The very moment the domain unfolded, the entire arena erupted. The audience buzzed with excitement, whispers surging like a tidal wave.
On the stage, within that ascending pillar of light, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were undergoing a transformation so immense that it left everyone speechless.
The light condensed midair, gradually forming into a massive toad-shaped energy construct.
Everyone held their breath, eyes wide open, terrified to miss even the slightest detail.
The strangest part was that, as the radiance gathered on the toad's body, its colors shifted dramatically.
The golden brilliance of the Three-Legged Golden Toad and the icy blue of the Scarlet Ice Toad had completely vanished, replaced instead by a metallic crimson hue.
That golden-red sheen glimmered like flames, coating the five-meter-tall toad in dazzling brilliance. Its pitch-black eyes were deep and abyssal, as though they could devour one's very soul.
The massive toad opened its mouth, revealing a swirling crimson-gold vortex deep within. A humming vibration echoed from it—like a sleeping beast about to awaken, ready to unleash a force capable of annihilating everything.
Seeing this, the crowd—who had just been marveling at Zhou Sicheng's domain—fell into renewed awe.
Domain abilities were indeed rare and formidable. Zhou Sicheng, with only five soul rings, had used his domain to instantly suppress the entire Sun and Moon team—proof enough of how terrifying domains could be.
That immense pressure made it hard for the Sun and Moon members to breathe, as though a mountain weighed upon their chests.
But if Zhou Sicheng had a hidden trump card… how could the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy not have one of their own?
The audience, still reeling from the sight of Zhou Sicheng's domain, began to buzz with excitement once more. The air in the arena burned with fervor.
"This is… a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?!" a young Soul Master cried out, his face a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"Heavens! This year's tournament is insane—first a domain, now a fusion skill!" an elderly man exclaimed beside him, his eyes gleaming with exhilaration, as though witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Some higher-ranked Soul Masters began to analyze seriously: "Martial Soul Fusion Skills aren't as rare as domains, but at the five-ring level, a fusion skill's power should actually surpass that of a domain."
He gestured animatedly while explaining the reasoning behind his claim.
Another nodded. "Indeed. Zhou Sicheng's domain exerts incredible suppression, but it's not an offensive ability—it's more about restriction and control than outright damage."
"But the Hongchen siblings' fusion skill looks extraordinary," another chimed in. "Judging by the degree of their fusion and the aura it's emitting, the synchronization between their martial souls has to be over eighty percent—maybe even above ninety."
"If that's true, and both of them are at the five-ring level," someone speculated boldly, "then this fusion skill might at least rival a high-ranked Soul Emperor's power… maybe even touch the threshold of a Soul Sage."
Gasps rippled through the stands at that prediction.
However, a few calmer analysts shook their heads. "It's impressive, yes, but Shrek's Seven Monsters this generation are far too strong. Even with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Hongchen siblings might not reverse the tide—at best, they'll cancel out Zhou Sicheng's domain."
"Look at those two Soul Emperors from Shrek. Their thunder-type soul tools are losing effectiveness, and Ma Rulong's restrictions on them are weakening. Sun and Moon's chances aren't looking good," another added, clearly favoring Shrek.
Their reasoning was sound—but nearly all of them came from the original Three Empires, and their bias for Shrek was undeniable.
To them, Shrek Academy was a mountain none could surpass—a symbol of heritage and power.
After all, Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao hadn't even gone all out yet.
But the truth was far from what they imagined.
In the Sun and Moon Royal Academy's plan, if the Hongchen siblings could take down Zhou Sicheng, they could then focus on Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao.
With Ma Rulong supporting them, they might even have a chance to defeat those two Soul Emperors outright.
Ma Rulong stood ready, his expression steeled with determination, prepared to strike at any moment.
Meanwhile, Dai Yueheng remained locked in battle with Li Yan, unable to break free.
As long as the Hongchen siblings and Ma Rulong executed their strategy successfully, victory could very well tilt toward the Sun and Moon team.
Thus, after their fusion, the massive crimson-gold toad fixed its gaze directly on Zhou Sicheng.
Its colossal body crouched slightly, like a predator ready to pounce, crimson light surging around it.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Red Dust's Affection!"
Their voices overlapped in perfect harmony, echoing throughout the arena.
The name itself was a tribute to their family—the Hongchen siblings' pride and the expectations of their elders.
They believed that this powerful fusion skill would be the key to turning the tide of battle and bringing glory to the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
A thunderous hum split the air—"WOM!"—as a crimson-gold beam, three meters wide, erupted from the toad's mouth like a ray of ancient destruction, streaking toward Zhou Sicheng's domain with unstoppable might.
The world seemed to tremble. Space itself twisted under the sheer pressure of the attack.
The air over the stage cracked like fragile glass, splintering into countless spiderweb fissures—silent testaments to the devastating force that threatened to tear the entire space apart.
That crimson-gold light radiated metallic sharpness mixed with an icy chill, both fiery and freezing, filling every heart with instinctive dread.
The beam's heat twisted the air, scattering and refracting light until the scene blurred into a surreal, dreamlike haze.
Multiple energies intertwined chaotically, forming a vortex of hysteria and destruction.
Within the Sun and Moon team's formation, the world seemed to turn into a molten sea of magma.
Rolling heatwaves surged, making it feel as if the very arena had become the edge of hell.
Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao, who had just prepared to attack, were forced back midair by the shockwave, spinning helplessly like leaves in a storm.
Their expressions turned grave—they stared at the crimson-gold maelstrom below, wary and unflinching, aware that a single mistake could mean annihilation.
Even Dai Yueheng, who had been gaining the upper hand against Li Yan, was thrown off balance by the sheer impact, stumbling back several steps, losing his chance to deliver a finishing blow.
The Sun and Moon team, however, seemed entirely unfazed—as if they had anticipated it.
It wasn't due to any defensive measure, but because of the Hongchen siblings' exquisite control over their fusion skill.
Though Red Dust's Affection failed to end Zhou Sicheng's King's Dominion, it bought their team crucial breathing room.
They swiftly regrouped, ready for the next exchange.
Zhou Sicheng, locked onto by that terrifying beam, naturally would not sit idle.
Though he had never faced Red Dust's Affection before, the immense aura of destruction told him everything he needed to know.
The moment the siblings fused, Zhou Sicheng's calm eyes sharpened. There was no panic—only focus.
His fourth soul ring flared, bathing him in blinding golden light.
Under the power of his ten-thousand-year soul skill, Saint Dragon Manifestation, his entire body was enveloped in radiant brilliance. Holy energy surged within him like a roaring tide.
His form grew taller, his figure stretching to nearly three meters—a war god of light descending upon the mortal world.
Then, the five soul rings on his body—two yellow, one purple, and two black—resonated in unison, like a battle hymn.
To the astonishment of the crowd, the five rings merged together, forming a single, faintly golden halo pulsing with divine light.
That ring seemed to embody all his strength and will—the pure essence of the Light Holy Dragon itself.
A majestic dragon roar resounded across the arena, filled with imperial dominance.
Zhou Sicheng raised his right arm, the golden halo wrapping around it like a divine seal.
Empowered by the sacred light, his golden dragon claw blazed brighter than ever, radiating overwhelming power.
Even his domain, King's Dominion, seemed to merge with it, feeding the attack rather than hindering it.
He gazed into the oncoming crimson beam—unflinching, fearless, battle intent burning in his eyes.
The air around him trembled as his spirit, energy, and intent unified into one.
A massive Light Holy Dragon phantom appeared behind him—lifelike and radiant, each scale shimmering with divine light.
Another dragon roar split the heavens. The phantom extended its colossal claw, mirroring Zhou Sicheng's motion, ready to face the oncoming storm.
"Dragon Emperor's Radiant Rend!"
This technique was originally one of Elder Mu's supreme martial skills, yet Zhou Sicheng had mastered and made it his own.
And though he possessed only five rings, the Holy Dragon he inherited was a perfected, evolved form—one whose origin power rivaled that of a Rank 99 Titled Douluo.
In other words, Zhou Sicheng's Light Holy Dragon essence was far purer than Elder Mu's had been at the same level.
Furthermore, Zhou Sicheng's body had undergone countless refinements—the Icefire Body Tempering, the Living Gold Baptism—his foundation far surpassed what Elder Mu once had.
With such profound strength condensed into one strike, the Dragon Emperor's Radiant Rend reached terrifying levels—its power doubled, its force unmatched.
This was not merely a display of strength, but a declaration of confidence in his own might.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The radiant dragon claw collided with the crimson-gold beam, like two stars colliding. Explosions rippled outward, energy storms raging in every direction.
The shockwave flattened everything in its path.
Lin Xi and Mijia, already kneeling from exhaustion, were blasted away like broken kites, vanishing into the distance.
Ma Rulong alone managed to hold his ground, eyes filled with grim resolve. His Level 7 Soul Tool—an intense heat ray—locked onto Zhou Sicheng's back, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
On the stage, light and fire clashed—the Light Holy Dragon and the Three-Legged Crimson Toad, two colossal phantoms, wrestling for dominance.
Golden brilliance intertwined with crimson radiance, creating a sea of blinding, destructive light.
Yet no matter how powerful Red Dust's Affection was, it could not halt the advance of Zhou Sicheng's blazing dragon claw.
Bit by bit, the radiant talon tore through the crimson-gold storm…
****
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