A Frustrated Opponent, Victory in the First Battle

On the arena stage.

Tiger's expression completely darkened.

Not using his Martial Soul?

This was practically naked humiliation!

A level fifty-five Soul King facing him, a level fifty-six opponent, yet he could not even be bothered to use his Martial Soul.

It meant that, in the other man's eyes, Tiger was not even worthy of being taken seriously.

Tiger's face twisted with rage, and his eyes nearly spat fire.

"Good, very good. Gambling Duels may forbid killing, but I can still cripple you."

At that moment, the host above raised his right hand high and swung it down sharply.

"The match begins!"

The instant the host announced the start, Su Mo raised his hand and clenched it in the air.

Crimson light surged in his hand as a blood-red longsword rapidly condensed into shape.

This sword was not his Martial Soul, the Asura Demon Sword, but a sword formed from Soul Power.

With Asura Sword Intent, the damage dealt by this Soul Power sword could likewise carry Asura Power.

Tiger glanced disdainfully at the sword in Su Mo's hand.

With that? He wanted to defeat him? How naive!

"Kid, since you're courting death yourself, don't blame me!"

Tiger roared as his fourth Spirit Ring suddenly lit up. "Fourth Soul Skill, Tiger Roar Burning Heaven!"

Roar!

The Magma Earth-Splitting Tiger threw back its head and let out a long roar, opening its bloody maw as firelight frantically gathered within.

The next instant, scorching flames erupted violently, sweeping toward Su Mo and engulfing him.

Tiger had used his fourth Soul Skill right from the start, showing just how furious he was.

Yet Su Mo did not move a single step. Soul Power merely surged around him, forming a blood-red Soul Power barrier as he allowed the flames to strike him.

The flames instantly swallowed Su Mo's figure.

The surrounding spectators held their breath, staring fixedly at that sea of fire.

Could it really end like this?

Most of them thought Su Mo was an idiot. It was one thing not to use his Martial Soul, but he was not even dodging a Soul Skill.

Yet at that moment, a blur shot out of the flames and charged straight at Tiger.

It was Su Mo.

He had undergone Ice and Fire Body Tempering and possessed a Fire Immunity Body. Flames of this level could not harm him in the slightest, so there was no need for him to dodge.

"Not good!"

Tiger had thought his Soul Skill had hit Su Mo and that the other man would surely be swallowed by the flames. He had already been preparing to welcome victory.

But suddenly, a blurred figure entered his field of vision.

With his level fifty-six Soul Power, his fourth Soul Skill was not something an ordinary Soul King could withstand head-on.

Yet that man had allowed himself to be swallowed by the flames and emerged completely unharmed?

Tiger did not dare think further. His second Spirit Ring flashed abruptly.

"Second Soul Skill, Magma Armor!"

A layer of molten rock armor rapidly formed over his body.

At that moment, the sword light had already reached his chest!

Su Mo's Soul Power surged wildly as he drove his full strength into a thrust at Tiger's chest!

Crack—!

The molten rock armor on Tiger's body cracked outward from the point of impact before shattering with a boom.

With the molten rock armor no longer blocking it, the Blood Sword advanced several inches farther, its tip plunging directly into his chest.

Su Mo had caught Tiger off guard with that strike and put all his strength into it.

But this was ultimately only a sword condensed from Soul Power, far inferior to his own Martial Soul. Moreover, his opponent was a Soul King one level above him and had used a defensive Soul Skill, blocking most of the damage.

The reason this strike could break Tiger's Magma Armor was also because it was merely his second Soul Skill. Its Spirit Ring was only a little over five hundred years old, so its defensive power was not particularly strong to begin with.

But Su Mo had not expected this attack to defeat his opponent outright.

Injuring him was enough.

The instant the Blood Sword pierced Tiger's chest, Asura Power flooded into him.

Tiger hurriedly retreated, clutching his chest with a deeply furrowed brow.

With a Soul King's physique, an injury of this degree should have been insignificant. Yet no matter how he circulated his Soul Power, he could not stop the bleeding.

Not only that, but he could also feel an extremely cold energy continuously corroding his body, even slowing the circulation of his Soul Power.

Damn it, what kind of power is this?

Tiger was horrified. He had never seen such a bizarre ability.

He no longer dared to be careless in the slightest. His fifth Spirit Ring flashed.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Scorching Force Field!"

The next instant, a high-temperature force field spread out from his body, and the surrounding temperature rose sharply once more.

Fire-immune Su Mo did not feel the slightest bit of heat. These flames were far inferior to the hot spring at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

However, he noticed that his Soul Power consumption had doubled, and it felt as though an invisible pressure had been placed upon his body, restricting his movements.

Su Mo frowned slightly. He had not expected his opponent to possess a Soul Skill similar to a domain.

He knew that, while restricted, it would be difficult to win with only the Soul Power Blood Sword in his hand.

At that moment, a crisp cracking sound came from behind him.

He released his External Soul Bone, the Black Gold Sword Wings.

Su Mo's attributes were instantly enhanced across the board. Not only did this offset the suppression from Tiger's fifth Soul Skill, but its enhancement far exceeded the opponent's suppressive force.

That was because an External Soul Bone grew stronger along with Su Mo's own strength. The Black Gold Sword Wings were already nothing like they had once been.

"What are those black-gold wings?"

"Could those be a Soul Bone?"

"No wonder Asura isn't using his Martial Soul. So he had a trump card like this."

"Go, Asura!" The spectators who had bet on Su Mo were instantly filled with hope and began shouting themselves hoarse in encouragement.

On the arena stage, the Black Gold Sword Wings behind Su Mo beat fiercely, and his figure darted out like Gui Mei, astonishingly fast.

The Blood Sword thrust forward, this time aimed directly at Tiger's throat.

At the critical moment, Tiger abruptly twisted aside.

The Blood Sword grazed his neck, leaving behind a shallow bloody mark.

Su Mo did not give him a chance to catch his breath. He spun, and the Blood Sword stabbed forward again.

Tiger was worthy of being a level fifty-six assault-type Soul King. His reaction was extremely fast, and he retreated several steps in succession, barely avoiding the second strike.

However, this was only the beginning of Su Mo's offensive.

The Black Gold Sword Wings behind him beat hard, lifting his entire body into the air. With the all-around enhancement and flight ability brought by his External Soul Bone, he continuously maneuvered through the air.

At times he dove, at times he swept sideways. Sword light interwove like a net as he attacked Tiger from every angle.

Though none of Su Mo's strikes dealt severe damage, small injuries accumulated. As time passed, Tiger's wounds grew more numerous, and the Asura Power invading his body became increasingly dense.

Compared to Su Mo's ease, Tiger fought in extreme frustration because he could not fly.

He possessed abundant Soul Power and powerful Soul Skills, yet he simply could not lock onto the agile and mobile Su Mo.

He could only defend passively, occasionally launching a Soul Skill in retaliation.

What drove him further into despair was that Su Mo did not dodge his fire-based Soul Skills at all. The raging, high-temperature flames landed on Su Mo as if they had no effect whatsoever. He seemed completely unafraid of fire.

After a long while, Tiger's Soul Power had nearly run dry. He was covered in blood, dense wounds spread all over his body, with blood continuously seeping out.

"It's time to end this."

Su Mo spoke calmly from midair.

The next instant, his entire body transformed into a streak of light and dove downward.

The sword light was like a rainbow, carrying unstoppable momentum as it shot straight toward Tiger!

Tiger's pupils contracted sharply. He wanted to evade, but in his current state, there was nowhere left for him to dodge.

He could only force out every last bit of his remaining Soul Power for one final defense.

Boom!

The Blood Sword collided violently with Tiger's crossed arms, producing a dull, thunderous impact.

Tiger let out a muffled groan as the enormous force sent him flying, and he crashed heavily onto the edge of the arena stage.

The entire venue fell silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the scene, forgetting how to react for a moment.

"Contestant Tiger is unable to continue fighting. The winner is—Asura!"

The host recovered from his shock and loudly announced the result.

The moment his words fell, deafening cries erupted throughout the venue.

"He won? That newcomer actually won?"

"Without using his Martial Soul, he defeated level fifty-six Tiger using only a sword condensed from Soul Power?"

"It's over! My Gold Soul Coins! If I'd known, I would have bet on Asura!"

"Haha, I bet correctly! I made a fortune this time!"

The spectators erupted into commotion. Some were shocked, some regretful, and some delighted.

Amid the uproar filling the venue, Su Mo dispersed the Blood Sword in his hand and calmly turned toward the arena exit.

After this battle, the name Asura was destined to gradually spread throughout the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.