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A day later, the twenty-seventh round of the preliminary competition came to a close. Yet the crowd lingered, unwilling to leave.
They had been notified in advance: today, Ning Tian, Feng Xiaotian, and Tang San would face off in a series of duels. These matches would decide the standings between the New Heaven Dou Battle Team, Combat Team, Divine Wind Academy, and Shrek Academy.
Emperor Xue Ye placed great weight on this final round. Rising to his feet, he personally declared the start of the event. "The first match of the twenty-eighth round: Feng Xiaotian versus Tang San."
The battlefield was none other than the central main soul fighting arena. After a night of repairs, the platform, damaged yesterday by Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Ice and Snow Drift stood restored and ready.
"Before this started, I never imagined you'd make it this far," Feng Xiaotian said as he stepped onto the stage. He eyed Tang San's dark, bear-like face and stocky frame. There was no scorn in his gaze, only a quiet seriousness.
Whether he liked it or not, and despite Tang San's nickname as the "feces man," the truth was undeniable: Tang San had led Shrek Academy to victories over the Elephant Armor Academy, Blazing Academy, Thunder Academy, and Tianshui Academy. Their earlier loss to Cang hui Academy was a fluke caught off guard by an unexpected Seven-in-One Fusion Skill. It was understandable.
Tang San gave a faint smile, flashing the only white part of his body: his teeth. "There's a lot you didn't see coming!"
Feng Xiaotian nodded. "Fair enough. You're not my real target, but testing the Clear Sky Hammer before I face Ning Tian is worth the trip."
The referee stepped forward then, signaling both fighters to summon their Martial Souls.
From beneath Tang San's feet rose two yellow and two purple Soul Rings. He raised his right hand, blue light pulsing in his palm. His mind had steadied, returning to the calm he'd felt before facing Shui Bing'er. Yesterday, seeing his low spirits, his father Tang Hao had offered another round of tough love and some soul-stirring encouragement.
"I've said it before, I'm here for the Clear Sky Hammer," Feng Xiaotian remarked, summoning his own Martial Soul. A phantom of a two-headed wolf shimmered into view behind him.
His Martial Soul, the Gale Two-Headed Wolf, bore two yellow and two purple Soul Rings. It blended speed and strength, a dual-threat fighter. When he saw Tang San call forth his Blue Silver Grass instead, a furious wolf howl ripped from his throat.
"If you can push me to use the Clear Sky Hammer," Tang San replied, his tone still cool and steady. Feng Xiaotian fell silent.
As soon as the referee called the start, Feng Xiaotian moved, charging at Tang San with a speed that matched any agility-focused Soul Master of their level. Afterimages trailed behind him, and in mere moments, he closed the gap, sharp wolf claws slashing toward Tang San.
'So fast,' Tang San thought, a jolt running through him. He couldn't afford to slack off. With a step of his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he dodged the claws by a hair. As he moved, his hands took on a white-like sheen, reaching for Feng Xiaotian's wrists.
If he could lock those wrists, his Mysterious Jade Hand would seal the meridians, and the fight would end right there.
But Feng Xiaotian wasn't that simple a foe. Among the Four Elemental Academies, he stood out as the strongest individual fighter. Ever since Tang San's clash with Cang hui Academy, where he'd let slip the 'Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record' people had started digging into what it meant. That white hand technique and eerie footwork, clearly self made soul skills, are also under suspicion.
As Tang San grabbed for his wrists, Feng Xiaotian's first Soul Ring flared. Twin spinning wind blades formed in his palms.
As soon as Tang San put his hand on it, it was bounced off by the rotating wind blade, sparks flew everywhere, and Tang San's palm was stinging. He quickly stepped back.
"That footwork, those jade hands, those are from your stolen Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, aren't they? They can even block my wind blades. But if you don't bring out the Clear Sky Hammer now, you're done. First Soul Skill: Wind Blade Array!"
His first Soul Ring glowed brighter. After hurling the two wind blades from his hands, Feng Xiaotian unleashed eight more. Ten blades in all surged toward Tang San, surrounding him.
"Damn it!" Tang San was annoyed, not at Feng Xiaotian's strength, but at the fact that his secret was out. If Feng Xiaotian knew this much about the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, who else did?
Thinking of this Tang Sam didn't held back. His first and second Soul Rings lit up one after the other. Where the wind blades struck, clusters of blue-black Blue Silver Grass shot up from the ground.
The blades shredded through, but it gave him a window to move. Dancing through his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he evaded the onslaught as his fourth Soul Ring ignited.
A Blue Silver Prison erupted, trapping Feng Xiaotian in an instant. Then, Tang San summoned the Clear Sky Hammer, lunging forward with a heavy swing.
But the flaw of wielding two Martial Souls showed itself. Without Tang San's Soul Power feeding it, the prison crumbled after a mere second, sliced apart by another Wind Blade Array.
By the time Tang San reached him, Feng Xiaotian's second and third Soul Rings were glowing.
The two-headed wolf phantom fused with his body, boosting his attack, defense, and speed by half. At the same time, massive cyan wings spread from his back.
Just before the Clear Sky Hammer could connect, Feng Xiaotian shot into the sky, fifty meters up. Tang San's strike hit nothing but the arena floor, sending a tremor through the stone.
From above, Feng Xiaotian called down, "Tang San, that stolen Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record of yours is impressive. But I've got self-made skills too. Feast your eyes on my Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes. It was meant for Ning Tian, but you'll do for now."
With that, he unleashed the slashes mid-air, a storm of cutting wind.
Tang San was nearing his limit, pushed to the edge by Feng Xiaotian's constant jabs about his "stolen" skills. He just wanted this over.
"Shut up!" he roared, swapping the Clear Sky Hammer for Blue Silver Grass. The grass sprang up, weaving into a springy net. Tang San leapt onto it, using the bounce to hurl himself at Feng Xiaotian.
In mid-flight, two purple Soul Rings flared. He switched back to the Clear Sky Hammer, his second Soul Ring glowing as a mighty demon bear phantom roared toward his foe.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Demon Wolf Storm!" Feng Xiaotian's wings merged with his arms, forming cyan light blades. With a sweep, a wild gust became a Gale Two-Headed Wolf phantom, bigger than Tang San's bear and met the Clear Sky Hammer's Demon Bear Strike head-on.
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