Ning Fengzhi stared intently at the center of the explosion, but whether through his naked eye or his soul power perception, he could not discern the situation within. He could not see clearly, so he decisively called for backup.
"Sword Uncle, what is the situation?"
Sword intent surged within Chen Xin's eyes. Following what Yun Ming had taught him previously, he compressed his spiritual power into a sword, piercing through the chaotic turbulence of soul power to investigate Yun Ming's condition, but the result left him wide-eyed in astonishment. Chen Xin exclaimed in shock.
"To think it could be like this?"
Ning Fengzhi prompted him.
"Sword Uncle!"
"."
Chen Xin did not respond; he was immersed in the surprise Yun Ming had brought him, unable to extricate himself. Ning Fengzhi felt helpless, and seeing that Gu Rong also seemed unsure of exactly what had happened, he could only wait quietly for the final result.
The chaotic soul power storm slowly subsided, and the smoke and dust gradually dispersed. Tuoba Xi, Huo Bao, and Xuan Ye all watched the center of the explosion closely, hoping to see a favorable outcome. However, after a gust of wind blew past and carried away all the dust, what they saw left them deeply disappointed.
Yun Ming was still standing there quietly, his position and posture unchanged in the slightest. It was just that he now had a shining black soul ring beneath his feet, and behind him were eight golden, crystalline spears that resembled the Atlas Divine Spear, carved with countless strange patterns on their shafts, appearing as solid as reality.
Seeing the slight disappointment in the eyes of the three, Yun Ming said calmly.
"Although I know you are very disappointed, thinking that a soul skill of this level could finish me off is a bit delusional."
His 'White Dragon Sealing Demons' was an extremely stable spatial power with immense sealing capabilities and formidable defensive strength; blocking an attack from a Soul Douluo of the same rank was truly not difficult.
Tuoba Xi cast aside other thoughts and replied.
"Although Little Friend Yun has world-shaking cultivation, what if!"
Yun Ming smiled slightly.
"Then what about now? The 'what if' did not happen; I was not easily dealt with by you, so what will you do now?"
Tuoba Xi stared at Yun Ming, his dragon claws flickering. The silver-white dragon claws, no less than three feet in length, shimmered with a cold luster, appearing even sharper and possessing great visual impact.
"Of course, we continue to fight!"
Standing over three meters tall after his Martial Soul Avatar, Tuoba Xi bent his legs slightly, spread his dragon claws, and aimed his palms directly at Yun Ming. Then, with a sudden burst of force, he charged toward Yun Ming, accompanied by an incredibly violent gale. After Huo Bao and Xuan Ye regained their focus, they followed closely behind, launching their attacks in unison.
The shrill whistling sound produced by the dragon claws slicing through the air made Yun Ming feel somewhat uncomfortable—not physically, but psychologically. This sound was unpleasant to his ears, so he raised the Atlas Divine Spear and spoke thusly.
"You have all made your moves; now it is time for me to return the favor!"
Upon hearing this, the three men's vigilance reached its peak, but their caution did not truly help them withstand Yun Ming's counterattack.
Seeing the familiar white soul light ignite on the Atlas Divine Spear, they guarded against their surroundings, but it was useless. They could not defend against this move of Yun Ming's; a powerful spatial pressure descended abruptly.
Suddenly subjected to spatial oppression, the nine Soul Douluos of the three sects all saw their speed plummet. This time, Yun Ming's move was no longer as extreme or obscure as before; he simply utilized his Space Prohibition ability to its full extent, and Tuoba Xi finally perceived the origin of Yun Ming's power clearly.
While bearing the immense pressure that felt like Mount Tai Pressing Down, Tuoba Xi gritted his teeth and spoke.
"So it was space?"
To reach the Title Douluo realm, one must have some insight into spatial power. Tuoba Xi could already be considered a half-step Title Douluo, so he naturally had some exposure to the path of space.
Yun Ming said with interest.
"Yes, space. So, how do you intend to break it?"
Tuoba Xi remained silent, the earth-yellow soul power light all over his body becoming increasingly dazzling, while at the same time, ripples of space began to churn around him.
Trying to break free from the restraints with your own shallow spatial control? That's a bit wishful thinking, Yun Ming thought to himself. The Space Prohibition white flame on the Atlas Divine Spear in his hand burned even more vigorously, and an even more formidable spatial pressure descended, suppressing Tuoba Xi's resistance in an instant.
With his move broken, his soul power began to backfire. Tuoba Xi's face flushed red; had it not been for his deep cultivation in endurance, he would have spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing that Tuoba Xi, the strongest among them, could not resist, Huo Bao and Xuan Ye extinguished any thoughts of breaking the move and called out to their clansmen.
"Attack together!"
As they spoke, the two of them braved the pressure and launched another charge at Yun Ming. Since they couldn't break the move, they had no choice but to fight this way.
Yun Ming glanced at the few whose speed had been greatly reduced, and the eight soul power spears behind him shot out like lightning, attacking the eight people other than Tuoba Xi.
Seeing this, the eight Soul Douluos either dodged or blocked. Some dodged, some received the blows, but it was to no avail. Whether they dodged or blocked, they still had to face the continuous, relentless attacks of the white spears.
"Ding, ding, ding, ding--"
The spears collided fiercely with leopard claws and tiger fangs. The eight people and eight spears fought with great intensity, but what was astonishing was that the eight spears, controlled by no one, held the upper hand in this rapid exchange. This was because, in addition to being suppressed, the exquisite spear techniques displayed by the eight spears were one of the main reasons they found it difficult to parry.
This left the audience in utter astonishment. Yun Ming had changed his moves again; his previous move hadn't even been broken, and yet he was already using a new one?
The main reason was that Yun Ming had seen them detonate their soul power attacks prematurely earlier, and he knew that if he continued to use 'White Dragon Sealing Demons', he would likely be dragged into a war of attrition through long-range soul power, wasting a great deal of time, so he decisively changed tactics.
Chen Xin's eyes lit up—this was it! This was what he had sensed earlier. Those eight spears were the product of condensed spear light, but usually, spear light was either a one-time long-range soul skill or a martial soul enchantment. Yet, Yun Ming was now condensing spear light into something nearly physical and controlling it with such flexibility—how did he achieve this?
As fellow Weapon Spirit users, spear light and sword intent were similar things. Chen Xin could manage to attach sword intent to his Seven Kill Sword or transform it into a long-range attack, but he could not flexibly control and attack with sword intent once it had been released. Yun Ming had opened his eyes once again.
Seeing the group being suppressed by Yun Ming's soul power spears, including the other two clan leaders, Tuoba Xi's expression darkened. He was not a Weapon Spirit user and did not quite understand the mystery behind Yun Ming's move, but when even Soul Douluos could not defeat the soul power spears controlled by Yun Ming, he truly did not know how to fight anymore. Yun Ming's repeated maneuvers caused his once-resolute will to begin to waver.
Seeing that Tuoba Xi had suddenly begun to lose heart, Yun Ming stopped talking. He took a stance with the Atlas Divine Spear, his body moving with the spear like a swimming dragon as he attacked Tuoba Xi. There was no point in continuing to fight an opponent whose fighting spirit had been shattered; it was time to end this quickly.
Seeing that Yun Ming's offensive was so fast and so sharp, Tuoba Xi lit up his first and third soul rings.
'White Dragon Mysterious Armor' and 'Crimson Rock Dragon Body' were activated.
With the two major physical amplification skills activated, Tuoba Xi's entire body expanded once more. The silver-white dragon armor and dragon claws became even more savage; while becoming thicker, their color also turned deep red, as if they were metal that had been burning in a furnace for a long time.
Having finished his reinforcement, Tuoba Xi swung his claws to defend. As his claws flew, even while bearing the space prohibition pressure Yun Ming had placed on him, he managed to weave a web of claws that looked like a flurry of blades and shadows.
Yun Ming's gaze flickered. He analyzed the vulnerabilities in the entire web of claws in an instant. The trajectory of his long spear shifted slightly, one spear transforming into nine shadows, striking directly at Tuoba Xi's nine vital points to maintain his offensive.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang."
Tuoba Xi's dragon claws collided with the Atlas Divine Spear eight times in the blink of an eye. Although his dragon claws, which were far sharper than long blades, had several segments severed by the three-foot spear light on the tip of the Atlas Spear, he had managed to block them. However, when the claw web moved to parry the ninth strike of the Atlas Spear, the gap that should have been filled by a follow-up swipe remained open due to the missing claws from their previous exchange.
Seeing this, Tuoba Xi felt his scalp tingle. Was this planned by the junior before him? If it was, then this person was truly terrifying. While the combat prowess Yun Ming had displayed earlier was formidable, it had been primarily reflected in his Martial Soul abilities. Now, Yun Ming's elegant and precise spearwork was a testament to his combat intelligence.
Everything happened in a split second. Tuoba Xi had no room to change his moves and could only follow his body's instinct for survival, dodging to the right; otherwise, the Atlas Divine Spear would surely have served him a "heart-piercing" combo. Yet, his change in tactics was also within Yun Ming's calculations.
Yun Ming retracted the Atlas Divine Spear in his right hand, his footsteps never faltering as he continued along the original path of the spear. He clenched the five fingers of his left hand, turning his palm into a fist. A brilliant golden flow of light ignited upon it, and an aura of kingship—lofty as a mountain and awe-inspiring—erupted in full force.
Seeing that the distance was perfect, Yun Ming stopped, swung his fist, and struck directly at Tuoba Xi's face.
Absolute Dominance, Dominance Without Borders! Facing the incoming attack, these were the only eight words Tuoba Xi could think of to describe it.
"Bang--"
"Crack--"
The first sound was the collision between the fist and Tuoba Xi's dragon face; the second was the sound of the dragon scales on his face, and perhaps some bones, shattering. However, none of that mattered to Tuoba Xi now. Yun Ming's punch had landed squarely on his face. The Dragon Heart Phoenix Bone and the Imperial Aura surged directly into his soul. If even a True Dragon like Yu Yuanzhen could not withstand such pressure, how could a mere Earth Dragon hope to block it?
Tuoba Xi didn't even have time to speak before his eyes rolled back, and he fainted dead away.
"Sect Master!" x2
The two remaining Soul Douluo of the Saint Dragon Sect, seeing their Sect Master suddenly follow in the footsteps of the Elephant Armor Sect, cried out in subconscious alarm. However, they were already at a disadvantage while contending with the spears Yun Ming was controlling with a divided mind. Such a sudden lapse in concentration naturally yielded no benefits. A moment of carelessness led to each of them taking a spear strike, followed by a scream, after which their defense became increasingly difficult.
Ghost Douluo appeared to clear the field, dragging the men away and announcing the result.
"Saint Dragon Sect, Tuoba Xi, defeated!"
Huo Bao and Xuan Ye saw that Tuoba Xi, the strongest among them, had fallen just like that, and they understood that the situation was lost. However, as Sect Masters, they could not flee; they had to fight to the end.
The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously unleashed their strongest Soul Skills, intending to make one final stand.
Huo Bao's eighth Soul Ring lit up. The flames all over his body receded, and large patches of demonic patterns emerged. His physique, which had become robust due to his Martial Soul Avatar, grew slender again, returning to roughly the size it was before the transformation, with dark flame clouds coiling around his shoulders. The last of the flames on his body gathered on his right fist. This ring of fire was dark red; it was far less explosive than his previous flames and burned very quietly, but Yun Ming knew this was his most formidable Soul Skill. However, what concerned Yun Ming more was on the other side.
Although Xuan Ye was also using his eighth Soul Skill, he was using a Ring Fusion eighth Soul Skill. Xuan Ye raised his right hand high, and all four black Soul Rings merged into one, condensing into a dark red ring that was infinitely close to one hundred thousand years. The dark red Soul Ring shone brightly, and countless strands of black Soul Power from Xuan Ye's body gathered and condensed above his head, eventually evolving into a soul-snatching, dark Black Tiger Soul Shattering Seal the size of a small hill.
Huo Bao, on the side, was also stunned; he hadn't expected this old fellow Xuan Ye to have an ace up his sleeve. The reason the Black Tiger Sect had only lost to the Elephant Armor Sect and the Saint Dragon Sect in the original timeline, becoming the third-ranked sect in the world, was apparently because of this. The original fourth-ranked sect, the Wind Sword Sect, had indeed lost by half a move in the end because of this card held by Xuan Ye, falling to fourth.
"Eighth Soul Skill, Leopard King Heart Slaughtering Decision!"
"Eighth Soul Skill, Black Tiger Soul Shattering Seal!"
The two finished their preparations and, after shouting the names of their skills, launched them fiercely at Yun Ming. Huo Bao threw a punch, turning the small flames into a sea of fire, while Xuan Ye pressed down with one hand, the giant seal crashing down like a mountain.
Yun Ming watched as the gates of hell seemed to open before him, releasing the dark red sea of fire and the giant tiger seal descending like a mountain. He raised his hand and waved, and the two long spears he had been controlling to fight the pair flew into his hands.
For the sea of fire and the great seal, Yun Ming's response was simple: he gripped the spears with both hands and swept them up and down. Two space fissures, each fully thirty meters long, appeared in front of the fire sea and beneath the great seal. Once the attacks drew near, faced with the terrifying devouring and splitting power of the boundless Void, the fire sea and the seal were both shredded to pieces, easily swallowed in the end without causing so much as a ripple.
Onlookers inside and outside the arena saw Yun Ming neutralize the eighth Soul Skills of two top-tier Soul Douluo with such ease and gasped repeatedly. This was a beauty distinct from the earlier White Dragon Sealing Demons!
Having settled the attacks, Yun Ming transformed the two long spears in his hands into two torrents of spear shadows, each two zhang wide, and struck them toward the two men, intending to decide the outcome in one blow.
Huo Bao and Xuan Ye saw the terrifying spear light rushing toward them, leaving them nowhere to hide. Their Soul Power instinctively began to circulate, but the next second, thinking of how their strongest attacks had been casually neutralized by Yun Ming, they felt tired. It was meaningless; let it end! The two simultaneously withdrew their restless Soul Power to protect their bodies, guarding their vitals as they faced the spear light head-on.
Two terrifying golden rays shot out. Wherever this light, which looked like iridescent colors, passed, everything turned to nothingness. That moment of brilliance felt as if it had lasted for an eternity, leaving behind only a blurred distortion and dazzling colors.
"Boom, boom--"
The river of spear light carved two paths of withering brilliance across the plaza, swallowing Huo Bao and Xuan Ye head-on.
"Sect Master!" xN
"Grandfather!" x3
On the viewing platform, the members of the Fire Leopard and Black Tiger sects saw their respective Sect Masters take such terrifying attacks head-on and cried out in alarm. However, with Bibi Dong watching from the side, they dared not cause trouble and could only wait for the result.
Yue Guan raised his hand and waved, the smoke and dust dissipating to reveal two old men with tattered clothes and blood-stained bodies lying on the ground, unable to rise again, clearly having suffered heavy injuries.
Yun Ming looked at the two on the ground, his expression turning peculiar. The fact that they had retracted their power at the last moment to take the hit had not escaped him. Fortunately, he had realized the truth of their actions; otherwise, he would have suspected they were trying to use their old lives to extort him.
The Chrysanthemum Ghost Two Douluo saw that the two had lost their combat effectiveness, announced the result, and led the people away.
"Fire Leopard Sect, Huo Bao, defeated!"
"Black Tiger Sect, Xuan Ye, defeated!"
Having defeated two more Sect Masters, and with all the opponents of any significant strength sent away by Yun Ming, he did not waste any more time. He increased the pressure of the Space Prohibition once again and, coordinating with the other six long spears, quickly cleared away the remaining six small fries.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader