Inch Power Defeats Three Heroes

"I never expected that we would one day fight side by side," Li Taibai said, standing with his sword in hand as he looked at Ling Feng and Ye Fan beside him.

It was truly ironic that the three of them, who had once been locked in bitter rivalry, were now forced to join forces against a single opponent.

Ling Feng let out a cold snort, his White Tiger slit pupils burning with fierce battle intent: "This is the only time."

"Everyone, take this seriously; this time is different," Ye Fan said in a low voice. His soul power suddenly boiled, and his third soul ring shone brilliantly: "Third Soul Skill, Qilin Battle Armor!"

Golden scales instantly covered his entire body, forming a ferocious suit of armor, and his horns grew even sharper.

As the armor manifested, his aura surged—all attributes increased by one hundred percent: speed, strength, defense, resilience, recovery, soul power intensity, and mental strength...

Every single one received a twofold boost, his combat power instantly multiplying several times over, faintly approaching the level of a Soul Emperor.

"Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Battle Armor!" Ling Feng followed suit. His third soul ring lit up, and a suit of White Tiger battle armor covered his body, his claws and fangs gleaming with a cold light as his momentum surged just as violently.

Identical to Ye Fan, all his attributes were doubled, and his aura became as heavy and oppressive as a prison.

Li Taibai flicked his wrist, his Green Lotus Sword humming as his third soul ring bloomed: "Third Soul Skill, Sword Intent Realm!"

Pale green sword qi swirled around him, increasing his soul power intensity by one hundred percent, his speed by one hundred and fifty percent, and his soul power recovery rate reached a staggering two hundred percent.

Furthermore, every swing of his sword now carried additional armor-piercing power.

Qian Renxue stood opposite the three of them and praised, "Your soul skills are very strong. The quality of your martial souls is extremely high; your auras were already close to a Soul King, and after these buffs, you are faintly touching the threshold of a Soul Emperor."

"A single buffing soul skill, yet the improvement is this terrifying."

"You are quite clever, knowing that ordinary soul skills couldn't hit me, so you all chose to use buffing soul skills."

"It's not over yet." Li Taibai suddenly raised his sword, the tip pointing obliquely toward the firmament, and began to chant verses in a clear, resonant voice filled with majestic chivalry:

"Zhao guests tie their Hu-style tassels, the Wu hook shines like frost and snow."

"Silver saddles illuminate white horses, galloping like shooting stars."

"Ten steps to kill one man, a thousand miles without leaving a trace."

"After the deed is done, brush off one's clothes and go, hiding one's name and identity deep within."

As the poem concluded, his sword intent became increasingly refined under the system's enhancement, with each line of the poem increasing his realm by ten percent.

This was an ability he had exchanged for in the system mall, integrating sword intent into poetry; at level forty-something, he could currently only command these four lines.

Stacked together, his combat power increased by another forty percent, and the sword qi became almost tangible, slicing through the surrounding air.

"Very good." Qian Renxue flexed her wrists, battle intent rising in her golden eyes. "Come, let me see if you can still bring me any surprises."

Before the words had even faded, the three of them launched their assault simultaneously!

Ye Fan took the lead, his Qilin Battle Armor flashing with golden light as he threw a punch wrapped in scorching soul power toward Qian Renxue's face.

Ling Feng moved like a white bolt of lightning, circling from the side, his White Tiger claws tearing through the air to seal off all her paths of retreat.

Li Taibai's movements were ethereal; his Green Lotus Sword transformed into ten thousand points of light, the sword qi crisscrossing to weave an airtight net of blades that descended from above.

The coordination between the three was unexpectedly tacit, their attacks connecting seamlessly to lock Qian Renxue firmly in the center. The violent energy whipped up waves of air, causing Hu Liena and the others nearby to turn pale.

Yet, Qian Renxue showed not a hint of panic, activating Inch Step beneath her feet as she wove through the shadows of fists and flashes of blades.

Ye Fan's heavy punch grazed her shoulder and slammed into the ground, sending gravel flying.

Ling Feng's claws came within a hair's breadth of touching her clothes, yet they were always a fraction too slow.

Li Taibai's sword net appeared flawless, yet she always avoided it at impossible angles; amidst the crisp clashing of blades, not even a single strand of her hair was severed.

At times she turned sideways, using the force of Ye Fan's fist wind to change her direction.

At other times she raised her hand, casually brushing aside Ling Feng's claw strike and using the momentum to pull him, nearly causing him to collide with Ye Fan.

Facing Li Taibai's sword net, she suddenly dropped low, sliding along the ground as the sword qi whistled over her head, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Dozens of rounds passed; the three launched attacks like a tidal wave, yet they hadn't even touched the hem of Qian Renxue's garment. Instead, they were being led by her own redirection of their force, and their coordination began to falter.

"Hah!" Seizing an opening, Qian Renxue activated Inch Step, her figure instantly appearing before Ling Feng's chest. She threw a punch, landing with a dull thud.

Ling Feng let out a muffled groan, but instead of retreating, he lunged forward, his left hand fiercely grabbing for Qian Renxue's wrist, a cold sneer flashing in his eyes.

As long as he could hold her, Ye Fan and Li Taibai's attacks would follow in succession!

Qian Renxue reacted with lightning speed, twisting her wrist to evade the grab while simultaneously kicking out with her left leg, striking Ling Feng in the lower abdomen.

Ling Feng was forced to take a step back, and Qian Renxue took the opportunity to slide across the ground toward Ye Fan. Supporting herself with her right hand, she kicked out with her left leg, the strike carrying a rotating force aimed directly at Ye Fan's face.

"Clang!" Ye Fan raised his arm to block, the armor colliding with her sole to produce a metallic ring. The immense force caused his feet to sink into the ground, and he was actually pushed back half a step.

Using the force of that kick, Qian Renxue flickered across the ground several times, instantly circling behind Li Taibai.

A sense of impending danger rose in Li Taibai's heart; he backhanded his Green Lotus Sword in a parry, the sword qi so sharp that it forced Qian Renxue to retreat half a step.

"Use your martial soul! You can't win without using your martial soul!" Ye Fan roared, his Qilin Battle Armor shining even brighter as he lunged again, his fists raining down like raindrops.

"It is far too early to say that." Qian Renxue's figure flickered, Inch Step activating as she appeared behind Ye Fan once more.

"My defense is something even a Soul Emperor would struggle to break, you...?" Just as Ye Fan was about to say something, he felt a weight settle on his back.

"Inch Power!"

Qian Renxue slammed a punch into the center of his back, the force of the strike penetrating directly into his body.

BOOM!

A muffled sound erupted from within Ye Fan, and he felt his internal organs trembling violently.

Before he could recover, the second, third, fourth, and fifth layers of force followed in rapid succession, all slamming into his physical body.

"Pfft—" Ye Fan spat out a mouthful of blood, the golden light on his armor dimmed instantly, and his body was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Ye Fan!" Ling Feng roared, gathering his strength into a punch that carried the phantom of a White Tiger as he smashed toward Qian Renxue.

"Well come!" Qian Renxue did not retreat but advanced instead, planting her feet in a horse stance, clenching her right fist, and throwing a punch of her own.

BANG!

The two fists collided, producing a deafening roar as a shockwave rippled outward.

Ling Feng felt a massive, overwhelming force surge through him, his arm going numb. Just as he prepared to exert more power, he felt a strange, insidious force flowing into his body along his arm; the five layers of force acted like an invisible awl, tearing through his meridians.

"Ah! What is this?!" Terror appeared on Ling Feng's face as his entire body's soul power fell into instant chaos.

"You fall as well." Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed; she lifted her left leg and delivered a side kick that struck Ling Feng precisely on the side of his face.

Ling Feng's body spun three times in the air before slamming heavily into the ground.

In the span of a single breath, both Ye Fan and Ling Feng had been defeated one after the other.

Li Taibai looked at the two men lying on the ground, his eyes filled with horror, his hand gripping the sword hilt trembling slightly.

How could this be? Even with their buffs, the two of them clearly possessed combat power approaching that of a Soul Emperor, yet they were defeated so easily?

In the very instant he lost his focus, Qian Renxue had closed the distance like a shadow.

Li Taibai instinctively thrust his sword forward, but Qian Renxue did not dodge or evade; her two fingers acted like pincers, precisely clamping onto the blade of the Green Lotus Sword.

CRACK! As she exerted force with her knuckles, the Green Lotus Sword was actually bent slightly.

Li Taibai was shocked, and just as he tried to pull his sword back to retreat, Qian Renxue spun around, her right elbow carrying a gale of wind as it smashed fiercely into his back.