Chapter 208: Victory Over Blazing Fire
Boom!
The Eight Extremes Collapse clashed fiercely with Fire Dragon Claw, resulting in a resounding boom. Both fighters staggered backward under the backlash, taking several steps to disperse the shock. Surprisingly, Dai Yao ended up retreating slightly more than Huo Wushuang.
Although Dai Yao hadn't summoned his martial soul, his sheer physical strength alone nearly matched that of Huo Wushuang, who was in full martial soul form and using his soul skill. The crowd of onlookers gasped in astonishment, as it was the first time Blazing Fire Academy had managed to even momentarily suppress Dai Yao in direct combat.
Huo Wushuang glanced nervously at his trembling arm and clenched his teeth, forcing his soul power to expel the hidden energy from Dai Yao's punch. The energy dissipated in the form of a small crater on the ground, and his eyes flickered with a hint of relief. "Fortunately, I was prepared for Dai Yao's peculiar strike force. Otherwise, this fight would already be over."
Quickly recovering, Huo Wushuang reignited his fiery aura and once again charged at Dai Yao in a blazing streak of orange.
"Bring it on!" Dai Yao's eyes sparkled with excitement, and with his Explosive Step technique and Eight Extremes Collapse, he charged to meet Huo Wushuang head-on once again.
From the very start, the battle reached an intense, frenzied state. Both fighters poured their soul power into each blow, with fire scattering from Huo Wushuang's fists and the shockwaves of each punch slicing through the air. Their pace quickened with each strike, their movements a blur as flashes of white and orange collided across the stage, sending sparks flying.
The audience watched in awe, captivated by the blurred figures clashing at lightning speed. Huo Wushuang had already proven himself one of the tournament's strongest offensive fighters, yet Dai Yao—without even using his martial soul—still managed to keep pace.
The question loomed in the minds of the ten participating teams from various kingdoms and duchies: Just how formidable would Dai Yao be if he unleashed his full power?
Even the previously skeptical students from Plant Academy stared in shock, realizing they had entirely underestimated Dai Yao's abilities.
Blazing Fire Academy Rest Area
Huo Wu watched the battle in a daze, her beautiful eyes wide with surprise. "My brother has reached his peak, completely focused. Even so, he can't force Dai Yao to use his martial soul?"
On the arena stage, Huo Wushuang's anxiety grew with every passing exchange. Though he had managed to pressure Dai Yao, his opponent's elbows, knees, and other body parts constantly twisted and evaded, turning any part of his body into a potential weapon. This adaptability allowed Dai Yao to skillfully dodge critical blows while countering with well-timed strikes that hindered Huo Wushuang at every turn.
While Huo Wushuang held a slight edge in strength, his practical combat skills paled in comparison to Dai Yao's. This was the key reason he couldn't seize a definitive victory.
Watching the flickering white figure moving gracefully across the stage, Dai Mubai felt a pang of bitterness. Witnessing Dai Yao's honed combat prowess firsthand, he had a clearer understanding of the difference between them.
"Dai Yao has progressed so far. He never relaxed, always pushing himself. And me? I'm still struggling in the fight for the throne, unable even to protect Zhu Zhuqing. When did the gap become so immense?"
With another resounding clash, the two fighters briefly separated. Huo Wushuang panted heavily, beads of sweat rolling down his face like rain. Staring at Dai Yao's steady figure, his eyes flashed with astonishment. "This monster... Such a fierce battle, and he treats it like a warm-up. Not even a hint of fatigue!"
"No matter what, I have to make him use his martial soul!" Determined, Huo Wushuang gathered himself. With a deep breath, his first three soul rings flared to life, infusing him with an overwhelming surge of fire-attributed soul power that increased the air's temperature.
Watching Huo Wushuang's rising power, Dai Yao's eyes took on a more serious gleam. While he could easily dominate Huo Wushuang if he used his martial soul, doing so without it would be difficult. With a slight smile, Dai Yao muttered, "Time to reveal a new trick."
He drew back his right arm, assuming a low stance with his hand near his waist as if ready to strike. His soul power surged like a raging river, coursing down his arm. With each compression of power, he felt the muscles of his right arm tense and strain under the pressure.
"Compression!" he murmured.
A strange energy field formed around Dai Yao, lifting dust particles into the air, making the invisible waves of force around him visible as swirling dust clouds. Meanwhile, the energy gathering in his right arm grew increasingly intense.
In the audience, soul masters began whispering in surprise.
"Is this another self-created soul skill?"
"How many of these does Dai Yao have? It's as if they're as common as cabbage! How many different skills has he shown in this match alone?"
Tang San's sharp gaze remained fixed on Dai Yao's right arm, his Purple Demon Eyes active and glowing intensely. Although he appeared calm, he was shaken to his core. "This move looks like the one Dai Yao used to defeat Dai Mubai. It's somewhat similar to my Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. I wonder how many compressions he can achieve?"
VIP Seats
Dustheart, observing Dai Yao's preparation, raised an eyebrow in mild astonishment. When Dai Yao had used this technique in the past, he had managed to compress his soul power sixfold, which was impressive even to a seasoned soul master like Dustheart. How far would the young prodigy go this time?
Feeling the pressure radiating from Dai Yao, Huo Wushuang's face went pale with dread. Dai Yao's skill exceeded anything he had anticipated. Yet retreat was not an option—he represented Blazing Fire Academy's last hope. If he couldn't force Dai Yao to use his martial soul, Blazing Fire would leave the tournament in disgrace, remembered as little more than Dai Yao's stepping stone.
Clenching his teeth, Huo Wushuang activated his Fire Dragon Claw, a fierce flame swirling around his fist as he locked eyes with Dai Yao, resolution burning in his gaze.
Moments later, Fire Dragon Claw and the twofold-compressed Eight Extremes Collapse collided.
Boom!
The impact sent ripples through the air, visibly distorting it as waves of energy spread out from the collision point. The fiery aura surrounding Huo Wushuang scattered like ash under the explosive force of Dai Yao's technique.
Huo Wushuang was thrown backward through the air, gripping his trembling arm in shock. Even after amplifying his attack with two soul skills and activating his third skill, making him one of the tournament's strongest power-attack soul masters, Dai Yao had still defeated him head-on.
Suppressing the metallic taste rising in his throat, Huo Wushuang steeled himself, his fourth soul ring flashing brightly.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Tyrant Dragon Clone!"
Three identical copies of Huo Wushuang appeared in the air, surrounded by a sea of searing flames. For an average soul master, dealing with one Huo Wushuang would be hard enough, but facing three at once, radiating intense and oppressive strength, could break one's spirit entirely.
"So, this is your trump card?" Dai Yao's sharp gaze swept over the three Huo Wushuang figures, instantly discerning that one had a slightly stronger aura, while the other two were weaker replicas.
"A clever trick," he remarked with a slight smile, "but I'll crush it with pure strength. If I unleash the Eight Extremes Collapse at triple compression, how will you handle it?"
Dai Yao smirked, pulling back his right fist to his waist again.
In the stands, many spectators murmured in astonishment.
"He's going to use that self-created skill again to counter Huo Wushuang? Their last clash was evenly matched, but with Huo Wushuang's ultimate skill in play, refusing to summon his martial soul seems like overconfidence on Dai Yao's part."
Beside him, another spectator scolded, "Stop your commentary and just watch. They're both leagues ahead of you; you're not in any place to critique them."
The bickering was interrupted by a sudden shift on the battlefield.
Boom!
As soul power gathered, space around Dai Yao's pulled-back arm began to distort slightly from the intense compression. His clothes whipped wildly around him, and the ground beneath him cracked into a web-like pattern, slowly sinking as smoke curled up around him.
Watching the ground crumble, a maintenance soul master waiting on the sidelines sighed in dismay, imagining the repairs ahead. "Why do they always have to wreck the arena like this? Fixing it is exhausting, you know!"
Meanwhile, Huo Wu could only feel an overwhelming sense of despair and coldness creeping over her. Dai Yao still hadn't summoned his martial soul, yet his self-created soul skill already seemed stronger than Huo Wushuang's fourth soul skill by a good margin.
"My brother has pushed himself to the limit, but Dai Yao still hasn't needed his martial soul. Are we, Blazing Fire Academy, destined to be someone else's stepping stone?"
Feeling the towering aura emanating from Dai Yao, Huo Wushuang's heart grew heavy. Even after pushing himself beyond his limits, he hadn't forced Dai Yao to use his martial soul.
"No matter the outcome, I'll face defeat with my head held high."
Resolving to give his all, Huo Wushuang's three figures lit up, activating soul skills in unison as he charged forward in a blazing onslaught.
Dai Yao's focus returned as the process of compressing his soul power completed.
Triple Compression!
But just as he was about to unleash his punch, he caught a glimpse of the Shrek Academy viewing area, where a familiar, seemingly ordinary face gazed back at him. Tang San's eyes glowed with a sharp purple light, reflecting a focused intelligence.
"If I use the Eight Extremes Collapse at triple compression here, Tang San, with Grandmaster's analysis, could uncover its intricacies. That would only complicate things in our upcoming match with Shrek Academy."
"I need to mislead their analysis," Dai Yao thought decisively.
In full view of the crowd, he activated his Holy White Tiger martial soul, and an overwhelming aura spread across the arena. The intimidating presence caused many spectators to step back, feeling a visceral fear.
"What martial soul is that? It feels even more powerful than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!"
"You're crazy! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is the best beast martial soul in the world. There can't be a stronger one!"
"But why is Dai Yao only using his martial soul now?"
With a sidelong glance at Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian guessed gravely, "It must be because Huo Wushuang's strength forced Dai Yao to use it."
Dai Yao's unexpected move also left Tang San puzzled. Initially, he had estimated Dai Yao's self-created skill's power, but the additional factor of his martial soul only made it harder to gauge.
"He's doing this on purpose, keeping me from understanding his technique. This opponent is incredibly cautious," Tang San thought.
Meanwhile, Huo Wushuang stood on the arena stage in disbelief. He had expected Dai Yao to beat him using his self-created skill alone, so the activation of his martial soul seemed unnecessary.
Nonetheless, Huo Wushuang felt a surge of relief—Dai Yao's martial soul activation gave Blazing Fire Academy a bit of pride back.
"Whatever your reason for using your martial soul, you've allowed Blazing Fire Academy to save face, and for that, I'm grateful."
With renewed composure, Huo Wushuang prepared to face Dai Yao with no reservations, free of any lingering burden.
Dai Yao then stepped forward with his left foot and launched himself at Huo Wushuang like a cannonball. As he neared, he struck, his punch stopping a meter short of Huo Wushuang, but the fierce energy from it cut through Huo Wushuang's three forms like a knife, leaving only the real one standing.
The intense shockwave sent Huo Wushuang's remaining clones dissipating into thin air.
Seeing the incoming force, Huo Wushuang's pupils contracted in fear, quickly crossing his arms to defend. A dense fire barrier formed before him but was shattered in an instant by the raging energy, which continued to pound into him.
Screech—
Huo Wushuang, struggling to withstand the impact, braced himself as best he could. He leaned back, forming a "V" shape, his upper body forced back by the overwhelming force, while his legs planted firmly against the ground.
After what seemed like an eternity, the relentless assault finally relented, and he opened his eyes slowly, a glimmer of relief spreading across his face.
"I managed to block your attack, Dai Yao!"
"Take a look at the ground beneath you."
Bewildered, Huo Wushuang glanced down, only to find that he was now far from the original center of the arena. Two deep grooves marked the path he'd been forced along, stretching from where he'd started to where he now stood at the edge.
A profound silence fell over the arena.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10