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Xie Yue returned to his team.
His conversation with Ning Tianchen had been overheard by the other members of the Spirit Hall Academy team, and their faces immediately darkened.
"There must be a traitor within the hall—dammit!" Hu Liena clenched her fists in frustration.
In reality, this wasn't the case.
Ning Tianchen possessed an omniscient perspective—he not only knew about their martial soul fusion technique but also that Hu Liena had an external soul bone.
Up on the high platform, Bibi Dong noticed Ning Fengzhi's slightly surprised expression and immediately realized the information hadn't come from inside the Spirit Hall.
This was pre-match psychological warfare. With a single sentence, Ning Tianchen had tricked the Spirit Hall Academy team into revealing their trump card, giving him an early advantage.
For a moment, Bibi Dong felt dissatisfied with Xie Yue's performance.
Beside her, Yue Guan grew restless.
Ning Tianchen's earlier words to him had gone unreported to Bibi Dong. If she were to bring it up now and accuse him of leaking secrets, he'd be finished.
However, as the person involved, Ning Tianchen had merely said it offhandedly.
Little did he know, this caused the powerhouses present to engage in a covert mental battle.
While the Spirit Hall Academy team was still obsessing over the matter, Bibi Dong couldn't bear to watch any longer and informed them of the truth through telepathy.
"Your Holiness, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Chen Xin remarked calmly.
Bibi Dong feigned ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Since the match hadn't officially begun yet, Bibi Dong's words wouldn't affect the outcome, so Chen Xin didn't press the issue further.
The referee immediately announced the start of the match.
"Don't look directly into Hu Liena's eyes—be wary of her charm-type soul skill. Xiaotian, focus on Hu Liena. I'll handle Xie Yue and Yan first," Ning Tianchen instructed.
Oscar wasn't participating in this match.
With only one auxiliary-type soul master, Seven Treasures Academy's defensive pressure wasn't too high.
As soon as the match began, both sides engaged in their first round of exchanges.
The second soul ring beneath Hu Liena's feet lit up, and a flicker of pink light flashed in her eyes.
Ning Tianchen planted the Seven Kill Sword in front of him, releasing the second soul skill, Dragon Sword Guard—a barrier of sword qi that blocked everyone's line of sight. Hu Liena's charm-type soul skill failed to have much effect.
"Nana, support me." Xie Yue dual-wielded his crescent blades, his movements agile as he proactively approached Ning Tianchen.
Having experienced the brutal battles in the Death Valley, Xie Yue was extremely confident in his own strength.
"Everyone else, find your respective opponents," Ning Tianchen commanded.
In this match, both teams returned to basics—they didn't employ flashy tactics but rather stuck to straightforward man-to-man combat.
As Ning Tianchen clashed with Xie Yue, Feng Xiaotian sprouted twin wind wings behind him and engaged Hu Liena.
Don't underestimate the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. They weren't just required to break through to Soul King level around the age of eighteen—they also had to complete tasks assigned by the Spirit Hall to earn the title of Golden Generation and the prestigious Purple Record Medal, the highest honor of the Spirit Hall.
Though Hu Liena was a spirit-type soul master, her close-combat abilities were no joke.
Feng Xiaotian didn't gain the upper hand immediately upon engaging her. In fact, he nearly fell victim to her soul skill.
"Nana, I'll assist you." Yan stepped forward confidently.
Hu Liena's spirit-control-type soul skills posed a significant threat to Seven Treasures Academy.
No matter what, Feng Xiaotian couldn't allow her to roam freely across the stage, providing support wherever needed.
"Your opponent is me!" Ning Tianchen forced Xie Yue back and turned to face Yan.
In this match, the Spirit Hall Academy team didn't dare to be arrogant. Each member had to stay active.
On the other side of the arena, Zhang Ping of the Spirit Hall Academy team—a forty-seven-level agility-type battle soul master with the Gold Waisted Swallow as her martial soul—stepped forward.
"Miss, your opponent is me," Yu Die blocked her path.
Cai Die faced Sun Chuantao, who was at forty-eight-level soul power with the Circular Blade as his martial soul.
Chen Huayu, with only low Soul Ancestor strength, wasn't strong enough to withstand the pressure of direct combat, so he stayed near Ning Rongrong.
Li Kai of the Spirit Hall team, whose martial soul was the Black Horn Mountain Boar and who had a soul power level of forty-seven, also remained near Xu Yu, the auxiliary-type soul master.
Ning Tianchen took on two opponents simultaneously without falling behind, successfully creating a numerical advantage for Seven Treasures Academy.
Zhu Zhuqing seized the opportunity to circle around the battlefield, looking for a chance to strike.
"Nine treasures emerge in glazed tiles. Nine treasures are renowned—one for strength, two for speed."
Ning Rongrong activated her two-soul split technique, providing different boosts to Ning Tianchen and Feng Xiaotian simultaneously.
"Third soul skill—Break!"
Xie Yue swung his crescent blades rapidly, attempting to shatter Ning Tianchen's sword techniques.
Yan provided support from the side.
The two had trained together countless times and had precise timing when using their soul skills.
"First soul skill—Hell Magma Burst!"
The rocks beneath Ning Tianchen's feet melted instantly, and a pillar of magma erupted toward the sky.
Reacting swiftly, Ning Tianchen spread his sword wings and flew into the air to avoid the attack.
"The Flame Lord martial soul's attack power truly lives up to its reputation," Ning Tianchen praised sincerely.
Yan raised his head proudly. "Flattery won't work on me. Fourth soul skill—Hellfire Blaze."
From the mouth of the Flame Lord martial soul emerged a burst of flames with extreme heat.
The purity of the flames rivaled even the Fire Phoenix.
While dodging, Ning Tianchen controlled the Seven Kill Sword with his fingers to prevent Xie Yue from exploiting the chaos elsewhere on the battlefield.
Before long, the entire sky was engulfed in flames.
These flames would take several minutes to dissipate naturally, relying solely on the wind.
Unable to remain airborne, Ning Tianchen quickly descended back to the ground.
Yan wasn't about to let him off the hook. The Flame Lord martial soul was both offensive and defensive, excelling in both attack and defense.
"Fifth soul skill—Magma Surge."
Yan slammed his palm into the ground, and scorching heat erupted from his hand, spreading along the floor beneath Ning Tianchen's feet. Around Ning Tianchen, a pool of magma formed.
With no other choice, Ning Tianchen relied on his flight ability and nimble movements to evade Yan's attacks.
Below the arena, Ke Jie grew increasingly anxious. "The Spirit Hall's Golden Generation truly lives up to its name. It's too much for Tianchen to hold off two people at once. If it gets too tough, we should change tactics."
Overcome with worry, Ke Jie had already forgotten all the knowledge he had taught. He anxiously watched the stage.
Dugu Bo shook his head. "Old Ke, the situation on the field is currently balanced. Though the kid is running around everywhere, he hasn't sustained any injuries, and his soul power consumption isn't too high. On the other hand, that guy Yan's soul skills consume a lot of his soul power."
Indeed, that was the case.
Aside from divine martial souls, every martial soul on the continent had certain flaws.
The flaw of the Seven Kill Sword was obvious—it couldn't unleash massive area-of-effect damage like the Hao Tian Hammer.
The weakness of the Flame Lord martial soul was its high soul power consumption and lack of speed.
Both sides were targeting each other's weaknesses.
Even though only a minute had passed since the match began, the tactical proficiency displayed by both teams was unmatched by any other team.
Of course, this was also the result of both teams' strategic planning.
---
"Sect Leader Ning, I'm quite curious to see who will take the crown," Bibi Dong remarked indifferently.
Ning Fengzhi politely responded, "Both teams are strong. The outcome remains to be seen."
On the other side, Xue Qinghe, the imperial prince, although not as highly ranked as a Title Douluo and thus not seated beside the Pope, was given a separate viewing area by the Spirit Hall due to his status.
Looking at Bibi Dong on the high platform, he clenched his fists and sneered inwardly, 'Don't get cocky. Brother Tianchen won't disappoint me.'
One person taking on two members of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation without showing fear or faltering—such a feat made him undoubtedly the top genius of this tournament.
On the stage, Ning Tianchen wasn't thinking about any of this. He focused on doing his best and ensuring he didn't expose any weaknesses.
As the match grew increasingly intense, the hot-tempered Yan couldn't help but ask, "Xie Yue, do you have any way to eliminate him? This guy's as slippery as an eel—I can't hit him!"
Xie Yue shook his head. "If we rush in recklessly, we'll expose our weaknesses. Nana can still handle Feng Xiaotian, and the others' battles are evenly matched. Why don't you go support someone else while I hold him off?"
Yan thought for a moment and rejected the idea. "No, he'll definitely stop me. I'll hold him off, and you go support Nana. If we can take out Feng Xiaotian, we'll break the balance of the battle."
Xie Yue found this reasonable and agreed to the plan.
"Second soul skill—Granite Armor."
Yan's body was encased in hard rock, giving him a nearly impenetrable defense.
However, the weight of the granite significantly slowed his movement speed.
Ning Tianchen didn't want to waste soul power on someone without a speed advantage. When Xie Yue tried to provide support, both he and Zhu Zhuqing blocked his path.
"Damn it." Seeing Yan standing there like a statue, Xie Yue couldn't help but curse under his breath.
He had almost forgotten about Zhu Zhuqing's presence if she hadn't acted.
But Zhu Zhuqing was incredibly fast, and with Ning Tianchen nearby, carelessness could lead to being struck by her soul skill.
"Second soul skill—Support Light!"
Xu Yu, finally catching on, waved his golden scepter, providing boosts to the three members of the Golden Generation.
Xie Yue muttered sarcastically, "Finally remembered to use your soul skill, huh?"
Despite his complaints, with Xu Yu's assistance, his speed increased significantly, and he took the opportunity to try breaking through Ning Tianchen and Zhu Zhuqing's blockade.
Ke Jie noticed something. "The Spirit Hall team's coordination isn't great. The three members of the Golden Generation are too flashy, making it hard for their teammates to keep up."
As for why Xu Yu had waited so long to provide boosts, it was likely due to positioning issues.
Xie Yue had charged too far ahead, beyond Xu Yu's casting range. With Zhu Zhuqing pressuring him nearby, he didn't dare change his position recklessly.
Taking advantage of Zhu Zhuqing targeting Xie Yue, Xu Yu finally managed to approach the frontlines.
However, Seven Treasures Academy didn't just have one agility-type soul master.
Yu Die, who had been fighting Zhang Ping, suddenly accelerated and charged toward the backline. Zhu Zhuqing quickly took her place, holding Zhang Ping in check.
"Third soul skill—Exploding Fangs!" Li Kai immediately moved to defend.
Yu Die had the advantage of aerial mobility and incredible speed. His fang attacks couldn't stop her advance.
"Fourth soul skill—Butterfly Fog."
The colorful butterfly flapped its wings, and phosphorescent powder rapidly spread across the stage.
The layer of powder was thin and didn't obstruct vision, but inhaling it would paralyze the nerves, slowing down a soul master's movements.
"A range-based control-type soul skill—is this really an agility-type soul master?" Tang San muttered below the arena.
The butterfly martial soul's role was inherently ambiguous, so his confusion was understandable.
The standard for determining agility-type soul masters was flight capability and speed—both traits the butterfly martial soul possessed.
Moreover, Yu Die and Cai Die had the Butterfly Wing Blade Transformation soul skill, which could classify them as power-type soul masters as well.
Now, with the addition of the slowing phosphorescent powder, their martial soul seemed to defy categorization.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "Xiao San, most butterfly martial souls are considered useless. Therefore, there's very little research on this type of martial soul on the continent, similar to Blue Silver Grass—it's hard to form an effective system."
He then boasted, "Without good teachers, their martial souls became this mishmash. Under my guidance, your Blue Silver Grass martial soul has a clear cultivation path."
Thankfully, Ning Tianchen hadn't heard his words; otherwise, he might've scolded him.
In the original timeline, starting from the fifth soul skill, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was almost entirely composed of power-type soul skills. Clearly, even Tang San himself realized that relying solely on control-type soul skills had no future.
Take Ke Jie, for example. All his soul skills were control-type. Within a team, his control abilities played a significant role. But if he were the leader of a team, relying only on control without any killing power, who would respect him?
This was something Yu Xiaogang had never considered.
As for Ke Jie, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had the Sword Bone Douluo, so he was destined to play a supporting role. Being purely control-focused actually allowed him to maximize his effectiveness.
...
The match had been going on for ten minutes, with both sides locked in an intense struggle.
Yu Die's phosphorescent powder had achieved some effect, but Xu Yu's fourth soul skill could remove negative effects from his teammates.
As a result, she hadn't been able to break through the stalemate.
Xie Yue and Yan were firmly held back by Ning Tianchen. Their attempts to support their teammates ended in failure, leaving them with no choice but to pin their hopes of breaking the deadlock on their other teammates.
However, the rest of Seven Treasures Academy's team wasn't easy to deal with. Both Yu Die and Cai Die were high-level Soul Ancestors, making it unrealistic to target them as weak points.
Moreover, they, along with Zhu Zhuqing, constantly posed a threat to the Spirit Hall team's backline. Li Kai didn't dare abandon the auxiliary-type soul master to support his frontline teammates.
Two more minutes passed, and Hu Liena actively moved her battlefield closer to Xie Yue.
At this point, only a martial soul fusion technique could potentially end the match.
But Seven Treasures Academy was already aware of their existence and wouldn't let them have their way.
"Fourth soul skill—Wind Dragon Sword Shadow."
With the activation of his fourth soul skill, the power of the sword qi unleashed by the Seven Kill Sword doubled. Moreover, the sword qi carried the force of wind, creating powerful gusts wherever it passed.
Feng Xiaotian seized the opportunity and executed his self-created soul skill, aiming to finish the match.
"Full Moon!"
Xie Yue, enraged, also activated his self-created soul skill.
The two crescent blades merged into a circular weapon.
Under his control, the crescent blade seemed to gain eyes, relentlessly charging at Ning Tianchen.
Up on the high platform, Chen Xin couldn't help but smile. "Comparing sharpness with Tianchen's Seven Kill Sword? Has this kid lost his mind?"
Even though the Seven Kill Sword had been replaced by the Hao Tian Hammer as the number one weapon martial soul, it was still regarded as the continent's most powerful offensive weapon martial soul.
This alone spoke volumes about its strength.
The killing intent accumulated by Xie Yue through years of slaughter was nothing in Ning Tianchen's eyes.
After all, the Seven Kill Sword inherently carried a murderous aura far superior to any other martial soul.
"Seven Kill Sword Technique—Piercing Sword Momentum."
The dragon-engraved Seven Kill Sword thrust forward sharply, its tip emitting a dazzling silver light. Piercing through surfaces with pinpoint precision, the sword qi lingered long after the strike.
A single sword strike sent the crescent blade flying, and the residual sword qi shot toward Xie Yue.
"Be careful!" Yan activated his defensive soul skill, shielding Xie Yue.
The multiple layers of granite armor were almost pierced through by the sword qi, leaving a deep gash on Yan's chest that bled profusely.
"Xie Yue, I'll hold them off—you go and regroup with Nana."
With that, Yan held nothing back. The black soul ring beneath his feet lit up brightly. "Fifth soul skill—Sandstorm Blaze!"
The power of the soul skill stirred the surrounding air.
Blinding sandstorms and scorching heatwaves forced the members of Seven Treasures Academy to retreat.
Feng Xiaotian ceased his attack and quickly withdrew to his team.
The entire Seven Treasures Academy team retreated as one.
The Flame Lord martial soul's attack power was no joke. A direct hit on anyone could potentially shift the momentum of the battle.
Xie Yue didn't dare hesitate. He quickly regrouped with Hu Liena and immediately activated their martial soul fusion technique.
Seeing this, Yu Die and Cai Die refused to be outdone.
Ning Tianchen raised the Seven Kill Sword, pointing its tip toward Yan.
"Nine treasures are renowned—one for strength, three for soul!"
Dazzling nine-colored light poured into Ning Tianchen's body, enhancing his overall strength.
"Seven Kill Sword—Azure Dragon Breakthrough!"
This strike wasn't his first soul skill but rather a self-created one.
A phantom azure dragon formed at the hilt of the sword, its head sliding along the blade before erupting from the tip.
The strongest attacks from two Soul Kings collided, releasing a blinding explosion of light.
The shockwave nearly knocked both teams off their feet.
But it wasn't over yet. Ning Tianchen began drawing patterns in the air with the Seven Kill Sword.
Chen Xin abruptly stood up, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Could it be…"
Executing the "Kill" word sword technique with the body of a Soul King would be unprecedented throughout history.
Once the "Kill" word was completed, the outcome of the match would be beyond doubt.
...
During his earlier battle with Xie Yue, Ning Tianchen had gained some insight and attempted to execute the ultimate sword technique of the Seven Kill Sword.
However, given his current cultivation level, forming the "Kill" word sword technique was simply impossible.
After completing the first stroke, he only managed half of the second stroke before he could no longer continue.
A Y-shaped sword qi shot forth, its overwhelming pressure bearing down on every member of the Spirit Hall team.
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes slightly.
She knew about the "Kill" word sword technique. Although Ning Tianchen's sword qi only formed one and a half strokes, it was enough to demonstrate his talent.
After all, according to the Spirit Hall's records, even a Soul Sage-level Seven Kill Sword wielder would struggle to achieve what he just did.
How old was Ning Tianchen to already accomplish such a feat?
There was no upper limit to the number of "Kill" words. Nine "Kill" words would be difficult for even a Limit Douluo to withstand. If there were ten or more, it would truly become a godly slash that could cut through anything.
Bibi Dong immediately felt a strong desire to recruit him.
The Seven Kill Sword thrived on killing intent. Under the pressure of her Killing God Domain, Ning Tianchen's progress would undoubtedly accelerate.
Such talent was something the Spirit Hall couldn't afford to ignore.
Thinking this, Bibi Dong suddenly felt that the outcome of this match wasn't as important anymore.
If it were someone else without a blood feud with the Spirit Hall, the Pope personally offering to take them as a disciple would be an offer no one could refuse.
But Ning Tianchen? He definitely wouldn't agree to her.
Bibi Dong's plans were destined to fall flat.
(A/N: In the original work, Bibi Dong even invited Tang San to join the Spirit Hall. Whether sincere or not, it proved that she genuinely wanted to recruit talented individuals. Her fantasizing about the protagonist is understandable, right? Hehe~)
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