To resist the violent thunderstorm, Shui Bing'er had no choice but to consume 30% of her soul power, unleashing her third soul skill, Resist Light, to stand a chance of holding out.
Her third soul skill was similar to Huo Wu's Resist Fire Ring, both possessing extremely strong defensive capabilities.
This barrier-like soul skill would reflect an even greater force when met with a stronger attack.
Crack!
Under the ravaging thunder, the Resist Light ring cracked, pierced through by Chen Xuan's Chidori.
Bang! At the same moment, Chen Xuan could no longer withstand the powerful repulsive force and was sent flying back tens of meters.
Pfft!
Shui Bing'er's face turned pale, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. She staggered, nearly collapsing.
"Hiss, that hurts a bit." Chen Xuan was injured too. As he flipped his palm over, a gash was visible at the base of his thumb, with blood slowly oozing out.
Before Chen Xuan even landed, he began forming hand seals, giving his opponent no time to react.
Shui Bing'er wasn't weak, but he thought that his body wasn't strong enough. If his strength were greater, he wouldn't have been injured.
Chen Xuan sighed lightly. It had been about two months since he came to this world, and he had only truly trained for a little over a month. If he were given another year or so, he was confident he could at least reach the level of a Soul Saint, if not challenge the rank of Soul Douluo.
"Shui Bing'er, let's have our final battle," he said, walking toward her, the hand seals complete.
Zzzap!
In an instant, lightning exploded in the area, dazzling and bright, illuminating the surroundings.
Chen Xuan raised his hand high, and with a crack, lightning surged upward, releasing hundreds of arcs that filled the space, making it sound as if a thousand birds were chirping.
In the next moment, the hundreds of electric arcs gathered in his palm, compressing rapidly. The wild lightning gradually calmed down, condensing into a small ball.
Though it was a blue lightning ball, at this moment, it turned purple.
"Chidori again? It's useless," Shui Bing'er wiped the blood from her mouth and stood up.
She then gathered all the remaining soul power into her fourth soul skill, desperately trying to summon the Ice Phoenix.
Her martial soul had a flaw: without Xue Wu's support, it was difficult for her to manifest the full version of the Ice Phoenix. She knew she couldn't do it on her own but hoped to at least release a weakened version.
Shui Bing'er represented the honor of Tianshui Academy, and she couldn't afford to lose. If she failed, her academy would be utterly defeated in a one-on-seven sweep, leaving them with no face to show.
Chen Xuan could see through her intentions, but he still stood his ground, disdaining to take advantage of her vulnerability in this situation.
"I'll give you a chance." This was his way of showing Shui Bing'er the utmost respect.
Chen Xuan wasn't idle either. He channeled the lightning attribute chakra within his body into his new technique to reach its full potential.
"A boy of this age with such resolve… Not bad, not bad. Chen Xuan will surely make waves in the future," Emperor Xue Ye remarked.
For some reason, the temperature dropped, and the air became increasingly dry. A white mist began to rise on the arena.
In particular, around Shui Bing'er, white frost formed, enveloping her in a misty haze, making it hard to see her clearly.
Tang San furrowed his brow. This feeling… it was strangely familiar.
Screech!
At the next moment, a piercing cry echoed through the air, incredibly sharp, resonating through the sky and the entire arena.
The white mist above the stage gradually faded, revealing the original scene beneath.
Strangely, even though the mist dissipated, the temperature didn't return to normal. In fact, it got even colder.
Chen Xuan's eyes shone brightly, the three tomoe in his scarlet Sharingan spinning. It seemed… she had succeeded.
Roar!
In midair, another sharp cry rang out. From within the mist, a pair of crystalline wings emerged, flapping powerfully, blowing away all the remaining mist and revealing the enormous creature.
It was an Ice Phoenix, with wings so clear they shimmered, exuding a cold aura, like a work of art carved from millennia-old ice.
"Ice Phoenix? How is that possible?" The spectators from other academies gasped in shock. This was recognized as one of the top-tier beast martial souls, combined with the pinnacle of ice martial souls.
There was just one thing that puzzled the crowd: why was it so small?
White frost fell, and the ground froze. The Ice Phoenix, which should have been towering, was only four or five meters long.
Shui Bing'er panted heavily, utterly exhausted, her soul power almost completely drained.
She had trained diligently for the past month, and her efforts were finally paying off.
"Chen Xuan… you should surrender. I can barely control it anymore," Shui Bing'er said anxiously, on the verge of collapsing.
Chen Xuan remained calm, unfazed. "You don't think I've been waiting this long without a plan, do you?"
At that moment, a loud rumble echoed through the air, as if real thunder had struck, though the sky was clear and cloudless.
Chen Xuan made his move. The purple ball of lightning floated upward, suddenly expanding dozens of times, gradually forming the shape of a giant beast.
Boom!
In the sky, bolts of thick lightning intertwined, lighting up the heavens. Under countless fearful gazes, it transformed into a massive Qilin beast.
Roar!
High above, the purple Qilin, ten meters long, let out a deafening roar that shook the earth.
In the arena, many were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
Some gaped so wide they could swallow an egg.
"Is this… even a soul skill?"
"No way… This can't be a skill from a mere Soul Ancestor!"
The Qilin's massive body cast a dark shadow. Its head alone was ten meters long, with a gaping mouth large enough to swallow the Ice Phoenix whole.
At the same time, the already weakened Shui Bing'er fainted from the Qilin's roar.
With no one controlling it, the five-meter Ice Phoenix flapped its wings wildly, charging at Chen Xuan like an untamed beast.
Chen Xuan didn't flinch, releasing his full power. The lightning-formed Qilin let out a roar and charged at the Ice Phoenix.
"Lightning Style: Qilin!"
This was not an ordinary Qilin; it borrowed power from nature to unleash its ultimate form. It was the strongest lightning technique he could currently use.
There was no grand explosion, just pure devastation, as the two attacks weren't on the same level.
The massive Qilin, towering as tall as a three-story building, devoured the Ice Phoenix in one bite.
With a crisp cracking sound, the fragile Ice Phoenix shattered, its wings breaking apart and falling to the ground as mere shards of ice.
Chen Xuan gently tugged, and the purple Qilin stopped three meters away from the unconscious Shui Bing'er, then swiftly retreated back into his hand.
Whoosh!
At this moment, the lead teacher from Tianshui Academy finally arrived, rushing to Shui Bing'er's side to save her.
"Thank you," the middle-aged woman said sincerely to Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan waved it off. "No need to thank me. I was just following the tournament rules."
He turned to the referee and said, "Referee, let's start the next match."
Holding the leash of the still-floating purple Qilin, Chen Xuan was ready for the final battle.
"It seems the first one-on-seven victor of this year's tournament is about to be born," some nobles commented.
Emperor Xue Ye stroked his beard with a satisfied smile. The more he watched Chen Xuan, the more he approved. "This young man is outstanding—measured and powerful. Just the kind of talent our Heaven Dou Empire needs."
Ning Fengzhi had similar thoughts. He was increasingly keen on recruiting Chen Xuan. With such innate talent and the ability to create two powerful soul skills at such a young age, Chen Xuan's future potential was limitless.
Many sects also took notice. At just sixteen years old and unmarried, Chen Xuan could be bound to them through marriage with a talented woman.
As all the major powers plotted in secret, a discordant voice interrupted the noble conversation.
"The match is paused. The Shrek team's teacher has requested a substitution."
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