After yet another strike was dodged by Fan Hong, Qian Jue finally drew back, breathing hard. At this point in the battle, he already had a clear sense of the outcome—the scales of victory were tipping in his favor.
It wasn't that his own strength had truly reached the level to challenge a spirit Ancestor head-on. Rather, it was the combination of several indispensable factors working together.
Leaving aside Gu Lan—the Evil spirit Master at least at the ''spirit Emperor'' level, who had been smiling and watching idly from the side—the reason Qian Jue had managed to drag the fight to this stage was not only due to the advantages of his martial spirit. The most critical key was the successful sneak attack at the start, followed by Dai Mubai's reckless charge.
When Dai Mubai had lunged at Fan Huan, it had forced Fan Hong—already slowed and maddened by the wolf spirit's initial assault—to unleash his ''fourth spirit skill'', 'Wolf Shadow Strike', in a fit of rage.
That one blow had indeed left Dai Mubai gravely injured and unable to fight further. But it also stripped Fan Hong of his strongest explosive trump card. Without that overwhelming burst, he couldn't finish Qian Jue in a single strike—thus giving Qian Jue the chance to drag the fight into a prolonged battle.
And once the fight stretched out, the situation began to change.
First, with the four spirit rings granted by the Kindred martial spirit, Qian Jue's ''base physical attributes'' were not too far behind Fan Hong's. Though the twenty-plus level gap meant Fan Hong's soul power greatly amplified his body, he still couldn't completely overpower Qian Jue. This gave Qian Jue the fundamental qualification to fight across twenty levels.
Second, the ''wolf spirit'' constantly aided his attacks. Even though Fan Hong had become wary of it, and its strikes no longer landed with the same devastating surprise as in the beginning, the unique effect of 'Kindred's Invisibility' meant Fan Hong was forced to keep part of his focus on guarding against it. He couldn't fight Qian Jue with his full strength. A single careless bite from the wolf could inflict excruciating agony that warped his movements. This alone allowed Qian Jue to hold his ground.
Third were Qian Jue's two second spirit skills: 'Emerald Communion' and 'Soul Severed'.
' 'Soul Severed' reduced Fan Hong's reaction speed by twenty percent. That alone significantly closed the gap, preventing Fan Hong from bringing out his full prowess.
' 'Emerald Communion' was even more terrifying. Its effect was perfectly suited to this battle. Not only could it accelerate Fan Hong's soul power consumption, but every time it struck, a portion of that energy rebounded back into Qian Jue, greatly reducing its cost. With such a short cooldown, Qian Jue could fire it almost every ten seconds, each cast driving Fan Hong to frustration.
On top of that, the skill's healing effect was one of the main reasons Qian Jue could still stand now. Fan Hong's attacks weren't light—his first and second skills occasionally struck home, and the backlash from the wolf spirit's injuries also harmed Qian Jue. His body bore numerous bloody cuts, and dried blood still clung to the corner of his lips. Yet despite these wounds, he endured and kept up his relentless assault. Thanks to 'Emerald Communion's' healing, his condition always stayed above the threshold of collapse.
All of these factors combined allowed Qian Jue, a mere Grand spirit Master, to battle a spirit Ancestor across twenty levels—and even begin seizing the upper hand.
But that was the past. Now, Fan Hong was ready to risk everything.
Realizing the tide was turning against him, he knew he couldn't afford to drag the fight any longer. If it came down to soul power exhaustion, he would be the one to fall.
"''Shadow Wolf's Guard!''"
For the first time in this battle, Fan Hong activated his ''third spirit skill''. It was a defensive technique, which was why he had held it back until now—after all, Qian Jue had struggled to breach his defenses anyway, so using it earlier would have only wasted energy. But this time, his plan was different. He would no longer split his focus between defense and the wolf spirit. He would bet everything on offense.
With a furious roar, Fan Hong's body flared with protective aura. Ignoring the wolf spirit, he charged at Qian Jue with wild abandon. His first and second spirit skills exploded in a frenzied barrage, unleashed as if they cost no power at all. He let Qian Jue's strikes and the wolf's fangs land freely, seeking only to end the fight as fast as possible.
But once again, Fan Hong underestimated his foe. Even shielded by the third spirit skill, he couldn't shrug off the sharpness of the Kindred Bow or the wolf's savage fangs. Each blow still drew blood, still sent jolts of agony through him.
The pain pushed him further into madness, his attacks growing fiercer and fiercer. Against that storm, Qian Jue was like a fragile skiff in a hurricane—shaken, battered, nearly breaking.
"AAAHH! ''Shadow Wolf Claw! DIE!!''"
Fan Hong's enraged bellow shook the underground chamber. His second spirit ring blazed again, and a huge wolf-claw phantom formed over his right hand as he swung it down toward Qian Jue. He was certain—if this strike landed, the boy before him would be obliterated.
But before the claw fell, a ''piercing scream'' tore through the chamber. The sound was chilling, filled with unbearable torment. Yet the one screaming was not Qian Jue—
It was ''Fan Huan''.
Qian Jue had realized that Fan Hong had gone mad, and that the wolf spirit's direct attacks no longer had much effect beyond enraging him. So instead, he directed the wolf toward Fan Huan. The boy, unused to the wolf's agony and with no idea how to resist, could only flail helplessly. Its fangs sank into his arm, tearing flesh and leaving him rolling on the floor in pain, shrieking.
"Huan'er!"
Fan Hong's head snapped around in shock. His concentration wavered, and the 'Shadow Wolf Claw' dispersed instantly. Seeing his son writhing, his arm mangled and bleeding profusely, Fan Hong panicked. He rushed over, scattering the wolf spirit with desperate strikes before kneeling to press his hands over the wound, pouring soul power to stanch the bleeding.
In that moment, whatever fragile hope of victory remained in his heart collapsed completely. He could no longer think of fighting. With his son injured and no swift way to end Qian Jue, he knew pressing on would only lead to disaster. He had lost.
Seeing Fan Hong stop attacking and turn to treat Fan Huan, Qian Jue finally exhaled in relief. He hurried to Dai Mubai's side. The reason he hadn't targeted Fan Huan from the start was precisely to avoid provoking Fan Hong into a desperate frenzy. Before Fan Hong's soul power had been whittled down, such a reckless counterattack would have crushed them both. Now, however, it had become the decisive move.
"Elder Gu…"
After giving Fan Huan some hurried treatment, Fan Hong lifted his head toward the main seat, where Gu Lan had been calmly watching the entire battle. His voice was heavy with grievance.
"Hahahaha! Enough! That's enough! Stop now, all of you! Excellent… excellent! Truly excellent!" Gu Lan waved his hand with a broad smile, signaling the end of the fight.
But though he had called a stop, he did not look at the battered Fan Hong. Instead, his kindly gaze turned toward Qian Jue, who was still crouched by Dai Mubai's side, checking his condition. With a friendly gesture, he beckoned.
Somewhat reluctantly, Qian Jue rose and walked over. He had no choice—the man before him was far too powerful. Against such a figure, he couldn't afford defiance. Still, he spared a glance at Dai Mubai. His companion's injuries were severe; he wouldn't last long without proper treatment.
"Hehe… little one, now can you tell me which power you belong to?" Gu Lan asked with a genial smile. "I'm certain you're not from Spirit Hall. With your talent, if you were one of theirs, you'd already be in Spirit City, groomed as one of their top prospects. How could they possibly send you here on some trivial mission to investigate evil spirit masters?"
Looking at the elder's smile, Qian Jue couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'At last… a glimpse of hope for survival.'
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