"Protective Gang Qi!"
Tang San's brows knitted tightly. This was a thorny problem.
If he had "gold hair" too, he would have been confident he could break through Dai Jinge's barrier, but now...
All the hidden weapons he carried were low-grade ones, utterly incapable of inflicting any significant injury on Dai Jinge.
"Looks like I'll have to use that move!"
Tang San thought of his other trump card: his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San darted around Dai Jinge, launching a dazzling assortment of hidden weapons from his hands.
All he wanted was to draw Dai Jinge's attention, preparing the way for his final strike.
Off to the side, Zhao Wuji, Ning Rongrong, and the others cried out repeatedly as they watched.
However...
Dai Jinge channeled his soul power to maintain the barrier. No matter how Tang San attacked, he stood unmoving as a mountain.
Clink, clang!
Just then, two sharp metallic sounds rang out in succession. Two daggers collided in midair, then changed direction.
One of the daggers actually shot up from beneath Dai Jinge, heading straight for his vitals.
Dai Jinge's expression sharpened. His soul power erupted, and dazzling white light burst from his body, forcing the onlookers to instinctively close their eyes.
Boom!
In an instant, every hidden weapon was blasted away by that force.
Tang San activated Purple Demon Eye in time to make out Dai Jinge's movements, but the shock wave Dai Jinge unleashed sent him staggering backward, interrupting his attack.
"Fancy tricks, utterly worthless!"
Before Dai Jinge's words had faded, he was already in front of Tang San. The speed he displayed was far beyond Tang San's ability to react.
Bam!
Dai Jinge threw a swift, vicious, precise punch, smashing it into Tang San's unremarkable face.
Crack!
A crisp crack came from Tang San's face, and his body flew backward uncontrollably.
Zhao Wuji reacted at once, rushing forward to catch Tang San in his arms.
When he saw Tang San's broken nose, the distinct fist mark on his face, and the blood covering it, panic left him speechless.
"Dai Jinge, that's enough!"
Seeing Dai Jinge leave both Tang San and Xiao Wu gravely injured and unconscious, Dai Mubai flared with anger, wanting to show some authority as an elder brother.
"If you keep making trouble like this, I'll have to teach you a lesson as your elder brother!"
At those words, Dai Jinge could barely suppress his laughter. He looked at Dai Mubai as though he were a clown making a disgraceful spectacle of himself, a self-important piece of trash. His eyes brimmed with disdain.
"Dai Mubai, if you want to die, I can oblige. It would take no more than a flick of my hand."
Dai Mubai's expression abruptly stiffened.
His earlier bravado vanished without a trace. Dai Jinge's gaze sent a chill up from the soles of his feet, much like the way Dai Weisi had once looked at him.
"A word of advice."
"Get back to Star Luo City sooner rather than later, and you might still live out the rest of your life in peace. Otherwise... there's no telling how you'll end up."
Dai Jinge glanced at Tang San. Given Tang San's unusual background, he might help draw some of Spirit Hall's attention in the future. That could prove useful.
Still...
He did not believe he could become friends with Tang San, even friends bound by mutual interests.
As for Xiao Wu... he did rather want her soul ring and soul bone.
The same went for the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python.
For him, those two were currently the easiest hundred-thousand-year soul beasts to locate.
Dai Jinge turned to leave.
Watching this, Dai Mubai clenched his back teeth. However unwilling he was to let Dai Jinge suppress him like this, it made no difference. The strength Dai Jinge had displayed already surpassed his own.
"Wait!"
Zhao Wuji called out coldly. He entrusted Tang San to Oscar's care and walked toward Dai Jinge.
Dai Jinge turned back. Seeing that Zhao Wuji intended to fight, he adopted a fighting stance without another word.
"After beating my students into this state, don't think you can just walk away!"
"I don't give a damn who you are!"
Zhao Wuji snorted coldly and advanced toward Dai Jinge, his aura climbing with every step. Soul rings rose one after another, and finally, he too completed Martial Soul Possession.
Dai Jinge completed Martial Soul Possession in an instant. Five soul rings-yellow, purple, purple, black, black-slowly appeared. His level-fifty-four soul power faced Zhao Wuji's level-seventy-six soul power, their auras clashing head-on.
"A five-ring Soul King?!"
Zhao Wuji's pupils abruptly contracted. He wondered whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.
But...
He was not the only one who saw Dai Jinge's five soul rings. Nearby, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong all witnessed the sight as well.
Only Xiao Wu and Tang San, both unconscious, missed this scene that could have shaken the world.
"Let me see how much weaker you are than her, you level-seventy-six Soul Saint."
The "her" Dai Jinge referred to was naturally Liu Erlong. During his time at Blue Tyrant Academy, he had often teamed up with Zhu Zhuqing to spar with her.
Liu Erlong had also used those bouts to pass the time and briefly forget her sorrows. She enjoyed them, and they brought out her combative nature.
"Arrogant!"
Zhao Wuji struck with his palm at full strength, shouting fiercely, "I could cripple that Soul King from earlier with one palm strike. You're no different!"
Second soul skill-Great Strength Vajra Palm!
Dai Jinge dared not take him lightly. In an instant, he activated the [White Tiger Power Lock] to fully armor himself, then, after briefly gathering power, swung his tiger claw in return.
Second soul skill-White Tiger Annihilation Strike!
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out, and a circular wave of force spread outward from the two of them.
Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai, and the others were involuntarily driven back by the wave. Thick dust forced them to narrow their eyes, but when they saw Dai Jinge meet Zhao Wuji head-on without giving an inch, their expressions changed, shock flooding their hearts.
Scrape, scrape, scrape!
The two seemed locked in a contest of strength, but...
Zhao Wuji's face was red and contorted, the veins bulging on his forehead and arms. He was clearly struggling.
Dai Jinge, by contrast, wore a cold smile as he advanced step by step, forcing Zhao Wuji backward.
Disbelief filled Zhao Wuji's face. He, a mighty level-seventy-six Battle Soul Saint, was actually losing a contest of strength to Dai Jinge, who was only in the fifties. It defied all reason!
An idea suddenly occurred to Dai Jinge, and he abruptly withdrew his strength, catching Zhao Wuji completely off guard.
Zhao Wuji's body instinctively pitched forward.
What greeted him, however, was Dai Jinge's assault, fierce as a gale and relentless as a downpour.
Dai Jinge grew fiercer the longer he fought, like Rayquaza stacking Dragon Dance. Rather than dwindling, his combat power kept rising.
At that moment!
Any one of his blows was enough to defeat a Soul Emperor-level expert!
Under Dai Jinge's furious barrage, Zhao Wuji gradually began to buckle.
Before you continue