Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's martial souls were the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle and the Bone Dragon King, respectively. Both were powerful dark-attribute martial souls.
However, whether in martial soul type or attribute, both of them were countered by Jiang Mingyuan and Tang Wulin.
The flames of Jiang Mingyuan's martial soul in his male form possessed exceptionally unusual powers of light and purification, making him a natural nemesis of dark-attribute Soul Masters. Not to mention that the rank of his phoenix martial soul itself suppressed Zhang Yangzi's Dark Phantom Demon Eagle.
The two boys from Class One each unleashed their abilities. Thick black mist spread from Zhang Yangzi's body, shrouding the entire sky above the arena. Wang Jinxi's right hand transformed into a massive bone claw, and nearly forty percent of his body turned to bone.
Tang Wulin looked up at that dark canopy, unable to help breaking into a cold sweat for Jiang Mingyuan.
"Brother Yuan, be careful!"
He shouted toward the sky, then grabbed his two hammers and went to help Xie Xie.
Wei Xiaofeng faced an attack from both sides: two big hammers and two small knives.
He laughed, not because he thought he could handle it easily, but because he was utterly out of options.
How the hell was he supposed to fight this?!
The battle within the dark canopy was just as fierce. Everyone watching outside could hear the sounds of fists and feet colliding within.
Contrary to his usual approach, Jiang Mingyuan did not control his flames to fight. He was hardly fragile; it was just that the mindset from his previous life still influenced him a little.
Why scrape his skin when he could clear the whole thing without a scratch?
Zhang Yangzi was the first to falter. The Dark Phantom Demon Eagle was not a martial soul suited to frontal assaults in the first place, and Jiang Mingyuan seized an opening to knock him down with a punch. Even so, he still did everything he could to maintain the dark canopy.
It did more than block their vision. The dark elements within strengthened Wang Jinxi while constantly eating away at Jiang Mingyuan's body. They simply could not break through that layer of phoenix flame.
Bang!
Fist met claw.
Jiang Mingyuan and Wang Jinxi both flew backward. Jiang Mingyuan barely traveled two meters, but Wang Jinxi fared far worse, nearly getting knocked right out of the canopy.
Wang Jinxi could not help widening his eyes.
His Bone Dragon King martial soul could be considered among the finest power attack system martial souls. Legend had it that twenty thousand years ago, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a guardian Douluo known as Bone Douluo. His martial soul had been a bone dragon, while Wang Jinxi's own Bone Dragon King was a grade above even that.
Ever since childhood, he had never lost a fair, one-on-one battle against someone his own age. Now, even fighting two against one with the terrain in their favor, the two of them were actually being suppressed!
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi exchanged a glance. If this continued, even if they could outlast Jiang Mingyuan, they would have no soul power left to deal with the two below.
Zhang Yangzi looked toward the Competition Platform. Wei Xiaofeng was struggling to hold on, relying on the characteristics of his Azure Shadow Serpent martial soul to leave illusory figures behind and narrowly evade the pair's pincer attacks. He had no chance to strike back and could only desperately hold out.
"Let's use that move!" Zhang Yangzi shouted to Wang Jinxi. Wang Jinxi did not answer, but his actions said everything.
He beat his bone wings and rushed toward Zhang Yangzi.
At that moment, everyone outside the arena was anxiously awaiting the result. Even Wu Changkong found it difficult to probe through the dark canopy on short notice.
Suddenly, Yun Xiao stretched out a hand and shouted, "Look!"
Locked in a tight embrace, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi burst out of the dark canopy. Pitch-black specks of light gradually appeared over them, covering their entire bodies.
Zhang Yangzi's body vanished, merging directly into Wang Jinxi's.
Another pair of illusory wings of light grew beneath Wang Jinxi's original bone wings. His body kept expanding, bursting through his shirt, and a pitch-black tail appeared behind him.
His left arm grew larger and turned to bone like his right, and a savage aura erupted from his entire body.
A frenzied dragon's roar rang out from his throat as Wang Jinxi plunged straight toward Xie Xie. Everything happened so suddenly that Xie Xie had no time to react before a single slap sent him flying.
Wang Jinxi changed direction in an instant. His legs drove forward and his wings beat behind him, bringing him before Tang Wulin in a flash as he punched toward his abdomen.
At that critical moment, before even Tang Wulin himself could react, golden light flashed over his body. His eyes became dragon eyes, and golden dragon scales sprouted across his right arm as his hand transformed into a dragon claw.
Tang Wulin immediately dropped his hammer and seized Wang Jinxi's wrist. Although he failed to stop the blow to his abdomen completely, he dissipated most of its force.
"Impossible! You actually have a-"
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Below the platform, Wu Changkong watched in shock. As a graduate of Shrek Academy, he understood the terrifying power of martial soul fusion skills better than the vast majority of people on the continent.
This was not a case of one plus one equaling two.
If two martial souls complemented each other and their Soul Masters were of one heart and mind, the power of the martial soul fusion skill they unleashed would multiply.
At the very least, one plus one would be greater than three.
In this day and age, twin martial souls were no longer anything extraordinary, but martial soul fusion skills remained powerful and mysterious.
To take just one example, there was the Star Luo Imperial Family's martial soul fusion skill, Hell White Tiger. Before the Star Luo Empire moved overseas, the Star Luo Imperial Family had relied on that single move to hold out against the mighty Sun Moon Empire for nearly another thousand years.
Once a martial soul fusion skill was unleashed, even an enemy two major ranks above them would not dare claim they could withstand it head-on.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi were both Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, with similar martial soul attributes and top-tier martial souls. Even if their opponent were a Soul King, they could stand against them.
Seizing the opportunity, Wei Xiaofeng turned into a streak of azure light and darted behind Tang Wulin, launching a frenzy of sneak attacks.
"Haha! Now you finally know how I felt back then!"
In Wang Jinxi's estimation, the dark canopy should keep Jiang Mingyuan trapped for at least another thirty seconds. Within those thirty seconds, they had to crush Tang Wulin completely.
But would things really unfold as they imagined?
"Hey! Don't leave me out."
Golden light blazed in an instant, dispelling the dark canopy.
"Brother Yuan!" Tang Wulin brightened, looking toward Jiang Mingyuan with excitement written across his face.
Jiang Mingyuan immediately understood what he meant: fight a martial soul fusion skill with a martial soul fusion skill.
But there really was no need. If their opponents had possessed some other attribute, Jiang Mingyuan might have been a little wary. Against a dark attribute, he did not even need to switch to his female form. His male form alone could steadily wear down their energy, and he would inevitably win.
Still...
He looked at Tang Wulin's expectant gaze.
"Oh, fine. Since you want to."
Tang Wulin seized the instant when Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng's attention was diverted and broke away. Spreading his arms, he ran toward Jiang Mingyuan.
Jiang Mingyuan made the same motion, opening his arms.
Xie Xie, who had just been helped up by his classmates, along with Wu Changkong, everyone from Class One, and Long Hengxu, stared dumbfounded at this all-too-familiar scene. They could not help thinking-
Could it be?
Wang Jinxi cried out in alarm.
Others might not understand right away, but how could he fail to recognize that opening move?
But it was already too late for him to stop them.
Jiang Mingyuan and Tang Wulin embraced each other tightly.