Looking at the two dark, inconspicuous metallic spheres in Tang San's palm, Shui Bing'er's icy blue pupils suddenly contracted.
"Xue Wu!" Shui Bing'er's cold voice was filled with an urgency never heard before. Without need for further explanation, years of silent understanding allowed Xue Wu to instantly comprehend her intent.
Xue Wu took a deep breath. The soul rings at her feet flashed, and she spun gracefully like an elf in the snow. As she danced, the temperature in the ring plummeted; crystalline flakes condensed from the air, transforming into a chill mist that enveloped most of the arena.
At the same time, Shui Bing'er's entire body became a streak of icy blue, darting towards the center of the battlefield at incredible speed.
"First Soul Skill — Freeze!"
Her attack was aimed directly at Tang San, seeking to shatter his courage to resist.
Click!
A layer of hard ice instantly spread from beneath Tang San's feet, freezing half his body in an instant—including his right hand. Tang San's body stiffened, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. This ice was too fast, too sudden. His inner soul force surged violently, struggling to shatter the ice.
"Third Soul Skill: Resistance to Ice Ring!"
Centering herself, Shui Bing'er released a faint blue ring of ice that radiated outward, exuding a powerful, repulsive force.
Bang!
Nearly sealed in ice, Tang San was shot away by this repulsive wave, flying in a parabola and crashing heavily onto the far side of the ring.
Crack!
The ice encasing Tang San's body shattered inch by inch as he landed. He barely managed to prop himself up, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Yet his gaze was fierce as a serpent, fixed on the distant Shui Bing'er.
This woman dares ruin my plans—she must be seeking death!
As Tang San was sent flying, Xue Wu's soul skill finished channeling. She spun like a flake of snow and landed lightly beside Shui Bing'er. The two exchanged glances, and simultaneously, icy blue light rose around them. The frigid rain falling in the ring seemed summoned, desperately converging on the pair.
"Martial Soul Fusion Technique?!"
Tang San's pupils trembled violently; alarms sounded in his mind. A Martial Soul Fusion Technique between two top-tier martial souls could reach the peak of a Soul Emperor—or even the Soul Sage boundary!
But his hands moved faster than his thoughts. As the lights of Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu merged, he forcibly manipulated his swirling qi and blood, throwing the two black spheres in his palm straight towards them!
It was over.
The two iron balls traced a strange arc through the air and collided perfectly.
Click!
With the sound of mechanisms snapping, a sharp screech suddenly rang out. Countless bone-transforming needles flashed with cold blue light, spreading a gray-black poisonous mist.
"Kahhh—!!!"
However, the instant that deadly attack exploded, a clear and resounding phoenix cry swept across the entire battle arena. Amidst a dance of water, ice, and snow, a transparent, ultimate-ice phoenix unfurled its magnificent wings and soared down with grandeur.
The eyes of the ice phoenix were like two of the purest sapphires, staring coldly at the poisonous needles and the rising toxic mist below.
Boom—
An extremely frigid, ice-blue storm instantly formed. The exploding blue poison needles and spreading gray-black toxic mist intertwined with the storm.
Clink clink…
Within the storm, the dense, crisp sound of rain falling on plantain leaves echoed. Countless poison needles froze, colliding and rebounding amidst the icy tempest.
The gray-black toxic mist instantly condensed into black ice slag within the frigid storm, crackling as it fell.
"What?!"
The intense hope on Tang San's face froze in an instant, replaced by boundless shock and disbelief. His strongest trump card was so easily broken by the opponent!
At the same time, the icy gaze of the ice phoenix pierced through the gradually dissipating ice crystals and black slag, locking directly onto the distant, dazed Tang San. That gaze struck Tang San's soul like a bucket of ice water poured from head to toe; a chill and premonition of death clenched his heart.
"This is bad!"
Tang San was filled with alarm, his instincts screaming for him to evade. But it was already too late.
The ice phoenix let out another high-pitched cry. Its enormous, crystalline body swooped down, wings spread wide, releasing endless icy blue light.
"Drifting Snow!"
The temperature in the entire ring plummeted below freezing. A terrifying chill howled through every corner like a tidal wave, transforming into a devastating natural disaster of snow and ice, pouring down where Tang San stood. The attack's target was clear, but its aftershocks were enough to cover most of the ring.
At that moment, a figure appeared beside the slumped Ning Rongrong at the edge of the ring. Grabbing her shoulder, the figure whisked her away in a blur, leaping clear of the ring just as the blizzard crashed down.
Tang San's eyes were filled with despair. He saw Ning Rongrong rescued, but the shadow of death had fully enveloped him—there was no time to care.
"Eight Spider Lances!"
Behind him, eight purple-black spider spears danced fiercely, forming a massive bone cage to shield his main body while stabbing deep into the ground to anchor himself.
"Second Soul Skill—Parasite!"
"Third Soul Skill—Web Restraint!"
Silver-black and silver-blue grass erupted from his body, layering over the Eight Spider Lances and himself, forming a defensive cocoon.
Rumble!!
Dazzling ice-blue light filled everyone's vision. An ear-splitting crash mingled with the sound of shattering ice as the entire central soul arena trembled.
The moment the snow and ice fell, Dai Mubai and the others lying on the ground could only watch with eyes full of despair as the destructive cold wave swallowed them, their screams echoing as they were blown away by the ice.
"Stop!!"
Flender let out a heart-wrenching roar. His Owl martial soul instantly possessed him, transforming him into a streamer as he desperately lunged for the ring. Zhao Wuji and Qin Ming also summoned their full soul power and rushed in right after him.
But—
"Stay back! None of you step forward!"
A cold shout exploded before the trio. Chen Yi, wreathed in purple-golden lightning, appeared as if teleporting, blocking both Flender and Zhao Wuji! His eyes held no emotion. Facing the assault of two Soul Sages and a Soul Emperor, Chen Yi expressionlessly threw out three punches.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Flender and Zhao Wuji's charge was abruptly halted. With muffled groans, they staggered back several steps. Qin Ming, unable to react in time, was struck by an irresistible force, sent flying like a broken kite into the spectator stands, collapsing into his seat.
"Young Master Chen! We admit defeat! Please—let us yield!!"
Flender gazed at the arena, now entirely buried in ice and snow. His disciples' anguished cries were swallowed by the blizzard, and he was on the verge of collapse, his voice hoarse as he pleaded with Chen Yi.
Chen Yi stood with his fists clenched, lightning slowly gathering around him. His face was eerily calm, his deep eyes reflecting the raging blizzard in the ring.
"Since you chose to step into this ring, you must be prepared to accept all consequences."
"Life and death... Each must be content with their fate."
As his words fell, the frenzy of ice and snow finally ceased. The spreading ice crystals and cold mist slowly faded, revealing the scene inside the ring.
Hiss—
The moment the ring's condition became clear, the entire central soul battle arena fell silent. Only the sound of ragged breathing could be heard.
The once robust alloy ring now looked as if it had been struck by a giant rake, covered in gaping holes and razor-sharp icy edges.
The Shrek team members looked like discarded, tattered dolls, scattered amidst the snow and ice.
Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Yu Tianheng lay in shattered icy pits, their clothes in tatters, naked skin covered in cuts and frostbite, bones exposed, wounds frozen, and blood long congealed. Their breathing was weak, their chests barely rising to prove they were alive, but they were clearly unconscious, gravely injured, and near death.
Ma Hongjun, already severely wounded, had been blasted straight out of the ring by the raging blizzard, slamming into a distant wall and lying paralyzed, his life or death uncertain.
Oscar had jumped out of the ring early, and Ning Rongrong had been rescued, but everyone else was critically injured.
As for Tang San, the main target, five of his eight purple-black spider spears were broken, the remaining three cracked and deeply embedded in ice, barely supporting his body. The blue-silver grass protective layer covering him had long since shattered. His naked skin was an abnormal blue-purple, riddled with frostbite, lacerations, and countless tiny holes from the ice crystals. His hair, eyebrows, and lashes were all frosted white, his lips purple with cold, his whole body trembling. His eyes, once filled with gloom, were now dazed and unfocused, pupils dilated, standing only through sheer willpower.
He hadn't experienced the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body this time. While the Blue Silver King's martial soul granted recovery, under the fierce onslaught of snow and ice, he was already exhausted—standing at the brink of death.
"Xiao San—!!!"
Yu Xiaogang shoved aside the staff blocking his way and crawled into the ring, shivering in the cold air but ignoring it as he scrambled to Tang San's side. Seeing his disciple's pitiful state, Yu Xiaogang felt as if his heart was being sliced by knives; his mind was in turmoil. He reached out, trembling, but dared not touch Tang San's horrifying wounds. He could only collapse, hugging Tang San's cold shoulders and letting out a beast-like wail.
Suddenly, he looked up. His eyes were red, bloodshot, and ferocious, like a beast ready to devour someone. He glared at Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, who had just withdrawn.
"It was just a match! Why did you have to use such deadly poison?! How can you be so ruthless? Are you even human anymore?!"
Yu Xiaogang's voice was twisted with grief and rage, echoing through the eerily silent soul battle arena.
…
Bonus chapter at 500 Ps