"Sixth Soul Skill: Bone Armor!"
Watching as Lu Genggeng was swallowed by the molten lava below, his life or death uncertain, Tang Dai's face filled with panic. His pupils reflected the rapidly approaching fire arrow, and he shouted in desperation.
Just like Xu Cheng had said: if they didn't get serious now, they really could die here…
His sixth black soul ring lit up. The skeletal king he had transformed into began to sprout countless hard bone spikes from the gaps in its bones. These spikes wrapped around the formerly hollow skeleton like vines, making it appear as if it had grown grey flesh. It now looked far more solid.
This was his ultimate life-saving skill. He would only use it against Soul Saints or enemies beyond his ability to handle. The summoned bone armor was nearly indestructible—no one of his rank could even scratch it.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief… but in the blink of an eye, the fire arrow arrived.
Like a brilliant firework, it exploded against him. The scorching flames instantly engulfed him, and the terrifying energy surged before erupting outward.
"Aaaahh! Yan Feng! Help me! Help me!" Tang Dai's expression finally changed. He was a skeleton engulfed in flames. Despite his sky-high physical and magical resistances, under the burning of just one fire arrow, he now seemed incredibly fragile.
"That's solar fire..." Xu Cheng murmured with a hint of awe.
They watched the three-meter-tall skeletal king fall like a meteor, crashing once again into the lava below.
Meanwhile, the remaining two arrows were already closing in on Yan Feng and the mage, Gu Yu.
"Help me! You can't handle him alone!" Gu Yu cried out in panic. They had clearly underestimated Xu Cheng. Young and arrogant as they were—especially newcomers to the world—they had thought that no matter how monstrous Xu Cheng seemed in others' eyes, it was all just hype.
Only now did they realize what it meant to stand at the foot of a towering mountain.
"Hmph!" Yan Feng snorted coldly.
But even with that moment of hesitation, he still moved to save Gu Yu.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True Body!"
"Fifth Soul Skill: Bone Dragon Barrier!"
"Third Soul Skill: Frost Shield!"
Accompanied by a soft chant, a bone dragon, fifteen meters long, slowly emerged into view.
This was Yan Feng's martial soul true form. Paired with his fifth soul skill, the bone dragon's body, like Tang Dai's skeletal king, was reinforced by sharp bone spikes that emerged from within, forming an impenetrable outer shell.
As if that weren't enough, a five-meter-tall barrier appeared in front of the bone dragon for added protection.
Yan Feng and Gu Yu took shelter behind the dragon.
Seeing this, Gu Yu let out a long sigh of relief. With such defenses in place, he finally felt somewhat safe. He also activated his fifth soul skill, applying a faint purple enhancement to the bone dragon.
Boom!
The two flame arrows came one after the other.
The first struck the icy shield, sending shards of ice flying as a massive plume of steam erupted between the clash of ice and fire, obscuring everyone's vision.
Yan Feng frowned as he gazed at the calm Xu Cheng. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, even without his soul tools, Xu Cheng was terrifyingly strong…
But alas, this was the end of the line.
A smirk appeared on his face.
Boom! Boom!
The first arrow shattered the frost shield and weakened slightly, but still hit the bone dragon hard. The second arrow followed immediately, releasing such a terrifying surge of soul power that the entire cave trembled.
As the mist cleared—
Gu Yu wiped cold sweat from his forehead, visibly shaken.
Yan Feng's face paled, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. His martial soul had absorbed most of the damage. Yet despite this, a smile crept onto his face.
Soul skills often had cooldowns. Looking at the flames fading from Xu Cheng's surroundings, he thought, He's out of tricks. From what he could tell, Xu Cheng's sixth soul skill could probably only fire four arrows…
Everyone was stunned.
Four arrows—two dead, one wounded!If Yan Feng hadn't taken the brunt of the hit for Gu Yu, the latter would have been toast.
Though they were all considered young prodigies of the same rank, the gap… was a chasm too wide to cross.
So this is Xu Cheng's power?
He was known across the continent for his soul tools. Many who hadn't watched the grand competitions with their own eyes still doubted the true strength of his martial soul.
"Xu Cheng," Yan Feng said coldly, "now it's my turn."
"Hehehe… Being part of the group that defeats the Holy Son—what an honor," came a sinister voice behind Yan Feng.
Yan Feng frowned slightly but said nothing.
Gu Yu, however, was wild with obsession. Years ago, he had been publicly humiliated by Xu Cheng, knocked out like trash swept away by the autumn wind. Ever since, he had simmered with hatred, and now he was practically deranged with excitement.
"You won't get the chance…" Xu Cheng slowly raised a hand, expression calm. He lightly pointed two fingers at Gu Yu.
"Huh?" Gu Yu blinked. But before he could even react, he felt a sudden breeze brush past. His black hood was lifted, revealing a pale, bloodless face with only a few wisps of hair—neither male nor female in appearance.
Pop!
His eyes went blank. His head exploded like a watermelon, blood and thick green fluid splattering everywhere.
Everyone froze.
???
Another one gone?How?!!
Yan Feng's face darkened. "Impossible. We all wore anti-illusion gear—"
"Heh," Xu Cheng scoffed, casually digging at his ear. "I told you—try all you want, you still won't beat me."
Soul Shock.
Unlike in the original story, where Huo Hang's soul shock was a support move that quickly lost its edge, Xu Cheng's spiritual sea had developed to monstrous levels. Thanks to the long-term nourishment of the Ice Silkworm, his mental power had skyrocketed.
Now, when used at full power—it could literally shatter a Soul Emperor's skull.
"Hmph!"
Yan Feng said nothing and summoned his fifteen-meter-long bone dragon. Frost spread outward, pushing back the lava formed by solar fire. The battlefield split into two extreme zones:
One of fire and molten heat—One of bitter frost.
"If you've got no follow-up tricks, then I'm making my move!"
"Second Soul Skill: Dragon's Breath!"
The ice dragon raised its head and let out a roar. A massive ice projectile began to form in its mouth, then fired toward Xu Cheng.
Sizzle!
As the icy bomb flew through the air, a searing heat rose from Xu Cheng's body.
"First Soul Skill: Solar Flame!"
A crimson shield appeared.
Fire met ice. The moment they touched, thick fog surged out, completely obscuring Xu Cheng. Hissing sounds echoed as the mist rolled outward.
Even sensing-type soul masters couldn't penetrate the fog.
Yan Feng crossed his arms and sneered.
"Pathetic."
In his perception, the Solar Flame barrier had collapsed almost instantly. From the looks of it, Xu Cheng inside was either dead—or close to it…
He silently hoped that Xu Cheng would be forced to use his soul tools. That way, it'd be as good as admitting defeat.
In the stands:
Tang Ya and Na Na looked anxious.
If they had to face Yan Feng directly, they'd be doomed.
Xu Cheng had even said before the match that he wouldn't use soul tools. So…
Behind her veil, Ma Xiaotao frowned, her beautiful eyes fixed on the fog. In her eyes, Xu Cheng had always been unpredictable, wrapped in mystery. It was never him who needed worrying about—but his enemies.
"Looks like the Holy Son is in trouble…"
At the head of the seats, one elder smiled faintly.
The leader, Zhongli Wu, lounged lazily on the sofa. He too wore a satisfied smile… until, in the next second, he suddenly sat up, face filled with shock.
"Impossible!" he gasped.
"Lord Leader?" The elder looked confused.
Zhongli Wu's face turned grim. He muttered: "This aura… This pure death aura—I've only felt it once before, at that ancient ruin…"
The Scorpion Tiger Douluo and the Raven Douluo exchanged glances—both catching a flash of joy in the other's eyes.
Even they, today, realized… they might not know Xu Cheng as well as they thought.
"Roooaaarrr!"
A dragon's roar shook the cavern.
Yan Feng's face changed dramatically. He stared at the fog in horror.
The mist, previously still, began churning wildly. A shadow emerged in his pupils—something huge was coming…
Everyone held their breath, staring in disbelief.
A massive skeletal segment emerged from the fog. It was sharp, like a gigantic bone spike. And just that one claw… was already the same size as Yan Feng's bone dragon!
But they all knew: this was only the beginning.
As more bone claws appeared, someone with sharp eyes suddenly screamed, "That's not a bone spike—that's a bone dragon claw!"
Boom.
From the fog, a gigantic skeletal dragon head emerged, its hollow eye sockets glowing with eerie blue light. Just the head alone was over fifty meters tall. Like a titanic beast from ancient times, it radiated overwhelming pressure.
As the mist faded, the rest of the body was revealed:
A bone dragon nearly a thousand meters long.
Everyone was completely stunned. It radiated an ancient, terrifying aura. Some evil soul masters fell to their knees, prostrating themselves in reverence.
Yan Feng swallowed hard, slowly lifting his head to meet the dragon's gaze. Xu Cheng stood atop the dragon's skull, looking down—not with disdain or mockery, but with a calm, distant gaze.
And that made it even worse.
It was as if he was saying: Are you done yet? Okay, my turn.
Everything Yan Feng had done—was now laughably clownish.
"Let it be known," Xu Cheng spoke calmly, "The title of Holy Son is powerful because of me, Xu Cheng—not the other way around."
"You die with honor."
"Master, help me!" Yan Feng cried out in panic, looking desperately toward Zhongli Wu on the platform.
That was the only lifeline he had left.
Even though he'd lost completely, he still believed Zhongli Wu would understand.
After all, he was a Soul Saint—someone nearly on par with a typical Soul Douluo.
But this bone dragon…
That thing was at least Super Douluo level!
A thousand-meter-long bone dragon?! Are you kidding me?!
(End of Chapter)