Soul Battle

"This—this!" Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened in shock, his body trembling uncontrollably as though he had been struck by lightning. He stared fixedly at Gu Hengzhi's martial soul, waves crashing through his heart. Is this why idol-type martial souls are destined to become Title Douluos? Sigh... What a pity. Such a flawless piece of uncut jade, yet because of his personality flaws and the lack of guidance from a theoretical master like me, he'll 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 made the first move. He shouted, "First Soul Skill—God-Summoning! Earth Spike Technique!"

Gu Hengzhi slammed a palm against the ground, and a powerful surge of soul power flowed into the earth like raging waves. In an instant, the ground shook violently, as though countless beasts were roaring beneath it. Then, rows of sharp earth spikes burst from the ground like bamboo shoots after rain, shooting toward Tang San with lightning speed.

A flicker of surprise passed through Tang San's eyes, but he reacted swiftly. He swung the Blue Silver Grass in his hand, wrapping it tightly around an earth spike like a nimble snake. Then he pushed off hard with both legs, using the spike's force to leap lightly into the air like a swallow and deftly evade the attack.

Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were both secretly stunned. The last time they had seen Gu Hengzhi make a move, they had assumed his first Soul Skill was merely the 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 many years, so he had naturally heard of self-created Soul Skills. Excitement glimmered in his eyes, as though he had discovered a priceless treasure.

When his attack failed to hit, the corners of Gu Hengzhi's mouth rose slightly into a cold smile. He used his Soul Skill again, sinking the earth spikes back into the ground. Then, a large amount of earth element began gathering above him, rising like billowing smoke. Before long, it condensed into several enormous earth balls and sharp earth spikes, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Tang San did not dare to slack off in the slightest. He hurriedly circulated the Mysterious Heaven Technique, and the soul power throughout his body surged like boiling water. Then he used the Tang Sect's secret technique—the Ghost Shadow Traceless Step. His figure flickered like a ghost as he attempted to evade the incoming assault.

"Heh, do you think that'll 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. Though Tang San's speed had increased with the Ghost Shadow Traceless Step, it was still insignificant before such overwhelming power.

Immediately afterward, dense earth balls and earth spikes rained down upon Tang San like meteors. Carrying incomparably terrifying force, they seemed intent on smashing him into pulp. Tang San struggled to dodge amid the all-encompassing barrage. Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead, and his breathing became hurried.

Tang San moved like a phantom, the Ghost Shadow Traceless Step unfolding as a nimble afterimage while he consecutively dodged several earth balls and earth spikes. However, the limits of his speed were undeniable. In the end, an earth spike shot at him like lightning, leaving him nowhere to evade. At the critical instant when it was about to pierce Tang San's chest and the referee was about to intervene, a crisp clang rang out, sparks flying everywhere. The earth spike was forcibly knocked off its original trajectory, grazing Tang San's sleeve in a narrow escape.

Others might not have noticed that scene, but Gu Hengzhi saw it clearly. He knew that the earth spike had veered off course because Tang San had used a Tang Sect concealed weapon—the Silent Sleeve Arrow.

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

Gu Hengzhi remained calm in the face of danger. With a wave of his right hand, a sturdy Earth Wall Technique rose instantly, blocking the Blue Silver Grass vine's path. The vine promptly coiled around it, and as more force was exerted, the earthen wall began to sway precariously, chunks of dirt falling away.

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

In the blink of an eye, Gu Hengzhi waved his right hand again. The earth wall, once solid as a rock, instantly shattered into countless fine particles, sweeping outward like a sandstorm and shrouding the entire battlefield in dust. The spectators outside the arena and the referee within it were blinded by the wind and sand, tears welling in their eyes as they became completely unable to see the situation inside. Tang San could only rely on the Purple Demon Eyes powered by the Mysterious Heaven Technique to barely see within five meters around himself; anything farther was blurred beyond recognition.

Gu Hengzhi hid within the sandstorm like a ghost, using the power of the Earth Vein to dart around Tang San's side at blinding speed. From time to time, he unleashed moves such as earth spikes, making him impossible to guard against. Suddenly, he kicked off hard with both legs and launched a punch like a cannonball at Tang San's face.

However, Tang San was truly no weakling. Gu Hengzhi's attack was detected the instant he made his move. Tang San circulated the Mysterious Heaven Technique, gathering soul power in his palms like a surging flood. His hands turned icy white, as clear as jade. Gu Hengzhi's full-force strike collided head-on with the Tang Sect's secret technique—the Mysterious Jade Hand. Not only did he gain no advantage, but 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 sent out a flying kick like a whirlwind. This time, the Earth Element Bodyguard clashed directly with the Tang Sect's Mysterious Jade Hand. Gu Hengzhi finally gained a slight advantage, knocking Tang San back again and again.

"No, with my current ability, I have absolutely no chance of defeating him. I have to use concealed weapons." A sinister smile appeared on Tang San's face, like that of a cunning venomous snake. "Since I'm inside the sandstorm he created himself, no one will discover it."

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