Chapter 129: Mutual Destruction
"Fourth Soul Skill, White Tiger Meteor Shower!"
Dai Mubai let out a tiger's roar toward the sky, and countless golden orbs, each the size of a fist, rained down like meteors. They locked onto Io, who had transformed into a bat, and came crashing down relentlessly.
Io fluttered his wings, darting between the gaps in the meteor shower, evading each orb that carried a tenth of Dai Mubai's full attack power.
"Don't kid yourself. My White Tiger Meteor Shower has a locking mechanism; they won't disappear until they hit their target!"
Dai Mubai smirked confidently, "I've already won this match!"
"Not necessarily!"
Io, still in his bat form, spoke with a chilling voice as he suddenly shot toward Dai Mubai at great speed.
"He's trying to take Dai down with him! It looks like he's aware of his current soul power condition!"
From below the stage, Tang San smirked coldly, "How foolish. Dai's fourth soul skill is locked onto him, not Dai Mubai himself. Io can't dodge, but Dai can!"
Flander also smugly pushed up his glasses, "Desperate struggle!"
As for Yu Xiaogang, he hadn't yet recovered from the blow earlier. Sitting quietly, head down, he hadn't watched the match at all. After all, whether Dai Mubai won or not was entirely due to Dai's strength, unrelated to Yu Xiaogang's guidance.
"First Soul Skill, Giant Serpent Constriction!"
At this moment, a flash of yellow light erupted from Io's body mid-flight. In an instant, he transformed into a several-meter-long python, moving at extreme speed, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
"Dai, to your left!"
Io moved swiftly, but Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes caught his trajectory. Almost instinctively, Tang San stood up, ready to shout a warning to Dai Mubai.
Luckily, Flander reacted quickly, covering Tang San's mouth.
A loss in the match was one thing, but if Tang San violated the rules by giving instructions from the outside, Shrek Academy would be barred from ever competing in the Soul Master Tournament again.
Realizing his mistake, Tang San sat back down, frustration etched across his face.
The defining trait of pythons was their ability to constrict. Once Io, now in his serpent form, wrapped around Dai Mubai, the result would be both of them enduring the White Tiger Meteor Shower's attack simultaneously.
As predicted by Tang San, Io, now in his python form, swiftly coiled around Dai Mubai's tiger body in the blink of an eye.
Dai Mubai frantically swung his tiger claws, attempting to free himself from Io's constriction. He could break free, as their soul power levels were nearly equal, but he simply didn't have enough time.
The issue was that Dai's own attack, equipped with a locking feature, left him little time to react.
Within mere seconds of Io coiling around Dai Mubai, the White Tiger Meteor Shower rained down on them both.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless meteors, formed from condensed soul power, crashed onto the stage. The resulting explosions sent debris and dust flying into the air, obscuring the view from the audience.
When the dust finally settled, two figures emerged on the stage—one struggling to remain standing, the other collapsed on the ground.
The one lying on the ground was Dai Mubai. His condition was worse than Io's—his body was bloodied, and several bones were broken. Io had hidden behind Dai Mubai at the last moment, so most of the soul power attacks had landed on Dai Mubai.
However, since the White Tiger Meteor Shower fell from above, Io wasn't able to fully shield himself. While he had avoided the worst of it, his body was also bleeding in multiple places, and he looked pale and extremely weakened.
The referee stepped forward to check their condition and immediately announced, "Dai Mubai is unconscious. Io is the winner. Shrek Academy, please send your next contestant."
"Referee, I forfeit!"
At that moment, Io also raised his hand. He was well aware of his condition—right now, even a low-level Soul Master could easily defeat him.
The referee nodded, expecting Io's surrender.
As the referee, he had the responsibility to rescue any participant at risk, and with his own powerful abilities, he quickly assessed Io's state—a classic case of a spent force.
"Io from Nine Stars Academy forfeits. Nine Stars Academy, please send out your second contestant!"
Both Shrek Academy and Nine Stars Academy helped the unconscious Dai Mubai and the weakened Io off the stage, while sending up their next fighters.
Shrek Academy's next contestant was Tai Long, while Nine Stars Academy sent out Xie Wu.
"Another unfamiliar face!"
Seeing Xie Wu on stage, Flander, Tang San, and the others frowned. It felt like everything had deviated from their plans from the day before.
As for Yu Xiaogang, he continued to keep silent, embracing his ostrich-like approach.
"Tai Long, stick to our original plan!"
Unable to gauge the opponent's abilities, Tang San decided to proceed according to the pre-arranged strategy, calling out to Tai Long, who hadn't yet reached the stage.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Under the devoted guidance of his loyal servant Tai Tan, Tai Long had now become a devoted follower of Tang San, a true second-generation Tai Tan.
Tai Long also knew the forces behind Nine Stars Academy. Years ago, Nine Stars Palace had attacked the Power Clan, severely injuring his grandfather Tai Tan and robbing their entire sect's savings. Tai Long remembered this grudge well.
Step! Step! Step!
Tai Long purposefully made his footsteps heavy to appear more imposing—until he saw the information about Xie Wu displayed on the electronic board behind him.
Xie Wu, Martial Spirit: Qilin, Level 47 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Elder!
Level 47!
It wasn't just Tai Long who was stunned. All the students and teachers from the surrounding academies erupted in murmurs of shock and speculation.
"What level has Nine Stars Academy's strength reached? They've sent in Huo Wu at Level 46, Io at Level 45, and Mei Yi at Level 41, and now here's Xie Wu at Level 47! Could they still be hiding a Soul King-level expert in their lineup?"
Shui Yue'er from Tianshui Academy turned to her older sister Shui Bing'er, saying, "Sister, no wonder Huo Wu with her fiery temper didn't stay in Blazing Academy. Nine Stars Academy's strength far exceeds what we imagined. Even a powerhouse like Divine Wind Academy, with a Soul King, might not be their match. Looks like the monsters from Spirit Hall have finally met their rivals!"
Lei Ting Academy's captain, Yu Tianxin, looked extremely troubled. Although the conflict between Nine Stars Palace and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had been kept quiet, as a direct descendant, he knew every detail.
As one of the brightest talents of the younger generation in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and a Twin Star alongside Yu Tianheng, Yu Tianxin was expected to inherit at least one of the three spirit bones Nine Stars Palace had extorted from them.
Originally, Yu Tianxin had planned to teach Nine Stars Academy a lesson during the qualifying rounds, hoping to vent his frustration. But now, he just hoped that Nine Stars Academy didn't still hold a grudge against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
(End of Chapter)
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