Ma Rulong's eyes were covered with a thin layer of frost, gradually turning cold and profound. The Soul Tools around him glimmered with radiant light, reflecting off his sharp and austere face.
His left hand traced gently across his back — a soft movement, yet filled with grim resolve.
Behind him, a crimson core formation flickered at the center of his back.
It pulsed like a beating heart, radiating a sinister and powerful aura. Intense blood flames roared around the formation, as if ready to ignite the very air.
That was a seventh-tier Soul Tool — the Chapter of Sacrifice.
The Chapter of Sacrifice possessed a terrifying ability: once activated, it consumed Ma Rulong's life force and potential as an offering.
It was like a greedy devourer, endlessly drawing in his life essence, yet at the same time, it greatly enhanced his body and soul power, granting him strength far beyond his normal limits.
However, such power, obtained at the cost of life itself, could not be sustained for long.
But now, he had no choice — he was at the brink of desperation.
The trump card of the Hongchen siblings had been completely broken by Zhou Sicheng alone. None of them could have foreseen this outcome.
The careful strategy they had prepared was shattered. The situation was collapsing rapidly. All Ma Rulong could do now was fight with everything he had — even if it meant shattering himself in the process.
As the Chapter of Sacrifice activated, Ma Rulong brought his hands together before him. His movements were steady and deliberate, as though channeling every ounce of power within.
A dense golden light flared — like the first rays of dawn — piercing through the surrounding darkness.
Soul rings around his body began to flash in rapid succession. Each one pulsed as if alive, releasing violent waves of energy.
His aura soared, like a volcano about to erupt. The pressure he exuded was suffocating.
Under this overwhelming power, he discarded all other Soul Tools. Only one remained in his hands — a massive golden-red greatsword.
Ma Rulong gripped its hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Slowly, he raised the greatsword overhead, every motion feeling as heavy as a mountain.
Brilliant golden light streamed along the blade like rivers of molten metal.
Upon closer look, nine core formations could be seen embedded along the sword — from the guard to the tip — each glowing faintly with mysterious symbols, signifying that this weapon was anything but ordinary.
Light burst forth from the blade, dazzling like a cascade of golden fireworks.
As Ma Rulong raised the sword high, his eyes too turned golden — burning with madness and resolve.
"With myself as the sacrifice — let Judgment awaken!"
His roar shook the heavens, brimming with overwhelming determination.
Soul power poured from his body into the blade at an astonishing rate. The intensity was such that rings of white light rippled outward from his feet, flowing through his body and converging into his hands before entering the sword.
The greatsword began to change. Starting from the hilt, the golden radiance condensed and split — as if drawn by an unseen force.
One side of the blade turned pure white, radiant as fresh snow in winter. The other darkened into a deep, inky black, like the void between stars.
Light and darkness intertwined within the sword's golden glow — a sight both eerie and mesmerizing.
"Thou art darkness — condemned as heresy."
Ma Rulong gripped the sword tightly and pointed it toward Ma Xiaotao. The black edge of the blade flared.
A streak of black light shot forth — swift as a lightning bolt from the abyss.
That darkness seemed like a fissure from the depths of hell, devouring all light in its path as it hurtled toward her.
Ma Xiaotao, fused with her fifth soul skill, had transformed into a blazing phoenix. Her body burned with crimson fire capable of scorching the heavens themselves.
But when the black light struck, her flames offered no resistance — as if facing their natural predator.
The darkness sank into her body in an instant.
Immediately, Ma Xiaotao felt a wave of unease — as though countless ants were crawling beneath her skin.
Her once-crimson flames turned jet black, their heat replaced by eerie cold. She shuddered involuntarily.
A familiar, sinister aura surged up from within — her once-purged evil fire reawakening and merging with the black flames. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
At the same time, Lin Xi and Mijia activated their Soul Tools.
Lin Xi swiftly deployed a defensive barrier, a faintly glowing energy shield that intercepted the golden sword qi sweeping across the stage.
The impact sent ripples of energy washing through the air.
Meanwhile, Mijia aimed her cannon-like Soul Tool toward Ye Guyi, firing beams of energy with devastating force.
Then Ma Rulong flipped his sword, movements sharp and fluid.
The white side of the blade flared — blinding and pure, like the heart of the sun.
"Light — Sword of Judgment!"
The radiant sword light erupted to its peak, flooding the arena with a holy brilliance that sought to banish all darkness.
Ma Xiaotao screamed in agony as the light force clashed with the darkness within her.
Her black flames evaporated into mist, her body trembling as though pierced by a thousand needles.
The phoenix fire within her was collapsing, scattering wildly as if trying to flee her body.
Ma Rulong's Sword of Judgment was no ordinary creation. It was a genuine eighth-tier melee Soul Tool, the pinnacle of its class.
The Sword of Judgment fused both light and darkness — a blade of true balance. It could inject dark energy into an opponent's soul power, corrupting it, then unleash light energy to purge and destroy them entirely.
Against weaker opponents, it could obliterate them in a single strike.
But Ma Rulong was only a sixth-tier Soul Engineer, his cultivation merely at the six-ring level.
To wield an eighth-tier Soul Tool like this demanded a terrible price.
With the aid of the Chapter of Sacrifice, he could barely draw out half of its power — yet even that was enough to completely shift the tide of battle.
Though the odds were grim, Ma Rulong's eyes burned with unyielding resolve.
As captain of the Sun Moon Imperial Team, the burden of leadership weighed heavily upon him — but it was also his driving force.
He knew that even if the path ahead was full of thorns, he could not retreat. The honor of his team and the faith of his comrades were his responsibility to uphold.
Even if it cost him his future cultivation and vitality, he had resolved to stake everything on this moment.
That Sword of Judgment was a masterpiece from Mingde Hall — a symbol of their pride, and now, his final hope.
Yet, the weapon had one weakness.
Its power could not affect opponents with pure Light or Dark martial souls.
Ye Guyi and Zhou Sicheng both possessed Light-type spirits — the sword's power was rendered useless against them.
But Ma Xiaotao was different — her spirit was of Fire. To him, she was the key to reversing the battle.
Hearing her cries of agony, Ma Rulong's lips curved slightly. A flicker of satisfaction flashed in his golden eyes.
At last, his suffering, his sacrifices — they were paying off. Victory was within reach.
"Light — Judgment!"
He stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet as he brought the sword down toward Ma Xiaotao, who was plummeting from the sky.
The blade cut through the air with a piercing howl, ready to end it all.
But Ma Xiaotao, writhing in pain, suddenly felt something stir within her.
Her Evil Fire Phoenix spirit, once purged, was momentarily thrown into chaos by the invading darkness. Her body shook, unable to maintain stable flight.
Every breath brought agony — like reliving the torment of her corrupted days.
"Damn it! Has my evil fire not been completely purified?!"
Her beautiful face twisted in pain. The Sword of Judgment was descending — its light ready to purify her entirely.
But Ma Xiaotao was no stranger to agony.
She steadied her breathing — and noticed Zhou Sicheng hadn't turned to help her.
That wasn't neglect. It was trust.
He believed in her — in her strength and her will.
Her Martial Soul was no longer the Evil Fire Phoenix… but the True Fire Phoenix.
The king of birds — noble and divine. Even among dragons, few could compare.
And among phoenixes, the Fire Phoenix possessed the purest bloodline.
After consuming the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower Seed Zhou Sicheng had given her, her spirit had fully evolved, purified of all evil.
That was her pride — and her foundation.
Feeling the darkness raging inside her, Ma Xiaotao recalled her past suffering — the pain of the Evil Fire's corruption.
But instead of despair, it fueled her. Her gaze steadied, calm yet fierce — her unyielding soul ignited once more.
"Mere darkness dares defile the King of Birds?!"
Her shout thundered through the arena.
The flames around her body ignited anew — black-red at first, then purer and brighter by the second. The blackness within the fire began to burn away, dissolving into smoke.
The suffocating dark aura faded, replaced by something far more powerful — the true essence of the Fire Phoenix.
At that moment, her Martial Soul underwent a miraculous evolution — a transformation beyond limits.
Her Fire Phoenix bloodline, stimulated by both darkness and light, had achieved complete sublimation.
A blinding red-gold radiance burst from her body, intercepting Ma Rulong's descending sword.
The light of the phoenix met the light of judgment — and overpowered it.
The Sword of Judgment's brilliance shattered against a wall of searing fire.
Ma Xiaotao landed gracefully, standing tall before Ma Rulong. No trace of darkness remained on her. Behind her spread majestic phoenix wings, each feather gleaming gold like molten sunlight.
Flames roared around her, crashing like tidal waves.
On her flawless face, three crimson flame marks appeared on each cheek, and a phoenix sigil glowed upon her forehead — divine and awe-inspiring.
Raising her right hand, flames danced in her palm — alive, intelligent, radiant.
She caught the massive blade of the Sword of Judgment with ease, as if grasping something weightless.
The holy light surging from the sword dimmed instantly, powerless before her fire.
Ma Rulong froze, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Th-this… impossible! How can you be unaffected? How can you stop the Sword of Judgment?!"
Even the spectators — Soul Masters above the seventieth rank — were dumbfounded.
Their astonishment rivaled that of Zhou Sicheng breaking the Hongchen siblings' fusion technique.
From the stands, Xuan Zi — who had been eating and drinking leisurely — suddenly froze mid-bite, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Ultimate Fire?!" he exclaimed, voice trembling with awe. "Xiaotao's phoenix flames have completely evolved!"
He smiled, filled with pride and anticipation.
"The Sword of Judgment awakened her bloodline — darkness's invasion and light's purification merged to ignite her true power. Her Martial Soul has transcended!"
His gaze deepened as he looked at Ma Xiaotao, wreathed in golden flames.
"First Guyi, now Xiaotao… both possess Ultimate Attributes. And with that boy Sicheng… this era truly is changing. The path to godhood… may soon open once more."
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