Soul Absorption

"Heh, I'm more interested in your head!" Before Luo Ya could finish speaking, he kicked the dining table toward Ambux.

Ambux swung his sword at the tumbling table! A streak of flaming sword energy split it in two.

The sword energy shot toward Ambux in an instant,

but a sizzling sound came from Ambux's palm. The flaming sword energy slowly shrank in his hand until it turned into sparks.

His appearance changed dramatically. He grew to around three meters tall, with black fur, pointed ears, and a long, protruding muzzle.

A blue glow shone in his eyes. His body became that of a muscular kobold.

"Since you don't appreciate the chance I gave you, I'll just devour your soul."

As soon as Ambux finished speaking, he appeared beside Luo Ya and kicked. Luo Ya had no time to react before he was embedded in the wall, sending dust billowing everywhere.

But Luo Ya didn't fight back as he usually would after being kicked away. The agony from that simple blow was comparable to Ryujin Jakka.

As Luo Ya leaned on his sword and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, Ambux slowly walked up to him.

"Can you feel the pain of losing part of your soul? If you're willing to submit now, my offer still stands. You're much stronger than that idiot Seton.

"At least he passed out from the pain the first time he felt his soul being torn away."

"Heh, then I'll let you feel the pain of being burned by flames!" Luo Ya sheathed Ryujin Jakka and stared fixedly at Ambux.

"Fine. I'll remember you, delicious Black Flame Swordsman Luo Ya."

As soon as Ambux finished speaking, he appeared behind Luo Ya again and was about to punch him. But a ring of flaming sword energy forced him back.

Luo Ya took the opportunity to stamp down hard, and flames surged along Ryujin Jakka.

Fire Burning City Walls! A massive burst of flames erupted and slashed toward Ambux.

Of course, this move was unlikely to work against such a fast opponent. That was why Luo Ya rarely used it.

Still, although it couldn't deal much damage, it could drastically alter the terrain.

After all, a battlefield engulfed in flames gave Luo Ya a huge advantage.

With a single slash, the magnificent castle was quickly set ablaze, surrounded by a raging inferno.

Just as Luo Ya was pleased that his move had worked, the flames spiraled toward Ambux's claw at incredible speed.

In an instant, the flames were completely absorbed.

Ambux grinned and waved the sparks remaining in his claw. He bent his knees and sprang toward Luo Ya.

Clang! His Armament Haki-coated claw collided with Ryujin Jakka.

Ryujin Jakka, usually unstoppable, only managed to open a small cut in the black claw. Its temperature began to drop, and its once-solid form started turning transparent.

Drill Dragon Nail! Luo Ya quickly gathered Haki and kicked Ambux in the chest.

Ambux blocked the blow with his other claw. Using the force of the impact, Luo Ya swiftly retreated.

"What pure soul energy! That sword of yours is actually a soul blade?" Ambux looked delirious, like an addict who had just gotten his fix.

He stared intently at Ryujin Jakka in Luo Ya's hand.

"Ryujin Jakka seems pretty pleased with you, too. Heh." Luo Ya glanced at Ryujin Jakka, which was trembling after being stained with a little of Ambux's blood, and spoke to him.

"No wonder you refused to join me. Haha, but it doesn't matter. I'll rule the world with your soul!"

Ambux roared and sprang toward Luo Ya again.

Luo Ya held Ryujin Jakka level, and sixteen flaming blades instantly appeared around him, encircling him completely.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The sounds of collision rang out without pause. Ambux launched a relentless barrage of attacks, his body engulfed in blue flames.

His fists, elbows, knees, and teeth—every part of him became a weapon as he attacked Luo Ya.

The sixteen flaming blades formed an impenetrable defense. Protected by Infernal Fire Prison, Luo Ya attacked Ambux with wild abandon.

But after blue flames coiled around Ambux, every strike made a flaming blade vanish, even when it was blocked.

The two exchanged hundreds of blows, fighting from afternoon until daybreak as the sun slowly rose.

The battle finally came to an end with all the flaming blades around Luo Ya gone and several deep, bone-exposing wounds on Ambux's body.

They stared at each other, panting heavily. Ambux trembled slightly. His soul wounds and the searing pain from Ryujin Jakka had taken a heavy toll on him.

Luo Ya was also bleeding from his nose and mouth after taking several hits. His stamina had plummeted, and his soul wounds left him dazed and barely conscious.

"Do you know why Anubis is a Mythical Zoan? It's because he has the power to control souls. Your soul is already badly injured, isn't it?"

"Heh, anyone can talk. I'll cut you down soon enough."

"Haha, whether I absorb your flames or attack your soul by touching you, it's all thanks to this move: Soul Absorption. Normally, it only works through contact.

"But after I developed it to a new level, I figured out a new way to use it."

As Ambux spoke, he raised both arms high. The blue flames around him grew fiercer, and outside the ruined castle where they had fought, countless clumps of blue fire flew toward him like moths to a flame.

At last, the flames stopped, revealing Ambux, whose body had been completely restored.

"Did you think I kept these wretches around just to use them as food? Haha! In my kingdom, no one can defeat me!"

With his wounds healed, Ambux laughed and launched a fresh assault on Luo Ya.

Unable to use Infernal Fire Prison for the moment, Luo Ya was forced onto the defensive.

He blocked an elbow strike with his sword, only to be sent flying by the knee that followed.

"Close-quarters combat puts me at too much of a disadvantage. I have to take the initiative!" Luo Ya thought. As soon as he landed, he rolled away to create some distance.

He scrambled to his feet. Black flames roared around him, then were compressed in great quantities into Ryujin Jakka and disappeared.

Setting Sun Blade had originally been developed to counter opponents who were simply too powerful.

But later, when Ryujin Jakka recovered to three thousand degrees, the move became pointless. Ordinary flames could no longer raise its temperature, no matter how much they were compressed.

Compressing Black Flame into Ryujin Jakka was essentially infusing it with Haki and soul energy. The abandoned technique had been brought back to life.

Luo Ya swung Ryujin Jakka, now completely black, at Ambux. The air around the blade distorted from the heat.

Ambux's Observation Haki blared warnings. He dodged the slash sideways, but before he could counterattack,

Luo Ya slashed again, severing Ambux's left arm at the root. The wound instantly charred black, releasing the savory scent of roasted flesh, without a drop of blood spilling.

Ambux was ruthless. Even with his left arm gone, he clenched his teeth and gathered a mass of blue flames around his right fist.

He swung it hard at Luo Ya's temple.

With a bang, a dim flaming blade appeared and blocked Ambux's potentially fatal punch. Taking advantage of the fact that Ambux had committed to his move and could no longer change course,

Luo Ya swept his blade across Ambux's neck.

A sizzling sound rang out as a huge dog's head separated from his neck. Ambux's headless body crashed to the ground.

Smack! "Phew, I won." Luo Ya looked at Ambux's headless corpse, lit a cigarette, and slowly exhaled a plume of smoke to ease his exhaustion after the fierce battle.