The rapport between Hu Liena and Xie Yue needed no explanation.
Facing Yan, whose strength was unknown and whose arrogance knew no bounds, they had almost exactly the same thought. They would open with their strongest offensive skill.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena suddenly collided. Pink mist instantly spread around them.
Then a figure appeared, clad in battle armor, with bewitchingly sinister features that made it impossible to tell whether they were male or female.
They held a Moon Blade in each hand, sending a chill through anyone who looked at them.
"Demon Charm..."
"To think I'd have the privilege of facing Demon Charm all by myself!"
At Demon Charm's appearance, Yan's eyes showed not a trace of fear. Instead, they brimmed with excitement.
"I have to admit, you really are strong in your current state. Strong enough for us to take you seriously."
Demon Charm spoke, their voice no longer recognizable as either sibling's.
But neither Xie Yue nor Hu Liena had ever imagined that Yan would become so powerful after using that miraculous Costume.
So powerful that even they felt alarmed and had no choice but to go all out.
"Hahaha, I never expected to become this strong either."
"Come to think of it, I really should thank the shopkeeper for giving me the chance to challenge both of you alone."
"Those hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins were worth every coin!"
Yan's voice was filled with excitement and wild fervor.
Win or lose, this battle alone would leave him satisfied.
"Hmph, don't get smug. Now that we've used our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, you're definitely the one who'll lose."
Although the voice still sounded neither male nor female, Yan could tell from the tone that Hu Liena was speaking to him.
Clearly, Hu Liena felt offended. Yan's attitude suggested that he didn't take them seriously at all.
"Brother, follow my lead. Watch me knock him flat."
Inwardly, Hu Liena began communicating with Xie Yue through their minds.
"All right." After that brief reply, Xie Yue relinquished control of Demon Charm.
With a bang, Demon Charm suddenly surged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The force was so great that the floor tiles beneath their feet cracked into a spiderweb.
"Bring it on!"
Rather than being alarmed, Yan was delighted. He neither dodged nor retreated, spinning the golden scepter in his hand and smashing it toward Demon Charm.
Normally, Yan's Martial Soul was an elemental type with both fire and earth attributes, ill-suited to head-on clashes.
However.
Lie Yan Pinoch possessed an innate ability for handling close combat: Knockback!
As long as the target lacked control-immune protection such as super armor or invincibility, they would be knocked back.
Seeing this, Demon Charm sneered. "Yan, you're far too reckless. Don't you know raw strength is Demon Charm's forte? Dodging is your best option. Surely you don't actually think an elemental Soul Master can beat me in a contest of strength?"
As those words fell, Demon Charm had already reached Yan. The Moon Blades crossed as they slashed down, striking the golden scepter heavily in an X.
Clang, clang, clang.
Metal scraped against metal as the scepter and Moon Blades ground together, sending sparks flying.
However.
Contrary to Demon Charm's expectations, Yan wasn't sent flying by the slash. Instead, an irresistible force erupted from his scepter.
Boom!
The next instant, Demon Charm was sent flying.
How could this happen?
Even if Yan's soul power level has surpassed sixty, our Demon Charm is no weaker than a Soul Emperor!
They had crumbled at the first clash. Neither could quite accept this turn of events.
Both Hu Liena and Xie Yue were stunned.
"Yan, you're an elemental Soul Master. How could you possibly have so much strength? You're even stronger than our fused Evil Charm. Does that miraculous Costume give you a massive strength boost?"
Hu Liena couldn't help asking.
"You've misunderstood."
Yan shook his head and explained, "This is Lie Yan Pinoch's additional skill, Knockback. Anything it hits will be knocked down or sent flying. It has nothing to do with strength. Only control-immunity abilities like super armor or invincibility can prevent it."
Hearing this, Xie Yue exclaimed in shock, "That Soul Skill is practically the bane of close-combat Soul Masters!"
"Hmph, I refuse to believe it's invincible. Brother, use the domain to suppress fifty percent of his soul power and speed. Let's see if he can still hit us!"
Hu Liena spoke again, and thick pink mist billowed outward.
This was a powerful ability of the Demon Charm fusion. Any person or Soul Beast within its domain would be affected, their soul power and speed reduced by fifty percent.
With the balance tipped in their favor, Hu Liena refused to believe Yan could still land an accurate hit.
Once they closed in, defeat would be all that awaited Yan.
"Want to get close?"
"Unless you're willing to sacrifice half your lives, you won't get the chance!"
Yan gave a cold laugh and lightly tapped the ground with his scepter.
Clink.
Following that crisp sound, four Soul Rings-yellow, yellow, purple, purple-rose from beneath his feet and began pulsing around him.
At that moment, surrounded by Soul Rings, Lie Yan Pinoch looked even more sacred.
Xie Yue couldn't help sighing at the sight. "The only blemish on this beautiful picture is Yan's voice coming out of it... Ah..."
But Hu Liena, who controlled Demon Charm, cried out, "You can still use your Soul Rings?"
"Not only can I use them, their abilities have even been enhanced. They should give you quite a surprise."
Yan's voice was full of mystery.
He pointed his scepter at Demon Charm from afar. At the same time, his third Soul Ring lit up. "Hellfire!"
Boom!
The next instant, a sea of flames appeared before Hu Liena. Its scorching, violent power forced her to retreat.
Her attack had failed again!
Hu Liena was beginning to lose her composure.
Either of them had once been able to toy with Yan alone, yet now even their Martial Soul Fusion Skill couldn't bring him down?
Just what was that Costume? It had helped a scrawny chicken turn into a phoenix!
Yet the transformation hadn't stopped. Xie Yue's voice rang out in Hu Liena's mind. "Nana, something's very wrong. Look, the Hellfire hasn't disappeared after erupting. It's gathering around Yan... and it's even changing shape?"
Sure enough.
Like a child at play, the Hellfire shifted into all sorts of shapes around Yan.
A puppy, a piglet, a fire snake, a firebird-the forms went on and on.
Hu Liena was astonished. "What level of control over soul power and Soul Skills does that take? Could even a Soul Douluo do this?"
"You might not believe it, but right now, I feel like I'm part of the fire element itself. I can make it change shape however I want. It's incredible."
Yan, too, marveled at his current state.
"Brother, at this point, our only hope of beating Yan is your Self-Created Soul Skill!"
Hu Liena felt rather helpless.
She still hadn't used her charm, but would it even work?
Most likely, some other unexpected complication would crop up.
These repeated failures were exhausting. She might as well let Xie Yue finish him in one blow.
"All right."
Xie Yue took control of Evil Charm, swinging the Moon Blades until they were nothing but a blur.
In the next instant, even Evil Charm's figure vanished, replaced by a massive silver disc.
The razor-sharp power radiating from the disc chilled the heart.
Without a doubt, this was Xie Yue's Self-Created Soul Skill: Full Moon.
"Hmph, I refuse to believe you can block this incomparably sharp strike!"
"Even your sea of flames will be sliced apart! At this speed, you won't be able to land a hit, even if you try to knock us back!"
Hu Liena felt certain they had this one in the bag.
P.S.
So few votes today...
My poor heart...