"Begin the match!"
In Arena One, the referee's command rang out—
"Buzz—!"
In an instant, the Seven Kill Sword was in Chen Junting's hand. The crystalline azure blade shimmered, its one yellow and two purple pentagrams glowing faintly.
Qin Lan swiftly activated his martial soul, while Gao Ming's Ruyi Disc before him erupted with flowing light. Bathed in the radiance of two yellow soul rings, twin streams of energy split into four and surged into Chen Junting and Qin Lan—elevating their auras to a new level.
The moment his martial soul manifested, Chen Junting slashed forward without hesitation. A vertical sword aura shot out, its razor-sharp edge aimed precisely between Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu.
Qin Lan darted from the flank—but instead of attacking, he circled warily, biding his time.
At the same moment—
"White Tiger—Soul Manifestation!"
A blinding pale-white light exploded from Dai Huabin's body. Bones cracked, muscles swelled, and thick white fur coated his broad hands. Ten dagger-like claws gleamed with cold menace. His golden hair turned stark black-and-white, and a bold "王" (King) mark blazed on his forehead.
Beside him, Zhu Lu's eyes shifted—one emerald green, the other crystal blue. Feline ears twitched upright, and needle-sharp claws snapped from her palms. The warmth she once showed Dai Huabin vanished, replaced by icy lethality.
"Roooar—!"
Faced with the incoming sword aura, Dai Huabin had no intention of fusing souls with Zhu Lu. He wanted to crush Chen Junting head-on—to cement his dominance among the freshmen!
"Heh!"
His tiger claws lashed out toward the sword energy. But even before contact, he felt its cutting edge.
Dai Huabin's face darkened—but his movements didn't slow. His first soul ring flared, wrapping him in a white protective aura. Then, with explosive force, he clamped both palms onto the sword aura—
"Boom—!"
—and shattered it outright.
Meanwhile, Cui Yajie glided forward with graceful steps, closing in on Chen Junting. Her martial soul lent her an alluring aura, and twin fox tails sprouted from her back.
The moment their eyes met, a faint smile curled her lips.
Instantly, her yellow soul ring ignited. Her already seductive eyes turned pink, locking onto Chen Junting.
This was her first soul skill—Charm.
But within a single breath, Cui Yajie let out no cry—only blood trickled from her nose and mouth as she nearly collapsed, her face etched with shock.
She'd suffered a brutal mental backlash.
After all, Chen Junting's spiritual power had surged dramatically thanks to the meditation technique given by Electrolux. A mere Soul Grandmaster like her stood no chance in a mental clash.
Had she not been a spirit-type soul master, she'd have fainted instantly.
Strike while the iron is hot!
Chen Junting thrust forward—sword aura aimed straight at Cui Yajie's brow.
At that critical moment, Zhu Lu activated her first soul skill. Her ten claws extended sharply, her form blurring as her speed surged—charging straight at the threat.
But Qin Lan suddenly intercepted, unleashing his second soul skill—Void Hundred Claws. Countless claw shadows wove into a terrifying net of blades, engulfing Zhu Lu before she could react. She cried out as multiple gashes opened across her body—her rescue attempt utterly foiled.
Seeing the sword aura closing in, Cui Yajie forced her faltering spirit awake. Her second soul ring glowed yellow, and her two pink tails whipped violently. A storm of fox-tail needles shot forth like rain!
"Worthless!"
Dai Huabin snarled inwardly. His second soul ring flared—a massive white light coalesced. With a tiger's roar, he expelled a milky-white energy sphere from his mouth.
But his target wasn't Cui Yajie—
—it was Chen Junting himself.
Chen Junting's expression remained unchanged. The second pentagram on his sword blazed, and killing intent enveloped the blade.
Countless sword threads wove into a dense net, annihilating every fox-tail needle—then continued unimpeded toward Cui Yajie.
"No!"
Her face turned deathly pale.
Just in time, the referee intervened—shattering the sword net and pulling Cui Yajie from the arena. She became the first eliminated in this semifinal.
Yet the match pressed on.
At that very instant, Dai Huabin's White Tiger Intense Light Wave reached Chen Junting. Just as Dai Huabin believed his second soul skill would strike true—Chen Junting made an unexpected move.
His left hand slowly extended…
"Swish—!"
A dark-gold claw erupted from his palm. Before Dai Huabin could react, Chen Junting shaped his hand into a sword finger—using a claw as a blade—and slashed.
A dark-gold sword aura pierced straight through the White Tiger Intense Light Wave, shattering it completely under its terrifying sharpness.
Then, wreathed in ferocious energy, the dark-gold blade shot toward Dai Huabin—ripping through the earth as it flew. Wherever it passed, the hard-packed ground fractured like ruins after a storm, rocks exploding outward, leaving a deep, jagged trench.
"An external soul bone!?"
On the spectator stands, Wang Yan instantly recognized the claw—it was an external soul bone attached to Chen Junting's left palm. He kept his voice low, wary of causing a stir—but his eyes burned with excitement.
Even Elder Xuan, mid-bite into his chicken leg, paused. His experience far surpassed Wang Yan's—he not only identified it as an external soul bone, but recognized its origin: the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
"That Dai boy's about to lose," Xuan Zi muttered, already passing judgment. Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
True, Team Dai Huabin's Netherworld White Tiger fusion skill was formidable.
But once Chen Junting revealed the Dark Gold Terror Claw—an external soul bone of terrifying offensive power—the scales of victory tipped decisively in his favor.
On the field—
"This can't be!"
Feeling the lethal threat of the dark-gold blade, Dai Huabin's purple soul ring blazed. His pupils turned blood-red, the air around him warping.
Then—
"Third soul skill—White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
His already massive frame swelled further, muscles bulging into monstrous contours, tearing his upper garment to shreds. Black stripes rippled across his skin, now bathed in golden light—as if clad in a divine golden body. His tiger paws grew larger, silver claws gleaming, eyes radiating bloodthirsty savagery.
"Roooar—!"
Unleashing his full ferocity, Dai Huabin stomped the ground and launched himself like a cannonball. With golden claws outstretched, he charged straight at the dark-gold sword aura—
The next second…
"Pfttt—!"
The moment the dark-gold blade touched Dai Huabin's golden aura, his dual defenses—White Tiger Vajra Transformation and White Tiger Shield Body Barrier—shredded like paper. The sword's lingering force carved mercilessly into his chest.
Blood gushed forth. A horrifying wound split his torso from shoulder to hip.
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