Two Years, Yan's Battle

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

On the training ground beneath the blazing sun, Yan darted through four ferocious attacks.

More than a dozen dark, heavy Gold-Splitting Rings evenly covered his limbs.

Every step he took left a shallow pit in the earthen ground.

Without activating his Martial Soul, he relied solely on his physical body and basic Soul Power, combined with an ancient, savage boxing technique, to battle four Soul Ancestors whose Martial Souls were possessed and Soul Rings gleamed.

These four had been specially selected by Spirit Hall to serve as Yan's combat instructors and sparring partners.

The first was Shi Yao, a level forty-six Power Attack Type Soul Ancestor with the Fire Lion Martial Soul.

The second was Iron Wall, a level forty-four Defense Type Soul Ancestor with the Heavy Rock Turtle Martial Soul.

The third was Mu Hua, a level forty-three Control Type Soul Ancestor with the Ghost Vine Martial Soul.

The fourth was Yu Ziyun, a level forty-one Agility Attack Type Soul Ancestor with the Gale Wolf Martial Soul.

And on the outermost edge stood Mu Ming, who did not participate in the battle but maintained the Gold-Splitting Ring Martial Soul. He had now broken through to level fifty-five as a Soul King.

The blazing sun was like molten gold, scorching the charred earth of the training ground.

Heavy footsteps boomed like war drums.

Amid four intersecting storms of Soul Power, Yan stood like a reef amidst raging waves. He looked as though he could collapse at any moment, yet he was never swallowed.

The Gold-Splitting Rings on his body constantly released Heavy Pressure, making it seem as though he fought while carrying a miniature gravity field.

Shi Yao's Fire Lion phantom roared as he struck out with both palms. After Martial Soul Possession, crimson Fire Lion fur covered him, and lion claws wreathed in flames tore toward Yan.

Iron Wall's Heavy Rock Turtle Shield was like a moving mountain wall, blocking Yan's path of retreat to the side.

Mu Hua's Ghost Vines resembled countless dark green venomous serpents poised to devour prey. They attacked Yan relentlessly from the ground and the air, seeking an opportunity to bind him.

Yu Ziyun transformed into a green wolf shadow, roaming and striking alongside Shi Yao. Every attack targeted Yan's smallest openings with perfect precision.

Yan did not activate his Martial Soul.

Bare-chested, his bronze skin was covered in fine beads of sweat and faint burn marks beneath the blazing sun and Shi Yao's fierce attacks.

His expression remained calm. Only his dark-red eyes, sharp as an eagle's, tightly tracked every attack's trajectory as his blood and vitality surged at full force, drawing upon the power of his Martial Artist physique to the greatest extent.

After two years, he had long since grown accustomed to the weight of the Gold-Splitting Rings. With simple, efficient footwork, he calmly evaded Mu Hua's Ghost Vine bindings despite their crushing pressure.

He twisted aside to dodge an incoming wind blade, only for Iron Wall's Heavy Rock Shield to smash down immediately afterward.

Yan had no time to evade that overwhelmingly powerful blow, so he simply would not evade!

Yan shouted as the muscles in his right arm bulged, forcibly blocking Iron Wall's heavy shield strike.

Bang!

Amid the dull impact, a ring of dust exploded from beneath Yan's feet. His body swayed, but he instantly steadied himself as the Gold-Splitting Rings clattered.

At that moment, Shi Yao's attack had already reached him.

"Secret Technique, Flame Fall: Fierce Kill!"

Yan shouted in a low voice, using the Yan God Clan's secret boxing technique once more.

He crossed his hands, and his entire body turned crimson as if enveloped in flames. Intense heat steamed from them like clinging fire, warping even the air.

Yan stamped down fiercely with his left foot, cracking the ground. Borrowing the force, he lunged forward and actually charged straight at Shi Yao, who was pouncing toward him!

Kid, you've got guts!

Shi Yao's eyes widened. This was undoubtedly an act of provocation, and he increased the strength in his hands by another thirty percent.

Fist and claw collided, muscles and bones ringing together as Yan threw a simple punch directly into Shi Yao's palm.

Bang!

An explosive burst of air erupted from the point of impact. A visible crimson ring of force spread outward from Yan's fist.

The ultimate power of his physical body, mixed with dense flame energy, erupted at once, forcibly driving Shi Yao back several steps.

At the instant when his old force had faded and new force had yet to arise, Yu Ziyun, who had been circling nearby, moved.

He seized the moment when Yan's balance was unsteady and his right fist had just withdrawn. Moving like lightning, he became three indistinguishable wolf shadows that lunged at Yan's vital points from three different angles with extreme speed.

In the distance, Mu Hua spotted the opening. His second Soul Ring lit up, and the main vine of the Ghost Vine, which had been lying in wait, suddenly surged up and coiled around Yan's legs like a giant python, limiting his final chance to evade.

Iron Wall also pressed forward at the right moment, his massive shield blocking the way.

Shi Yao charged in as well.

A deadly assault from all sides!

Just as Yu Ziyun's wolf claws were about to strike Yan's body, scorching flames suddenly burst forth from within him.

The Flame Overlord Martial Soul instantly possessed him. Two thousand-year Soul Rings radiating hazy purple light emerged behind him, flashing one after another in an instant as violent heat and pressure exploded outward.

First Soul Skill, Earth Flame Lizard Dragon Armor!

Crimson flames instantly covered his entire body, forming fiery armor patterned like dragon scales over Yan's skin in an extremely short time.

Immediately afterward came his second Soul Skill, Burning Flame!

Dark-red flames, thick as liquid, erupted with a boom from beneath every dragon scale, transforming him into a blazing crimson demon god.

The training ground's temperature soared madly. The air warped, and the hot wind that struck their faces was like a branding iron.

His aura seemed to break through the limit of a Soul Grandmaster in an instant. It was violent and scorching, causing even the four Soul Ancestors to feel an inexplicable shudder of dread.

"Come!"

Yan roared, his voice passing through his faceplate with the violent fury of boiling magma.

He no longer defended passively. Instantly breaking free of the Ghost Vine's restraints, he raised his right fist, covered in Burning Flame and blazing with dazzling crimson fire, and punched at Yu Ziyun, who was rushing toward him at top speed!

"Flame Fall: Sky Piercer!"

The air was burned into a vacuum trail before his fist, releasing a shrill howl.

Yu Ziyun was horrified. He actually did not dare to confront Yan head-on, even though Yan was merely a Soul Grandmaster.

He pushed his speed to the limit, adjusted his body, and crossed both claws to condense a wind shield in defense, directly switching from attack to defense.

Bang!

The wind shield lasted only an instant before violently shattering. Yu Ziyun flew backward like a kite with its string cut, his sleeves turning to ash and his arms scorched black.

After landing, he staggered back seven or eight steps before steadying himself. His face was pale, and a mouthful of blood surged into his throat. As a Soul Ancestor, he could not believe he had failed to withstand the explosive attack of Yan, a mere Soul Grandmaster.

After forcing Yu Ziyun back with one punch, Yan did not pause. His burning body slammed toward Iron Wall, who was pressing in from the side.

He neither dodged nor retreated. This was a completely savage style of fighting, meeting attack with attack and injury with injury.

Iron Wall gritted his teeth and frantically poured Soul Power into the Heavy Rock Turtle Shield. His third Soul Skill, Immovable as a Mountain, activated, and the shield's surface condensed a substantial earthen-yellow halo.

Yan, seemingly wreathed in flames, crashed viciously into the mountain-like giant shield.

Amid a deafening boom, Iron Wall felt as though he had been struck head-on by a ten-thousand-year soul beast. The terrifying force, mixed with extreme heat, made both his arms tremble violently.

The earthen-yellow glow on the shield rippled fiercely and dimmed. His feet sank deeply into the ground as he plowed backward several meters, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Yan was also knocked back by the recoil. The scales over the chest of his Earth Flame Lizard Dragon Armor cracked slightly, but a sweep of Burning Flame instantly repaired most of the damage.