Chapter 103.2: Complete Suppression
But who knew that their team leader—who was holding the formation’s core—would be switched out? The person who had switched with him had unleashed a crowd-control skill, and was a soul emperor. The mysterious slab of metal couldn’t assemble to receive it, and there was only a head-on clash.
Ma Xiaotao was the only one who was aware of how dejected she felt. This was also her first time participating in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Soul Dueling Tournament. However, she had been hurt even before the tournament had started. 3 official team participants had been critically injured, and 1 other person had even been killed. As the team leader, she recognized the responsibility that she had to take. No matter how tough her personality was, she had been filled with torment after all of that was over.
She was resilient enough, however, and concealed this torment she felt in the depths of her heart. She had tried her best to heal this wound of hers, and hoped to turn her sorrow and fury into strength. She wanted to do her best for Shrek Academy in this tournament.
However, her injuries were far more serious than what she had imagined. She could only watch as the younger preparatory team members did their best in several rounds of the tournament. They even paid a heavy price as they sustained grave injuries.
Ma Xiaotao did not say anything, but the drive that she repressed in her heart left her feeling much more tormented than the time she was burnt by demonic fire.
It was finally her turn to compete today. Wang Yan wanted her to conserve her powers, but how could she suppress herself any further?
Thus, she was the one who was switched over by the Mysterious Underworld Displacement rather than Dai Yueheng. This was an opportunity that she had obtained by threatening Xu Sanshi.
“Grr—” A bright phoenix howl reverberated, and burning phoenix flames surged instantly. Huge, flaming wings flapped open following the flashing of her 3rd soul ring. A ring of intense, bright-red fire spread out from her. Her figure also jumped up as she flapped her flaming wings.
It was a pity that Team Dou Ling’s defense was projected towards the front, but their opponent appeared in their core. They received Ma Xiaotao’s attack before they had a chance to steady themselves, as they were still affected by the Mysterious Underworld Quake.
The Dou Ling team reacted quickly though. The remaining 6 divided into 2 groups of 3. Chi Hengyu, Qian Yuan and Han Ling’er were in front, while the other 3 were in the back. A yellowish-golden barrier of light lit up before the 3 in front. It was the Invincible Barrier, another soul tool that could only be expended once.
This Invincible Barrier was a soul tool that was developed from a very rare soul skill. It required a special golden crystal only produced by the Sun Moon Empire as an intermediary. The Invincible Barrier could unleash the powers of the golden crystal when initiated by the core formation, and produce a defensive barrier of immense strength.
Of course, invincibility was relative. The lowest class of the Invincible Barrier was a Class 5 soul tool. This also meant that at least a soul king was needed to use it. A Class 5 Invincible Barrier could resist any soul master below an eight-ringed Soul Douluo for 3 seconds. A Class 6 Invincible Barrier could even defend against a Titled Douluo for more than 3 seconds. Class 7 Invincible Barriers were extremely rare.
A soul tool like the Invincible Barrier could be a life-saving treasure at certain times. Hence, it was a soul master’s favorite soul tool, along with the Milk Bottle. However, its demand was far greater than its supply.
But the Invincible Barrier had a flaw that was very obvious. Firstly, it was very costly. A Class 5 Invincible Barrier started out at 100,000 gold soul coins, but its true sale price was far above this figure. While it was not that difficult to produce it, there were very few golden crystals produced. The higher the class of the Invincible Barrier, the higher the quality of golden crystals it required.
More importantly, the Invincible Barrier could only be expended once, no matter its class. The golden crystal within each Invincible Barrier would blow apart upon use, and the Invincible Barrier itself would also be damaged. It was not something that could be used by any ordinary soul master. Soul engineers who owned golden crystals were all wealthy too.
If the Sun Moon Empire did not restrict the export of soul tools, the empire would have been even wealthier.
The current situation was very obvious. All of Team Dou Ling’s soul kings were equipped with the Invincible Barrier. This was a frightening investment they had made! Not all academies were as wealthy as Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
The Invincible Barrier granted the Dou Ling team some time by blocking the flames from Ma Xiaotao’s phoenix wings.
As the main control-type soul master, Xiao Feng lifted his head towards Ma Xiaotao, then flew up and forsook the huge slab of metal in his hand. His hands formed a heart-like shape, and a white pearl that released a dim purplish fog appeared above his palms.
His thousand year 4th soul ring flashed, and that pearl emanated a layer of thick purplish light. Team Dou Ling’s remaining 6 members and the surrounding region were all engulfed within this purplish light. Within the boundary of this purplish light, everything became illusory and less clear. There were even varying undulations of soul power that appeared at every corner.
This was the Maze Pearl, Xiao Feng’s martial soul. He was a rare spiritual control-type soul master just like Huo Yuhao. But his was not a body soul. Rather, he used the Maze Pearl to release different forms of hypnotic illusions to protect and aid his team members. At the same time, he also used them to trick his opponents.
If Ma Xiaotao were to look down, she would only see a purplish patch of blurriness, wherein the Dou Ling team’s 6 members were shifting positions quickly and unleashing different types of soul skills targeted towards her.
However, Ma Xiaotao revealed a smile on her face right now. She thought to herself, “It feels good to completely suppress them.”
Ma Xiaotao dived down without hesitation as she was watched by the Dou Ling team’s 6 remaining members. Her 2nd, 3rd and 4th soul rings flashed with a bright radiance at the same time. Her body was blazing with flames right now, and she looked like a true fire phoenix. Half of the competition stage was lit with a red glow because of the phoenix flames on her body.
Chi Hengyu had already retracted his Vajra Shield, and there was no doubt that he had to resist the attack using his shield. As a defense-type soul king, he blocked the attack without any misgivings. The Vajra Shield was lifted horizontally, and was rapidly shifted to the position where Ma Xiaotao was striking using the Maze Pearl’s purplish fog.
Qian Yuan also inched closer to Chi Hengyu rapidly. As long as Chi Hengyu blocked Ma Xiaotao’s attack, he would retaliate with all his might.
Qian Yuan’s height had reached above 3 meters after he released his martial soul. His immense build was shocking, and there were 5 enormous, sharp claws that reached over half a meter long at the ends of his thick arms. He had to bend slightly to be engulfed by the Maze Pearl’s illusions.
Han Ling’er was concealed somewhere further away. She was an agility-type soul king. Her style was to await her opportunity to strike precisely.
Tang Niuniu’s auxiliary-type soul skill landed on Chi Hengyu. Her aim was very simple – increase Chi Hengyu’s defensive strength. As long as he could withstand Ma Xiaotao’s attack, it would be their turn to retaliate against her.
Qing Feng was the only one who did not join in to attack Ma Xiaotao. He continued to face the others from Shrek Academy. His Earthen Wave had almost reached his opponents, and he was about to get Gu Zhujian back.
“Boom—”
A loud, booming sound resonated from both sides at the same time. The Vajra Shield’s defensive strength could not be doubted. As a soul king, he was able to resist a soul emperor’s attack, much more with the aid of his comrades. But the problem was that Ma Xiaotao’s attack had to strike above his shield before he could resist it.
Ma Xiaotao dove down extremely quickly, as if she were staking everything on this attack of hers.
She was landing at the correct time too. It was at the exact instant when 3 of the Dou Ling team’s Invincible Barriers disappeared. Ma Xiaotao had already arrived just when their Invincible Barriers were starting to crack.
This was impossible!
Almost the same thought rose in the minds of everyone from the Dou Ling team.
It was almost impossible to accurately pinpoint this flaw using her naked eyes. What’s more was that Xiao Feng had used his 4th soul skill, the Purple Illusory Domain.
However, this was a fact. It wasn’t projected by someone using his will. Amidst that booming sound, an intense, bright-red fog covered the Dou Ling team once again. However, it no longer produced the same might as Xu Sanshi’s Mysterious Underworld Quake.
Chi Hengyu and Qian Yuan were struck the heaviest, as they were the closest. The two of them only felt a wave of heat sweeping across their bodies. The soul power in their bodies seemed to be on fire, and their developing soul skills were degraded in an instant. At the same time, their bodies turned stiff.
The rest were roughly affected the in the same manner, although the degree of their injuries was lower.
Phoenix Skywhistle, a very powerful crowd-control soul skill that could be use to attack and defend. It was Ma Xiaotao’s 4th soul skill. Enhanced by the Phoenix Baptism and Soaring Phoenix, its might was definitely not inferior to any ten thousand year soul skill.
Tang Niuniu’s auxiliary-type soul skill and Xiao Feng’s Maze Pearl were all instantly burned away by the Phoenix Skywhistle as it struck.
There was no longer any suspense for the rest of the battle after the involvement of Ma Xiaotao’s Phoenix Skywhistle. Ma Xiaotao snorted, and her pitch-black, 6th soul ring flashed with a bright radiance. At the same time, the defensive barrier surrounding the competition stage that was formed by 108 soul masters started to jerk tremendously. Large patches of red solidified within the defense barrier, and the temperature above the competition stage soared.
Ma Xiaotao’s strongest offensive soul skill, the Phoenix Meteor Shower, was already incubating. After they were affected by the Phoenix Skywhistle, the Dou Ling team was no longer capable of avoiding or resisting any further attacks.
Was she really a soul emperor? This was what every spectator thought. She was also the first soul emperor to appear in this tournament.
Many of the spectators raved in their hearts. This was the power that Shrek Academy was supposed to have!
At this moment, the battle on the other side had already concluded.