Qian Renxue Understood! Huo Wu is Furious! I Want to See Rivers of Blood! This Guy is Acting Strange!

Seeing Qian Renxue step onto the arena once again, the audience below instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"Does he really refuse to give up until he's given away those one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins?"

"This brat is too hateful. Is he trying to pull the same trick again? Slapping the faces of all the Spirit Master contestants?"

"Hehehe, let them fight, let them fight!"

"I don't care about any Spirit Master honor; I want to see blood flowing like a river!"

The crowd below was a cacophony of noise, yet the two on the stage remained motionless.

The moment the referee's hand dropped, Huo Wu opened with an area-of-effect control spirit skill, without even a single superfluous opening remark, she instantly went all out!

Countless fireballs descended from the sky, sealing off Qian Renxue's room for movement.

The fireballs that struck the ground exploded, dealing area-of-effect damage.

Qian Renxue could not use her martial soul, nor could she activate any spirit skills; she could only parry and dodge with the greatsword in her hand.

A lock of hair behind her was even singed into curls, emitting a faint scent of burnt strands.

She was forced into a wretched state, her figure leaping and shifting across the arena looking increasingly strained.

"Arrogant fellow!"

"I told you I would make you pay a bloody price. Did you think this young lady was joking with you?"

Watching Qian Renxue refuse to release her martial soul or reveal her spirit skills even in such a predicament, a nameless fire surged in Huo Wu's heart.

"Second Spirit Skill—Fire Python!"

The flames surging around her body instantly transformed into a Fire Python as thick as a tree trunk, rushing straight toward Qian Renxue with its maw wide open.

The nearby unextinguished flames were swallowed up one by one, making the Fire Python grow larger and more imposing, its momentum terrifying.

Qian Renxue leaped, narrowly dodging the sweep of the Fire Python's tail.

But its blood-red maw lunged at her again.

She had no choice but to swing her sword, unleashing a blade of pure spirit power to force the Fire Python back half a step.

However, without the augmentation of spirit skills, the simple projection of spirit power consumed a massive amount of energy; just two strikes had already drained over half of her spirit power!

A few more exchanges, and she would inevitably be defeated by exhaustion!

Qian Renxue's heart began to grow restless.

She had to admit that, even as a three-ring Spirit Master, Huo Wu—who had been guided by famous masters since childhood and possessed the optimal spirit ring configuration—was more than a grade stronger than that youth with the ram horns from before.

Every strike hit her weak point, leaving no room for error and offering no chance to catch her breath.

"What? Have you forgotten the combat techniques your teacher taught you? Have you forgotten the principles of how those techniques operate?"

Seeing Qian Renxue in such a sorry state, Ling Xiao could not help but offer some guidance, his tone carrying a hint of frustration at her lack of progress.

"I sent you to the spirit fight to hone your combat skills and deepen your understanding of the battle qi system, not for you to stand here as a human punching bag!"

"This disciple understands... thank you for your guidance, Teacher!"

Qian Renxue instantly sobered up, her heart filled with regret.

How could she be so stupid?

Teacher said she was not allowed to use her martial soul, spirit skills, or combat techniques, but he never said she couldn't learn from them!

Why had she been so stubborn, relying only on brute force and instinct to endure?

Qian Renxue quickly retraced in her mind the content Ling Xiao had explained to her previously:

The essence of combat techniques is to circulate battle qi along specific meridians, using different combinations of paths and acupuncture points to unleash various effects.

Spirit skills operated on the same principle;

when absorbing a spirit ring, specific meridians were opened, and the method of circulation was branded into the body, flowing automatically like instinct when used.

Ling Xiao had meticulously gone over most of the human body's meridians and acupuncture points with her, yet despite such clear guidance, she had failed to see her teacher's painstaking efforts from start to finish.

Thinking of this, Qian Renxue wanted to slap herself.

But there was no time left for regret.

The Fire Python struck again.

Qian Renxue calmed her heart, channeling her soul power along specific meridians and injecting it into her arm through several key acupoints.

Then, she swung her sword!

The sword light tore through the air, its power unexpectedly thirty percent greater than before!

It forced the Fire Python back by sheer strength!

Qian Renxue felt a surge of joy, her spirit greatly invigorated.

The Fire Python spat flames and lunged once more.

She channeled her soul power along a different path into her legs, and her footwork instantly became countless times more agile than before.

She slid past the Fire Python like a fish in water.

After several exchanges—

Though she remained in a sorry state, she had managed to hold her ground against the Fire Python's onslaught!

Huo Wu's brows were tightly locked; the longer the fight went on, the more wrong it felt.

Clearly, the person opposite her had been on the verge of collapse, so why had they suddenly perked up, their footwork and sword techniques seemingly improving by a significant margin out of thin air?

The audience below, who had assumed the outcome was decided, jumped up and began to curse loudly upon seeing the attacks blocked once again:

"What the hell! Is this rigged?"

"Are they cheating?"

Those who had previously cheered for Huo Wu due to the reputation of Blazing Fire Academy could not help but turn against her and start hurling accusations.

Huo Wushuang and the other members of Blazing Fire Academy also widened their eyes.

"This guy... could it be that they were hiding their strength all along?"

"Are they using a soul skill? But there's no soul ring fluctuation..."

"No."

Feng Xiaotian shook his head, his expression grave.

"Something is wrong with this guy—"

"It looks like... they are attempting a Self-Created Soul Skill!"

He also possessed a Self-Created Soul Skill, so he was quite familiar with that sensation.

Although it was still a notch below a true Self-Created Soul Skill, the trend was already there.

"A Self-Created Soul Skill?"

Huo Wushuang froze for a moment, then gasped.

This wasn't something an ordinary person could handle; the genius Feng beside him was a living example.

With Innate Full Soul Power and exceptional talent, he had plunged headfirst into the pit of Self-Created Soul Skills, wasting so much cultivation time that he had been scolded by the dean of Godwind Academy countless times!

Could it be that this person on the stage, who hadn't summoned their martial soul or revealed a soul skill from start to finish, was doing it all just to develop a Self-Created Soul Skill?

Another madman just like Feng Xiaotian?

On the stage, after these few rounds of probing, Huo Wu vaguely began to see what was happening.

And it was precisely because she realized this that her rage burned even more uncontrollably.

The opponent was actually using her as a whetstone.

She, the dignified Flame Queen, was merely a stepping stone for someone to temper their soul skill?

Was she so unworthy of being taken seriously?

Preposterous!

If this had happened to someone else, she might have applauded or even cheered for them.

But for this to happen to her... it was absolutely intolerable!

"Do you think a Self-Created Soul Skill can be achieved overnight? Treating the Soul Fighting Arena as a training ground and using me as a whetstone!"

"You have some nerve!"

Huo Wu's voice hissed through her teeth, every word sparking with fury, "You want a Self-Created Soul Skill, do you?"

"Fine!"

"I will let you see with your own eyes what a real Self-Created Soul Skill looks like!"

She was furious.

She was truly furious.

She wanted to make her opponent pay for this arrogance, and she wanted to defeat him with the very Self-Created Soul Skill he dreamed of attaining!

"Third Soul Skill—Repulsive Fire Ring!"

Her third soul ring suddenly flared with light.

A massive pillar of fire erupted from beneath Huo Wu's feet, and a violent shockwave swept outward in all directions with her at its center.

Qian Renxue had not even managed to steady herself before she was violently sent flying by this irresistible force.

She retreated six or seven meters before barely managing to brake her momentum with her sword!

Yet, Huo Wu did not pursue.

She used the space cleared by the Repulsive Fire Ring to trade space for time, buying herself the window needed to unleash her Self-Created Soul Skill.

"Ring Fusion!"

Huo Wu let out a low shout as the three soul rings on her body flashed simultaneously, drawing close, intertwining, and finally merging into one!

An aura far surpassing that of a Soul Elder suddenly erupted from her body!