"Then let me show you what I can do!" Dugu Bo gave a disdainful snort. Poison Battle Qi gathered in his palm, forming a black Poison Ball. It kept devouring the surrounding miasma, growing larger and larger.
The Soul Masters watching nearby instantly held their breath, their eyes fixed on the two men—on one side stood Chrysanthemum Douluo, a Level 95 Soul Master with the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul, skilled in control and offense; on the other stood Poison Douluo, a Level 93 Soul Master who had just broken through by cultivating Battle Skills, his strength a mystery. This battle would determine the standing of Battle Skills among the Titled Douluo!
"Begin!" someone shouted. Yue Guan attacked first. He formed a hand seal, releasing his fifth Soul Skill, "Gathering Frosty Blossoms." Countless pale gold chrysanthemum petals gathered in the air, transforming into sharp blades. Golden Soul Power gleamed on each blade as they shot toward Dugu Bo. He had cultivated this Soul Skill for decades; its cutting edge was peerless. Even a Level 94 Titled Douluo would have to avoid it!
But Dugu Bo neither dodged nor retreated. Poison Battle Qi formed a pale purple barrier in front of him. The golden blades struck it and were instantly corroded by the poison, vanishing into wisps of smoke without leaving a trace.
"What?!" Yue Guan's pupils contracted. The disdain on his face turned to shock in an instant—his fifth Soul Skill had been crushed so easily! The corrosive power of this Poison Battle Qi was even stronger than he had imagined!
Before he could react, Dugu Bo blurred into motion, using the footwork of "Abyssal Poison." He moved so fast that only afterimages remained, and in an instant he was behind Yue Guan.
Poison Battle Qi gathered at his fingertips, forming a slender poisoned needle that stabbed toward Yue Guan's back. It was the basic skill of the "Abyssal Poison" Battle Skill, "Poison Thorn." Though not very powerful, it could quickly break through defenses and inject poison.
Yue Guan's heart jolted. He hurriedly released his eighth Soul Skill, "Golden Stamen Flowing Clouds." Golden radiance enveloped him, forming a defensive barrier. This was his life-saving Soul Skill, with formidable defenses. Even a full-force strike from a Level 96 Titled Douluo could only barely break through it, without harming him!
Bang!
The poisoned needle struck the barrier, sending ripples across it. The pale golden glow was already being corroded by the poison, turning pale purple, and the barrier's light grew dimmer and dimmer.
"This is impossible!" Yue Guan's face turned deathly pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably. His eighth Soul Skill was being corroded by Dugu Bo's basic Battle Skill! What kind of monster was this Poison Battle Qi?
A cold smile curled across Dugu Bo's lips. "Yue Guan, this is only the beginning! Did you think my Battle Skills were only capable of this?" He formed a hand seal, and Poison Battle Qi gathered in front of him into an enormous palm. Black miasma coiled around it, and complex markings appeared across its center. This was the core skill of the "Abyssal Poison" Battle Skill, "Abyssal Poison Palm." It concentrated poison in one point for an explosive strike, while also inflicting a lingering corrosive effect.
Yue Guan dared not be careless. He knew he could no longer hold back. He raised his Chrysanthemum Staff, pouring Soul Power into it as he released his ninth Soul Skill, "Chrysanthemums Fall, Wounds Cover the Ground." Countless golden petals spun through the air, forming a massive storm filled with sharp blades that rushed to meet the Poison Palm. This was his strongest Soul Skill; it had once defeated a Level 95 Titled Douluo with a single strike. He refused to believe Dugu Bo's Yellow Tier Battle Skill could withstand it!
Boom!
The moment the Poison Palm collided with the Golden Storm, the air seemed to tear apart. A tremendous shock wave spread out from the two men. The watching Soul Masters were driven back, and many stumbled and fell. Some Soul Elders with weaker Soul Power even spat blood. Within the Golden Storm, sharp chrysanthemum blades slashed furiously at the Poison Palm, but it was like cutting into a tough poison sac. Pale purple Poison Battle Qi spread along the blades, staining their brilliant gold a murky purple-black in the blink of an eye. The blades Yue Guan had once prided himself on instantly lost their luster and crumbled into poisonous powder that scattered across the ground.
"No! This is impossible!" Yue Guan stared wide-eyed at the Golden Storm being devoured, despair filling his gaze. He tried to summon more Soul Power to sustain his Soul Skill, but a searing pain suddenly shot through his meridians. Poison Battle Qi had silently slipped through the gaps in the connections between his Soul Power, worming into his body like countless tiny needles and wreaking havoc on the flow of his power.
A cold glint flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes as the Poison Battle Qi in his palm surged. "Yue Guan, after all this, you still won't admit defeat?"
The Poison Palm smashed through what remained of the Golden Storm and barreled toward Yue Guan's face, trailing dense miasma. With nowhere to dodge, Yue Guan could only hurriedly raise his Chrysanthemum Staff to block. But with a sharp crack, the sturdy staff snapped beneath the Poison Palm's blow. Its broken tip shot away, trailing Poison Mist, and buried itself deep in a distant boulder.
The next moment, the Poison Palm struck Yue Guan squarely in the chest. Like a rag doll hit by a sledgehammer, he flew backward and slammed into the ground. Blood surged from his mouth, splashing across the grass in a vivid red stain.
"Cough... cough, cough..." Yue Guan struggled to get up, but his limbs felt as heavy as lead. The poison in his body was still spreading rapidly, and he couldn't even summon a trace of Soul Power. He looked up at Dugu Bo as he approached, his eyes filled with fear and unwillingness to accept defeat. He had lost—utterly and completely, without even a chance to fight back.
Dugu Bo stopped in front of Yue Guan and looked down at him. Pale purple Poison Battle Qi swirled around him, and every breath carried a faint trace of miasma. His presence was so overwhelming that the air around them seemed to freeze. He slowly raised his hand, and the Poison Battle Qi in his palm gathered into a black orb. Poisonous markings shimmered across its surface, radiating a heart-stopping aura. "You should be glad I've only just begun to master 'Abyssal Poison.' I still can't fully unleash the power of a Yellow Tier High Grade Combat Skill."
His words drenched Yue Guan like a bucket of ice water, making him shudder. He jerked his head up, unable to believe what he was hearing. That hadn't even been Dugu Bo's full strength? If Dugu Bo could completely master Battle Skills, would anything of him have remained after that last attack—not even his bones?
"Hahaha! I never would've guessed!" Dugu Bo suddenly burst into laughter, the sound brimming with the satisfaction and scorn he had suppressed for years. "At the Martial Soul City Banquet, you mocked me in front of everyone, calling me a 'useless piece of trash who could only use poison.' You said my title of Titled Douluo was just for show. But now it seems this 'proper' Titled Douluo of yours can't even withstand half a move from me!"
He bent down, his gaze icy as he stared at Yue Guan. "So this is what it's like for you? Lying on the ground like a beaten dog, without even the strength to stand. If I didn't still have some use for you, I'd cripple your Soul Power today and let you learn what it feels like to be trampled underfoot!"
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