In that instant between life and death, Lin Chen gathered all his soul power and charged straight at the Demon Charm fusion!
The Life Soul Blade, interwoven with icy green light, tore through the sky, carrying supreme iceheart chill and boundless life force. It seemed gentle, yet concealed the power of a killing blow that could shatter the deadlock. The iceheart domain around him surged again, and ice crystals filling the air turned into chains that bound Demon Charm tight. Even beneath the overwhelming pressure of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he refused to yield an inch.
"Keep dreaming! No one can break my Demon Charm fusion skill!"
Xie Yue and Hu Liena shouted in unison from within the fused form. The sinister Moon Blade condensed once more, red-and-black soul power surging like waves as it slashed head-on toward Lin Chen's Life Soul Blade with world-destroying force.
In an instant, the two supreme powers crashed together!
Humm—
A soundless shock wave of soul power swept across the arena. The Arena Defensive Formation flashed brilliantly, humming again and again. The spectators in the stands felt their minds quake. They instinctively held their breath, their eyes riveted on the center of the arena, not daring even to breathe heavily.
Icy power and violent demonic energy eroded each other, clashing relentlessly. The blood at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth grew thicker, and sharp pain coursed through his meridians. Yet his gaze remained resolute. Gritting his teeth, he drove the power of his martial soul origin and fully unleashed the immortal origin power of the ten-thousand-year ice heart grass.
Luminous white iceheart origin power poured out along the blade. The supreme chill instantly froze Demon Charm's soul power pathways. A layer of solid ice rapidly covered the once-unstoppable Moon Blade, drastically weakening its power!
Life force clung like maggots burrowing into bone, steadily dismantling Demon Charm's fused soul power. The core of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill was the soul power resonance between Xie Yue and Hu Liena—and Lin Chen's life soul power could sever the soul power link between them!
"No—! This is impossible!"
Within the Demon Charm fusion, Xie Yue and Hu Liena roared in disbelief. They could clearly feel the resonance of their Martial Soul Fusion Skill rapidly fading. Their bodies were slipping beyond their control, and their fused state was about to collapse!
"Break!"
Pouring out the last of his strength, Lin Chen shouted fiercely. The Life Soul Blade pierced straight through the sinister Moon Blade and stabbed viciously into the core of the Demon Charm fusion!
Bang!
With a thunderous crash, the Demon Charm fusion disintegrated. Xie Yue and Hu Liena were hurled backward and slammed heavily onto the arena floor, blood spraying from their mouths. Their soul rings dimmed, and they completely lost the ability to fight.
Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill had been shattered by sheer force!
The entire arena fell deathly silent!
Hundreds of thousands of spectators stared slack-jawed at the figure in the center of the arena. Everyone was utterly shaken by what they had witnessed. The once-roaring Arena Square became so quiet that a falling pin could have been heard.
Who could have imagined that Lin Chen, a mere rank-thirty-three Soul Elder, would forcibly break the Spirit Hall Golden Generation's Martial Soul Fusion Skill and defeat Xie Yue and Hu Liena, hailed as the pinnacle of young soul masters!
This battle completely overturned everything everyone knew about soul master cultivation and combat strength!
Lin Chen stood in the center of the arena, his soul power nearly exhausted, breathing lightly. His white robes were stained with blood, yet he remained straight-backed, like a pine standing unbowed. His sharp eyes surveyed the entire arena with commanding pride.
Xie Yue struggled to rise, but his body had no strength left. He could only glare venomously at Lin Chen and roar, "I refuse to accept this! You only won because your martial soul is strange!"
"In the arena, the victor is king." Lin Chen's voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority. "A loss is a loss."
The referee finally recovered from his shock. He looked at Xie Yue and Hu Liena, who lay unable to rise, then at Lin Chen, who still stood unbowed. With a trembling hand, he raised his signal flag and used every ounce of his strength to announce, "I declare the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team the winner of this match! They advance to the tournament finals!"
As his words fell, deafening cheers instantly erupted throughout the arena, rolling across the Arena Square like thunder!
"Lin Chen! Lin Chen! Lin Chen!"
Shouts, cheers, and applause intertwined, resounding into the clouds. Everyone cheered for this heaven-defying young soul master. Single-handedly, he had defeated the arrogant Spirit Hall Golden Generation and created a miracle in the soul master world!
The members of the Heaven Dou Royal Team rushed onto the arena like madmen and crowded around Lin Chen, so excited that their words tumbled over one another.
"We won! We defeated Spirit Hall!"
"Lin Chen, you're incredible! You're our hero!"
Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi hurried to Lin Chen's side, their eyes slightly reddened. They quickly took out healing pills and carefully supported him, their gazes filled with aching concern and joy.
"Take the pills quickly. Don't force yourself to keep going."
"Thank goodness you're all right..."
Lin Chen accepted the pills and swallowed them. Feeling the two women's concern, warmth welled in his heart, and his tightly wound nerves finally relaxed. Although he had won, the battle had exhausted his soul power and left him lightly injured. The Spirit Hall Golden Generation's strength truly far exceeded his expectations.
On the raised platform, the members of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family beamed with delight. Spirit Hall's special envoy, however, wore an ashen expression, killing intent spilling out in all directions. Bound by the arena rules, the envoy could not act and could only stare fixedly at Lin Chen with an utterly sinister gaze.
Lin Chen had killed a Spirit Hall Soul Emperor, and now he had defeated the Golden Generation. He had crossed Spirit Hall's ultimate line, and a plot to kill him was brewing furiously in the shadows.
In the spectators' section where the Shrek Seven Devils sat, everyone remained silent.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others wore stunned expressions. Nothing remained in their hearts toward Lin Chen but profound awe. Even the proud Zhu Zhuqing had to admit that his talent and combat strength had long since surpassed them all.
Tang San clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms until blood seeped out. Jealousy, resentment, and helplessness tangled within him, threatening to devour him.
He had given everything to catch up to Lin Chen, yet Lin Chen created miracle after miracle, leaving him far behind. The gulf between them had already become a heavenly chasm, almost impossible to cross.
Yu Xiaogang's expression was grave as he murmured, "This young man's future is limitless. He will surely shake the entire soul master world... Spirit Hall will never let him go."
In the arena, Spirit Hall's team members hurried to help Xie Yue and Hu Liena up. Both were deathly pale. Their eyes brimmed with bone-deep hatred and killing intent as they looked at Lin Chen, but their earlier arrogance was gone.
They had lost, utterly and completely.
"Lin Chen, I, Xie Yue, will remember today's humiliation. One day, I'll repay it a hundredfold!" Xie Yue ground his teeth, every word wrung out as though with blood.
Hu Liena wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her alluring eyes were icy, her killing intent undisguised. "Whether in the finals or afterward, we will kill you with our own hands!"
Lin Chen glanced indifferently at them both, his voice cool. "I'll be waiting, anytime."
He knew very well that defeating the Spirit Hall Golden Generation would only bring even more frenzied retaliation from Spirit Hall. But he had no fear. Through this battle, both his combat strength and his state of mind had undergone the fiercest tempering. He would only grow stronger.
Amid the cheers of the entire arena, Lin Chen slowly walked off the field, supported by Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi.
Sunlight fell across his bloodstained white robes, outlining his dazzling figure. At that moment, Lin Chen's name resounded throughout the soul master world, and he became the most brilliant legend of the continent-wide Soul Master Tournament.
Once the day's matches ended, the Tournament Organizing Committee promptly announced the finals matchup: Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team VS Shrek Academy Team!
The final battle for the championship was about to begin!
After returning to the academy, Lin Chen immediately entered seclusion to heal, assimilate what he had gained from this battle, and consolidate his combat strength. At the same time, he quietly remained vigilant against Spirit Hall's covert retaliation.
He knew that the finals would not merely be a contest for the championship, but a new beginning in his struggle against Spirit Hall and the various other powers.
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