Martial Soul Fusion Skill
Bang!
The door burst open under a tremendous force, sending splinters flying. Xie Yue filed in with the black-clad Soul Masters, their violet-black Soul Power surging like a tide and instantly pressing the air in the room into stillness.
"You few dare resist Spirit Hall?" A cruel smile curled Xie Yue's lips as his spinning Moon Blades gave off a piercing hum. "If you know what's good for you, hand over those two brats, and we'll leave your corpses intact."
Dai Mubai charged forward first, possessed by the Nether Civet Martial Soul. His figure became an afterimage, his claws striking straight for Xie Yue's face. "If you want to touch them, you'll have to step over my corpse first!"
"You overestimate yourself." Xie Yue gave a cold snort and sidestepped the claws, sweeping a Moon Blade across in the same motion. The fierce wind it raised sent dust pattering from the walls. Dai Mubai hurriedly leaned back, and the blade grazed the tip of his nose, leaving a bloody line.
"Xiao Wu, circle behind them!" Tang San shouted. Blue Silver Grass shot out like a torrential downpour, winding toward the black-clad Soul Masters. The supple blades were covered in thorns, and once someone was caught, their Soul Power would be rapidly eroded.
Xiao Wu flickered into view behind a black-clad Soul Master as if she had used Teleportation. She twisted at the waist and unleashed her Soft Skill, forcibly twisting his arm into a knot. As he screamed, she used the momentum to spring into the air and pounced on another target.
Tai Long roared as he transformed into a Great Strength Gorilla. His fists were like battering rams, making the ground tremble with every blow. Oscar, meanwhile, kept tossing out sausages and Mushroom Sausages from the rear. Pink Soul Power flickered as he steadily replenished everyone's stamina.
Lin Ye stood beside Tang San, the flames of the Three-Legged Golden Crow blazing in his palm. He did not make a rash move, keeping his eyes fixed on Xie Yue-this fellow was the greatest threat.
"Getting distracted isn't a good habit." Xie Yue seemed to notice Lin Ye watching him. He suddenly abandoned Dai Mubai, his Moon Blade cleaving toward Lin Ye in a violet-black arc of light. Strange energy filled the arc, and the air itself seemed to tear wherever it passed.
"Look out!" Tang San's Blue Silver Grass instantly wove itself into a dense net in front of Lin Ye.
Rip- The Moon Blade sliced easily through the net of grass and hurtled toward Lin Ye without losing momentum.
Lin Ye's gaze sharpened, and his Golden Crow Fire abruptly surged, forming a gigantic flame bird that flew to meet the Moon Blade. Gold and violet-black collided in a burst of blinding light, and the shock wave sent several nearby black-clad Soul Masters flying.
"A Three-Legged Golden Crow? Interesting." Xie Yue licked the sparks clinging to his Moon Blade, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger. "Too bad it hasn't fully awakened. Today, I'll snuff out that potential of yours in the cradle!"
His figure flickered and overlapped with another in the shadows. Hu Liena had appeared in a corner of the room at some unknown point, her violet hair drifting around her, her charm innate. The brother and sister's Soul Power suddenly fused, spreading a pressure far beyond level forty.
"Demonic Moon!"
A warped violet moon appeared above their heads. Its light carried a bone-gnawing chill, and wherever it shone, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass rapidly withered. Lin Ye's Golden Crow Fire dimmed somewhat as well.
"This is bad. It's a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Tang San's expression changed drastically. "Everyone, retreat!"
But it was already too late. The violet moon plunged down like a gigantic net, enveloping them all. Dai Mubai and Tai Long were instantly eroded by the evil power in its light and fell painfully to their knees. Xiao Wu used Teleportation to appear in midair, only for threads in the moonlight to catch her ankles and slam her down.
"Tang San! Lin Ye!" Oscar was so anxious that sweat covered his forehead, but the Recovery Sausages he threw could not penetrate the violet moon's barrier.
Lin Ye gritted his teeth and poured all the Soul Power in his body into the Golden Crow Fire. "Tang San, use your Blue Silver Grass to pin him down!"
"Okay!" Violet light blazed in Tang San's eyes. His Blue Silver Grass grew wildly, not to attack, but to coil at a strange angle, instantly binding Xie Yue and Hu Liena's feet fast to the ground.
"Now!"
Lin Ye hurled the Golden Crow Fire, concentrated with all his strength. The golden flame bird pierced a gap in the violet moon and struck the core of Xie Yue and Hu Liena's fused Soul Power with pinpoint accuracy.
"Argh-"
The brother and sister cried out in pain at the same time. The violet moon trembled violently, and a crack appeared in it.
"Seize the chance!" Tang San abruptly pulled the Clear Sky Hammer from his waist. Although it had yet to fully awaken, terrifying Soul Power already wreathed its pitch-black head. He threw it with all his strength, and the hammerhead whistled through the air, striking the crack in the violet moon with unerring accuracy.
Crack!
The violet moon shattered with the sound. Xie Yue and Hu Liena were shaken back several steps, blood spilling from the corners of their mouths at the same time.
"Retreat!" Seeing that things had gone wrong, Xie Yue shot Lin Ye and Tang San a venomous glare, then swiftly vanished into the night with the remaining black-clad Soul Masters.
The immediate crisis over, everyone collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. The room was a mess, the walls covered in cracks and the floor pitted with craters. Everyone was injured.
"Teacher Yu Xiaogang still hasn't come back..." Xiao Wu braced herself against the wall and stood, her voice thick with tears.
Lin Ye forced himself up and looked out the window. "Spirit Hall must have him tied down. We can't wait. We have to go save him!"
Tang San nodded and took the golden token Yu Luomian had given him from his robes. "With this, we'll go to the palace!"
Just then, a flurry of hoofbeats sounded outside the hotel, followed by Yu Xiaogang's familiar voice. "Children, I'm back!"
Everyone rushed outside to see Yu Xiaogang on horseback, followed by a squad of royal guards, each clad in gleaming armor and carrying an imposing presence.
"Teacher!"
Yu Xiaogang swung down from his horse. When he saw the battered state they were in, his eyes reddened. "You've suffered. I found the crown prince, and he's already ordered the royal guards to protect us. Spirit Hall won't dare make any rash moves for now."
He paused and looked at Lin Ye and Tang San. "The crown prince also agreed to help us look into Canghui Academy. He even said he'd make some 'trouble' for Spirit Hall in the final."
Lin Ye and Tang San exchanged a look, their taut nerves finally relaxing. The night breeze carried a hint of chill, but it also dispersed some of the smell of blood.
"See you in the final," Lin Ye said softly, a defiant light flickering in his eyes.
Tang San clenched his fist. "See you in the final."
Spirit Hall's fangs were sharp, but as long as they stood together, and with the support behind them, they might yet have a chance to fight.
The darkness before dawn was always deepest, but as long as they endured it, the first light would come.
The day of the final finally arrived. Every seat in Heaven Dou City's Great Soul Arena was occupied, and voices filled the air. Members of the imperial family, representatives of the various academies, Spirit Hall's senior figures... forces from every side had gathered, all eyes fixed on the central competition stage.
The members of Shrek Academy stood in the contestants' passage, straightening one another's somewhat damaged uniforms. Although their injuries had yet to fully heal, fierce fighting spirit burned in every pair of eyes.
"Remember our tactics." Yu Xiaogang stood before them, his voice steady and firm. "Tang San will control the field, Lin Ye will lead the attack, Dai Mubai will tie them down head-on, Xiao Wu will harass them, Tai Long will defend, and Oscar will provide supplies. No matter what happens, trust your teammates."
"Yes!" the six answered in unison, their voices full of resolve.
The passage doors slowly opened. The approaching Spirit Hall Academy team had an imposing air. Xie Yue and Hu Liena led the way, the former wearing a cold smile, the latter's seductive gaze concealing murderous intent. Every team member behind them looked arrogant, and their Soul Power fluctuations were more condensed than the last time they had met.
"I didn't expect you to still be standing here." Xie Yue's voice dripped with mockery. "But that's fine. It saves us the trouble of looking for you again."
Lin Ye stepped forward, the flames of the Three-Legged Golden Crow dancing at his fingertips. "Enough talk. Let's see what you can do."
At the referee's command, the match officially began!
"Demonic Moon!" Xie Yue and Hu Liena unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill almost simultaneously. A violet-black crescent instantly enveloped the arena, and strange energy spread out, attempting to suppress the Soul Power of the Shrek members.
"Blue Silver Domain!" Tang San shouted. Jade-green light burst from his body, and Blue Silver Grass grew wildly. It not only resisted the violet moon's suppression but also transformed the arena into a sea of Blue Silver Grass, winding and binding to disrupt Spirit Hall's formation.
Lin Ye seized the chance. His Golden Crow Fire surged, and he became a streak of golden light as he charged the support-type Soul Masters in Spirit Hall's rear ranks. He was extraordinarily fast, and the air burned wherever his flames passed.
"Stop him!" Xie Yue roared, slashing his Moon Blades in a cross at Lin Ye.
Dai Mubai arrived just in time. His Nether Civet Martial Soul erupted at full power, and he forcibly took Xie Yue's attack. Amid the flying sparks, he gritted his teeth. "Your opponent is me!"
Using the Blue Silver Grass as cover, Xiao Wu repeatedly used Teleportation to appear behind Spirit Hall's team members and attack with her Soft Skill, disrupting their rhythm. Tai Long stood like a solid wall before Oscar, neutralizing every incoming Soul Skill. Oscar kept tossing out sausages and Mushroom Sausages, filling everyone with strength and vitality.
The situation in the arena changed from one moment to the next. Xie Yue's Moon Blades were incomparably sharp, and every swing carried the force to tear space apart. Hu Liena's charm was almost impossible to guard against, and Dai Mubai nearly fell prey to it several times, saved only by timely warnings from Tang San's Blue Silver Grass.
Lin Ye's Golden Crow Fire and Tang San's Blue Silver Grass worked together with growing harmony. The flames ignited the thorns on the grass, turning them into fiery whips that lashed the bound Spirit Hall team members. Screams rose one after another. But Spirit Hall's resources ran deep, and substitutes entered the match one after another, keeping their fighting strength intact.
"This can't go on. There are too many of them." Sweat beaded on Tang San's forehead. The Blue Silver Domain consumed an enormous amount of Soul Power, and his supply was already struggling to keep up.
An idea occurred to Lin Ye, and he said to Tang San, "Use your Blue Silver Grass to gather them together!"
Tang San understood immediately. He controlled the Blue Silver Grass, drawing it inward and gathering the remaining Spirit Hall team members toward the center.
"Now!" Lin Ye took a deep breath. Golden light blazed around his entire body, and the spectral form of the Three-Legged Golden Crow spread fully behind him, blotting out the sky and sun. "Golden Crow Burns the Heavens!"
Terrifying golden flames poured out like an erupting volcano, instantly engulfing the gathered Spirit Hall team members. The pure energy within the flames scorched their Soul Power, and even Xie Yue and Hu Liena's Demonic Moon was burned to the brink of collapse.
"Retreat!" Seeing that things were going badly, Xie Yue forcibly interrupted the Fusion Skill and beat a battered retreat with the remaining team members, his uniform already scorched black by the flames.
When the referee announced Shrek Academy's victory, the entire Great Soul Arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers. No one had expected this little-known academy to actually defeat the powerful Spirit Hall Academy!
Yu Xiaogang stood below the stage, tears glistening in his eyes as he watched the children embrace one another. Flender clapped him on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "See? I told you they could do it!"
Lin Ye and Tang San exchanged a look, each seeing the joy of victory and hope for the future in the other's eyes. This victory was not only an affirmation of their strength, but also a powerful riposte to Spirit Hall's overbearing conduct.
But they knew this was only the beginning. Spirit Hall's influence ran deep and tangled like roots, and it would never let the matter rest because of a single defeat in a match.
Under the setting sun, the members of Shrek walked out of the Great Soul Arena side by side, their shadows stretching long, long behind them.
"Where are we going next?" Xiao Wu asked, hopping along with a radiant smile on her face.
Lin Ye looked at Tang San, and Tang San looked back. They smiled and spoke at the same time. "Back to Shrek!"
No matter how many storms lay ahead, as long as they were together, they had the courage to face it all. The story that belonged to Shrek had only just opened a new chapter.