Melee, Part Four

"Who are you?" Lang Bashan asked through gritted teeth.

"Who am I?! That isn't important. I'm just a handsome guy passing by, and I enjoy drawing my blade to help when I see injustice." Even now, Jiang Jiayao did not forget to show off.

"Then you're here to die!" Lang Bashan replied coldly.

"Even if I am here to die, that doesn't mean you have what it takes to kill me. You're far too weak!" Jiang Jiayao did not even give Lang Bashan a proper look.

"Thank you for your help, little brother!" Shi Zhenhe said gratefully.

"No need to thank me yet. I recognized you as members of the Boulder Mercenary Group, which is why I stepped in. Third Leader Shi Zhenhe, rest on the side for now. Leave these two beasts to me. Zhou Wangchao, you don't need to help me either. Help those two birds over there instead. It'd be best to get rid of that Support Soul Master quickly. I don't want to waste too much effort." Jiang Jiayao unceremoniously began giving orders to the Boulder Mercenary Group.

Shi Zhenhe and Zhou Wangchao were both stunned.

"Then we'll listen to you, little brother. If you need help, just call out. We'll fight with our lives on the line. After all, this is our battle," Shi Zhenhe said. He was not a rigid person, so naturally he would not argue with Jiang Jiayao at a time like this.

"Those two aren't capable of making me wary," Jiang Jiayao said confidently.

"Have you finished giving your last words? If so, hurry up and come die!" Lang Bahai shouted arrogantly.

Jiang Jiayao gave no verbal response. He restrained his aura, and both his Soul Power and focus became even more concentrated. He had entered a combat state.

Everyone present could feel Jiang Jiayao's imposing aura.

Lang Bashan and Lang Bahai exchanged a glance. They both knew that if this continued, Jiang Jiayao's aura would shake their resolve, extinguish their fighting spirit, and leave them unable to display their full strength.

Frozen Wolf Breath!

Fire Wolf Light Wave!

Lang Bashan and Lang Bahai simultaneously unleashed their Fourth Soul Skills. Lang Bahai's Frozen Wolf Breath instantly arrived before Jiang Jiayao, while Lang Bashan's Fire Wolf Light Wave charged in right after it. This was the Wolf brothers' opening display of force—Wolf Clan's Ice-Fire Twin Heavens.

"Hmph! Third Soul Skill, Raging Rhino Charge!" Jiang Jiayao instantly answered with his Third Soul Skill.

Jiang Jiayao's Blazing Heaven Battle Hammer grew enormous. He swung the enlarged hammer in a sweeping arc, shattering the Frozen Wolf Breath and Fire Wolf Light Wave on impact. In the next instant, the massive hammer smashed toward the Wolf brothers.

Lang Bashan met it with his fists, while Lang Bahai countered with his claws. Both brothers chose to meet the attack head-on.

Boom...

The Wolf brothers were both sent flying backward, while Jiang Jiayao only took one step back. Lang Bashan and Lang Bahai had fought Shi Zhenhe for so long that their Soul Power had been greatly depleted. Later, they had also been struck by Zhou Wangchao's Life-Stealing Flying Wheel Slash. Their fighting strength was no longer as ferocious as it had been at the beginning.

"Big Brother, this brat is a little troublesome! Should we use that move?" Seeing that the two of them were completely no match for Jiang Jiayao, Lang Bahai immediately sought Lang Bashan's opinion.

"With the Soul Power we have left, even that move may not be enough to win. And we can only use it three times at most. If we can't kill him within three attempts, we'll be unable to move after exhausting our Soul Power. But if we don't use it now, defeat is certain, and the only path awaiting us is death. I really don't know where this damned brat came from!" After weighing the matter, Lang Bashan still decided to use their ultimate move together with Lang Bahai.

"If you two have any ultimate moves, hurry up and use them! If you wait any longer, you'll never get the chance!" Jiang Jiayao still wore an expression of utter confidence.

"Hmph! Since you want to die, we'll grant your wish!" Lang Bahai said viciously.

"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf!" The Wolf brothers shouted in unison as their Martial Souls and bodies began to merge.

"Damn! That's their trump card! I forgot the Wolf Mountain Seven Bandits were said to have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. I thought it was just bullshit. This thing can kill a Soul Emperor above level sixty-five! I've really been overconfident this time!" Jiang Jiayao scratched his head. "Still, they've used up a huge amount of energy. Whether they can even pull it off is questionable, and its power should be diminished."

In an instant, a giant wolf standing two and a half meters tall appeared before Jiang Jiayao. Its tail burned with raging flames, its four paws were covered in frost, and parts of its body were clad in scales, making it appear indestructible. Its two eyes gleamed with strange light—one crimson-gold, the other blue-silver—symbolizing the mutually conflicting attributes of fire and ice.

"Awwooo..." A long wolf howl emerged from the Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf's mouth, a signal declaring war on Jiang Jiayao.

Seeing this scene, Shi Zhenhe could not help but rise anxiously to his feet. He knew that the youth before him was now their hope. If Jiang Jiayao lost to this Ice Fire giant wolf, their fate would be obvious.

"Hahaha... Brat, tremble!" The Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf burst into laughter. The Wolf brothers had inexplicable confidence in their Martial Soul Fusion Skill because it had never lost before. "Take this! Ice Fire Shattering Purgatory!"

The Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf opened its jaws wide and blasted out a beam of intertwined blue and red ice-fire light, both freezing and scorching. Normally, two mutually exclusive attributes could not coexist. Once fused together, however, their explosive force and destructive power increased by an unknown number of times.

"Oho, this move's got some bite." Jiang Jiayao still looked unconcerned, but he had already made his preparations. "Then have a taste of my Fifth Soul Skill! I obtained it not long ago. You'll be the first pair to experience it, and you'll also be the first pair to die beneath it. Fifth Soul Skill, Dragon Leopard Shaking Heaven Blast!"

The Blazing Heaven Battle Hammer grew larger once more. The flames on it changed from red to a terrifying gold, and its temperature rose severalfold in an instant. Even Shi Zhenhe, standing over fifty meters away, could feel the blistering heat radiating from it. The black ten-thousand-year Soul Ring behind Jiang Jiayao instantly transformed into a Blazing Fire Dragon Leopard and possessed the hammer, causing the oppressive force of the Blazing Heaven Battle Hammer to surge.

Fearless, Jiang Jiayao swung his massive hammer down at the Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf's head.

Boom...

Dragon Leopard Shaking Heaven Blast collided head-on with Ice Fire Shattering Purgatory...

The Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf was forced back more than fifty meters, while Jiang Jiayao was sent flying over a hundred meters.

The battlefield was a complete mess. A deep pit several meters across lay before them, littered with ice shards and blazing flames.

"Hahaha... That was great! Again!" Jiang Jiayao said excitedly, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Although the Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf's Ice Fire Shattering Purgatory had sent him flying, it had not actually inflicted serious injuries on him—only a few light wounds. On the contrary, the attack had thrilled Jiang Jiayao.

"Hmph! The consequence of running your mouth is your destruction!" the Ice Fire Heavenly Wolf retorted mercilessly. "Take this! Ice Fire Shattering Purgatory!"

"Fifth Soul Skill, Dragon Leopard Shaking Heaven Blast!" Jiang Jiayao charged forward without hesitation, swinging the Blazing Fire Battle Hammer once more.

Boom...