Star Luo Plaza.
The already eliminated teams had all gathered in the preparation area.
Today was the final.
In terms of quality this year, the strength gap between Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy was not significant.
Perhaps, this would be a fierce battle between giants.
"Final confirmation."
The referee for this match was the Star Luo, Tiansha Douluo. He looked at both teams and repeated the format of the finals.
"The three competition formats will proceed in one continuous sequence, and changing participants mid-way is not allowed. Are the participant lists confirmed?"
The so-called 'one continuous sequence' did not mean only seven people could participate in all three formats, but rather that the fourteen members should be arranged reasonably, with the list submitted to the referee panel in advance for execution.
If a participant scheduled for the individual matches was severely injured earlier and unable to compete, then the subsequent individual matches could only have six participants or even fewer.
The first match was the team battle.
As Su Ming stepped onto the stage, he sensed a wave of malice from the eyes of the Shrek team members.
"So, they are indeed targeting me?"
Targeting, what did targeting mean?
Rendering you unable to participate in the subsequent matches—that was successful targeting, not just confined to the team battle.
He glanced at the seven opposing members.
"Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xu Sanshi?"
Knowing the abilities of these three, Su Ming immediately understood Shrek's tactic.
In this year's Soul Master Competition, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's Martial Soul Fusion Skill had not yet been revealed; it could be considered a trump card.
Unfortunately, Su Ming knew their trump card, so he saw through their tactic at a glance.
"Have they given up on the team battle?"
In the preparation area, Ma Lao looked at the seven members Shrek had fielded and made a judgment.
Three of the seven were reserve members. If this wasn't giving up, what was?
If it were the Sun Moon Imperial team's situation, where reserve members were stronger than the main roster, it would be one thing, but Shrek Academy's main roster members were stronger than the reserves.
As for Xu Sanshi, Ma Lao understood. He had reviewed Xu Sanshi's profile and seen one of his matches, so he was aware of the Xuanming Swap.
But, what was the situation with Wang Dong?
With Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi already present, why field Wang Dong as well?
"Competitors, prepare! Begin the match!"
At Tiansha Douluo's command, both sides released their spirit rings.
"No Star Tree!"
When Su Ming released his spirit rings, no Star Tree Giant materialized. Xu Sanshi was overjoyed.
In an instant, he made his decision.
On his hand, amidst the dense, heavy tortoise shell, a dark green snake appeared. The snake's eyes were blood-red. With its appearance, Xu Sanshi's aura also changed.
Black Tortoise Awakening!
Seeing the change in Xu Sanshi's Martial Soul, Ma Lao's expression changed below the stage.
This was a variable.
The next moment, Xu Sanshi's fourth spirit ring shone.
"Fourth Spirit Skill, Teleport!"
Xu Sanshi sneered.
Did you really think I only knew Xuanming Swap?
Swapping positions meant taking a beating upon arrival, but when Xu Sanshi's bloodline awakened, all his spirit skills underwent sublimation. His fourth spirit skill evolved from swapping positions with the target to teleporting the opponent directly in front of him.
Ma Lao shot to his feet.
In the tactics devised last night, he had considered the possibility of Su Ming being swapped over.
However, he considered that Su Ming would withstand the combined assault of Shrek's two Spirit Emperors, while their side eliminated Xu Sanshi.
He hadn't expected that Xu Sanshi's Xuanming Swap could teleport only the enemy.
A grave oversight.
What made Ma Lao even more shocked and furious was that Wang Dong, whose purpose he hadn't understood earlier, immediately embraced Huo Yuhao.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill!
Within the halo formed by the two, the illusory image of an eye with pink-blue wings appeared, shooting out a brilliant beam of light. The beam, composed of blue, purple, and gold, shot directly towards Su Ming.
Decay Amidst Splendor, Golden Road.
Simultaneously, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Ling Luochen also acted at that moment, seemingly without any thought of defending against the other members of the Sun Moon Imperial team. All four launched their strongest attacks at Su Ming with full force.
"Murder! This is murder!"
Ma Lao didn't know the effect of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, but he was certain it had a potentially lethal effect.
Otherwise, there would have been no need for Wang Dong to take the field at all.
His breath caught.
Because after the brilliant beam, Su Ming didn't release any ability.
Facing the siege of four people, Su Ming seemed to be rooted to the spot.
Ma Lao's gaze fixed intently on Su Ming's figure.
"Sealed? They've sealed Su Ming's spirit power!"
What Ma Lao didn't know was that this wasn't a seal, but deprivation.
"Sorry, Brother Su."
Huo Yuhao wore an apologetic expression.
This time, he didn't know how heavy a price Su Ming would have to pay.
The effect of the Golden Road was to deprive the Martial Soul, instantly rendering a Spirit Master incapable of resistance.
Under such circumstances, Su Ming taking the full-force attack of everyone... probably...
At that moment, his gaze met Su Ming's.
Su Ming's gaze was very calm.
"Golden Road, quite thorough in its deprivation."
Su Ming knew the effect of the Golden Road but hadn't expected this Martial Soul Fusion Skill to counter him so effectively.
His Martial Soul was his spirit power. With his Martial Soul deprived, he couldn't use his spirit power at all. It was practically a checkmate.
Unfortunately—
"I can still use my mental power."
If he could use mental power, then he could activate one spirit ring.
Thus, under everyone's astonished gazes, the three spirit rings originally outside Su Ming's body dissipated, but a brand new purple spirit ring appeared between his eyebrows.
The moment this purple spirit ring appeared, it shattered, transforming into two streams of light that merged into Su Ming's body.
Boom!
Su Ming's aura, which had previously fallen silent, suddenly surged.
"Pity, my Martial Soul has been deprived. This Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill isn't very perfect."
To be precise, Su Ming's Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill had never been perfect. What crossed time and space to arrive was merely spirit power—spirit power containing the characteristics of their Martial Souls—fusing into his body, causing his own Martial Soul to undergo a qualitative change as a byproduct.
Therefore, the Fusion Skill was actually just a Spirit Power Fusion Skill from the start.
Now, even his own Martial Soul had been deprived.
What remained was merely the Spirit Power Fusion Skill.
A fusion of pure spirit power.
"This experience is quite novel, nonetheless."
Su Ming felt a slight sense of wonder inwardly.
Without his Martial Soul acting as an intermediary, he actually gained a different kind of insight.
"Without this main body's Martial Soul and spirit power, I wonder if I can replicate this main body's spirit skills?"
Su Ming raised his hand.
In his palm, the seven major elements began to gather.
Elemental Storm!
Borrowing the spirit skill of Future·Su Ming, Su Ming incited an Elemental Storm.
Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness, Space.
He mobilized the other elements, then caused them to collide.
"Domain of Chaos!"
Even without spirit rings, Su Ming still managed to use this spirit skill!
***
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(Chapter end)