Dangerous Opponents

"It really can recharge when attacked," Xiao He thought to himself. If that's the case, then this Charge Hero is quite troublesome.

If it were someone else, being hit by more than two charged attacks from the opponent would be very dangerous.

The guys on this team are all eccentric, but they're actually pretty good.

At this moment, Charge Hero got into position, then placed one hand on the ground and fired the first charge.

Using the force of the attack, Charge Hero dashed to Xiao He's side and unleashed a second Charge.

"The energy can only be concentrated in the fist, not released through the feet," Xiao He silently recorded the information.

The Charge Hero was incredibly fast, as if he was afraid of missing his attack, but Xiao He had no intention of dodging at all. The moment the opponent's fist came, he lightly tapped the inside of the opponent's arm, causing the punch to deflect and glide past his cheek.

However, the Charge Hero was too fast and couldn't stop, so he crashed headfirst into Xiao He's head.

"Clang!" The sound of a bell rang out, and the Charge Hero arched his limbs like a frog hitting a wall, then fell to the ground with a "thud" and stopped moving.

This sudden change stunned Xiao He and the audience.

"This..." The host stammered for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "What an unexpected development! Charge Hero actually ran headfirst into Yinglong and knocked himself unconscious! To be honest, when I first saw Charge Hero repel Yinglong, I thought, 'Has someone finally broken this myth?' But then..."

The host tried his best to smooth things over, while medical staff came forward and carried the Charge Hero away.

"So this means we've figured out his abilities, right?" Xiao He thought to himself, a little embarrassed, as he touched his neck.

"In the third match between Dragon Country and our team, Dragon Country will once again be represented by Yinglong. Good heavens, it seems Yinglong intends to stay in the arena all day long. Is there really no one who can kick him off?" The host hyped up the atmosphere.

"Next up is our team's third member, let's give a round of applause to Soul Blade!" the host announced as the new member entered the stage.

When this man appeared, Xiao He felt a sense of threat.

This was a man in his mid-twenties, wearing a red yukata. He was about 1.75 meters tall, not particularly tall or strong, but his eyes were very sharp and his smile was very cheerful. He had two samurai swords, one long and one short, hanging at his waist.

"A dangerous fellow is coming," Xiao He frowned and thought to himself.

His intuition told him that the man in front of him, despite his hearty laugh, was dangerous, probably the most dangerous person he had ever fought.

The other person greeted him with a smile, "I've heard about you!"

Soul Blade's voice was loud and clear, as cheerful as his smile, suggesting he was a straightforward person.

"I admire you for standing up and protecting others in the face of natural disasters!" Soul Blade's expression was devoid of any gloom, clearly showing that he meant it sincerely. "I hope for a truly exhilarating battle!"

After saying that, Soul Blade got into position, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"What is his Superpower?" Xiao He was pondering when Soul Blade spoke up, "My Superpower is to transform my heart, my will, and my soul into the blade in my hand! The stronger my will, the sharper my blade! So, please be careful, don't let your guard down like you did in the previous battles and allow me to attack you, or you might die!"

"This guy, should I call him naive, or upright and honest?" Xiao He was becoming quite interested in this fellow.

"Here you are!" Soul Blade's expression turned serious, and then he instantly appeared in front of Xiao He: Draw-Cut!

The sword Draw-Cut was so fast that Xiao He didn't even have time to blink before he was sent flying.

Xiao He adjusted his posture in mid-air, used one hand to support himself on the ground, and leaped back to land steadily. He then looked down at his body. A cut had spread from his left waist to his right shoulder, and blood was now oozing from the wound. The wound gradually changed from being icy cold to burning with intense pain.

Xiao He gritted his teeth and gasped, "Wow!"

But then Xiao He realized something was wrong. "Oh no! I've lost my mating rights!"

Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. Xiao He used Entropy Reduction on himself, and his body began to repeat its previous movements, returning to the Soul Blade. The Soul Blade was taken aback, but Xiao He had already thrown a punch.

Soul Blade slightly turned his body and used the blade to block Xiao He's arm, deflecting his punch. He then turned around and struck Xiao He's chest with the hilt of his sword, but he himself was knocked back a step by the impact.

As he retreated, the Soul Blade slashed down, its silver light flashing past Xiao He's shoulder.

However, this time, the slash did not harm Xiao He 'Xiao He body. The previous slash had only caused superficial wounds because of the effect of the Draw-Cut. The Draw-Cut greatly increased his speed and attack power, but a normal slash could not break through Xiao He's body defenses.

However, Xiao He could still feel the pain; being slashed by a knife was significantly more painful than being punched.

"As expected of Yinglong, it's really tough!" Soul Blade laughed, raising the katana in his hand.

Xiao He then noticed that his blade was shimmering with starlight, as if the blade contained the universe.

However, Soul Blade's short katana hasn't been drawn yet. So Xiao He knows he hasn't used his full strength, and decides to force the opponent to draw his katana first.

Therefore, Xiao He raised his hand towards the Soul Blade, intending to use his Psychokinesis to grab it.

But as soon as he raised his hand, the Soul Blade began to move nimbly.

"Very experienced," Xiao He thought to himself.

Although Psychokinesis is invisible, it actually attacks the direction in which the Superpower's hand is pointing.

In other words, as long as you avoid the direction the opponent's hand is pointing, you won't be caught. Moreover, there is a brief delay in the formation of Psychokinesis, so as long as you keep moving, you won't be caught by Psychokinesis. The Soul Blade kept moving rapidly, and the posture of holding the sword with both hands was slightly adjusted, so that the blade was now angled.

"It's going to slash upwards diagonally," Xiao He thought to himself, raising his arms to prepare for defense.

However, the moment the Soul Blade was swung, the blade adjusted its trajectory in mid-air, slashing horizontally towards Xiao He's neck.

"What a beautiful flash of the blade!" Xiao He couldn't help but exclaim, raising his arms to block the attack.

"Clang!" A flash of light came from where the knife and Xiao He's arm made contact. Xiao He also took a small step to the side to slow down the impact.

"Truly living up to its name!" Soul Blade said with a smile. "It seems my will is not yet strong enough to sever your body! I need more training! Improve, and improve some more!"

"I quite like you, buddy," Xiao He said, rubbing the cut on his hand. "So I'll give you a fight you've been waiting for. You'd better watch out!"

So far, Soul Blade is the only foreign Mutant that Xiao He has a relatively good impression of.

Because this person is very pure; there is nothing else in his eyes but his knife.

Xiao He admired pure people and things, who spoke their minds and did what they wanted without pretense or beating around the bush. That's why he disliked the corrupt practices of the government, and that's why he liked Ye Wanqing.

"Yes! Please give it your all!" Soul Blade nodded.

Xiao He assumed a fighting stance, his aura becoming calm and composed. Soul Blade shuddered, goosebumps rising all over his body.

"What courage!" Soul Blade said, drawing his short katana from his waist, wielding a long sword in one hand and a short sword in the other to meet the enemy.

Xiao He took a deep breath and used his Kinetic Energy Absorption Superpower. If he said he would go all out, he would go all out.

Therefore, Xiao He first strode up to Soul Blade and swept a whip kick towards Soul Blade's face. Soul Blade skillfully wielded his left hand, turning the small katana in his hand around and then slashing it at Xiao He's leg, pushing the force of his kick upwards.

The opponent's strength was actually not strong, probably only at the level of 2, which should theoretically be far from being a match for Xiao He.

Like the Oliver Brothers, the Soul Blade alters Xiao He's attack trajectory by following his attack path. However, the Soul Blade is more advanced; it not only fine-tunes Xiao He's attack path but also adjusts its own posture through reaction force.

Using this technique, the opponent, with the body of number 2 and wielding two knives, fought against Xiao He, who was number 6.

Moreover, there's something fishy about these two swords of Soul Blade. Although Xiao He activated Kinetic Energy Absorption, he couldn't absorb the power transmitted from the swords, which clearly indicates that these two swords are not simply physical attacks.

"Wow! This Twin-Blade Style!" Xiao He exclaimed excitedly, knowing he could learn a lot from this battle.

After deflecting Xiao He's kick, Soul Blade swiftly slashed the longsword in Xiao He's ankle.

Xiao He felt dizzy and was uncontrollably thrown into the air. Soul Blade seized the opportunity, spinning and passing under Xiao He. Two flashes of light appeared, and a ""-shaped tear appeared on Xiao He's suit.

However, the two blows still did not hurt him. Xiao He did a somersault in mid-air to adjust his body, and after landing, he leaped again to the Soul Blade. He threw a jab with his left hand, preparing to break through the Soul Blade's defense with a combination of punches.

Soul Blade raised his short katana and stabbed it into Xiao He's arm, deflecting Xiao He's attack, while his right hand swept his long sword toward Xiao He's neck.

This time, a strange, eerie light suddenly appeared on the opponent's blade, making it appear even sharper than before.

Xiao He had a bad feeling and quickly leaned back. He felt a chill on his neck, followed by a faint bloodstain on the side of his neck: He couldn't absorb the kinetic energy from the knife and couldn't figure out the principle behind it. This guy's Superpower was not that simple.

"My sword is called Soul Severing. When I strike you, I am clashing with your will! Even an ordinary person, as long as their will is firm, will not be harmed by me. But if their will wavers, even you will be hurt by my blade!" Soul Blade warned, as two katanas, one long and one short, came down like a storm.

Suddenly, Xiao He realized: the two wounds he had sustained earlier were due to his wavering resolve.

Because he sensed he might be cut, his will wavered, and he was injured. With ordinary slashes, Xiao He was confident in his physical strength and was therefore unharmed. In short, as long as he believed the two knives were toys, he wouldn't have been hurt.

But achieving this is no easy feat. A strike delivered by a master swordsman would give even Xiao He the feeling of being "cut in two."

The two cautiously probed each other, engaging in fierce back-and-forth exchanges, fists against swords, the pace of attack and defense so fast it was breathtaking!

At this moment, the commentator finally became excited. "What a wonderful exchange! Neither side is giving an inch! This is not just a contest of skills and Superpower, but a clash of wills and souls!"

Although Xiao He appeared to have the upper hand on the surface, relying on his physical strength to clash with his enemy's twin swords, the battle was, in truth, evenly matched. He had to remain constantly vigilant, unable to relax for even a moment. Even the slightest hesitation or attempt to dodge due to the sharp blades would result in injury.

Technically speaking, he was at a disadvantage.

If Xiao He hadn't suppressed his opponent's power, forcing him to change his posture to dodge his attack, Xiao He would probably have been pierced through long ago.

However, Xiao He gradually discovered some tricks of the trade.

The key lies in the short katana of the Soul Blade.

When the Soul Blade holds the short katana upside down, it will defend, usually by parrying or deflecting. However, if it holds the short katana upright, it will slash and thrust. But the long sword will always be used for attack, while the short sword will be used for switching between offense and defense.

This gave Xiao He an idea: what would happen if he replaced the knife with his fist?

"This guy is really interesting," Xiao He couldn't help but laugh through gritted teeth.

He wanted to learn more from Soul Blade, but now it was time to settle the score.

He already had several wounds on his body, and if they didn't decide the outcome quickly, he would really lose his mating rights tonight.

Moreover, Soul Blade is a skill-based Mutant; his Superpower itself is actually just so-so, his strength lies in his skills, and he Collection the necessary intelligence.

"Perfect Cube!" Xiao He raised his hand and opened the Perfect Cube. The blade struck the surface of the cube, making a clear sound, and was then bounced off. Xiao He then rushed out of the Perfect Cube, throwing a right jab.

Soul Blade's attacks are always one strike after another; he always keeps one hand ready for defense, so there is no vulnerability.

But this was still Xiao He's best opportunity, and he threw a punch at Soul Blade's chest.

However, while attacking, Xiao He was carefully observing the short katana in Soul Blade's left hand. The opponent quickly reversed the grip on the short katana and then thrust it upwards towards Xiao He's right fist. Xiao He had been waiting for this moment, and he extended his left hand to block the opponent's thrust! However, in order to adjust his posture, his right fist also slowed down and lost its attack power, sticking to Soul Blade's chest.

But this doesn't mean he's lost his means of attack; there's a martial arts technique that can be effective from a distance of just an inch.

"!?" Soul Blade seemed to realize something was wrong.

Xiao He grinned and said, "I won."

Then Xiao He placed his right hand on Soul Blade's chest and delivered an Inch Punch. With his physique of level 6, this Inch Punch sent Soul Blade flying more than ten meters backward, but he flipped in mid-air, landed, and stabilized himself.

"I admire you!" Soul Blade stood up but didn't continue attacking. Instead, he laughed heartily and bowed deeply to Xiao He. "Thank you for your guidance!"

"You flatter me." Xiao He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: His mercy was not in vain.

In fact, with that Inch Punch, Xiao He could have shattered the opponent's internal organs, but he really liked the Soul Blade and was a very straightforward person. He explained the principles of his sword to him.

If Soul Blade hadn't warned him, Xiao He wouldn't have been defeated, but he would certainly have suffered serious injuries.

Therefore, in Xiao He's view, this was a very good "exchange of skills".

After all, it's just a competition; there's no need to fight to the death. He learned a lot from Soul Blade, which he can put into practice in later matches.

"You are a worthy opponent." Xiao He stepped forward, shook hands with Soul Blade, and smiled. "I hope to have another chance to spar with you next time. I can learn a lot from you."

"Not at all! I still have many shortcomings! I need to hone my skills more! Whether it's physical strength or willpower!" Soul Blade laughed heartily, his voice loud and clear. "My blade didn't harm you because your will is stronger than mine!"

"How moving! This is probably the charm of competitive sports!" the host stirred emotions on stage. "But, this means Yinglong has already played a full six matches! Is he planning to play all five rounds of matches today by himself?"

That concludes the morning's matches. There will be two more matches starting at 2 PM, followed by the final match after 7 PM. That will finish today's five matches. Xiao He can now return to the rest area to have something to eat.

However, when he returned to the preparation room and took the elevator downstairs, medical staff were already waiting for him.

"It's not necessary, it's just a few small cuts," Xiao He explained to the doctor who examined him.

The other party gave him some basic treatment—disinfecting and bandaging—and then let him go.

Upon returning to the public lounge in the Dragon Country, Ye Wanqing was the first person to greet him.

"Oh, my Little Pufferfish!" Xiao He hugged her and rubbed her little head.

Ye Wanqing angrily punched him. "You promised you wouldn't be reckless, yet you fought with someone for so long!" Then she felt sorry for him. "Let me see if it hurts!"

"A kiss will make it stop hurting, here." Xiao He took off his mask and brought his lips to hers.

"No kissing," Ye Wanqing muttered unhappily, "You're injured, you should be deprived of your mating rights."

"Alright, let's eat first." Cui Man, who was following behind, said with a smile, "You've worked hard. That battle was really exciting. But there are still three teams to fight today. After you finish eating, get some rest and recharge."

When Xiao He returned to the common lounge, everyone had already prepared food and was waiting for him. As soon as he returned, everyone came up to congratulate him and praise his battle with Soul Blade.

"Tsk, this is making me so itchy," Yue Feng complained, clenching his fist. "I want a fight like this too."

"You have a chance," Cui Man said, frowning as she crossed her arms. "In the second round, Yinglong won't be able to play, so it will be up to you to win. Let's eat now."