Huo Rui exhaled a breath of scorching flames, and the fire on her right hand suddenly surged, then compressed, growing even more dazzling in color.
"Eight Soul Skill—Flame Dragon Overlord Body · Modified—"
At this moment, the flames enveloping Huo Rui reached their peak. The effects of the Flame Dragon Overlord Body not only imbued her with elemental properties but also increased all her attributes by 100% for half an hour, with fire-based attributes receiving a 200% boost. This allowed her martial soul to evolve fully from a heart into a Flame Dragon Heart.
Though she bore no grudge against the three Elders, they had dared to obstruct her path. Huo Rui no longer cared about such niceties and coldly declared:
"I will exterminate everyone in the Dugu residence. If any of you stand in my way, don't blame me if you die!"
With that, Huo Rui unleashed a blazing punch, refined through her modifications.
"Serious Series—Blazing Sun Fist!"
The overwhelming force of the punch tore through the earth, carving out a deep trench as it surged toward the steward.
But what was truly terrifying wasn't the sheer power—it was the core of the attack, which radiated an unimaginably high temperature, like a flame capable of melting anything in its path.
The steward tried to dodge, but just as he moved, he realized the attack had locked onto him, sending waves of terror coursing through his body.
In this life-or-death moment, the steward abandoned all hesitation. Gritting his teeth, his eyes flashed with ferocity as he hurled his martial soul forward once more.
Though the spear didn't employ any soul skills, the innate properties of its True Body were enough to shatter mountains and split stones.
The next instant, the two terrifying attacks collided.
The steward coughed up a mouthful of blood as he felt his True Body beginning to disintegrate. The backlash from the destruction of his martial soul quickly followed, hitting him full force.
The fear of death materialized vividly before him. His eyes bulged in desperation—he had only just secured this comfortable position, and there was still so much wealth and luxury left to enjoy. He didn't want to die!
In this critical moment, the steward's combat instincts peaked. The only person who could save him now was one of the three Elders, all of whom were Soul Douluos.
However, neither Zhi Lin's Sky Azure Vine nor the battered Meng Shenji seemed capable of helping him.
The steward quickly locked onto his target. Channeling an explosive surge of soul power beneath his feet, he frantically dashed toward Bai Baoshan, the defensive-type Soul Douluo, seeking shelter behind him.
"Lord Bai, save me!" the steward cried out.
Bai Baoshan sighed. They were here under Emperor Xue Ye's orders, tasked with protecting the Dugu family's reputation. He couldn't afford to hold back, but even he felt a chill when facing such a fearsome attack.
Yet, as a diligent worker who had risen to become one of the elite, Bai Baoshan could only muster his resolve and prepare for a desperate fight.
"Haaah!"
Bai Baoshan clasped his hands together and roared, instantly activating his True Body of Weapon Soul—the Celestial Furnace True Body.
In the True Body state, a soul master's abilities doubled in power. Whether Soul Sage or Title Douluo, the True Body represented the pinnacle of a soul master's strength.
The next moment, Bai Baoshan activated all his defensive soul skills, layering the thickest possible shield around himself.
The steward's martial soul was completely melted away, and Huo Rui's punch, infused with her unyielding killing intent, charged straight toward Bai Baoshan.
The low-level defensive soul skills guarding the front lines shattered instantly.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Bai Baoshan's temple. Though these were minor defensive skills, he was a far more experienced Soul Douluo than Huo Rui. The sheer power of this attack was absolutely terrifying!
His fifth and sixth defensive soul skills held out for only a brief moment before collapsing as well.
Bai Baoshan was genuinely frightened now. In his eyes, this attack rivaled the ninth soul skill of a Title Douluo!
The only defensive soul skill he had left was his eighth. If that broke, he would have to rely solely on his True Body to withstand the blow.
Thinking of how the steward's martial soul had been utterly melted earlier, Bai Baoshan abandoned all pretense of dignity and shouted to Zhi Lin in the distance:
"Don't just stand there, Old Zhi! Hurry and help! I can't hold on much longer!"
Though Zhi Lin was a control-type soul master, he couldn't ignore his friend's plea. His Sky Azure Vine rapidly expanded, transforming into a vast sea of green to assist Bai Baoshan in defense.
But when Zhi Lin sensed his Sky Azure Vine wilting and then burning away, his face turned pale. After breaking through so many layers of Bai Baoshan's defenses, this attack still retained such devastating power—it was absolutely absurd!
Realizing the situation, Zhi Lin hurriedly called out to the still-stunned Meng Shenji:
"Don't space out, Brother Meng! I can't hold on either—come lend a hand!"
At this point, Meng Shenji snapped back to his senses, his expression turning serious. Since he couldn't engage in close combat, he decided to switch to long-range attacks. After all, his Black Demon martial soul was not only capable of mental attacks but also possessed dark elemental properties.
"Behold my Sixth Soul Skill—Shadow Sphere!"
(T/N: Considered calling it 'Shadow Ball' like the Pokemon move lol)
Instantly, dark energy swirled in Meng Shenji's hands, coalescing into a spiraling orb resembling a Rasengan. He hurled it toward the Blazing Sun Fist.
Unlike typical explosive attacks, the Shadow Sphere absorbed everything around it. The momentum of the Blazing Sun Fist faltered, and even its intense heat seemed to diminish slightly.
Drawing on his extensive combat experience, Meng Shenji realized that while his sixth soul skill couldn't directly counter Huo Rui's eighth, it could weaken her attack. He quickly formed several more Shadow Spheres and launched them in succession.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the three managed to completely nullify Huo Rui's terrifying Blazing Sun Fist. Only then did they remember something crucial: they had been fighting for so long.
But what about Huo Rui?
Just as everyone puzzled over this, the steward felt a chill run down his spine. Acting on instinct, he glanced backward.
And what he saw nearly made his soul flee his body!
"Aaah—!!!"
Unbeknownst to them, Huo Rui's aura had already receded, and she had silently maneuvered behind Bai Baoshan's True Body.
By now, Huo Rui had adopted an unusual stance. Though her soul power seemed subdued, everyone present felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom.
"Serious Series—Ultimate Charge Punch!"
In an instant, a punch imbued with Huo Rui's full strength and the combined effects of seven enhancement-type soul skills shot forth. A blinding flash of white light forced everyone to reflexively close their eyes.
The next moment, Bai Baoshan not only suffered temporary blindness but also coughed up blood.
His seemingly indestructible Celestial Furnace had been pierced clean through by Huo Rui's punch, leaving a hole the size of an arm. The steward was sent flying backward in an instant.
A flicker of surprise crossed Huo Rui's eyes. She hadn't expected the steward to possess such resilience.
Even though he had entered the backlash stage of his martial soul and struggled to use soul power, he had somehow relied on pure instinct to block her punch at the last second.
Still, Huo Rui knew that even if he had managed to withstand her attack, the force she transmitted would have shattered every bone in his body. Now, he was as good as a living corpse—unable to move even a finger without great effort.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.