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One moment omnipotent, the next stripped of all extraordinary power—this immense disparity left a gaping void in Tang Wulin's heart. His pupils trembled violently as he stared at his hands in disbelief.
These were hands that had been toughened by years of cultivation. With the addition of soul power, they would belong to an unparalleled master among ordinary people.
But now, they were merely trained hands, nothing more.
Without the enhancement of extraordinary abilities, Tang Wulin found them utterly insignificant and fragile.
At this moment, Huo Yu'er's cold voice echoed in Tang Wulin's ears.
"This is my domain world, called the Reincarnation Death Arena.
Within this space, both you and I will have our extraordinary powers stripped away. Aside from that, there are no other rules. You can imagine any weapon, and it will instantly appear in your hand.
Let us decide life and death here as mere mortals."
Tang Wulin looked up to see Huo Yu'er's still breathtakingly beautiful face, but now it appeared repulsive to him.
However, after hearing Huo Yu'er's explanation of this domain, a disdainful smirk gradually curled at the corners of Tang Wulin's lips.
"This is what you're relying on to kill me? It's laughable. Don't you know I'm a direct disciple of the Tang Sect?"
As soon as his words faded, various hidden weapons began to appear in Tang Wulin's hands through the power of thought.
Tang Sect Hidden Weapon Techniques – The Hundred Solutions of Hidden Weapons.
In an instant, a torrent of hidden weapons flew toward Huo Yu'er.
It could be said that Tang Wulin was truly a chip off the old block of Tang San. A weapon meant for covert operations was being used like a frontal assault machine gun, with no attempt to conceal its aggressive intent.
Yet, facing this onslaught, Huo Yu'er remained calm and collected. Beneath her authoritative golden eyes, these attacks appeared slow and riddled with flaws.
A simple longsword instantly materialized in Huo Yu'er's hand. She didn't need to deflect all the hidden weapons; she only needed to knock away those that might hit her, instantly evading Tang Wulin's first wave of attacks before closing the distance rapidly.
Seeing his attack fail, Tang Wulin didn't panic—he knew this battle had just begun.
However, as he gazed at Huo Yu'er's eyes, Tang Wulin seemed deep in thought.
The next moment, a pair of delicate rabbit ears sprouted on Tang Wulin's head.
Spirit Attachment – Soft Bone Rabbit!
"So that's how it is. Though we can't use soul power, we can still utilize martial souls inherently present in our bloodlines?"
Since Tang Wulin had been separated from Xiao Wu at a young age, he hadn't learned Xiao Wu's Exploding Eight-Step Throw. Thus, the Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul only provided him with a slight physical boost.
But even this minor enhancement was significant in the current battle.
Hidden weapons once again appeared in Tang Wulin's hands, and he resumed his earlier tactic—the Hundred Solutions of Hidden Weapons.
But this time, something seemed different.
Extraordinary power included spiritual energy as well. At this moment, Huo Yu'er's vision was merely sharper than that of an ordinary person.
As for her Reincarnation Maiden martial soul, without the ability to activate soul skills, it was merely a body-strengthening martial soul that slightly amplified her physical abilities.
Once again, Huo Yu'er skillfully deflected the incoming hidden weapons with precise swordplay. But this time, Tang Wulin added an additional hidden weapon technique.
Hidden Weapon Technique – Feint East, Strike West!
Using a barrage of hidden weapons as cover, this special technique attacked from unexpected angles and blind spots. Even as a child, Tang San had once used this move against a Mandrake Snake.
But facing the hidden weapon silently hurtling toward her from behind, Huo Yu'er didn't even turn her head. With a casual swing of her sword, she effortlessly blocked the attack.
Witnessing this, Huo Yu'er was already within striking distance of Tang Wulin.
At this range, Tang Wulin had lost the advantage of using hidden weapons. He conjured a trident similar to the Sea God Trident and clashed directly with Huo Yu'er's longsword.
Though both wielded long weapons, it was clear to the naked eye that Tang Wulin was at a disadvantage.
But Tang Wulin showed no negative emotions. Instead, he sneered at Huo Yu'er.
"What's this? Pretending to be righteous, yet you're still playing dirty tricks. You said no extraordinary powers could be used in this domain, so how did you just block that hidden weapon attack from your blind spot?
You're just like your master—saying one thing and doing another. A hypocritical bitch pretending to be noble!"
Huo Yu'er didn't grow angry. With a flick of her sword, she sent Tang Wulin flying and then stood still.
"You really are just this mediocre of a man.
To be honest, I haven't used any extraordinary powers to fight you. All I've done is lock onto you with these eyes of mine, analyzing every possible consequence of your actions to predict your future moves.
This is the skill I've honed over a decade of relentless combat.
So don't judge me with your arrogant assumptions, Tang Wulin.
And enough with your posturing. From the moment I locked onto you, I could tell you're building up for something big. Go ahead and unleash it—I'll defeat you head-on and prove that this era belongs to me, Huo Yu'er."
Tang Wulin's gaze darkened, but deep down, he refused to believe Huo Yu'er had honed her martial arts to such an unfathomable level.
If he admitted it, wouldn't that mean acknowledging he was inferior to her?
Moreover, his preparation still required some time.
Tang Wulin firmly believed this ultimate move would secure his victory.
Thus, he voiced a lingering doubt in his mind.
"Answer me, Huo Yu'er. What's the point of this domain? Forcing both sides into weakened states—what's the point of creating trouble for nothing? After all, at full strength, you should have absolute confidence in killing me."
This was something Tang Wulin couldn't understand. Why would someone already at a disadvantage use such a tactic? It didn't seem particularly effective and might even give him a chance to turn the tables.
Huo Yu'er didn't answer directly but instead assumed a stance, as Tang Wulin's buildup was nearing completion.
Finally, Huo Yu'er spoke with disdain:
"Can't you see the true purpose of my domain? It seems your vision is just as shortsighted.
I've told you before—I'm not like you. I don't rely on overwhelming advantages to bully others, and you can't always pick on weaker opponents.
This domain was originally prepared for those stronger than me.
When I encounter a stronger opponent, I'll forcibly pull them into this domain, erasing the gap between our extraordinary ranks, and then use the martial arts I've honed to their peak over the years to counterattack and slay them!"
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