Volume 20, Chapter 178.1: 'Specter' Na Na
Both soul masters and engineers knew what white meant – a ten-year soul ring!
Even for the worst possible soul master, it was impossible to have only ten-year soul rings with a four-ring cultivation.
Wan Yijun had the same thought, too. He was subconsciously stunned.
However, Wan Yijun was much more agile than Xia Xuanchen, though both of them were Soul Kings and Class 5 soul engineers.
While he was still in a daze, his arms had already lifted. More than ten streaks of colored light shot in Huo Yuhao’s direction.
Compared to other empires’ soul engineers, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy’s superiority was demonstrated through this simple probing attack. Unleashing streaks of soul rays was something that almost all Class 5 soul engineers could do. However, Wan Yijun’s soul rays contained four different elements. This wasn’t something that everyone could do.
Wan Yijun had two yellow and three purple soul rings. The lights from his five soul rings intersected where a soul tool was shining brightly behind his back, evidently gathering energy. His five soul rings also all contained auxiliary-type soul skills that helped to enhance his soul power. He could last longer in battle through his energy-gathering soul tool. He also retreated quickly as the soul thruster beneath his feet sent him backward, widening the gap between him and Huo Yuhao.
This series of adaptations impressed all the academy’s students, teachers, and even Xuan Ziwen. As a Class 5 soul engineer, this was already the best he could do.
However, those who were complimenting Wan Yijun mentally were promptly shocked in the next moment.
Huo Yuhao didn’t dodge Wan Yijun’s soul rays. He continued to hurtle forward, and the soul rays seemed to avoid him on purpose. They brushed past his body,
none striking him.
Soul rays were faster than soul cannons, but they were less powerful. However, they were very accurate! With Wan Yijun’s abilities, it wasn’t possible for him to completely miss his target like this.
Wan Yijun’s soul thruster was beneath his feet, he instead used his flying-type soul tool to hover in mid-air. Although he couldn’t fly too high due to the restrictions that were in place, the flying-type soul tool still managed to help him change directions at will.
However, he had only just risen into the air, he had yet to gather speed. He was moving much slower than Huo Yuhao. The gap between the two of them had been reduced to a hundred meters.
Wan Yijun was also appalled that none of his soul rays hit Huo Yuhao. He even thought that he was seeing things. He tried to fire his soul rays once again, and expended a lot of his soul power doing so. He used the soul rays to form a web that engulfed Huo Yuhao. His goal was very simple – delay his opponent. In that way, he could unleash a barrage of attacks at his foe. He could then employ some of his soul tools that were more powerful.
However, he was immediately shocked again. It wasn’t just him who was seeing things, all the spectators were seeing things, too!
Huo Yuhao had used his Spiritual Interference to avoid the soul rays previously. This time, he used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!
Using his Spiritual Detection as a guide, he slipped through the seemingly impenetrable web like a streak of smoke. He could find even the slightest gap and slip through it before advancing forward, still increasing his speed.
Wan Yijun had no choice but to take a breather, as the depletion of his soul power was too great… and he discovered that Huo Yuhao was only thirty meters away from him! How was this possible?! No matter how calm he appeared, Wan Yijun was still frightened at this point. He couldn’t bother to attack anymore. He quickly fled using his flying-type soul tool. His entire body turned to one side and flew in that direction.
He didn’t forget to fling out more than ten soul bombs, however. These bombs weren’t too powerful, so their shockwaves wouldn’t affect the user.
They could be detonated using a little soul power, but they couldn’t be underestimated, as there were a lot of them. Wan Yijun was only buying time for himself.
Surprisingly, Huo Yuhao stopped. His left foot stomped on the ground, and he leapt up high. This leap allowed him to reach more than ten meters in the air, avoiding all the soul bombs. He then drew his limbs together in mid-air, and something appeared in his right hand.
It was a short spear, around three feet long. The spear was sharp at both ends, the center as thick as a pigeon’s egg. The bright silver spear exuded a metallic glow.
Huo Yuhao straightened his gaze, spinning through a half-turn in mid-air. After that, he threw out the short spear in his hand.
When the spear left his hand, a screeching sound suddenly rose. The spear caught up to Wan Yijun instantly.
Wasn’t he not supposed to use soul tools? This was the first thought in Wan Yijun’s mind as he felt the threat, unleashing his Class 5 protective soul barrier.
Wan Yijun jerked when the short spear stabbed straight through the protective soul barrier. His soul barrier turned extremely bright, before being crushed by the spear. Wan Yijun fell from the air as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
What was shocking was that the short spear didn’t stab into him. It changed directions as soon as it touched Wan Yijun’s body, and instead pierced through the wing of his flying-type soul tool. He was nailed to the ground as his body fell to the ground.
Huo Yuhao quickly arrived atop Wan Yijun in a flash of motion.
Wan Yijun’s fighting will didn’t disappear even after he fell from mid-air. He wanted to resist, but he was helpless. When the spear pierced his flying-type soul tool, he felt a wave of indescribable tyranny smash through his body. He couldn’t even control his body anymore, and his martial soul was forced to retract.
If he described this feeling to Zi Mu, Zi Mu would certainly understand, as he had been through it before. That was also why he didn’t bother to resist Huo Yuhao anymore.
What was in the spear? It contained a powerful fighting skill taught by Elder Mu that was a combination of spiritual power and soul power – the Sovereign's Descent.
That’s right, the Sovereign's Descent couldn’t be used in a long-range attack. However, that didn’t include weapons. When Huo Yuhao threw the spear out, he infused his spiritual and soul power into the throw.
He wouldn’t get the throw wrong. He used the Tang Sect’s methods to change the spear’s direction, since he couldn’t kill here. Even Xuan Ziwen wouldn’t give Wan Yijun a hand, because no one believed that his spear could overcome a Class 5 protective soul barrier. He wasn’t even using a soul skill.
Huo Yuhao chose the Tang Sect when he was still cultivating in the Sea God’s Pavilion as a soul master. In terms of soul tools, he chose the close-combat route. As he combined both together, he slowly formed a path that belonged to him.
He had created this spear for the sake of this competition. It wasn’t a true weapon, but was very suitable for sparring purposes. Huo Yuhao didn’t think that he could beat a Class 5 or 6 soul engineer in terms of speed if they had soul thrusters or flying-type soul tools. However, it was different if he attacked from long-range.
He used his left hand to pull the spear out and pointed its tip at Wan Yijun’s neck. After that, he lifted his right hand and stretched out two fingers.
Second opponent down!
He used very little time in these two rounds. While he held his short spear and walked back towards the waiting area, Wan Yijun struggled to crawl up from the ground. There was a complicated look in his eyes.
He knew that he had lost. However, he didn’t know how Huo Yuhao had won after he was struck by the Sovereign’s Descent. His fighting will had been completely crushed.
Jing Hongchen watched this fight seriously from the main spectator stand. Although he appeared calm, he was troubled internally.
Those who were chosen to spar were the academy’s elites. Initially, students from Illustrious Virtue Hall were restricted from competing. However, Huo Yuhao had asked for Class 6 soul engineers from Illustrious Virtue Hall to be included in the competition. They were going to compete the next day.
Jing Hongchen wasn’t shocked by Huo Yuhao’s performance, but by the way he had beaten his opponent. It was undeniable that Huo Yuhao was capable, since he had represented Shrek Academy in the Elite Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. But he only had a four-ringed cultivation! Even though he had twin martial souls, it wasn’t easy to beat a Class 5 soul engineer. However, Huo Yuhao was completely beyond Jing Hongchen’s imagination.
He had already won twice, even though he hadn’t used too many soul skills. No one even understood how he had gained victory in this round.
Jing Hongchen had been observing Wan Yijun’s performance throughout this match. Although Wan Yijun wasn’t shockingly good, he had performed relatively well. At least he was much more outstanding than Xia Xuanchen.
However, he didn’t last much longer than Xia Xuanchen, even so! Huo Yuhao was just too ridiculous!