Two-on-Two Spirit Battle

Shui Bing'er, who had been waiting at the entrance, immediately came forward as soon as he exited the contestants' passageway. Smiling faintly, she said, "Congratulations on winning your first spirit battle, Junior Brother."

"My soul skill just happened to restrain his tactics," Jiang Lan said modestly.

The two chatted and laughed as they headed to the backstage area, where the staff registered their points. After collecting the prize money for winning the one-on-one spirit battle, they headed together toward the two-on-two spirit battle area.

By then, the drawing for the two-on-two matches had already concluded.

Jiang Lan glanced at the two-on-two match schedule. His match with Shui Bing'er was second.

"Senior Sister Bing'er, how much soul power did you use up? Do you need me to help you recover it?" Jiang Lan asked quietly.

Though Shui Bing'er's battle had ended quickly, using one thousand-year soul skill and one hundred-year soul skill had likely consumed quite a bit of soul power.

"I did not use much soul power. My second soul skill does not consume much, and it can also reduce the soul power consumption of my other soul skills," Shui Bing'er replied softly, shaking her head.

"Oh? It can even reduce soul power consumption for soul skills? Senior Sister Bing'er's second soul skill is truly exceptional," Jiang Lan praised.

"Yes." Shui Bing'er smiled gently. She was also quite satisfied with her second soul skill.

Without exaggeration, even after reaching the rank of Titled Douluo, her second soul skill would still be immensely useful.

Before long, more and more soul masters gradually filled the lounge, and the two stopped talking.

Shui Bing'er sat cross-legged, taking advantage of the time to recover her depleted soul power.

Two-on-two spirit battles took far longer than one-on-one battles. By the time it was their turn, Shui Bing'er had already recovered her soul power to its peak condition.

"Sixth two-on-two match: Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix Team versus Shattered Bone Team. Please prepare yourselves."

The soul tool broadcast in the waiting area relayed the arena staff's announcement.

"Senior Sister, let's go," Jiang Lan said, looking at Shui Bing'er beside him.

"Mm." Shui Bing'er nodded slightly, immediately rising to her feet and entering the spirit battle passageway with Jiang Lan.

As they walked through the passageway and stepped onto the spirit battle platform, Jiang Lan swept his gaze over the surroundings.

There were considerably more spectators for the two-on-two spirit battle than for the one-on-one matches, and the stands were nearly full.

Their opponents had already stepped onto the platform as well.

Their two opponents were also a man and a woman. The woman had a rather sturdy build, with short golden hair cut to her ears. She had lovely features and a dashing air. Her upper body was wrapped only in bandages across her chest, exposing broad swathes of wheat-colored skin. Her muscles were sleek and well-defined, with even six-pack abs, making her resemble a nimble leopard.

The man beside her was tall and thin, with barely any flesh on his body. His skin seemed almost stretched directly over his bones.

The host for the two-on-two spirit battle was a middle-aged man. Seeing both sides take the stage, he immediately announced, "The second two-on-two match pits our newcomer team, Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix Team, against Shattered Bone Team, who have won seven consecutive matches!"

"Both sides have one minute to summon your martial souls!"

At the middle-aged host's words, both sides immediately activated their martial souls.

A pair of round, faintly spotted leopard ears sprang from the leopard-like woman's head. Two sharp canine teeth protruded beneath her lips, her dark eyes turned dark gold, and her pupils instantly narrowed into vertical slits. Fuzzy spotted fur emerged across her body, while claws nearly an inch long extended from her hands. Two yellow soul rings slowly rose beneath her feet.

As for the tall, thin man, his frame swelled further, and a layer of pale bone armor covered his body. Though it was impossible to tell what martial soul he possessed, his soul ring configuration was the standard two yellow rings.

Yet before Jiang Lan and Shui Bing'er, their soul ring configurations seemed utterly ordinary.

Yellow, purple.

Purple, purple.

One yellow and one purple, alongside two purple rings—a total of four soul rings slowly rose beneath Jiang Lan and Shui Bing'er's feet.

At the sight of such an extraordinary soul ring configuration, the leopard woman and the bone-armored man froze.

After a brief silence, the spectator stands erupted into deafening uproar.

"Th-thousand-year soul rings? And two of them?! How is that possible?!" The leopard woman's pupils contracted as she cried out.

A first soul ring that was already a thousand-year soul ring completely defied the common sense of the soul master world.

"Two-ringed soul masters cannot possibly absorb thousand-year soul rings, much less two of them. This is very likely some kind of illusion meant to destroy our will to fight," the tall, thin man said in a muffled voice.

Whether the thousand-year soul rings on their bodies were real or not, they had to be fake right now.

"Senior Sister Bing'er, the other side should have one agility-attack type and one strength-attack type. Do you have any tactical arrangements?" Jiang Lan asked as he looked at the two opponents not far away.

"Tactical arrangements? Then I'll take the main offensive role in this spirit battle. Junior Brother, you only need to protect my safety." After a brief moment of thought, Shui Bing'er answered with a bright smile.

"No problem. Leave it to me."

Although he was a strength-attack type soul master, his second soul skill could completely allow him to serve as a defense-type soul master.

"The match begins!" Upon seeing the thousand-year soul rings on Jiang Lan and Shui Bing'er, the middle-aged host could not help rubbing his eyes. But his professional instincts, honed over many years, quickly brought him back to his senses, and he loudly declared the start of the match.

The instant the host's voice fell, the leopard woman's first soul ring lit up.

"First Soul Skill: Sharpened Fangs and Claws!"

The dagger-like claws on the leopard woman's hands lengthened again, turning a bright silver like metal.

Attack power increased by 50%, armor-piercing effect increased by 30%, attacks gained a piercing effect.

"Second Soul Skill: Cold-Blooded Hunt!"

The already developed muscles in the leopard woman's legs instantly bulged. Thick veins stood out beneath her skin as she pushed off with both legs, transforming into a golden blur and pouncing straight at the smaller Shui Bing'er.

"First Soul Skill: Axe Form!"

The tall, thin man's first soul ring flashed. The bone armor on his arms continuously spread outward, completely enveloping them before finally forming two enormous, pale bone axes.

"Second Soul Skill: Bone Armor!"

The tall, thin man's second soul ring shone. His body expanded again, reaching a height of two and a half meters in the blink of an eye. The bone armor across his body shifted and layered over itself, becoming exceptionally thick, as though he had donned a suit of heavy armor.

Though he was not charging quickly, his height, heavy bone armor, and massive axes gave him an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"Second Soul Skill: Ice Phoenix Staff."

Shui Bing'er gently raised a hand, and her second soul ring flashed. A flawless, snow-white staff two meters long fell into her grasp. Then, Shui Bing'er raised the Ice Phoenix Staff and pointed it into the distance as her first soul ring lit up right after.

"First Soul Skill: Ice Seal!"

In an instant, both the leopard woman, who was so fast she left only faint afterimages, and the slow but intimidating tall, thin man were frozen solid.

The ice encasing them was exceptionally pure, crystal-clear like a gemstone. The leopard woman's stunned expression could be seen clearly through it.

She had clearly never expected that even with such speed, she could still be sealed in ice.

Jiang Lan shielded Shui Bing'er behind him. Looking at the leopard woman's astonished expression, he clicked his tongue inwardly as well.

Shui Bing'er's first soul skill was not only instantaneous, but also guaranteed to hit.

So long as Shui Bing'er's spiritual power locked onto an opponent, no matter how fast they were, they could not evade her Ice Seal.

This soul skill was completely impossible to counter. Against low-ranked soul masters, it was simply too insidious.