before, many spectators no longer dared to predict how Amphoreus's newcomers would fare.

All they could do was watch quietly.

The referee stepped onto the stage, swept his gaze over both sides, then gave the order:

"Both sides, get ready."

The two members of the Cat and Mouse Duo summoned their Martial Souls at the same time.

A standard pair of Soul Elders.

Castorice and Polyxena exchanged a glance and clasped hands.

The next moment, several Soul Rings rose from beneath their feet.

Yellow, purple, purple!

Their configuration was identical to Phainon's.

At the sight of this, some people in the stands gasped.

"Yellow, purple, purple again?!"

"Seriously, does that academy mass-produce this Soul Ring Configuration?"

But the referee gave them no time to think. He immediately called for the match to begin.

"Let the Soul Fighting begin!"

The Cat and Mouse Duo moved first.

They worked together seamlessly, their attacks fierce.

Yet facing them, Castorice merely lifted a finger.

The next moment, her First Soul Ring lit up.

A ring of purplish-black ripples silently spread out from beneath her feet.

The Cat and Mouse Duo both froze mid-motion.

"Life Is Not as Fragile as Butterfly Wings."

Her voice was cool and clear, like wind passing through a deep ravine.

The Cat and Mouse Duo suddenly felt their steps grow unsteady.

"What's going on? Why is our Soul Power draining?"

But they had no time to dwell on it. The next moment,

Polyxena suddenly raised her right hand.

Her Second Soul Ring lit up.

In an instant, she transformed in Castorice's hand into a scythe.

Castorice gripped it and took a light step forward, her posture exquisitely graceful, yet carrying a terrifying menace.

Her Third Soul Ring lit up, and Castorice slowly spoke:

"Lost souls, return to the dust."

The next moment, a dark-purple fissure welled up in space.

The Cat and Mouse Duo had no way to dodge.

It slashed straight across their bodies,

and both of them froze in place.

The next moment, their faces visibly turned pale.

Then their knees buckled, and they dropped to the ground before collapsing together, unable to fight on.

The battle was over. The entire arena fell utterly silent.

The referee stood stunned for two whole seconds before raising his hand.

"T-the match is over! The winners are Amphoreus Academy's team!"

The stands fell silent for a moment.

Then a flurry of heated discussion broke out.

"Holy crap! Two moves?"

"I blinked, and it was over?"

"What was that purple fissure?"

"What kind of attributes do their Martial Souls have? I saw them fuse together!"

In the VIP seats, Wang Sheng had already stood up, his mouth hanging wide open.

"Teacher, what was that skill just now?"

Ye Qiong leaned back in his chair and smiled as he explained to everyone:

"The First Soul Skill, Lament: Omen of Bestowed Death."

"It creates a purplish-black Nether-Mist Domain on the field. Enemies within the domain continuously lose Soul Power."

Bai Chenxiang tilted her head.

"What about the Second Soul Skill?"

"Mourning: Ripples of the Dead Sea."

Ye Qiong lifted his chin and continued:

"Polyxena transforms into a scythe of death, which Castorice swings. Anyone it hits suffers a bleeding effect."

The others were all surprised to hear this.

"Then what's her Third Soul Skill?"

"Silence: Caress of the Nether Butterfly."

"It deals heavy damage to multiple targets, while also inflicting bleeding and weakening effects."

Anaxa also turned his gaze away and added:

"Their Martial Souls are symbiotic. Together, they can produce an effect greater than the sum of their parts. After that little combo, I'd say the Cat and Mouse Duo are pretty much finished."

Symbiotic Martial Souls? This was the first time they had ever heard of such a thing.

Hearing Anaxa's explanation and recalling what they had just witnessed,

they finally understood what a Symbiotic Martial Soul looked like.

As they chatted, Castorice and Polyxena returned to the VIP seats.

Wang Sheng was the first to greet them.

"You two were amazing!"

Huang Yuan came over too, nodding repeatedly.

"Yeah! You took the other side out with one combo!"

Castorice smiled faintly and stole a glance at Ye Qiong.

"We were just lucky."

Ye Qiong rose from his seat and walked over to her.

"You fought very well."

"For your first time in the arena, that was an excellent performance."

Hearing Ye Qiong's praise, Castorice lowered her head, and two faint blushes appeared on her cheeks.

"Th-thank you for the compliment, Dean."

Her voice was several degrees softer than before.

Her fingers unconsciously pinched the hem of her skirt.

For some reason, ever since she had first met Ye Qiong, she had felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

That sense of familiarity often sent ripples through her heart.

It was just like the feeling between lovers, the kind one only ever read about in storybooks.

But no one noticed this scene.

Only Polyxena's gaze swept between her and Ye Qiong, the corners of her mouth curving into a smile.

Just then, a voice came from the entrance to the VIP seats:

"Is the dean of Amphoreus Academy here?"

Ye Qiong turned to look.

A tall, slender youth stood at the entrance.

He looked about twelve or thirteen and had short, crimson hair.

The youth strode inside, his gaze locking directly onto Ye Qiong.

"I'm the prince of the Silves Kingdom."

As he spoke, he flicked his hand and sent a challenge letter flying straight toward Ye Qiong.

Ye Qiong raised a hand and caught it, the corners of his mouth lifting as he looked at the youth.

The third Chrysos Heir he had summoned had arrived too.

The youth was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure.

"That's right. I've heard your academy has been making quite a name for itself lately."

"I'm challenging you tonight. Do you dare accept?"

Ye Qiong unfolded the challenge letter and glanced at it, the corners of his mouth lifting.

"No problem at all. Since it's you, we'll accept this challenge."