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"Whoa—crap—!"
Huo Quan's mind screamed as he was sent flying. Was this really the attack of a Soul Elder? It felt more like something a Soul Ancestor would unleash.
Fortunately, the suppression of ranks prevented this blow from seriously injuring Huo Quan, but it still sent him flying over ten meters. Just as he was about to be knocked off the spirit battle stage, Huo Quan quickly deactivated the Rigid Fist technique on his legs.
He braced himself with his legs and began moving his arms, which had been blocking the slash. Using clever force, he redirected the massive attack upward.
Huo Quan narrowly avoided disaster, stopping just at the edge of the arena. However, the crimson slash that had been deflected soared into the sky, striking the protective barrier of the spirit battle arena and causing the audience to gasp in shock.
What was supposed to be a one-sided battle had turned out to be so thrilling.
"First Soul Skill: Thunder Blade!
Second Soul Skill: Thunder Surge!"
But Scar wasn't about to stop there. The moment Huo Quan was sent flying, Scar followed up. As soon as the flying slash dissipated, he reactivated the first and second soul skills on his damaged blade martial soul. The blade, which had already returned to its original state, once again became wrapped in crimson lightning as Scar relentlessly hacked at Huo Quan.
Having adapted to this high-intensity assault, Huo Quan no longer intended to meet the attacks head-on. Instead, he used his agile footwork to dodge each strike.
"Don't run! Come fight me, damn it!"
Scar's eyes burned with displeasure. It was clear that he was someone utterly obsessed with battle. No wonder his body was covered in scars, almost no patch of skin left unmarked by harrowing wounds.
But Huo Quan paid him no mind. As Ye Wen's disciple, how could he be a reckless brute? The earlier direct clashes were merely to gather data on this opponent.
A gap of nearly ten levels in soul power was enough to negate most differences between martial souls.
"This guy's damaged blade martial soul should've been considered trash, yet he's managed to reach near-Soul Ancestor cultivation at this age. Even in top-tier soul master academies, someone like him would undoubtedly be called a genius.
Is it a mutated martial soul? But his fighting will is undeniably terrifying.
This frenzied style of combat reminds me of what Master described as fallen soul masters, yet there's no trace of malevolence in him—only an intense fervor for battle. It seems he's truly embarked on the path of cultivating a weapon martial soul through sheer willpower.
Fearless, growing stronger with every clash.
But judging by his appearance, he's clearly self-taught. Even though he's stepped onto the true path of cultivating a weapon martial soul, without proper methods, depleting his life force like this will drastically shorten his lifespan. Forget becoming a Soul Sage—he'll be lucky to live another twenty years."
Just as Huo Quan had thought, the more he dodged Scar, the swifter and sharper his damaged blade became. Eventually, it formed a dense web of slashes, making it nearly impossible to approach without getting cut.
"Don't run, coward! Face me head-on! Aren't you the disciple of Master Ye Wen, renowned across the continent? Show me some backbone! Fight me like before, give it your all!"
Scar grew increasingly frenzied, his thunderous blade strikes filling the entire spirit battle stage. Yet Huo Quan remained calm, dodging each attack with ease.
Every attack had its patterns, especially for someone like Huo Quan, who was intimately familiar with the human body's mechanics. To him, every one of Scar's slashes could be anticipated and avoided.
"It's over~" Huo Quan said indifferently.
By now, Scar's swings had grown slower, his body drenched in sweat, his breaths labored. Yet his eyes glared fiercely at Huo Quan as he spat out bitterly:
"Coward!"
Unfazed, Huo Quan seized an opening and struck Scar squarely in the chest with a palm.
"Pfft, cough, cough." Blood spurted from Scar's mouth as he coughed uncontrollably.
The strike landed directly on his heart meridian, disrupting both his soul power flow and breathing.
But Scar's willpower was astonishing. Even as his body trembled like a sieve, he stubbornly remained standing.
Seeing Huo Quan so close, Scar swung his damaged blade without hesitation.
But in his current weakened state, he was no match for Huo Quan.
"Master once said, if you don't finish off a snake, it'll bite back. My apologies."
Huo Quan whispered softly into Scar's ear before unleashing a barrage of rapid strikes, each one targeting pressure points on Scar's body, causing his blood flow to stagnate.
Bam—
Scar was defeated. His entire body went limp, and he collapsed awkwardly onto the spirit battle stage, unconscious.
"The match is over! The winner is Tian Xing Academy's second senior brother! Let us cheer for this undefeated soul master of the spirit battle arena!"
What was supposed to be a massacre had turned into such an exhilarating battle. The audience erupted in cheers, shouting Huo Quan's codename.
"These nobles are cheering for the wrong person. For a Soul Elder to fight me, someone nearing Soul King level, to this extent—this kid is undoubtedly a genius among commoners.
Soul masters like him deserve far more applause, even if he lost." Huo Quan thought silently.
Looking at Scar's condition, it was clear he was alone, with no one to care for him. If Huo Quan didn't take him away for treatment, he'd likely have to wait for the staff to carry him off. With that in mind, Huo Quan decided to take Scar with him.
At that moment, a delicate-looking girl rushed onto the spirit battle stage. She gently shook the unconscious Scar, calling out:
"Big Brother Ba! Big Brother Ba! Are you okay? Wake up!"
"Don't worry, I held back earlier. But this guy fights like a madman—it's the only way to make him stop." Huo Quan explained.
It seemed Huo Quan had been mistaken. This beggar-like guy actually had a girlfriend who cared for him.
The girl nodded gratefully at Huo Quan, clearly aware of Scar's temperament.
Moreover, the girl appeared to be a soul master herself, with decent physical strength. She attempted to lift Scar and carry him away.
"Cough—! Stop making noise, I can move on my own!" Scar grumbled, trying to get up.
But Huo Quan's earlier attack had locked down the flow of qi throughout Scar's body. Even a simple movement like standing up was impossible for him now.
Huo Quan walked over and hoisted Scar onto his shoulder.
"Don't push yourself. Not everything in this world can be accomplished with just passion.
Come on, little miss."
In the rest area, Huo Quan massaged Scar for a while. Eventually, the previously half-dead Scar regained his ability to move, glaring at Huo Quan with irritation.
"Let's reintroduce ourselves. I'm Huo Quan. What are your names?"
Scar turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge Huo Quan. Clearly, the earlier battle had left him in a foul mood.
The girl who had come to support Scar, however, spoke politely:
"My name is Chen Youyu. This is my older brother, A Ba."
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