Are You Deaf?

"No—! Yu Yang!!"

"Ah!! Xu Bayan, I want you dead!!"

"Lei Dao, I'll give you the Lin Family's entire share of the Great Soul Arena. Use your ultimate move! Let's join forces and kill him!!"

A bloody crimson glow from the Blood Demon Annihilation Cannon flashed through Lei Dao's drooping, murky yellow eyes. A cruel smile curled across his stiff face.

"Fine. I have no objections."

Buzz—

The ninth Soul Ring on the Blue Lightning Dragon-Head Blade lit up. Rings of brilliant saber light burst like fireworks, rapidly spreading outward from him and engulfing Xu Bayan in the blink of an eye.

Ninth Soul Skill, Asura Heavenly Saber Formation!

Domain skill. Within the domain, defenses were halved. Countless sharp saber energies lay hidden within it. Once injured, one would suffer continuous damage and gain a grievous bleeding effect.

Whoosh!

A strand of saber light flickered past, cutting a lock of black hair beside Xu Bayan's ear.

Standing within the Heavenly Saber Domain, Xu Bayan's gaze remained calm. To cooperate with the Burning Ring Secret Technique, his own domain skill had been completely drawn inward and transformed into an aura that strengthened himself.

Therefore, he had no way to use a domain to neutralize or resist the enemy's domain.

"Joining forces? But the two of you still aren't enough!"

Xu Bayan stomped repeatedly, continuously using Elephant Shakes the Heavens from the Four Heaven-Treading Forms to create air explosions and isolate the rolling saber light within the domain.

Lin Xie's face twisted viciously. His eighth Soul Ring lit up, while his right arm Soul Bone also glowed white. He shrieked:

"Not enough? Then try taking this! Eighth Soul Skill, White Lightning Illusory Annihilation Strike!"

"Die!"

White lightning surged. A phantom Flash Mongoose screeched, ignoring all defenses as it passed straight through Xu Bayan's body. Then, a massive white lightning claw condensed in midair.

White Lightning Illusory Annihilation Strike was Lin Xie's strongest offensive technique. The attack came in two stages: first, the impact and shriek of the Flash Mongoose phantom could daze an enemy for an instant, then the claw would deliver the killing blow.

Combined with the two-hundred-percent lightning-attribute attack boost from his right arm Soul Bone, this Soul Skill left him unafraid even when facing an assault-type Titled Douluo with greater Soul Power than his own.

After deploying his domain, Lei Dao raised the Blue Lightning Dragon-Head Blade high with both hands. His eighth Soul Ring, also his strongest offensive ring, lit up.

Rumble!

Blue lightning surged, becoming even more berserk under the domain's enhancement.

"Demon Bear, you unleashed slaughter without cause. You deserve execution! Eighth Soul Skill, Lightning Saber Spirit! Destroy him!!"

Above the Blue Lightning Dragon-Head Blade, a gigantic saber spirit over twenty meters tall took shape. Saber light formed its body, while blue lightning formed its blade. This was Lei Dao's strongest locked-on assault technique.

Beneath the saber spirit, the enemy's space was locked down.

The Soul Skill was guaranteed to hit. It could not be dodged!

The white lightning claw and the blue-bladed saber spirit descended simultaneously from two directions.

Fierce battle intent burned in the depths of Xu Bayan's eyes.

The spiritual attack from the Flash Mongoose phantom had not delayed him in the slightest. His Blood Demon Domain had completely condensed into his body, and the Blood Demon Killing Aura it formed had effortlessly destroyed the phantom Flash Mongoose.

However, the enemy Soul Skill's forced guaranteed-hit effect truly left him unable to evade.

But he had never intended to dodge.

After using Burning Ring, not only had every attribute of his body multiplied, but he could also use Soul Skills without limitation.

Most importantly, his Soul Power, restored to its peak, could now sustain his aura.

The advanced application of a domain—the aura—could do far more than simply strengthen oneself.

It could also create celestial phenomena!

When a Soul Skill fused with an aura, it became a celestial phenomenon.

However, accumulating power required time. Xu Bayan fired the Blood Demon Annihilation Cannon from his left hand, clashing with the rapidly approaching claw and blade and temporarily holding them at bay.

He spread the five fingers of his right hand. Tiny transparent, distorted black flames gathered in his palm. As the black flames condensed, fierce winds began sweeping through the Great Soul Arena.

High above, the winds scattered the clouds. In the blink of an eye, they gathered into dark clouds that pressed down overhead.

Seeing that something was wrong, Lin Xie and Lei Dao knew Xu Bayan was preparing a killing move. They exchanged a glance and decided to stop holding back as well.

Lei Dao placed one hand on Lin Xie's shoulder and poured all of his Soul Power into him.

An astonishing change occurred. Lei Dao's Soul Power and Lin Xie's Soul Power did not repel each other, yet neither did they fuse.

Instead, they entwined and linked together.

Crackle!!

White lightning and blue electricity intertwined. An endless stream of Soul Power poured into Lin Xie's body, turning his eyes blazing white. With a wild roar, the two released overlapping, thunderous shouts.

"Martial Soul Combination Skill, Heavenly Punishment Slash!"

It was not a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, but a Martial Soul Combination Skill in which their Soul Skills amplified and empowered one another!

Even so, wielded by two Titled Douluo, it was already terrifying enough.

As the words fell, a streak of blue-white lightning shot from Lin Xie's palms, chasing after the attacks locked in stalemate overhead.

When the blue-white lightning connected with the claw and blade above, they seemed drawn together by a magnet. Before everyone's horrified eyes, they actually moved toward each other.

Crack!

The white lightning claw seemed divinely empowered as it grabbed the hilt of the enormous blue-bladed saber spirit.

With a shake of the white lightning claw, the saber spirit trembled lightly and easily scattered Xu Bayan's blood-flame cannon blast.

Then—

The white lightning claw raised the blue-bladed saber spirit high. Blood seeped from the corner of Lin Xie's eyes as he screamed hoarsely:

"Kill him!!"

Carrying writhing white lightning, the blue-bladed saber spirit slashed straight down at Xu Bayan below, whose eighth Soul Ring blazed with black flames.

This Martial Soul Combination Skill, Heavenly Punishment Slash, was Lin Xie and Lei Dao's trump card. Once unleashed, it could forcibly kill even a level ninety-five Titled Douluo.

But Xu Bayan was no ordinary Titled Douluo. Before his Soul Bones had been stripped away, when Burning Ring had only just been initiated, he had temporarily reached level ninety-six through the secret technique and comprehended the advanced form of a domain—an aura.

Black flames rose from Xu Bayan's eighth Soul Ring. The Soul Power around him nearly solidified into substance, and killing intent ran rampant in his eyes.

Meet killing with killing!

Meet attack with attack!

Eighth Soul Skill, Berserk Bear Demon Soul Claw!

The transparent black flames in his palm coiled around his body like a flood dragon before plunging into his brow.

Xu Bayan's eyes completely transformed into black flames.

Roar!!

A giant Demon Bear roaring toward the sky slowly rose behind him. It stood over thirty meters tall, like an ancient demon god. This was the Martial Soul celestial phenomenon formed by fusing his eighth Soul Skill with his aura.

Xu Bayan looked up at the descending saber spirit, raised both hands, and then brought his palms together.

The celestial Demon Bear behind him had already solidified. Moving in sync with Xu Bayan, its bear claws clamped around the instant-slashing saber spirit. Then, following Xu Bayan's movement, its claws viciously tore at the blue lightning blade.

Crack—

Like ice shattering after its seal broke, a rupturing sound strong enough to burst eardrums rang out from the airflow at the center of the collision.

Crack!

Roar!!

The next second, the celestial Demon Bear let out a berserk roar. The enormous blue-bladed saber spirit and the white lightning claw atop it were forcibly torn apart by a pair of bear claws!

Crackle!

Lightning burst apart!

Their Soul Skill had been broken in such an overbearing fashion. Lin Xie and Lei Dao suffered a backlash of Soul Power and both spat out blood, their auras rapidly weakening.

"No—! Impossible!!" Lin Xie shrieked.

But nothing was impossible. After destroying their Martial Soul Combination Skill, the solid celestial Demon Bear did not vanish. Instead, it stepped forward, drew back its right fist, and raised it high.

The celestial Demon Bear's movements were Xu Bayan's movements at that moment.

He intended to kill both of them in one blow!

However, just as the Demon Bear's giant fist was about to fall, Xu Bayan's body stiffened as if struck by lightning. His eyes widened, and the blood vessels across his immensely powerful body burst apart as blood sprayed from all over him.

He staggered and let out a muffled groan.

Pain!

Excruciating pain!

Every part of his body was in unbearable pain!

The pain pierced into his bones. His meridians, muscles, and bones felt as though they were being flayed and pierced by countless needles. Even someone as resolute as him could not suppress a groan, showing just how intense the agony was.

"Has the Burning Ring duration ended? What a pity."

"Seven-Star Acupoint Seal!"

Xu Bayan's two fingers blurred as he immediately sealed the seven acupoints first opened at his forehead, shoulders, chest, and abdomen. The bleeding stopped, though the agony remained.

This was the aftereffect of Burning Ring. After overloading and draining the body, he would be unable to use even a trace of Soul Power for the next month. Only after recovering for a month could he use it again.

As Xu Bayan completed the sealing of his acupoints, the celestial Demon Bear above, its fist raised to strike, instantly turned into black smoke and dispersed with the wind.

That killing blow did not fall.

Because Xu Bayan could not force himself to hold on for even another second. Even if he did not seal his acupoints or end Burning Ring, that punch would still not come down.

His body would collapse before it could.

"Lin Xie, I'll let you keep your head for now. One day, I will come and take it myself."

Seeing Xu Bayan's weakened state and sensing his Soul Power falling, Lin Xie immediately realized this had to be the price of the other man's outburst.

The Demon Bear had entered a weakened state!

Lin Xie laughed sinisterly with delight. "Cough, cough—haha! What arrogant nonsense. It's not that you're sparing me now. I'm the one who's going to kill you!"

As he spoke, Lin Xie forcibly suppressed the injuries inside his body. His third Soul Ring lit up, and with a flash, he moved in to strike the killing blow.

But just as the long, sharp claw of the White Lightning Demon Blade formed in his hand, a peerlessly beautiful purple-gold figure appeared before him and sent him crashing from midair with a light palm strike.

"Holy Maiden???"

Looking at the nine Soul Rings around Holy Maiden Bibi Dong—two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—Lin Xie roared unwillingly:

"Why?!!"

Bibi Dong lowered her gaze. Her expression was indifferent as she looked down on him and said:

"Spirit Hall elders must not be harmed. Today's internal conflict has already made a joke of Spirit Hall before every Soul Master in the city."

"So this ends here."

"This is also His Holiness the Pope's order. Lei Dao, Flash Mongoose, stop now and withdraw."

Lin Xie's face shifted from green to red to white. He was clearly unwilling, but facing the Holy Maiden and feeling the overwhelming pressure of her Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, he knew that even uninjured, he would not be her match.

Moreover, she was the Holy Maiden and represented the Pope's decree. Unless he intended to betray Spirit Hall, he could only obey.

How infuriating!!

Seeing that Lin Xie below still had not moved, Bibi Dong grew somewhat impatient. Her Soul Power pressure erupted, vast and unfathomable as an abyss. She raised her chin slightly, her lowered gaze as sinister as an Evil God, her voice cold as ice.

"Did you not understand? I said, withdraw!"

Pfft!

Lin Xie bit his gums until they bled. Finally unable to endure any longer, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The resentment in his eyes seemed tangible as he could only lower his head and say:

"Yes, I obey the Holy Maiden's order!"

Lei Dao's expression was as ugly as if he had eaten a dead fly, but he too had no choice but to lower his head.

He had not expected Xu Bayan's relationship with the Holy Maiden to have reached such a level that she would step forward for him despite offending the elders.

If that was the case, killing this Savage Bear would become difficult.

Bibi Dong had no interest in knowing what the two were thinking. She directly announced the end of the Martial Soul Celebration before leaving the arena.

Having finally attained a Title, Bibi Dong now had more important matters on her mind.

For instance, the Rakshasa Inheritance Secret Realm, which required a Title as its threshold.