Blood Battle, Part Two

In the arena, with countless spectators watching, the two collided hard. It couldn't be called a contest. This was a crushing defeat—one side crushing the other.

A Power Attack System student against a Support System student, with a near-three-ring Soul Elder from the Power Attack System absolutely overwhelming a one-ring student—Dai Huabin could suppress Huo Yuhao's attributes just by using Martial Soul Possession, without even using Soul Power. Against such overwhelming strength, any technique was crushed to pieces. Just as everyone expected, Huo Yuhao was sent flying.

Dai Huabin didn't go straight for a killing blow. He wanted to crush Huo Yuhao bit by bit. He'd heard a little about how Huo Yuhao had escaped the Duke's Mansion, and figured someone powerful must have helped him. As it turned out, Huo Yuhao was no threat at all. His fist never even had a chance to hit Dai Huabin before Dai Huabin slammed his shoulder into Huo Yuhao's chest and sent him flying. There was no need to take him seriously. Dai Huabin could even let him use both hands. He watched Huo Yuhao struggle to his feet and smiled scornfully.

Huo Yuhao gasped for breath. The pain in his chest made it hard to breathe, and he had to cough several times before he could recover. The taste of blood surged up from within him and shot straight to his head. It helped clear some of the haze from the hatred clouding his mind.

He unleashed Spiritual Detection at full strength, and every movement Dai Huabin made appeared in his mind. Recalling the Tang Sect Secret Techniques he'd learned these past few days, he decided it was time to put them to use.

Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he got back up and charged Dai Huabin again. This time, he kept his eyes fixed on his opponent. His mental power was already running at its limit. Huo Yuhao moved as fast as he could, and in the blink of an eye, the two collided again.

"White Tiger Barrier." Dai Huabin casually used his First Soul Skill, raising a hand to block the direction of Huo Yuhao's punch.

"Too slow."

Huo Yuhao saw everything. He pulled back his right fist instead of meeting Dai Huabin head-on, dodging his defensive move. His punch struck Dai Huabin right in the face, but the result wasn't what Huo Yuhao had imagined. He hadn't hurt Dai Huabin at all.

Before Huo Yuhao could react, Dai Huabin turned to meet his gaze. In those distinctive double pupils, Huo Yuhao saw mockery. Then, through his Spiritual Detection, he saw Dai Huabin counterattack—a fist flying straight toward his face, just like his own. Huo Yuhao saw it coming and tried to dodge, but the fist was too fast. He could see it with his mind, yet his body moved sluggishly, as if it no longer obeyed him. The fist seemed to stretch out in slow motion before his eyes, while he himself stood frozen.

The punch slammed into Huo Yuhao's face, and, as expected, he was sent flying.

Before he hit the ground, Huo Yuhao's thoughts slowed, and time seemed to slow with them. He knew he couldn't beat his opponent. It was sheer arrogance for a Support System student to fight a Power Attack System Martial Soul while a full rank weaker. His opponent had used only a First Soul Skill to strengthen himself, yet Huo Yuhao couldn't break through his defenses at all. Dai Huabin had only used that First Soul Skill partly out of caution; mostly, he'd used it to humiliate Huo Yuhao for his foolish challenge. He only needed to release his Martial Soul and pour all his Soul Power into it to crush him completely.

At low ranks, Power Attack System Martial Souls granted far too much physical strength. The boost to mental power that Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul provided couldn't be converted into offensive power at this stage. Some Support System Martial Souls even had the opposite effect on the body, leaving it weaker and weaker.

With limited options and insufficient attack power, Huo Yuhao had no chance at all. Was this how it ended?

Gray memories resurfaced before his eyes. Unlike the fury he'd felt at first, Huo Yuhao was now utterly calm. Gray had taken over most of his Sea of Spirit.

Huo Yuhao felt nothing anymore. His gray eyes were stained by an aura. Could it be called Death Aura?

Spiritual Detection brought him a different sensation, one that seemed to come from Xiao Ya. But it could no longer affect Huo Yuhao.

In the stands, seeing Huo Yuhao sent flying by his opponent's full-force attack, Tang Ya couldn't sit still. She anxiously shouted for Huo Yuhao to concede. There was no point in fighting with such a disparity in strength. No one could blame Huo Yuhao for losing; they weren't even in the same field.

Bei Bei, sitting beside her, was also on edge and wanted to act. But when he saw Xuan Zi suddenly frown and begin watching intently, he forced himself to hold back. He also urged Tang Ya to wait and see. From Xuan Zi's expression, it seemed Huo Yuhao might still have a chance. Bei Bei couldn't imagine how Huo Yuhao could turn things around, but remembering how the young Soul Master had survived alone in the Star Dou Great Forest for months, he chose to believe in his junior apprentice-brother.

Even a Power Attack System Soul Elder with a top-tier Martial Soul like himself couldn't survive for months in the Star Dou Great Forest—not even on its outskirts. Yet his junior apprentice-brother had managed it. There had to be something special about him.

After gray had completely taken over Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, it began to change. With Huo Yuhao no longer in control, the vitality faded. Fragments of memory began rising from the bottom of the Sea of Spirit. The only memories it could hold were moments of intense emotion. What emotion had Huo Yuhao felt most in his short life? It certainly wasn't happiness. That had vanished after his mother died. What remained?

Rage filled the Sea of Spirit. Each memory fragment became the center of a mental storm that swept through and ravaged it.

Tian Meng and Wang Yi shivered in the safe haven beside the cocoon, watching a storm no one in the mortal world should ever witness—and observing it from its very center. Electrolux had now completely taken control of Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, and Tian Meng could do nothing. If he tried to wrest control from Electrolux, he would only damage Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, just as he had the first time. This time, Huo Yuhao had willingly accepted Electrolux's power. Tian Meng had power to spare, but no way to use it.

"Wait, Yuhao!" Tian Meng sensed that the protective measures he'd put in place were starting to come undone. "That'll cause irreversible damage to your body. Think it through!"

But that was only Tian Meng's wishful thinking. Huo Yuhao no longer had any emotions. He only felt his shackles loosening, and his whole body beginning to relax. Now, he had only one purpose.

Destroy! Bring death!

Clang! A sound like a chain striking the ground rang through the arena. Everyone heard the illusory sound, but no one could tell where it came from.

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to exercise his right to deal death, the Green Aura in his Sea of Spirit sensed the disturbance and began to tremble. It burst out of its shell.

The moment it appeared, it unleashed its power, changing the Sea of Spirit as it was ravaged by the forces within and bringing the power of life. The two forces began fighting for control of the Sea of Spirit, yet neither caused it any damage.

Tian Meng couldn't understand. How could such a massive mental clash cause no damage? But it didn't matter now. He was already fleeing around the Sea of Spirit with Wang Yi. Their clash of powers could hurt Huo Yuhao.

After all, these were someone else's powers. The only explanation for why their clash caused no damage was that both were Huo Yuhao's own powers; it was a choice made by his spirit. Perhaps this was a side effect of mental power far beyond his current level.

Though his Sea of Spirit was in turmoil, only a brief moment passed in the outside world. Huo Yuhao finally hit the ground, tumbling several times uncontrollably before coming to a stop.

But it no longer mattered. His shackles had been undone. Gray had seeped into his Spirit Eye, and the intricate patterns that had begun forming in his pupils were now spreading beyond his eyes.

Everyone could feel the fluctuations in his mental power.

Ignoring the strain on his body, Huo Yuhao launched his counterattack, unleashing Mental Attack and Purple Demon Eye at full strength.

In an instant, it felt as if a heavy hammer had struck Dai Huabin's head. His mind went blank. Huo Yuhao was in no better shape. The backlash from forcing out this attack was tremendous. Tears of blood ran from his Spirit Eye, while a torrent of blood gushed from his nose under the intense pressure. It mingled with the blood from the wounds on his face, streamed down, and dripped onto the scrapes he'd gotten from tumbling. It ran like a little stream.

Dai Huabin recovered and began taking him seriously. "I didn't think a good-for-nothing like you could actually hurt me. Fine, I'll play with you."

His First and Second Soul Rings lit up at the same time. White Tiger Barrier and White Tiger Intense Light Wave activated together. As he unleashed the wave, he charged forward, intent on finishing Huo Yuhao off.

Huo Yuhao, still bleeding, smiled as he watched his opponent's attack.