Chrysanthemum Douluo's Crushing Defeat Shocks the Entire Arena (Part 2)

Just as the debate boiled over like scalding water, the Otherworld Auction House's Golden Light Screen lit up again. This time, the shock it delivered was even greater than the puppet's instant defeat of a Titled Douluo, nearly enough to shatter the entire continent's understanding of power.

The morning sun had only just crept across the auction house's black-jade roof, yet the square was already packed with Soul Masters. Even the surrounding hillsides were crowded with people. Everyone stared at the familiar light screen, eager to see what other "world-shaking" item this mysterious auction house could produce.

Suddenly, the screen seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand, splitting instantly into nine orderly panels. On the largest panel in the center, three dark-gold words slowly emerged: "Combat Skill Ranking." Pale violet streams of energy curled around the edges of the letters. They were not Soul Power, but something more like an utterly condensed, razor-sharp aura. The sight made pupils contract, and people instinctively slowed their breathing.

Lines of ink-black text scrolled across the eight smaller screens in unison. Every word struck the Soul Masters' hearts like a heavy hammer, and even the air seemed to grow stagnant under the pressure:

"Combat Skills: the core cultivation methods of the Otherworld's cultivation system, not Soul Skills of the Douluo Continent. Their energy circulation does not rely on soul rings or consume Soul Power. They are powered by 'battle qi,' and their destructive force, combat efficiency, and versatility all surpass Soul Skills of the same level. Combat Skills are divided into Yellow, Mysterious, Earth, and Heaven Tiers, with each tier further split into low, intermediate, and high grades. Beyond the Heaven Tier lie even higher realms, which will not be disclosed at present. Note: the 'Qi Wave Palm' used by the Level 95 puppet the other day was a Mysterious Tier Intermediate Combat Skill."

"Cultivation methods from another world? They don't rely on soul rings?" Startled cries instantly erupted across the square. Some people unconsciously touched their own soul rings, as though confirming whether the power that had accompanied them for years had truly become "outdated." A Level 30 Battle Soul Elder dressed in coarse cloth clenched the corner of his clothes until his knuckles turned white. His voice trembled. "Yellow, Mysterious, Earth, Heaven... and there are grades too? A Mysterious Tier Intermediate Combat Skill killed a Titled Douluo in seconds. Wouldn't an Earth Tier Combat Skill be able to smash Spirit City apart with one slap?"

"Battle qi? What is that?" someone in the crowd asked, their tone full of bewilderment. Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent had cultivated for thousands of years and knew only Soul Power; they had never heard of battle qi. Yet the words on the screen seemed like an abyss, separating the world they knew from an utterly unfamiliar system.

Among the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's group, Ning Fengzhi abruptly folded his Jade Folding Fan shut. His fingertips had turned faintly white from the force, and even the pattern on the fan's handle had been squeezed into sharp relief. Beside him, Ning Rongrong's eyes widened. Her Level 33 Soul Power rippled slightly with excitement, while the phantom of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda flickered above her head. "Father, if our sect could obtain a combat skill, wouldn't support-type Soul Masters no longer need to hide in the back? Could I fight at the front like Xiao Wu?"

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, his gaze locked onto the screen as turmoil churned within him. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had established itself on the continent through support abilities, but it had always been limited by its lack of offensive power. If they could master combat skills, support Soul Masters could both enhance others and fight themselves. The sect's status would be completely rewritten—perhaps it could even surpass Spirit Hall!

On the west side of the square, Spirit Hall's white-clad contingent stood like a block of frozen ice, utterly silent. The Special Envoy sent by Bibi Dong was an expressionless middle-aged man, but his face had now darkened so much it seemed ready to drip water. His hidden hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves, his nails nearly digging into his flesh. Moon Guan's crushing defeat had already disgraced Spirit Hall. Now the auction house had thrown out the card known as "combat skills," openly declaring to the entire continent that the power it possessed had long surpassed the Douluo Continent's existing system. Before such power, Spirit Hall's supremacy might be utterly worthless.

"Special Envoy, should we... have the lords of the Worship Hall take a look at these combat skills first?" Bai Feng swallowed, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor. He had lived for more than fifty years, yet had never encountered anything so world-upending. Even Spirit Hall's treasured ancient records contained no mention of "cultivation methods from another world."

The Special Envoy suddenly raised a hand to cut him off. His gaze fixed on the screen like a poison-coated blade, and a flash of greed tangled with wariness passed through his eyes. "Keep watching. Lady Bibi Dong has given the order: no matter the cost, even if we have to bring every treasure in Spirit City here, we must discover how to obtain combat skills. This thing must not fall into the hands of any other faction."

At that moment, the screen suddenly went dark, as though covered by a sheet of black cloth. The discussion in the square vanished at once. Everyone held their breath and stared at the pitch-black panel. The next second, the central screen flared to life, projecting a clear image. The might of combat skills was displayed before everyone in an almost cruel fashion—

Scene One: Yellow Tier Low Grade Combat Skill—Wind Splitting Leg

The scene showed a desolate stone desert, its ground littered with fist-sized rocks while distant dunes slowly shifted in the wind. A youth wearing coarse cloth stood in the middle of the stony wasteland. He looked no more than fifteen or sixteen, thin and frail, with no glow from soul rings around him. Even the fluctuations of his Soul Power were so weak they were almost impossible to sense. He merely raised his right leg slowly, clenched both fists at his sides, and closed his eyes as if sensing something.

Suddenly, the youth's eyes snapped open. His right leg swept out at blinding speed. There was no earth-shattering roar, only a pale cyan blade of qi shooting from his toes. The blade was as thin as paper, yet it carried a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air. As it skimmed across the ground, every hard stone in its path was sliced neatly in two, the cuts smooth as mirrors without even the slightest rough edge. The blade continued onward, carving a half-foot-deep mark into a distant rock wall. Cyan energy flickered within the gash for a moment before slowly fading away.

"This... this is Yellow Tier Low Grade?!" The square instantly erupted. A Level 40 assault-system Soul Ancestor staggered back a step, his voice trembling. "My Level 40 Soul Skill, Stone Shattering Fist, can only leave a shallow dent in rock even at full power. That youth doesn't even have a soul ring, yet he can casually slice through stone? And this is only the lowest-grade combat skill?"

Flender stood at the very front of Shrek's group. The pipe in his mouth dropped to the ground with a clatter, but he did not notice at all. His eyes remained fixed on the image, the shock on his face nearly overflowing. Even when he unleashed his Eagle Claw Soul Skill at full strength, he could only scratch the surface of rock. Yet this Yellow Tier Low Grade Combat Skill not only required no soul rings, but consumed so little energy—this completely overturned his understanding of "power." Could the soul rings Soul Masters had cultivated for so many years truly become a "burden" before combat skills?

Tang San frowned deeply as his Purple Demon Eye activated instinctively, carefully observing the youth's movements as he released the combat skill. He discovered that the youth's energy circulation route was entirely different from Soul Power. It was not drawn from soul rings, but condensed through the body's "meridians." This method was more efficient, more precise, and wasted almost no energy.

If I could learn this method of energy circulation, perhaps my Hidden Weapon Techniques could become even stronger... The thought had barely arisen in Tang San's mind when he sensed a gaze from beside him. Turning his head, he saw Xiao Wu staring at the screen, her eyes full of curiosity. The dependence and tenderness she usually showed him were gone. His heart sank slightly, but he did not dare ask her about it.