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Seeing this, the entire New Heaven Dou Battle Team including Huang Jia was speechless.
Ning Rongrong couldn't hold back her comment. "Why did he take that hit head-on? He was already in the air, couldn't he have dodged and then used his Demon Wolf Storm? Why block it with his head? If he'd avoided it, the match could've ended right there."
The others nodded in agreement. Ever since Ning Tian pointed out the Clear Sky Hammer's intelligence-reducing effect, they'd stopped falling under its strange aura. Each of them had come up with basic strategies to handle the Clear Sky Hammer, no longer rushing in blindly like most people who just slammed their heads into it.
Ning Tian smiled faintly. "It's the intelligence-reducing hammer technique. What else could it be?"
Ning Rongrong nodded, looking exasperated. "Exactly. It's no different from smashing your head against the hammer on purpose. Wait…he actually blocked it? And now he's got the advantage?"
She let out a small gasp. The scene she'd imagined: Feng Xiaotian getting blasted away, didn't happen. Instead, the wind-formed double-headed demon wolf projection clashed with Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer spirit power, which had shaped into a giant bear. Not only did it tear the bear apart, but it also hit Tang San, sending him and his hammer flying back across the arena.
Ning Tian stepped in to explain. "The Clear Sky Hammer's strength depends on building power from the ground. Once it's airborne, its force drops sharply. On top of that, Feng Xiaotian's soul power outclasses Tang San's, and his fourth soul ring is at least as old as Tang San's second ring for the Clear Sky Hammer. It's no shock he pushed Tang San back."
The New Heaven Dou Battle Team members blinked in realization, but their gazes shifted to Ning Tian with a mix of awe and disbelief. They'd heard his teacher, Zhu Qing, was a master, but to them, Ning Tian seemed even more impressive, breaking down the Clear Sky Hammer's flaws with such precision.
Of course, Zhu Qing was a true master in her own right, and raising a student like Ning Tian who'd outshone her, only proved it. Her title was well-earned.
But Ning Tian's insight didn't mean everyone else could see it too.
When Feng Xiaotian drove back the Clear Sky Hammer head-on, the crowd gasped, amazed at his strength.
Tang San plowed through the arena floor for over ten meters before steadying himself, a thin trickle of blood seeping from his mouth. In that moment, he grasped the Clear Sky Hammer's weakness.
Feng Xiaotian, though, wasn't about to let him think it over. He pressed forward, unleashing his Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes in a flash.
Left with no choice, Tang San countered with his Chaotic Cloak technique. His 'Eight Spider Lances', his biggest trump card, saved for Ning Tian and the Spirit Hall Academy, stayed hidden for now.
That's when the intelligence-reducing hammer effect kicked in again.
Feng Xiaotian attacked as if he feared the Clear Sky Hammer couldn't take his Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, aiming nearly every strike at the hammer's head.
In the end, the light blades formed from his wings couldn't match the Clear Sky Hammer's toughness and broke apart. The backlash hit Feng Xiaotian hard, he coughed up blood, flew backward, and crashed to the ground. The onlookers sighed, but their awe for the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul grew.
For a brief moment, they even forgot Tang San's rotten reputation, struck only by how the Clear Sky Hammer lived up to its name as the world's top tool martial soul.
Feng Xiaotian felt the same. "I lost. The Clear Sky Hammer really deserves its title as the world's best tool martial soul. But it's a shame, your cultivation is too far behind Ning Tian's. You'll still lose to him."
After his defeat to Tang San, Feng Xiaotian's face twisted with bitterness. He still believed Tang San couldn't beat Ning Tian, though he chalked it up to the gap in their cultivation levels.
"That's not your problem," Tang San shot back, his tone cold. He hadn't forgotten Feng Xiaotian's earlier jab about 'stealing the Mysterious Heaven,' and it showed.
Just then, a brilliant seven-colored glow lit up the main soul arena. Shao Xin, Shrek's food-type Spirit Saint, stepped in, offering his recovery sugar beans.
.........
Half an hour later, with Ning Fengzhi's Seven Treasure True Body healing them and Shao Xin's sugar beans helping, Tang San and Feng Xiaotian were back to full strength.
Now it was Ning Tian's turn to step up. His opponent: Feng Xiaotian. This fight, the highlight of the preliminary round, was saved for last.
With four soul rings—two yellow, one purple, one black rising from his feet, Ning Tian called forth his martial soul but didn't strike right away. Instead, he asked, "Do you get what I mean by the 'intelligence-reducing hammer' now?"
Feng Xiaotian shook his head, dazed. He hadn't shaken off his loss to Tang San, and his spirit seemed low. It wasn't that he couldn't handle defeat, it was the thought that if he couldn't beat Tang San, he stood no chance against Ning Tian. And if he couldn't beat Ning Tian, his dear Huo Wu wouldn't give him the time of day.
Ning Tian didn't bother explaining further. 'He'll see soon enough when I face Tang San,' he thought.
With a light flick of his sword, Ning Tian pointed at Feng Xiaotian. "Go ahead and use your Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes. Otherwise, this fight will end fast."
"Fine!" Feng Xiaotian didn't argue. His second and third soul rings flared as he launched into the air, slashing thirty-five times in quick succession.
The thirty-sixth slash came straight for Ning Tian. He stood still, unfazed. A sharp burst of killing intent surged from him, and as Feng Xiaotian closed in, Ning Tian swung his sword. A wave of sword qi fused with that killing intent, shaping into the character 'kill.'
Feng Xiaotian's final slash, packed with the force of all thirty-six hit the 'kill' character and vanished, swallowed up completely.
Then, the sword qi tied to the 'kill' character sliced through the wind wings fused to Feng Xiaotian's arms, shattering them.
Feng Xiaotian touched down softly, unharmed but stunned. If Tang San had crushed his light blades with raw power from the Clear Sky Hammer, Ning Tian had done it with pure sword skill.
The crowd buzzed with chatter, clearly shocked that Ning Tian had dismantled Feng Xiaotian's signature move so easily.
........
Up in the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye spoke up, amazed. "Sect Leader Ning, isn't that your sect's Seven Killing Sword Technique?"
Ning Fengzhi gave a small smile. "It is. My daughter and Ning Tian are friends. She once asked Uncle Sword to guide him for a while. You could say Uncle Sword's half a teacher to him."
As he said it, Ning Fengzhi cast a pointed glance at Bishop Salas from the Spirit Hall, a faint smirk forming when he saw the bishop's frown.
........
Meanwhile, the Shrek team stared in disbelief. Ma Hongjun sucked in a breath. "That's insane strength! Tang San had to fight hard to beat Feng Xiaotian, but he made it look simple."
Dai Mubai turned to Tang San, worry creasing his brow. "Third Brother, can you beat him?"
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