His Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes relied on borrowed momentum—each rotation amplified the attack's power.
As he spun, Feng Xiaotian's eyes widened in shock.
His two translucent wings were decaying.
They became riddled with holes.
The accumulated wind power leaked away rapidly, as if draining through a sieve.
"What Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes? Do you think an opponent would let you slash so many times in battle?"
"Our Dugu Family specializes in one-strike kills!"
Little Snake smiled faintly.
The next moment, Feng Xiaotian thudded heavily onto the ground.
Little Snake had just unleashed his Fourth Soul Skill, Azure Phosphorus Heavenly Shield, pouring all his Soul Power into it to directly destroy Feng Xiaotian's Soul Power Wings.
His Soul Skill was shattered.
The Fourth Soul Skill, Azure Phosphorus Heavenly Shield, made the Jade Scale Serpent formed by Soul Power as hard as tempered aura.
Laced with potent toxins, it possessed a powerful corrosive force.
Against Feng Xiaotian's wings, also composed of Soul Power, it secured an instant victory.
Feng Xiaotian's wings required continuous accumulation of power to unleash strength beyond his own.
In contrast, Little Snake's Aura Shield delivered its full might in a single burst. Moreover, Feng Xiaotian's spinning rotation gave the toxins time to take effect.
His Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes could only end in bitter defeat.
Feng Xiaotian's face flushed crimson—he felt as if he were dreaming.
A dream where he had reached the pinnacle, only to plummet into the abyss before he could savor it.
This was the Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, a Self-Created Soul Skill he had spent years developing.
For this technique, his Soul Power cultivation had slowed.
His academy elders and teachers had all urged him to focus solely on cultivating Soul Power.
But Feng Xiaotian had paid them no heed.
He loved the sensation of diving down, and after creating this overwhelmingly powerful Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, he had crushed opponents of his level and even challenged those above him.
Yet today, before he could even achieve glory, he had already fallen.
He hadn't even executed the second slash before being forced back to his original state.
Had he looked toward the Divine Wind Academy's team leader, he would have seen the leader and the teachers behind him smiling—genuinely happy.
Defeat? Good!
And defeated by his own Self-Created Soul Skill, no less.
Perhaps now he would no longer obsess over creating his own techniques.
"You win."
Feng Xiaotian struggled to his feet, his face a mask of embarrassment and shame.
His eyes even held a trace of desolation.
Originally, he had intended to stun the entire Great Soul Arena with his Self-Created Soul Skill, proving his genius.
Instead, he had only proven himself a fool, wasting his time for nothing.
This Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes was utterly useless in real combat.
Who would wait for him to accumulate power in battle?
His opponents weren't idiots.
Little Snake approached Feng Xiaotian and dispelled the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom for him.
"I heard you have Innate Full Soul Power!"
Little Snake chuckled lightly, then proudly returned to Gem Academy's lineup.
"Gem Academy wins!"
The referee in the sky boomed the announcement.
"Long live Gem Academy!"
"Dugu She! Dugu She!"
Cheers erupted, pushing the atmosphere of the Great Soul Arena to its peak.
Gem Academy achieved a 27-match winning streak, claiming the championship of the preliminaries.
The other four qualifying teams were Divine Wind, Blazing Fire, Heavenly Water, and Shrek.
"Next, His Majesty, along with Ning Zongzhu from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Platinum Bishop Salas from the Martial Soul Temple in Heaven Dou City, will present the credentials and rewards to the five teams advancing to the promotion match!""
On the VIP stage, Xue Ye the Great and the other two had already stood up.
The final award ceremony was about to begin.
At this moment, everyone recalled the promise Xue Ye the Great had made before the competition.
The extravagant rewards had left everyone in awe.
Salas, standing on the VIP stage, wore an unpleasant expression.
The main issue was that the rewards were simply too generous.
In terms of nobility titles, all Soul Ancestors and above would be granted the rank of viscount, while Soul Experts would receive the title of baron—along with fiefdoms, a privilege reserved only for genuine nobility.
Beyond titles and land, there were also financial rewards from the empire. Each year, recipients could receive a substantial subsidy from the Heaven Dou royal family, essentially securing a stable position within the system.
For cultivation, every individual would have one opportunity to be assisted by high-ranking Soul Masters dispatched by the royal family in hunting a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Beast, with the beasts provided from the empire's Soul Hunting Forest.
Just looking at these benefits, it was an all-around temptation.
Xue Ye the Great took the opportunity to promote the treatment offered by the Royal Soul Master Legion.
Any Soul Master from other teams who joined the Royal Soul Master Legion would also receive the empire's various preferential treatments.
This instantly stirred up the Great Soul Arena even more.
The five teams that had advanced had already returned to the rest area.
The excitement on their faces was still hard to conceal.
At this moment, Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu approached Gem Academy.
Feng Xiaotian had already moved past his earlier defeat.
He had come to express his gratitude to Little Snake. He had decided to dedicate himself fully to cultivating Soul Power from now on, abandoning his attempts at creating Self-Created Soul Skills.
Little Snake's final words on the Soul Duel Arena had clearly been a reminder that he had fallen behind in Soul Power cultivation.
This defeat had awakened Feng Xiaotian—he had wasted far too much time before. Otherwise, he would at least be close to the Soul King level by now.
As for Huo Wu, she glanced curiously at Dugu Feng a few times but didn't approach him.
Dugu Feng's cold demeanor made it obvious he wasn't the sociable type.
Throughout the entire preliminary rounds, Dugu Feng hadn't even needed to take the stage, and it was likely the same for the advancement matches.
Gem Academy's strongest trump card hadn't even been used, yet they had effortlessly secured the championship in the preliminaries.
If Dugu Feng had stepped onto the stage, he would have swept through everyone.
However, given Dugu Feng's long-established reputation, no one dared to provoke him.
Back in the day, he had defeated Yan, who was at level 48. No matter how arrogant Huo Wu was, she wouldn't dare consider herself a match for Dugu Feng.
Dugu Feng observed the interaction between Feng Xiaotian and Little Snake.
Inwardly, he thought, Little Snake is impressive—he's already capable of representing the Dugu Family's prestige.
A short while later,
The audience in the Great Soul Arena gradually dispersed, and the participating teams also began to leave.
There would be a month-long break before the advancement matches, which would take place outside Heaven Dou City.
"Rongrong, my Soul Power is about to break through. I'll be cultivating for a while now. You and the academy's Soul Masters should continue training. When it's time to head to Spirit City, we'll go together!"
After leaving the Great Soul Arena, Dugu Feng said this to Ning Rongrong beside him.
"Ah, you'll be cultivating for that long?!" Ning Rongrong was surprised at first but quickly composed herself. "We've been together all this time—I'm already very satisfied.
Focus on your cultivation. Don't worry about me!"
Clever as she was, she understood how seriously Dugu Feng took his training. She wouldn't dare delay his progress now.
After bidding farewell to Ning Rongrong, Dugu Feng left Heaven Dou City, riding the Emerald Dragon Snake as it swiftly carried him into the Sunset Forest.
The Sunset Forest was tranquil.
Only the sound of the Emerald Dragon Snake's movement startled several Spirit Beasts along the way.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was the most suitable cultivation spot for him.
During this period of observing battles at the Great Soul Arena, Dugu Feng realized his understanding of the Martial Soul had deepened significantly.
He also gained some insights into the Slaughter God Domain and the Eight-Angle Black Ice Herb—now was the perfect time for cultivation.
(End of Chapter)