radicalducati Chapter 53: Everyone Gains Something
Chapter 53: Everyone Gains Something
"Match over! Winner: Wind Leopard!" the referee announced loudly.
Zhu Zhuqing got up from the ground, her face pale, the bloodstains on her shoulder particularly glaring, but she didn't cry, she just clenched her fists tightly, her eyes full of resentment and disappointment.
She knew she lost because of her lack of experience and insufficient soul power reserves, which fueled her growing desire for strength.
"Zhuqing!" Xiaowu rushed over, handing her a water pouch and healing pills. "Are you alright?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, took the healing pill and swallowed it, her voice hoarse: "I'm fine, I was just too weak."
Yan Zu walked over and said calmly, "It's not that you're weak, it's that you lack experience. Feng Bao's tactics are very clear: use wind blades to force you close, and then use the paralysis effect of his second soul skill to restrain you. You were too eager to succeed and fell into his rhythm."
Next time you encounter an opponent like this, avoid their sharpest attacks and use agile movements to wear down their soul power. Wait for their skills to cool down before looking for an opportunity to counterattack. Their soul power circulation is more powerful than yours, but their resilience is lacking; they will eventually weaken in a prolonged battle.
"I understand." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. "Next time, I'll definitely beat him."
"Let's go, it's my turn to compete." Yan Zu patted her shoulder and turned to walk towards the number one Soul Arena. His opponent, "Iron Arm," was already waiting there. He was tall and muscular. After being possessed by the Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul, his arms became as thick as iron pillars, exuding a powerful aura.
"Kid, you're young but you've got guts, daring to challenge me." Iron Arm grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "I'll give you three moves because you're young, so people won't say I'm bullying a kid."
Yan Zu did not speak, but calmly walked onto the Soul Battle Platform. Xiao Yu on his shoulder jumped down and transformed into a jade-colored Qilin half the height of a person, with two yellow and one purple soul rings slowly rising.
"A separated martial soul? That's quite rare." A hint of curiosity flashed in Iron Arm's eyes, followed by disdain. "Too bad its level is too low. Watch me take you down in one move!"
The referee announced the start of the match, and Iron Arm immediately activated his first soul skill, "Iron Arm Impact." With a whistling sound, his arms crashed towards Yan Zu, the force of which caused the battle arena to tremble slightly.
Yan Zu moved his feet, unleashing the Spiral Nine Shadows Step, his figure transforming into three afterimages as he easily evaded the impact. At the same time, his first soul skill, "Corridor of Vitality," was activated, a pale green halo spreading out from him and enveloping the entire Soul Arena—this was an auxiliary skill that could nourish himself and also slightly interfere with the opponent's soul power circulation.
"What kind of skill is this?" Iron Arm was stunned, feeling a sudden heaviness all over his body, and his soul power circulation became inexplicably sluggish. But he immediately realized that this was an auxiliary skill. With a roar, he activated his second soul skill, "Stone-Shattering Fist," and his fist, carrying a dense amount of soul power, smashed towards Yan Zu's afterimage.
Yan Zu's afterimages vanished one after another, and his true form appeared behind Tie Bi. Taking advantage of the Spiral Nine Shadows movement technique, he quickly struck Tie Bi's back, shoulders, knees and other joints with both hands—these were the weak points of the Iron Arm Ape. The force of the strikes contained Nine Yin True Qi, with the aim of disrupting the operation of its soul power core.
"Boy, dare to get close?" Iron Arm roared, throwing a backhand punch at Yan Zu.
Yan Zu swayed and dodged again, while continuing to interfere with Tie Bi's soul power circulation with his palm strikes. The audience below was completely confused, not knowing what Yan Zu was doing. They only saw Tie Bi flailing around like a headless fly, unable to even touch the hem of Yan Zu's clothes.
"That's about it." Yan Zu thought to himself, seizing an opening, he gathered a dense Nine Yin Soul Power in his right hand and slammed it hard into the core of the Iron Arm's Soul Power in his chest.
Iron Arm felt a tightness in his chest, his soul power instantly became disordered, and he could no longer maintain his soul skill. He collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"Match over! Winner: Wen Yan!" the referee announced loudly.
Yan Zu withdrew his hand, walked to Tiebi's side, and helped him up: "Your Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul excels in strength, but your soul power circulation is too forceful and lacks resilience. Your joints and soul power core are your weaknesses. In the next battle, you can try to use your soul power to focus on protecting these parts, or change your attack rhythm. Don't just charge in blindly; save some soul power to deal with unexpected situations."
Iron Arm was stunned for a moment, but seeing Yan Zu's sincere eyes, the anger in his heart instantly dissipated. He had been fighting in the Great Soul Arena for many years, and no one had ever sincerely given him pointers after winning. He scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Thank you for the pointers. You're really amazing, kid. Your footwork and use of soul power are indeed unique."
Yan Zu nodded, turned, and walked off the fighting platform. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing immediately surrounded him. Xiao Wu clapped her hands excitedly, "A-Zu, you're amazing! You won so easily!"
"It's my turn next!" Xiao Wu was eager to try and walked towards the third Soul Arena. Her opponent was a level 35 Spirit Cat Soul Master. He was fast, but he was still a step behind Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Spirit Cat, not to mention that Xiao Wu also had the Moon Shadow Instant Step.
After the match began, Xiao Wu flashed forward, activating Moon Shadow Step with lightning speed, making it impossible for the Spirit Cat Soul Master to keep up with her pace. Xiao Wu did not rush to attack, but instead circled around her opponent, occasionally probing with her leg wind. When her opponent became impatient, she suddenly activated her first soul skill, "Waist Bow," bending her body and springing up, kicking her opponent heavily in the chest with her right leg, sending him flying off the stage.
"Match over! Winner: Xiao Wu!"
Xiao Wu skipped back, her face beaming with a smile: "That was so easy!"
Seeing Xiao Wu win so easily, Zhu Zhuqing's determination intensified, and she clenched her fist: "I must become stronger quickly."
Yan Zu and Ning Rongrong's first doubles match was against a pair of level 35 opponents: one was an offensive type (Martial Soul: Giant Bear) and the other was a control type (Martial Soul: Evergreen Vine).
"Two kids again, what good luck today," the Mighty Bear Soul Master grinned, his tone full of disdain.
Ning Rongrong immediately raised the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, her face darkening: "Stop talking nonsense, let's begin!"
"The Seven Treasures Transform into Glazed Glass: First, Strength! Second, Speed! Third, Soul!" Three beams of colorful light landed precisely on Yan Zu, causing his strength, speed, and soul power to surge instantly.
The Evergreen Soul Master was the first to activate his first Soul Skill, "Vine Entanglement," as several emerald green vines wrapped around Yan Zu and Ning Rongrong.
"Leave it to me." Yan Zu stepped forward, activating the Qilin's second soul skill, "Azure Jade Protection." A pale blue shield enveloped the two of them, and the vines were entangled in the shield, unable to break through. At the same time, he conjured the Shaoshang Sword at his fingertips, and an invisible sword aura shot towards the core of the Evergreen Vine's soul power, causing the vines to wither instantly.
"What?" The Evergreen Soul Master was shocked.
Seeing this, the Giant Bear Soul Master activated its second Soul Skill, "Bear Pounce," charging towards Yan Zu. Yan Zu moved his feet, unleashing the Spiral Nine Shadows Step, dodging the impact while simultaneously striking the Giant Bear's joints with his palm, disrupting its Soul Power circulation.
After a dozen or so rounds, both the Giant Bear and Evergreen Vine had exhausted more than half of their soul power, slowing their movements. Yan Zu seized the opportunity, gathering the Zhongchong Sword at his fingertips, and unleashed an even stronger sword aura towards the Evergreen Vine Soul Master's wrist soul power node. The Evergreen Vine Soul Master screamed in agony as his martial soul was shattered. Without the support of a control-type, the Giant Bear was unable to withstand the attack alone and was slapped off the stage by Yan Zu with a single palm strike.
"The match is over! The victor is Xiangrui Liuli!"
As Yan Zu and Ning Rongrong stepped off the stage, the Mighty Bear Soul Master shouted indignantly, "You cheated! You used underhanded tactics to injure people!"
"This wasn't a sneak attack; it was a derivative attack from my soul skill," Yan Zu said calmly. "Your teamwork was good, but the ivy's vine defenses were weak, and the giant bear's attack rhythm was too predictable, making it easy to be restrained. Next time, let the ivy control the situation first, and then the giant bear can concentrate its power to launch a surprise attack. Don't spread your attacks out at the same time and waste your soul power."
The Giant Bear and the Evergreen Soul Master were stunned for a moment, exchanged a thoughtful glance, and ultimately did not refute further before turning and leaving.
The combination of Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing presented a completely different picture. Both of them were agility-based attackers, with extreme speed, transforming into two streaks of light, one pink and one black, on the Soul Battle Stage.
"Zhuqing, the left side is yours!"
"clear!"
Xiao Wu's waist bow and Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Hundred Claws formed a perfect crossfire, and the two opposing defensive soul masters had no time to react before their defenses were shattered from different angles.
However, Zhu Zhuqing was clearly a bit impatient. In her pursuit of a fatal blow, she made several risky advances and almost got hit by her opponent's counterattack.
"Zhuqing, calm down and keep up with my rhythm!" Xiaowu urged.
"I know!" Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing her anxiety. In the end, the two still won by virtue of their absolute speed advantage.
However, when she left the stage, Zhu Zhuqing was pale, clearly dissatisfied with her performance.
(Thanks to ALing梦 for the monthly pass support)