As Huyan Li released his Martial Soul, Tian Chen also completed his Martial Soul Possession in an instant.
Although the changes to his body were not as exaggerated as Huyan
Li's, the two Soul Rings circling his body, one yellow and one purple, clearly drew the audience's attention more.
Huyan Li looked even more stunned. A purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his second Soul Ring-this was not something an ordinary faction could nurture.
Even if his family, the Elephant Armor Sect, one of the Lower Four Sects, poured all its resources into him, he did not think he could achieve that.
His previously abundant confidence in himself began to waver at this moment.
Looking at the oppressive Martial Soul phantom behind Tian Chen, his dark, chubby face grew serious.
"Grandpa was right. Spirit City really is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons."
Even so, he could not possibly admit defeat without even fighting.
This was not merely to uphold his pride as a disciple of the Elephant Armor Sect. He also did not believe anyone among Soul Masters of the same rank could break through his defenses.
After all, their hereditary Diamond Mammoth was not much inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
With this thought, Huyan Li advanced instead of retreating. The first Soul Ring circling him swiftly lit up.
The originally dark-yellow cuticle covering his body took on a translucent sheen, as though his entire body had been coated in enamel.
His steps were slow, but as he advanced, his presence grew with every step, giving off a sense of ponderous weight.
Watching Huyan Li slowly approach, Tian Chen likewise instantly activated his first Soul Skill-Golden Crocodile Body Protection.
His attack, defense, and strength all increased by one hundred percent, bringing Tian Chen to the peak state he could currently reach.
Pushing off hard with both feet, he held his crocodile claws, covered in golden scales, before him and slammed them fiercely against Huyan Li's palm-leaf-fan-sized hands.
Tian Chen's crocodile claws raked across Huyan Li's hard, enamel-like skin, sending sparks flying in all directions.
The Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul's defensive power was certainly astonishing, but Tian Chen's claws still scored fine white lines across it.
Tian Chen did not budge, while Huyan Li staggered more than a dozen steps backward.
In their very first exchange, Huyan Li had clearly already fallen into a disadvantage.
Whether in the contest between their Martial Souls' offensive and defensive capabilities or in a comparison of strength, he fell a notch short of Tian Chen.
Feeling the tremendous force transmitted through his palms, he had never expected that he, too, would one day be at a disadvantage in strength.
Huyan Li drew a deep breath. Not daring to hold anything back, he immediately activated his second Soul Skill-Strength Amplification.
He had obtained this Soul Ring back then by enduring countless hardships to hunt down a rare mammoth with the help of his sect's elders.
Although the Soul Skill it granted him was merely a simple strength amplification, it could instantly increase his strength by two hundred percent. Of course, its drawbacks were that it consumed too much Soul Power and did not last long.
But for him, as someone with the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul, amplifying his strength undoubtedly allowed him to bring out his Martial Soul's advantages better.
Thus, this could not entirely be considered a drawback.
Under the effect of his second Soul Ring, the enormous Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul phantom behind Huyan Li raised its head and let out an angry roar at the sky.
His entire body seemed shrouded in a layer of yellow light as he raised his palm-leaf-fan-sized hands and struck at Tian Chen again.
Facing Huyan Li's attack, Tian Chen gave a soft snort.
He met it squarely with his crocodile claws once more, intending to clash head-on with Huyan Li.
If I can't even crush Huyan Li, I'd be disgracing transmigrators far too much.
Like Tian Chen's Golden Crocodile King Martial Soul, the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul excelled in strength.
But one must not forget that Tian Chen had the enhancement of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. His strength was absolutely no weaker than that of a strength-type Soul Master at the Soul Elder rank.
Even with the strength amplification of a Soul Skill, Huyan Li was unlikely to bridge the previous gap between himself and Tian Chen.
Brilliant golden and earthy-yellow Soul Power light stood distinctly apart in the Soul Fighting Arena as crocodile claws and elephant palms collided violently in midair. The Diamond Mammoth and Golden Crocodile King phantoms roared incessantly at one another.
Boom-
This collision was clearly far more powerful than the last. The entire fighting platform trembled continuously under the fluctuations of their Soul Power, stirring up clouds of dust.
Unfortunately, Huyan Li still gained no advantage against Tian Chen.
The dust gradually dispersed.
At this moment, Tian Chen's crocodile claws held Huyan Li's large hands firmly in their grip, and his chubby face had turned a dark purple from strain.
The enamel covering his palms had also been crushed outright by Tian Chen's crocodile claws, sending blood splattering.
But this was still because Tian Chen had held back. Otherwise, his crocodile claws could probably have pulverized Huyan Li's hands along with it.
There was no conflict between him and Huyan Li, and the Elephant Armor Sect would stand on Spirit Hall's side in the future. Tian Chen had no need to tear down his own Great Wall.
Exhaling deeply, Tian Chen slowly withdrew his crocodile claws and spoke to the host without expression.
"Isn't it time to announce the result of the match?"
Seeing Tian Chen's sharp gaze, the referee beside them also shuddered. Not daring to delay, he hurried over to Tian Chen at a jog, raised Tian Chen's right hand, and announced loudly.
"The winner of this Soul Fighting match-Soul Grandmaster Tian Chen!"
Huyan Li, who had just had the staff give his hands a simple bandaging, also walked up to Tian Chen, gratitude showing in his small eyes.
"Thank you for holding back."
He was no fool. Naturally, he knew Tian Chen had held back earlier. Otherwise, he might well have ended up grievously injured, with wounds of the sort that were difficult to reverse. His career as a Soul Master might even have been affected.
"It's nothing. If you're free later, you
can bring your grandpa to the Worship Hall."
Tian Chen waved a hand casually, leaving Huyan Li with those words before walking off the fighting platform.
He did indeed have some ideas about the Elephant Armor Sect. He really did covet this kind of Martial Soul.
But it was not indispensable either. How things would turn out depended on what Huyan Li's grandfather, Huyan Zhen, chose.
Huyan Li is also one of the protagonist's little brothers, y'know. The Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul is pretty top-tier, y'know.