On the Battle Soul Stage, fourteen soul masters from both sides released their martial souls at the same time, and the brilliant light of soul rings illuminated the arena.
The Star Crown Sect team not only had three soul masters with the Star Crown Martial Soul, but also shared another unique feature,their seven martial souls were all related to the stars and the moon.
From previous battles, Dai Mubai and his team knew that the Star Crown Sect surely had hidden cards related to that, so as soon as the battle began, they launched their strongest offensive.
At the referee's signal, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing immediately performed a martial soul fusion. A massive Nether White Tiger with twin wings appeared, charging alongside Ma Hongjun toward the Star Crown team's formation.
Qin Qiong wielded his War Dragon Halberd, the five soul rings on his body lighting up in sequence as he charged his power. Having watched the Star Crown Sect's previous battles, they were already familiar with the characteristics of the Star Crown Martial Soul, and he intended to break it head-on.
Li Sheng's soul rings glowed, and his Celestial Chains split into three, shooting toward the three Star Crown Soul Masters led by Xu Lin'er.
Zhao Lan's Wind Flute released a mesmerizing sound as several soul skills activated in quick succession, enhancing speed, attack, and soul power among her teammates, boosting their overall strength again.
This time, Long Wu did not attack first. Instead, he guarded Zhao Lan and Li Sheng to prevent any ambushes.
Facing Ma Hongjun's fierce charge, Xu Lin'er was ready to respond.
At her command, the two beside her,Xu Hai and Xu Cuicui,unleashed the light of their Star Crown Martial Souls, their fifth black soul rings shining simultaneously.
As the Nether White Tiger and Fire Phoenix rushed forward, the three Soul Kings activated their fifth soul skills in unison, forming a massive barrier.
"Guardian of the Stars!"
The three soul skills seemed to resonate with a mysterious power, merging together in an enhanced fusion. The power of their ten-thousand-year soul skills was multiplied many times over under their combined release.
Xu Lin'er had anticipated that Ma Hongjun and the others would attack fiercely from the start, so she had already prepared for it.
The Guardian of the Stars directly locked onto Ma Hongjun. As he advanced with his third soul skill activated, he transformed into a gigantic Fire Phoenix carrying a terrifying wave of heat and power. However, the instant the Guardian of the Stars appeared, Ma Hongjun was trapped inside, his third soul skill sealed before it could even erupt.
Ma Hongjun was undeniably powerful, but even at full force, he would likely be restrained for at least two minutes under the combined Guardian of the Stars.
Recalling Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Hellfire from previous matches, Xu Lin'er thought three minutes might even be possible. Yet, even if he tried to break free by burning his soul power, he would end up a paper tiger afterward.
So, she was confident in holding him for three minutes. Once he was restrained, they just needed to defeat Dai Mubai and the others within that time to secure victory.
The fact that Ma Hongjun was sealed didn't alarm his teammates,they had expected it.
Moreover, since the Guardian of the Stars possessed attribute isolation, even if Ma Hongjun's level was high, escaping would still be difficult and time-consuming.
Thus, their plan was to fight six against seven until Ma Hongjun broke free,or to win before that happened.
However, maintaining the Guardian of the Stars consumed tremendous soul power. Once Xu Lin'er's trio could no longer sustain it, the barrier would collapse on its own.
Besides, Qin Qiong was already fully charged. He could assist from the outside in attacking the Guardian of the Stars.
Both sides had similar strategies,although the strongest fighter, Ma Hongjun, was restricted, each team aimed to defeat the other as quickly as possible.
Especially since the Nether White Tiger was strong enough to rival a Soul Sage, and with Zhao Lan's boosts, their combat ability was not inferior to Ma Hongjun's.
When Ma Hongjun didn't use Phoenix Hellfire, the Nether White Tiger could even surpass him in raw strength.
Xu Lin'er understood this well. After sealing Ma Hongjun, she and her two teammates activated their soul rings again.
Starlight! Star Guidance! Star Radiance! Star Explosion!
Their soul skills overlapped, intertwining to link five immense energies across the Battle Soul Stage. For a moment, it seemed as if a giant star had appeared, radiating dazzling light.
That massive star refracted a beam of white brilliance, blasting straight toward the charging Nether White Tiger.
The tiger roared, releasing its Nether Tiger Light Wave from its mouth in response.
Meanwhile, Xu Fang's Glowing Butterfly Martial Soul shone brightly as her first, third, and fifth soul rings lit up.
At the center of that massive star, countless luminous butterflies fluttered gracefully, and a huge starry matrix enveloped the entire arena,the star was the core of the formation.
"Dream of the Spirit Butterfly, seek starlight, welcome moonlight,Realm of Star Illusion!"
Xu Fang's body vanished, as if she had merged into the starry realm itself.
Everyone seemed to be in a vast expanse of stars. There was no ground beneath their feet, and each flash of starlight sent out powerful energy blasts.
These starlights were pure energy,not only extremely destructive but capable of forming terrifying explosions on contact.
Li Sheng's Celestial Chains shot toward Xu Lin'er's group but were intercepted midway by countless beams of starlight. The starry matrix protected Xu Lin'er, Xu Hai, and Xu Cuicui completely.
Qin Qiong, who had been charging up, was forced to stop as the storm of starlight and explosions assaulted him. He swung his War Dragon Halberd to block the relentless blasts.
Long Wu's five soul rings gleamed as he transformed into a guardian warrior, shielding Li Sheng and Zhao Lan from the endless attacks.
The Nether White Tiger gradually gained the upper hand in its beam clash with the star. Destroying the central star would shatter the Realm of Star Illusion, rendering the fusion skill of Xu Lin'er's group useless.
Just as the Nether White Tiger closed in on the star, a mighty dragon's roar resounded. A massive silver-scaled dragon emerged, its body glowing like moonlight and starlight fused together. It exuded divine radiance, ruling the entire realm.
While the Nether White Tiger fought the star, Xu Feng, Xu Can, and Xu Ye had already performed their fusion.
Xu Feng's Martial Soul was the Star Wolf, Xu Can's was the Moon Tiger, and Xu Ye's was the Silver Moon Scaled Dragon.
Although their souls couldn't truly fuse, within the Realm of Star Illusion, using the Star Crown Martial Soul and the Glowing Butterfly as mediums, they could channel all their powers into Xu Ye.
Thus empowered by the forces of star and moon, the Silver Moon Dragon's strength skyrocketed, rivaling even the Nether White Tiger.
The Silver Dragon lunged at the Nether White Tiger. Under the combined might of Xu Ye's trio, it unleashed power no weaker than that of the fused Nether White Tiger.
With the star's aid, the tiger was forced onto the defensive.
Qin Qiong, enduring the barrage of starlight, charged toward Xu Lin'er. If he couldn't charge up, he would just take her out directly.
Long Wu couldn't disengage since Zhao Lan and Li Sheng lacked defenses,if left exposed, they would be eliminated in seconds.
The Star Crown Sect's coordination was truly extraordinary. Their teamwork surpassed a decade of cooperation, and their martial soul synergy was among the rarest in the tournament.
If these seven continued to grow, their teamwork alone could make the Star Crown Sect a dominant force across the continent.
The Nether White Tiger and Silver Moon Dragon were evenly matched, but just as Qin Qiong was about to break through, the dragon flickered, teleporting in front of him.
Its silver claws slammed into Qin Qiong, sending him flying off the stage and coughing blood before the referee caught him.
He couldn't believe the dragon could teleport by harnessing starlight and moonlight within the realm.
The battle's balance shifted sharply. If the Silver Moon Dragon defeated Long Wu and the others next, then turned to face the Nether White Tiger, the outcome would be sealed.
As the dragon prepared to teleport again to stop the tiger, three glowing Celestial Chains shot through gaps in the starlight, wrapping toward it.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Dragon-Binding Chains!"
Li Sheng smiled faintly. "Did you really think I, a control-type soul master, was that easy to control?"
The Dragon-Binding Chains,true to their name,could restrain dragons.
Although Li Sheng wasn't an area-control type, his single-target control was unparalleled. Even with the interference of the starry field, he was never truly powerless.
From the moment his earlier control was blocked to when Qin Qiong was struck down, he had been preparing.
Now, at the moment when the Silver Moon Dragon was closest, Long Wu blasted open a path through the starlight, and Li Sheng's fifth soul skill activated instantly. The massive dragon was ensnared mid-teleport.
The dragon hesitated for an instant but remained calm. "A mere binding spell? Laughable before absolute power."
Li Sheng knew it too. He only needed a single second.
The dragon broke free with a burst of strength, but that moment was enough,because the Nether White Tiger had already closed the thirty-meter gap and lunged at Xu Lin'er's trio.
Xu Lin'er's expression changed. "So that's why he gave up on Qin Qiong…"
Her group was now completely vulnerable. Though their star attacks were powerful, they couldn't stop the tiger's charge. If it reached them, they would be finished.
Silver Moon Dragon was too far to save them in time.
Yet Xu Lin'er remained calm. Her pale hands formed a quick seal. "Star Guard!"
At the last moment, the central star flared, forming a massive wall of starlight in front of them.
The Nether White Tiger slammed into it, cracks spreading instantly across the barrier.
The Realm of Star Illusion began to collapse as energy drained rapidly.
The Silver Moon Dragon appeared behind the tiger and swiped its claws down.
The tiger growled, abandoning its attack and turning to face the dragon.
Meanwhile, within the Star Guardian barrier, Ma Hongjun's flames burned brighter. The Fire Phoenix's might surged as he unleashed more power.
He could feel the Guardian weakening, but breaking it would require an explosive surge.
The Guardian's attribute isolation made it difficult, but it couldn't suppress pure explosive power.
Gathering his flames into his left arm, the Infernal Flame Bird Soul Bone pulsed with energy.
"Soul Bone Skill: Phoenix Sky-Burning Fury!"
Flames condensed and erupted, striking the barrier and forming cracks.
Seeing the effect, Ma Hongjun unleashed it again.
Inside the Realm of Star Illusion, Xu Lin'er's expression changed. Through their star link, she ordered, "Xu Ye, finish it quickly! The Guardian won't hold!"
The Silver Moon Dragon roared, shaking off the Nether White Tiger and dashing toward Long Wu and the others, its speed unmatched.
But the Nether White Tiger didn't chase. Instead, black and white energies gathered in its mouth again.
Xu Lin'er hastily raised another barrier. If they blocked this next strike, victory was assured.
"Nether White Tiger Light Wave!"
The beam roared forth,but instead of aiming at Xu Lin'er, it shot straight upward at the Star Guardian barrier.
Xu Lin'er gasped. "No!"
She quickly created a shield in front of the Guardian. She could not allow the tiger to coordinate with Ma Hongjun, or the Guardian would collapse.
If Ma Hongjun broke free, the Fire Phoenix and Nether White Tiger together would crush them.
The starlight barrier barely held against the blast, but the Nether White Tiger spread its wings and charged again.
"Attack the one who must be saved," Dai Mubai's cold voice echoed. "Everyone knows that tactic."
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