On the Soul Duel Stage, ice crystals shimmered and water reflections rippled. The seven maidens from Heaven Water Academy launched wave after wave of relentless assaults, weaving a dense web of attacks with Ice Cones, Water Arrows, Cold Streams, and Snowflakes that enveloped Marco's figure. Yet Marco's movements were ghost-like, gracefully navigating through the storm of attacks with such elegance that not a single leaf touched him, transforming this intense Soul Master duel into what appeared to be an aesthetically pleasing exhibition match.
The spectators in the stands had long shifted from initial astonishment to admiration, even beginning to appreciate this unconventional "performance." The powerful figures in the VIP seats, however, wore solemn expressions. They could discern that Marco wasn't toying with his opponents—his combat skills, predictive abilities, and body control had reached an unimaginable level. The attacks from Heaven Water Academy weren't weak; they simply couldn't touch him!
Shui Bing'er grew increasingly anxious as her prolonged assaults proved ineffective, and her Soul Power consumption was substantial. Seeing Marco's consistently calm expression, she understood that such attacks couldn't possibly force him to reveal his true strength. The initiative in this seemingly "performative" battle had always been firmly in the hands of that black-clad youth.
Just then, Marco, who had been evading with exquisite footwork, suddenly came to a halt. He stood still, allowing several ice shards to brush past him, and calmly gazed at Shui Bing'er—whose breath was slightly labored and whose fair face was flushed from Soul Power depletion and frustration. His voice, though not loud, clearly resonated throughout the suddenly silent Soul Arena:
"Captain Shui, if... this is all the strength your Heaven Water Academy possesses, then there's no need to mention anything about making me take this seriously or showing me the gap between us."
These calm words pierced Shui Bing'er's heart like an icy needle, causing her delicate frame to tremble slightly and her face to instantly pale. She bit her lower lip tightly, a flash of humiliation and unwillingness shining in her ice-blue eyes, yet she couldn't refute his words. Because he spoke the truth! Their seven-member team's full-force assault couldn't even make him release his Martial Soul!
Marco's gaze swept over Shui Bing'er and her equally unwilling teammates behind her, finally resting on Shui Bing'er and vice-captain Xue Wu. His tone remained even but carried an undeniable authority: "I've heard that you two possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Since you're here, why not show it to me? Perhaps that would be worth me... moving just a little."
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
"Heaven Water Academy really has a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
"Is Marco actively asking them to use their ultimate technique?"
"That's too confident! The power of Martial Soul Fusion Skills can overcome level differences!"
The stands erupted in instant uproar! No one expected Marco to so directly demand they reveal their trump card! In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo, and others showed interested expressions. Martial Soul Fusion Skills were extremely rare and tremendously powerful—they too wanted to see if Heaven Water Academy's Martial Soul Fusion Skill could force Marco to reveal more of his true capabilities.
Hearing Marco's words, Shui Bing'er's delicate frame trembled once more. She abruptly lifted her head, her ice-blue eyes erupting with astonishing brilliance—shock, fury, and a battle spirit thoroughly ignited! She stared fixedly at Marco, words squeezed through gritted teeth: "Marco! You will see!"
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her churning energy and sense of humiliation. Her gaze grew exceptionally sharp and resolute as she turned and shouted to her teammates behind her: "Sisters! Did you all hear that? Cease all probing, hold nothing back! Pour all your Soul Power into this, unleash your strongest strike! Then retreat from the stage immediately! Leave this to me and Xue Wu!"
"Yes, Captain!" the women of Heaven Water Academy chorused in unison, their voices carrying the desperation of burning their bridges. They knew this was their only chance to possibly force out their opponent's true strength!
In the next moment, aside from Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, the remaining five Heaven Water team members—Shui Yue'er, Yu Hairou, Shen Liuyu, Gu Qingbo, and Qiu Ruoshui—simultaneously erupted with unprecedented surges of Soul Power. They pushed their remaining Soul Power to the absolute limit without reservation! The five of them shone brightly with the light of their Soul Rings, their Soul Power connecting through their hard-trained tacit understanding. Though not a true Fusion Skill, the full-powered outburst of five Soul Masters at peak Soul Honour level or above was formidable enough to make anyone pale.
"Third Spirit Ability, Dolphin Sonic Blast!" Shui Yue'er shouted, a powerful sonic wave spreading out like a physical force.
"Second Spirit Ability, Frigid Torrent!" Yu Hairou thrust her palms forward, a freezing deluge surging forth.
"Third Spirit Ability, Water Tornado!" Shen Liuyu condensed a massive water tornado.
"Second Spirit Ability, Ice Mirror Reflection!" Gu Qingbo formed a huge ice mirror before her, reflecting and amplifying the others' attacks.
"Third Spirit Ability, Extreme Cold Ice Hell!" Qiu Ruoshui unleashed a wide-range freezing domain.
The five strongest Spirit Abilities, converging with the full Soul Power and will of the five maidens, surged forth like a bursting dam or an avalanche. From different directions, carrying a terrifying momentum to crush everything, they violently blasted toward Marco, who stood in place seemingly unwilling to dodge. Even before the attacks landed, the concentrated Soul Power pressure and biting chill caused the protective barrier around the Soul Duel Stage to ripple violently!
Facing this fearsome combined assault, which gathered the full strength of five Soul Masters and approached the level of a Soul King, Marco—who had remained calm until now—finally furrowed his brows almost imperceptibly, his eyelids twitching slightly.
"Somewhat interesting…" he murmured inwardly. This combined strike had surpassed the ordinary scope of a Soul Ancestor and posed a certain threat to him.
As the multicolored torrent of ice-attribute energy attacks was about to engulf him, Marco finally ceased relying solely on his movement techniques. With a thought, the dormant Azure Flame Phoenix Spirit within him stirred slightly. Wisps of pale azure flame quietly seeped from his pores, flowing and coalescing over his body as if alive. Yet he did not fully release his Martial Soul, merely forming a thin, nearly transparent layer of Azure Flame Gauze. Simultaneously, he crossed his arms in front of him, and the deep, dark Armament Haki instantly covered the skin of his arms and entire body, merging with the Azure Flame Gauze on his surface to exude an indestructible, heavy solidity.
He chose... to take it head-on!
"BOOM——!!!"
Five powerful Spirit Abilities struck Marco's position almost simultaneously! Deafening explosions erupted! Icy blue Cold Streams, white sonic waves, massive Water Tornadoes, reflected ice shards, extreme freezing air... energies of various attributes wildly intertwined, collided, and annihilated each other! Blinding light instantly swallowed Marco's figure! A terrifying energy storm swept outward like a tsunami, causing the sturdy Soul Duel Stage floor to crack inch by inch. Thick ice spread from the explosion point like a plague, instantly transforming over half the stage into a frozen world!
Chilling air permeated, icy mist rose! As the light and mist slightly dissipated, everyone watched in horror as a massive, irregular-shaped ice block appeared at the explosion's epicenter! The ice block was crystalline and emitted astonishing coldness, and at its very core, a human silhouette could vaguely be seen maintaining a crossed-arms blocking posture—Marco had actually been frozen solid inside a gigantic block of ice by their combined strike!
"D-did we succeed?!"
"He's sealed! Marco's been Ice Sealed!"
"Heavens! Heaven Water Academy actually did it!"
"Frozen without even using his Martial Soul? This..."
After a moment of dead silence, the arena erupted with earth-shaking exclamations and incredulous uproar! This was the first time since the tournament began that Marco had been completely hit by an opponent's attack in a direct confrontation, and appeared to be in a "suppressed" state!
After unleashing this all-out strike, the five Heaven Water team members—Shui Yue'er, Yu Hairou, and others—instantly depleted their Soul Power. Their faces turned deathly pale, their delicate bodies swayed unsteadily, and they collapsed to the ground one after another, gasping for breath, without even the strength to lift a finger. They stared at the massive ice block across from them, their eyes filled with anticipation and a trace of bewilderment.
Shui Yue'er struggled to lift her head and weakly called out, "Sister... did we... did we win?" Her voice carried uncertainty and hope.
Shui Bing'er glanced at her collapsed teammates, then at the giant ice sculpture opposite, and couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation. A hint of helplessness appeared on her cool, beautiful face as she scolded, "Win what? Get off the stage and recover! Stop being a nuisance here!" She knew perfectly well that level of attack could never truly defeat that monster.
"Oh..."Shui Yue'er pouted aggrievedly, and with the other team members supporting each other, they staggered off the Soul Duel Stage step by shaky step." Now, only Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu remained on stage—the latter having been continuously gathering Soul Power beside her, their auras subtly intertwining.
Shui Bing'er's gaze returned to the massive ice block imprisoning Marco. A complex emotion flickered in her ice-blue eyes, but what dominated was a resolute fighting spirit. She took a deep breath and directed her clear, cold voice toward the ice sculpture, her words ringing across the arena with a mix of provocation and certainty:
"Marco! How much longer do you plan to stay in that ice cube?"
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