As Xie Yue gripped the Moon Blade tightly in his backhand and pressed forward, Feng Xiaotian had already moved.
Without any probing or preparation, the two figures collided in the center of the arena.
The Moon Blade and the wind blade clashed, the ear-piercing sound of metal colliding exploded, and sparks flew in the morning light. Feng Xiaotian paused slightly, Xie Yue took half a step back; neither of them gained the upper hand.
"Level 58." Xie Yue's voice was low, carrying an assessment tone.
Feng Xiaotian didn't reply. A little blood seeped from the bandages on his arms, but without pausing, the second wind blade had already chased after Xie Yue's retreat. Xie Yue flipped his Moon Blade to block, but the impact made his arm go numb.
His level is inferior to Feng Xiaotian's. If they fight purely with Soul Power, he cannot gain the upper hand.
Yan attempted to flank Su Meier, but Su Mei'er had already locked onto his direction. Golden flames of the Ultimate Fire poured out from the tip of its tail, and Yan instinctively released his own fire Soul Power to defend against it.
Unfortunately, ordinary flames were quickly devoured like paper in front of the golden flames. Yan was forced to retreat repeatedly, and for the first time, his face showed obvious strain and frustration.
"What kind of Fire Attribute is this? It's so difficult to deal with!" Yan asked through gritted teeth.
Su Mei'er did not answer. At the same time, the Ultimate Ice of the third tail lit up, and the cold air flowed back into his flames.
Yan had no choice but to interrupt his Soul Skill and retreat two steps, his chest heaving. Ordinary Fire Attribute Soul Master, facing the simultaneous suppression of Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Ice, had no chance to retaliate.
While Yan and Xie Yue were trapped, Hu Liena also encountered a problem. Her charm Soul Skill was completely ineffective against Jiang Lin.
The pale silver light of the Spirit Eyes remained locked onto Hu Liena's movements, and no matter from which angle she released Mental Interference, it was anticipated and blocked in advance.
Feng Lingtian darted around Hu Liena at high speed to harass her; the extreme speed of the Peregrine Falcon Martial Soul prevented her from focusing all her attention on Jiang Lin, who was facing her directly.
Hu Liena tried to retreat and reposition herself, but Feng Lingtian always appeared in her retreat path, forcing her back.
The three people formed a closed triangle, with Hu Liena trapped in the middle, unable to break out or support the other two battlefields.
The remaining Soul Ancestor stood at the edge of the battle, completely unable to intervene.
All three main battlefields are battles between Soul King; a Soul Ancestor of only forty-something levels would only cause chaos if he rushed in.
He instinctively took half a step back, looking for an opportunity to support Hu Liena.
But he didn't get his chance.
Because Zhong Yue took action.
Zhong Yue had been waiting for this opportunity. The Tortoise Shell Shield unfolded in front of him, but instead of swinging it with full force, he swung it horizontally—clean and swift, like swatting a fly.
The Soul Ancestor didn't even have time to react. He had just turned his gaze towards Hu Liena when a heavy Tortoise Shell Shield appeared before him.
With a muffled thud, the Soul Ancestor was sent flying by the shield, tumbling halfway through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground outside the arena.
The entire room fell silent for a moment.
Bibi Dong's expression remained unchanged, but her gaze shifted from the battle on the arena to the spot where the Soul Ancestor had landed.
Those were members of the Spirit Hall team, who were actually knocked off the stage by a Defense System Soul Master using a shield.
Bibi Dong's lips twitched very slightly, so slightly that it was almost imperceptible, before returning to their straight lines.
Someone on the viewing platform couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. With Bibi Dong's strength as Titled Douluo, she must have heard it, but her expression remained unchanged. She simply looked away and returned her gaze to the center of the arena.
Yan was struck head-on by Su Mei'er's Ultimate Fire, which hit his protective Soul Power. He staggered back three or four steps, stepped on the broken stones at the edge of the arena, and swayed.
Su Mei'er did not pursue, but instead gathered the golden flames back to their tip. Yan gritted his teeth and steadied himself. Looking down, he saw that most of his protective Soul Power had been reduced, and he knew that he had lost.
Hu Liena was forced to turn around three times by Feng Lingtian, and was finally forced to the side of the ring.
Her charm was ineffective against Jiang Lin, and her speed was completely outmatched by Feng Lingtian, leaving her with no choice but to retreat.
She bit her lower lip and glanced at Xie Yue's direction. Xie Yue was retreating step by step amidst Feng Xiaotian's continuous slashes.
Hu Liena suddenly withdrew her Soul Power and called out in Xie Yue's direction, "Brother, stop. There's no need to fight anymore."
Xie Yue had his back to her, and the cracks on his Moon Blade were clearly visible. Hearing his sister's words, his arm paused slightly.
Feng Xiaotian did not continue to attack. He took a step back, creating distance. The bandage on his hand was completely soaked with blood, but he stood firmly.
Xie Yue stood there for a long time, then slowly sheathed his Moon Blade at his waist. He turned around and glanced in Bibi Dong's direction.
The Pope looked at him expressionlessly, without anger or disappointment, only with a coldness that Xie Yue couldn't understand. Xie Yue looked away without speaking and turned to walk towards the edge of the arena.
Hu Liena followed beside him. Yan was the last to walk. When he passed Su Mei'er, he paused for a moment, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.
After a brief silence, the referee's voice rang out, tinged with restraint. "The match is over. Godwind Academy has won and is now the champion of this year's finals."
The entire stadium erupted in deafening cheers.
The teachers and students from the eight viewing teams stood up from their seats. Huo Wu from the Huo Wu Blazing Fire Academy was the first to clap her hands. Shui Bing'er, sitting in the Skywater Academy's seat, finally couldn't hide the curve of her lips and revealed a very faint smile.
In the rest area of the Godwind Academy, the other team members had already rushed onto the arena. Shi Yan patted Zhong Yue on the shoulder and laughed heartily, while Ji Ning rushed up to hug Feng Lingtian and then stepped back.
Ye Qingyu stood in front of Su Ran and said something with a smile. Su Ran's expression didn't change, but her ears turned slightly red. Lu Qing walked over, nodded to Su Ran, and then turned around and patted Feng Xiaotian on the shoulder.
Feng Xiaotian nodded without speaking. He glanced down at the blood-soaked bandage on his hand, then looked up towards the direction of the Pope's Palace —the golden palace still stood calmly in the sunlight, as if nothing had happened.
Feng Lingtian stood behind him, not pushing his way to the front. His gaze swept across the crowd, landing on Xiao Wu's wrist. The crack was still there, unnoticed by anyone.
He looked away, exhaled, and gazed up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was gentle.
They won. Godwind Academy really won.
But Feng Lingtian didn't laugh, because he knew that things weren't over yet.