Ripples of soul power surged beneath the feet of the Green Lotus Avatar. A hundred-year soul ring spiraled upward like an emerald jade ribbon.
It was soon followed by a second, then a third, their colors gradually deepening. When the fourth purple soul ring solidified into form, a lotus platform's ethereal shadow blossomed behind the young woman. Twelve petals pulsed with a steady flow of soul power.
The level of soul power an avatar possesses depends on several factors.
Primarily, it hinges on the cultivation level of the plant-type soul beast used as the avatar's material. Second, it relies on the soul power infused during the "enlightenment" process. Lastly, it draws upon the ambient spiritual energy present at the moment of birth.
The Green Lotus Avatar's material concentrated the essence of seven ten-thousand-year-old lotus seeds. Its current cultivation level was to be expected. Strictly speaking, the avatar still belonged to the category of soul beasts—or soul beasts in humanoid form—allowing it to directly condense soul rings and manifest the most suitable "mind system" soul skills for itself.
"Seven orifices of the exquisite heart, six senses of pure clarity."
The avatar's crimson lips parted slightly, and the green heart-shaped lantern in her hand suddenly blazed with light. The emerald glow from its wick enveloped the entire arena, filling the air with a faint, lingering fragrance of lotus.
Yuanen Yehui was about to unleash her Titan Great Ape martial soul when she felt an odd sensation welling up within her—her once-boiling fighting spirit ebbed away like a receding tide. The soul power gathering at her fingertips uncontrollably dissipated into tiny motes of light.
The Green Lotus Avatar gently swayed the heart lantern, sending out invisible ripples across the battlefield. The subtle mental fluctuations were like a breeze rippling across a lake, stirring faint waves. Yet, on another level, they incited a tempest of profound impact.
First soul skill: Six Senses of Clarity, Free from All Distractions.
The nine other team members fared even worse. They stood frozen in place, like marionettes. Some wore expressions of serene slumber, like peaceful infants, while others let their weapons slip from their grasp without realizing it.
This was the most terrifying aspect of spiritual-mind system soul skills—they didn't merely confuse the five senses but struck directly at the core of one's being, compelling opponents to surrender resistance from within.
More insidious and difficult to counter than spirit system soul skills, they left little room for anything but brute force resistance.
Under the sweeping influence of this mind-based soul skill, the nine individuals experienced the avatar's current state of mind—a defining strength of this avatar: an innate mastery over mental realms.
Take, for example, how some are born with mastery over sword intent, while this avatar naturally commanded the realm of "pure tranquility and non-action."
With this single move, those with weak willpower would abandon all resistance, offering themselves to their fate without hesitation.
"What is this… group-wide mental attack? And what exactly is Gu La's fourth soul skill?"
Wu Zhangkong, who had arrived at the viewing area alongside Shen Yi at some point, narrowed his pupils. He clearly saw the reflection of the Green Lotus' silhouette in the students' eyes, indicating that their minds had been forcibly drawn into a shared empathetic state.
The ripples emanating from the ancient lamp stirred a thousand layers of waves on the spiritual plane, pulling everyone into the vortex of tranquil non-action.
Only Yuanen Yehui, whose willpower far exceeded that of her peers due to the influence of her Fallen Angel martial soul, managed to resist. Her expression contorted as though struggling to recall something.
The veins on Yuanen Yehui's temples bulged, and the purplish-black patterns of her Fallen Angel martial soul flickered faintly near her collarbone.
Fragments of memory churned within her consciousness: awakening the Fallen Angel martial soul at age six and being ostracized by her clan as an aberration; losing control for the first time at eight; fleeing her family at twelve; joining Shrek Academy as a work-study student at thirteen… These trials that forged her indomitable spirit now became anchors to break free from the mental shackles.
A string of silvery laughter rang out, and Gu La snapped back to attention with an odd expression. He watched as the avatar flicked her fingers, causing the pale green, yellow-tinted flame of the lantern to flare wildly, reflected deep within the pupils of the ten combatants.
Ping—
Second soul skill: Crystal Pure Flame.
Pure and untainted, this flame burned away inner demons and purged all distracting thoughts and evil intentions—it was a fire that scorched the spirit.
The dignified and holy avatar's gaze was as sharp as lightning. The nine opponents were struck as if by thunder, and green flames raced along the spiritual connections into their foreheads, incinerating all impurities within their minds.
Their already confused states of mind were instantly wiped clean. As their spiritual energy was funneled into the lotus lantern as fuel, the sound of bodies collapsing echoed throughout the arena. Only Yuanen Yehui remained standing on the stage, surrounded by a rising black mist as her Fallen Angel martial soul fully manifested.
Her androgynous attire shifted entirely into a feminine form. Her skin was pale, almost ghostly, and her fiery red hair framed hauntingly beautiful purple eyes. There was a melancholic charm to her appearance—bewitching, seductive, and possessing a peculiar allure that drew others in.
Purplish-black wings pierced through the void, and dark elemental energy condensed into tangible black mist. She exuded an aura of supreme decadence, having fallen to the utmost depths.
Third soul skill: Fallen Angel Descent!
Yuanen Yehui's Fallen Angel martial soul was a gift from the demonic plane—an anchor set by the demonic realm in its quest to invade the Douluo Continent.
One unique aspect of this martial soul was its ability to automatically condense soul rings for the user, increasing in potency as the user's cultivation grew. However, this was not necessarily a blessing—the more reliant one became on the demonic plane, the easier it was to be controlled. Ultimately, upon reaching the rank of Title Douluo, the user would transform into a gateway, summoning demons from the demonic plane.
Now, under the influence of this soul skill, the demonic nature of the Fallen Angel temporarily suppressed Yuanen Yehui's humanity, driving her to instinctively attack the greatest perceived threat.
Veil of the Fallen!
Dark Demon Sword!
The former created a dark space to immobilize the avatar, while the latter summoned her signature weapon to deliver a lethal strike.
Yuanen Yehui's pupils turned abyssal black as the Dark Demon Sword traced an eerie trajectory. This strike simultaneously targeted both the physical and spiritual planes—the blade cleaved the arena floor, splitting it into a web-like pattern, while its intent tore open a crimson gash in the tranquil mental realm.
The avatar glided gracefully, her four purple soul rings overlapping into an array. The Green Lotus Heart Lantern hovered above, and within its flame, a seated figure faintly took shape.
Third soul skill: Heart Like Crystal, Impervious to All Techniques.
At the moment the Dark Demon Sword touched the halo of light, the entire arena fell into an eerie silence—even the air seemed to freeze…
Radiant beams of light burst forth from the heart lantern, and a green divine radiance enveloped the avatar, blocking the demonic sword. Just as the sinister demonic energy began seeping into the green radiance, the flame of the heart lantern surged violently, forcibly reflecting into the pitch-black eyes of the Fallen Angel.
"Ahh!"
A shrill scream erupted as countless demonic thoughts were incinerated by the Crystal Pure Flame. Yuanen Yehui briefly regained clarity, enduring the excruciating pain to regain control. "Stop!"
Yuanen Yehui roared, desperately switching to her Titan Great Ape martial soul. She sought to suppress her second martial soul with her first, which was no less formidable than the Fallen Angel.
Fortunately, she was not yet capable of fully becoming a planar gateway; otherwise, the demonic plane would have enacted corresponding measures of control.
With the avatar's intentional cooperation, Yuanen Yehui spat out a spray of black blood, and the purplish-black patterns faded from her neck. Amidst the whispers of demons, the angelic wings retracted, and she collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
As Yuanen Yehui fell, Gu La gazed intently at the avatar before withdrawing it into his soul ring. He sensed that the new avatar had encountered some unexpected issues that needed immediate attention.
"Challenger Gu La—perfect score!"
The examiner's voice pulled everyone back to reality. The ripples of residual soul power on the arena had yet to dissipate, and many remained lost in thought, staring at Gu La, unsure of what to make of him.
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