Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Feng Xiaotian's preemptive strike made Xie Yue realize how formidable this opponent was. He was a powerful adversary with agile speed and strong offensive capabilities. Thanks to the advantage of his soul bone, Xie Yue could excel in long-range attacks, but he was definitely inferior to his opponent in close-quarters combat agility.

In this situation, Xie Yue decisively stopped the burst of speed from his left leg's ten-thousand-year soul skill. As he stood still, his twin blades flashed and struck in succession. The light shield, like a golden full moon, defended everything completely, and a faint whooshing sound could be heard in the air.

With a series of clanging sounds, Feng Xiaotian's first soul skill was completely destroyed by Xie Yue's slash. The two switched positions at the same time. In the first round of probing, neither of them gained any real advantage, and they also realized how troublesome the other was.

Chapter 201 A Duel of Self-Created Soul Skills

On the central arena of Wuhun City, Feng Xiaotian's gaze sharpened, and his eyes involuntarily fell on Xie Yue's pair of golden scimitars opposite him.

"You're fast, but my knife is faster."

As Xie Yue spoke, he took the initiative to attack. In terms of cultivation, soul rings, soul bones, and even physique, he completely overwhelmed Feng Xiaotian. With such a huge advantage, how could he not dare to take the initiative to attack?

As Xie Yue strode forward, both hands slashed out simultaneously, two golden blades of energy flashing through the air in dazzling arcs before spinning towards Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian did not use any more soul skills. His wolf claws were surrounded by azure light, and he directly shot out two wind blades to meet the attack. Then he rushed towards Xie Yue even faster, his wolf claws accurately positioned on the side of the blade, and then he instantly exerted force to press down on Xie Yue's chest.

Xie Yue did not use any soul skills at this moment, but then firmly planted his horse stance and suddenly exerted his strength, and the two immediately began a battle of soul power.

A burst of golden soul power erupted, forcefully knocking away Feng Xiaotian's wolf claws. However, Feng Xiaotian did not turn to flee, but instead dodged Xie Yue's double-blade slashes. Relying on his more agile close-combat skills, the two fought in this small space.

A Soul Master's Soul Power is limited; regardless of which Soul Skill is used, it will consume a certain amount of Soul Power. Therefore, many duels between Soul Masters are devoid of any aesthetic appeal, consisting entirely of clashes of powerful Soul Skills. Some Soul Masters simply lose their fighting ability after unleashing a round of Soul Skills.

Such Soul Masters rely excessively on Soul Rings and Soul Skills, have poor foundations, and their combat experience is even inferior to that of some elite soldiers. They can only rely on their extraordinary physique and Soul Power and Soul Skills, and they are always at the bottom of the hierarchy no matter where they are.

Sadly, such Soul Masters make up the vast majority of the Soul Master world. The powerful Soul Skills attached to Soul Rings and Soul Bones have caused many Soul Masters to lose the desire to create, making self-created Soul Skills extremely rare in the Douluo Continent.

However, no matter what world it is, there is no shortage of true geniuses and heroes. Top-tier individuals can generally reach the top regardless of the environment. True strongmen are definitely not those who rely heavily on soul skills and ultimate moves, but rather they all have their own unique methods.

This close-quarters combat method is key to understanding a Soul Master's fundamentals. In close combat, Soul Power consumption is much lower, but you also have to get closer, so you must be constantly vigilant about the opponent's Soul Skills and prepare your own.

At such close range, if one loses and falls into a disadvantageous position, the sparring might just be a defeat, but in a real battle, it could cost one's life.

At this moment, Xie Yue and Feng Xiaotian are testing each other in a probing confrontation. Under these circumstances, whoever uses their soul skill first will be at a disadvantage.

The fact that they are not using their soul skills now does not mean that they are not prepared with their soul skills. Once the opponent's soul skills are activated, they will definitely be able to activate their own soul skills to counterattack immediately.

Feng Xiaotian's right wolf claw accurately sliced ​​into Xie Yue's right hand. Just as he was about to flip his claw and leave a few bloody marks on the back of the latter's hand, Xie Yue nimbly flipped his wrist, concealing the golden sharpness within.

With a flick of his wrist, Feng Xiaotian's sharp wolf claws struck the side of the blade. The claws, powerful enough to pierce through steel plates, only managed to create a series of sparks on the back of the blade, leaving no mark whatsoever. The pain from the recoil of the wolf claws, however, made Feng Xiaotian's heart tremble.

Although his soul power was not high, he had extremely rich combat experience in order to create his own soul skills, and immediately and without hesitation, he activated his first soul skill again.

Ten intersecting wind blades erupted once more. The distance between the two was simply too close. The wind blades that erupted in the palms caused Xie Yue's golden scimitar to burst into a series of clanging sounds.

This clash separated their bodies instantly, and they both retreated simultaneously using the recoil. At the same moment, Xie Yue's two blades unleashed incredibly sharp golden blade energy, shooting towards Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian had come into close contact with that dazzling blade and knew that such golden blade energy was extremely terrifying. Even if his wolf claws could withstand it head-on, they might still get injured. In this situation, he could only use his left foot as a fulcrum and then suddenly spin and roll to dodge.

Feng Xiaotian's series of movements were extremely fast, but unfortunately, he had already fallen into Xie Yue's trap. As soon as he unleashed the golden blade energy, Xie Yue landed on both feet and stabilized his body. When Feng Xiaotian touched the ground with his left foot, Xie Yue had already exerted his strength to catch up again, chasing after him with his twin blades like a shadow.

After a round of probing, Feng Xiaotian realized that Xie Yue's pair of soul bones made him even faster than him in a straight line. Moreover, Xie Yue's soul power cultivation was higher and his aptitude was not weak. In a head-on confrontation, Feng Xiaotian had no advantage at all. At this point, he could only resort to guerrilla tactics.

In this crisis, Feng Xiaotian reacted with incredible speed, leaping backward and instantly widening the distance between the two.

As Feng Xiaotian retreated, he secretly gathered his soul power, having already decided to unleash his ultimate move. After a brief test, he discovered that although he was a dual-elemental battle soul master with both strength and agility, the latter's foundation was far superior to his, making it difficult for him to gain the upper hand in melee combat.

If he were to win this match, he would have to use his trump card. With this thought in mind, Feng Xiaotian retreated, and his second and third spirit rings simultaneously lit up.

A pair of enormous cyan wings unfurled from behind Feng Xiaotian, and cyan light and shadow coalesced behind him, forming the shape of the Gale Two-Headed Wolf.

Against the backdrop of the enormous and dazzling two-headed wolf's light and shadow, Feng Xiaotian soared into the air. With just one flap of his wings, he used the wind in the air to propel his body upwards, rising dozens of meters above the ground.

Xie Yue gazed at Feng Xiaotian as he ascended into the sky, but his face showed no panic. He kept his eyes on his opponent as he slowly moved to the center of the arena.

Feng Xiaotian spread his wings lightly in the air, gazing at Xie Yue below. His clear voice, accompanied by the whistling wind, echoed throughout the arena, "Xie Yue, you are stronger than I imagined. I heard you are also trying to create your own soul skill. Then, let's decide the outcome with one move."

I neglected my training to create this Swift Wind Combo, and today is its day to shine! Take this!!!

Feng Xiaotian's words only made Xie Yue more serious. He was already prepared, his feet firmly planted, and he simply replied to his opponent, "Come on. Let me see if your Gale Slash is stronger, or my Crescent Moon Slash is more effective."

When Feng Xiaotian revealed his self-created soul skill, everyone present was shocked, including the titled Douluo. Even among titled Douluo, very few could create a soul skill capable of establishing their own sect.

These powerful skills, which can enrich a Soul Master's means of combat and even be decisive in critical moments, require exceptional talent and inspiration.

While these skills cannot take shape naturally like the soul skills granted by soul rings, any soul master capable of creating their own soul skills is undoubtedly a person of extraordinary talent, whose future achievements are limitless.

Moreover, the creators of these self-created soul skills all combined their own circumstances with their martial souls to create skills that were not only extremely practical, but also demonstrated a level of control over the skills that those who learned them could not match.

Above the sky, the two-headed wolf's shadow behind Feng Xiaotian gradually faded, merging with his body. Amplified by his second and third soul skills, the power of this Gale Slash even surpassed that of an ordinary person's fourth soul skill.

"Aww~~~"

Amidst the howl of the demonic wolf, Feng Xiaotian moved, his body descending from the sky like a shooting star. His massive body, with its wings spread, made no sound during its descent, as if it had merged into the whirlwind, the azure light emanating from him completely concealed.

At this moment, his body and wings were perfectly aligned, and wind resistance had little effect on him. His explosive speed at this moment even surpassed that of sound.

The sharp edges of Feng Xiaotian's wings gleamed with a faint blue light under the sunlight. Although his third soul skill, Gale Wings, was not an external soul bone, it played a similar role at this moment and was the key to his Gale Combo Slash.

"Clang! Clang!"

As Feng Xiaotian's body fell, two gusts of wind surged forth. A wisp of azure light wing, carrying the wind, slammed into one of Xie Yue's moon blades. Surprisingly, Xie Yue's golden scimitar failed to break through the wind and injure the azure light wing.

Feng Xiaotian's two light wing slashes, accompanied by wind, fell one after the other. Xie Yue blocked them with his twin blades in turn. Although he was unable to break through Feng Xiaotian's wind wing slashes, he did not suffer much damage and regained his balance with a slight sway.

Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian took advantage of the opportunity to rise into the air, rotated once in mid-air, and then launched his third and fourth slashes by attacking downwards with his wings.

However, this time, although Xie Yue also received the attack, he couldn't help but stagger back half a step. Feng Xiaotian's two attacks were stronger than the last. Although the increase in force was not great, it was enough to make Xie Yue suffer a small loss.

"So this is your Swift Wind Slash? It's nothing special. Let me finish you off with Twin Blades - Full Moon Soaring Through the Sky."

Xie Yue suddenly moved again, his body moving like a whirlwind. In an instant, he and the two moon blades disappeared almost simultaneously, leaving only a huge golden disc in front of everyone.

This golden disc produced no friction or whistling wind; it was as if all sound had been swallowed up by the disc. This was his self-created soul skill, Full Moon Soaring Through the Sky.

Full moon—what a beautiful word it sounds like! And Xie Yue's Full Moon in the Sky is just like a golden, ever-expanding full moon wheel. It is a self-created soul skill that is almost flawless.

A circle is the most perfect shape, and the continuous slashes, without any flaws, are extremely fast. In terms of attack frequency, Feng Xiaotian's Gale Slashes are no match for Xie Yue's Crescent Moon Soaring Through the Sky.

A golden full moon continued to expand, and this wildly spinning golden disc was actually a powerful move released by Xie Yue, who spun his two moon blades at an astonishing speed.

However, although Xie Yue's skill is extremely powerful, it also consumes a great deal of soul power. Once he uses it, he will have almost no soul power left.

Furthermore, unlike Feng Xiaotian, he cannot continuously amplify his force using the counter-force, so theoretically, Feng Xiaotian still has a chance to win.

"Come on, let's see who's stronger."

Facing Xie Yue's Crescent Moon Soaring, Feng Xiaotian made no attempt to dodge. Instead, he rose higher and flew down, and the two began a clash of their self-created soul skills.

Feng Xiaotian was repeatedly thrown up and down by the recoil, his attacks becoming increasingly powerful and fast. Speed ​​and power are directly proportional, and the greatest characteristic of his self-created soul skill was using speed and gravity to continuously enhance his attack power.

However, Xie Yue was even more ferocious than him. Although Feng Xiaotian's attacks became increasingly powerful, Xie Yue's full moon remained flawless, and it even reflected back the latter's power intact.

Although Feng Xiaotian's Gale Slash can use the recoil to amplify his next attack, his own endurance has a limit, especially his wings, which are entirely condensed soul power rather than real flesh and blood, so the limit is even lower.

So once his wings can no longer withstand the recoil, his Gale Slashes will be unable to continue. Therefore, this battle has come to a head, and it's a contest of who can hold out longer.

If Feng Xiaotian can sustain the power he accumulates to Xie Yue's limit, then he can win. Similarly, Xie Yue only needs to continuously counterattack and break Feng Xiaotian's Gale Wings, then this Gale Combo will collapse on its own.

The rapidly spinning golden wheel constantly rebounded and slashed with the Gale Slash, while also tearing at Feng Xiaotian's Gale Wings with powerful force. Xie Yue's Full Moon Soaring in the Sky was always a skill that combined offense and defense, not just a defensive skill.

"Boom!"

This clash didn't last long. After only sixteen strikes, a deafening roar erupted between Feng Xiaotian and Xie Yue, and a shower of blood rained down in the air.

Feng Xiaotian's Gale Wings were torn apart and scattered, and countless pieces of flesh and blood, carrying a powerful force, rushed straight towards Xie Yue.

Because he no longer had wings to control the airflow, Feng Xiaotian was thrown off at an angle by the enormous force of the impact.

Feng Xiaotian, with his broken wings, was seriously injured. Even though the Gale Wings were just a condensation of his soul skill, they were still part of his body. It was no easy task to rebuild them after they were destroyed.

"You win."

The golden roulette wheel slowly dissipated, and Xie Yue reappeared, unhurried and calm. Apart from the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, his exertion was not too great.

While amplification-type self-created soul skills like Gale Slash may have promising prospects, at this stage, they are not as good as Evil Moon's Full Moon Soaring.

Xie Yue walked up to Feng Xiaotian and extended his palm. He looked at the young man with a hint of approval in his eyes, "You are indeed a very good opponent."

"Thank you for the compliment. Although you won this time, I think we'll have another chance to face off five years from now."

Feng Xiaotian reached out and shook hands with Xie Yue. With the latter's help, he managed to stand up. After agreeing to a rematch with Xie Yue, he made his voice heard towards the referee's table, "I concede."

The referee quickly came onto the field and announced the result. Healing-type Soul Masters stepped forward to provide the two with the best treatment, ensuring that their injuries would not leave any hidden damage that would affect their subsequent matches and training.

As the referee announced again, two more students from different Soul Master academies took to the stage. However, compared to Feng Xiaotian and Xie Yue from before, these two were much weaker in cultivation. They were only there to see the level of advanced Soul Masters, which greatly diminished their interest.

As a result, more people paid attention to the two young people who used their self-created soul skills. After this battle, Feng Xiaotian and Xie Yue became famous overnight, and it also marked the first battle that perfectly opened the prelude to the finals of the Elite Tournament.

Chapter 202 The Battle of the Dragons

On the morning of the third day, the central arena of Wuhun City was packed with people. The individual elimination rounds of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament had reached the point of determining the top eight after fierce competition.

However, even now, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall has not made a move. But in order to ensure his advancement, several members of the Spirit Hall team have suffered from stomach aches on the spot. The Holy Son won without a fight, which has truly shocked many people.

With everything going smoothly, someone advanced to the quarterfinals. The final match this morning was to determine the last quarterfinal spot, and the two opponents were quite interesting.

"The Martial Soul Team, Tuoba Hong, versus the Heaven Dou Royal Team, Li Hao."

As the officiant called out, two figures landed on the arena one after the other. The moment they landed, a fierce clash of auras suddenly erupted, with two terrifying forces of the same kind clashing against each other.

Tuoba Hong of the Martial Soul Team, wielding the White Armor Earth Dragon Martial Soul, is a Level 41 Battle Soul Master. His outstanding performance these past few days has earned him and Xie Yue the title of top members of the Martial Soul Hall's Golden Generation. His opponent, Li Hao, is 22 years old, possessing the Ironclad Dragon Martial Soul, and is a Level 43 Battle Soul Master.

Although the two are quite different in age, their soul power is not too far apart. In particular, their martial souls are very interesting. The White Armored Earth Dragon Martial Soul and the Iron Armored Dragon Martial Soul are both top-tier among earth dragons. This is actually a battle between two dragons.

When the two stepped onto the arena at the same time, their eyes met and they felt a chill in their hearts, and then each released their own martial spirit.

"Roar~~~"

Li Hao let out a low growl, and four rings of soul rings, yellow and purple, instantly rose from his feet. His entire body seemed to stretch out, and an incomparably solid and powerful aura suddenly burst forth.

Behind Li Hao, a phantom image of an Ironback Dragon was released. The Ironback Dragon was covered in dark scales, which were arranged very closely and regularly. Each scale was only the size of a palm, but the dense cluster of scales created a creepy feeling that made one's scalp tingle.

The armored dragon, also known as the iron-backed azure dragon, has sharp spikes that are 30 centimeters long on its back, extending from the tail end of its back to its forehead.

When the Ironclad Dragon Martial Soul was fully attached to his body, Li Hao's eyes turned into a dark gold color devoid of any emotion, and his icy gaze sent chills down one's spine.

The Armored Dragon is known as the most terrifying fighting machine among earth dragons. It possesses extremely strong defense and exceptional agility, while its claws also deliver terrifying attack power. It can be considered one of the sub-dragon species closest to a true dragon. Even some true dragons with weaknesses exploited by it may not be a match for this earth dragon.

As Li Hao completed the Ironclad Dragon Martial Soul Possession, Tuoba Hong also released his Martial Soul, his eyes turning a bright yellow. Facing the impact of the Ironclad Dragon Martial Soul's aura, an overwhelming and terrifying aura erupted from Tuoba Hong.

The four rings of his soul, yellow and purple, instantly shone brightly. At this moment, Tuoba Hong turned into a dazzling yellow crystal, and the dragon scales on his body turned into a translucent yellow. The dragon soul phantom behind him was like a work of art carved from yellow crystal, full of majesty and beauty.

"Buzz..."