As both sides released their Martial Souls, the referee's voice rang out once more. "Match... start!"
The moment the command fell, the second, third, and fourth soul rings on Dugu Yan's body ignited simultaneously.
At that same instant, Qian Renxue moved without a trace of hesitation, charging directly at Dugu Yan. She was not like the mindless version of herself in the original story, who waited for Tang San to complete his preparations; instead, she intended to end the opposing captain with lightning speed.
The two pairs of golden wings on Qian Renxue's back flapped violently, and her first yellow soul ring lit up.
Her first soul skill, Angelic Assault, activated. Her speed surged instantly, and a brilliant golden light erupted from her fists as she rocketed toward Dugu Yan.
However, just as she closed within twenty meters, a pillar of silver-white light shot from Dugu Yan's eyes.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Medusa's Gaze!"
Qian Renxue felt a jolt of alarm. She sensed a profound threat from those twin silver beams; if they hit her, her movements would be severely restricted. As a Soul Saint, though she rarely engaged in real combat, her sparring partners were two Titled Douluos. Her combat intuition was top-tier.
In a split second, she reacted. She could not afford to be touched by that light.
Since her momentum was too great to retreat, she forcibly altered her trajectory mid-air to evade the strike. Dugu Yan sneered inwardly. Her fourth soul ring came from a ten-thousand-year Medusa; even a Rank 74 Soul Saint would not escape the fate of petrifaction if hit.
By dodging, Qian Renxue had successfully avoided the effect, but she had lost her opening momentum. With the threat of the charge neutralized for the moment, Dugu Yan's other two active skills took full effect.
"Third Soul Skill: Poison Origin!"
"Second Soul Skill: Spirit Serpent Breath!"
Dugu Yan's third soul skill lacked direct offensive power, but it boosted her toxic potency by 100%, expanding the influence of her poisons infinitely. Her second skill was pure lethality, manifesting as a poisonous fog. Because it incorporated a water attribute, it was resistant to being dispersed by strong winds or incinerated by ordinary flames.
As the skills were activated, a dense teal fog began to swirl around her. Dugu Yan opened her mouth slightly, exhaling a concentrated stream of teal vapor. The moment it left her lips, it expanded rapidly, threatening to swallow the entire hundred-meter arena.
The rest of the Seven Treasure Team moved as well. Instead of charging the enemy, they huddled around Dugu Yan, waiting for the fog to claim the field. With Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda providing a 50% soul power boost, Dugu Yan didn't need to worry about consumption—she could let her toxins run wild.
Seeing her initial strike fail and the poison spreading, Qian Renxue reacted immediately. Her wings beat slowly as a golden holy light began to radiate from her, making her appear as if she were the sun itself. This golden light didn't just cover her; it extended to the rest of the Spirit Hall team, turning the surroundings into a shimmering, golden haze.
"Angelic Domain!"
As the golden light spread, Dugu Yan's toxins were held at bay, unable to penetrate the golden barrier protecting the Spirit Hall members.
"A domain!" Dugu Yan's composure wavered. A domain was a powerful skill usually reserved for Titled Douluos; how could a Soul Saint like Qian Renxue possess one?
What the team didn't know was that upon reaching the Soul Saint rank, the domain inherent to the god-level Six-Winged Angel martial soul naturally awakens. Within the Angelic Domain, all soul power, toxins, and impurities are melted and purified.
While Dugu Yan's poison was an "ultimate" type and too vast for Qian Renxue to purify instantly, concentrating the domain's power around her teammates was enough to render the fog ineffective. Qian Renxue had effectively neutralized Dugu Yan's greatest strength.
Since this was a team match and not an open battlefield, Qian Renxue only needed to protect her six allies. Seeing the opening, she ignited her black fifth soul ring. She was done giving Dugu Yan chances to resist.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Angelic Holy Sword!"
A golden blade of light materialized in her hand. With a beat of her wings, she dove toward Dugu Yan once more.
Seeing the poison fail, the Seven Treasure Team finally engaged. Zuo Yan took to the sky to clash with the Golden-Waisted Swift master. Zhan Yu intercepted Li Kai and his Black-Horned Mountain Boar. Yang Pojun met Sun Chuantao and his Giant Ring Blade, while Li Li and Ma Bao charged toward Xie Yue and Hu Liena.
Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda flashed brilliantly. Her Heart Separation Control had reached the Five Aperture Dispersed Heart level, allowing her to effortlessly manage six different types of buffs simultaneously: speed and attack for Zuo Yan; attack and power for Yang Pojun and Ma Bao; defense and power for Zhan Yu; and soul power boosts for Dugu Yan and Li Li.
Dugu Yan prepared to counter the incoming sword strike. Even though her fog was being contained, she kept exhaling it, forcing Qian Renxue to expend soul power and focus on maintaining the domain. As the Angelic Holy Sword swung toward her, Dugu Yan's black fifth ring flashed.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Titan Heavy Hammer!"
A massive shadow of a Titan Python, over twenty meters long, appeared behind her. A thick, ten-meter-long serpent tail slammed toward Qian Renxue. This skill came from a 30,000-year Titan Python, an ancient species known for its staggering physical strength. Combined with Dugu Yan's poison, the tail was not just a blunt instrument; the mere touch of its surface would dissolve flesh into liquid.
Clang!
The Angelic Holy Sword met the massive venomous tail, producing a sound like clashing steel. Then, Qian Renxue was sent flying. The raw physical power of the Titan Heavy Hammer was so immense that she was blasted backward even faster than she had charged!
(End of Chapter)
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