Seeing that Huo Yuhao was not so easily fooled, the Soul Master surnamed Xiao, his cover blown, dropped the act. His face darkened, and he suddenly sprang to his feet and lunged at Huo Yuhao.
A glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes as he activated his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul. In an instant, it was as though someone had pressed the slow-motion button on everything around him, and the flow of time abruptly slowed dozens of times over.
He clearly caught every tiny movement his opponent made and easily dodged every attack. Part of the credit actually went to the clock in his Sea of Consciousness. With it, Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul seemed to have evolved, becoming more practical.
The Soul Master surnamed Xiao flew into a rage. Light flashed in his hand, and a long sword gleaming with cold light appeared. Two Soul Rings then rose slowly from beneath his feet, radiating a faint glow. They were Yellow Soul Rings, symbols of a hundred years of cultivation.
With a thought, he shouted, "First Soul Skill!" The sword instantly broke free of his hand and shot toward Huo Yuhao like a bolt of silver lightning. "Let's see how you counter my Flying Sword Technique!" he said viciously as he controlled the flying sword.
The flying sword traced a strange arc through the air and split into several sword shadows in the blink of an eye. They darted wildly back and forth, sealing off every avenue of retreat.
Seeing that things were going badly, Huo Yuhao dodged left and right like a ghost, weaving through the gaps between the sword shadows with agile footwork. He soon escaped danger.
The Soul Master below watched Huo Yuhao's agile movements with shock and anger. "How is this possible? He doesn't even have a Soul Ring yet, so how can he dodge my attacks every time?" His heart was full of confusion and unwillingness to accept it. Under his control, the flying sword attacked Huo Yuhao with increasing frenzy.
At that critical moment, inspiration flashed through Huo Yuhao's mind, and he came up with a countermeasure.
He rapidly murmured an incantation, and the moisture in the surrounding air instantly condensed. In the blink of an eye, several sharp ice spikes appeared out of nowhere and shot toward the Soul Master surnamed Xiao like rows of arrows.
Caught off guard, the Soul Master had the sword in his hand knocked away by the ice spikes. Two blazing fireballs then flew out behind the spikes, rushing straight at his face in rolling waves of heat.
A scream rang out through the area. Though the Soul Master did his utmost to dodge the attack, the fireballs burned off all his hair, leaving him looking utterly bedraggled.
He endured the pain and stood up, his eyes full of venomous hatred. "How could you be so vicious? Damn you, Huo Yuhao!" he cursed. Anger and unwillingness had driven him somewhat mad.
"I've got more than one trick up my sleeve. System, spend all my points and let me use the Great Desolate Imprisoning Heavenly Finger once!" the Soul Master surnamed Xiao, Xiao Ye, shouted at the empty air.
A cold electronic voice sounded in his mind. "Host has insufficient points to use this skill. Sacrifice five years of blood essence?" A trace of resolve flashed through Xiao Ye's eyes. I'm going to become a god someday. Why would I begrudge this little bit of lifespan?
He then jabbed "yes" on the virtual screen that only he could see.
In an instant, the sky darkened and the winds shifted. An enormous finger descended from the heavens, radiating a terrifying pressure. The surrounding air rumbled as the force compressed it.
"Huo Yuhao, before you die, I'll tell you my name. I am Xiao Ye. Feel the despair of this moment! Then I can rightfully claim your providence."
Xiao Ye watched the giant finger slowly descend, a mad smile spreading across his face, as though he could already see Huo Yuhao's body crushed to dust.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao's heart tightened, and he instinctively tried to dodge. Just then, the voice of Third Prince Nezha rang out in his mind. "Let me."
In an instant, Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly changed. His once-deep-blue pupils filled with golden light, shining with a mysterious and powerful radiance.
He gently waved a hand, and an invisible yet powerful force surged forth, like an indestructible shield, firmly blocking the mighty strike.
"What is this?" Xiao Ye's face showed a mixture of shock and fear. "Something's wrong. This is definitely wrong!" He was full of confusion and unease. The Huo Yuhao before him seemed to have suddenly become a complete stranger, and that immense power left him feeling deeply helpless.
Afterward, the golden light slowly faded from Huo Yuhao's eyes, returning them to their deep blue. He saw the opening Xiao Ye had left, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes. Seizing the opportunity, he darted toward Xiao Ye like a bolt of blue lightning.
He raised his right fist high and drove it toward Xiao Ye's face with unstoppable momentum. "A skill this powerful is wasted on you!" Huo Yuhao said coldly.
Among ordinary Soul Masters, Xiao Ye's strength was indeed among the best. But how could he compare to Huo Yuhao, who possessed the wealth of experience from his previous life?
In a mere few dozen seconds, Huo Yuhao used his superb combat skills and keen perception to capture him and pin him beneath his foot.
Though Huo Yuhao's strength was low and his Soul Power nearly depleted after the earlier fight, his divine soul remained, and Third Prince Nezha was there to help him.
Before him, a mere two-ring Soul Master was like a firefly trying to outshine the bright moon, utterly unable to withstand a single blow. Xiao Ye struggled desperately, using every trick he had. His face turned crimson and veins bulged on his forehead, but he could not get up.
"Speak. What is your purpose?" Huo Yuhao asked coldly.
Even after being captured, Xiao Ye remained defiant, clenching his teeth and refusing to utter a word. Suddenly, he shouted, "Lan'er, now!" As soon as the words left his mouth, a woman sprang from the bushes behind them.
At the command, the woman instantly activated her Martial Soul. A ring of cyan scales covered her body, giving her a particularly eerie appearance. Three Soul Rings appeared in quick succession, two yellow and one purple: the strength of a three-ring Soul Elder.
The girl cried out, "First Soul Skill, Poison Scale Blade!" She waved both hands, sending countless poison scales glowing with a faint light shooting at Huo Yuhao like Hidden Weapons. The air seemed to corrode wherever they passed, sizzling.
Huo Yuhao's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly turned sideways to dodge. The poison scales grazed the hem of his clothes and flew past, leaving black corrosion marks on the ground.
While Huo Yuhao was dodging, Xiao Ye broke free of his hold. A smug smile appeared on his face. "Didn't expect that, did you? Lan'er is my trump card. She's a three-ring Soul Elder."
"After fighting me earlier, I imagine you have hardly any Soul Power left. What can you do now? Child of providence, your providence and fortuitous encounters are mine!"
As he spoke, he burst into smug laughter, as though victory were already in his grasp.
"That's right, I do have hardly any Soul Power left." Huo Yuhao steadied himself and looked calmly at Xiao Ye. "But if you really think she alone can defeat me, you're treating this far too lightly."
"Too lightly? Still putting on a brave face, Huo Yuhao?" Xiao Ye said arrogantly, his eyes full of mockery. "Today is the day you die!"
"Huo Yuhao, you scumbag! You hurt Dong'er, and now you dare hurt Brother Ye too? I'll kill you today!" Ling Lan's delicate brows shot up and her almond-shaped eyes widened. Her face full of fury, she pointed at Huo Yuhao and shouted.
Huo Yuhao merely gave a cold laugh, full of scorn, as though mocking Ling Lan for overestimating herself. "You two still don't seem to understand your situation. Since you know I'm favored by providence, where did you get the confidence to think you could defeat me?"