The instant those words fell, soul power erupted in brilliant light at both ends of the arena.
Dai Huabin tightened his grip on Zhu Lu's hand and let out a thunderous tiger's roar. As that roar shook the entire arena, his body swelled once more. White fur streaked with black tiger stripes surged wildly from within him, his muscles bulged, and his twin pupils merged into a single red-gold vertical slit. Zhu Lu lightly bit her teeth together, her entire body shrouded in a faint black glow. Her figure grew insubstantial, almost transparent, as she spread her arms and threw herself toward Dai Huabin. Her gaze was as tender as water, as though she meant to melt the man before her completely.
At that moment, the auras of the White Tiger and the Hell Spirit Cat merged completely.
It seemed as though the White Tiger had swallowed the black cat, yet also as though the black cat had become part of the White Tiger. Dense waves of soul power burst from their fused bodies like a geyser. Black and white light melded completely amid an expanding golden halo. It felt like a sublime transformation, far beyond the mere addition of soul power-as though two utterly different forces had found their perfect point of harmony and transformed into an entirely new existence.
A Martial Soul Fusion Skill had never been a matter of one plus one equaling two. Even two identical martial souls might not possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, for it required complementary qualities and perfect compatibility. When a Martial Soul Fusion Skill emerged, its power reflected far more than the ranks of the two soul masters. It was something that transcended rank itself.
Dai Huabin's and Zhu Lu's bodies vanished at the instant of fusion.
All that remained in the Assessment Zone was an enormous white tiger.
The white tiger's entire body was transparent, with white fur, black stripes, and purple eyes bearing twin pupils. It measured several zhang in length, its limbs thick as pillars. A halo of interwoven black and white soul power radiated around it, and every step cracked the bluestone slabs beneath its feet. It stared coldly at the fiery-red figure opposite it, savage light blazing in its purple eyes. Its jaws opened and closed, and Dai Huabin's voice emerged from within the giant tiger, doubled and resonant, deep and vicious:
"Nezha, I refuse to believe a mere Soul Elder like you can defeat Zhu Lu's and my Martial Soul Fusion Skill-the Hell White Tiger!"
Meanwhile, Nezha pulled the Fire-Tipped Spear from the ground. Purple flames surged at its tip before compressing into a single point of dazzling white light. He turned his head to glance at Ning Tian, who nodded slightly. Her platinum-blond hair lifted gently in the turbulence of her soul power. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovered above her palm, and her first and third soul rings lit up simultaneously.
"Seven Treasures Have Names, First: Strength, Third: Speed."
Two streaks of light shot from the pagoda and sank precisely into Nezha's body. He felt the soul power throughout his limbs and bones surge, while the Wind Fire Wheels beneath his feet grew another thirty percent faster. Immediately afterward, his first soul ring blazed with light.
Bathe in Fire.
Scarlet flames gushed from within him, churning and flowing around his body like a garment of living fire. The purple flames at his spear's tip surged in turn. Firelight illuminated his sharply defined face, and deep within his fiery-red eyes, two more flames seemed to ignite.
All attributes increased by seventy percent.
With Ning Tian's enhancements added to that, his combat strength climbed to a terrifying peak in that instant.
Nezha held his spear in one hand, its butt trailing a dazzling tail of flame behind him. The Fire-Tipped Spear pointed diagonally toward the ground, while the Wind Fire Wheels hovered three inches above it, wreathed in intertwining scarlet flames and green winds.
He raised his head to look at the enormous Hell White Tiger opposite him. There was not the slightest fear in his fiery-red eyes. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled upward.
"The Hell White Tiger?"
He tilted his head, his tone carrying a careless defiance.
"Just a little kitten. Watch me knock you flat!"
Up on the viewing platform.
The spectating teachers erupted into an uproar the instant both sides made their moves.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill right from the start?!"
A middle-aged male teacher shot to his feet, bracing both hands against the railing as he stared incredulously at the enormous Hell White Tiger in the arena.
He had taught for many years and watched plenty of Freshman Assessment finals, but this was the first time he had seen both sides reveal their trump cards less than three breaths into a match.
"Isn't Dai Huabin rushing things? He's brought out the Hell White Tiger right at the start. Isn't he worried he'll run out of soul power later?" another teacher asked with a frown, sounding puzzled.
"Look at who he's facing."
Someone beside him chimed in, "That kid Nezha unleashed Bathe in Fire at full strength right from the start. With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's two enhancements on top of that, his aura has already reached the level of a high-ranking Soul Ancestor. If Dai Huabin dared to hold back, he might not even get a chance to use his Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
Several nearby teachers nodded at those words.
Indeed, the moment Nezha's soul ring lit up and he activated Bathe in Fire, scarlet spear intent swept toward his opponents, blanketing heaven and earth. The two-hundred-meter distance seemed to shrink to a mere step. Purple flames danced fiercely on the Fire-Tipped Spear beneath the sunlight, and even from far away, they could feel that scorching pressure.
Had Dai Huabin been half a beat slower, he might have been pierced by a single thrust before he could even complete his Martial Soul Fusion.
Yan Shaozhe stood at the very front of the railing, both hands resting on it, his gaze deep and unreadable as it swept between the two sides in the arena.
Behind him, Cai Mei'er leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice. "Yan Shaozhe, who do you favor?"
Yan Shaozhe remained silent for two breaths before the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Nezha's explosive power is indeed terrifying, but the Hell White Tiger is a Martial Soul Fusion Skill passed down for ten thousand years. It combines offense and defense, and its speed, strength, and durability far surpass those of soul masters at the same rank. If Dai Huabin can withstand Nezha's first few thrusts and hold out until Nezha's soul power subsides, the outcome will still be uncertain."
Cai Mei'er nodded gently, though a trace of disagreement lingered in her eyes. She simply did not voice it.
In a corner, Xuan Zi took a bite of his chicken leg. His cloudy old eyes half closed, he muttered indistinctly, "Withstand them? That kid's spear isn't so easy to withstand."
Elsewhere, in the area where the senior students had gathered, Bei Bei leaned against a pillar with his arms folded, watching the arena with a calm gaze.
Beside him, Xu Sanshi stared darkly at Nezha's figure. The shadow of that spear thrust three months earlier remained etched clearly in his memory. Seeing Nezha unleash his full power right from the start, his pupils involuntarily contracted, and he instinctively touched his chest.
Although the wound there had long since vanished, the terror of being burned through by Ultimate Fire still seemed to coil within the cracks of his bones.
"Xu Sanshi, you've fought him before. Do you think Dai Huabin has a chance?" someone beside him leaned over to ask.
Xu Sanshi remained silent for a long while before forcing a sentence through his clenched teeth. "If Dai Huabin wins, I'll eat this railing."
The senior students nearby exchanged glances, and none of them said another word.
On the other side of the viewing platform, Mu Jin gripped the railing tightly with both hands, his knuckles white. Watching Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu unleash the Hell White Tiger right from the start had made his heart lurch.
But immediately afterward, Nezha fully unleashed Bathe in Fire, and his spear intent soared. The might of those scarlet flames was not the least bit inferior to the Hell White Tiger's.
His heart, which had been lodged in his throat, settled slightly, and he murmured under his breath, "Steady, steady. Nezha, don't get reckless..."
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