Fatty, Thanks for Helping Me Set Up Mist Veil

"Can your water put out my Phoenix Flame?" As Ma Hongjun spoke, the flames around him roared to life.

As the Evil Fire Phoenix possessed him, his already round body swelled further. A layer of purplish-red feathers covered his arms, and scorching heat spread rapidly in every direction.

Ling Yun stood on the other side of the training ground. Instead of attacking at once as he had against Dai Mubai, he took a few careful looks.

The Evil Fire Phoenix had its flaws, but the quality of the Martial Soul was beyond question.

Ma Hongjun's Soul Power was not especially high yet, but in terms of flame temperature alone, ordinary fire-type Soul Masters might not match him.

"One thing first." Ling Yun pointed toward the edge of the training ground. "Don't blame elemental suppression if you lose. Water counters fire, sure, but a big enough fire can boil water dry."

Ma Hongjun had been ready to hear him boast. Instead, those words caught him off guard.

"You know that?"

"Obviously." Ling Yun flexed his wrist. "If I thought having water made me invincible, why wouldn't I just bring a bucket to a match against someone like Huo Wu?"

Laughter broke out around them.

Ma Hongjun's face darkened. He wasted no more words, and his First Soul Ring lit up.

"Phoenix Fire Line!"

Purplish-red flames surged from his mouth, sending scorching air rushing across more than ten meters. Ling Yun did not take it head-on. He activated Wave Treading and darted sideways across the training ground.

The line of fire swept after him. Water left on the ground boiled almost instantly, sending up clouds of white steam.

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up.

It worked!

Ling Yun's third Soul Skill clearly needed water to support it. If Ma Hongjun kept evaporating the water on the ground, Ling Yun's speed would eventually suffer.

With that in mind, Ma Hongjun chased Ling Yun and kept breathing fire. "You like covering the ground in water? Then I'll roast every drop dry!"

Ling Yun dodged two more blasts of flame. At those words, a strange look crept onto his face.

Tang San, watching from the sidelines, noticed something too.

He glanced at the thickening steam, then at the black fourth Soul Ring around Ling Yun. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Fatty's got one thing wrong."

Dai Mubai was recovering his Soul Power. He looked up. "What?"

Tang San did not answer.

Ling Yun had already stopped.

Ma Hongjun perked up. "Out of water?"

Most of the training ground had indeed dried.

But thick white steam now hung over the entire field. Around the two of them, visibility was already beginning to fade.

Ling Yun looked down at the ground, then up at the air around him.

Finally, he cupped his fist toward Ma Hongjun with a solemn expression.

"Fatty."

"Nicely done."

Ma Hongjun did not understand at first. "What do you mean?"

The black Soul Ring lit up.

Mist Veil.

Soul Power seized the steam that had been drifting aimlessly and spread it across the training ground in the blink of an eye. A moment ago, they could see more than ten meters away. Now, beyond a few meters, there was only white.

Ma Hongjun stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

Ling Yun's voice came from deep within the fog. "I was still wondering whether I'd have to spend my own Soul Power making mist for this fight."

"Turns out you're a pretty nice guy. You humidified the place for free."

The sidelines erupted in laughter.

Dai Mubai covered his face. When he had lost to Ling Yun, at least he had been beaten by tactics.

Fatty, on the other hand, had spent half the fight setting up the conditions for his opponent's fourth Soul Skill with his own hands.

"Damn it!"

Ma Hongjun finally realized what had happened. He whipped toward the voice and fired a Phoenix Fire Line.

The flames carved a passage through the dense fog.

No one was there.

"Second Soul Skill, Bathing Fire Phoenix!"

His flames grew stronger.

Ma Hongjun was no fool. If the fog gave Ling Yun the advantage, he would keep burning it away.

Intense heat spread wildly, and great swaths of fog began to thin.

Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly. "That's the right idea. Ling Yun's Mist Veil relies on moisture in the air. Ma Hongjun's flames are hot enough. As long as he keeps evaporating—"

He stopped mid-sentence. The fog was thinning, but only around Ma Hongjun. Farther away, the heated steam kept rising, forming an even larger blanket of white mist.

Making mist himself cost Ling Yun Soul Power. By burning the ground like this, Ma Hongjun was instead keeping the moisture in the air circulating.

Ling Yun's voice came from another direction. "Fatty, your idea works in theory. But have you considered that this training ground isn't a sealed iron pot? Steam doesn't just vanish into thin air."

Ma Hongjun's face darkened further.

He stopped trying to burn away the fog.

He planted himself in place and raised both arms to guard his body.

"Come at me if you've got the guts!"

If he could not find Ling Yun, he would stop looking. He was a Power Attack System Soul Master, far tougher than an ordinary Soul Master. If Ling Yun came close, he would have a chance to strike back.

Tang San nodded at that choice.

"That's his safest option now."

The words had barely left his mouth when a blue figure flashed past Ma Hongjun's side.

Ma Hongjun reacted at once, throwing a punch.

Water splashed apart. Another double.

The real Ling Yun appeared on the other side, and a tongue of Soul Power wrapped around Ma Hongjun's ankle.

"Found you!"

Ma Hongjun rejoiced. Flames raced down his body toward the tongue, but Ling Yun had no intention of matching his strength.

He gave a sharp pull and immediately let go. Ma Hongjun was braced low for defense, so the tug did not knock him down, but it did tilt him off balance for a moment.

That moment was enough. A Water Shuriken skimmed past his shoulder. It did not strike his body, of course, but sliced a small strip of fabric from the back of his training clothes.

Cold sweat broke out across Ma Hongjun's back.

If this had been a real fight...

That thing could have been aimed straight at my neck.

The fog gradually dispersed.

Ling Yun reappeared ten meters away, spinning another Water Shuriken in his hand.

"Want to keep going?"

Ma Hongjun fell silent for two seconds. The flames around him slowly died.

"No."

He could be stubborn, but he knew how to take a loss. The real problem was not that water countered fire.

It was how infuriating Ling Yun's Soul Skills became when he used them together.

As Ma Hongjun walked back to Shrek's side, Dai Mubai could no longer resist patting him on the shoulder.

"Fatty, that was some fine fog you made."

Ma Hongjun's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "Boss Dai, do you want a fight too?"

The two were still trading barbs when Zhu Zhuqing, who had remained silent until then, stepped forward.

She looked at neither Ma Hongjun nor anyone else.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the ground beneath Ling Yun's feet.

"Your third Soul Skill enhances your speed and your ability to change direction?"

Ling Yun nodded. "More or less."

Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment. "Then I'm next."

Dai Mubai froze. Ling Yun looked surprised too.

Zhu Zhuqing slowly released her Martial Soul. Her body grew lighter, and a pair of cat ears emerged from her hair. She did not provoke him. She only looked at Ling Yun intently. "I'm not fighting for captain. I just want to see how much faster you are than me."