Compared to him, Yu Tianheng's emotions were noticeably more agitated. Under Tang San's verbal provocation, Yu Tianheng's fighting spirit had been thoroughly inflamed.
On either side of the black-haired young man stood a man and a woman. The man had a head of fiery red hair that cascaded down his back, and even his irises were a deep crimson. His features were equally unremarkable, but like the short-haired youth before him, he radiated that same invisible aura of authority.
The sole woman among the three had long black hair, and her features bore a certain resemblance to the man at the front. The expressions on all three faces looked as though they had been cast from the same mold. At first glance the girl did not seem particularly beautiful, but upon closer observation, one could sense an unusual charm about her.
A familiar voice sounded in Tang San's ear. "Pay close attention to those three."
When Tang San turned his head, he found that Dugu Bo had appeared beside him at some point. Dugu Bo's gaze was also fixed on those three, and the four teammates walking behind them had completely faded into the background. Yet those four individuals clearly possessed strength of at least the fortieth level.
"Those three are the prodigies known as Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. The black-haired youth at the front is named Xie Yue — a fifty-second-level strong assault-type Soul King whose Martial Soul is the Moon Blade. He is a Tool Soul Master. The red-haired man behind him is called Yan — a fifty-second-level fire-attribute strong assault-type Soul King whose Martial Soul is the Flame Lord. The girl on Xie Yue's other side is his younger sister, Hu Liena — a fifty-first-level Control Type Soul King whose Martial Soul is a fox. Xie Yue and Liena each took after one of their parents' surnames and inherited one parent's Martial Soul. Among the three, besides watching the two strong assault-type Soul Kings, you must pay particular attention to Hu Liena. She possesses an extremely formidable charm ability — all of her Soul Skills are centered around charm."
Listening to Dugu Bo's words, Tang San nodded silently, committing every word to memory without missing a single detail.
The Great Master stood nearby listening quietly as well, but his gaze had already drifted to the towering Papal Hall rising behind the competition stage. Bibi Dong, is this the puzzle you've set for me?
Under the referee's announcement, the match began.
Although Yu Tianheng's fighting spirit had been thoroughly ignited by Tang San, he still faltered the moment he saw the opposing team fully release their Martial Souls.
The three at the forefront — Xie Yue and his companions — each displayed five Soul Rings: two yellow, two purple, and one black. The optimal Soul Ring configuration. The concentrated pressure from the three of them immediately diminished Yu Tianheng's bold aura by a noticeable degree.
The first to move on Spirit Hall's academy team was not the captain Xie Yue at the front, but rather his sister, Hu Liena.
With delicate steps, Hu Liena seemed merely to shift her body, yet she had already arrived at the very front. A faint smile appeared on her face, and as her Martial Soul was released, she seemed to grow more beautiful — a large, fluffy tail sprouting from behind her.
A pale red glow emanated from her body. Her eyes flickered as she turned her gaze toward Yu Tianheng. Yu Tianheng, who had been about to unleash his Soul Skill, froze once more. But his combat experience was extensive, and he quickly shouted, "Don't look into her eyes!"
"Oh? You think looking away will save you? People call me the Celestial Fox." Hu Liena's voice carried a slightly husky quality, yet within that huskiness lay a peculiar, captivating charm. From the single glance she had cast upon stepping forward to this one sentence, not a single member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team had made a move.
Then a bizarre scene unfolded. The five Soul Rings on Hu Liena's body flickered in a deliberate sequence — first the black fifth Soul Ring, then the fourth, third, and second, until finally the yellow first Soul Ring. Each time a ring pulsed, the red light around her intensified. And behind her, Xie Yue began to move.
Xie Yue's Moon Blades were not a single weapon, but a pair — two crescent-shaped blades the color of blood, each gripped at its center by one of his hands. Now, with a sweep of his body, his arms spread wide, and he launched himself forward, colliding with his sister from behind.
A curtain of red light burst into existence and expanded outward. The instant Xie Yue's and Hu Liena's bodies merged together, that layer of red light enveloped them both. Simultaneously, the crimson glow exploded outward like the expansion of a light sphere, covering nearly half the competition stage and naturally engulfing all seven opponents on the other side.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Technique?" The words escaped Tang San's lips almost instinctively.
The other five members of Spirit Hall's academy team, Yan included, showed no intention of making any move. Yan even stepped back several times to stand with the rest of his teammates.
The red light flickered, and where there had been two people, there now stood a single figure — long-haired and flowing, with features so androgynous it was impossible to tell whether this person was male or female.
The hair had turned red. The figure formed by the fusion of Xie Yue and Hu Liena began to dance with eerie grace. Two Moon Blades, each doubled in size, sliced silently through the air, trailing arcs of prismatic light.
Yes, this was their Martial Soul Fusion Technique — Enchantress.
This skill differed from Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's Netherwhite Tiger.
The Netherwhite Tiger focused on offense, while this Enchantress focused on control. Within the Enchantress's domain of control, every person's senses were reduced by fifty percent, their Soul Power suppressed by fifty percent, and all of their movements slowed by fifty percent.
Shrouded in that dense red light, it had already become extraordinarily difficult for Yu Tianheng and his team to even see their opponents clearly.