Acupoint Striking in the Domination State

Just as the bone claws were about to strike his body, he swayed slightly like a ghost, dodging the sharp edge of the attack by a hair's breadth.

At the same time, he brought his right index and middle fingers together and struck out with lightning speed, targeting not a vital point on Wang Jinxi, but the inner side of his elbow joint—an extremely hidden location.

Secret Point: Paralysis!

This strike appeared effortless, containing no violent soul power, yet it was shockingly precise, as if he had already calculated every trajectory of Wang Jinxi's movements.

"Urgh!"

Wang Jinxi felt his entire right arm go numb in an instant, his soul power circulation suddenly stuttering. That seemingly inevitable claw strike went limp and hung down, its power more than half drained!

He was horrified; what kind of bizarre attack was this?

Pressure point striking?

But in battles between Soul Masters, the effects of pressure point strikes were usually negligible, especially while in a martial soul avatar state!

He hurriedly retreated, sweeping his left claw horizontally in an attempt to force Situ Xuan back.

Situ Xuan shifted his feet, his figure drifting like willow catkins, and once again closed the distance at an incredible angle. This time, his fingers struck the gap in Wang Jinxi's shoulder blade.

Secret Point: Aching Weakness!

Wang Jinxi's left shoulder sank as if he were carrying a thousand-pound weight, and his movements distorted once more.

He roared, attempting to trigger even greater power from his Bone Dragon King martial soul. His second soul ring lit up, bone spurs grew menacingly on his body, and his aura surged.

But Situ Xuan's figure was like a maggot on a rotting bone, constantly circling within three feet of him.

His movements were not fast, yet he could always avoid attacks at the most critical moment. Every time he struck, those joined fingers would precisely hit the key nodes of Wang Jinxi's soul power circulation or certain peculiar "secret points."

Secret Point: Stagnation!

Secret Point: Qi Reversal!

Secret Point...

Wang Jinxi felt like a marionette, his strength stifled within his body with nowhere to vent.

His movements became increasingly sluggish, his soul power circulation grew more obstructed, and he was hit with waves of soreness, numbness, stinging pain, or icy cold sensations all over his body.

Despite having immense strength and defense, he couldn't even touch the hem of Situ Xuan's clothes. Instead, he was left in a wretched state by the opponent's elusive pressure point technique, his blood and qi roiling.

Situ Xuan's eyes remained calm, even carrying a hint of contemplative verification.

He was using this battle with Wang Jinxi to put into practice what he had thought of last night—using the Dragon-Turning Breathing Method to maintain a clear mind and superior insight, seeing through the opponent's soul power flow and movement flaws, and then using his own formidable will to precisely guide a trace of restrained, tamed evil energy through his fingertips into specific "secret points" to interfere with, weaken, or even control his opponent.

This was not the violent crushing of the Black Heart Evil Palm, but another form of "dominion"—a more refined, more bizarre, and more despair-inducing form of control!

Finally, as Situ Xuan struck a secret point behind Wang Jinxi's knee, Wang Jinxi let out a muffled groan, his knee buckling, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. He tried desperately to steady himself, but felt that half his body had no strength left, his soul power feeling as if it had fallen into a quagmire.

Situ Xuan did not attack again; he simply took a step back and looked at him indifferently.

Wang Jinxi panted heavily, his face flushed red. He tried several times to dispel the bone-deep soreness and stagnation, but failed.

He looked up at Situ Xuan, who stood opposite him with steady breathing as if he had merely taken a stroll, his eyes filled with frustration and a trace of fear.

This way of losing was even more demoralizing than being crushed by brute force.

"...I concede."

Wang Jinxi spoke bitterly, his voice as hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. He hadn't even been able to make his opponent take him seriously.

The training ground was deathly silent.

Wang Jinxi maintained his one-knee-down posture for several seconds before using his left arm, which still had some strength, to barely support himself on the ground in an attempt to stand up. However, the bone-deep soreness and numbness in his right side remained stubborn, making his attempt to rise look exceptionally difficult and wretched.

Every time he exerted force, the secret points that had been struck sent waves of needle-like pain, reminding him of the brief yet despairing battle that had just occurred.

His forehead was covered in fine, cold sweat—not from physical exhaustion, but from the sense of powerlessness welling up from the depths of his heart.

His cheeks were flushed from the roiling blood and extreme humiliation; he didn't even dare to look up at the gazes of his companions.

The powerful sense of strength brought by the Bone Dragon King martial soul had not yet fully faded, creating a sharp irony against the weakness of his body, which was now beyond his control.

He could feel the astonished gaze from Zhang Yangzi, hear the sound of Xie Xie gasping, and could even imagine the look in Tang Wulin's eyes—a mix of admiration and complexity. These gazes felt like physical objects, scorching his self-esteem.

The gap... is it really this large?

This thought swirled crazily in his mind. He had originally thought that even if he were outmatched, he could at least force out some of Situ Xuan's true abilities, such as that terrifying evil energy or a more intense confrontation.

Yet the reality was that the opponent hadn't even released his martial soul, and had toyed with him in the palm of his hand using only that ghostly movement technique and shockingly precise pressure point strikes. He had all this strength, yet he was like a fly caught in a spiderweb; any struggle seemed futile and ridiculous.

This kind of defeat was harder to accept than being crushed by absolute power. It was a total subversion of his own perception and confidence, as if the strength and defense he had cultivated for years were nothing more than a toy full of flaws in the eyes of his opponent.

He finally staggered to a standing position, but his right arm still hung limply, and his left leg trembled slightly.

He kept his head down, lips pressed tightly together, not daring to meet anyone's eyes, especially those of Situ Xuan, who had already turned and walked to the sidelines as if he had merely brushed off a speck of dust.

The bitterness of defeat spread in his throat like bile, mixed with a trace of fear toward that bizarre power—a fear he was unwilling to even admit to himself.

A faint trace of surprise flashed in Wu Zhangkong's icy blue eyes, before they returned to their usual stillness. He looked deeply at Situ Xuan and announced, "Situ Xuan, winner."

This announcement was like a final judgment, causing Wang Jinxi's shoulders to collapse imperceptibly.

Situ Xuan nodded slightly, said nothing, and turned to walk to the sidelines as if he had done something trivial.

Only he knew that the seemingly easy battle had required a higher level of mental exertion and precise control over the evil energy than a head-on collision ever would.

Yet, the glint of interest in his eyes grew even more intense.

The path of "Command" seemed far broader than he had previously imagined.

"Next group, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, prepare yourselves."

The voice of Wu Zhangkong shattered the silence, pulling everyone's attention back.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie immediately composed their minds and walked toward their designated area.

Although the battle between Situ Xuan and Wang Jinxi had left them deeply shocked, they needed to focus on their own opponents at this moment.

Soon, the other two matches began in succession. Tang Wulin's forging hammers continued to swing with a fierce, whistling momentum; thanks to the unique application and extreme toughness of his Blue Silver Grass, his attacks were heavy yet retained their agility. Gu Yue's elemental attacks and her ability to control the rhythm had reached a new level, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, easily suppressing Zhang Yangzi and leaving him feeling incredibly stifled.

When all the matches concluded, the six of them lined up once again.

Wang Jinxi's face remained somewhat pale, and his body would occasionally tremble slightly and uncontrollably; it was the lingering effect of his secret acupoints having been struck.

Zhang Yangzi also wore a look of frustration. Facing Gu Yue's endless, perfectly linked elemental control, he possessed speed but found it difficult to get close, and the feeling of being unable to exert his strength was equally terrible.

Wu Zhangkong's gaze swept slowly across the group, his ice-blue eyes feeling almost tangible, causing everyone to subconsciously straighten their backs.