Chapter 106: An Easy Victory

The auxiliary and control system soul masters in their team did not even move, waiting to see their captain, Hu Xiao, handle the only remaining member of the opposing team who remained unaffected. In the eyes of his teammates, Hu Xiao possessed the absolute capability to do so; given his strength, he would undoubtedly be a top contender if there were a singles soul master tournament.

Soon, Hu Xiao’s martial soul manifested: an Eight-Soul Ghost-Face Spider. With a wide maw, it spat out a cloud of black mist that enveloped the area where Lin An stood. The mist was laced with toxins; without a healing-type soul master, the body would become paralyzed and incapacitated within minutes. The Eight-Soul Ghost-Face Spider was a versatile martial soul with formidable combat power.

Hu Xiao’s body seemed to transform into the spider, with massive, eerie spider legs supporting his frame. Within the mist-covered arena, Hu Xiao remained unaffected. He spat out spider silk, weaving a massive web to bind Lin An in the darkness. Simultaneously, barbs sprouted from the silk, secreting venom with paralyzing effects. Seeing this, nearly everyone concluded that Hu Xiao had secured the victory.

"This match is basically a free win!" Hu Xiao’s teammate laughed easily.

"Wait, that Lin An... he doesn't seem to be affected!" At that moment, Hu Xiao noticed something wrong. Although his silk was coated in venom, it didn't seem to be piercing Lin An's skin. His body must have been tempered, otherwise, the barbs would have easily broken through.

The Green Lotus Earth Core Flame appeared before Lin An, flickering with cyan light. Suddenly, the flames erupted, not only incinerating the binding silk but also consuming the entire cloud of black mist until nothing remained. Hu Xiao quickly severed the silk, staring at Lin An with a grave expression. He hadn't expected Lin An’s flames to be so terrifying; even he would be in danger if they touched him.

"It seems we underestimated him," Hu Xiao muttered. His teammates grew serious as well; that sudden, terrifying eruption of fire was enough to warrant their full attention.

"Could there be a reversal? A single person challenging an entire team—unless the gap in strength is massive, such things rarely happen."

"Lin An has revealed his soul rings. Three rings—he is a Soul Elder. Since when do Soul Elders possess such abilities?"

"Forget it, as long as the match doesn't disappoint us!"

The sudden turn of events piqued the interest of the spectators. Even Emperor Xue Ye looked at Lin An with newfound regard; perhaps this was Xue Qinghe's trump card. Yet, winning with only one person seemed difficult.

"Even if he is alone, we must not be careless. Daring to enter the arena with five injured teammates shows he is very confident in his own strength," Hu Xiao said solemnly. His spider silk and poisonous mist had proven ineffective.

"Soul Skill: Swamp Land!" A teammate used a skill, and the entire arena shifted, becoming a treacherous marsh with nowhere to stand.

"Soul Skill: Thousand Illusion Phantoms!" Another illusion-based skill was unleashed. The arena transformed; Lin An seemed to be standing in an ancient forest, surrounded by fog, losing his sense of direction while being filled with lethal intent.

"Interesting. Both are rare soul skills. Without me, it would not have been easy for them to break these," Lin An whispered. He then summoned the Azure Phoenix Flame. Accompanied by a crisp cry, a divine Azure Phoenix seemed to cross the river of time, emerging from a primordial world with endless flames capable of burning all things.

"Argh!" With a scream, the illusion vanished. Lin An had never moved from his spot. The soul master who cast the illusion suffered a heavy blow, falling unconscious and losing his ability to fight.

"It's time to end this!" Lin An snorted. Stepping forward, he channeled his soul power, forming wings on his back that allowed him to hover briefly.

"Soul Skill: Black Armor Instant Kill Force!" Sensing danger, Hu Xiao hurriedly used his webbing to form a shield in front of him, designed to deflect most forces.

*Boom!* The immense power struck the shield, shattering it into dust instantly. Hu Xiao realized he was in trouble as the terrifying force surged toward him. If he took this punch directly, he would be severely injured, if not killed. He hastily crossed his iron-hard spider legs to block. Even so, it was barely effective; with a faint *crack*, four legs snapped. Hu Xiao was forced to take the full brunt of the punch.

Even with the force partially mitigated, Lin An’s strike easily sent Hu Xiao flying out of the arena. According to the rules, Hu Xiao was eliminated. He felt intense pain, blood trickling from his lips, stunned by the sheer power that remained even after his defenses were broken. He knew they had lost completely. If they had taken Lin An seriously from the start, perhaps there would have been a chance. Now, with their leader out and their illusionist unconscious, the remaining members stood no chance.

As expected, the rest of the fight was a one-sided crushing defeat as Lin An easily dispatched the others. They had hoped to challenge for the championship, but were instead taken down by a single person. The referee, in disbelief, announced the victory for the team assembled by Xue Qinghe. To challenge an entire team alone was something usually heard only in legends; witnessing it today against such a strong opponent left the entire crowd feeling exhilarated.