Was everything truly as simple as Feng Xiaotian imagined?
Thirty-first slash... thirty-second... thirty-third...
Feng Xiaotian circled back from the sky dozens of times, raining strikes down upon Zhan Yu, who held his two-meter-wide Steadfast Shield. His offensive power was now teetering on the edge of the Soul Emperor level. As Feng Xiaotian gathered force for the final thirty-sixth slash, the power finally broke through that threshold. Below, a faint smile played on Zhan Yu's lips, though it remained hidden behind his massive shield, invisible to his opponent.
To Feng Xiaotian, it looked like Zhan Yu's final act of defiance. Zhan Yu's defensive capability was indeed astonishing; at Rank 47, bolstered by three defensive soul skills, he had withstood thirty-five successive strikes. But Feng Xiaotian did not believe Zhan Yu could survive this final blow, which rivaled a Soul Emperor's peak attack. Defense always has a limit; once surpassed, it becomes meaningless.
Yet, in this final moment, Zhan Yu's first yellow soul ring—the one he had kept dark throughout the entire sequence—quietly flickered to life. Even as an ominous feeling rose in Feng Xiaotian's heart, it was too late; the momentum of thirty-five previous strikes made it impossible to withdraw.
"First Soul Skill: Shield Tremor!"
Though it was a mere century-old skill, Zhan Yu's patient restraint allowed it to produce an effect no one expected. A terrifying vibrational force erupted from the Steadfast Shield. This vibration, too, reached the Soul Emperor level!
'How is this possible?!' Feng Xiaotian screamed inwardly.
The thirty-sixth slash of his razor-sharp Stormwind Wings slammed into the shield.
VMMMM!
A horrifying hum echoed as Zhan Yu was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, smashing heavily into the ground below the stage. Blood leaked from his lips, but his face wore a triumphant smile.
Feng Xiaotian, however, felt a crisis like never before. The vibrational force had seemingly gathered the energy of all his previous thirty-five attacks and reflected them back at him in a single burst. While Zhan Yu was blown away, Feng Xiaotian's state was even more tragic: his Stormwind Wings were shattered, and he was hurled in the opposite direction, vomiting blood as his internal organs suffered massive trauma.
Using every ounce of his remaining soul power, Feng Xiaotian forced a gust of wind to cushion his fall, barely landing on the very edge of the stage. He slumped to one knee, gasping for air, staring in disbelief at the bloodied, smiling Zhan Yu below.
"You... you hid this until the very end?" Feng Xiaotian gasped, his voice raspy. He had essentially heavily injured himself. Although he still had two-thirds of his soul power, his physical condition was no better than Zhan Yu's. He realized now that the power of Zhan Yu's first skill was directly proportional to the total force he had absorbed.
The silence that followed was heavy. The audience was stunned. A Rank 47 Defense Type had just traded blows with a Soul King's ultimate move and arguably came out the spiritual victor.
Feng Xiaotian's gaze toward the Seven Treasure Team grew incredibly heavy. How had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan assembled such a group? Every member possessed talent that rivaled or even surpassed his own. It was no wonder Tang San had fallen to their war of attrition. Feng Xiaotian was now in an even worse state than Tang San had been.
But since he hadn't fallen off the stage, he had to accept the next challenger. It was Ma Bao, the highest-ranked member of the team besides Dugu Yan, at Rank 48. With his wings shattered, Feng Xiaotian could no longer fly, severely limiting his tactics. Yet, he refused to retreat.
"Ma Bao, Martial Soul: Blazing War Horse, Rank 48 Power Attack Type Soul Ancestor. Please advise!"
Ma Bao didn't take advantage of his opponent's state immediately. He politely announced his stats as four rings—two yellow, two purple—rose around him. His red hair billowed like a horse's mane made of real fire. Unlike Zuo Yan's dual elements, Ma Bao was a pure fire master; the heat he radiated was something even Huo Wushuang could not match.
Feng Xiaotian forced his soul power to circulate. He was a Soul King; Ma Bao was a Soul Ancestor. There was still a ten-thousand-year soul ring gap between them.
"Feng Xiaotian, Martial Soul: Stormwind Doubleheaded Wolf, Rank 51 Power Attack Type Soul King. Please."
The moment he spoke, before the referee could even finish the start command, Ma Bao moved. His second yellow ring lit up. As the "Begin!" echoed, Ma Bao opened his mouth and exhaled a terrifying half-meter-wide torrent of flame!
"Second Soul Skill: Flamethrower!"
Ground-bound and injured, Feng Xiaotian was severely restricted. He tried to use his speed to run along the edge of the stage, creating a gust of wind. However, wind feeds fire. Ma Bao's flames grew even more intense, feeding off the current Feng Xiaotian created.
Realizing he couldn't outrun it, Feng Xiaotian activated his first skill. "First Soul Skill: Wind Blade Burst!" Ten blades sliced through the heat. Though they didn't extinguish the fire, they created a split-second gap.
Feng Xiaotian used that gap to close in. If he stayed at a distance, the Flamethrower would consume him; in close quarters, the skill's effective range would narrow. He activated Double Wolf Body Enhancement again, his hands turning into wolf-heads with bared fangs as he lunged for Ma Bao's chest.
"Melee?" Ma Bao sneered. "First Soul Skill: Blazing Battle Fist!"
Red flame gauntlets formed over Ma Bao's fists. As the two collided, Feng Xiaotian was shocked. Ma Bao's close-combat ability was terrifying. Every punch delivered a searing pain and a burning sensation that left Feng Xiaotian completely suppressed. Whenever Feng Xiaotian tried to fire a wind blade at point-blank range, Ma Bao simply crushed it with his fists, his flames preventing Feng Xiaotian from unleashing his full power.
(End of Chapter)
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