Vast soul power surged from the six soul rings behind Ma Xiaotao, the extreme burning of the Phoenix weighing heavily on everyone present.
"Sister Senior, aren't you going to stop Xiaotao?"
A cool, white-haired girl beside Zhang Lexuan asked in confusion.
"No need. That guy really has no eyes. Anyone can see the girl already has someone in her heart, yet he insisted on going up to her."
Bathed in moonlight, the inner court senior sister looked like an ethereal fairy untouched by dust.
"Besides, we can take this chance to see where Xiaotao's limits are. Chen Fu gave her a lot of good things, after all."
Although Ma Xiaotao had been called here to help maintain order, seeing an entertaining scene unfold,within a safe range,was something Zhang Lexuan was more than happy to watch.
She was also curious about the "good things" Chen Fu had given Ma Xiaotao.
"Classmate… maybe we can forget this whole misunderstanding?"
Lin Han asked carefully, unsure how to handle the phoenix-surrounded girl before him who already had all her soul rings activated.
"If I don't beat you until you cry for your parents, I'll take your surname today!"
Ma Xiaotao was thoroughly disgusted by this young Soul Douluo-rank teacher who insisted on acting like an old cow eating tender grass. Had she not made herself clear enough? Now he pulled this stunt,didn't it make all her earlier effort pointless?
Lin Han dodged the phoenix flames brushing past his face. Internally, he thought that Lin Xiaotao actually sounded like a nicer name.
He was only about ten years older than Ma Xiaotao. After graduating from the inner court, he became a teacher at the Academy. He came to the Sea God Festival simply to fulfill the romantic idea he had during his younger, cultivation-obsessed years. When he saw the proud, fiery Ma Xiaotao, he tried to confess on impulse, not expecting such an explosive reaction.
"Classmate, if you don't stop, I won't hold back anymore!"
Bursting through the flood of fire rings, Lin Han emerged half-beastified with draconic armor. He looked battered, with burns across his body; he had seriously underestimated phoenix flames.
Yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, and red,six soul rings flared behind Ma Xiaotao, outlining a huge six-winged halo as her crimson soul power erupted. Her phoenix emerged with beating wings, merging with the halo and transforming within the blazing heat into a six-winged seraph-like phoenix projection.
With one gentle flap of the massive crimson wings, the sky shimmered with multicolored light beneath the high temperature.
A deep dragon cry echoed. A giant ice-blue dragon churned up towering waves within the endless sea of flames, the sky mixing red and blue into a breathtaking, dreamlike palette.
Amid the battle between fire and waves, deafening blasts shook the inner courtyard, covering everything in hot mist falling from the heavens.
The golden tree in the distance emitted a soft glow, and the rate of water loss from the Sea God Lake visibly slowed.
"That soul power and those techniques are in no way inferior to a Soul Douluo. Truly astonishing."
Zhang Lexuan waved her hand, dispersing the mist within a hundred-meter radius. Watching the explosions overhead, she couldn't help commenting.
"But it looks like she's starting to fall behind."
A Soul Douluo always had the advantage in combined soul power, skill, and purity over a Soul Emperor. Their understanding of their martial soul was also deeper.
A few more exchanges followed. The runes around the ice-blue dragon flashed as it forcefully overpowered the sea of flames. Before its water-shield evaporated, it raked one of the six wings apart with a claw, then dodged the incoming flame feathers and brought its dragon tail smashing onto the phoenix's body.
Boom!
Ma Xiaotao's soul power burst violently, forcing Lin Han back, but the body of the six-winged phoenix visibly destabilized.
Equalizing soul power had narrowed the gap between Soul Emperor and Soul Douluo, but the physical strength of a true martial soul avatar was a gulf that couldn't be crossed.
Aside from a slight advantage in speed and soul power, Ma Xiaotao was losing in all other aspects.
"Oh? So she's about to take his surname, huh?"
The inner court senior sister found the best place to enjoy the show, pulling her junior sister over to watch quietly.
"It looks like Sister Xiaotao might actually lose…"
The white-haired junior sister spoke with worry.
"Relax. Someone out there definitely doesn't want Ma Xiaotao taking someone else's surname. She still has her big treasure unused."
Zhang Lexuan knew Ma Xiaotao well. That girl never acted without confidence. If she fought this far, it meant she was certain she could at least force a draw.
While Zhang Lexuan chatted with the others, Ma Xiaotao and Lin Han had already exchanged dozens more rounds in the sky. Even though she avoided close-combat as much as possible, Lin Han forced it anyway, willing to endure burns just to drag her into melee. As a result, her combination soul skill, Six-Winged Rainbow Phoenix, suffered heavy damage, and even her soul power recovery started to fall behind.
"Rephoenix, activate. Enter battle mode."
Ma Xiaotao had tested it with Elder Xuan when she first received it. In battles below Titled Douluo rank, Rephoenix could keep up and provide significant support,far superior to any low-grade commercial soul tool.
[Rephoenix activated. Entering battle-assist mode. Connection established]
The folded Rephoenix near her ear extended itself instantly before her eyes.
[Nirvana module updated. Update complete. Authorization granted]
Just as Ma Xiaotao was puzzled, the disabled Nirvana module activated on its own, guiding her soul power and the power in all six rings.
A piercing phoenix cry suddenly resounded in everyone's mind, making their scalps tingle.
"A soul beast! No,Ma Xiaotao?!"
Zhang Lexuan immediately gathered her soul power to protect the inner court disciples from the shockwave.
The six-winged phoenix twisted midair, slipping past the dragon's ambush at an uncanny angle. With a grazing slice, a feather blade cut off a chunk of the ice dragon's flesh. Then she dove, flipped, cleaved its head crest, and locked onto it from below with phoenix claws. Flames erupted with an efficiency far surpassing normal soul-power conversion, forming a blazing sphere like a miniature sun.
The ice dragon roared within the inferno, struggling desperately, but every counterattack was dodged with ease. Feathers, claws, even her beak tore at its soul-power body with terrifying precision.
The once-agile ice dragon looked like a stiff puppet before her. Every move was anticipated, countered, and punished.
"Am I dreaming? Sister…"
All of this reversed in a single exchange. The dragon that had relied on its physical advantage was suddenly reduced to prey, torn apart at will by the soul-power phoenix.
Zhang Lexuan caught the unconscious Lin Han, who was knocked out of his martial soul avatar. Feeling the gaze from above, her heart tightened. Though only soul power made manifest, the phoenix felt like a true ancient beast staring her down.
In her arms lay Lin Han, heavily injured,a crude imitator of a predator. Without overwhelming strength, prey would always remain prey, even if it seemed strong.
The six-winged phoenix dissipated its flames and descended slowly. Her soul power gathered, forming back into human shape before landing.
Seeing Ma Xiaotao walk out of the flames with an expression calm and cold, Zhang Lexuan felt pressure in her chest. She silently thought: Elder Mu was right. I should join that project too.
Beneath Ma Xiaotao's cold expression was a bewildered heart. She had simply followed Rephoenix's instructions, outputting soul power, and somehow she had seen through her opponent completely, pinning him down in one decisive opening like he was a small child.
Rephoenix was strong, yes,but not this strong. She had assumed using Rephoenix to control the Six-Winged Phoenix would give her avatar-level flexibility and allow her soul power to overwhelm the rank-81 Soul Douluo. But she didn't expect to crush him instantly.
[Connection terminated]
[Rephoenix Nirvana system: new combined control module installed]
Dispelling the blue soul-power interface and restoring the city-wide network stability, a certain researcher quietly exhaled in relief.
"I still think Ma Xiaotao sounds better."
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