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Under the intense white light, Quan Yi instinctively squinted his eyes. The brightness stung, but he forced himself to endure the discomfort, keeping his gaze fixed on the Great Spirit Arena.
Beside him, Su Ling'er wore an incredulous expression.
"This is definitely Xiao Yun's fourth soul skill, but… this full-area effect feels different from before. Could it really be pure control?"
The dazzling flash only lasted for a brief moment, but in that instant, the battlefield shifted dramatically.
The Libra Team, which had been maintaining a defensive stance, suddenly seized the opportunity as the Beast Team momentarily stiffened. Without hesitation, they launched an all-out attack.
Caught off guard, the Beast Team found themselves confused. They hadn't even noticed the changes in their bodies yet.
Meanwhile, the Libra Team's Auxiliary Soul Master, a seemingly fragile young woman, had been waiting for this moment. Taking advantage of the white light's effect, she swiftly raised her Scepter Martial Soul and chanted:
"First Soul Skill: Speed Boost!"
"Second Soul Skill: Strength Boost!"
"Third Soul Skill: Attack Boost!"
"Fourth Soul Skill: Soul Power Boost!"
Countless beams of light shot out from her scepter, enveloping her teammates in a brilliant glow.
Her support-type abilities were perfectly aligned with the Libra Team's overall combat style—balanced and comprehensive, covering all essential aspects of battle.
From the description of her skills, it was easy to estimate that her buffs provided an increase between 20% to 30%, a moderate but well-rounded enhancement.
However, what made her role truly exceptional was her synergy with Xiao Yun's Balance Skill.
Because her Soul Power level was the lowest on the team, she often became the primary target of Xiao Yun's Balance Ability.
After balancing, however, her Soul Power would rise significantly, allowing her to apply more enhancements to her teammates.
Ordinarily, as a Level 42 Auxiliary Soul Master, she could only selectively buff teammates based on the flow of battle.
But now, under Xiao Yun's balance effect—boosted by the Beast Team's high-level Soul Power—her Soul Power had surged, enabling her to provide all four buffs to every teammate simultaneously.
This was Team Libra's core strategy.
By using the opponent's own power against them, they could amplify their team's overall strength and dramatically increase their odds of victory.
And against a Level 49 Spirit Ancestor, this was arguably the biggest power boost they had ever gained.
For the first time, she could enhance all seven members—including herself.
Of course, this came at a price—a massive drain on her Soul Power.
Despite expending nearly all her Soul Power, the Auxiliary Soul Master did not retreat.
Instead, she charged forward, lifting her scepter and rushing toward one of the Agility Attack Soul Master from the Beast Team.
Seeing an Auxiliary Soul Master recklessly charging at him, the Agility Attack Soul Master was momentarily stunned.
"What a fool!"
Without hesitation, he lashed out with his razor-sharp claws, aiming to knock away the scepter and overpower her with brute force.
"CLANG!"
The sharp claws and the scepter collided with a deafening metallic crash.
The agility-type Soul Master's expression instantly changed.
"How is this possible?!"
Contrary to his expectations, an immense force surged through the scepter, sending a jarring impact through his arm.
Even though his opponent's Soul Power had increased, he was a Beast Martial Soul Master—he should have completely overpowered an auxiliary-type Soul Master in terms of raw strength.
Could it be… the white light just now?!
A sudden realization struck him—something was wrong!
This wasn't just a group control ability…
It was a complete balance of strength attributes!
Cold sweat broke out on the Agility Attack Soul Master as she realized the dire situation.
She had to defeat this Auxiliary Soul Master as quickly as possible—only then could she support her teammates.
However, the Auxiliary Soul Master, despite her natural disadvantage in direct combat, displayed unyielding determination and remarkable tenacity. She withstood every attack, refusing to falter.
The sharp clang of metal collisions echoed through the arena, a testament to their fierce exchange. Though the Agility Attack Soul Master held a clear advantage in combat techniques, her opponent's unexpected resilience delayed her for over a minute.
In the end, relying on her superior melee skills, she finally overpowered the auxiliary Soul Master.
But—
By the time she turned to assist her teammates—
It was already too late.
The moment she lifted her gaze, a shocking scene unfolded before her.
Her entire team… had already been defeated.
The Libra Team's Attack and Defense Soul Masters stood victorious, their gazes steady and composed. With their power balanced and their stats amplified by the Auxiliary Soul Master, the weakened Beast Team had no means of resisting.
Even more astonishing was Xiao Yun himself.
The Libra Team captain had single-handedly defeated an Power Attack Soul Master from the opposing team.
While his power enhancements and auxiliary boosts certainly contributed, his true strength lay in his combat techniques.
Contrary to expectations, he wasn't just a long-range control-type Soul Master—his close-combat skills rivaled those of an Attack system Beast Martial Soul Master.
He was worthy of his title as captain. Just like his Martial Soul, Libra, his abilities were perfectly balanced—with no weaknesses in sight.
At this moment, a single thought surfaced in the Agility Attack Soul Master's mind:
It's over.
The Libra Team had been fully prepared for this battle. They had not given even the slightest chance for a counterattack, seizing the moment of hesitation to completely lock in their victory.
And because she had been entangled by the Auxiliary Soul Master, she had failed to support her team.
The battle ended swiftly.
Once the Libra Team launched their offensive, they overwhelmed the Beast Team completely—just like a ferocious tiger descending from the mountains.
At this moment, the once mighty beasts had been rendered toothless, crushed mercilessly by their opponents.
Now standing alone against six remaining Libra Team members, the agility-type Soul Master had no choice.
She raised her hands in surrender.
"The battle is over! I declare that the winner is—Team Libra!"
The host's voice echoed through the arena.
A split second later—
Thunderous cheers erupted.
Though Quan Yi and Su Ling'er sat inside a VIP box, making it difficult to see the audience's expressions, there was no doubt—this match had far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Su Ling'er turned to Quan Yi, a mix of amusement and admiration in her voice.
"Looks like you won the bet this time."
The outcome had been unpredictable, yet what surprised her even more was the fact that Quan Yi had predicted this possibility before the match even started.
However, Quan Yi remained calm, showing no signs of excitement.
"It was just luck this time," he replied casually. "Xiao Yun's Soul Skills happened to be the perfect counter in terms of power balancing. But more than that, I'm curious—what kind of Soul Ring did Xiao Yun absorb to obtain such a powerful fourth ability? It must have come from an extraordinary Soul Beast."
Though he had made the right bet, he didn't dwell on the victory. His focus had already shifted—from the outcome of the match to analyzing Xiao Yun's fourth Soul Skill.
His ability to maintain a calm mind stemmed from his principle of rational decision-making:
Gather as much intelligence as possible before making a decision. Analyze both sides carefully. Make a choice with no regrets. Accept the outcome—whether victory or defeat—without emotional interference.
This principle ensured that no matter the results of a bet, he could still maintain clarity and approach future bets with the same level-headed mindset.
This was a rule that Quan Yi had firmly established in his heart.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Dear distinguished guest, this is your reward for participating in the gambling battle—a total of 25 gold soul coins. Congratulations."
The Spirit Arena's staff were incredibly efficient. Less than ten minutes after the battle ended, they had already prepared the winnings and delivered them to Quan Yi's box.
Glancing at the reward, Quan Yi sighed internally.
Ten gold soul coins had turned into twenty-five in just a short time.
No wonder so many people couldn't resist the temptation of gambling.
However—
Quan Yi was well aware of the dangers. He had no intention of falling into addiction.
To him, wealth gained without effort would never last long.
Departure
"Let's go. We'll come back tomorrow."
Su Ling'er nodded. "Alright."
Quan Yi collected his gold soul coins, then followed Su Ling'er as they left the VIP box and exited the Spirit Arena.
Even after leaving, a lingering sense of excitement remained.
Though he wanted to stay longer, watch more battles, and even participate in one himself—
He knew his top priority was cultivation.
Spending all his time at the Spirit Arena would only slow his progress.