In Suotuo City, an immense, magnificent oval building stood tall.
This was the renowned Soto Great Soul Arena.
At that moment, the stands inside the Great Soul Arena teemed with spectators, with nearly sixty thousand people gathered there.
Cheers and shouts boiled over, waves of sound surging like a tide, as though they would tear the dome clean off.
The atmosphere was so electric because a duo called the Blue Silver Twin Stars had won nineteen consecutive matches since their debut three years ago.
Nineteen straight victories were enough to go down in history, especially when most of their battles had been against higher-level opponents.
They had won every match cleanly and decisively.
They had won the hearts of countless soul masters!
Today would be the Blue Silver Twin Stars' twentieth battle, as well as their promotion match for a Gold Badge.
The Blue Silver Twin Stars were reportedly brother and sister. The older brother had now reached level forty, the Soul Ancestor rank, while his younger sister was already level thirty-four.
Their opponents, however, were even more formidable.
They were a famous duo of Soul Kings known as the Mad Lion Duo.
A clash between rising stars and established powerhouses promised plenty of excitement.
After years of consecutive victories, the Blue Silver Twin Stars' popularity had grown to staggering heights.
Thus, despite the exorbitant ticket prices for this match, tickets were still almost impossible to obtain.
On the central stage, the host shouted at the top of his lungs, his face alight with excitement.
"Next, let us welcome today's contestants."
"The gifted young duo carrying everyone's hopes-the Blue Silver Twin Stars!"
A young man and woman in blue robes and silver masks stepped onto the stage.
"A spear striking like a dragon, dominating with unstoppable force-the Blue Silver Overlord Spear!"
"A fleeting bloom of splendor, plucking flowers with flying leaves-Blue Silver Flower Peerless!"
The host roared out the Twin Stars' titles.
The surrounding spectators instantly erupted, screams, cheers, and applause rising one after another.
"The Blue Silver Twin Stars have now achieved an astonishing nineteen consecutive victories, an unprecedented record in the history of the Soto Great Soul Arena!"
"And today, the Blue Silver Twin Stars will challenge Soul Kings whose soul power levels exceed theirs by more than ten levels, aiming to claim a Gold Badge."
"I believe every soul master here today has come to witness this historic moment. Let us witness it together!"
A roar like an ocean tide thundered through the arena.
"Now, let us welcome our other competing duo. As veteran powerhouses who have roamed the soul master world for years, they too carry great expectations. How will they respond to this challenge from the younger generation?"
"Let us welcome the Mad Lion Duo!"
Behind his mask, Tang Yin's eyes were utterly calm.
Though only twelve years old, he stood 1.8 meters tall, his figure slender and straight, his bearing restrained and steady.
Beside him, Tang San Niang had blossomed into a graceful beauty. Her deep-blue hair cascaded like a waterfall to her hips, and her shapely figure traced perfect, captivating curves.
Three years ago, they had sought to gain practical combat experience and test the fruits of their martial arts training.
Tang Yin had begun bringing his sister and Xiao Wu to the Soto Great Soul Arena from time to time to hone their skills.
They competed in roughly five to ten matches each year.
Their winning streak had continued to this day.
Barring any surprises, this would be their last battle here.
Once this match was over, this period of training would end, and they would set off to study at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
At that moment, two middle-aged men stepped onto the stage and stood facing them.
Of these two Soul King powerhouses, one wielded a sword and the other a blade, each a master of his weapon.
Their features bore a certain resemblance. Renowned throughout the Balak Kingdom, they were two powerful soul masters who possessed a Sword-and-Blade Combined Skill.
A combined skill was a technique that amplified a skill's power through the transmission and stacking of soul power, much like the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill used by the Shrek Seven Monsters in the original story.
It was a Pseudo Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
"Mad Lion Duo, put your backs into it and knock the Blue Silver Twin Stars flat! I bet everything on you!"
"Get lost! Our Blue Silver Twin Stars are invincible! They're going to win!"
"Hmph! Brats who don't know how high heaven is or how deep the earth runs! Blade Fiend and Sword Fiend are level fifty-three and fifty-two. With a gap of more than ten levels, how could they possibly win?"
Heated discussions filled the arena.
The host wasted no more words and gave the signal.
"Now, let this soul fighting match officially begin!"
In an instant, soul rings blazed with light across the stage.
The Mad Lion Duo wore extremely grave expressions. As experts specially invited to compete, both regarded this young duo as the most formidable opponents they had ever faced.
It was not merely because the patrons behind the scenes had offered them an exceptionally generous payment.
More importantly, their dignity as veteran powerhouses would never allow them to become someone else's stepping stones.
Unless they were paid!
In an instant.
Five soul rings lit up in succession, circling each man.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple!
Their fifth soul rings were already deep purple. For soul masters who did not hail from the seven great sects, this was an outstanding soul ring configuration.
But a moment later.
Tang Yin's and Tang San Niang's soul rings left some soul masters who had never seen them before frozen like stone.
Purple, purple, black, black-and purple, purple, purple!
Everyone in the arena sucked in a sharp breath.
Without another word, the Mad Lion Duo unleashed their full strength.
"First soul skill-Blood-Drinking Mad Blade! Sword Like Floating Dust!"
"Second soul skill-Hate-Fueled Mad Slash! Sky-Sundering Sword Howl!"
"Third soul skill-"
"Sword-and-Blade Combined Skill-Blade-and-Sword Twin Fiends Domain!"
The entire stage transformed into a domain of blades and swords, their sharp edges enveloping every direction like tangible weapons.
Inside a private room on the second floor of the Great Soul Arena.
An exceedingly noble-looking blond young lord nodded slightly. "The fact that they developed a combined skill shows that the Mad Lion Duo have considerable talent."
A trace of anticipation gleamed in Xue Qinghe's gaze. "How will the Blue Silver Twin Stars respond to such an offensive?"
Disguised as the eldest prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, the ambitious Qian Renxue had always placed great importance on drawing talented people to her side.
She was particularly fond of recruiting those with extraordinary gifts.
Naturally, the Blue Silver Twin Stars, whose fame had soared in recent years, had caught her attention long ago.
For instance, she had not missed a single one of their last three matches.
Xue Qinghe's bright eyes swept over the striking black rings circling Tang Yin, and a little more astonishment rose in his gaze.
His first soul ring was already several thousand years old, and for his third, he had actually absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Even Qian Renxue, blessed with innate full soul power at level twenty, could not help being moved by such talent.
Heaven Dou City was more than two thousand li from Suotuo City. Xue Qinghe's long journey here showed just how much importance he placed on these two.
"If they could serve me, what a tremendous asset they would be."
Xue Qinghe's eyes brimmed with anticipation.
Meanwhile, on the stage.
The Mad Lion Duo had unleashed their trump-card combined skill right from the start.
That alone showed how much pressure they were under.
As the terrifying attack swept toward them.
Neither Tang Yin nor Tang San Niang's expression changed in the slightest.
They exchanged a glance.
Tang Yin stepped forward, his utterly calm voice ringing out clearly.
"First soul skill-Myriad Forms Spirit Balance!"
"Seven Stars Marking Life-Ying Huai!"
"Activate!!!"
Boom! A thunderous blast erupted!
Tang Yin's body shuddered, and he abruptly grew three feet taller, his blood and soul power boiling within him.
Hum!
Tang Yin lowered his right hand, and a silver-white spear appeared in his grasp.
Just then, Tang San Niang's voice rang out like an oriole's song.
"Second soul skill-Blue Silver Armor Transformation!"
"Third soul skill-Life Link!"
"First soul skill-Desolate Wind!"
Gold-veined Blue Silver Emperor leaves covered Tang Yin and Tang San Niang from head to toe, forming deep-blue battle armor.
They even wound around Tang Yin's spear, unleashing a sharp aura of deadly menace.
At the same time, blue halos lit up beneath Tang San Niang's and Tang Yin's feet, linking their life forces.
Tang San Niang channeled her own life force into Tang Yin in a one-way transfer, making his vitality, energy, and spirit surge like a blazing furnace, amplifying them a full threefold.
With these enhancements, Tang Yin became a blue-armored god of war more than three meters tall, standing before Tang San Niang with the awe-inspiring majesty of a deity descended from heaven.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Razor-sharp flashes of blade and sword tore through the air.
Tang Yin swept his spear across, and the clang of metal against metal exploded!
Bang, bang, bang!
Amid the shower of sparks.
Every flash of blade and sword was swept away.
"What a powerful physique!"
Both members of the Mad Lion Duo paled.
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