Schemes and Devouring

The yellow gem's energy surged into his feet, forming a pair of streamlined metal battle boots. Pale cyan jets blasted from the heels, abruptly increasing his speed by more than thirty percent. He darted ghostlike through the gaps in the web of tentacles. Though danger still surrounded him at every turn, he always evaded the deadly coils by a hair's breadth.

At the same time, the "Directional Wind Pressure" Soul Tool he had deployed earlier switched modes, splitting into several powerful compressed-air blades. Together with the Blade Whip in his hand, they precisely sliced apart and detonated the small tentacles attacking from blind spots.

For a time, the arena became a chaotic blur of light and shadow. The clang of metal, the bursting of tentacles, and the hum of Soul Tools intertwined. Li Xiaochen was like a lone boat in a raging storm, seeming as though he might capsize at any moment, yet always finding a slim chance at survival amid the crashing waves through exquisite Soul Tool control and prediction.

Hai Qiunan frowned deeply. He had not expected a Soul Engineer like his opponent to possess such exceptional close-range evasion and instant reactions. On top of that, Li Xiaochen had numerous Soul Tools and used them flexibly, actually managing to withstand the Thousand-Tentacle Strangulation Formation that was enough to trap and kill an ordinary Soul Sage. Although Li Xiaochen's Soul Power consumption was surely considerable, maintaining such a large-scale soul skill was equally taxing for Hai Qiunan.

I can't let him drag this into a war of attrition. His Soul Tool reserves and devouring ability are troublesome. Hai Qiunan's thoughts raced, and a fierce glint flashed through his eyes as he finally decided to use his core power.

He drew a deep breath. The fifth soul ring beneath his