When Yan voluntarily admitted defeat, a hint of surprise flashed across Feng Yizhi's eyes. He gently landed on the ground, the thrill of battle still evident on his face.
"That was a good match, little brother. How about we go a few more rounds?" Feng Yizhi suggested, his tone filled with excitement.
Yan shook his head lightly, smiling.
"Senior, today's battle ends here. My soul power is nearly depleted, and I truly lack the strength to continue."
During the fight, Yan had used three of his soul skills consecutively, pouring substantial energy and mental effort into the Fiery Sand Prison. He knew he couldn't last much longer without deploying his external spirit bone, the Flames Wings.
Understanding this, Feng Yizhi nodded knowingly.
"In that case, let's leave it for another day."
"Yes, senior. I'll seek your guidance again next time."
Waving his hand, Feng Yizhi smiled and said:
"Guidance? Hardly. You've already performed spectacularly today. Honestly, you've earned my admiration. Despite my spirit power being a full 10 levels higher than yours, I didn't gain much advantage during our exchange. With your talent and wisdom, it won't be long before you surpass me."
Feng Yizhi's high praise and encouragement warmed Yan's heart, filling him with renewed confidence for the challenges ahead.
As Yan returned to join Xie Yue and Hu Liena, Xie Yue couldn't help but express his doubts.
"Yan, are you okay with surrendering just like that?"
"Hmm, what else could I do?" Yan replied calmly.
Xie Yue grinned.
"You've got some self-control there. With your external spirit bone, you might not have lost to him."
"Who knows?" Yan replied with a shrug before shifting the subject. "Let's not dwell on that. It's Nana's turn now."
Hu Liena's opponent was the shorter soul master.
Glancing at her brother, Xie Yue, and Yan, she stepped forward without hesitation.
Her opponent also moved forward, his expression stern, showing no leniency despite facing a female soul master.
Following tradition, Hu Liena introduced herself first.
"Hu Liena, Level 41 Control System Soul Master. Pleased to meet you."
"Zhou Shuang, Level 51 Agility System Soul Master. Pleased to meet you."
Zhou Shuang returned the gesture with a formal nod.
Watching from the sidelines, Xie Yue felt a pang of worry for his sister and thought to himself:
"He's an agility system soul master. Nana's charm-based skills might struggle to restrain him."
As the battle commenced, the arena grew silent, with all eyes focused on the unfolding duel.
Taking a deep breath, Hu Liena summoned her spirit, a mesmerizing fox with a seductive demeanor and deep, captivating eyes.
The phantom fox shimmered behind her, its gaze seemingly able to pierce into one's soul.
At the same time, two yellow and two purple spirit rings rose from beneath her feet, their glow alluring and intimidating.
Not to be outdone, Zhou Shuang let out a low shout. His body trembled, and a nimble, sharp-eyed monkey spirit materialized behind him.
Two yellow, two purple and one black spirit ring rose around him, a clear testament to his status as a Spirit King.
"A monkey martial soul?"
Seeing Zhou Shuang's martial soul, Hu Liena frowned slightly. She knew that a monkey symbolized agility and flexibility, qualities that made her opponent an exceptionally tricky foe.
For his part, Zhou Shuang remained vigilant. Having guessed that Hu Liena's skills likely revolved around charm, he stayed on guard to avoid falling into her traps.
The battle began in earnest as both sides prepared to give it their all.
Hu Liena's eyes gleamed with cunning, while Zhou Shuang maintained a serious and focused demeanor.
Determined not to follow in Xie Yue and Yan's footsteps, Hu Liena resolved to go all out from the very beginning.
She unleashed her Fox Enchantment skill, with her third soul ring glowing brightly.
A pink aura enveloped her, enhancing all her attributes. Her spiritual power, attack strength, speed, and physical force saw a significant boost.
Immediately after, her second and fourth soul rings lit up simultaneously, activating Fox Charm and Invisible Body in tandem.
A purple light shot out from her eyes like lightning, locking onto Zhou Shuang. Before he could react, Hu Liena had already vanished from sight.
Hu Liena understood the gap between their spirit power levels. She was at Level 41, while Zhou Shuang was at Level 51. Unsure if his power exceeded hers by more than ten levels, she decided to take the risk and use her strongest stealth ability.
If his soul power wasn't at least 10 levels higher than hers, he wouldn't be able to detect her presence, giving her the perfect chance to strike.
Zhou Shuang hadn't expected her charm-based skill to come so abruptly.
Luckily, his Level 51 soul power allowed him to recover from the forced dizziness in under two seconds.
But those two seconds were all Hu Liena needed to initiate her second and fourth soul skills, rendering herself invisible.
"Invisibility?"
Though Zhou Shuang had seen many techniques in his thirty years as a soul master, he was astonished. His spiritual senses couldn't detect Hu Liena at all.
Being exposed while your opponent was concealed was a dangerous situation.
Realizing this, Zhou Shuang began to move swiftly, his figure darting back and forth with agility.
From her hidden position, Hu Liena prepared to strike, but Zhou Shuang's speed made it nearly impossible to close the gap.
Time ticked away, and as her spirit power depleted, Hu Liena's form gradually reappeared.
She had hoped to catch her opponent off guard, but his incredible agility had thwarted her plans.
"Senior, I concede this match," Hu Liena said evenly, though a hint of frustration lingered in her eyes.
Zhou Shuang smiled warmly, offering his encouragement.
"Little girl, I must admit, your charm skills are remarkable. Even with my soul power being 10 levels higher than yours, I was restricted for nearly two seconds. And your invisibility... truly impressive."