Terrifying Indeed

"Forcing me to use my Martial Soul is enough for you to take pride in." Wu Changkong looked at Hu Fangyuan, his voice calm yet carrying an indescribable pressure. "Now, let me see how many more moves you can take."

As his words fell, the fluctuations of Soul Power around him slowly rose. Though he released only a small portion, it bore down on Hu Fangyuan like a mountain.

This was the true strength of a high-ranking Soul Master.

The belt from before had merely been a toy he had casually picked up to test him.

Now that the Heavenly Frost Sword was drawn, the real beginning had come.

Standing opposite him, Hu Fangyuan tensed every muscle in his body. His scalp prickled, and an intense sense of danger rose from the depths of his heart.

There was no flashy Soul Skill, only a single downward slash.

Utterly freezing air rushed toward his face, engulfing his entire body like a tide. Facing this sword head-on, Hu Fangyuan felt as though the blood in his body was about to freeze solid. Even the air he breathed in seemed like shards of ice, scraping painfully through his lungs.

The surrounding air seemed to have turned solid, pressing down on him so heavily that even moving a finger took effort.

Wu Changkong had merely swung his sword casually, yet it carried an overwhelming might.

Was this the strength of a high-ranking Soul Master?

It was on an entirely different scale from the earlier probing with the belt.

As expected, a Soul Emperor was terrifying indeed!!!

But in the next instant, a clear insect cry rang out deep within his bones.

Crack, crack, crack!

A series of fine, crisp cracks came from every bone in his body.

Hu Fangyuan's bones began to burn hot!

A surge of heat suddenly burst from deep within his bones, racing along his blood vessels. His blood, which had nearly frozen, surged into motion in an instant!

Copper Bone Gu!

Without a second thought, he instantly diverted half his Soul Power to drive the Copper Bone Gu, half-fused into his body, at full strength.

The Copper Bone Gu, which had merely been in its usual state of daily nurturing, was instantly pushed to its limit.

The bony plates of its back shell locked tightly together, and its copper patterns lit up completely. A cold, hard, weighty force erupted from every bone, forcibly dispersing the chill throughout his body.

Hu Fangyuan kicked hard against the ground with both feet, wrenching his body sideways.

Hiss-

The Heavenly Frost Sword slashed down, grazing his shoulder.

The sword's bitterly cold energy instantly froze the clothing on his shoulder, which then shattered into ice fragments with a crack. Hu Fangyuan felt a bone-piercing chill in his shoulder before the Copper Bone Gu's heat suppressed it. A faint white mark remained on his skin, numb with cold.

He staggered back two steps before steadying himself. Looking down at his shoulder, he saw a large tear in his clothes and skin frozen white. Fortunately, he had suffered no serious injury.

So close. Just a little closer.

Had I been even a fraction slower, that sword would have cleaved into my bones.

Wu Changkong drew back his sword and stood looking at Hu Fangyuan, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.

Though it had been a casual swing, it was still an attack from a full-fledged Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

Even with over ninety percent of its force suppressed, it was not something a rank-twenty-one Soul Grandmaster could easily evade.

That marrow-freezing chill, in particular, would have left an ordinary Soul Master of the same rank stiff all over and unable to move.

This boy actually managed to dodge it?

And that weighty power of bone and blood that erupted from him just now-that was hardly the physical strength a Tool Martial Soul master should possess.

He really was a promising talent worthy of my attention. He certainly had quite a few trump cards hidden away.

A trace of appreciation flashed through Wu Changkong's mind, but his movements did not slow in the slightest.

Hu Fangyuan had only just landed and had yet to find his footing.

Wu Changkong's second strike had already arrived.

This strike was faster and more precise.

The Heavenly Frost Sword swept horizontally, leaving a pale blue trail of ice.

It was so fast that even the sound of it cutting through the air lagged half a beat behind. Its icy frost swept over him first, sealing off every route Hu Fangyuan could take to evade.

Hu Fangyuan's pupils abruptly contracted.

He had just dodged the first strike; his old strength was spent, and fresh strength had yet to rise. Though the Copper Bone Gu's explosive power was formidable, it lasted only briefly, and its first burst of force was nearly exhausted. His body was still caught in a moment of stiffness, leaving him no way to dodge the second strike.

Too fast.

I couldn't keep up at all.

He could only watch helplessly as the Heavenly Frost Sword grew larger in his vision. Its icy sword energy stung his skin, freezing even his body hair upright.

Ting.

A soft sound rang out.

The blade of the Heavenly Frost Sword lay horizontally before Hu Fangyuan, only an inch from his neck.

Cold spread toward him along the blade, leaving even his chin slightly numb. The sword reflected his somewhat pale face and his wide-open eyes.

The battle was over.

The entire training ground fell silent.

Tang Wulin and the other two stood to one side, all holding their breath. That last strike had been so fast that they had barely seen it clearly. All they saw was a flash of blue light before Hu Fangyuan was held at swordpoint.

Xie Xie swallowed and muttered, "Teacher Wu is way too strong..."

He had thought Hu Fangyuan was already enough of a monster, able to break Teacher Wu's belt at rank twenty-one. Yet once Teacher Wu revealed his Martial Soul, two strikes ended the battle. The gap was truly as vast as that between heaven and earth.

A trace of shock flashed through Gu Yue's eyes as well.

In the training ground, Hu Fangyuan stood frozen in place, not daring to move at all. Cold sweat ran down his forehead, freezing into tiny beads of ice the moment it reached his chin.

He could distinctly feel the terrifying chill emanating from the blade, along with that faint pressure of Soul Power. If Wu Changkong pushed it forward just an inch, his throat would be pierced.

Was this a true powerhouse?

I thought that with rank-twenty-one Soul Power, two Soul Skills, and the support of Gu worms, I was already invincible among those of my rank. Yet against a truly high-ranking Soul Master, I couldn't even last two moves.

The gap was far too great.

"Put it away."

Wu Changkong's calm voice rang out.

With a gentle turn of his wrist, the Heavenly Frost Sword instantly vanished from his palm. That marrow-freezing chill also dispersed like smoke.

Only then did Hu Fangyuan let out a long, stale breath and relax his entire body. It was only now that he realized the back of his clothes had long since been soaked with cold sweat, leaving him chilly when the wind blew.

He moved his somewhat stiff neck and looked at Wu Changkong opposite him, his tone carrying a measure of genuine respect. "You're incredible, Teacher Wu. I lost."

He accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.

There was not the slightest resentment. The difference in strength was laid out plainly before him.

Wu Changkong nodded and walked up to him. After looking him up and down a couple of times, he said, "Very good."

"With rank-twenty-one Soul Power, taking one of my strikes and still dodging it already puts you far above Soul Masters of the same rank. That final burst of physical strength, in particular-you judged both the force and the timing very well."

He paused, a probing look in his eyes. "Have you practiced a specialized Body Refinement Cultivation Method?"

That momentary power of bone and blood was hardly something an ordinary Soul Master could possess. Even a specialized body Soul Master might not have such physical strength at rank twenty-one.

Hu Fangyuan's heart lurched, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied casually, "When I was little, I practiced some basic moves with my elders for a few years. Just toughening up my muscles and bones."

Naturally, he would not mention the Gu worms.

His Gu Refining inheritance was his greatest secret. He could not tell anyone, not even Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong gave him a long, searching look but asked no further questions. Everyone had their own secrets; that was perfectly normal. As long as the boy's heart was in the right place, that was enough.