Su Mo at His Limit, Post-Battle Review

"Second Soul Skill, Asura Blood Armor!"

A flash of red light swept over Su Mo's body, and a thin layer of blood-colored energy armor instantly covered his skin.

He felt a warm current surging wildly through his limbs and bones.

He could clearly sense that his defense and strength had increased dramatically.

But at that moment, the cyan blade aura had already reached him.

Su Mo had no room to retreat, nor did he intend to.

He gripped the Asura Demon Sword tightly and met the cyan blade aura head-on.

Boom—!

The two forces collided violently, and raging shockwaves burst outward from the point of impact.

Su Mo felt an overwhelming force travel through the Asura Demon Sword and spread across his entire body. He stumbled back five steps before barely steadying himself.

The deadlock lasted only a moment. Under the sharp edge of the Asura Demon Sword, the cyan blade aura shook violently before finally shattering into specks of cyan light and vanishing completely.

Su Mo panted lightly, his blood churning violently. His right arm, the one holding the sword, had already gone somewhat numb.

If not for the power and defensive boost of the Asura Blood Armor, he would definitely have been injured by that strike.

But Zhou Lie gave him no chance to catch his breath.

"First Soul Skill, Gale Step!"

A lingering afterimage remained where Zhou Lie had been standing. In the blink of an eye, the Wind-Slaying Blade appeared within three feet of Su Mo!

Too fast! Su Mo did not even have time to adjust his breathing. Relying only on instinct, he hastily raised his sword to block.

Clang—!

Blade and sword collided with a ringing metallic crash.

Clang, clang, clang...

Zhou Lie gave Su Mo no chance to rest. Strike after strike came without pause. His blade technique was exquisite, every slash powerful and heavy.

Su Mo could only rely on the boosts from his two Soul Skills and the basic swordsmanship he had learned that very morning to barely hold on.

For a time, one large figure and one small figure darted across the field. Blade light and sword shadows crossed constantly, while the sound of metal clashing rang without end.

But Su Mo soon noticed that although Zhou Lie's attacks looked fierce, he always withdrew a portion of his strength at the most critical moments.

He could clearly have forced Su Mo into a desperate situation with a single slash, yet he deliberately left openings for him to breathe. He could have ended the battle, but instead dragged it into a stalemate.

Clearly, Zhou Lie was feeding him moves, allowing him to rapidly gain experience through battle.

Thus, Su Mo gradually calmed down and began to feel the rhythmic changes within Zhou Lie's blade momentum.

Gradually, he went from pure passive defense to occasionally being able to strike back with his sword.

After dozens of exchanges.

"Not bad." A trace of approval flashed in Zhou Lie's eyes. "But we'll stop here for today."

He could tell that Su Mo's Soul Power was nearly depleted.

He brought his blade down hard against the Asura Demon Sword, knocking Su Mo back three steps. At the same time, the third Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up.

"Third Soul Skill, Heavy Blade Enhancement!"

In an instant, the weight of the blade and his own strength increased by fifty percent!

He slashed down!

Su Mo felt an utterly irresistible force surge through his sword. It was like being struck head-on by a small mountain. He instantly lost his balance and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground thirty feet away.

Su Mo climbed to his feet, planted his sword on the ground, and dropped to one knee as he panted heavily.

His face was pale as paper, and his chest rose and fell violently.

The glow of the Asura Blood Armor on his body had dimmed, as though it might disperse at any moment.

Although Su Mo's Martial Soul was powerful, he was only six years old. His strength could not compare to Zhou Lie's, who was in the prime of his life, and their battle experience was worlds apart. Su Mo's combat experience was practically nonexistent.

Zhou Lie's sudden increase in strength had caught him off guard, which was why he had been sent flying in a single blow.

As for Zhou Lie, his breathing was also somewhat hurried, and fine beads of sweat covered his forehead. More than half of his Soul Power had likewise been consumed.

The way he looked at Su Mo was filled with approval.

For Su Mo's first real battle, facing a level thirty-five battle Soul Elder like him and achieving this much had already far exceeded Zhou Lie's expectations.

"Your Highness, thank you for going easy on me." Zhou Lie withdrew his Martial Soul and cupped his fists toward Su Mo.

Su Mo nodded without saying much. He had already reached his limit.

Both of his Soul Skills were enhancement types. He had no offensive means and could only force himself to endure with their boosts.

Perhaps only after his swordsmanship improved further would he be able to truly fight opponents like Zhou Lie.

"Junior Brother!"

At that moment, Bibi Dong came running over from nearby.

Her battle had ended long ago.

Against a control-type Soul Grandmaster, even though her first Soul Skill could double her speed, the gap in Soul Power was simply too great. With no combat experience at all, she had not even managed to get close before her Soul Power was completely exhausted.

She had rested at the edge of the field for a long time, watching Su Mo's battle the entire while.

Now that she saw his fight had finally ended, she hurried over and grabbed his arm to support him.

"Are you all right?" Bibi Dong's face was full of worry.

Su Mo withdrew his Martial Soul and forced a smile. "I'm fine. I just used up too much energy."

"Then let's hurry back and rest!"

"Okay."

Bibi Dong supported him as they slowly walked back step by step.

When they returned to the sleeping quarters, the maids had already prepared a medicinal bath.

The medicinal bath Qian Xunji had prepared used only precious herbs. Dense steam carried a rich medicinal fragrance that refreshed the mind with just a single breath.

Su Mo soaked his entire body in the bath barrel. Warm water enveloped his exhausted body, and the soreness throughout him gradually eased under the nourishing effects of the medicine.

He closed his eyes, yet his mind replayed every detail of today's battle over and over again.

Zhou Lie's first Soul Skill had elusive footwork, suitable for surprise attacks and maneuvering.

His second Soul Skill was a long-range area attack.

His third Soul Skill, Heavy Blade Enhancement, was an enhancement-type Soul Skill that could instantly increase both his strength and the weight of his blade.

As for himself... both of his Soul Skills were enhancements, with no offensive methods. His swordsmanship was still far too unfamiliar. The basic sword forms he had learned that morning had not had time to become instinctive, so he could only use them stiffly and mechanically.

But Su Mo was not discouraged in the slightest, because he knew very clearly that all of these things could be trained.

Swordsmanship could be mastered through practice, experience could be accumulated, and reactions could be improved.

If he could not block it today, then he would block it tomorrow.

If he could not win tomorrow, then he would win the day after.

One day, he would win.

After the medicinal bath, he changed into clean clothes, sat cross-legged on the bed, and entered meditation.

Su Mo discovered that after a full day of intense training, combined with the nourishment of the medicinal bath, the flow of Soul Power within his body had become smoother.

Perhaps it would not be long before he broke through to level twenty-six.

Time passed in a rush, and in the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.

Over that year, Su Mo's life had become extremely disciplined.

Every day at the first hint of dawn, he rose and went to the mountaintop, where he practiced swordsmanship under Qian Daoliu's guidance.

Spring passed into autumn, cold gave way to heat. For a full year, he never stopped, rain or shine.

His swordsmanship went from unfamiliar to proficient, from stiff to fluid, and he finally met Qian Daoliu's standards.