Outbreak in Despair, Baptism of Holy Light

"BOOM!"

The energy wave detonated against the tree behind him; the massive trunk, which would have required two men to encircle, was blasted clean through, leaving a gaping hole as charred wood chips rained down like a storm.

What an overbearing attack!

Ye Feng felt a jolt of terror in his heart and dared not linger for even a second.

He sprang up from the ground in a roll, his right hand beckoning into the void, and a brilliant golden Light Blade, forged entirely from pure radiant soul power, instantly materialized in his grasp.

He could run no longer!

The Ghost Tiger's speed was clearly far superior to his own; to continue fleeing blindly would only result in being worn down until he died!

He had no choice but to fight!

"Radiant Body!"

With a low shout, the first soul ring beneath his feet flared, and a layer of pale golden light instantly enveloped his entire body.

A familiar warmth surged through his limbs and bones, and his strength and defense skyrocketed by thirty percent in an instant!

Facing the Ghost Tiger as it transformed into a blur once more to pounce, Ye Feng did not choose to retreat this time.

He stomped his feet into the earth, surging forward instead of back, and swung his Light Blade in a cunning arc. It cut through the air with a sharp, whistling shriek, aiming straight for the seemingly vulnerable neck of the Ghost Tiger.

He had to use his strongest attack to test the limits of this thousand-year soul beast!

"CLANG!"

A sound like metal striking metal, piercing to the extreme, exploded outward.

The Light Blade, condensed with all of Ye Feng's soul power, struck the Ghost Tiger's neck squarely, yet it only managed to sever a few purple-black hairs and leave a faint white mark, failing to even break its skin.

An irresistible, terrifying force surged back through the hilt of the blade.

Ye Feng felt as if his right arm had been struck by a ten-thousand-pound hammer; the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open instantly, blood streaming down.

The violent force sent him reeling, his balance shattered, and he stumbled back seven or eight steps before barely managing to steady himself.

What impenetrable defense!

And this was even with the amplification of "Radiant Body"!

The Ghost Tiger seemed thoroughly enraged by this provocative strike, the blood-red light in its beastly eyes burning with even greater, bloodthirsty madness.

It tilted its head back and let out a roar that shook the entire forest, its body suddenly blurring in a bizarre fashion.

The next second, a sight that made Ye Feng's soul tremble occurred.

Two identical Ghost Tigers appeared simultaneously on his left and right without warning, their chilling killing intent like two massive mountains, sealing off every path of retreat.

Shadow Clone!

Ye Feng's heart sank to the bottom of his chest in that instant.

He pushed his Pupil of Light Dawn to its limit, brilliant golden light swirling frantically deep within his eyes as he tried to discern which was the true body and which was the clone.

Yet, to his senses, the aura, energy fluctuations, and even the fierce, oppressive pressure radiating from both tigers were exactly the same!

It was impossible to tell them apart!

This was no ordinary illusion! These were energy clones capable of physical attacks!

There was no time to think; the two Ghost Tigers on his left and right launched their lethal pounce from two completely different directions at once! A foul, fishy wind rushed toward him, nearly suffocating him.

Ye Feng gritted his teeth, squeezing the already surging soul power within his body to its absolute limit and pouring it frantically into the Light Blade.

The blade instantly expanded to over a meter in length, glowing with intense golden light, and he swept it out in a wide arc, attempting to force both tigers back with a single area-of-effect strike.

"BANG!"

The Ghost Tiger on the left was struck by the violent blade; its massive body offered no resistance, exploding into a thick cloud of black mist that dissipated into the air.

It was a clone!

But the very moment Ye Feng identified the clone, the true body on his right—its sharp, barbed tiger claws already having shredded the air and bypassed his hastily erected defenses—slammed heavily into his chest.

"CRACK!"

A sickening, brittle sound echoed out.

The violent claw had carved three terrifying, bone-deep gashes into his chest.

Ye Feng was sent flying over ten meters like a ragdoll struck by a rampaging giant elephant; he could no longer suppress the blood in his throat, and it sprayed out in a tragic, vivid crimson mist across the air.

His internal organs felt as though they had been displaced by the impact, and a heart-rending, agonizing pain swept through his entire body.

Had it not been for the thirty percent peak defense provided by "Radiant Body," that single claw would have been enough to disembowel him on the spot!

The Ghost Tiger, having landed its blow, did not pause for a moment, a flicker of human-like cruelty flashing in its bloodthirsty eyes.

It pushed off with all four limbs, its massive body once again transforming into a purple-black bolt of lightning as it pursued the fallen Ye Feng.

A desperate situation!

A truly hopeless, desperate situation!

Ye Feng struggled to crawl to his feet, but the excruciating pain radiating from his chest made even the simplest movement impossible.

Watching the shadow of death rapidly expand in his field of vision, the chill of mortality enveloped him with unprecedented clarity for the first time.

Could it be that he was going to die here?

No!

A surge of unwillingness and madness, originating from the depths of his soul, instantly overwhelmed all pain and fear.

He still had a trump card!

Baptism of Holy Light!

At the very moment the Ghost Tiger's claws, sharp enough to rend steel, were about to touch his face, Ye Feng abandoned all defense and evasion, a flash of resolute madness crossing his eyes.

Those pupils, which had already begun to lose focus, suddenly erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant golden light!

The soul power within his body was squeezed out without reservation at this very moment!

His soul power, already depleted, seemed to be injected with a stimulant, boiling and burning in a self-destructive manner!

His hands crossed rapidly before his chest, his ten fingers dancing so fast they left behind afterimages.

Countless fine, hair-like golden light particles surged madly from his palms, rapidly condensing and compressing between them in an arcane and complex trajectory!

The ball of light was only the size of a fist at first, but the energy fluctuations it contained were climbing at a geometric rate!

It was no longer mere light, but a nearly solid, destructive crystal of energy!

For the first time, a trace of suspicion and unease flickered in the Ghost Tiger's bloodthirsty beastly eyes.

It sensed a terrifying aura from that small golden orb, one capable of threatening its very life.

But the arrow was on the string; it had to be fired!

It let out a roar, its speed increasing by another third, and a layer of dark, gloomy light emerged upon its claws—this was its strongest offensive skill: Shadow Soul-Shattering Claw!

Just at this moment, Ye Feng thrust his palms forward violently!

"Baptism of Holy Light!"

A roar mixed with endless madness and resolve resounded throughout the entire Sunset Forest!

A pillar of golden light, condensed to the point of being tangible and brilliant to the extreme, blasted forth from his palms!

Wherever the beam passed, the air was instantly vaporized, a deep trench was plowed into the ground, and all vegetation along the path turned to fly ash the moment it made contact!

This was his true trump card!