"Little Hao, you..."
Dugu Bo froze at those words, instinctively wanting to try persuading him again.
He worried that Lin Hao would be no match for Yu Tianjun, letting the cooked duck fly away.
But when he saw the confidence in Lin Hao's eyes, Dugu Bo finally sighed.
"Fine. If you insist on fighting, then fight."
"But if things go wrong, surrender immediately. Staying alive comes first!"
"Don't worry, Senior Dugu!"
Lin Hao nodded with a confident smile, then turned and walked into the open space.
Seeing this, Yu Tianjun snorted and strode over to stand opposite Lin Hao. Arms folded across his chest, he looked down at Lin Hao with mockery and disdain curling his lips.
"Kid, you're a Food System Soul Master, and you dare fight me?"
"I think you've had enough of living!"
"If you know what's good for you, surrender now, before I beat you so badly you disgrace your Spirit Hall!"
Lin Hao did not get angry. He merely grinned.
"Oh! You think you've already won?"
"Some things can only be settled by fighting."
"Just don't let me beat you until you're crawling around looking for your teeth and disgrace your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect!"
"Hmph, what a sharp tongue!"
Furious, Yu Tianjun wasted no more words and stamped his foot.
"Diamond Tyrant Dragon, possess me!"
In an instant, amid dazzling golden light, a savage aura erupted from Yu Tianjun's body.
Behind him appeared the phantom of a golden Tyrant Dragon. It had no wings, but its body was even larger and more powerfully built than an ordinary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. It threw back its head and roared at the sky.
Then it abruptly plunged into Yu Tianjun's body.
After Martial Soul Possession, Yu Tianjun suddenly grew taller, his muscles swelling. Golden dragon scales spread across his skin like a rising tide, his hands became sharp claws covered in golden scales, dragon horns sprouted from his head, and his pupils became vertical slits.
At the same time, four Soul Rings-two yellow and two purple-rose from beneath his feet in succession and circled him.
A hint of pride appeared on Yu Yuanba's face.
But when his gaze fell on Lin Hao opposite him, Yu Yuanba froze.
Lin Hao calmly raised his right hand, and a golden-purple singular velvet sky chrysanthemum bloomed in his palm.
Then two Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
One yellow, one purple.
A Soul Grandmaster?
Yu Yuanba blinked, thinking he had seen wrong.
But when he confirmed that Lin Hao really had only two Soul Rings, he was utterly stunned.
Wait!
This kid's Second Soul Ring was actually a thousand-year one?!
How was that possible!
How could a Food System Soul Grandmaster absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?!
Yu Tianjun noticed it too. His arrogance faltered slightly as he stared at the purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring circling Lin Hao, shock and disbelief flashing in his eyes.
A Thousand-Year Soul Ring?
This kid was only a Soul Grandmaster. How could he have absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?!
But that shock was soon replaced by jealousy and arrogance.
Yu Tianjun snorted and thought to himself.
He just got lucky and managed to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!
So what if a Food System Soul Master absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?
Food System was still Food System. When it came to fighting, they were born useless!
Besides, he only had two Soul Rings, while I was a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor!
I had the advantage in this fight!
At that thought, the arrogance on Yu Tianjun's face deepened, and he sneered at Lin Hao.
"Kid, I admit I'm a little surprised you managed to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring."
"But you think that means you can stand against me?"
"I'm a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, while you're just a measly Soul Grandmaster!"
"And you're a Food System Soul Master at that, born to be useless on the battlefield. I suggest you surrender like a good boy!"
"Before I beat you until you're crying for Mommy and Daddy!"
Lin Hao did not get angry at those words either. He rolled his wrists and grinned.
"Finished talking? If you're finished, let's start!"
"You're asking for death!"
Anger flashed in Yu Tianjun's eyes. Without another word, he kicked off the ground and shot toward Lin Hao like a golden cannonball. The Second Soul Ring circling him suddenly lit up, and his right claw tore through the air with a sharp whistle, reaching straight for Lin Hao's throat!
The strike was fast and vicious, with no intention of holding back!
Yet faced with that fierce attack, Lin Hao merely turned slightly sideways and easily avoided the lethal claw.
Yu Tianjun's claw swept past the edge of Lin Hao's clothes, stirring up a fierce gust without so much as grazing him.
"What?!"
Yu Tianjun's expression shifted when his attack missed, but he reacted swiftly. Following his momentum, he immediately twisted around and swept out his left claw, slicing toward Lin Hao's waist with a howling rush of air!
But Lin Hao simply leaned back slightly, and the sharp claw tips once again skimmed past his abdomen without harming him in the slightest.
"Is dodging all you can do?!"
After missing twice in a row, Yu Tianjun could no longer save face. He roared in anger and unleashed both claws, attacking Lin Hao in a relentless storm.
He clawed high at the throat, thrust low at the heart, and swept across the waist and abdomen.
Every strike was fast and ruthless, coming from a treacherous angle in an unbroken barrage!
But with his Mental Power extended outward, coupled with his transformed eyes' newly acquired ability akin to bullet time...
Lin Hao felt that Yu Tianjun's movements were unbearably slow.
Facing Yu Tianjun's attacks, Lin Hao drifted like willow fluff in the wind amid that raging tempest, sometimes turning sideways, sometimes tilting his head back, sometimes taking a gliding step.
Each time, he avoided Yu Tianjun's claws by the narrowest margin.
His unhurried composure made it look less like a fight than a leisurely stroll through a quiet courtyard.
"Impossible! How is this possible!"
The longer Yu Tianjun fought, the more alarmed he became, his shock and fury mounting.
A mighty Four-Ring Soul Ancestor like him couldn't even touch the hem of a Food System Soul Grandmaster's clothes?!
This was the greatest insult imaginable!
"Is that all you've got?"
Lin Hao spoke calmly as he dodged.
"If this is all you can do, you might as well surrender now."
"Shut up!"
Those words enraged Yu Tianjun completely. He abruptly halted his assault and drew a deep breath as the third, purple Soul Ring circling him suddenly lit up!
"Third Soul Skill: Vajra Body!"
As the Soul Ring lit up, dazzling golden light erupted from Yu Tianjun's entire body.
His already burly frame swelled further, and the golden scales covering his skin grew thicker and denser. He looked as though he had donned a suit of golden armor, his defense soaring!
"Kid, let's see you dodge this!"
Yu Tianjun roared and charged at Lin Hao again.
This time, he was faster and stronger. A claw slammed down toward Lin Hao's head with the crushing might of Mount Tai!
This time, Lin Hao did not dodge. He merely smiled calmly and activated his Second Soul Skill.
"Second Soul Skill: Singular Velvet Sky God Transformation!"
The second, purple Soul Ring circling Lin Hao suddenly lit up. A surge of Soul Power poured from his palm, swiftly forming a singular velvet sky chrysanthemum as clear and translucent as purple crystal.
Thin arcs of dark purple electricity flowed over its petals, radiating a savage, scorching aura of lightning.
It was none other than the thunder god velvet sky chrysanthemum!
Lin Hao quickly brought the thunder god velvet sky chrysanthemum to his mouth and swallowed it in a few bites.
The next instant!
A savage surge of the power of thunder erupted from within him!
Dark purple lightning coiled around his body like roaming dragons, crackling explosively. Static made his black hair stand on end, and soul-piercing purple sparks flashed in his eyes.
At the same time, his skin rapidly took on a soft bronze sheen.
Those were his copper skin and iron bones, gained through tempering with the immortal herb, singular velvet sky chrysanthemum, and half a year of body refinement in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. His strength and defense both far surpassed those of Soul Masters at his level!
"Thunder Fist!"
Lin Hao gave a low shout and clenched both fists. As though summoned, the dark purple lightning coiling around him surged wildly toward his arms and fists, condensing over his knuckles into lightning gauntlets that seemed almost solid, crackling and snapping!
Then Lin Hao grinned. Rather than retreating, he advanced, meeting Yu Tianjun's golden-scaled claw, empowered by Vajra Body, with a direct punch!
There were no flashy techniques in that punch, nor did he use any Soul Ring skill.
Only pure physical strength, the defense of copper skin and iron bones, and the lightning enhancement of Thunder God Transformation!
BANG-!
Fist met claw with a deafening crash!
Then something happened that none of them could believe.
The instant Yu Tianjun's dragon claw, covered in thick golden scales, collided with Lin Hao's Thunder Fist, a crisp crack rang out!
The golden scales at the point of impact split instantly, and his bones seemed to give off the sound of a fracture!
The next moment, Yu Tianjun felt a force capable of toppling mountains and overturning seas surge toward him. He was sent flying backward, tumbling several times through the air before slamming heavily into the ground. He skidded another seven or eight meters before finally stopping!
His right arm hung at an unnatural angle, clearly broken!
Dark purple arcs still crackled over his fist, making his body twitch uncontrollably!
Lin Hao, meanwhile, stood exactly where he had been, utterly unmoved!
Dead silence filled the surroundings.
Yu Yuanba's eyes bulged, his mouth hanging wide enough to fit an egg.
He seemed petrified as he stared at Lin Hao's fist, still wreathed in thin strands of lightning. Only one thought echoed wildly through his mind.
This was a fucking Food System Soul Master?!
Dugu Bo was dumbfounded too, unable to recover for a long while.
Although he knew Lin Hao had a powerful physique, he had never imagined it was this powerful!
That was a four-ring Quasi-Soul King!
And he was clearly a Diamond Tyrant Dragon Soul Master specializing in strength and defense, yet Lin Hao had crippled him with a single punch?!
This was simply... absurdity's mother opening the door for absurdity-absurdity had come all the way home!
After taking Yu Tianjun down with a single punch...
Lin Hao seemed fairly satisfied with his punch. He nodded, withdrew his fist, dusted off his hands despite there being no dust, and grinned as he turned toward Yu Yuanba and spoke.
"Elder Yu, I won this sparring match, didn't I?"
Before you continue