Xiao Lin's second soul skill flashed with a blinding bolt of lightning, instantly robbing Kaku, twenty meters away, of his vision.
Immediately after, because Xiao Lin had transformed into his ultimate ice–fire attribute state, his third soul skill — Flameheart — underwent a supercharged eruption.
As the scorching heat burst forth from his body, Xiao Lin was also cloaked in a layer of golden flames.
The power of the ultimate fire came hand in hand with its searing temperature.
In but a moment, the frozen ground and icy surface around Xiao Lin melted into water and quickly evaporated into steam.
While Kaku was retreating twenty meters back, Xiao Lin still caught the subtle environmental changes.
The melting of the ice under the high heat left faint traces where Kaku had moved.
And those traces revealed Kaku's position.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Lin entered State Two.
"Flowing Shadow Lightning Flash, Flameheart!"
Crackling currents danced across the surface of Xiao Lin's flaming cloak, the lightning stimulating his cells and surging his blood force to new heights.
The next instant, he appeared right in front of Kaku.
In less than a second, Kaku realized Xiao Lin was already upon him, even though his sight was still blinded by the glare.
But as a professional assassin, Kaku remained calm.
His third soul skill shimmered at his feet, and in the next moment, a dark shadow reappeared beside him.
This time, Kaku's target wasn't Xiao Lin himself, but the ground beneath them both.
With a punch from the shadowy figure of his third soul skill, a powerful force of reversal distorted the terrain itself.
The shock didn't just twist the land but also shifted the direction the two fighters faced.
The sudden change nearly sent Xiao Lin sprawling from the warped ground beneath him.
From an overhead view, the terrain around Xiao Lin had twisted into a giant mosquito-repellent spiral pattern.
The ground became uneven, making it impossible for Xiao Lin to pinpoint Kaku's position.
Meanwhile, Kaku stood unnaturally, his body twisted in a bizarre posture due to the distorted terrain.
Were he not an assassin with exceptional flexibility far beyond ordinary men, he would have already toppled and exposed himself to Xiao Lin.
Damn it! This brat actually wields such terrifying power.
No matter. He can't see me now. Just three seconds more until my soul skill refreshes — then it'll be his death.
All I have to do is endure the heat for those three seconds.
Kaku thought grimly.
To Xiao Lin, Kaku was indeed a formidable foe.
But contrary to Kaku's expectations, Xiao Lin chose the exact opposite strategy.
Since he couldn't locate Kaku, he simply decided to ignite his second Flameheart, further amplifying his firepower.
At that thought, Xiao Lin's lips curved in a smile.
With his breathing, another blazing Flameheart lit up within him.
His body became like a blazing furnace, with two Flamehearts spinning like twin soul cores.
In that instant, the temperature around him surged once more.
Even the permafrost, long hardened by the extreme northern cold, softened under the blaze.
And what was true under Xiao Lin's feet was also true under Kaku's.
Within less than three seconds, Kaku could no longer withstand the heat of the ultimate fire.
Worse still, his own weight caused the softened permafrost beneath him to collapse, sinking him down.
Xiao Lin seized the opportunity, charging straight at him.
"Damn it!"
Kaku cursed aloud in the sweltering air.
He had truly encountered a monster — one who not only possessed overwhelming defenses but also wielded both lightning and fire attributes in tandem.
The next moment, Kaku fled from his spot, abandoning close combat.
He resolved to attack from a distance instead, waiting for luck to strike Xiao Lin's weak point.
But Xiao Lin didn't give him that chance — he stuck to Kaku like a shadow.
Wherever the permafrost shifted under Kaku's weight, Xiao Lin instantly tracked him.
Kaku fled; Xiao Lin pursued!Kaku was trapped like a bird with clipped wings!The roles of hunter and prey had reversed.
"Damn it all, this brat's speed is no weaker than mine!"
Kaku swore inwardly. He was a speed-type Battle Soul Master — a Soul King!
Yet here he was, being chased down by a mere Soul Ancestor. How could this be possible?
Finally, driven to desperation, Kaku hardened his resolve. He would stop dueling Xiao Lin directly.
Instead, he would target Xiao Lin's teammates.
His steps accelerated as he darted toward Shi Mo and the others.
But Xiao Lin had already predicted this.
He knew full well a villain like Kaku would never fight fair in a one-on-one.
So the moment Kaku accelerated, Xiao Lin did as well.
This time, Xiao Lin entered State Three.
Thanks to his body's strengthening from the immortal herb, his blood and energy surged.
He could now unleash Flowing Shadow Lightning Flash three times in a row without difficulty.
More importantly, determined to end the fight swiftly and prevent tragedy, Xiao Lin secretly activated his Martial Soul True Body.
So what if his soul power drained faster?
With the compressed soul power of his two dantians, plus the reserves stored in his Mighty Dragon Horn, he was confident he could finish Kaku here and now.
Martial Soul True Body — activate!
The next instant, endless blue lightning exploded from Xiao Lin's form.
With a single flash, Xiao Lin instantaneously appeared in Kaku's path.
He spread his arms wide, one hand gripping his Qiu Dragon Staff, completely blocking Kaku's only escape.
"What!? Impossible!"
Kaku's eyes widened in disbelief — a Soul Ancestor, faster than him?
Seeing Xiao Lin wreathed in blazing flames and coursing lightning, Kaku faltered. For a moment, it was as if he were facing a god of destruction.
Escape was impossible. At such high speed, inertia made it nearly impossible to veer away.
Kaku knew his only hope was to defeat Xiao Lin in the instant they clashed.
His assassin instincts calmed him quickly. At this distance, he was confident he could strike Xiao Lin's eyes.
But Xiao Lin had already anticipated his plan.
Moreover, under the full amplification of the Martial Soul True Body, Xiao Lin's mental power had grown sharper.
He faintly discerned Kaku's form — the shimmering outline refracted in the air from the heat waves.
Sweat evaporating under my flames… that's what's giving him away.
"This will be the final blow."
Xiao Lin steeled himself, then hurled the Qiu Dragon Staff with all his might.
"Heaven and Earth Throw!"
"Shadow Reversal!"
Both shouted their ultimate techniques at once, unleashing their strongest strikes.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the air.
The ground shook violently as massive chunks of permafrost blasted skyward, raining down in sheets.
Under the frozen deluge, Xiao Lin shielded himself with a soul power barrier, staring in shock as the shield warped into the shape of a "basketball."
"It's over."
Xiao Lin sighed as he looked ahead — at the blood seeping from the shattered permafrost.
Kaku had been smashed to pieces by the Qiu Dragon Staff, driven deep into the ground, then buried beneath the falling earth.
(End of Chapter)