Luck is Also Part of Strength

At the critical moment, Yu Tianheng's soul ring lit up, and blue-purple lightning spread across his entire body, surging toward the ground.

As Shi Mo's foot kicked into Yu Tianheng's waist, the lightning struck him as well, instantly enveloping his entire body.

Lightning danced with a crackling roar, covering the ground; centered on Yu Tianheng, a five-meter radius was completely dominated by the blue-purple electricity.

The lightning continued to spread outward, but under Yu Tianheng's control, the majority of the power remained concentrated within this range.

Shi Mo and Shi Mo were forced to endure the terrifying power of the lightning, unable to move for a moment. In particular, the leg Shi Mo had used to kick Yu Tianheng had its trousers blasted into shreds, the flesh torn and charred, emitting a burnt smell; that leg had borne the brunt of the most violent lightning.

"Hahaha! Your boss is still your boss!"

Yu Tianheng laughed heartily, adjusted his stance, and launched a fierce attack on the two brothers.

Under his assault, the lightning was drawn toward his right arm, forming a Thunder Dragon Claw that appeared before Shi Mo in the blink of an eye.

Relying on instinct, Shi Mo retracted his head and limbs into his tortoise shell. The Thunder Dragon Claw grabbed the shell, and with a violent squeeze, the surface of the shell erupted with blinding light.

Following this, Yu Tianheng controlled the Thunder Dragon Claw to hurl the shell toward Shi Mo.

In that brief moment, Shi Mo endured the pain and activated his second soul skill. The tortoise shell actually detached from his body, forming a one-meter-tall Tortoise Shell Shield that blocked his front.

After the Tortoise Shell Shield appeared, Shi Mo himself became thinner and smaller, giving the audience the impression that the shield had been formed from his very spine.

Shi Mo, still retracted within his shell, was like a ball of lightning as he slammed heavily into Shi Mo's Tortoise Shell Shield.

"Boom!"

The shell collided with the shield, sending out a violent shockwave that churned the surrounding lightning.

The lightning was blocked outside by Shi Mo's Tortoise Shell Shield and dissipated into the ground. His body swayed, but the terrifying impact did not cause him any real damage.

Yu Tianheng followed closely behind, kicking the rebounding shell. Shi Mo, still curled inside, had no idea what was happening before he was kicked off the competition arena.

Ling Yun waved his hand and shouted, "Great shot!"

Once Shi Mo had fully retracted into his shell, his fate of being eliminated was already sealed.

Yu Tianheng's intent was clear: if he couldn't break the defense in a short time, he wouldn't bother. After all, winning a match at the Great Soul Arena didn't require incapacitating the opponent; one only needed to knock them off the stage.

Below the stage, Shi Mo poked his head and limbs back out of his shell and said to Yu Tianheng, "Boss, you're too underhanded!"

"It's because you're stupid!"

While attacking Shi Mo, Yu Tianheng still found time to retort. Shi Mo didn't argue back, but secretly made a mental note; if he ever got the chance, he would have to set Yu Tianheng up as well.

"Shi Mo, since it's just you left, you might as well just admit defeat!"

"Saying that is meaningless! Boss, you've already used your second soul skill, Thunderbolt, and your first soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw, twice."

"Your consumption is far greater than mine!"

"We only have a one-level difference in soul power; who wins and who loses is still unknown."

Shi Mo held his Tortoise Shell Shield, defending with airtight precision. Yu Tianheng had no choice but to choose a frontal assault and actively create an opening.

For a while, the two were actually at a stalemate.

Yu Tianheng circled Shi Mo at high speed, his attacks pouring in from all directions.

The audience below was captivated by the brilliant soul duel, and as the two reached a stalemate, their attention began to drift.

Those who had bet on the Black Tortoise Team were sweating, cheering frantically for Shi Mo.

Others egged Ling Yun on, urging him to support Yu Tianheng and defeat Shi Mo.

Ling Yun remained motionless, which made those people anxious. Many hot-tempered individuals began to curse, and some even demanded their money back.

Ling Yun ignored them entirely, simply observing the battle between Shi Mo and Yu Tianheng in silence.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Tianheng stopped his movements, panting heavily; the high-intensity attacks had consumed too much of his energy.

Shi Mo's chest was also heaving violently; his defense had not been easy, and his eyes remained locked on Yu Tianheng.

"Boss, you're about to reach your limit, aren't you!"

"Winning against you is no problem."

Yu Tianheng refused to show weakness. The next moment, he released his second soul skill. Thunderbolt turned half the arena into an ocean of electricity, and as the lightning converged, his first soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw, drew the power in.

Yu Tianheng chose to go all-in. A massive Thunder Dragon Claw appeared, reaching down from the sky toward Shi Mo.

"Is this really necessary?"

Shi Mo's expression became unprecedentedly grave. He squeezed his soul power to the limit, and the shield in his hands began to spin at high speed. Under his control, the spinning shield shot into the sky, colliding with the Thunder Dragon Claw with a cutting force.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

A continuous series of explosions rang out. The rotation speed of the shield grew slower and slower until, finally, it was forced to a halt by the Thunder Dragon Claw.

The Thunder Dragon Claw had become somewhat translucent, but its momentum remained terrifying. In the blink of an eye, the claw was already before Shi Mo.

Shi Mo sprinted, his palms facing the Tortoise Shell Shield. The shield flew back rapidly, turning into a streak of light to block the space between him and the claw.

Then, he turned and grabbed the shield, choosing to take the blow head-on.

The Thunder Dragon Claw seized him and the Tortoise Shell Shield, and Shi Mo was submerged in the light of the lightning.

A dozen breaths later, the lightning dissipated.

The tortoise shell on Shi Mo's hands had vanished, replaced by a frizzy, exploded hairstyle, and his body was covered in shocking wounds left by lightning.

Yet, his fighting spirit remained high.

He wanted to move his feet, but his soul power had bottomed out; being able to stand upright was already a testament to his iron will.

Yu Tianheng was also standing. After catching his breath, he shifted his feet and slowly approached Shi Mo; his own condition was no better, as the soul power within him was nearly exhausted.

Every step felt like treading on air; the moment he relaxed his mind, he would surely collapse onto the arena floor.

"I won!"

"If Shi Mo hadn't been eliminated, I truly wouldn't have won, but there are no 'ifs.' In the end, I am the winner!"

Shi Mo tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile as he replied, "Luck is also a part of strength. You won."

Seeing this, Ling Yun's purple soul ring flashed, and a beam of white light—the Light of the Martial Soul—shone upon Shi Mo. The wounds on his body healed at a visible rate; within a few breaths, he had recovered as if new, and his soul power had restored by thirty percent.

Subsequently, Ling Yun aimed his mirror at Yu Tianheng. As the white light fell upon him, Yu Tianheng recovered the majority of his soul power.

Off-stage, the audience was misled by this scene, assuming that Ling Yun was merely an auxiliary-type soul master.

No wonder that when asked to attack, Ling Yun had simply stood still.

Inside the private box, a complex look emerged from the depths of Ye Lingling's eyes.

Ling Yun's soul skill effects were no weaker than the Nine Heart Begonia; their roles overlapped!

Ling Yun's healing process was one by one, while her Nine Heart Begonia was an area-of-effect group heal; her advantage lay in team battles.

But in such a small group, she did not possess a significant edge.

Dugu Yan noticed the change in her emotions and took her hand. "What's wrong? Afraid Xiao Yun will steal your spot?"

"No!"

"No? You might fool others, but you can't fool me. Don't overthink it; smart people like you are prone to getting stuck in a rut."

"Even if Xiao Yun's soul skill also has healing effects, so what? One more person means one more layer of security! Everyone can let loose even more."

"When he is injured, when he has no soul power, won't he still need you?"

"Besides, you are an auxiliary-type with area-of-effect group healing; you can turn the tide of a battle in an instant. His efficiency is clearly not enough."

"He is also a power-attack type. If a team is truly formed, he will be the main attacker. Where would he find the time to provide support? In the end, it will still depend on you..."

"Thank you! You're right!"

Ye Lingling returned to her usual self, though at the same time, she asked herself in her heart, "Am I really smart?"