"Boom!"
The energy wave exploded against the great tree behind him. The enormous tree, so thick it would take two people to wrap their arms around it, had been blasted clean through, sending charred wood chips flying everywhere.
What a domineering attack!
Ye Feng was horrified and didn't dare linger for even a moment.
He sprang to his feet with a roll and beckoned with his right hand. A brilliant golden Light Blade, formed entirely from pure light-attribute Soul Power, instantly appeared in his grasp.
He couldn't keep running!
This Ghost Tiger was clearly much faster than him. If he kept fleeing, he would only be worn down until he died!
His only choice was to fight!
"Radiant Body!"
With a low shout, the First Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up, and a layer of pale golden light instantly enveloped his entire body.
That familiar warmth flowed through every limb and bone, and his strength and defense surged by thirty percent in an instant!
As the Ghost Tiger once again pounced at him like a fading shadow, Ye Feng didn't retreat this time.
He stamped both feet against the ground and charged forward instead of back. The Light Blade in his hand traced an extremely tricky arc through the air, its sharp whoosh cutting through the wind as he aimed straight for the Ghost Tiger's seemingly vulnerable neck.
He would use his strongest attack to test the depths of this thousand-year Soul Beast!
"Clang!"
An ear-piercing clash of metal rang out.
Ye Feng's Light Blade, infused with all his Soul Power, struck the Ghost Tiger's neck squarely. Yet it only cut off a few purple-black hairs and left behind a shallow white mark; it hadn't even broken the skin.
An irresistible, terrifying force surged back along the hilt.
Ye Feng felt as though his right arm had been smashed by a ten-thousand-jin hammer. His palm split open in an instant, blood streaming from the web between his thumb and forefinger.
The violent force sent him stumbling backward, unable to control his body. He retreated seven or eight steps before barely managing to steady himself.
What an incredibly tough defense!
And this was even with the boost from Radiant Body!
The Ghost Tiger seemed to have been thoroughly enraged by that provocative strike. The bloodthirsty madness in its crimson eyes grew even more intense.
It threw back its head and let out a roar that shook the mountains and forests. Its body suddenly blurred in a strange, wavering distortion.
The next second, a sight that nearly scared Ye Feng out of his wits unfolded before him.
Two identical Ghost Tigers appeared without warning on either side of him. Their chilling killing intent pressed down like two mountains, completely sealing off every path of escape.
Shadow Clone!
Ye Feng's heart sank to the bottom in that instant.
He pushed the Pupil of Light Dawn to its limits. Brilliant golden light swirled wildly deep within his eyes as he tried to tell which one was the real body and which was the clone.
Yet in his perception, the two Ghost Tigers' auras, energy fluctuations, and even the savage pressure they exuded were exactly the same!
There was no way to tell them apart!
This wasn't an ordinary illusion! It was an energy clone capable of physical attacks!
There was no time to think. The two Ghost Tigers attacked simultaneously from completely different directions, each launching a deadly pounce! Their foul, rancid breath struck him head-on, nearly choking him.
Ye Feng gritted his teeth. The Soul Power already surging through his body was squeezed to its absolute limit, pouring frantically into the Light Blade in his hand.
The Light Blade instantly extended to more than a meter, blazing with golden light as he swept it violently across, hoping to force both Ghost Tigers back with a sweeping attack.
"Bang!"
The Ghost Tiger on the left was struck by the raging Light Blade. Its massive body couldn't resist even a little before bursting into a dense cloud of black mist and vanishing into the air.
It was the clone!
But in the very instant Ye Feng recognized the clone, the real Ghost Tiger on his right brought down its sharp, hooked claws. They tore through the air, broke through the hurriedly raised defense, and slammed hard into his chest.
"Crack!"
A sharp, teeth-grating crunch rang out.
The savage claw ripped three terrifying gashes into his chest, deep enough to expose bone.
Ye Feng flew back more than ten meters as if he'd been struck by a raging giant elephant. He could no longer hold back a mouthful of blood, which sprayed through the air and scattered in a streak of ghastly red.
His internal organs seemed to have been knocked out of place by that single blow. A tearing pain swept through his entire body.
If not for the peak thirty-percent boost to his defense from Radiant Body, that single claw would have ripped him open on the spot!
After landing its attack, the Ghost Tiger didn't pause for even a moment. A trace of almost human cruelty flashed in its bloodthirsty eyes.
It drove off with all four limbs. Its massive body once again became a purple-black bolt of lightning, racing toward Ye Feng as he hit the ground.
Despair!
Utter and complete despair!
Ye Feng struggled to get up, but the pain in his chest left him unable to manage even the simplest movement.
He could only watch the shadow of death rapidly grow larger in his vision. For the first time, the chill of death enveloped him so clearly.
Was he really going to die here?
No!
A fierce, unyielding defiance welled up from the depths of his soul, instantly crushing all the pain and fear.
He still had one trump card!
Baptism of Holy Light!
In the instant before the Ghost Tiger's claws, strong enough to tear through steel, touched his face, Ye Feng abandoned all defense and evasion. A resolute, frenzied light flashed in his eyes.
His already unfocused pupils suddenly erupted with a dazzling golden brilliance unlike anything before!
In that moment, he squeezed every last drop of Soul Power from his body without holding anything back!
His Soul Power, already nearly depleted, seemed to receive a shot of adrenaline. It boiled and burned in a near-suicidal frenzy!
His hands crossed rapidly before his chest, fingers flickering so quickly that they left afterimages.
Countless fine, hair-thin specks of golden light poured wildly from his palms. Following an arcane and complicated pattern, they quickly gathered and compressed between his hands!
At first, the ball of light was only as large as a fist, but the energy it contained surged wildly, multiplying geometrically!
It was no longer mere light, but a nearly solid, destructive crystal of energy!
For the first time, a flicker of doubt and unease appeared in the Ghost Tiger's bloodthirsty eyes.
From that tiny golden orb, it sensed a terrifying aura powerful enough to threaten its life.
But with the arrow already on the string, it had no choice but to let it fly!
It roared and accelerated once more. A layer of dark, black light appeared over its claws: its strongest attack skill—Shadow Soul-Shattering Claw!
At that very moment, Ye Feng thrust both palms forward!
"Baptism of Holy Light!"
A furious roar, brimming with madness and resolve, rang across the entire Sunset Forest!
A dazzling golden beam of light, condensed until it seemed almost solid, blasted forth from his palms!
Wherever the beam passed, the air instantly evaporated and the ground was plowed into a deep trench. Every blade of grass and tree in its path turned to ash the moment it touched the beam!
This was his true trump card!
Before you continue