Soul Battle

"This—this!" Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, his face filled with shock as though struck by lightning. His body trembled involuntarily. He stared fixedly at Gu Hengzhi's martial soul, a storm raging in his heart. Is this why statue-type martial souls are destined to become Title Douluo? Sigh... what a pity. Such a perfect uncut jade, yet because of flaws in his character and the lack of guidance from a theoretical master like me, he will sooner or later go astray. Sigh...

As the one-minute countdown ended, Gu Hengzhi did not hesitate in the slightest. Determination gleamed in his eyes as he took the initiative. He shouted, "First Soul Skill—God-Summoning! Earth Spike Technique!"

Gu Hengzhi slammed his palm against the ground, and powerful Soul Power surged into the earth like crashing waves. In an instant, the ground shook violently, as if countless massive beasts were roaring beneath it. Then, a row of sharp Earth Spikes burst from the ground like bamboo shoots after rain, hurtling toward Tang San like lightning with fierce momentum.

A flicker of surprise crossed Tang San's eyes, but he reacted swiftly. He swung the Blue Silver Grass in his hand, and it coiled tightly around an Earth Spike like an agile snake. Then he pushed off hard with both legs, borrowing the spike's force to leap lightly into the air like a swallow, narrowly evading the attack.

Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were both secretly stunned. The last time they had seen Gu Hengzhi fight, they had assumed his first Soul Skill was merely a simple Earth Wall Technique. They had never expected him to possess such a formidable Self-Created Soul Skill as well.

"What a Gu Hengzhi. This must be a Self-Created Soul Skill, right?" Yu Xiaogang had studied martial souls for years, so he had naturally heard of Self-Created Soul Skills. Excitement gleamed in his gaze, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.

When his strike missed, Gu Hengzhi curled his lips into a faint sneer. He used his Soul Skill again, sinking the Earth Spikes back into the ground. Then, vast amounts of earth element began gathering above him, billowing upward like thick smoke. Before long, they condensed into several enormous Earth Balls and sharp Earth Spikes, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Tang San did not dare let down his guard. He hurriedly circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and Soul Power churned through his body like boiling water. Immediately afterward, he unleashed the Tang Sect's secret technique—Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. His body flickered like a phantom as he attempted to evade the incoming assault.

"Heh, do you think that will let you escape?" Gu Hengzhi sneered, waving his right hand as though he controlled the entire battlefield. The ground beneath Tang San suddenly shook violently, as if a terrifying earthquake had struck. Although Tang San's speed had increased under the effects of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, it still seemed insignificant before this overwhelming force.

Then, dense Earth Balls and Earth Spikes descended upon Tang San like falling meteors. They carried incomparable force, as if they intended to pound him into minced meat. Tang San struggled to dodge amid the overwhelming barrage. Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead, and his breathing grew rapid.

Tang San's body moved like a phantom. As Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track unfolded, he became an agile afterimage, consecutively evading several Earth Balls and Earth Spikes. However, his limited speed was an unavoidable reality. In the end, an Earth Spike shot toward him like lightning, leaving him nowhere to flee. Just as it was about to pierce Tang San's chest and the referee was about to intervene, a crisp clang rang out and sparks flew. The Earth Spike was forcibly knocked off its original path, grazing Tang San's sleeve by a hair's breadth.

Others might not have noticed that scene, but Gu Hengzhi saw it clearly. He knew that the Earth Spike had deviated only because Tang San had used a Tang Sect hidden weapon—the Silent Sleeve Arrow.

"Good! You even used hidden weapons!" Gu Hengzhi was about to launch another wave of attacks when Tang San struck first. Tang San's first Soul Ring suddenly lit up, and a thick Blue Silver Grass vine writhed like a python, sweeping toward Gu Hengzhi with fierce force.

Gu Hengzhi remained calm in the face of danger. With a wave of his right hand, a solid Earth Wall Technique rose instantly and blocked the Blue Silver Grass vine's path. The vine coiled around it, and as its force continued to increase, the earth wall began to sway precariously. Clumps of dirt fell away one after another.

"Oh—" Gu Hengzhi exclaimed, "This Blue Silver Grass vine is truly quite powerful. Judging from the effect of this Soul Skill, Tang San's first Soul Ring must have come from a snake-type soul beast over a hundred years old, and most likely a python."

No sooner had he spoken than Gu Hengzhi waved his right hand again. The previously rock-solid earth wall shattered instantly, turning into countless fine particles that swept outward like a sandstorm, engulfing the entire battleground in dense dust. The spectators outside the arena and the referee within it could not open their eyes against the windblown sand. Tears welled in their eyes, and they could not see the situation on the field at all. Tang San could only rely on the Purple Demon Eyes driven by the Mysterious Heaven Skill to barely see within a five-meter radius around himself. Anything farther away was a blur.

Gu Hengzhi concealed himself within the sandstorm like a phantom. Drawing upon the power of the Earth Vein, he darted around Tang San's side like the wind, occasionally launching Earth Spike and Earth Thorn attacks that were impossible to guard against. Suddenly, he kicked off hard with both legs and threw a punch toward Tang San's face like a cannonball.

However, Tang San was indeed no weakling. The moment Gu Hengzhi attacked, Tang San detected it. Tang San activated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, gathering Soul Power into his palms like a raging flood. His hands became icy and white as jade. Gu Hengzhi's full-force strike collided head-on with the Tang Sect's secret technique—Mysterious Jade Hand. Not only did he fail to gain any advantage, the impact even left his hand aching.

Gu Hengzhi was not discouraged. In an instant, he gathered earth element around his right foot like a vortex, then spun with the motion and unleashed a flying kick like a whirlwind. This time, Earth Element Bodyguard clashed directly with the Tang Sect's Mysterious Jade Hand. Gu Hengzhi finally gained a slight advantage, sending Tang San staggering back repeatedly.

No, with my current abilities, I have no chance of defeating him. I have to use hidden weapons. A sinister smile appeared on Tang San's face, like that of a cunning venomous snake. Besides, we're inside the sandstorm he created himself. No one will notice.

Not far away, Gu Hengzhi naturally caught Tang San's sinister, calculating smile, one utterly unsuited to his age. Before he could react, a flying knife streaked toward him like lightning. Gu Hengzhi hurriedly used Earth Vein Acceleration and narrowly dodged the strike, though a startling line of blood was still left across the tip of his nose. Immediately afterward, several more flying knives came hurtling toward him like a violent storm. Gu Hengzhi had no time to think. He hastily used the Earth Wall Technique and his movement technique, dodging in a miserable scramble.