Bzzz—!
Black ripples surged across the three cauldrons, converging directly above Chen Junting's head!
Meanwhile, Wu Yan shot skyward.
Leveraging his Wind Chime Bird martial soul and second soul skill, he seized aerial dominance—diving at breakneck speed toward Gao Ming in the rear.
Eliminate the Support-type first!
But—
"First Soul Skill: Speed Light Bloom!"
"Second Soul Skill: Attack Light Bloom!"
Gao Ming's Ruyi Disk spun before him.
Under the glow of two yellow soul rings, twin streams of light shot into a shadowy blur—Qin Lan.
His speed exploded. Fueled by his first soul skill, he became a streak of afterimages, leaping toward Wu Yan.
Void Ghost Hundred Rends!
A hundred claw strikes tore through the air.
Wu Yan, already on high alert, snapped his wings to evade—but the moment he twisted to counterattack, slashing at Qin Lan's back—
His wind blades passed through empty air.
"No—!"
Realization struck too late.
A black silhouette materialized beneath him—close enough to strike.
Claws flashed. A storm of attacks rained onto Wu Yan's back, leaving him bloodied and reeling.
---
On the other front, Xiao Xiao and Xu Yue fared no better.
Chen Junting thrust his sword, tip striking the cauldron Xu Yue wielded. Exploiting the opening at Xu Yue's side, Chen Junting's left hand shot out—shattering the black aura around the Soul-Sealing Cauldron and seizing one of the triad. With brutal force, he slammed it into the third cauldron!
BOOM—!
Both cauldrons flew backward.
This time, the disorienting shockwave only made Chen Junting's brow twitch—utterly failing to hinder him.
His sword hand never paused.
Wrist flicked downward—the cauldron pinned by his blade rocketed away, dragging Xu Yue with it.
"Such strength!" Xu Yue gasped—
Only for Chen Junting to vanish from sight.
Sword Unsheathed!
The Seven Kill Sword arced through the air, cleaving toward Xu Yue!
"Xu Yue!" Xiao Xiao cried out—making a split-second decision.
Her hands rose before her. Her demeanor shifted—gentle grace replacing her earlier resolve. Her two yellow soul rings merged into one.
Though the three cauldrons still chased Chen Junting, a jade-green flute now materialized in her grip—adorned with nine lifelike phoenix carvings.
Her grounded aura transformed into ethereal elegance.
"Twin Martial Souls!"
Gasps erupted across the arena—even from the competitors.
But Chen Junting's focus differed. "She can wield both martial souls simultaneously?"
Shock flared in his mind—but his sword never slowed.
As Xiao Xiao's single soul ring ignited, a haunting melody filled the air. A viscous, jade-green aura spread from her, slowing everything it touched.
Chen Junting's sword qi—and Chen Junting himself—decelerated.
Xu Yue seized the opening.
First Soul Skill!
His armored fist rocketed toward Chen Junting's face!
Yet—
Chen Junting's speed was merely reduced, not halted. His sword swept in a fluid, effortless motion—but Xu Yue felt crushing pressure.
Too late to retreat—
Ding!
A crisp ring. Xu Yue's "indestructible" armor cracked open. A surge of killing intent seeped into his fist, ravaging his meridians.
Before he could react—
"Xu Yue, watch out!"
Chen Junting stepped forward—Xiao Xiao's slowing field might as well not exist. He appeared before Xu Yue, the Seven Kill Sword multiplying into a storm of blades.
Layer after layer of heavy armor peeled away like fruit skin.
Xu Yue's face drained of color.
As the sword light descended—
"Xu Yue is eliminated!"
The referee intervened, yanking Xu Yue to safety.
The match continued uninterrupted.
Sensing a wind at his back, Chen Junting didn't turn. His left hand shot up, catching a returning Soul-Sealing Cauldron mid-air.
The Seven Kill Sword extended. A flick of his wrist—and the blade grew impossibly heavy. The remaining two cauldrons veered off course as if repelled by an invisible force.
Xiao Xiao's soul power plummeted. Her heart sank.
Her gaze flicked to Wu Yan—battered, barely standing. Despair clawed at her throat.
She stared at Chen Junting, a Soul Grandmaster who hadn't even used his thousand-year soul skill yet.
Is the gap truly this vast?!
But then—Zhou Yi's face flashed in her mind.
No!
She had to gamble everything!
The Nine Phoenixes Flute's melody turned fierce. Jade-green ripples exploded from the instrument.
The three cauldrons she'd lost control of snapped back to her. They glowed with ominous black light—then slammed into each other at the center. Her two soul rings blazed in unison.
"Brother Chen—" Qin Lan moved to interrupt, but Chen Junting halted him with a raised hand. "Patience. Victory is already ours. This assessment is about showcasing talent to earn the academy's resources. Why play the villain?"
Qin Lan nodded thoughtfully.
In truth, Chen Junting's words held partial truth—but not his real motive.
A twin martial soul user eliminated in the 64-to-32 round would be deemed too unstable for Shrek's Core Disciple privileges—denied resources due to "reputation risk."
Perfect.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect could swoop in.
His true goal? To see how far Xiao Xiao's strength truly reached. Opportunities like this wouldn't come again.
"Show me your full power," Chen Junting murmured, the Seven Kill Sword humming with eager sharpness.
In that instant—
National Treasure—Cauldron's Resonance!
The three cauldrons fused into one—twice the size of the originals.
Mystical runes shimmered across its surface.
An indescribable aura of sovereign authority erupted with a deafening boom!
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