Hydro Pump Meets Thunder Dragon Head, and Riolu Burns Out

Xu Sanshi paid Greninja no mind. He had learned his fourth soul skill, Xuanming Swap. As long as he switched places with Nannan before she got hurt, he could take the attack for her and play the hero!

While he was still lost in his fantasy, Greninja lashed out with Lick.

Xu Sanshi was startled.

"That move again? I'll block it!"

He raised the Xuanming Shield, but it was no use. What he saw was only an afterimage.

Greninja's tongue struck Xu Sanshi squarely in the back.

That was right. Xu Sanshi was paralyzed again.

"No. Why can't I move again?"

Xu Sanshi lay on the ground, gritting his teeth. "Don't be scared, Nannan. I'll be fine in a moment."

Jiang Nannan ignored him. She was focused entirely on dodging Greninja's attacks.

But Greninja was too fast. She couldn't get away.

Whoosh!

Greninja's tongue followed close behind and struck Jiang Nannan hard.

"Ah!"

Jiang Nannan cried out in pain. Then the Red Scarf wrapped around her, binding her so tightly she couldn't move.

Seeing Jiang Nannan suspended in the air, Xu Sanshi's eyes widened until they were bloodshot.

"No! You damned Soul Beast, let Nannan go!"

He clenched his teeth, feeling a humiliation unlike anything he had ever known.

Chi Hong glanced over and ignored Xu Sanshi, who was still lying on the ground.

"Another Soul Ancestor's worth of experience. Good work, Greninja. Riolu, use Force Palm."

Riolu showed no mercy. He leaped over and planted his feet on Xu Sanshi's back.

Riolu thrust out a palm. An invisible shockwave burst from it, blasting through Jiang Nannan's body.

Jiang Nannan groaned in pain and lost consciousness.

The scarf loosened, and she fell limply to the ground.

Xu Sanshi watched it all from where he lay. The light went out of his eyes.

He hated himself more than ever. Why wasn't he stronger?

Why couldn't he protect Nannan?

He had let Nannan down again...

No. I'll make you pay!

After the grief came boundless rage.

Xu Sanshi's eyes turned red, and a powerful aura erupted from his body. It hurled Riolu away, sending him down to the ground.

Riolu studied his opponent with curiosity. That sudden surge of power only stoked his fighting spirit.

Greninja retreated behind Riolu. He would leave the fight to his junior partner for now.

Xu Sanshi rose. His clothes burst apart, and layers of markings symbolizing the Black Tortoise appeared on his skin. His hair gradually turned dark green.

The Xuanming Shield in his hand turned dark green as well, becoming a true Black Tortoise Shield.

His eyes grew steady and calm, stripped of their usual frivolity.

"You dared hurt my woman? I'll make you regret it."

His voice was deep and commanding.

Beibei came to Xu Sanshi's side, panting. Apology filled his eyes.

"Sorry. That fire dragon kept me tied up, so I couldn't help you in time. And... Caitou was also..."

Xu Sanshi replied coldly.

"It doesn't matter. I'll make them pay, bit by bit."

Beibei paused. He had never seen Xu Sanshi like this. He had to admit, Xu Sanshi looked remarkably composed.

Beibei smiled, his eyes alight with fighting spirit. Dragon scales covered his arm, and blue lightning crackled across it.

"Then let's settle the score together."

Chi Hong surveyed the arena. Including himself, only eight people remained.

That meant if he took out one more person, he wouldn't be able to fight the rest.

He'd lose out on six perfectly good bundles of experience.

That wouldn't do. He needed to knock them all out at once.

"Riolu, take the front. Charizard, Greninja, come back and cover him."

Chi Hong gave the order.

Charizard and Greninja immediately fell back.

Riolu's eyes gleamed as he took his place at the front. He wholeheartedly approved of his trainer's command.

Beibei's two yellow and two purple Soul Rings appeared around him. The third shone brightly.

He smiled faintly.

"Last time, you caught me off guard before I could use my full strength. It won't happen again. Thunderous Rage!"

Crackle!

Beibei roared. Fierce blue lightning wreathed his body and lit up the entire Soul Arena, so bright it nearly seared the spectators' eyes.

"This soul skill greatly boosts my attack power and lightning. Your fire dragon and water frog are both at a disadvantage against me. Heh. Surrender."

Blue light flashed in his eyes as all that lightning gathered before him. The ground ahead had already been scorched black.

"Roar, Thunder Dragon Head!"

Beibei shouted.

The lightning before him wove itself together, forming a massive dragon's head.

Its violent aura spread across the arena, making the other Soul Masters break out in a cold sweat.

Lightning was already one of the world's most powerful offensive elements. This was also a full-strength strike from the strongest assault-type Soul Master in the arena.

No one could imagine how Chi Hong would block it.

Worry crossed Huo Yuhao's face.

"So this is Senior Brother Beibei's strength? He's incredible."

Wang Dong shook his head.

"Looks like that guy's done showing off."

The next instant,

Beibei unleashed the dragon's head.

Its enormous jaws of lightning opened as it lunged at Chi Hong, gouging a vast, charred trench across the ground in its wake.

Beibei unleashed the dragon's head.

Its enormous jaws of lightning opened as it lunged at Chi Hong, gouging a vast, charred trench across the ground in its wake.

"Riolu, Endure!"

Chi Hong's gaze sharpened. His order was brief and firm.

Without hesitation, Riolu drove both feet into the ground. A faint golden film spread over his body.

The attack before him was terrifying, far beyond what he could normally withstand. But he believed he could stop it!

The Thunder Dragon Head slammed into him.

Boom!

The golden film shattered instantly, and savage lightning tore through Riolu's body.

His fur stood on end, and his skin was scorched black. Yet his feet stayed rooted in place. He did not retreat a single step.

[Riolu used Endure and survived a fatal blow!]

Chi Hong looked at Riolu's charred, battered form and let out a breath of relief.

"Thanks for the effort, Riolu. Now, Counter."

A fierce light flashed in Riolu's eyes.

An invisible force drew in the lightning still coursing through his body, twisting and compressing it between his palms.

It fused with his unyielding will and fierce fighting spirit, forming an orb of light even more violent than the Thunder Dragon Head.

"Greninja, Hydro Pump!"

Greninja leaped into the air and formed a hand sign. A high-pressure jet of water burst from his palms and struck the orb between Riolu's hands with perfect accuracy.

Water met lightning, and lightning coursed through water.

When the two forces collided, the result was more than a simple increase in power. It was a wild elemental explosion.

Chi Hong smiled.

"Have a taste of your own attack."

Lightning-laced water erupted from Riolu in every direction, becoming a storm of electrified spray that covered the entire Soul Arena.

"Hmph. I'll block it! Power of the Black Tortoise!"

Xu Sanshi charged forward, his long hair streaming behind him.

The Black Tortoise Shield opened before him, its dark green glow blazing at full intensity.

He meant to withstand the blow head-on. After all, his Black Tortoise Bloodline had awakened, and he was at the height of his newfound power.

But he had underestimated the destructive force of water and lightning combined.

Hydro Pump was already Greninja's strongest move. Now it carried the Thunder Dragon Head's power, amplified by Counter.

Xu Sanshi had clearly bitten off more than he could chew.

Crackle!

Xu Sanshi gritted his teeth and held on. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, and the force threatened to shatter the bones in his hands.

He lasted less than five seconds. Then his knees buckled, and the blast hurled him away.

The curtain of water kept spreading.

The others didn't even have time to raise a proper defense. The electrified wave knocked them down, soaking them through and numbing their limbs until they couldn't get up.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were the farthest away, but even they were caught by the edge of the blast. Their bodies stiffened, and they collapsed beside the arena.

As for Beibei, who had been at the very front, he was already sound asleep.

Within seconds, the Soul Arena fell silent.

Chi Hong stood at the edge of the arena, with Riolu slumped beside his feet.

Everyone else had fallen.

[Battle ended. Riolu gained a massive amount of experience. His age has advanced to 6,500 years.]