"Qin Heng" was not all bark.
The result of that head-on clash had already been obvious. Without question, he had won.
Magic Shadow's enormous Martial Soul Avatar was blasted away by the force of wind and lightning. Though he had not suffered a fatal injury, his right claw, condensed from dark Soul Power, showed obvious cracks. Black mist continuously leaked from it, and it would be difficult for it to fully heal anytime soon.
From the strength and speed behind Magic Shadow's attacks, as well as the soul skill he had just used, "Qin Heng" had basically judged his opponent's fighting style. This guy was undoubtedly an agility-attack Soul Saint.
"Qin Heng" relaxed slightly. What he feared least was an agility-attack Soul Master. The Asura Armor's defensive power was astonishing, its toughness far surpassing defensive soul skills from Soul Tools of the same level.
Even though Magic Shadow was two major realms above him, without an exceptionally powerful offensive soul skill or some special method, breaking through the Asura Armor's defense was nearly impossible.
And an agility-attack Soul Saint had never excelled at fierce, head-on attacks.
They relied more on speed, ambushes, and relentless barrages. Yet Magic Shadow had happened to encounter the absurdly defensive Asura Armor. That meant what he excelled at most would be greatly weakened before "Qin Heng."
Fallen Soul Masters may have strange methods, but no matter how strange they are, they cannot defy the basic laws of Soul Masters. Magic Shadow cannot possibly possess destructive power that surpasses his own attributes out of thin air. With that thought, "Qin Heng's" wariness toward Magic Shadow quietly diminished further.
Of course, he had not lowered his guard because of it. After all, his opponent was a genuine Soul Saint, far superior to him in both total Soul Power and combat experience. The slightest carelessness could allow his opponent to seize an opening.
Over the next dozen or so seconds, "Qin Heng" actively exchanged several more moves with Magic Shadow.
He deliberately slowed down somewhat and used the Asura Cloak Claw to test him through direct clashes.
Just as he expected, every one of Magic Shadow's attacks was incredibly swift, striking from vicious and tricky angles as he tried to find a weak point in the Asura Armor for a surprise attack.
But no matter how fast or bizarre his claw strikes were, when they landed on the Asura Armor, they could only produce showers of sparks and dull impacts. They could not inflict any real damage at all.
After confirming this through several exchanges, "Qin Heng" was certain.
"An agility-attack Soul Master indeed. Then it's my turn." A cold glint flashed through his eyes as the Fourth Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up once more, Wind Attribute Soul Power surging wildly. At the same time, even more violent wind and lightning energy began gathering around the Asura Cloak Claw.
"Qin Heng" abruptly accelerated and charged straight at the enormous Magic Shadow more than ten meters tall!
With the boosts layered upon him and the support of the Asura Armor, his speed was not inferior to Magic Shadow's in the slightest. In fact, his straight-line burst speed even seemed to hold a faint advantage.
The Asura Cloak Claw tore through the air with a piercing shriek, carrying purple lightning and cyan wind blades as it struck directly at the vital chest and abdomen of Magic Shadow's Martial Soul Avatar.
Magic Shadow clearly had not expected a mere Soul Ancestor to dare launch a counterattack against him. The killing intent in his eyes intensified. He was going to kill this arrogant brat.
Magic Shadow's form turned into a blurry black shadow once again, intending to use his speed advantage to circle around and counterkill him.
However, "Qin Heng" had already seen his opponent's movements and trajectory with perfect clarity through the Illusion Pupil.
He no longer defended passively. Instead, he began a truly forceful counterattack!
Every swing of his claws carried the explosive force of raging wind and lightning, while every advance precisely sealed off Magic Shadow's escape routes.
Magic Shadow, who should have held the speed advantage, was now forced back step by step by "Qin Heng." His enormous Martial Soul Avatar continuously let out furious roars.
Across the battlefield, the dark crimson Asura figure and the massive black Magic Shadow collided violently. Explosions, claw strikes, and bursts of wind and lightning rose one after another, making the scene incomparably fierce.
The five Fallen Soul Masters in the distance watched in stunned disbelief. They never would have imagined that a young man who appeared to be only at the Soul Ancestor level could force the Third Elder into such a state.
"Qin Heng" grew fiercer the longer he fought, his killing intent becoming ever more intense. As he suppressed Magic Shadow, he said coldly, "They say Fallen Ones have strange methods and combat strength far beyond those of their peers. But I see you're nothing special. A Soul Saint can't even beat a Soul Ancestor like me. Today, I'll use your blood to honor those villagers you slaughtered!"
As he spoke, the Illusion Pupil soul skill in "Qin Heng's" brow silently activated.
Magic Shadow, who had been thoroughly enraged by "Qin Heng's" fierce assault, had already begun losing his reason.
Combined with "Qin Heng's" taunting provocation, he focused nearly all his attention on how to tear apart the arrogant brat before him.
He never imagined that "Qin Heng's" true killing move was not the claw strike to come, but the spiritual illusion he had prepared long ago.
"Qin Heng's" spiritual power had already reached the level of a Titled Douluo, far surpassing Magic Shadow's.
Moreover, Magic Shadow had lost his composure and was distracted by "Qin Heng's" physical offensive, causing his defensive awareness to plummet. This gave "Qin Heng" an almost perfect opportunity to strike.
With almost no resistance, "Qin Heng's" spiritual power became an invisible sharp sword that instantly pierced into Magic Shadow's sea of consciousness, forcibly constructing an incredibly realistic illusion realm.
The next instant, Magic Shadow's enormous Martial Soul Avatar suddenly froze in place.
The black Magic Shadow more than ten meters tall hovered motionlessly in the air as though placed under a binding spell. The dark Soul Power winding around his body stopped flowing as well. Only the black mist constantly dispersing from his surface trembled faintly, showing that its master was currently suffering an intense Mental Shock.
The five Fallen Soul Masters in the distance instantly turned pale at the sight.
"Third Elder?!"
"What happened? Why did the Third Elder suddenly stop moving?"
They were shocked and uncertain, yet did not dare approach rashly. The scene of Blood Fiend being instantly killed remained vivid in their minds. Now that even the Third Elder had fallen into such a bizarre state, the fear already rooted in their hearts deepened further.
Meanwhile, within the illusion realm constructed by "Qin Heng"...
Magic Shadow's consciousness was forcibly dragged into a bleak, icy world filled with despair.
The moment the illusion formed, Magic Shadow suddenly discovered that he had returned to his "normal" physical form. He looked down at his hands, then scanned his surroundings, and his expression instantly turned extremely grim.
"This is an illusion?!" He reacted quickly and immediately tried to break free, only to discover in horror that his Soul Power circulated with extreme sluggishness here, as though it were being heavily suppressed by some invisible force.
At that moment, the illusion realm began changing violently. The surrounding darkness rapidly receded, replaced by a blood-red sky and a towering mountain piled from countless white bones.
Atop the mountain stood a woman with bluish-gray skin, black curse markings covering her face, blood-red vertical pupils, and wild white hair like demonic flames. She held a black-purple scythe wrapped in demonic patterns, its blade like spider fangs and radiating purple aura filled with resentment. She gave off an icy, bewitching air.
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