The atmosphere in the sky grew heavy to the extreme!
The Ice Snow Phoenix frantically compressed all its remaining power, coalescing before it a massive glacier phantom that seemed to hail from the ancient ice age! The glacier, entirely deep blue, radiated an ultimate cold capable of freezing souls. Even before fully forming, the surrounding space began to distort and solidify, as if time itself would be frozen! This was the final strike—Glacier Assault—launched by Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu with all their Soul Power, willpower, and even part of their life force!
Opposite them, Marco hovered in the air, the blazing azure-red flames around him retracting to their limits, all converging toward his raised right leg! His leg seemed to transform into azure-red crystal, the fiercely burning flames no longer spreading out but highly compressed and concentrated, even faintly tinged with streaks of dark red light. This was a sign of Soul Power and Mental Power fusing at a high level, infused with intangible Armament Haki! A destructive fluctuation, no less formidable than the glacier phantom, gathered like a volcano on the verge of eruption, ready to unleash!
The entire Great Spirit Arena fell silent; everyone held their breath, hearts nearly leaping from their chests! This would be the final strike to decide the outcome!
"Glacier Assault! Go!" The Ice Snow Phoenix let out a shrill cry, blending the resolute wills of Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu!
The massive glacier phantom shuddered violently, carrying the terrifying might to crush all things and seal eternity in ice, like a roaring river of ice, charging toward Marco! Where it passed, the sky froze into a blue trail, and even light seemed to be devoured!
Facing this ultimate strike capable of instantly freezing and annihilating even a peak Soul Emperor, the azure-red flames in Marco's eyes blazed brightly!
"Demon Storm Leg... Azure Meteor!"
He roared inwardly, and his right leg, condensed with terrifying power, swung forward like a battleaxe cleaving the heavens!
"Boom—!!!"
An indescribable azure-red light tore through the sky! It was no longer a crescent-shaped slash but a... massive meteor burning with raging Azure Flame, trailing dark red light, as if plummeting from beyond the heavens! At its core was an extremely compressed flame, surrounded by terrifying wind pressure spinning at high speed, tearing everything apart! Where the meteor passed, space twisted, groaning under unbearable strain, the intense heat igniting the air along its path, forming a vacuum flame channel!
Azure Flame vs. Ultimate Glacier!
The next moment, under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, the two destructive energy masses, embodying polar opposite attributes, collided violently... mid-air!
"Hum—!!!!!"
Instead of the expected earth-shattering explosion, there was first a deathly hum! Time seemed to halt at this moment! At the point of impact, light vanished completely, turning into a black dot that devoured everything! Then—
"BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!"
An indescribable explosion erupted! As if a sun had detonated in the sky! The intertwined destructive energy spheres of azure-red and blue-white instantly expanded, devouring the surrounding hundreds of meters of space! A terrifying energy storm swept outward in all directions like a tsunami! The incredibly sturdy protective shield of the Soul Duel Stage emitted an ear-splitting shattering sound, instantly covered in spider web-like cracks, on the verge of complete collapse!
"Not good!" From the VIP seats, several powerful auras erupted simultaneously. Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, and others immediately acted, pouring vast Soul Power into the protective shield to barely stabilize it. Yet the light barrier still fluctuated violently, flickering unsteadily!
At the center of the energy storm, ultimate ice and undying Azure Flame were engaged in the most brutal annihilation! Glaciers attempted to seal the flames, while the flames sought to incinerate the glaciers! Blinding white light temporarily robbed everyone of their vision, leaving only the sensation of world-destroying energy fluctuations!
The stalemate lasted merely an instant!
"Crack... crack-crack..."
Subtle yet heart-shattering cracking sounds emerged! Under the violent impact and extreme heat of the azure-red meteor, the seemingly indestructible glacial ice began developing massive fissures across its surface! The cracks rapidly spread, instantly covering the entire glacier!
"BOOM!!!"
Finally, the massive glacial phantom shattered under the relentless assault of the Azure Flame meteor, exploding into countless dancing blue ice crystals that were instantly vaporized and evaporated by the ensuing azure-red sea of flames!
The Ice Snow Phoenix's ultimate technique—Glacier Assault—had been shattered head-on!
"Pfft—!"
The moment the glacier shattered, the Ice Snow Phoenix in the sky let out a piercing cry of despair. Its massive form instantly turned illusory, then fragmented like broken glass, dissolving into scattered points of light that vanished into the air. As the radiance faded, it revealed two tightly embraced figures—Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu! Their faces were deathly pale, their auras withered to the extreme. Their Soul Power, Mental Power, and physical strength completely exhausted, they fell helplessly from the sky like severed kites.
Meanwhile, the Azure Flame meteor that had shattered the glacier, though significantly dimmed and reduced in size, still carried terrifying momentum! With a low roar, it didn't pursue the falling Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu. Instead, with exquisitely precise control, it traced a dangerous arc just past their falling forms before crashing violently into the empty ground behind the Soul Duel Stage!
"BOOM—!!!!!"
Another earth-shaking explosion! Rubble flew as dust pillars shot skyward! When the dust partially cleared, a charred, bottomless crater over ten meters in diameter was visible on the ground behind the stage. The rocks at the crater's edge showed signs of vitrification, radiating terrifying heat! Even the residual power of this strike remained horrifyingly potent!
The entire Great Spirit Arena fell into dead silence!
Everyone was rendered speechless, utterly stunned by this heaven-shattering final strike and its terrifyingly precise control!
Several seconds later, the referee finally snapped out of his extreme shock and announced in a trembling voice, "All members of Heaven Water Academy have lost combat ability! The victors... Heavenly Dou Royal Academy Team Two, Marco!"
The announcement broke the deathly silence, and a tsunami of cheers and roars erupted! Everyone was going wild over this spectacular, breathtaking match and Marco's invincible demeanor!
"He won! Marco won!"
"So strong! He even shattered their Martial Soul Fusion Skill head-on!"
"That final kick... it was nothing short of miraculous!"
"He actually controlled the direction! He didn't harm Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu!"
In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes filled with awe and gratification. Ning Fengzhi wore a complex expression as he gently applauded. Bone Douluo Gu Rong rasped, "His control over power has reached perfection. This young man... is extraordinary!" Bishop Salas's face was as dark as storm clouds.
Below the stage, the other members of Heaven Water Academy—Shui Yue'er, Yu Hairou, and others—were already in tears. After the referee announced the result, they immediately rushed onto the Soul Duel Stage, running toward Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, who had fallen to the ground and could barely stand while supporting each other.
"Sister! Sister Xue Wu!" Shui Yue'er cried as she threw herself forward, carefully helping to support the two swaying figures along with the other team members.
"We... lost..." Shui Bing'er's face was pale, a trace of blood still at the corner of her lips. Her ice-blue eyes were filled with exhaustion and unwillingness, but more than that, a sense of relief. Xue Wu leaned against her, equally weak, her gaze dim.
"Sister, you were amazing! Truly amazing!" Shui Yue'er sobbed, and the other team members nodded with red-rimmed eyes.
Just then, a figure slowly approached—it was Marco. The aura around him had settled, the Azure Flame receded, and he had returned to his usual appearance.
Seeing Marco approach, the girls of Heaven Water Academy grew tense, instinctively shielding Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu.
Marco stopped a few steps away, his gaze falling on Shui Bing'er, who was being supported but stubbornly straightened her back, then sweeping over the weakened Xue Wu and the wary yet admiring Shui Yue'er and others. A faint, respectful smile appeared on his face.
"It was a brilliant match," Marco's voice was calm, devoid of its earlier sharpness. "Your Martial Soul Fusion Skill, 'Ice and Snow Drifting,' was astonishingly powerful, especially the final 'Glacier Assault.' If I hadn't used some of my trump cards, the outcome would have been uncertain."
Shui Bing'er raised her head, a trace of bitterness on her pale, delicate face, but her eyes remained clear. She looked at Marco and said softly, "A loss is a loss. Marco, you are strong—stronger than we ever imagined. We... accept defeat wholeheartedly." Though her voice was weak, it carried a sense of honesty and resilience.
Xue Wu also nodded slightly in agreement.
Marco smiled, his tone sincere, "Don't belittle yourselves. You have great potential, especially your control over the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul and your synergy with Miss Xue Wu. Given time, the power of this Martial Soul Fusion Skill will reach even greater heights. I look forward to the opportunity to spar with you again in the future."
The recognition and expectation in his words made Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu pause for a moment, a complex light flashing in their eyes. Defeated by such a formidable opponent, yet receiving such praise from him, the bitterness and disappointment in their hearts seemed to lessen.
Shui Bing'er took a deep breath and nodded seriously, "Thank you. We will."
Marco said no more, giving them a slight nod before turning and walking slowly off the Soul Duel Stage under the resounding cheers and countless complex gazes. His figure remained tall and solitary, yet it had lost some of its previous aloofness, now carrying a trace of the composure forged through intense battle.
In the stands, Ning Fengzhi watched the brief exchange below and sighed softly, speaking to the Bone Douluo beside him: "Uncle Gu, look—this is the future of the Soul Master Realm. With a peerless genius like Marco emerging out of nowhere, and young talents like Shui Bing'er and Yu Tianxin, who possess resilient spirits and remain undaunted by defeat… the continent's future is destined to be anything but peaceful, yet it is also destined… to be spectacular."
Bone Douluo Gu Rong gazed at the girls of the Tianshui Academy supporting one another and Marco's receding figure, his hoarse voice tinged with emotion: "Indeed, the future belongs to them. Let us only hope that this magnificent future does not turn into a storm of blood and violence…"
Emperor Xue Ye's gaze was distant, lost in thought. Representatives of the other major powers were also lost in their own reflections.
A spectacular and thrilling match had come to an end, but the ripples and impact it brought had only just begun to spread.