Facing Bainite

"That bald man is formidable." Even Rog could draw some inspiration from the Seven-Star Fiends' various techniques, while Colin and Gu Rory watched, utterly enthralled.

The strongest fighter on either side was undoubtedly the bald man in the enemy camp. His attacks with the Laws of the Earth were immensely powerful, and his defense was astonishing. His opponents simply could not withstand a blow from his staff, while their attacks only made him pause for a moment.

"This fellow must have fused the four profound mysteries of Earth Element, strength, Earth Pulsation, and Vitality. He's probably made a start on a fifth, too." Aside from his lack of skill with Gravity Space, no one could match the bald man one-on-one. But his speed was average, and Haidisi was working with the others to hold him back, so her squad had yet to lose anyone.

"Thunder of Awakening Insects!" On Haidisi's side, another Lightning Law practitioner was the first to make a breakthrough. He was swift on his feet and skilled in Soul Attacks, and he killed one of the men using Wind Space.

"This is bad!" Hunt, the bald man, cried out. Sure enough, the moment his first companion died, the battle changed. Before long, a second companion had fallen to the Lightning Law practitioner's Soul Attack.

"Damn it, this woman is too hard to deal with!" Hunt was now tied up by Haidisi. Not only were her domain techniques exceptional, but her defenses were astonishing as well. Her weapon was also a flexible whip, and she had used the Water Law's Profound Mystery of Roundness to create a powerful defensive technique. Even Hunt's attacks could not break through it quickly.

"Damn it!" Before long, the bald man was the only one left on Bainite's side.

"Rog, let's stop here." Bainite spoke up in time to interrupt those still fighting. Though Hunt's defense was formidable, the other side had not lost a single person. With all six of them besieging him, he could not hold out much longer.

"Mm, let's stop here, then." Though Rog had never heard of Bainite, he still had to show a Commander-level expert some respect. The bald man might also be one of Bainite's trusted subordinates, so Bainite could not simply let him die.

"Their fight is over. What about you? Care to spar with me?" Bainite was fairly confident in his own strength, and he was also an enthusiast who enjoyed fighting.

"Sure." Rog readily agreed. When the others heard that the two intended to fight, their eyes lit up. A clash between Asura experts was not something they saw often.

"Fair warning, I'm quite strong. First, take this-Annihilation Wind Wheel!" Wind Divine Power gathered frantically between Bainite's hands, and a gigantic elemental wind wheel that looked incomparably sharp tore through the air toward Rog!

"Hiss, hiss!"

Almost as soon as the terrifying elemental wind wheel left his control, it tore through the plane's space and hurtled forward!

"What a powerful material attack!" The onlookers' expressions changed. Space in the Aoqi Plane was far more stable than in the Hell Plane. Even Hunt's full-powered staff strike had been unable to affect it, yet this wind wheel...?

"The Profound Mystery of Dimension?" Rog was somewhat surprised as well. It seemed this man's material attacks were definitely among the best even for a Commander.

"Azure Thunder!" Rog did not dare be careless and immediately unleashed his ultimate technique. Though the lack of time to build up power beforehand had greatly weakened the strike, the oppressive sensation when the black lightning descended still left Bainite somewhat startled and suspicious.

"Boom-"

It was as though heavenly lightning and a meteor had collided head-on. The lightning struck the elemental wind wheel, while the wheel seemed to sever the lightning. The two erupted with an incomparably terrifying roar!

"Impressive! Impressive! I've fused eight profound mysteries of the Laws of Wind. Apart from those peerless figures who are just a step away from Paragon, there are few Commanders whose material attacks can compare to mine. Your techniques with the Laws of Lightning are impressive!" Bainite was genuinely surprised.

The only profound mystery he had not fused was the Doppelganger Technique. Having fused the other eight profound mysteries of wind, his material attacks were definitely at the peak Asura level. "Eight wind profound mysteries fused. Impressive." Rog marveled inwardly as well. Fusing seven put a person at the Asura level, but on the weaker side among Commanders. Fusing eight, however, already made one stronger than most Commanders, not to mention that wind-element material attacks were exceptional to begin with. Though Bainite was not well known, his strength was indeed formidable.

"We've compared material attacks. How about we try Soul Attacks next?" Bainite seemed confident in his own mastery of the soul as well, but if Rog remembered correctly, wind-element soul abilities ranked at the very bottom among the eleven great laws and rules.

"Then let's continue." Rog was even less afraid of a soul contest. Leaving aside the fact that his own soul foundation was ten times stronger than other Commanders' and was further enhanced by the Celestial Crystal secret technique, the wondrous Soul-Suppressing Celestial Crystal fused into his soul alone could block almost ninety-nine percent or more of a Commander's Soul Attack, making it completely negligible.

Makenrich was an Asura of the Death Rule who excelled at Soul Attacks, yet ninety-nine percent of his attack's power had been neutralized when he did not use Sovereign's Might. Bainite's Soul Attack was even less of a threat.

"Then take another one of my moves-Howling Wind Sound Waves!" The single horn on Bainite's head suddenly began to emit unusual fluctuations. He seemed to have used some special ability, but Rog remained confident and let him attack.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz-"

Suddenly, two streams of strange cyan sound waves appeared in the air. An eerie sound actually rang out deep within Rog's soul, and as much as thirty percent of the cyan sound waves' power broke through the Soul-Suppressing Celestial Crystal's protection.

"Though this attack isn't very powerful, it really is strange and hard to guard against." Rog could tell that, although the strike was not especially powerful, the Wind Element Soul Attack relied mainly on the Profound Truth of Sound, a fusion of the two profound mysteries of Sound Waves and Music. It was highly unusual.

Of the two, Music attacks almost completely ignored the protection of Soul Defense Divine Artifacts, while Sound Waves attacks also had a penetrating quality that allowed them to pass easily through Soul Defense Divine Artifacts.

That was why his opponent's Soul Attack could affect Rog. However, Rog could sense that the technique's destructive power was not astonishing; it was simply difficult to deal with.

"Wind-element Soul Attacks really are unusual." Rog had to admit that although the technique lacked destructive power, its ability to interfere with the soul alone was enough to affect other Commanders in battle.

"You're completely unharmed?" Bainite was a little surprised. Though the technique itself was not very powerful, his racial talent had enhanced it considerably. Combined with the attack's inherent penetrating quality, what other Commander would not be left with a splitting headache after taking it?

Yet Rog's expression had not changed, and he showed no reaction at all?

"Could it be a Soul Defense Sovereign Artifact?" That was the only explanation Bainite could think of. Soul Defense Divine Artifacts were almost useless against this technique of his; only a Sovereign Artifact could weaken his Soul Attack.

"I'm fairly confident in my soul defense." After breaking through to Highgod, Rog's strongest abilities were actually in the soul. After all, with the same technique, his soul foundation was ten times stronger than other people's. How could they withstand it?

This was especially true of soul defense. Aside from Soul Attacks imbued with a Paragon High-God's Willpower, which Rog could not withstand, it was extremely difficult for other Commanders to affect him through soul techniques.

"Impressive, impressive. Your material attacks are astonishing, and your mastery of the soul far surpasses mine. Rog, your strength is admirable. I'm based at Crimson Fortune Gorge in the Divine Wind Plane. If you have time, come find me there to exchange pointers." Rog's strength had earned Bainite's recognition, and Bainite took the initiative to befriend him.

"I certainly will when I have time." Rog exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, and then the two groups parted ways again.

"Bainite's material attacks are extremely powerful, his soul abilities aren't weak either, and his speed is among the best of the Commanders. He's definitely a formidable figure." Although Rog had held a great advantage in their final exchange, Bainite had not used many of his techniques.

For instance, there was his astonishing speed, and he had not used a Divine Artifact in his attacks. The most fearsome material attacks of the Laws of Wind could only be brought out in close combat with a weapon, whereas Rog's ultimate technique was a purely energy-based attack that could not be enhanced by a Divine Artifact.

If they truly fought, it was still impossible to say who would come out on top. All Rog could say was that this expedition really did have hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There were many formidable experts.