The development of the battle was completely different from what Yu Tianxin had anticipated; he had assumed that if he excluded the speed advantage brought by their Martial Souls, he and Feng Xiaotian were evenly matched in strength. Reality, however, told him he was far behind.
Yu Tianxin decided to use the results of his special training for one final gamble.
The lightning on Yu Tianxin's dragon arm flared brilliantly, spreading across his entire body in the blink of an eye. As the electricity surged, Yu Tianxin's aura began to skyrocket.
Seeing Yu Tianxin in this state, Yun Ming understood exactly what he was doing. He was using lightning to stimulate his meridians, temporarily increasing his speed and strength.
Feeling the aura Yu Tianxin now possessed, Feng Xiaotian felt as though the person standing before him was more of a humanoid tyrannosaurus than a man, and his internal vigilance reached its peak.
With the secret technique complete, Yu Tianxin shouted.
"Again!"
He then transformed into a streak of violent lightning, closing the distance to Feng Xiaotian at high speed. Truly trailing sparks and lightning, he arrived before Feng Xiaotian in an instant; the speed was so great that he seemed like a completely different person compared to before.
The first Soul Ring beneath Yu Tianxin's feet lit up, and his First Soul Skill, Blue Lightning Dragon Claw, was activated.
Countless electric snakes condensed upon Yu Tianxin's claws, and with a piercing hiss, he swung them toward Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Xiaotian was startled by this sudden, massive increase in Yu Tianxin's speed, and he couldn't help but think to himself.
Is this the foundation of the Upper Three Sects! To think they have such a secret technique.
But since Yu Tianxin's attack had already arrived, he had no choice but to deal with it first.
It was too late for Feng Xiaotian to dodge, so he channeled his Soul Power to reinforce his arms, crossing them in front of his chest to protect his vitals and bracing to take the claw strike head-on.
"Boom!"
The Blue Lightning Dragon Claw carried the force of a mountain-splitting blow, and the dragon-claw energy, transformed into plasma, instantly tore through Feng Xiaotian's Soul Power defense, striking his left arm with an explosive roar.
Feng Xiaotian was sent flying over ten meters by the powerful strike. Upon landing, he retreated seven steps, leaving seven craters in the Arena floor before he finally managed to stabilize his stance.
Feeling the burning, pain, and slight numbness in his left arm, Feng Xiaotian felt a sense of relief. It was fortunate that his reaction had been fast enough to mobilize his Soul Power for defense, blocking the majority of the lightning energy that had tried to invade his body; otherwise, his arm might have gone completely numb.
Bringing his focus back to the battle, Feng Xiaotian recalled the force of the blow he had just taken, estimated the distance he had been knocked back, and synthesized Yu Tianxin's combat capabilities in this state.
His speed has surged, surpassing my current level, and his strength has more than doubled. The lightning power has also become much more violent. In that case, I can only avoid head-on clashes and brute force, and instead fight speed with speed.
Having decided on his strategy for the remainder of the fight, Feng Xiaotian shook his slightly numb hands and praised aloud.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is truly worthy of being one of the Upper Three Sects! Your foundation is indeed profound."
"Can you tell me the name of this move?"
Yu Tianxin said calmly.
"Thunder Movement Tactic."
Feng Xiaotian looked at the raging, wild lightning coursing over his opponent and nodded.
"That is quite fitting. In that case, let me see the limits of this move."
As he finished speaking, his third Soul Ring lit up.
Feng Xiaotian's Third Soul Skill, Gale Wings, was activated.
A pair of massive cyan wings unfurled from Feng Xiaotian's back. With a single flap, his speed surged, and he transformed into a cyan wolf shadow, pouncing toward Yu Tianxin.
"Then come!"
Seeing Feng Xiaotian closing in, Yu Tianxin let out a shout. The lightning on his body grew once more, his speed increased again, and he transformed into a blue dragon-shaped blur, charging fiercely at Feng Xiaotian.
Seeing the even more threatening Blue Lightning Dragon Claw that Yu Tianxin had produced by using his first and third Soul Skills, Feng Xiaotian lit up his fourth Soul Ring.
Feng Xiaotian's Fourth Soul Skill, Severing Space Wolf Claw, was activated. The effect of the Soul Skill allowed him to manifest six sharp, keen claws for close-quarters combat, or he could use them as a ranged attack by slashing them outward.
As the Soul Skill activated, three cyan light blades, each about a foot and a half long, popped out between the finger bones of each of Feng Xiaotian's hands. The wolf claws swept past rapidly without making a sound, as if they could easily slice through the very air itself.
"Clang, clang."
The two collided once more, producing sounds like clashing swords.
The Severing Space Wolf Claw and the Blue Lightning Dragon Claw briefly intersected; the claw wind and the lightning eroded one another, the wind seeking to sever the lightning, and the lightning seeking to shatter the wind.
The final result was that Yu Tianxin's dragon scales were cleanly sliced open, blood flowing incessantly, while Feng Xiaotian's wolf claws were struck by lightning, leaving them charred black. However, in terms of actual injury, Yu Tianxin's wounds were slightly more severe.
Yet, neither paid any mind to the injuries on their hands, continuing to transform into streaks of light as they slaughtered their way toward one another.
"Ding, ding, ding!"
"Clang, clang."
"Boom."
"."
The wolf shadow and the dragon form intersected rapidly, producing a continuous series of sounds. Fists and feet collided, the floor tiles of the Arena were crushed, and dragon claws and wolf claws slashed into flesh—nothing was missing from the fray.
The students from various academies in the spectator stands were equally astonished as they watched the intense slaughter between the two.
Oscar looked at the two differently colored streaks of light rapidly intersecting and colliding on the stage, feeling his eyes grow dizzy, and asked Yun Ming.
"Boss, who exactly has the upper hand right now? It's too fast, too dazzling, I can't see clearly!"
Yun Ming watched the two as they constantly collided and separated, smiling.
"It is, of course, Xiaotian. Although Yu Tianxin can keep up with Xiaotian's speed now, his high-speed combat ability is too poor. Right now, he is purely relying on his enhanced strength and speed to hold on. He won't be able to last much longer."
Oscar felt a bit more at ease upon hearing this; as long as his teammate could win, that was all that mattered.
The subsequent events unfolded exactly as Yun Ming had predicted.
When the two first began their high-speed exchange, although Yu Tianxin managed to inflict some damage on Feng Xiaotian thanks to the destructive power of his lightning-attribute Martial Soul, he had sustained even heavier injuries himself.
Furthermore, such an intense clash consumed a massive amount of stamina and Soul Power from both of them, especially for Yu Tianxin.
The high burst potential of a lightning-attribute Martial Soul came with the side effect of high consumption. Having used the Thunder Movement Tactic along with his first and third Soul Skills at full power throughout the match, Yu Tianxin's Soul Power was now stretched to its limit.
Ten minutes into their rapid engagement, Yu Tianxin's pair of dragon claws were completely stained crimson. Moreover, due to the severe depletion of his Soul Power, the effectiveness of the Thunder Movement Tactic began to wane, causing both his speed and strength to decline.
Seeing his opponent's performance, Feng Xiaotian knew his opportunity had arrived. He seized the moment, erupting with Soul Power to push his speed to a new height for a brief window. He appeared behind Yu Tianxin and slashed out, carving three claw marks deep enough to expose bone across his back, knocking him flat onto the ground.
"Bang!"
Having suffered a sudden, heavy blow, Yu Tianxin failed to stabilize his body from the high-speed movement and slammed heavily into the ground.
"Pfft!"
The combination of external and internal injuries caused Yu Tianxin to spit out a mouthful of blood. He propped himself up with his hands, wanting to crawl back up, but he couldn't muster the strength and collapsed once more.
Seeing Yu Tianxin fall, Feng Xiaotian stood still five meters away. The wings on his back and the wolf claws in his hands dissipated into cyan specks of Soul Power in the air.
Feng Xiaotian was also struggling to steady his breathing at this moment. While his extensive experience meant he had consumed slightly less energy than his opponent during this high-speed combat, it was only a marginal difference.
After his blood and qi calmed slightly, Feng Xiaotian looked at the fallen Yu Tianxin and said earnestly.
"Yu Tianxin, you are very strong."
"I had a great fight."
Hearing Feng Xiaotian's affirmation, Yu Tianxin did not respond.
He didn't feel happy; in fact, he felt a sense of sorrow, because he had lost in the end. He had used his Family Secret Technique to boost his strength and speed, yet he still lost, and the defeat was clear. Feng Xiaotian had only sustained minor injuries and still had the strength to continue fighting, which left him feeling dazed.
After a long while, Yu Tianxin finally recovered a bit and shakily climbed to his feet. Electric arcs began to flicker on his body once more. His voice sounded somewhat hoarse.
"Feng Xiaotian, it's not over yet."
"If you want to beat me, then take my final power!"
As his words fell, the fourth Soul Ring at Yu Tianxin's feet lit up.
Feng Xiaotian frowned slightly, but he didn't try to dissuade him. Since his opponent wanted to continue, he mobilized his Soul Power once again to see it through to the end.
Yu Tianxin's fourth Soul Skill, Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Rush, was activated. It was a single-target attack skill that manifested a thunderous giant dragon to destroy everything in its path.
As the skill activated, all the remaining lightning on Yu Tianxin's body gathered and condensed onto his right arm, transforming into a lifelike Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
"Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Rush!"
Once the skill had finished charging, Yu Tianxin threw a punch toward Feng Xiaotian. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon let out a roar toward Feng Xiaotian before charging forward violently.
Feng Xiaotian did not dodge this final attack. Lightning was not like fire; it was fast, and not so easy to evade. Besides, he didn't necessarily need to dodge; he still had more remaining Soul Power than Yu Tianxin.
Feng Xiaotian's first and fourth Soul Rings lit up.
The combination of Wind Blade Array and Severing Space Wolf Claw was activated.
After Feng Xiaotian broke free from the constraints of the Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Wings Consecutive Slash, he had brought his talent for developing Soul Skills into a new realm. The current result was this combined technique of his first and fourth Soul Skills.
As the skill activated, five cyan, sharp blades half a meter long grew from the fingers of Feng Xiaotian's right hand. The sound of wind whistled incessantly from the blades; just looking at them was enough to feel the pain of being struck by them.
Watching the miniature Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon drawing closer, Feng Xiaotian raised his right hand, swung it with force, and shouted.
"Demon Wolf Severing Space Claw!"
Feng Xiaotian's right claw unleashed five cyan beams of light nearly two zhang long, like a demon wolf swiping its claws, slashing toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Seeing the claw light approaching, the dragon seemed somewhat provoked, letting out a faint, ethereal dragon roar as it met the attack head-on.
"Boom!"
The wolf claws collided with the dragon's head, producing a deafening sound.
Blue and cyan light intertwined as countless wind blades and lightning arrows shot out from the center of the collision, adding countless deep gouges and craters to the already dilapidated arena. A cloud of dust was kicked up, and the combination of dust and soul light shrouded the field, blocking everyone's line of sight.
The spectators were very concerned about the outcome.
Ning Rongrong asked Yun Ming nervously.
"Captain, what happened?"
Yun Ming said calmly.
"He won."
Inside the dust, the clash between the dragon and the demon wolf continued. The dragon lashed its tail, striking the wolf, while the wolf extended its claws, attempting to sever the dragon.
Yu Tianxin braced himself, watching the final clash between his Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Rush and the Demon Wolf Severing Space Claw, but the result did not go as he had hoped. The battle between the dragon and the wolf ended with the dragon letting out a mournful cry, being shredded by the claws, and vanishing into electric arcs.
After a series of explosions, everything finally fell silent.
Then, Yun Ming waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept the dust off the arena, revealing the stage that had been thoroughly destroyed by the wind blades, lightning, and the shockwaves of their clash.
As the dust settled, Yu Tianxin was sprawled on the ground in a spread-eagle position, completely unconscious, with five new claw marks on his chest. Although Feng Xiaotian was panting, he remained standing firmly, having sustained very few injuries.
This battle between the two major representatives of the Shenfeng Team and the Thunder Team ultimately ended in victory for Feng Xiaotian.
The crowd in the VIP seating area watched the fierce battle between the two, their voices filled with endless praise.
A Soul Saint commander of the Royal Knights spoke up in admiration.
"As expected of one of the Twin Stars of the Yu Family, to be able to withstand that level of lightning power at such a young age—his willpower and talent are truly extraordinary! It is just a pity he ran into someone even more outstanding."
A colleague beside him, who was also an uncle of Feng Xiaotian, chimed in with praise.
"Indeed, this kid Feng Xiaotian is truly surprising!"
"To be able to achieve a Martial Soul suppression against Yu Tianxin while only being three levels higher in cultivation—his ability to utilize his Martial Soul and his combat intelligence are not to be underestimated!"
"I remember he wasn't this strong before."
"And those other kids on their team, every single one of them is quite unusual!"
Hearing this, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe smiled.
"Regarding this point, I can provide General Feng with some clarity."
"The root of this change in the Empire Team lies entirely with their captain; the training plan for the whole team was arranged by their captain, Yun Ming."
The crowd was astonished upon hearing this, and even Xue Ye asked in shock.
"Not only is Yun Ming outstanding in his personal ability, but he also possesses such insight into the way of Soul Master education?"
Xue Qinghe replied that it was so.
Xue Ye sighed from the bottom of his heart.
"For such a pillar of talent to appear in the Heaven Dou Soul Master World is truly the fortune of Heaven Dou!"
Yes, what Xue Ye was lamenting was the fortune of the Soul Master World; he wanted to say the Empire, but Yun Ming was not part of it! Moreover, Yun Ming had very cleverly rejected Xue Ke's goodwill, which had hurt her so much that it once made her question her own charm.
Hearing Xue Ye say this, the crowd understood his meaning.
'Yun Ming is not a man of the Empire.'
Ning Fengzhi glanced at Xue Ye without changing his expression; for a moment, he could not quite see what this Your Majesty truly meant.
Back to the match.
Thunder Academy took their captain away, sending people to rush Yu Tianxin off for treatment, while Feng Xiaotian also left the stage directly to return to his academy's viewing area.
Yun Ming praised Feng Xiaotian.
"Well fought, keep up the effort."
Receiving the praise, a smile appeared on Feng Xiaotian's face as he replied.
"Yes, Captain!"
After watching the battle between Yu Tianxin and Feng Xiaotian, Tang San was also somewhat moved by the combat power of the two, though it was merely a passing thought; if he were to encounter either of them at the same level, he would certainly be able to defeat them.
Seeing the stage empty, Tang San spoke up to Yun Ming.
"Captain Yun, how about we exchange pointers in the next match!"
Yun Ming glanced at him and said indifferently.
"Fine!"
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader