At the same moment, an ominous green glow flared around Barbara's body. His muscles locked, his movements frozen.

Lily had bound him with the wind element.

Her control and Ray's attack were perfectly synchronized.

The hammer weighed over a hundred kilograms. Ray gripped the Silverfalls Vine firmly, ready to halt it at the final instant if needed. This was still a competition.

A flicker of surprise crossed Barbara's eyes—but there was no panic.

His two soul rings ignited.

A piercing eagle's cry tore from his throat.

With a violent shake, he broke free of the wind binding, barely managing to take a single step aside.

Black wings erupted from his back as a shadow burst outward.

A flying-type martial soul?!

Barbara flapped his wings and shot into the air. His body turned pitch black, violet light gleaming in his eagle-like eyes. The wings weren't massive, but they radiated razor-sharp power.

Instead of attacking Ray, Barbara vanished in a blur—his speed surpassing even Raziel Phoenix's—as he appeared beside Ares.

His first soul ring flared.

The wings expanded instantly, stretching nearly ten meters and deepening into a darker black. They swept forward, wrapping both Ares and Raziel Phoenix inside.

This was—

A control-type soul skill?

Flying-type martial souls were almost always Agility System, yet Barbara had just demonstrated terrifying control.

At that moment, Volt staggered back to his feet. The fear had completely vanished. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the region of darkness.

"This is bad—Raziel Phoenix!" Ray roared.

His foot crushed into the ground, cracking the surface as he charged straight for the blackened zone. He reeled his hammer back and unleashed his Silverfalls Vine in full force, vines surging outward.

Green light flared beneath his feet, boosting his speed.

But just then—

A golden radiance bloomed above the darkness.

Bathed in that burst of golden radiance, the curtain of darkness dissolved, revealing the figures hidden within.

Off the stage, Lara's eyes widened in disbelief.

Light attribute?

Even Raziel Phoenix awakening a second soul ring hadn't shocked her this much. Her gaze locked onto Lily, and disbelief churned violently in her chest. From the very beginning of the match, this girl had displayed wind, fire, and now light. Three elements. Controlled seamlessly.

How was that even possible?

It defied common sense.

Yet, even so, Lara forced herself to calm down.

It didn't matter. No matter how strange Lily was, Raziel Phoenix was still surrounded by three opponents. No one could hold out under that kind of pressure.

But what truly stunned everyone was this—

Even under a three-man encirclement, Barbara, Volt, and Ares still couldn't take Raziel Phoenix down.

The golden sphere of light hovering above suddenly shattered and began spinning wildly. Metallic clashes rang out from within the chaos.

Raziel Phoenix's second soul skill — Light Dragon Storm!

Using his own body as the axis, Raziel Phoenix spun at terrifying speed, his Light Dragon Dagger transforming into a raging tempest. Blade-light spiraled outward like a storm of cutting winds, merging offense and defense into a single, violent skill.

It was precisely this soul skill that allowed him to survive the threefold assault.

Ray had already arrived.

Once again, he punched forward with his right fist.

As before, only two people reacted.

Raziel Phoenix's storm faltered for an instant.

Volt froze completely.

Blue vines surged in from every direction, wrapping toward the three enemies. At the same time, Ray's left-hand hammer crashed down toward Volt without mercy.

Barbara moved swiftly, but with Volt stiffened by that terrifying pressure, Ray's assault gained momentum.

A flash of green light wrapped around Volt's waist. In the next breath, three figures retreated together as a veil of darkness tore open space between them.

Ares had dragged Volt away. His right leg bent at unnatural angles, flexible as if it had no bones at all.

The three pulled back.

Raziel Phoenix halted his soul skill and regrouped with Ray and Lily.

The battlefield reset once more into a three versus three.

"Good. Very good."

Barbara's eyes gleamed, excitement surging beneath his calm exterior. His confidence hadn't diminished. If anything, it burned brighter.

Raziel Phoenix stood beside Ray, breathing heavily. He stole a glance at him, unease flickering in his eyes. From the start of the battle until now, that terrifying aura around Ray had never truly faded.

"Are you alright?" Ray asked in a low voice.

Raziel Phoenix shook his head. "I've used a lot of soul power… but I can still fight."

Across from them, Volt stared at Ray as if he were staring at a nightmare.

What's happening?

Why does my martial soul lose control when I face him?

Fear crept into his bones.

Barbara spoke calmly, yet his words carried absolute certainty. "You're stronger than we expected. But this ends here. The three of us grew up together, cultivated together, and fought together. Let me show you our true coordination."

As he spoke, the black wings on his back spread wide once more. Darkness surged, swallowing the trio whole.

Lily smiled faintly. "Darkness-type control?"

She pulled Ray back before he could charge, then stepped forward herself. A yellow soul ring shimmered beneath her feet. Her eyes seemed to glow from within.

A silver flash streaked through her pupils.

She raised her right hand.

A miniature sun ignited above her palm.

Brilliant radiance poured outward.

Raziel Phoenix gasped softly. The moment Lily's light appeared, warmth flooded his body. His exhausted soul power stirred and recovered slightly, soothed by the pure light.

As a Light Dragon Dagger wielder, this elemental harmony felt like a blessing.

The Curtain of Darkness met the light—and instantly weakened. The silhouettes inside became visible once more.

Then fire erupted.

Golden light fused with crimson flame, forming a golden-red inferno around Lily.

"Elemental fusion?" Lara stood frozen, her mind reeling.

A one-ring Soul Master… fusing light and fire?

Genius wasn't enough to describe it.

As the darkness advanced, it melted like snow beneath the golden-red flames, unable to draw any closer.

Then—

A massive Bone Dragon Claw shot out of the darkness, striking straight toward Lily.

At the same time, a figure wreathed in six massive green snakes lunged forward. Their jaws gaped wide as they split apart, bypassing Lily entirely and shooting toward Ray and Raziel Phoenix.

Ares's second soul skill — Devouring Green Shadow!

A golden-blue vine snapped back, yanking Lily behind Ray. The golden-red radiance spread across all three of them, forming a protective mantle that repelled the darkness.

Ray's Silverfalls Vine surged forward again, attempting to bind.

In the same instant, Raziel Phoenix exploded forward.

His body blurred, light and shadow overlapping. The brilliance of his Light Dragon Dagger intensified as he slashed straight into the Devouring Green Shadow. One by one, the snake heads were forced back, unable to pierce through.

Ray stepped forward, shielding Lily.

His left arm smashed apart a snake head, while his right arm once more flared gold as he punched directly toward the Bone Dragon Claw.

The claw recoiled.

But suddenly—

A black figure burst from the darkness.

The collision between light-fire radiance and pitch-black aura detonated with a thunderous boom. The figure slipped past Ray's right arm and struck him squarely in the abdomen.

Too fast!

Ray hadn't been able to react. In speed and technique, he was still inferior—and the opponent had perfectly avoided the Silverfalls Vine beneath his feet.

No time to dodge.

Ray's eyes flashed.

His Heavy Silver Hammer reappeared in his right hand.

If I can't avoid it—then I won't.

The hammer swept through the darkness.

A punch still landed against his body, but the hammer passed cleanly through—and the black figure shattered.

It dissolved into countless fragments of shadow.

Cold surged through Ray's body. His bones crackled as an eerie chill seized him.

Not good. It's a trap.

Barbara's second soul skill — Shadow Clone.

Clones with half his strength. Anything they struck would suffer darkness corrosion, continuously devouring soul power and eroding the body.

At that moment, Ray's Silverfalls Vine finally pierced fully through the darkness.

He groaned, forcibly suppressing the corrosive energy and pouring every shred of soul power he had left into his martial soul.

A single strand of Silverfalls Vine shot skyward.

It didn't bind.

It whipped.

The soft vine hardened instantly, lashing down with brutal force into the heart of the darkness.

Even a Bone Dragon Claw would have been knocked aside.

Barbara, Volt, and Ares were all struck at once, staggering back in different directions.

Shock rippled across their faces.

Who could have imagined that a humble Silverfalls Vine, backed by nothing more than a ten-year soul ring, could unleash such terrifying might?

Barbara had relaxed for just a heartbeat after landing his attack on Ray—and paid the price. The whip scorched his body with searing pain. Ares lost control of Devouring Green Shadow entirely. Even Volt, with his monstrous physique, trembled and staggered back.

The battlefield fell silent.

And in that silence, the balance had shifted. "Are you alright, Ray?"

Lily pressed her palm gently against Ray's back. Threads of light-attribute soul power flowed into him, spreading warmth through his body and easing the lingering discomfort.

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