Lin Yifeng squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shut out the alluring power of Hu Liena's Demon Fox Martial Soul.
His right hand instinctively held his spear in front of him to guard himself, but he overlooked her close-range attack.
Seeing this, Hu Liena curled her lips into a sly smile and stepped lightly forward.
Her left shoulder deftly pressed against Lin Yifeng's spear-wielding wrist, giving it a light push with precisely applied force.
"Urgh!"
Lin Yifeng felt his wrist go numb. His spear immediately veered off course, leaving his chest exposed.
In that instant, Hu Liena clenched both fists, gathered Soul Power over her knuckles, and hammered his chest in a lightning-fast flurry.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Three dull impacts rang out in succession. Lin Yifeng staggered backward under the blows, the blood and energy in his chest churning as his face instantly flushed red.
He instinctively tried to retreat and put some distance between them, but Hu Liena had already anticipated his move. She drove off the ground, hurtling toward him like an arrow-
"Final blow, Iron Mountain Lean!"
Her shoulder slammed into Lin Yifeng's chest. The strike concentrated all her physical strength and Soul Power, carrying an irresistible surge of momentum.
"Pfft!"
Unable to hold it in any longer, Lin Yifeng expelled a breath of stale air. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily onto the platform.
His spear flew out of his hand as well, landing some distance away with a clang.
He struggled to get up, but his chest throbbed with pain, his Soul Power circulated sluggishly, and he could not muster even a fraction of his strength.
Hu Liena remained where she stood, settling out of her stance as the Demon Fox Phantom quietly dissipated. Her breathing was slightly hurried, but her eyes were bright and sharp.
The referee hurried over to check on Lin Yifeng. Seeing that he could no longer fight, he immediately raised his arm:
"Hu Liena wins!"
Enthusiastic cheers rose from below the platform. Su Yu stood among the spectators, watching Hu Liena with admiration in his eyes.
He had not expected her close-combat skills to be so solid on top of her exquisite control-type Soul Skills.
She had executed the Iron Mountain Lean he had taught her with such speed and ferocity that it had completely exceeded his expectations.
Hu Liena stepped down from the platform and came over to Su Yu. Rubbing her slightly reddened shoulder, she said with a smile:
"Done!"
"Impressive." Su Yu handed her a clean handkerchief. "Next, let's see how Tuoba Yu and Yan do."
They turned toward the other platform, where the battle was reaching a critical moment.
On the platform, Yan's Flame Earth Lord Martial Soul was spewing raging flames that scorched the White-Armored Earth Dragon scales covering Tuoba Yu.
Sparks flew everywhere. Although the scales' surface was becoming charred, they had yet to be breached.
"Is hiding in your shell all you can do?"
Sweat beaded on Yan's forehead. He had expended a considerable amount of Soul Power, and a trace of agitation crept into his voice as he intensified the flames.
Tuoba Yu's gaze darkened. Letting the flames burn over his scales, he suddenly drove hard off the ground.
The White-Armored Earth Dragon's oppressive aura erupted. Like an armored war chariot, he charged straight through the flames toward Yan.
"Time to end this!"
With a low shout, he clenched both fists. Covered in a layer of gleaming white dragon scales, they carried brutal force as he ignored the flames Yan hurled at him and hammered his chest.
"Thud!"
A dull impact sounded, and Yan felt an immense force surge toward him like a tsunami.
As though struck by a heavy hammer, he flew backward, his body beyond his control.
He traced an arc through the air and crashed heavily onto the edge of the platform, throwing up a cloud of dust.
He struggled to rise, only to cough up a mouthful of blood. The glow of his Flame Earth Lord Martial Soul instantly dimmed; clearly, he could no longer fight.
Tuoba Yu withdrew his fists. The flames on his scales gradually died out, leaving only a few scorch marks.
He caught his breath and looked at Yan on the ground. Without another word, he simply stood quietly where he was.
Seeing this, the referee immediately announced, "Tuoba Yu wins!"
A wave of astonished exclamations rose from below the platform. The White-Armored Earth Dragon's strength was indeed formidable; that punch had secured an almost overwhelming victory.
Hu Liena also frowned slightly. "Such incredible strength. If he gets close, he'll probably be very difficult to handle."
Su Yu nodded. "Next, the three of us will be competing to see who comes out on top."
By then, the referee had already begun arranging the final draw.
"Next match! Su Yu versus Tuoba Yu!"
The referee's voice echoed across the arena. Su Yu and Tuoba Yu exchanged a glance, then stepped onto the platform at the same time.
After a brief rest, both had regained steady breathing.
The White-Armored Earth Dragon scales behind Tuoba Yu gleamed coldly. As he looked at Su Yu, the disdain he had shown Yan earlier was gone from his eyes, replaced by a measure of fighting spirit.
"Su Yu! You're strong. I know I might not be a match for you!"
Tuoba Yu clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "But the words 'surrender without a fight' aren't in my dictionary!"
Before his words had faded, the First Soul Ring at his feet lit up. The aura of his White-Armored Earth Dragon Martial Soul surged once more, and a layer of white scales covered his entire body.
Su Yu gave a slight nod, his expression serious. "I won't hold back."
At the referee's command, Tuoba Yu launched the first attack.
Rather than charging straight in as he had against Yan, he advanced with alternating steps at a steady yet swift pace. His fist whistled through the air, aimed straight at Su Yu's centerline.
Clearly, he had noticed Su Yu's agility in the previous matches and did not want to give him too much room to use Wood Release.
Su Yu neither dodged nor ducked. The instant the fist drew close, he slid half a step backward while raising his right hand to block Tuoba Yu's fist.
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
Several supple vines shot from his palm, coiling toward Tuoba Yu's arm like nimble snakes.
"Paltry tricks!"
Tuoba Yu snorted coldly and swept his left arm sideways, slapping his scale-covered arm straight into the vines to shatter them.
But Su Yu's vines were exceptionally tough. They only quivered slightly when struck, instead using that force to coil even tighter.
"Hm?"
Tuoba Yu frowned. Just as he was about to exert his strength and snap them, Su Yu had already slipped around behind his flank like a phantom.
With his left hand open, he struck toward the side of Tuoba Yu's waist, where the scales did not fully cover his back.
"Quick reactions! First Soul Skill: Earth Dragon Protection!"
A platinum glow appeared over Tuoba Yu's body, and he wrenched both arms free of the Wooden Vines.
When Su Yu's palm struck the side of his waist, it felt as though he had slapped a rock.
Interesting. His very first Soul Skill is an enhancement-type Soul Skill!
"Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique!"
Su Yu shouted in a low voice and thrust both arms forward. Several strips of wood as thick as arms extended along his forearms and instantly coiled around Tuoba Yu's waist.
Although the wooden strips could not pierce the White-Armored Earth Dragon scales, they wedged tightly into the gaps between them, restricting his movements.
Tuoba Yu's expression darkened as he felt the restraint around his waist. Without hesitation, he drove both fists down with fierce force, hammering the wooden strips around him.
"Thud!"
A dull impact rang out. The wooden strips shook violently, and small cracks instantly appeared on their surfaces.
Delight stirred in Tuoba Yu's heart at the sight. He was just about to gather his Soul Power for another blow and completely shatter his restraints.
A sudden change erupted!
The cracked wooden strips abruptly began writhing violently like living creatures.
Before you continue