As those words fell, alarm bells rang wildly in Tang San's heart.
The sixth sense he had honed over years of living on the edge of life and death screamed in warning, urging him to leave this place at once.
Danger!
Extremely dangerous!
But his exhausted body simply wouldn't move.
His Soul Power had run dry when that hammer came crashing down. Now, even moving a finger was beyond his reach.
Gu Sheng stopped.
The young man in dark robes slowly raised his right hand.
Pure golden holy light gathered rapidly in his open palm, as tangible as a solid object.
The light swirled and flowed, forming a dazzling orb.
"As a return gift,"
Gu Sheng said evenly, looking ahead.
"I've decided to make you the first people to experience my new ability."
The moment the words left his mouth, Holy Spectrum Puni's power erupted in full.
An indescribably brilliant holy light spread out from Gu Sheng, forming a gigantic golden pillar that reached from earth to sky.
The light shot into the heavens, punching a hole straight through the clouds above Spirit City.
Holy light surged wildly in every direction.
Wherever it passed, the shattered flagstones and charred earth were coated in a sacred golden radiance.
This power was free of impurities.
So pure it inspired awe.
Amid the waves of golden light spreading outward, one could even faintly hear ethereal chanting.
The pillar of holy light contracted violently in midair.
Then a deep rumble echoed above Spirit City.
The golden pillar that pierced the heavens suddenly exploded at its peak, breaking apart into countless dazzling specks of gold.
The specks poured down like a rainstorm, blanketing the entire ruined arena in an instant.
Beneath this irresistible light, the Shrek Seven Devils felt a crushing weight bearing down on them, like Mount Tai itself.
Dai Mubai's body lurched violently.
His Evil-Eyed White Tiger Martial Soul was a top-tier Power Attack System Beast Martial Soul. Yet at that moment, the proud white tiger couldn't even form a phantom in the air. It cowered inside him, desperately avoiding the light outside.
Dai Mubai's arms were charred black, bearing the wounds left by their earlier violent clash.
Under the immense pressure, his knees slammed into the hard, broken flagstones.
Sharp shards tore through his clothes and sank deep into his flesh.
Warm blood trickled down his calves, soaking the ground.
He clenched his teeth and braced his hands against the ground, trying to force himself back to his feet.
But the moment he lifted his knees half an inch, an invisible weight descended again, crushing him back into the rubble.
"Move!"
"Move, damn it!"
Dai Mubai roared inside his mind.
But his body refused to obey. He could only kneel there helplessly as blood spread across the shattered stones.
Ma Hongjun was in no better shape.
His Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul was like a natural enemy to this extreme holy light.
The purple flames he had once been so proud of were purified in an instant, leaving nothing behind.
His Martial Soul fell completely silent, like a fledgling cowering in a corner, trembling in the storm.
Ma Hongjun stared blankly at his trembling hands, confusion filling his eyes.
"My fire..."
"How is this possible..."
He muttered under his breath, unable to accept what had happened.
He was the Evil Fire Phoenix, master of flames, yet now he couldn't even conjure a spark.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes were half-closed, and her breathing grew ragged.
Her Nether Civet Martial Soul had curled up in a corner of her Martial Soul space, not even daring to lift its head.
Under the cover of this extreme light, her vision blurred.
It felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing her neck, choking the air from her lungs.
The sensation chilled her to the bone. She couldn't even muster the strength to fight back.
Xiao Wu fell to her knees, both hands pressed to her chest.
Her body trembled the hardest. Her once-lovely face had turned deathly pale, without a trace of color.
This extreme holy light was of a far higher order, and its suppression of Soul Beast bloodlines far surpassed its effect on ordinary human Soul Masters.
She felt her very soul tremble beneath the light.
Fear, rooted deep in her bones, left her unable to control her body. She could only collapse to the ground.
Oscar lay sprawled on the ground.
The Recovery Sausages and Detox Sausages he had made with Soul Power were scattered everywhere, quickly fading away under the holy light.
He tried to lift his head to see what was happening, but the crushing pressure on his neck left him staring only at the dirt in front of him.
"Damn it..."
"I can't even draw on a trace of Soul Power..."
He struggled desperately, but to no avail.
Ning Rongrong was just as helpless, sprawled among the rubble.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda inside her trembled continuously along her meridians. Its once-dazzling seven-colored radiance had dimmed until it was almost impossible to see.
She bit her lower lip hard. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back.
As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had never suffered such humiliation.
At the very front, Tang San dug his hands into the broken stones on the ground.
Blood seeped from all ten fingertips, strained by his desperate efforts, as they sank deep into the cracks between the stones.
The Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul inside him trembled incessantly.
It wasn't the tremor of defiant fighting spirit, but the instinctive quaking of a lower being before its superior.
The world's number-one Tool Martial Soul had lost all its pride at that moment.
"Why..."
"Why is he this strong..."
Tang San's voice was hoarse, and dried blood still clung to the corner of his mouth.
Steady footsteps sounded amid the ruins.
Gu Sheng strode forward and came to a stop in front of Tang San, unhurried.
His upper body was bare, and not a single mark marred his powerful muscles. In the holy light, they looked flawless as white jade.
Gu Sheng lowered his eyes and looked at Tang San struggling at his feet, his expression calm.
"Tang San."
"Your Martial Soul seems afraid of me."
His voice wasn't loud, but in the silent arena, it rang with unusual clarity.
Tang San didn't answer. He only stared at Gu Sheng's boots with bloodshot eyes.
Gu Sheng slowly spread his hands, letting golden holy light swirl around his fingertips.
He glanced around at the fallen members of Shrek, his tone casual.
"You should still have another trump card, right?"
"If you don't, you really won't get another chance."
"Why not try that Seven-in-One Fusion Skill again?"
"I can wait here while you finish."
At those words, the Shrek members looked even more grim.
After that last attack, most of their Soul Power had already been drained. Now they could barely even stand, so how could they possibly use their Fusion Skill again?
Gu Sheng looked at them in silence and shook his head slightly.
"Looks like you're out."
"In that case, I'll send you on your way."
Before you continue