Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 72 Mental Backlash
The first spirit ring shone, and the cauldron crashed to the ground, emitting a dull shockwave, attempting to interfere with Gu Yuena's elemental manipulation.

The second spirit ring lit up immediately, and the cauldron was swung by an invisible force, sweeping across with a whistling wind, trying to block Ye Guyi's attack route. At the same time, it formed a barrier around Wang Dong to block some of the wind blades of time and elemental attacks.

Xiao Xiao's assistance was timely, and her twin martial soul talent was clearly on full display.

However, under the stagnation of Yin Chen's winds of time and Gu Yuena's seemingly endless elemental turmoil, her defenses appeared to be stretched thin, the cauldron constantly emitted a buzzing sound as it was struck, and she herself was pushed back repeatedly by the shockwave of the explosion.

Wang Dong is under the most pressure.

Using the speed of the Goddess of Light Butterfly, he darted and weaved through the air, his winged guillotine constantly clashing with the longsword wrapped in holy light, sparks flying everywhere.

Huo Yuhao's shared mental detection allowed him to predict Ye Guyi's attack trajectory by half a minute, but the huge difference in soul power made his arms go numb and his blood surge every time he blocked.

"The Light of the Butterfly Goddess".

He seized an opening and unleashed his second soul skill, sending countless golden orbs hurtling towards Ye Guyi.

"Wing-winged guillotine."

The first soul skill followed immediately, with the edges of the butterfly wings sharpening, slashing out like a real blade.

However, Ye Guyi merely snorted coldly, her first soul ring flashing and holy light emanating from her body, easily blocking the impact of the Butterfly God's Light. Then, the holy sword in her hand precisely struck the side of the Winged Guillotine, deflecting it. The immense force caused Wang Dong to stagger.

"No, the gap is too big; we must break the deadlock."

Wang Dong cried out in the spirit-sharing session, feeling like a small boat in a storm under Ye Guyi's fierce attack, and that defeat was only a matter of time.

A resolute glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

He knew that as the brains of the team, he had to do something.

The core of their control was undoubtedly Yin Chen, who had never moved and had bound them with ease simply by manipulating airflow.

"Concentrate your mind... Soul Impact."

Huo Yuhao's eyes blazed with purple light as he pushed his Purple Demon Eye to its limit, condensing his immense spiritual power into an invisible yet extremely sharp shockwave that swept across the battlefield and pierced straight at Yin Chen's brow.

This is his strongest attack so far, aiming to instantly dismantle the opponent's core.

However, the moment his spiritual power invaded Yin Chen's sea of ​​consciousness, an unexpected change occurred.

Yin Chen is indeed not a spirit-type soul master, but his spiritual power, under the subtle influence of the Time Ruler, is resilient and vast, far exceeding that of his peers.

Even more terrifying, deep within his mental space, the supreme being who controls time—Ishtar, the Ruler of Time—cast a displeased glance at this ant's intrusion.

"Om-!"

In Huo Yuhao's perception, what he encountered was not a person's mental barrier, but a vast and boundless starry sky composed of the rules of time.

A spiritual pressure, a thousand times more terrifying than any impact on his soul, carrying an aura of antiquity and eternity, surged back like a reversed galaxy, rebounding through his spiritual connection.

That power was enough to tear his soul to shreds in an instant.

"not good."

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, hidden within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, was terrified.

It didn't even have time to think about why Yin Chen's spiritual world was so terrifying. It could only instinctively mobilize its vast primordial spiritual power, transforming it into a thick, luminous white barrier, forcibly blocking Huo Yuhao's fragile soul.

"puff--!"

Despite the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's selfless defense, the terrifying backlash still penetrated. Huo Yuhao was struck dumb, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Crimson blood seeped from his eyes, ears, and nostrils. He fell backward like a puppet with its strings cut, and the shared mental detection was instantly severed.

His face was ashen, and his breath was rapidly weakening; he had already suffered a severe injury.

"Yuhao!!"

Wang Dong watched helplessly as Huo Yuhao suddenly collapsed, bleeding from all seven orifices. Although he didn't understand what had happened, the pitiful sight instantly tore at his heart, and an indescribable anger and panic swept over him.

"Damn it, what have you done?!"

Wang Dong let out a roar of grief and indignation, and the light on the wings of the Goddess of Light suddenly became dazzling and violent.

He completely abandoned defense, frantically pouring his remaining soul power into the Winged Guillotine, and launched a reckless attack on Ye Guyi like a madman.

In an instant, the power brought by grief and indignation made him unleash speed and strength beyond his usual level. His golden wings transformed into a sky full of light and shadow, temporarily forcing Ye Guyi back a few steps.

"Ok?"

Ye Guyi frowned slightly, somewhat surprised by Wang Dong's sudden outburst, but that was all.

"Fearless struggle, first soul skill, Holy Light Protection."

"Third Soul Skill, Divine Praise."

Her first and third spirit rings shone brightly in succession, and a more solid holy light shield blocked all of Wang Dong's crazy slashes. At the same time, her holy aura surged, and a blurry angel phantom seemed to appear behind her, instantly increasing her attack speed and power to a new level.

"boom!"

With just one strike, Wang Dong's seemingly fierce offensive was completely shattered. His winged guillotine was knocked away, leaving his chest wide open. Ye Guyi followed up with a palm strike to his chest, sending him flying backward, his blood splattering across the sky.

On the other side, Xiao Xiao, having lost Huo Yuhao's mental detection assistance, was even more overwhelmed by Gu Yuena's artful and precise multi-elemental bombardment.

The Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron was struck by a thick bolt of lightning, causing its dark light to dim. The slow, deliberate sound of the Nine Phoenixes' Arrival Flute was almost rendered ineffective by the chaotic winds of time and the turbulent elemental currents.

Gu Yuena didn't even use any powerful soul skills. She only relied on the combination and application of basic elements to force Xiao Xiao into a dangerous situation, leaving him in a sorry state. In the end, he was tripped by a spike that suddenly rose from the ground, and then pressed to the ground by a solid wind pressure, completely losing his fighting ability.

It was at the same moment that Wang Dong was knocked away and Xiao Xiao was suppressed that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exchanged a glance.

That one glance contained so much—resentment, resolve, and the last glimmer of hope.

"Wang Dong—!"

Huo Yuhao endured the excruciating pain that felt as if his soul was being torn apart, and roared hoarsely.

"bring it on--!"

Wang Dong responded with the same cry.

The two seemed to be of one mind, unleashing their last strength in the face of adversity.

Huo Yuhao struggled to his feet, while Wang Dong forcibly steadied himself. The two rushed towards each other like moths to a flame.

Under the shocked gaze of everyone, they embraced tightly in the center of the ring.

A radiance more dazzling and immense than any previous soul skill erupted from where they embraced.

(End of this chapter)