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Yu Die covered her face and chuckled softly, her voice gentle yet tinged with seduction. "Little brother, you never mentioned your martial soul or soul power level. If we sisters made a mistake, it's understandable, isn't it?"
Agile-type soul masters were different from power-type soul masters. The former relied on speed to weave through and deliver piercing attacks, while the latter focused on head-on confrontations.
Fortunately, Ning Tianchen reacted in time; otherwise, he would have fallen into their trap.
"Little brother, realizing this now seems a bit too late."
Yu Die snapped her fingers, and the scales she had scattered into the air earlier suddenly exploded.
The powder enveloped Ning Tianchen and Oscar.
Dragon Sword Guard couldn't block the air. Being fine particles, the scales passed through the sword qi barrier without resistance.
Oscar quickly realized what was happening. Silently marveling at Ning Tianchen's foresight, he immediately tossed the detoxifying sausage into the latter's hand.
Even though butterfly-type martial souls might carry toxins, their poison wouldn't be as vicious as that of the Human-Faced Demon Spider.
Though Oscar's detoxifying sausage wasn't particularly potent, it was enough to handle the situation.
After consuming the sausage, the toxins from the scales had no effect on them. Ning Tianchen gripped the Seven Kill Sword tightly, his gaze wary as he stared at the opponents.
He couldn't trust a single word Yu Die said—otherwise, he might fall into their trap again.
…
"Looks like we underestimated you," Yu Die said with a cold snort.
She had never expected that Oscar's sausages could have such an effect.
The toxic scales were an innate feature of their martial soul, though they hadn't developed in the direction of becoming poison-type soul masters. They were well aware of the potency of their scale toxins.
"First soul skill, Azure Dragon Break!"
Ning Tianchen swung his sword upward, unleashing a burst of sword qi. A phantom azure dragon soared forth, unstoppable as if there were no obstacles in its path.
Previously, he had chosen not to attack first in order to gauge his opponents' abilities.
Now it was clear that his decision had been correct.
The two sisters were highly experienced in battle. However, the blades formed by their butterfly wings couldn't compare to real swords.
Facing the soul skill of the Seven Kill Sword, the two sisters simultaneously used their guillotine blades, struggling to counter the attack.
"You haven't just entered the Soul Elder stage, have you?" Yu Die's brows furrowed, all traces of flirtation gone from her tone.
From the fluctuations of soul power she had felt earlier, Ning Tianchen's soul power level was only slightly inferior to theirs—and he wasn't far from reaching level thirty-four.
How could someone so young possess such strength?
Not giving the two sisters time to think, Ning Tianchen advanced with his sword.
He had long mastered the principles of swift, stable, and agile swordsmanship—fluid movements akin to a light breeze, yet as steady as a mountain. The Seven Kill Sword moved so swiftly it seemed invisible.
Such fierce and rapid attacks left the sisters struggling to defend, forcing them to retreat continuously.
Though Ning Tianchen hadn't used any soul skills, the power behind each strike rivaled that of a first soul skill.
The sisters were shocked.
Amidst the flurry of changes, only swordlight was visible, not the wielder. How could they possibly counterattack?
Yu Die understood that Ning Tianchen must have received a complete sword technique inheritance. Otherwise, how could someone under fourteen years old achieve such mastery?
"Ning? Could he be a disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?" Cai Die thought to herself.
Upon further reflection, she realized that the sword-type martial soul in Ning Tianchen's hands, had it not been adorned with dragon patterns, bore a striking resemblance to the Seven Kill Sword.
Regardless of whether her speculation was correct, the battle continued.
With Oscar's soul power recovery sausages, Ning Tianchen wasn't worried about soul power depletion. If the fight dragged on, their defeat was inevitable.
Yu Die remained calm despite the pressure. While fending off the attacks, she quickly devised a countermeasure in her mind.
Exchanging a glance with Cai Die, the latter immediately understood her intentions without needing further explanation.
…
After exchanging blows for dozens of rounds, Ning Tianchen couldn't help but think, "This pair of sisters has an incredibly high level of coordination."
His sword techniques were already extremely sharp. Even pairs who frequently fought in the Great Spirit Arena might not have lasted this long against him.
These sisters seemed to share one mind—their movements were perfectly synchronized.
Unable to overpower them, and after another few dozen exchanges, he knew they would devise a counterstrategy.
Ning Tianchen's brows twitched slightly—he realized he needed to halt his offensive.
Otherwise, he would find himself at a disadvantage.
Just as he considered retreating, the twin sisters changed tactics.
Instead of both resisting Ning Tianchen's attacks, Yu Die took the full brunt of them alone. Meanwhile, Cai Die soared into the air, and her second yellow soul ring lit up brightly.
"Second soul skill, Butterfly Wing Slash!"
The variegated butterfly wings transformed into guillotine blades, slashing out simultaneously. A faint cold gleam emanated from the wing blades, followed by nearly tangible blade energy.
Sensing the situation in the air, Ning Tianchen paused his sword movement for a brief moment.
Yu Die seized the opportunity and unleashed her own Butterfly Wing Slash.
Since Ning Tianchen already intended to retreat, he took advantage of the moment to withdraw.
The two blade energies slashed into empty air, and Yu Die's expression grew serious.
To remain calm and composed in battle, knowing when to advance and retreat—is this the awareness of a mere youth?
Even if it were them, they wouldn't abandon their offensive rhythm under such advantageous conditions.
Ning Tianchen dodging the Butterfly Wing Slash proved that he had already planned his retreat route before they even activated their soul skills.
In terms of strength, he was no weaker than them. In terms of tactics, he was leagues ahead. How could they continue this battle?
"Sister, we have no choice but to use that move," Cai Die whispered into her ear.
Without hesitation, Yu Die agreed.
As geniuses, they had no reason to admit defeat. Before exhausting all options, anything could still be salvaged.
…
Watching Ning Tianchen "retreat successfully," Oscar couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "Tianchen brother, you're absolutely brilliant."
There was no trace of amusement on Ning Tianchen's face as he spoke gravely. "Oscar, prepare some sausages for me. Next, be ready to leave the arena at any moment."
He had a feeling that the sisters still had stronger moves up their sleeves. The upcoming battle would only intensify, and having Oscar on the field would only distract him.
Moreover, the rules of the Great Spirit Arena weren't as strict as those of the Soul Master Tournament.
Even if Oscar stored his sausages in a soul-guidance device before the match and consumed them during the fight, it wouldn't count as a violation.
Oscar nodded firmly and began chanting incantations nonstop.
Meanwhile, the sisters showed no signs of initiating another attack.
The two joined their palms together, and variegated-colored light emerged from their bodies.
Their martial souls hovered in the air for a moment, showing signs of fusion.
The three soul rings from each sister detached from their bodies and merged into six soul rings above their heads.
"This is… a Spirit Fusion Technique!" Ning Tianchen's heart raced, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the sword hilt.
When soul masters reached a high level of synergy, they had the chance to form a Spirit Fusion Technique.
Ning Tianchen estimated that the sisters' level of coordination was at least eighty-five percent or higher.
Under such synergy, the resulting Spirit Fusion Technique would undoubtedly be immensely powerful.
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