Chapter 178 - 178: [DD2]: 178

Six entire teammates, including even the Soul Emperor Dai Yuoheng, were defeated by Su Yu alone. This directly forced Shrek Academy into its most dangerous predicament. To be fair, Ma Xiaotao greatly admired Su Yu's strength. So young yet so powerful—a true prodigy. However, as a member of Shrek Academy, she had to uphold its honor. She had to personally defeat Su Yu and reclaim the face Shrek Academy had lost. Su Yu stood with one hand lightly clasped behind him, a calm smile on his face as he looked at the battle-ready Ma Xiaotao across from him. "Finally, it's your turn. I've been waiting for you." Ma Xiaotao fixed her gaze on him, speaking slowly and deliberately: "This battle, I will win." Su Yu smiled. "Before a fight, everyone claims they'll win. Xu Sanshi said that. Dai Yuoheng said that too. But whether you can win or not depends on whether you have the capability." "So far, I'm quite disappointed. Shrek Academy doesn't seem as strong as I imagined." "So many teammates, and not one worth fighting." Ma Xiaotao's expression darkened. "I admit the Ice God Palace is unfathomable, but that's no reason to underestimate Shrek Academy." "I'll prove with my strength why Shrek Academy is known as the Continent's number one." "Is that so?" "Then I'll be watching. I just hope your strength can hold up—don't burn out halfway through," Su Yu said with a faint chuckle. Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes narrowed, and the atmosphere around them grew heavier. "Step back!" Sky fiend Douluo's timely voice broke the tension. Ma Xiaotao and Su Yu slowly retreated, putting some distance between themselves. Even with the gap between them, their gazes locked sparks seeming to fly invisibly in the air, intensifying the scene. "Begin!" Sky fiend Douluo's voice fell, and his figure disappeared from the stage. Ma Xiaotao instantly activated her martial soul, her figure flashing as she charged forward. In midair, her phoenix wings spread wide, propelling her like a fiery meteor straight toward Su Yu. Simultaneously, a line of fire shot from her lips, heading directly for Su Yu. Her first soul skill, Phoenix Fireline. From the start, Ma Xiaotao launched a strong, aggressive attack. Su Yu, now infused with the Ice Emperor Martial Soul, exuded a blue glow, radiating an aura of extreme cold. Four black soul rings glowed ominously around him. Facing the incoming Phoenix Fireline, Su Yu raised a single finger. A burst of icy energy froze the fireline instantly into a block of ice. Within the ice, the fiery brilliance of Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Evil Fire glimmered dazzlingly. The fire was already terrifying in its intensity, with astonishing heat. But against Su Yu's ultimate ice, it was utterly suppressed. Only ice of the ultimate level could rival ultimate fire. As long as Ma Xiaotao had not reached the pinnacle of fire, she would inevitably be dominated. Though her fireline was blocked, Ma Xiaotao showed no panic. A resounding phoenix cry echoed as Ma Xiaotao shot skyward like a radiant flaming phoenix. Then, her sixth soul ring lit up. Fiery orbs rained from the sky, covering half the arena. The fiery downpour was overwhelming and awe-inspiring. Her sixth soul skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower! Ma Xiaotao's combat style was nothing if not aggressive. She knew that only an overwhelming offense could defeat Su Yu. Given the current circumstances, holding back would be foolish. Shrek Academy could lose, but it couldn't afford to be entirely swept aside. At the very least, she had to defeat Su Yu. Facing the fiery barrage, Su Yu stood firm. His fourth soul ring lit up: Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather! A noble ice phoenix spread its wings as countless ice swords shot toward Ma Xiaotao. Ice versus fire—a clash of elements erupted once again. Ice blades collided with fiery meteors, producing continuous explosions. The brilliant display of ice shattering and flames bursting was breathtaking, as dazzling as fireworks. After a brief stalemate, Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Meteor Shower was ultimately overpowered by Su Yu's Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather. Su Yu's soul skill triumphed due to its sheer power and high soul ring quality. While Ma Xiaotao had more robust soul power, the disparity wasn't significant. However, Su Yu's ultimate ice attribute exerted overwhelming suppression, preventing Ma Xiaotao's attacks from reaching their full potential. Phoenix flames surged again around Ma Xiaotao, enveloping her in a blazing aura. Her momentum soared, becoming more ferocious. Her second soul skill, Phoenix Rebirth! Empowered by Phoenix Rebirth, Ma Xiaotao reversed her decline, her flames growing much more potent. The boosted flames also enhanced the power of her Phoenix Meteor Shower. Yet Su Yu remained unfazed. The suppression of an ultimate attribute couldn't be offset by a mere augmentation skill. The difference between ultimate and non-ultimate wasn't a simple gap—it was like heaven and earth. Even with Phoenix Rebirth, Ma Xiaotao found herself gradually falling behind in their exchange. Still, she refused to yield, pushing herself to the limit. Ma Xiaotao's persistence wasn't born of recklessness. She knew well that Su Yu's ultimate ice restrained her. Earlier, his Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather had already suppressed her Phoenix Meteor Shower. Despite knowing her skill wouldn't prevail, she still used it—for a reason. She aimed to drain Su Yu's soul power. The more powerful the skill, the greater the energy consumption. Even Ma Xiaotao herself expended significant soul power when using Phoenix Meteor Shower. And Su Yu? His Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather couldn't possibly come without a cost. What's more, Su Yu had already fought six consecutive battles. While Ma Xiaotao's combat style was aggressive and her temperament fiery, she was far from foolish. She knew precisely the combat style best suited to her. As an outstanding battle soul master, her strategy was flawless. After all, no Soul Ancestor could outlast a Soul Emperor in terms of soul power—not even one with an ultimate attribute. But Su Yu wasn't a normal opponent. Su Yu was practically cheating. With the ability of his Supreme Divine Art, which continuously regenerated his energy, his soul power consumption was slower than his recovery rate. The longer the fight dragged on, the more invigorated he became. Ma Xiaotao's attempt to deplete his soul power was, unfortunately, a miscalculation. As her Phoenix Meteor Shower was once again suppressed, Ma Xiaotao could only increase her soul power output to temporarily hold her ground. One ice phoenix and one fire phoenix clashed fiercely, their dazzling display mesmerizing the spectators. Below the stage, Yan Shaozhe nodded subtly. Ma Xiaotao had grasped the essence of his teachings. Forcing Su Yu into a confrontation was a brilliant move. After fighting six consecutive matches, how much soul power could Su Yu have left? This battle gave Ma Xiaotao a significant chance to secure victory. However, on the other side, Haibodong wore a strange expression. Outlast the young master in endurance? That girl from Shrek Academy must not know what a cultivation technique is... Oh wait, she probably really doesn't know. According to the young master, this Douluo Continent originally only had one cultivation technique—the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Skill. Haibodong had glanced through it before. Despite the exaggerated praise it received, he was unimpressed. That technique wasn't even on par with a low-level Profound Tier manual. How had it gained such an inflated reputation? He couldn't comprehend it. If this so-called Mysterious Heaven Skill was hailed as the best technique on the continent, then his low-level Earth Tier manual, Ten Thousand Frost Art, should be revered as divine. Haibodong shook his head. This world was a backwater. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Good things were too scarce here, and its people had no exposure to the wonders of the wider realms. Sigh, why did the young master insist on starting in this world? The starting point was too low. If it were the Dou Qi Continent, the young master would have soared by now. Haibodong sighed inwardly. … Back on the stage, the battle raged on. It was clear that Su Yu's Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather had overwhelmingly suppressed Phoenix Meteor Shower. Ma Xiaotao was barely holding on, and it was only Su Yu's lack of further action that created the current stalemate. However, as the confrontation dragged on, Ma Xiaotao began to sense something amiss. She had been maintaining Phoenix Meteor Shower for so long that even she felt strained. But why was Su Yu's attack still so relentless? Could his soul power be this abundant? It didn't make sense! Another minute passed, and Su Yu's Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather remained as forceful as ever. Meanwhile, Ma Xiaotao had already expended more than half of her soul power. "This isn't right—something's off. I can't continue like this," Ma Xiaotao suddenly realized. Across from her, Su Yu's lips curled into a faint smile. So, she's finally noticed? In that case, it's time to pick up the pace. The icy blue light around Su Yu flared, and the offensive of Ice Emperor's Phoenix Feather intensified dramatically. Phoenix Meteor Shower, which had barely been holding its ground, was now thoroughly overwhelmed and collapsed entirely. At the final moment before her skill broke, Ma Xiaotao charged through the barrage of ice blades, heading straight for Su Yu. Her speed was astonishing, her phoenix wings and long fiery tail trailing brilliantly behind her. Ma Xiaotao darted nimbly between the ice blades, her movements exceptionally agile. At the same time, her fourth soul ring lit up. Seeing this, Su Yu leaped into the air. Sure enough, the ground erupted with massive pillars of flame the next second. Taking advantage of Su Yu's leap, Ma Xiaotao finally broke through the obstacles. She dove down from above, hurtling straight toward him. Her body engulfed in flames, resembled a blazing fireball as she slammed heavily into Su Yu. A violent surge of flames erupted, enveloping the area within several meters and swallowing Su Yu completely. Below the stage, Meng Hongchen shot to her feet in shock, and Wang Dong'er's expression changed drastically. Even Yan Shaozhe was startled—Ma Xiaotao's explosive attack was so ferocious that they feared Su Yu might be in trouble. If something happened to Su Yu, they would all be doomed. At that moment, Yan Shaozhe was even more anxious than the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's team members. After all, there was a big shot watching nearby. But it was clear they had underestimated Su Yu. Amid the raging flames, a sudden burst of chilling cold erupted. Ma Xiaotao's flames were deadly to most, but Su Yu wasn't among them. His Snowy Dance Domain activated almost instantly, though it remained compressed within a one-meter radius around him. This extreme compression resulted in an equally extreme cold. As the flames dissipated, a figure was revealed. Su Yu stood there, his body encased in a layer of diamond-shaped ice armor—his Ice Emperor's Armor had been activated at the last moment for protection. In his hand, he held a figure. The figure had an astonishingly curvaceous and fiery physique—it was Ma Xiaotao. Su Yu gripped her slender neck with one hand, their gazes locked in an intense confrontation. Ma Xiaotao's eyes were filled with unwavering determination and an indescribable wildness. On the other hand, Su Yu's gaze was cold and aloof, like that of an emperor encased in ice—proud, distant, and untouchable. "This..." Yan Shaozhe was taken aback. Wait—how had it ended up with Ma Xiaotao being restrained? Just moments ago, he had been worried about Su Yu getting injured, but now Ma Xiaotao was the one subdued. How could this make sense? The truth was simple—it made perfect sense. After Ma Xiaotao's final attack was countered, she charged directly into Su Yu's arms. Where else could she go after that? Ma Xiaotao was known for her explosive power, but her strength lay in mid-to-long-range combat. In close combat, she wasn't even on par with Dai Yueheng. And if Dai Yueheng himself had been knocked down by Su Yu, how could Ma Xiaotao, at such close range, hope to turn the tide? It was impossible. "This... This is impossible!" Ma Xiaotao was in disbelief. Her final burst of power had been overwhelming. Even Dai Yueheng, if exposed to her Phoenix Evil Fire at such close range, would have been at least severely injured, if not killed outright. So how could Su Yu emerge completely unscathed? "You know nothing of my strength," Su Yu said as he lifted Ma Xiaotao closer, their faces mere inches apart. His icy blue eyes locked onto her defiant gaze, and he let out a soft chuckle, his tone full of pride. "My physique is beyond anything you can imagine." His body was comparable to that of a Soul Douluo, and now, with his Ice Emperor's Armor upgraded to a 60,000-year skill, how could Ma Xiaotao hope to harm him? From the very beginning, it was destined—Ma Xiaotao couldn't even scratch him. Unless she used her combination techniques. But it was obvious Su Yu wouldn't give her the chance. "I underestimated you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to block that," Ma Xiaotao muttered with frustration, her expression full of unwillingness. If she hadn't been worried about severely injuring Su Yu—or even accidentally killing him—she would have unleashed her ultimate techniques without hesitation. But Su Yu's identity as a member of the Ice God Palace had ultimately held her back. She wasn't convinced. She hadn't used her strongest powers yet! "Underestimating your opponent is a fatal mistake," Su Yu replied coldly. "You knew this, yet you still committed it. And you dare to make excuses?" He leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Even if you gave it your all, you'd still be powerless before me." "You!" Ma Xiaotao glared at Su Yu, flames once again igniting around her. She tried to break free and launch another attack. But Su Yu simply cast a cold gaze in her direction. A surge of endless cold enveloped her, and her flames—facing their natural nemesis—quickly retreated. Before long, Ma Xiaotao herself was encased in an icy prison, frozen into an ice sculpture by the extreme cold. Su Yu carried her to the edge of the stage and casually tossed her out. This marked Ma Xiaotao's elimination. With her defeat, Shrek Academy was officially out of the competition. From Bei Bei to Ma Xiaotao, Su Yu had taken down every opponent in succession, completing the monumental feat of a one-versus-seven victory.