However, just as Yu Feng's first soul skill, Wind Edge, was about to strike Xu Yu, the Charm Demon suddenly moved, shielding Xu Yu within its crimson mist.
Upon realizing that the Charm Demon could not easily defeat Yu Tianheng, Xie Yue and Hu Liena made a tactical decision. While the fusion was powerful, it also restricted their individual versatile abilities; if they couldn't achieve an effective suppression, they would prioritize protecting their teammates or seek opportunities to ambush the rest of the Imperial Team.
The Charm Demon blocked Yu Feng's attack, but they had no way to retaliate against him, high in the sky. Simultaneously, Yu Tianheng actively engaged them, plunging both sides into a stalemate.
High above, Gu Xuan's bone claws clashed repeatedly with Qian Renxue's golden fists. Finally, Qian Renxue's fists could no longer withstand the raw sharpness of the bone claws, forcing her to activate her first soul skill.
Her first soul skill, Angelic Assault, not only boosted her speed but also significantly enhanced her attack power. With the skill activated, her golden fists radiated an even more intense brilliance, blasting Gu Xuan back dozens of meters.
Gu Xuan watched Qian Renxue's composed demeanor, feeling a sense of helplessness. There was no avoiding it—she was a Soul Saint, and he was but a Soul King. Through that brief exchange, he had gauged her strength. Her soul power was indeed far superior to his, but her physical constitution was nowhere near his level.
Gu Xuan had not only absorbed two external soul bones but had also completed the Ice and Fire Body Tempering using the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot. Furthermore, the enhancement from his fifth soul ring, which was from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, was virtually equivalent to a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. In terms of raw physical foundation, Gu Xuan actually held the advantage.
Seeing the Imperial Team below locked in a stalemate, two of the dragon swords detached from the wings on Gu Xuan's back and shot toward the ground. At the same time, Gu Xuan's first and second soul rings ignited.
His first soul skill was Bone Dragon War Body. Having broken through Rank 50, this skill now provided a 30% boost to all his attributes, raising his overall strength by nearly a third. His second soul skill was Darkgold Terrorclaw. Upon activation, his dark-silver bone claws turned a deep dark gold. His attack and power increased by another 100%, and the claws' piercing ability was significantly enhanced.
If Qian Renxue dared to clash with him barehanded now, her hands would not remain as unscathed as before. Gu Xuan gave her no time to react, flapping his dragon wings and charging forward.
Qian Renxue didn't care that Gu Xuan was supporting his teammates; her eyes were fixed solely on him. Seeing his aura surge, her black fifth soul ring lit up. An Angelic Holy Sword appeared in her hand as she lunged toward him.
Dark-gold bone claws collided with the holy sword. Gu Xuan truly felt Qian Renxue's might; with every clash, a bone-chilling pain radiated through his claws. Qian Renxue was equally startled; her usually invincible holy sword could only fight Gu Xuan's bone claws to a standstill.
Seeing his second soul skill fail to yield results, Gu Xuan's right bone claw grew even darker and extended to over a meter in length.
"External Soul Bone: Darkgold Terrorclaw!"
Having evolved to the hundred-thousand-year level, the power of this soul bone was incomparable to its past. In terms of pure lethality, it even surpassed the Sword Dragon Eight Wings. The moment it appeared, Gu Xuan's presence exploded, and he activated the first soul bone skill.
"Sky-Tearing Claw!"
Five terrifying dark-gold energy blades, each over ten meters in diameter, seemed to slice through space itself as they lunged at Qian Renxue. Sensing the threat, she ignited her second and third rings.
"Second Soul Skill: Angelic Shield!"
"Third Soul Skill: Angelic Benediction!"
With a defense skill and a buff skill active, an angelic shield appeared in her left hand, and her golden radiance grew even more dazzling. She swung her holy sword, unleashing several sword beams to intercept the Sky-Tearing Claw. Under her powerful assault, the attack was blocked, and its impact against her shield only forced her back a few meters.
However, as soon as Gu Xuan finished that strike, the remaining six dragon swords behind him merged into one. Gu Xuan gripped the massive dragon sword, his body radiating draconic majesty as he stood in opposition to Qian Renxue's holy radiance. He swung the blade, and a ten-meter-long, ferocious sword-dragon took shape. Composed of the six dragon swords, it roared toward Qian Renxue with a momentum that seemed to pierce the void.
"Sword Dragon Eight Wings First Soul Bone Skill: Flying Dragon Piercing Heaven!"
Faced with Gu Xuan's relentless chain of attacks, Qian Renxue finally held nothing back. "You are strong, but not strong enough."
As she spoke, her seventh soul ring erupted with a dense black light. Black and gold—two incompatible colors—blended together briefly before the black ring seemed to be assimilated, turning into pure gold during the release.
Golden light flooded the arena. The angelic phantom behind Qian Renxue merged with her, and her entire being, including her skin and hair, was dyed a pure, translucent gold. Her clothes were purified and vanished in the golden light, replaced by swirling golden flames that wrapped around her body like a celestial deity. Her other six soul rings were also rendered gold.
The two pairs of golden wings on her back expanded rapidly. Suddenly, a thirty-meter-tall Angel appeared before Gu Xuan.
Under the effect of the Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar, Qian Renxue's presence expanded like a tidal wave. In this state, the pressure she exerted was no less than that of a high-level Soul Douluo. With a single swing of her ten-meter-long Angelic Holy Sword, she cleaved through the roaring sword-dragon. The dragon shattered, and the six swords flew back to Gu Xuan's back to reform his wings.
Gu Xuan hadn't expected her to be so decisive as to use her Martial Soul Avatar immediately. A soul master's strength in this state is proportional to the quality of their Martial Soul; with a god-level martial soul, the enhancement was astronomical.
Qian Renxue looked at Gu Xuan with indifferent eyes. "Concede. In this state, I can even hold my own against a Titled Douluo. One strike from my sword is all it takes to end this."
Gu Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I admit you are powerful, but retreating without a fight is not my style."
The ethereal voice of the Angel replied playfully. "So, you intend to fight?"
Gu Xuan nodded. "But I have one condition."
Qian Renxue didn't rush to attack. Even though her soul power consumption was doubled in this state, she didn't believe Gu Xuan could cause any trouble. "Oh? Let's hear it."
"With your current power, one strike might not kill me, but your teammates definitely won't survive the collateral. So, how about this: let them step down. It'll just be you and me. One final clash to decide the victory. What do you say?"
Qian Renxue glanced at the stalemate below and smiled. "Fine. I'll give you this chance."
She swung her sword—not with sword qi, but with a surge of majestic Angelic Power. The shockwave directly dispersed the Charm Demon's red mist, Yu Tianheng's lightning, and Yan's lava. Everyone from both teams was blown off the stage. While they weren't injured, they were all eliminated by the rules of the arena.
The Spirit Hall members felt no resentment; if Qian Renxue could eliminate everyone with a casual wave, what chance did Gu Xuan have?
On the high platform, Bibi Dong watched with a cold expression, her mood clearly sour. Golden Crocodile Douluo, however, smiled. "This Gu Xuan kid has quite the strength and spirit. To challenge a Soul Saint as a Soul King... he's the first in the world to dare such a thing." He turned to Ning Fengzhi. "Clan Leader Ning, I didn't expect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to produce such a talent."
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were grim-faced. "Lord Golden Crocodile overpraises him," Ning Fengzhi replied with a forced smile. "If the Holy Maiden hadn't used her Avatar, Xiao Xuan might have had a chance. Now, we can only see how long he can hold out."
Gu Xuan let out a sigh of relief as Qian Renxue agreed to his terms. "Your Highness is bold. Whether I win or lose today depends on just how strong you truly are!"
Qian Renxue smiled. "Show me what you've got. If you dare to challenge me to a final showdown, let me see what makes you so special!"
(End of Chapter)
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