Bear-Paw Power Bank

Semifinals, Assessment Area Eight.

Gu Mingyuan's team faced Dai Huabin's team.

The two sides stood at opposite ends of the arena. There was no old grudge between them, and no pre-match trash talk. The referee's arm had barely dropped when the fight erupted.

"White Tiger, possess me!"

Dai Huabin let out a tiger's roar, and his first and third soul rings lit up together. With White Tiger Body Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation stacked, he grew taller, his muscles bulged, and he charged straight at Gu Mingyuan.

At almost the same moment, Zhu Lu became a dark blur. Using the Hell Spirit Cat's speed, she skirted the main battle and cut in from the flank toward Cao Jinxuan in the rear.

Shielded by Dai Huabin's broad back, Cui Yajie quietly stepped into view. The fox tail behind her swayed, pink light flared in her eyes, and she fixed her gaze on Cao Jinxuan as he studied the fight.

Her second soul skill, Charm!

The instant their eyes met, Cao Jinxuan froze.

But a faint trace of purple swiftly moved through his eyes. Three months of practicing the Purple Demon Eyes every morning had greatly strengthened his mind, even if it could not make him immune to mental control.

The Charm should have left him dazed for two or three seconds. He forced it down to one.

"Zhou!" Cao Jinxuan bit the tip of his tongue and snapped awake.

Zhou Sichen needed no further explanation. The Grimoire in his hands had already opened.

Boom! Boom!

Two huge shadows slammed to the ground. The Flame Demon Tiger and Earth Bear stood on either side of Cao Jinxuan like guardian statues. The bear's heavy paw blocked Zhu Lu's attack route, forcing her to dodge away.

Up front, Dai Huabin had reached Gu Mingyuan.

The White Tiger Martial Soul fought with broad, forceful strikes. Avoiding a head-on clash with him was nearly impossible.

Dai Huabin brought both claws down in a savage flurry.

Gu Mingyuan's first two soul rings flashed at once.

Golden Jade Barrier!

Jade-Shaking Force!

Gu Mingyuan's expression did not change. He drove the Ghostly Shadow Trace Step to slip through the gaps between the tiger claws. Raising his arms to meet the attack, he used his palms, the edges of his hands, and his elbows instead of closed fists, blocking at the joints Dai Huabin used to put force into his strikes.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Flesh and bone collided with a crisp ring of metal against stone.

As Dai Huabin's assault raged on, the fine golden lines across Gu Mingyuan's jade-like skin grew brighter and brighter.

Dai Huabin no longer dared trade blows blindly. He crossed his claws in a slashing strike, then used the recoil to retreat.

Elsewhere, the two Summoned Beasts had tied Zhu Lu down. Unable to find an opening, she quickly withdrew to Dai Huabin's side.

"Zhu Lu!" Dai Huabin barked, throwing his arms wide.

Zhu Lu understood at once. She became a streak of dark light and flew straight into his embrace.

Black and white light merged in an instant. An immense pressure swept across the arena. Within the glow, a giant tiger over eight meters long took shape.

Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Hell White Tiger!

Without pausing, the Hell White Tiger roared and lunged forward, its enormous body stirring a rush of wind.

Purple-gold light blazed in Gu Mingyuan's eyes as he pushed the Ghostly Shadow Trace Step to its limit. Afterimages flickered, and he shifted instantly to stand before Cao Jinxuan and Zhou Sichen.

He drove Golden Jade Barrier to its limit and crossed his arms over his chest.

The instant the Hell White Tiger reached him, Gu Mingyuan dropped hard onto both legs. The energy his second soul skill, Jade-Shaking Force, had been storing all this time flowed through his feet into the stone slabs below.

Boom!

The ground shuddered, and cracks spread like a spiderweb.

The Hell White Tiger's forelimbs struck Gu Mingyuan's arms, driving him several meters backward. But the sudden collapse of the ground left its powerful hind legs stepping into empty space. It lost its balance and pitched forward.

The Hell White Tiger reacted quickly, rolling with the fall to shed the excess force. It dug all four claws into the ground and crouched again, ready for a second pounce.

At that instant, Gu Mingyuan shouted:

"Zhou!"

Zhou Sichen understood. He pointed with his fingers.

Behind Gu Mingyuan, the Earth Bear reared up. It swung its massive paw in a wide arc and smacked him squarely on the back with a thud!

The heavy "blow" made the golden lines on Gu Mingyuan's skin shine so brightly they hurt to look at. Jade-Shaking Force was fully charged again!

Using the immense push from behind, Gu Mingyuan kicked off the stone slabs and shot toward the Hell White Tiger like an arrow from a bow.

He curled his fingers and clenched his right fist.

Serious Punch!

It was the first punch Gu Mingyuan had thrown since the fight began.

With doubled power layered atop Jade-Shaking Force and the Earth Bear's impact, Gu Mingyuan's right fist smashed into the Hell White Tiger's jaw.

Boom—!

The enormous Hell White Tiger's head snapped upward. Its body flipped through the air and crashed to the ground.

Gu Mingyuan gave it no chance to recover. He pressed in and hammered its head with a relentless hail of heavy punches.

"Go!" Zhou Sichen roared.

The Flame Demon Tiger charged in with a roar, joining Gu Mingyuan to surround the Hell White Tiger. Meanwhile, the Earth Bear barreled toward Cui Yajie in the rear, cutting off her support completely.

Reeling from blow after blow, the Hell White Tiger struggled on the ground and roared, still trying to rise for a third attack.

But Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had already spent a great deal of soul power, and their fused form had taken a devastating Serious Punch. Its massive black-and-white body had barely risen halfway before it could no longer hold its energy together. It began to disintegrate.

Crack—

The black-and-white light shattered like glass.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu reappeared, their faces deathly pale and bruises on their heads. They fell to the ground, gasping for breath, with no strength left to fight.

Gu Mingyuan stopped attacking and rubbed his aching right hand. The Flame Demon Tiger halted beside him and growled at the two on the ground.

"Want to keep going?" Gu Mingyuan asked Dai Huabin.

Dai Huabin gritted his teeth and looked up at Gu Mingyuan, his eyes full of frustration. He glanced at Cao Jinxuan and Zhou Sichen behind him, then said hoarsely:

"If those two hadn't helped you shake off the control, bought you time, and helped you charge your attack... you never would've stopped the Hell White Tiger's second pounce."

Gu Mingyuan smiled. He did not argue with the hypothetical.

"You're right." Gu Mingyuan turned his back on his opponent and walked toward his teammates.

"That's why the registration form had all three of our names on it."

Below the stage, Huo Yuhao stared at the defeated Dai Huabin, his nails digging into his palms. Seeing someone else eliminate his enemy only made him bitter that he had not been the one to finish him.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke in his mind. "Don't worry, little Yuhao. You still have your Martial Soul Fusion Skill for tomorrow's final. You can do it!"