NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164: [DD2]: 163
Credits: Lost4rt
It was clear that Xu Jiujiu was a Soul King-level powerhouse. As Xu Jiujiu released her martial soul, the rest of the Star Luo National Academy team followed suit, revealing their martial souls one by one. Each of them displayed the same soul ring configuration: two yellow, two purple, and one black—a full team of Soul Kings. This was the formidable strength of the Star Luo National Academy team.
Neither side wasted any time reacting to the other's display of power; the battle began immediately. Countless light bullets, condensed from soul power and fired through soul tools, shot out from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's side. They rained down like a storm, rapidly blanketing the seven members of the Star Luo National Academy team. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team excelled in firepower suppression. Their opening move was always a barrage of attacks aimed at overwhelming their opponents. Most teams were unable to withstand this initial wave and were subsequently crushed under sustained pressure. To challenge the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team, one had to survive that opening salvo.
After so many matches, the Star Luo National Academy team had naturally prepared for this strategy. Layers of protective barriers materialized, successfully withstanding the intense barrage of firepower. At the same time, the star crown above Xu Jiujiu's head emitted a brilliant light. Her third soul ring lit up, sending a golden beam of light soaring into the sky. The golden beam expanded into a misty golden haze filled with starlight, which then spread to envelop her six teammates. Instantly, a golden sheen covered every member of the Star Luo team. Meanwhile, the radiant starry glow around Xu Jiujiu didn't dissipate; starlight continued to surge from her star crown.
Empowered by the star crown martial soul, several members of the Star Luo National Academy team launched a swift charge toward the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Soul engineers, being adept at long-range combat, rarely engaged at close quarters. Knowing this, the Star Luo National Academy team took the initiative to attack. Leading the charge were two Soul Kings specializing in strong-attack techniques.
The first was Huang Heyun, whose martial soul was the Dark Demon Tiger—a powerful top-tier assault-type martial soul comparable in prestige to the renowned White Tiger. With Xu Jiujiu's third spirit ability, Stellar Amplification, his strength surged. His body grew to nearly two meters tall, his hair turned pitch black, and a dark "king" symbol appeared on his forehead, exuding a ferocious and overpowering aura. The second was Du Gu Shangshan, whose martial soul was the Netherworld Berserk Lion. Although also an assault-type Soul King, his presence was vastly different from Huang Heyun's. Huang Heyun exuded overt strength, while Du Gu Shangshan gave off a sinister and elusive vibe.
The two charged at astonishing speeds, reaching the center of the battlefield in mere moments. Su Yu, holding his Snow Sword, lightly stepped forward, intercepting both of them midway. With a single motion of his sword, Su Yu brought both of them into his attack range. As Su Yu held the front line, Mi Jia and the others quickly switched gear, equipping close-combat soul tool armor. Lin Xi and the others also readied themselves for battle.
Su Yu made a light slash with his Snow Sword, releasing two sharp waves of icy sword energy. Enhanced by the Level Seven soul tool, even a casual slash carried immense destructive power. Huang Heyun let out a thunderous roar as his dark soul power merged with the golden mist behind him. His first soul ring lit up, releasing a semicircular shield of dark gold light—Dark Wave, his first spirit ability. The icy sword energy collided with the dark gold shield but was held at bay. Starlight from the golden mist struck the sword's energy, further weakening its power until it was entirely neutralized. The residual energy of the Dark Wave counterattacked, surging toward Su Yu. Su Yu slashed downward, shattering the attack in a single strike.
"Where do you think you're going?" Su Yu's frosty voice rang out as a blue spear appeared in his left hand. With a sudden sweep, it created a resounding shockwave, forcing Du Gu Shangshan to retreat. Golden starlight repeatedly struck the Ancient Blue Spear, reducing its impact, but the spear still carried immense power. Du Gu Shangshan's expression shifted, but before he could recover, Huang Heyun launched another attack. His third soul ring lit up as dark golden soul power erupted with a deafening tiger's roar. Tiger's Fury, his third spirit ability, took the form of a massive dark golden tiger charging at Su Yu.
Unperturbed, Su Yu pivoted on his right foot, channeling power through his body and slashing horizontally with the spear.
"Boom!"
The blue spear shattered the dark golden tiger in mid-air. Meanwhile, Du Gu Shangshan seized the opening and lunged at Su Yu, his strength amplified by Stellar Amplification. Unlike Huang Heyun, Du Gu Shangshan's martial soul granted him a spectral quality. When Su Yu's attacks landed on him, their power was mysteriously dispersed, allowing him to evade damage. The two Soul Kings, bolstered by Xu Jiujiu's ability, were now on par with two Soul Emperors working in tandem. Yet Su Yu remained calm. Wielding both his spear and sword, he held off their combined assault with ease.
At that moment, a flash of yellow lightning streaked toward him, exuding an electrifying and menacing aura. It was the Lightning Falcon Soul Master from Star Luo, Chen Xiaojie. Moving at blinding speed, Chen Xiaojie appeared as a blur of lightning. But Su Yu's reflexes were unmatched. In a split second, he evaded the attack like a gust of wind. The battlefield saw two figures weaving through it—one a streak of yellow lightning, the other a blur of white light. "Zing!"
Moments later, a dull sound echoed as Chen Xiaojie's figure was sent flying backward.
Su Yu leaped into the air, his kicks blurring into hundreds of shadows, striking Huang Heyun and Du Gu Shangshan in rapid succession. Although their damage was mitigated by Stellar Amplification, both were forced back several meters, their chests tight from the impact. Su Yu landed, spinning rapidly to create a small whirlwind—Cyclone Slash, a move from the Wind God Leg technique. At that moment, a green light ring appeared in the arena, siphoning away much of Su Yu's surrounding wind. It was the work of Wang Shiying, the wind-control Soul Master from Star Luo. Her martial soul, wind element, specialized in manipulating the battlefield.
Taking advantage of this, Chen Xiaojie attempted another sneak attack, but this time, he was intercepted mid-charge by Chen Fei. Chen Fei's martial soul was the Flash Bird, also excelling in speed. He was the first to match Su Yu's pace. Su Yu charged forward with overwhelming momentum, single-handedly holding off most of the Star Luo National Academy team. As Chen Fei arrived, Chen An followed right after. The two were brothers, sharing the same martial soul and a remarkable aptitude for speed. Chen An wielded dual daggers and seamlessly took over Chen Fei's position to hold off the Lightning Falcon Spirit Master. Unlike Chen Fei, who specialized in long-range speed attacks, Chen An excelled in close combat, particularly in swiftly taking down enemies with high-speed strikes. Despite the Stars Crown's enhancement, Chen An was evenly matched with Chen Xiaojie in the short term.
At this moment, Mi Jia joined the fray. Mi Jia was the quiet and ruthless type. Descending from the air, clad in close-combat soul tool armor, his longsword slashed directly at Huang Heyun's head. Huang Heyun didn't dare to take the attack lightly, countering with soul power infused with a mix of black and golden mist. With the Star Crown's support, Mi Jia was pushed back repeatedly in their head-on confrontation. Meanwhile, Su Yu, landing lightly, launched an assault on Wang Shiying, the control-type soul master. In the arena, control-type soul masters were often the most challenging opponents. The Star Luo team had both wind and fire control—a dangerous combination.
As Su Yu approached, Wang Shiying remained composed, unleashing powerful gusts of wind. At the same time, another fire control soul master, Yi Chen, summoned raging flames. The wind fanned the fire, creating a terrifying flaming tornado. However, Su Yu remained unflustered. A Wind Sword appeared in his left hand, complementing the Snow Sword in his right. Wind and snow combined, unleashing an overwhelming chill.
"Slash!"
The icy sword aura generated by the two swords extinguished the fire tornado instantly, sending shockwaves that left everyone staggering. Xu Jiujiu's expression shifted, shocked by Su Yu's sheer power. The Wind and Fire control duo, even with the Star Crown's boost, was formidable. Yet, Su Yu had effortlessly neutralized their joint attack.
Xu Jiujiu's eyes flickered with determination. Su Yu's strength was a significant problem that needed to be addressed. Her hand moved swiftly, releasing a golden light. In an instant, a golden barrier formed, trapping Su Yu. At the barrier's apex was a rotating, luminous orb with 108 facets, shining brilliantly. This was a Grade-7 Soul Tool: Absolute Defense. Absolute Defense was a single-use soul tool with extraordinary power, surpassing even the famed Invincible Barrier. Anyone trapped inside would face a defense equivalent to a defense-type Soul Douluo for 15 minutes. Moreover, its inner and outer defenses were identical—breaking the barrier, even targeting the core orb, required at least Soul Sage-level attack power.
The sudden turn of events left Mi Jia shocked. He attempted to intervene but was firmly held off by Huang Heyun. Behind them, Xiao Xiafeng and the others unleashed their soul tools, their soul power surging. Xu Jiujiu sneered coldly as her fourth soul ring lit up. Centered around her, a radiant burst of starlight erupted, forming a shimmering shield. This shield encased Mi Jia, Chen An, Chen Fei, and Su Yu, separating them from the others. The shield glowed with eighteen dazzling stars across its surface. This was Xu Jiujiu's fourth soul skill, Star's Guardian, reputed to block all attributes.
Xiao Xiafeng and the others frantically attacked the shield, but only one star on its surface dimmed slightly. Breaking it would require extinguishing all eighteen stars. The abrupt change in the battle caused the situation to shift dramatically. Offstage, Ma Rulong stood up anxiously. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's expressions darkened. "Xu Jiujiu has a Grade-7 Absolute Defense? Who sold it to her?" Ma Rulong's voice was cold, his frustration evident. Absolute Defense was rare, even in the Sun and Moon Empire. Xu Jiujiu managed to acquire one and was using it against Su Yu.
Without Absolute Defense, Su Yu could have held off four to five opponents singlehandedly. Now, the situation had turned dire. No one responded to Ma Rulong. In the vast Sun and Moon Empire, traitors weren't uncommon. With enough money, many things were possible. "Trust him. So far, Su Yu's only shown about 30% of his strength. What are you so worried about?" Wang Dong'er remained confident in Su Yu, believing he wouldn't be easily defeated. "If he dares to lose to this ragtag bunch, I'll deal with him myself when he gets back," Xiao Hongchen muttered, feigning irritation.
Meng Hongchen glared at him, bristling like an angry cat. "Who are you planning to deal with?" Her anger was so intimidating that Xiao Hongchen momentarily cowered. "Just joking, Meng." His tone immediately softened. "He won't lose, right?" "Hmph!" Meng Hongchen snorted, her eyes returning to the stage. Su Yu wasn't weak, nor was he careless—he was just enjoying himself.