As the quarterfinals progressed, the Heaven Dou Royal Team and the Spirit Hall Team both advanced undefeated to meet in the tournament semifinals.
The moment the matchup was announced, the entire Soul Master Arena Plaza erupted. Hundreds of thousands of spectators poured out in full force, filling every seat. Even the grounds outside the arena were packed with Soul Masters who had rushed over upon hearing the news. Everyone knew this confrontation would be the pinnacle battle between the young Soul Masters of this tournament—the ultimate clash between Lin Chen's Life Iceheart Domain and the Spirit Hall Golden Generation!
On the arena's elevated platform, members of the Two Great Empires' imperial royal families, the Spirit Hall Pope's special envoy, and the patriarchs of various sects had all assembled. Their solemn gazes fixed on the center of the arena. The outcome of this battle could even influence the future balance of power in the Soul Master World.
In the preparation area, every member of the Heaven Dou Royal Team wore a solemn expression. Their earlier ease had vanished, and everyone was wound tight.
The Spirit Hall Golden Generation facing them was the strongest opponent they had encountered so far. Level thirty-nine Soul Elders, a perfect combination of martial souls, and a terrifying Martial Soul Fusion Skill—each alone was enough to crush most teams. One careless move could cost them the entire game.
"When the battle starts, Yue Huaxi, keep Limitless Boost active throughout. Prioritize strengthening our defenses and enhancing my domain control. Qingyuan, keep Hu Liena occupied, and don't let her charm Soul Skills affect you. Everyone else, hold off the remaining Spirit Hall members with everything you have. Don't let them disrupt my rhythm." Lin Chen laid out their tactics in a low voice, his tone utterly serious.
He knew perfectly well that the heart of this battle was his confrontation with Xie Yue and Hu Liena. As long as he could withstand their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they had a chance of winning.
Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi exchanged a glance and nodded together, determination filling their eyes. "We'll hold the line. You can count on us!"
"We must win this battle. Defeat is not an option!" White-green Soul Power slowly surged around Lin Chen as his aura climbed to its peak. Inside his dantian, his Life Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul trembled wildly, already impatient for the decisive battle.
Meanwhile, in Spirit Hall's preparation area.
Xie Yue wiped the Moon Blades in his hands, their edges gleaming coldly, his eyes icy. "I'll keep Lin Chen occupied head-on. Nana, use your charm Soul Skills to control his teammates. Once we find an opening, we'll unleash our Martial Soul Fusion Skill and finish him in one strike!"
"Don't worry, big brother. This match is ours. I'll be taking Lin Chen's life." Hu Liena gently stroked her Fox Tail, bone-chilling murderous intent hidden beneath her alluring manner as charming Soul Power quietly gathered around her.
The remaining team members nodded as well, their gazes arrogant. In their eyes, even though Lin Chen had demonstrated formidable strength, he was no match for the Golden Generation.
"Both teams, enter the arena!"
The referee's loud announcement rang throughout the venue.
Lin Chen stepped forward first, leading the Heaven Dou Royal Team into the arena, his posture straight and his presence steady. Across from them, Xie Yue and Hu Liena led the Spirit Hall Team out at a measured pace. Their black-and-gold uniforms radiated swagger, while their Soul Power fluctuated violently around them. Two powerful auras collided at the center of the arena, and even the air seemed to freeze.
"Lin Chen!"
"Spirit Hall!"
The cries from the stands mingled into a deafening roar. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment the battle began.
Tang San and the Shrek Seven Devils stood in the spectator stands, staring intently at the arena. Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye to its fullest, refusing to miss a single detail. He both looked forward to Lin Chen defeating Spirit Hall and secretly hoped Lin Chen would lose, his feelings tangled beyond measure. Yu Xiaogang's expression was grave, his fists tightly clenched. This battle had long since gone beyond the scope of an ordinary academy competition.
"Let the match begin!"
The instant the referee's words fell, both sides erupted into action!
"Martial Soul Possession!"
Xie Yue roared, unleashing the full Soul Power of a level thirty-nine Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—rose into the air, their dazzling light enveloping him. His Moon Blade martial soul fully awakened, the curved blades in both hands flashed with cold light. Blade energy swept in every direction as he slashed straight at Lin Chen!
"Second Soul Skill, Moon Blade Whirlwind!"
Razor-sharp blade winds swept across the arena, slicing through the air with piercing shrieks. Their power far surpassed Lei Meng's earlier attacks. Even Soul Emperor-level defenses might not withstand them easily.
Hu Liena followed close behind, her Fox Tail martial soul unfurling as the Soul Power of a level thirty-eight Control System Battle Soul Elder burst forth. Pink, charming Soul Power spread like a tide. Her second Soul Skill, Ultimate Charm, rushed straight toward the Heaven Dou Royal Team, seeking to seize control of the entire battlefield in an instant.
The other Spirit Hall members showed no mercy either. Soul Skills fired in unison, their ferocious attacks blanketing the arena and displaying the Golden Generation's terrifying combat strength.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile, all-attribute boost! Defense boost! Resistance boost!"
Yue Huaxi dared not delay for even a moment. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda blazed with light, and three top-tier enhancement halos instantly enveloped the entire team. Golden light shimmered around the Heaven Dou Royal Team as their Soul Power, defenses, and spiritual strength all rose, allowing them to barely resist the invading charm.
"Soft Bone Soul Skill, Clone Restraint!"
Su Qingyuan darted forward, creating several clones that lunged straight at Hu Liena. Using softness to overcome force, she relentlessly entangled Hu Liena's attacks, preventing her charm Soul Skills from taking full effect and buying Lin Chen an opening.
"Just what I wanted!"
Lin Chen's gaze sharpened. His two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring shone simultaneously as his Life Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul erupted. He spread Life Domain · Ice Heart Binding at full power, holding nothing back!
The pale-green Life Domain instantly covered the entire arena. Luminous white ice crystals danced through the sky, and extreme cold swept across the battlefield, crashing head-on into Xie Yue's blade energy and Hu Liena's charming Soul Power!
Hiss—
The cold froze the blade winds and sealed the charming Soul Power in ice. Spirit Hall's previously ferocious offensive abruptly faltered!
Xie Yue felt bone-piercing cold envelop him. The circulation of Soul Power within his body suddenly slowed, and the might of his curved blades diminished sharply. Shock seized him. This domain's control is actually this powerful!
He had thought his offensive strength would be enough to break through the domain's suppression. Only after facing it directly did he realize that Lin Chen's Iceheart Domain was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
"Myriad Spirit Ice Vines, bind!"
With a slight shift of Lin Chen's intent, ice-patterned blue silver grass burst from the ground like flood dragons surging out of the sea, coiling toward Xie Yue and Hu Liena. Every vine carried cold capable of freezing Soul Power. Anyone caught would lose their ability to fight in an instant.
"Moon Blades, cut them apart!"
Xie Yue roared and drove his third Soul Skill, Thunder Moon Sky-Splitting Slash, to its fullest. His purple Soul Ring flared, and blade light woven from lightning and Soul Power gathered along his curved blades before hacking viciously into the ice vines.
Bang!
The ice vines shattered, but more surged out in an endless stream, wave after wave, completely sealing off Xie Yue's movements.
Held back by Su Qingyuan, Hu Liena could not unleash her charm Soul Skills and was unable to support Xie Yue for the moment. Lin Chen alone had pinned down the Spirit Hall Team's offensive!
The spectators stared, dumbfounded. No one had imagined that Lin Chen could single-handedly contend with the Spirit Hall Golden Generation's combined assault!
"Impossible! I refuse to believe I can't break through your domain!"
Thoroughly enraged, Xie Yue's eyes turned wild. As a member of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, how could he be suppressed by a level thirty-two Soul Elder—level thirty-three after advancing?
"Nana, prepare the Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Xie Yue bellowed, releasing his Soul Power without restraint. It resonated intensely with Hu Liena's Soul Power, and a terrifying force far beyond the Soul Elder realm slowly gathered at the center of the arena. Even the Soul Power between heaven and earth grew restless!
Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Demon Charm!
Hu Liena moved at his call, abandoning her fight with Su Qingyuan. In a flash, she embraced Xie Yue tightly. Their figures instantly fused into an uncanny form, half male and half female, wreathed in red-black Soul Power. A terrifying pressure swept across the arena, cowing everyone!
In Demon Charm form, Xie Yue and Hu Liena's strength doubled. Their speed, power, and control surged across the board, far surpassing an ordinary Soul Ancestor. Even the domain's suppression could not fully restrain them!
"Lin Chen, die!"
The Demon Charm figure moved at tremendous speed, leaving only an afterimage in the air. A gigantic, sinister Moon Blade formed in its hand and slashed straight at Lin Chen with the power to destroy heaven and earth. This strike could kill an ordinary Soul Ancestor instantly!
"Watch out!"
Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi's expressions changed drastically, and they cried out in alarm.
In the stands, everyone rose to their feet, tension written across their faces. There was no way Lin Chen could withstand this strike!
Lin Chen's expression grew utterly grave, yet he did not retreat in the slightest. White-green light surged around him as he drove his Iceheart Domain to its limit. Ice crystals condensed into a thick wall before him, while he simultaneously unleashed his Life Soul Power to shield his entire body.
"Iceheart Soul Lock, Myriad Spirits Guard the Heavens!"
He poured out all his Soul Power, using Life Blue Silver Grass as his foundation and Iceheart Power as his barrier to erect his strongest defense!
Boom—!
The gigantic Moon Blade hacked viciously into the ice wall. The thunderous impact shook the entire arena, and the defensive formation blazed with light, only barely containing the shock waves.
The ice wall shattered. Lin Chen was hurled backward, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He had clearly suffered a minor injury, and even his domain power wavered slightly.
"Lin Chen!"
Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi rushed forward without regard for anything else, trying to shield him.
"I'm fine."
Lin Chen steadied himself and wiped the blood from his mouth. His eyes only grew sharper, and his Soul Power erupted once more. Through that collision, he had fully gauged Demon Charm's strength.
"Your Martial Soul Fusion Skill is indeed powerful. But it's still not enough!"
Lin Chen threw back his head and let out a long cry. Within his dantian, his Life Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, empowered by the origin power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Heart Grass, shone with unprecedented brilliance. Ice patterns spread across the entire martial soul, and his domain power rose to a new level!
He slowly raised his right hand. A sharp blade of Life Soul Power, interwoven with icy and green light, condensed in his palm. This was his strongest strike, fusing his Martial Soul Origin with Iceheart Power!
"Xie Yue, Hu Liena, it's time to end this battle!"
As his words fell, Lin Chen flashed forward, charging straight into Demon Charm's offensive!
His Life Iceheart Domain exerted its full suppressive force. Ice vines danced across the sky, locking down Demon Charm's movements, while the Life Soul Blade in his hand drove straight toward Demon Charm's core with the momentum of crushing rotten wood!
This strike would decide victory or defeat, life or death!
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