"The second, the third."
Marco landed lightly, not even sparing a glance for the two Soul Ancestors he had kicked away. His golden eyes calmly turned towards Luo Zhan, who had just completed his turn and was roaring as he swung his giant hammer down, and the two Diamond Bear Soul Elders beside him who were closing in again like golden fortresses.
"Protect the support!" Luo Zhan roared wildly. He knew Marco's next target was likely the Army Soul Battle Flag Soul Ancestor at the rear of their formation, whose role was crucial.
Upon receiving the command, the two Diamond Bear Soul Elders abandoned their attack without hesitation. Their massive bodies, like two moving walls, slammed down between Marco and the Army Soul Battle Flag Soul Ancestor. They crossed their arms in front of them, the dark golden skin shimmering with flowing light, pushing their defense to the limit. They believed that with the defensive power of their Diamond Bear Spirits, enhanced by their Third Spirit Skills, they could withstand even a Soul King's attack for a moment, buying time for their captain and teammates.
Looking at the two "mountains of flesh" before him, a flicker of boredom passed through Marco's eyes. He moved again, his speed so fast it left a faint afterimage where he had stood. Before the two Diamond Bear Soul Elders could react, he had already flashed through the gap between them. His target was not the support behind them, but—Luo Zhan, who had just raised his giant hammer and was preparing to unleash his Fourth Spirit Skill!
Alarm bells screamed in Luo Zhan's mind. There was no time to execute his Fourth Spirit Skill, which required a brief charge. He could only roar, channeling all his Soul Power into the giant hammer. His First Spirit Skill, "Gravity Strike," activated once more—not to injure the enemy, but to use the area-of-effect gravity field to slow Marco's movements. Simultaneously, he swept his hammer horizontally, attempting to force his opponent back.
However, Marco's speed and strength once again exceeded his estimation. Marco neither dodged nor evaded. Charging straight into the gravity field that would have made an ordinary Soul Ancestor struggle to move, his speed was barely affected! The instant the hammer swept towards him, he shifted his body slightly, letting the hammerhead pass by. His right hand, fingers pressed together like the sharpest blade, substituted for a saber and struck the heavy hammer shaft with thunderous speed!
"Clang—!"
A metallic crash like the clashing of iron and steel! Luo Zhan felt an indescribable, terrifying force transmit from the hammer shaft. It instantly numbed both his arms, split his tiger-mouth palms, and blood flowed freely. The heavy Adamantine Giant Hammer was almost knocked from his grasp! The force sent him staggering backward, his defenses wide open.
Marco closed in, his left leg whipping out like a lash. A powerful side kick landed solidly on Luo Zhan's abdomen.
"Pfft—!"
Luo Zhan's eyes bulged. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his robust body curling into a shrimp-like shape before the immense force kicked him off his feet. He flew backward faster than he had charged, tracing a long arc through the air before crashing down heavily at the edge of the arena, raising a cloud of dust. He struggled twice but ultimately failed to get up.
"The fourth." Marco's voice remained flat.
Only now did the two Diamond Bear Soul Elders blocking the front manage to turn around. Seeing their captain already kicked flying, a mix of shock and fury surged within them. They roared and swung their massive bear paws to strike.
Marco didn't even turn his head, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He slightly lowered his body, avoiding the bear paw from the left, while simultaneously kicking backward with his right leg like lightning, striking the abdomen of the left Diamond Bear Soul Elder. The Soul Elder's massive body stiffened, then similarly flew through the air like riding clouds and mist, crashing heavily beside Luo Zhan.
Immediately after, Marco used the recoil force to spin like a top. His left leg traced a perfect arc, carrying a fierce gust of wind as it swept across the knee joint of the final Diamond Bear Soul Elder.
"Crack!" A clear sound of bone fracture rang out. The Diamond Bear Soul Elder screamed in agony, his hill-like body crashing to its knees. Clutching his twisted calf, he lost all combat capability.
Thus, of the seven members of the War Academy, aside from the Assassin Spirit Elder who was kicked away at the beginning, the two Blood-colored Halberd Soul Ancestors, team captain Luo Zhan, and the two strongest defensive Diamond Bear Soul Elders had all been kicked to the edge of the arena by Marco within one or two breaths. Using simple, direct, yet extremely fast and absurdly powerful Martial Art techniques, he had rendered them all combat ineffective.
At the center of the arena, only Marco remained, along with that Support-type Spirit Master holding the War Banner Martial Soul, whose face was deathly pale. Though his Soul Power remained, he was completely frozen in place, utterly at a loss for what to do next.
The entire venue fell into deathly silence.
On the Heaven Dou Empire spectator side, after a brief moment of shock and cheers, an eerie silence descended. The team leaders and main members of the various academies all wore expressions of extreme gravity.
"Too fast... too strong..." Feng Xiaotian of the Divine Wind Academy murmured, his usual playful demeanor completely gone. He considered himself not slow in speed, but to move through the enemy's tight War Formation as if it were unguarded territory like Marco did, dismantling their attacks with every move and kicking opponents away one by one—he knew he absolutely couldn't do it so effortlessly, much less with such... overwhelming beauty.
"It's not just strength," Shui Bing'er of the Heaven Water Academy frowned, her ice-blue eyes filled with contemplation. "Did you see the coordination of those War Academy members? Even though Marco crushed them like rotten twigs, their teamwork, their fighting spirit, that kind of all-out, life-risking fighting style... it's completely different from the teams in our Heaven Dou division."
Huo Wu bit her lip. Though reluctant to admit it, she had to face reality: "They... have truly fought on actual battlefields. Every move aims to kill, their coordination is seamless, there's no flashiness at all—they only seek the most efficient way to injure the enemy. That kind of momentum... we academy-trained types... find it very hard to emulate."
The team leader of the Blazing Academy, a fire-attribute Soul Saint, looked at the lone remaining War Academy Support-type Soul Master on the arena, then at the defeated War Academy members below the stage whose eyes still burned with unwillingness and fighting spirit, and finally at the solemn-faced generals from the Star Luo Empire on the high platform. He couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Sigh... no wonder, in past tournaments, the overall performance of our Heaven Dou division has often lagged behind the Star Luo division. The gap in cultivation environments between the two sides is too vast. Over here, it's more about sparring within academies, matches in the Soul Arena. But they... probably spend much of their time honing their skills in real border forts, on battlefields, fighting against brutal enemies, even Soul Beasts. The insights gained between life and death are ultimately difficult to attain within a greenhouse."
His words resonated with many team leaders and outstanding students from the Heavenly Dou Empire's academies. Gazing at the solitary yet formidable figure on the arena, then looking at the members of the War Academy who, despite their crushing defeat, still stood with unyielding resolve, a complex and indescribable emotion spread through the hearts of countless Heavenly Dou Soul Masters. It was awe at Marco's unfathomable strength, and a sobering realization of the gap between themselves and a truly iron-blooded army.
On the arena, Marco calmly looked at the last remaining Army Soul Battle Flag Soul Ancestor and did not continue his attack. He simply stated plainly, "Will you step down yourself, or shall I send you off?"
The Soul Ancestor's face turned pale, then flushed with anger. He clenched the battle flag in his hand until his knuckles turned white. Finally, he glanced at his defeated teammates below the arena, then looked back at the golden-eyed youth opposite him, whose calm demeanor was unnerving. With a sigh of defeat, he released his grip. The battle flag clattered loudly as it fell onto the arena floor. Head bowed, he stumbled off the stage on his own.
The referee promptly announced in a loud voice, "All members of the War Academy have either lost their combat ability or left the arena area. The match is over! The victor is Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One—Marco!"
Only then did cheers erupt like a delayed tsunami, thundering across the entire Papal Hall plaza. Yet amidst the deafening roars, the countless gazes fixed upon Marco held not only fervor and admiration but also a deep sense of reverence, and... a heavy contemplation on the disparity between the training methods of Heavenly Dou and Star Luo Soul Masters.
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