"Liu Yuan! I'll see how long you can keep running!"
Ma Xiaotao's roar echoed across the arena. The golden crystal sword in her hand trailed a heart-stopping cold light as she charged toward the corner where Liu Yuan was, like an out-of-control cruise missile, heedless of the consequences.
At this moment, she was completely blinded by rage.
Having been toyed with twice in a row, the stifling frustration of having power but nowhere to use it caused this pride of Shrek Academy to completely lose her usual calm and judgment.
In her view, Liu Yuan would surely repeat his old tricks.
He would definitely use that annoying Extreme Speed to pull away and then run to another corner to perform that damned dance!
"This time, no matter what, I'm catching you!"
Ma Xiaotao hardened her heart. Instead of pulling back her spirit power for defense, she poured it all into her legs and back to trade for an even more terrifying burst of speed.
Defense? She didn't need it!
He only knew how to run anyway!
However...
The moment Ma Xiaotao crossed the center line of the arena.
Liu Yuan, who was dancing amidst dragon-shaped air currents, suddenly had a cold glint flash deep in his eyes.
"The fish has taken the bait."
He didn't immediately interrupt the Dragon Dance. Instead, he waited until the instant Ma Xiaotao charged within fifty meters of him before his dancing hands suddenly pressed downward.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Surf!"
Rumble—!!!
Out of thin air, it was as if a bursting dam had poured forth a flood.
A towering wave surged out from beneath Liu Yuan's feet without warning, carrying immense force as it slammed head-on into the rapidly approaching Ma Xiaotao.
This move wasn't known for its lethality, but it excelled in its wide range and strong impact!
Sizzle, sizzle—
The flames that had covered the arena to sense Liu Yuan's position were instantly extinguished with a piercing sound under the wash of this towering wave, turning into a sky full of white mist and losing all effectiveness.
"Trivial tricks!"
Facing the oncoming giant wave, Ma Xiaotao only gave a disdainful cold snort and casually swung the golden crystal sword, splitting the wave down the middle.
"You think such a soft attack can stop me? You're too—"
However, before she could finish her sentence, those two words she found both familiar and hateful reached her ears once more.
"Extreme Speed!"
Whoosh—!
That white figure vanished again.
"This routine again?!"
A mocking, cold smile curled at the corner of Ma Xiaotao's mouth.
Just as expected!
He used Surf to obstruct her vision and then took the opportunity to escape with Extreme Speed, right?
"Do you think the same trick will still work on me?!"
Ma Xiaotao didn't adopt any defensive posture at all; she didn't even slow her forward speed in the slightest.
Her gaze was locked onto another corner of the arena, predicting that Liu Yuan was about to appear there, preparing to give him a head-on blow!
But...
In the next second.
A hair-raising sense of crisis exploded from behind her without warning!
It wasn't an escape!
It wasn't a reposition!
That white lightning hadn't appeared in a distant corner, but... right behind her!
"What?!"
Ma Xiaotao's pupils constricted violently. She wanted to turn back to defend, but found that because of her previous full-speed sprint, her inertia was too great to stop or turn instantly.
"This time, it's for real."
Liu Yuan's cold voice rang in her ear like the whisper of a death god.
This was psychological warfare!
When you think I'm on the second level, I'm actually already on the fifth!
The previous two instances of Extreme Speed were merely a setup for this thunderous strike, intended to create a habitual way of thinking and make her abandon her defense!
Boom—!!!
He didn't give Ma Xiaotao any chance to regret.
Liu Yuan's right fist, which had long been gathering momentum, carried an unrivaled and terrifying power as it slammed heavily into Ma Xiaotao's defenseless back!
What was concentrated in this punch?
The two levels of attack power increase from two stacks of Dragon Dance!
The doubling of physical attack power from the Huge Power Ability!
Plus the massive kinetic energy from the Extreme Speed sprint!
The power of this punch had long since surpassed the limits of an ordinary Spirit King, and was even comparable to the full-strength strike of a Power Attack System Soul Emperor!
Pfft—!
Ma Xiaotao only felt as if her back had been violently struck by a stampeding ancient dragon.
Her protective spirit power shattered instantly!
Her spine let out an overwhelmed groan!
A mouthful of blood sprayed out, drawing a tragic and beautiful arc in the air.
Her entire body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, tracing a long parabola in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the ground at the edge of the arena.
Bang!
A large crater was instantly smashed into the hard granite floor, and dust rose everywhere.
The entire venue was deathly silent!
Everyone looked at this scene in disbelief.
Ma Xiaotao, who was aggressively hunting Liu Yuan just a second ago, was actually sent flying the next?
"Cough, cough... You..."
Inside the crater, Ma Xiaotao struggled to prop up her upper body. Blood dripped continuously from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes were filled with shock and resentment.
She wanted to stand up, but the intense pain from her back made her vision go black.
However.
Liu Yuan didn't give her any chance to catch her breath.
"It's not over yet."
Liu Yuan stood where he was and didn't pursue. Instead, he pulled a silver-gray metal sphere from his storage spirit tool.
"Go!"
With a flick of his wrist, the metal sphere turned into a streak of light, flying precisely above Ma Xiaotao's head.
Crack!
The metal sphere burst instantly. It didn't explode but instead transformed into a massive metal net flickering with blue electric arcs, descending over her!
Level Six Binding Soul Tool—Lightning Dragon-Imprisoning Net!
This net was woven from special memory metal. Not only was it incredibly tough, but it also carried a strong paralyzing current, specifically designed to deal with physically powerful Spirit Masters or Spirit Beasts.
Sizzle, sizzle!
Ma Xiaotao, who had just been struggling to stand up, was instantly trapped tightly by this large net.
"Ah—!"
The current coursed through her body. The intense paralysis made her let out a scream, and the sliver of spirit power she had just managed to gather was instantly dispersed.
"Bastard! Let me go!"
Ma Xiaotao was like a trapped wild beast, crazily tearing at the metal net on her body.
With her top-tier flames and Soul Sage level strength, this Level Six spirit tool couldn't trap her for long.
As long as she was given a little time, even just a few seconds, she could use her Ultimate Fire to melt this metal or use brute force to tear it apart!
"Liu Yuan!"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes were bloodshot. Although she couldn't wield the golden crystal sword, the flames on her body began to burn frantically. The metal net started to rapidly turn red and soften under the high temperature.
Just a little longer...
However.
When she raised her head and looked at Liu Yuan in the distance.
At that moment, a piercing sense of despair surged from the depths of her heart.
Because she saw.
Liu Yuan wasn't even looking at her anymore.
He was standing in the center of the arena, his eyes slightly closed, his hands dancing once more.
Purple-black dragon-shaped air currents were once again spiraling and rising around him.
Dragon Dance, third stage!
"No... Don't!"
Ma Xiaotao's pupils dilated, and her heart seemed to stop beating.
She struggled desperately, ignoring the barbs on the metal net tearing her skin and the intense pain of the current burning her body. She only wanted to be faster, just a little faster to break free from this restraint!
She had to stop him!
If she let him continue stacking...
"Break for me!!!"
Accompanied by a heart-wrenching roar, the potential within Ma Xiaotao's body completely exploded.
Snap—!
That incredibly tough Lightning Dragon-Imprisoning Net finally snapped under her frantic tearing and high-temperature burning!
Pant... pant...
Ma Xiaotao stumbled to her feet, her hair disheveled, covered in blood and in a wretched state.
But she couldn't care about that.
She stared fixedly at Liu Yuan, wanting to charge over and interrupt him.
But.
It was all too late.
The moment she broke free from the restraint.
Liu Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
At this time, the purple-black currents around him had reached their peak density, as if they had condensed into an Ancient Magic Dragon roaring at the sky behind him.
That was...
Six stacks of Dragon Dance!
Attack power increased by six levels!
Speed increased by six levels!
Liu Yuan looked at the battered Ma Xiaotao, a faint smile curling at his lips. That smile held no mockery, only an absolute confidence that he controlled everything.
"Congratulations, you finally came out."
He gently flexed his wrists, letting out a series of crisp popping sounds that were exceptionally clear in the deathly silent arena.
"Next, let's begin the second round!"
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