Blue and gold light spun frantically, fusing and condensing into a solid golden torrent containing the power to strip away Martial Souls—
Withering Amidst Brilliance—Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
This light beam, carrying a terrifying aura that purifies all Martial Souls with unstoppable force, instantly locked onto Caelus, Gu Yuena, and Ye Guyi, who happened to be in a straight line due to their combat positioning.
In Huo Yuhao's calculations, this was their only and final chance.
On the observation deck, Zhou Yi suddenly clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her palms.
Xuan Zi's cloudy eyes opened once more, flashing with sharp brilliance.
Wang Yan was trembling with excitement.
Mu Jin, Ning Tian, and the others held their breath.
Facing this earth-shattering Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the reactions of the three members of Caelus's team exceeded everyone's understanding.
Caelus's gaze remained unperturbed; his talent—Precognition—had already clearly presented this scene in his mind.
Just a split second before that destructive golden beam was about to swallow him, the deep purple third spirit ring on his body finally lit up with a mysterious glow.
Third Martial Soul Skill: Empty Dream Shadow Flit.
With no spatial fluctuations and no movement trajectory, his figure vanished into thin air before the edge of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, as if wiped away by an eraser.
In the next instant, he quietly appeared behind Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who were embracing each other on the ground, unable to move after exhausting their Soul Power.
It was as if he had simply stepped gently from one point in time into the next.
Almost at the same moment, silver light flashed around Gu Yuena; it was the Silver Dragon King's exquisite control over spatial power.
Her figure also blurred for a moment, and she easily escaped the locking range of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, appearing beside Xiao Xiao with the tip of her silver dragon spear lightly touching the ground, her posture composed.
The only one left in place to face the full power of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill head-on was Ye Guyi, who had activated Divine Praise, with Holy Light surging around her like a tide.
Facing an attack that could make even a Soul King pale, there was no fear in Ye Guyi's eyes; instead, they burned with a blazing Battle Intent belonging to the Sacred Angel.
"Second Spirit Skill: Holy Spirit Slash."
Under the enhancement of Divine Praise, the Holy Light blade condensed in her palm became even more massive and solid, the burning sacred flames turning almost pure white.
She gave a sharp shout, pouring all of her peak Soul Power and holy attribute into it, unleashing this ultimate slash.
"BOOM—!!!"
The sacred platinum light blade and the gold-blue light beam of judgment collided violently, erupting in a deafening roar.
The blinding light made the entire Assessment Area pale in comparison, and the violent energy shockwave spread out like a tsunami, causing the protective shield around the arena to ripple violently.
The stalemate lasted for only an instant.
Ultimately, the power of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill was superior.
The platinum light of the Holy Spirit Slash began to shatter and dissipate inch by inch under the impact of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
However, the moment Ye Guyi bought, along with the all-around enhancement from Divine Praise—especially the extreme boost to her holy and light attributes—played a crucial role.
When the residual power of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill struck her, that strange power intended to temporarily strip away the Martial Soul was largely offset and resisted by her highly condensed holy attribute.
"Ugh!"
Ye Guyi let out a muffled groan as a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth, her body pushed back more than ten meters by the massive impact before she barely managed to steady herself.
The Holy Light around her dimmed significantly, and her face was somewhat pale, clearly having suffered significant shock and internal injuries.
However, her Sacred Angel Martial Soul had not been sealed; she still stood, and in those emerald eyes, her Battle Intent had not faded.
At this moment, Caelus stood calmly beside the exhausted Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, not even needing to make a move.
Gu Yuena also didn't attack Xiao Xiao, simply standing quietly to the side.
The outcome was no longer in doubt.
The entire Assessment Area fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was deeply shocked by this battle style and result that defied their understanding—predictive Teleportation, and forcefully clashing with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill and successfully holding out... This team from freshman class six was powerful to the point of despair.
Xuan Zi had stood up straight at some point, staring intently at Caelus as he murmured to himself:
"Time... it really is the power of time... and that girl's Martial Soul and Spirit Ability..."
Zhou Yi's face was ashen; her final hope was completely shattered.
Wang Yan, on the other hand, was so excited he couldn't contain himself, scribbling frantically in his notebook while muttering incessantly:
"Incredible... simply incredible."
On the arena, Caelus's gaze swept over the fallen Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, as well as the frustrated Xiao Xiao, before finally making eye contact with Gu Yuena and Ye Guyi.
The Round of 16 had reached its conclusion.
Caelus's gaze fell upon the mentally drained Huo Yuhao, whose facial features still bore wet traces of blood; his tone was calm, betraying no emotion:
"Mental-type Spirit Skills are indeed hard to guard against, but sometimes, over-reliance on them makes it easy to get trapped in one's own web."
"You...!"
Hearing this, Wang Dong glared at Caelus, thinking he was mocking them after his victory, and tried to force himself up to argue.
But a cold hand pulled at his sleeve.
Huo Yuhao shook his head with difficulty, stopping Wang Dong. He looked up at Caelus with a complex gaze filled with lingering fear, and said in a low voice:
"Thank you... for showing mercy."
He knew better than anyone the danger of that moment just now.
His Soul Shock had not hit the mental barrier of a peer, but a vast, ancient, terrifying starry sky filled with fragments of the Law of time.
That backlashing mental pressure was like the sky collapsing. If not for Brother Tianmeng's desperate defense, and if the opponent hadn't seemingly restrained the vast majority of his power at the final moment, his Sea of Consciousness would likely have been completely crushed in an instant. The best-case scenario would have been turning into a muddled idiot, not just the Soul Power exhaustion and mental damage he had now.
Caelus was right; he relied too much on the unexpected move of Soul Shock. With the Purple Demon Eye and Brother Tianmeng's massive mental force as a foundation, he thought no one among his peers could stop him, forgetting the greatest taboo for a Mental-type Spirit Master.
Once one encountered an immovable mental barrier or an even more powerful existence, the consequences of the backlash would be devastating.
This painful lesson had taught him an unforgettable class.
Although his heart was full of unwillingness, Huo Yuhao also clearly realized that there was a qualitative gap between them and Caelus's team.
Just Ye Guyi alone would likely require all three of them to go all out just to barely contend with her, let alone the unfathomable Gu Yuena who could manipulate multiple elements, and the Caelus before him who possessed mysterious time abilities and whom even a Soul Shock could not affect.
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