Helmet Recoil Build, Trick Swaps a Spirit Bone

The Pokemon World naturally had its own equipment. It was only that there had been no use for it before; that did not mean it did not exist.

There was no limit on how many items could be carried either. As long as one had enough resources, carrying seven or eight pieces was entirely possible.

However, there were strength limits. Held Items would not grow alongside Pokemon like Spirit Bones and Spirit Rings did.

At the level of Legendary Pokemon, some Held Items had to be enhanced to God Rank before they could be activated.

If an item's grade was too low, carrying it would not achieve much. It was like how deities needed divine artifacts.

This was the tactic Lu Feng had specifically devised for Metagross, designed to counter hammer-wielders like Tang Hao.

As a Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon with exceptional base stats in both defenses.

This helmet recoil build was a perfect fit, especially when paired with the Psychic-type move Recover to restore health.

It could be called the strictest "father" of all Clear Sky Hammer Martial Souls.

Unless they attacked from a distance, anyone who dared engage in close combat would suffer recoil damage.

Yet weapon-type Martial Souls generally needed close combat to unleash their full power, forcing their opponents to make a choice.

Of course, this tactic was mostly for fun. In other places, people who could not win could still run away.

But in a place like the Heavenly Pride Arena Tournament, there was nowhere to run. If they did not want to fight, they would have to hand over the rewards.

The entire continent was watching the live broadcast. If someone admitted defeat here, their life would be over. Even Dugu Bo, the weakest Titled Douluo, had not surrendered and had fought the Heavenly Prides evenly.

This fighting style displayed the word "class" to its fullest extent.

"Bastard! Are you toying with me?!" Tang Hao roared furiously. He could feel the opponent's cold, condescending attitude of "observation," and it enraged him even more than a direct attack would have.

With a furious roar, he poured the energy of even more Spirit Rings into the Clear Sky Hammer, making his assault another thirty percent fiercer!

Yet every savage close-range attack sent sharp, rebounding pain coursing through Tang Hao's body!

It was as if he were not hammering metal, but an anvil covered in invisible spikes!

Tang Hao did not immediately notice anything strange and merely assumed that his opponent's defense was unusual. The longer he fought, the more alarmed and stifled he felt.

His opponent was like the sturdiest fortress and the slipperiest fish. No matter how Tang Hao bombarded it, it stood firm. There even seemed to be a trace of... boredom in those scarlet eyes?

A deafening boom! The silver-white body sank slightly, and the ground exploded apart, yet it did not budge in the slightest. Its scarlet eyes did not even blink.

"So tough?" Tang Hao sneered. Seeing that Metagross had yet to retaliate, he let go completely, ignoring the backlash on his body as he unleashed every attack he had.

One Spirit Skill after another erupted! Hammer shadows danced like black dragons, striking from every direction!

Tang Hao's body gradually began to crack, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He was utterly shocked and finally understood why Metagross had not fought back.

But at this point, retreat was no longer an option. Giving up his offense now would mean all his efforts had been wasted. Divine Slaughter's Domain activated, raising his attack once more.

However, the people outside did not know the true state of the battle. All they saw was Metagross being suppressed by Tang Hao.

"What is it doing? Why isn't it fighting back?"

"It's being beaten down by the Clear Sky Douluo!"

"As expected, aside from monsters like Charizard, the other Heavenly Prides aren't that terrifying!"

"Metagross looks intimidating, but is it just an iron turtle?"

The spectators discussed it heatedly. Tang Hao's offensive surged like a tide, while Metagross merely endured passively and blocked on occasion. Although its defense was astonishing and had yet to be breached, it was clearly at a "disadvantage."

Tang Hao grew more frenzied with every strike. Spirit Rings lit up one after another as the power of Ring Detonation continued to stack! The Clear Sky Hammer transformed into a storm of Destruction, every blow making space tremble!

Metagross continued to endure in silence.

Fine dents and scratches began to appear on its silver-white shell. Although they quickly recovered as metallic luster flowed over them, it was clearly beginning to struggle.

"It can't hold on much longer!"

"The Clear Sky Douluo is still stronger in the end!"

"It's Ring Detonation, after all! It's already absurd that Metagross has lasted this long!"

Everyone believed they could see the dawn of victory—this silver monster was merely specialized in defense and lacked offensive means. Its defeat was only a matter of time!

A vicious gleam burst from Tang Hao's eyes. Seizing an opening, he gathered all his Soul Power and Ring Detonation force into his right arm. The inherited Spirit Bone erupted with dazzling light!

"Break! Great Sumeru Hammer!" This was the strongest strike he could unleash in his current state. Before the hammer even arrived, space had already begun to wail!

A deafening boom! The silver-white body sank slightly, and the ground exploded apart, yet it did not budge in the slightest. Its scarlet eyes did not even blink.

Tang Hao was stunned. Aside from Ring Detonation, this was his strongest attack in his current condition.

It had taken such an attack head-on without changing expression? What kind of monster was this?!

The longer he fought, the more alarmed and stifled he felt. His opponent was like the sturdiest fortress; no matter how Tang Hao bombarded it, it stood firm. There even seemed to be a trace of... boredom in those scarlet eyes?

At that moment, Metagross seemed to have grown tired of this purely defensive battle.

On a whim, the light in its scarlet eyes flared as a strange psychic wave instantly enveloped Tang Hao!

Trick!

This was a Psychic-type move that exchanged Held Items.

In the Pokemon World, it was usually used to exchange the items carried by both sides, following the principle of equivalent exchange.

It carried a force of rules.

This was also Metagross's first time using it on a Spirit Master, so it did not know what counted as a Spirit Master's Held Item.

A Held Item was naturally something carried on one's body that did not belong to oneself.

For Spirit Masters, their Held Items were Spirit Bones. After all, they came from spirit beasts, and even after being absorbed, they could still be dropped again.

They could not truly be considered a Spirit Master's own possession.

At this moment, Trick's target was the Clear Sky Sect inherited Spirit Bone on Tang Hao's body, which had almost fused with his right arm!

The light in Metagross's scarlet eyes surged! Following the instructions of Lu Feng, the God Lord—"Make the fight last longer. Don't kill him right away."

It decided to use a control-type move to interfere with its opponent. The original intention behind exchanging Held Items with Trick was to trade its Rocky Helmet for any potential buff item the opponent had, create some trouble, and prolong the battle.

It could not just keep taking hits forever. It had to resist a little and disgust its opponent.

The strange psychic wave locked onto Tang Hao.

The next second.

Rip!

It was not the clash of metal, but a dull, teeth-grinding sound of flesh and bone being forcibly torn apart!

"Aaargh!!!"

Tang Hao's miserable scream tore through the sky!

Before the horrified eyes of every spectator, Tang Hao's entire right arm—which held all his power and shone with the radiance of a Spirit Bone—began to twist from the shoulder as though seized by an invisible giant hand, then was brutally torn off!

Only at the instant of separation did blood erupt wildly, dyeing the air red!

Even stranger, silver light flickered throughout the separation process. When the arm fully detached, a bloodstained arm bone radiating immense Soul Power floated in midair, while Tang Hao's severed arm rapidly shriveled and lost its luster!

"Arm... my arm... Spirit Bone!!!" Tang Hao staggered backward, his face as pale as a ghost. Unbearable pain and the hollow sensation of his Soul Power connection being forcibly severed overwhelmed him at once!

He looked at his empty right shoulder, then at the arm that belonged to him floating before his opponent. His eyes were filled with absolute terror and madness.

This sudden, bloody, and incomprehensibly bizarre turn of events plunged the entire Douluo Continent into dead silence!

Everyone was petrified by this unimaginable method of battle! It had removed someone's arm? Along with the Spirit Bone?

What kind of monster was this? It did not act unless necessary?

And once it did, it removed a Spirit Master's Spirit Bone? That was the Clear Sky Douluo!

Had it refrained from acting all this time because it was deliberately toying with Tang Hao, or because it had been searching for the Spirit Bone's location to deliver a fatal blow?!

At the same time, the Rocky Helmet on Metagross's head turned into a streak of light and was "worn" above Tang Hao's bloody severed-arm wound, looking both ridiculous and horrifying.

Meanwhile, Tang Hao's blood-dripping right arm Spirit Bone floated before Metagross.

For the first time, a distinct ripple appeared in its scarlet eyes.

Metagross froze.

In its understanding, Trick merely exchanged items. In ordinary battles, it usually meant exchanging Berries and hurting each other.

But now, it had traded its helmet for a... bloodstained bone? And its opponent's arm... was gone?

How was it supposed to keep acting and drag out the battle now?