Doulou Dalu 59
"What's wrong, little junior brother?" Tang Huoer suddenly appeared behind Lin Fan, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's nothing, Senior Sister," Lin Fan replied calmly, quickly regaining his composure. "How strong is the royal family of the Xingluo Empire?"
Tang Huoer nodded slightly and said, "They're strong, but our Haotian team is stronger. I'll have Tang Jianfeng handle this match. We need to finish quickly and avoid injuries. Our priority is to conserve strength and soul power for the final match against Spirit Hall."
"Understood, Senior Sister. I'll end my fight as soon as possible," Lin Fan said, his gaze fixed on the magnificent Douhun Mountain arena.
The decisive moment was drawing closer.
It would be a battle of life and death—a duel that would determine both his fate and Bibi Dong's.
The Semi-Finals Begin
Two days later, the semi-finals officially commenced.
Lin Fan watched the first two matches intently, eager to gauge the strength of the remaining teams.
The first match was between the Ice Phoenix Family and the Pozhi Clan.
As expected, the Pozhi Clan emerged victorious.
All seven of their team members wielded the Soul-Breaking Spear, one of the continent's most powerful offensive martial spirits. Their lineup included two Soul Kings and a flawless spear formation that overwhelmed their opponents.
The Ice Phoenix Clan, lacking even a single Soul King, stood little chance. Their resistance was futile against the devastating force of the Pozhi Clan's attacks.
However, the Pozhi Clan showed mercy, allowing the Ice Phoenix Family's four female members to leave the arena unharmed.
The second match featured the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect against Spirit Hall.
The outcome was predictable—Spirit Hall crushed their opponents effortlessly.
Despite possessing the continent's most potent auxiliary martial spirits, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, the Seven Treasures team was outmatched.
The disparity in strength was overwhelming. Bibi Dong herself intervened, eliminating their two main support members before they could contribute.
Lin Fan paid close attention to the Spirit Hall team as they entered the battlefield.
Aside from Bibi Dong, there were six other members—four men and two women.
The two women stood out.
They appeared to be twin sisters, yet they were anything but ordinary. Their mismatched eyes—one red, one purple—gave them an otherworldly presence. Their attire was unique, their long hair matching their eye colors.
Although they lacked Bibi Dong's mature charm, their gazes carried a strange intensity—one exuding seduction, the other cold and ruthless.
Their presence felt almost inhuman, resembling twin fox spirits rather than ordinary soul masters.
Lin Fan instinctively tried to use his divine eye to analyze them, but the arena's protective barrier blocked his vision.
Despite Spirit Hall's overwhelming advantage, only three of their members had even acted. The rest had yet to reveal their martial spirits, making it clear that their true strength remained hidden.
Haotian Sect vs. Xingluo Royal Team
As the third match began, the seven members of Haotian Sect stepped onto the stage.
The Xingluo Royal Team followed suit.
Lin Fan immediately noticed a familiar figure—a man with striking golden eyes and a regal demeanor. His appearance bore a resemblance to Dai Mubai from the anime.
Beside him stood a curvaceous woman dressed in black, whose cold aura reminded Lin Fan of Zhu Zhuqing.
The golden-eyed man smirked, his gaze sweeping across the Haotian Team. "I've heard much about your reputation," he said. "I am Dai Weiyu of the Xingluo royal family. Your team's newest member—the one still at the Soul Master level—was quite impressive in the preliminary round. I know our chances of victory are slim, but I hope you'll fight with all your strength and give us a match to remember."
With that, the Xingluo Royal Team released their martial spirits.
Three Soul Kings. Four Soul Masters.
Dai Weiyu and the woman in black were both Soul Kings, possessing the powerful Evil-Eyed White Tiger and Netherworld Spirit Cat martial spirits.
The remaining team members had diverse abilities, including one auxiliary soul master.
Tang Huoer gave a cold nod. "Let's begin."
The Haotian Team responded in kind.
Two Soul Kings. Three Soul Masters. And Lin Fan, who had yet to break through level 35.
Despite this, the Xingluo team didn't underestimate them. The battle began immediately.
Shui Yue'er, the team's Ice Phoenix wielder, took flight and unleashed a wave of frost.
Her freezing aura instantly slowed down the four Soul Masters of the Xingluo team, restricting their movements.
Meanwhile, Tang Jianfeng charged straight at the Soul Kings, wielding the Clear Sky Hammer with devastating force.
His first strike sent Dai Weiyu stumbling backward, despite the latter's powerful tiger martial spirit.
The Evil-Eyed White Tiger was formidable, but it couldn't match the raw destructive power of the Clear Sky Hammer.
Lin Fan wasted no time.
Summoning his Shadow Battle Axe, he activated his Purple Flame Fire Tiger Armor, radiating an intense aura of battle.
Charging toward the immobilized Soul Masters, Lin Fan transformed his battle axe into a blazing purple spear.
With a single thrust, he launched one opponent into the air before kicking him out of the ring.
He then activated his third soul skill—Poisonous Flame—engulfing two more Soul Masters in searing flames.
Their fourth soul skills provided temporary resistance, but the poison soon overwhelmed them.
Liu Erlong joined the fray, activating her second soul skill—Dragon Arm.
Her scaled fist sent another Soul Master flying out of the ring.
Lin Fan eliminated the last one with a decisive strike.
Tang Huoer had instructed them not to injure the Xingluo royal family unnecessarily. Their political connections made them too valuable to antagonize. Even Spirit Hall avoided direct conflict with them due to their vast military power.
With the four Soul Masters defeated, Lin Fan turned his attention to the auxiliary support member.
However, the latter had activated his fourth soul skill, generating a protective blue shield.
Liu Erlong attempted to break through, but the barrier held strong.
Lin Fan stepped in, his purple fire spear crackling with power.
With a single downward slash, his attack penetrated the shield's defenses.
Liu Erlong followed up with a punch, shattering the remaining energy.
The auxiliary soul master was swiftly thrown from the arena.
At this point, only the three Soul Kings remained.
Tang Jianfeng continued his fierce battle, wielding the Clear Sky Hammer against Dai Weiyu and the woman in black.
Despite being outnumbered, he fought relentlessly, his Chaos Cloak Hammer Technique growing stronger with each swing.
The battle intensified as Dai Weiyu and his partner activated their martial soul fusion technique—Netherworld White Tiger.
A massive, ferocious beast emerged.
But Tang Jianfeng, with the aid of Ye Keke and Tang Jingyu's powerful support skills, faced the challenge head-on.
The fight raged on.
Tang Jianfeng's hammer strikes grew heavier.
With a final swing of his Thunder Hammer technique, he shattered the Netherworld White Tiger's form, forcing Dai Weiyu and his partner to collapse.
Acknowledging their defeat, the last two Xingluo team members stepped down.
Lin Fan marveled at the power of the Clear Sky Hammer. Even against a martial soul fusion technique, it had held its ground.
With Haotian Sect victorious, the semi-finals moved forward.
The Final Four
The top four teams of the Soul Master World Elite Competition were now confirmed:
1. The Pozhi Clan
2. Spirit Hall
3. Haotian Sect
4. Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Family
The next round's matchups were revealed:
Haotian Sect vs. Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex
Spirit Hall vs. Pozhi Clan
Tang Huoer's expression darkened.
"This could be a disaster," she muttered.
If the Pozhi Clan refused to surrender against Spirit Hall, it would be a brutal, life-or-death confrontation.