Chapter 362: Shameless Cheating
On Arena One, as Hu Liena, trapped in the illusion, was knocked unconscious by Zhu Zhuyun's swift chop, the referee declared the match's outcome.
"Contestant Hu Liena has lost consciousness! I hereby announce that the winner is contestant Zhu Zhuyun!"
Meanwhile, on the other arena, Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er were engaged in an intense battle. Neither side was willing to back down, unleashing one powerful move after another in a fierce clash of fire and ice.
Finally, with a thunderous explosion, the match came to an end. The fiery figure of Huo Wu collapsed, and standing victorious in her sea blue attire was Shui Bing'er.
And with that, only two contestants remained.
The moment everyone had been waiting for had arrived the final match!
Zhu Zhuyun vs. Shui Bing'er!
The winner would be crowned champion of the first ever Contract Soul Master Tournament and go down in history.
To be the very first champion no matter the competition was an unparalleled honor. It was an achievement one could proudly boast about for a lifetime.
The central arena now held only a single stage.
Both Shui Bing'er and Zhu Zhuyun stepped onto the platform, their conditions fully restored. With divine intervention ensuring their peak states, the match would be as fair as possible.
"The final match of the Contract Soul Master Tournament…"
"…is about to begin!"
"Contestants, prepare yourselves!"
At the sound of the referee's voice, the two stood ready. At their feet, their respective soul beasts a cat and a dog bristled, baring their fangs and growling.
"Match… begin!"
The moment the words left the referee's lips
"AWOOOO!!"
Zhu Zhuyun's three headed dog howled in unison, and suddenly, the six eyes across its three heads began to glow with different colors.
The leftmost head's eyes gleamed pale green wind attribute. The rightmost head's eyes shone light blue water attribute. The center head's eyes glowed purple lightning attribute.
Wind, water, and lightning yet no ice, despite its snowy white fur. The deception was deliberate.
Most opponents, upon seeing its fur, would instinctively assume it was an ice type soul beast. But this assumption was entirely incorrect. Zhu Zhuyun had deliberately hidden this information, waiting for the perfect moment to catch her opponent off guard.
And now that she had reached the finals, there was no longer any need for secrecy. It was time for Xiaosan to show its true strength.
Having three heads was not just for show each head had a different elemental affinity. If it were just an ordinary Three Headed Scarlet Demon Dog, it would be another story, but Xiaosan, a mutated three headed dog, possessed three distinct elemental powers.
Its spiritual hypnosis and illusion creation were merely side effects of its enhanced cognitive ability. With three heads, it naturally had three times the processing power of an average being, which also meant three times the spiritual energy.
This gap was so immense that even Hu Liena, a specialist in illusion based combat, had fallen effortlessly to Xiaosan's hypnosis.
Most of Zhu Zhuyun's previous opponents had been defeated without Xiaosan even needing to lift a paw. But the finals were different Shui Bing'er was undoubtedly strong. Underestimating her could lead to an embarrassing loss, so Zhu Zhuyun wasn't about to take any chances.
The moment the match started, she had Xiaosan go all out, aiming to end the fight immediately.
The three headed dog unleashed its power.
The rightmost head spewed a powerful jet of water into the sky. The leftmost head released a fierce wind, scattering the water into a fine mist. Then, the center head launched a surge of lightning, striking the mist filled air.
BOOM!
The fusion of these three elements triggered an instant reaction. Wind and water combined to form storm clouds, and with the addition of lightning, the sky was ignited in a violent thunderstorm.
A torrential downpour began, accompanied by relentless flashes of lightning.
The pressure in the arena became overwhelming.
Shui Bing'er's face paled.
This was supposed to be her battlefield she had hoped to use her opponent's water based attacks to her advantage. But now she realized she had been completely suppressed.
What Zhu Zhuyun had created wasn't just weather it was essentially a domain.
She had been trapped in Xiaosan's "Thunderstorm Domain."
"This is absurd! This soul beast is completely overpowered!"
Shui Bing'er sighed internally. She had already suspected before the match that her chances of winning were slim. But never had she imagined her opponent's soul beast would be this powerful.
"Is this thing the direct descendant of some divine beast? There's no way Zhu Zhuyun contracted it on her own her talent isn't nearly good enough. She must've used her connections through her sister, Zhu Zhuqing."
"Tch. Having connections really makes life easy."
Shui Bing'er couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and frustration.
Her opponent as an individual was weak. If they fought one on one, Shui Bing'er could crush Zhu Zhuyun effortlessly.
But thanks to her contracted soul beast, Zhu Zhuyun completely dominated her.
"Where's the fairness in this?!"
"Contract Soul Masters… what an utterly unreasonable profession."
Talent as a soul master still mattered, but it was no longer the deciding factor.
If someone could contract a powerful enough soul beast, it didn't matter how weak they were themselves they could simply rely on their partner to carry them to victory.
This was shameless cheating!
But as much as she hated to admit it, Shui Bing'er realized that if she were given the same opportunity… she wouldn't say no.
"BOOM!!"
The storm raged above.
Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the sheer oppressive force of the battlefield made it clear this was no ordinary fight.
The spectacle was godlike.
"..."
Shui Bing'er slowly raised a hand.
"…Referee, I forfeit this match."
The raging storm halted in an instant.
Although the storm had been entirely confined to the arena, from the outside, everything remained clear and sunny.
However, the viewers watching through the live projection had witnessed the terrifying scene within the arena. It looked like divine judgment itself.
So when Shui Bing'er immediately surrendered, no one blamed her.
There was no point in fighting a battle that couldn't be won.
(End of Chapter)
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