"The fifth round of the preliminary selections: Heavenly Dou Royal Academy's first team, versus, Heaven Water Academy! Competitors from both sides, enter the arena!" The referee's booming voice echoed throughout the Heavenly Fight Grand Arena, instantly igniting the atmosphere!
Amidst deafening cheers and whistles, competitors from both sides slowly emerged from the passages on either side of the Soul Duel Stage.
For Heavenly Dou Royal Academy's first team, only a single figure appeared as usual. Marco, dressed in simple black martial attire, his expression calm and his steps unhurried, walked alone towards the center of the Soul Duel Stage. His appearance immediately triggered a thunderous roar of cheers. After his crushing victories in the previous matches, especially following that breathtaking battle against Thunder Academy's Yu Tianxin, Marco's popularity had already skyrocketed.
And when the seven members of Heaven Water Academy took the stage, the atmosphere in the stands grew even more fervent! Seven young women, all wearing light blue team uniforms, with graceful figures and lovely faces, walked side by side, forming a stunning sight. Their temperaments varied, but without exception, each was a rare beauty. Particularly striking was their captain, Shui Bing'er, walking at the forefront. With her ice-blue long hair, snow-white skin, exquisitely beautiful features, and a cool, ethereal aura, she resembled a spirit emerging from a world of ice and snow.
However, during this solemn entrance moment, a discordant little incident occurred.
Within the Heaven Water Academy team, a young woman who bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Shui Bing'er but possessed a more lively and charming demeanor was none other than Shui Bing'er's younger sister, Shui Yue'er. The moment she saw the handsome and extraordinary Marco standing alone opposite them, her large eyes instantly sparkled, two blushes spread across her pretty face, and she actually forgot the occasion. Excitedly jumping up, she waved vigorously at Marco and called out in a sweet voice, "Marco! Look over here, look over here! I'm Shui Yue'er! You're so handsome! Do your best in the match!"
Her sudden "fan-girling" act momentarily stunned the entire audience, then erupted into uproarious laughter. Even Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi in the VIP seats couldn't help but smile wryly. The other members of Heaven Water Academy wore expressions of utter embarrassment.
"Yue'er! Shut up! Get back in line!" Shui Bing'er, walking at the front, halted her steps, sharply turned her head, her cool, beautiful face instantly frosting over as she sternly rebuked her sister for her inappropriate infatuation.
Shouted at by her sister, Shui Yue'er flinched, stuck out her tongue, quickly lowered her hand, and obediently slipped back into the formation, though her eyes still couldn't resist stealing glances at Marco.
Shui Bing'er took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to strangle her embarrassing sister. She turned back around, her gaze complex as she looked towards Marco, who had already reached the center of the Soul Duel Stage, just meeting his eyes as he glanced over. A faint, seemingly amused smile seemed to tug at the corner of Marco's mouth.
Shui Bing'er's cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly before quickly returning to their cool composure. She stepped forward, giving a slight nod to Marco, her voice clear and crisp, "Marco, my younger sister was impudent. Please forgive the amusement."
Marco smiled faintly and waved his hand, "It's of no consequence. Miss Shui Yue'er is innocent and lively." His gaze swept over the seven Heaven Water Academy members standing ready for battle, finally settling on Shui Bing'er. "It seems Captain Shui and everyone are prepared."
Shui Bing'er met his gaze, her ice-blue eyes blazing with fighting spirit as she declared firmly, "Yes! I await your instruction! I hope you will honor our agreement!"
"Of course." Marco nodded.
No further words were exchanged as both sides took their positions at the center of the Soul Duel Stage, facing each other in a standoff. On one side stood a lone, unfathomable youth in black robes; on the other, seven stunning figures in water-blue attire, their auras seamlessly interconnected.
The referee observed both parties and raised his right hand high. The entire arena instantly fell silent.
"Match—begin!"
The moment the announcement echoed, the seven members of Heaven Water Academy shouted in unison, their Soul Power erupting simultaneously!
"Martial Soul, Spirit Possession!"
Brilliant Soul Rings ascended from the Heaven Water Academy formation! Shui Bing'er stood at the forefront, a pillar of ice-blue light shooting skyward as a clear phoenix cry resounded throughout the arena. Her powerful Ice Phoenix Martial Soul manifested, icy wings seemingly spreading behind her while frigid air enveloped her surroundings, causing the temperature to plummet sharply! Two yellow, one purple, and one black Soul Ring spiraled upward—the profound black ten-thousand-year Soul Ring drew gasps of astonishment from the spectators!
Her six teammates also released their Martial Souls simultaneously, their Soul Rings gleaming. Uniformly water and ice attribute Martial Souls caused their Soul Power fluctuations to merge into a cohesive force. The temperature across the entire Soul Duel Stage dropped rapidly, with a faint layer of frost beginning to crystallize on the surface! Shui Yue'er manifested the Jade Dolphin Martial Soul with two yellow and one purple Soul Ring; vice-captain Xue Wu released the Snow Silk Martial Soul, also with two yellow and one purple Soul Rings; the remaining members each displayed their unique traits. Seven beautiful Soul Masters unleashing their Martial Souls simultaneously created a dazzling spectacle—intertwining frost and water currents transformed the stage into a fairyland of ice and snow.
Yet, facing the full-force Soul Power pressure and biting cold emanating from Heaven Water Academy, Marco on the opposite side of the stage remained perfectly still. He didn't release his Martial Soul, no Soul Rings appeared at his feet, and not even a wisp of Soul Power fluctuation leaked from him.
The spectators in the stands seemed to have grown accustomed to this, no longer erupting in massive astonishment as during the initial matches, though the murmuring grew noticeably louder.
"As expected, still not releasing his Martial Soul."
"Getting used to it—this is just Marco's style."
"Wonder how much of his power Heaven Water Academy can force out."
In the VIP seats, the observers maintained calm expressions, clearly having anticipated Marco's behavioral patterns.
Seeing Marco persist in this manner, Shui Bing'er's ice-blue eyes flickered with solemnity, though she showed no surprise. She shouted crisply, "Attack!"
Following her command, the seven Heaven Water Academy members sprang into action—swift and graceful movements demonstrating their seamless coordination. They didn't form any complex formations, instead relying on their training-honed synergy and complementary Spirit Abilities to launch an attack that flowed like quicksilver.
"First Spirit Ability, Ice Seal!" Shui Bing'er took the lead, her jade-like hand sweeping forward as an icy cold current instantly surged toward Marco, freezing the very air in its path.
Facing this swift freezing control technique, Marco finally moved. He neither resisted head-on nor evaded dramatically, merely shifting his footing slightly as his figure slid sideways like a phantom. The Ice Seal current brushed past the edge of his clothing, freezing a section of ground behind him into crystalline ice. His motion appeared effortless and perfectly measured.
"Snowflake Barrage!" Xue Wu followed closely, her slender hands dancing as countless sharp crystalline snowflakes shot densely toward Marco's vital points like guided missiles.
Marco's figure swayed like willow catkins in the wind, weaving through the gaps between the dense snowflakes. Each movement precisely avoided the cutting edges of the snowflakes, his motions fluid and natural, even carrying a strange rhythmic quality.
"Cold Current Impact!"
"Water Arrow Technique!"
"Ice Cone Barrage!"
The other team members also launched their attacks one after another. Various icy Spirit Abilities assaulted Marco from different angles. For a moment, the Soul Duel Stage was filled with flying ice shards, permeating cold air, and shimmering water lights, the offensive waves continuing relentlessly.
Yet Marco, at the center of the attacks, resembled a small boat in stormy seas - seemingly perilous but actually steady. His figure drifted unpredictably amidst the vast sky of ice crystals and water arrows, his footsteps mysterious, sometimes advancing, sometimes retreating, sometimes spinning. Each seemingly casual movement precisely avoided all attacks. Those sharp ice cones and cold water arrows would often brush past his body by a hair's breadth at the last moment, or be casually brushed aside or dispersed by his hands.
His movements weren't lightning fast, yet he always made the most precise responses at the most critical moments. There were no spectacular Spirit Ability collisions, no earth-shattering impacts, only an almost artistic evasion and resolution. He seemed not to be fighting, but dancing with seven ice and snow spirits, turning an intense Soul Master duel into something as visually pleasing as a performance match.
Shui Yue'er, while releasing disruptive sonic Spirit Abilities, watched Marco's elegant figure moving calmly through the endless attacks, her large eyes filled with stars. She couldn't help but shout again: "Marco! You're so amazing! So handsome!"
"Yue'er! Focus!" Shui Bing'er nearly lost control of her Soul Power in anger, shouting sharply. The more they fought, the more astonished she became. Marco's movement technique was too bizarre. Their attacks couldn't be considered sparse, their coordination couldn't be considered uncoordinated, yet they couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes! This sense of powerlessness made her feel stifled while also generating stronger fighting spirit.
"Use combination techniques!" Shui Bing'er called out sharply, changing tactics.
"Ice Phoenix Whirlwind Dance!" The ice phoenix phantom around her rotated, creating a stronger icy whirlwind that attempted to restrict Marco's movement space.
"Snow Silk Restraint!"Xue Wu's slender snow silk ribbons twined upward like spiritual snakes, coordinating with Shui Bing'er's whirlwind."
"Water Prison!" Yu Hairou released Soul Power, forming vortex-like water currents under Marco's feet, attempting to slow his steps.
Facing this enhanced combination attack with increased control and restriction, Marco finally stopped relying solely on evasion. His palms flew, sometimes patting, sometimes guiding. His movements appeared gentle yet contained strange power. Patting the ice phoenix whirlwind could make it pause slightly; guiding away the entangled snow silk could make it deviate from its direction; stepping on the water vortex, he borrowed force with light touches, making his figure even more agile instead. He still hadn't released any Soul Power, relying only on his physical body and exquisite control of force to resolve their combination techniques one by one.
On the Soul Duel Stage, ice crystals shimmered and water ripples glistened. Seven blue-clad figures darted like butterflies through flowers as they launched coordinated attacks, while the central black-clad figure moved as casually as someone strolling through a courtyard, elegantly weaving through the storm-like assaults with unparalleled grace. The intense battle unexpectedly displayed a peculiar beauty, drawing continuous exclamations from the spectators, with many beginning to appreciate this unconventional "performance."
"So incredible! Those movement techniques are absolutely peerless!"
"This is practically art!"
"Heaven Water Academy's attacks are quite beautiful too, with flawless coordination. It's just unfortunate they can't land a hit."
"Marco's strength... it's truly bottomless..."
In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi stroked his beard with a smile: "This young man's control over power has reached perfection. What appears effortless actually requires astonishing judgment and mastery of timing, angles, and force." Bone Douluo Gu Rong also nodded slightly in agreement.
Shui Bing'er grew increasingly anxious after her prolonged unsuccessful attacks, while her Soul Power consumption was becoming substantial.
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