Xu Yang unleashed a powerful punch that struck the thunder, creating a terrifying shockwave that tore through the lightning, splitting it apart and leaving only a portion that wrapped around him as he had anticipated.
However, Xu Yang merely shook off the paralysis caused by the thunder and shot forward like an arrow.
"This feels amazing! Just as I thought, soul power as energy has excellent resistance against thunder!"
A surge of delight rushed through Xu Yang's mind.
His previous action had indeed been risky, but since his first two soul skills weren't suitable for direct combat, he opted to use the split martial souls for direct attacks. He was concerned about incinerating Yu Tianheng entirely, so he chose to resist with soul power instead.
As for dodging, he had considered it but quickly dismissed the idea; the speed of the thunder was simply too fast. Given his current strength, he wouldn't be able to react in time, making it more effective to withstand it with soul power.
Fortunately, the outcome matched Xu Yang's expectations. The transformed solar soul power had far greater resistance to thunder than ordinary soul power. Coupled with the secret technique derived from his first soul skill, the paralysis sensation dissipated completely after circulating through his body.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and he hadn't expected Yu Tianheng to be momentarily stunned by it.
However, Xu Yang wouldn't let such a great opportunity slip away. As soon as the paralysis faded, he concentrated soul power at his feet and charged toward Yu Tianheng, determined to seize control of the situation.
Yu Tianheng was indeed a talented disciple from Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. His momentary daze lasted only an instant before he regained his composure. Watching Xu Yang charge at him, he discarded any previous underestimation and prepared to meet him head-on with both dragon claws raised.
"Too bad!"
Seeing Yu Tianheng snap back to reality made Xu Yang inwardly sigh; however, he didn't stop his movements. He gathered soul power in his hands and engaged in a fierce exchange with Yu Tianheng.
When their fists and claws collided, Xu Yang expected immense force but felt instead a sense of balance; he realized that he seemed to match Yu Tianheng in physical strength despite being a weapon-type martial soul user.
"How is this possible?!"
Yu Tianheng's face twisted in disbelief. How could a weapon soul master withstand him—a beast soul master—in a direct clash?
He couldn't afford to lose!
Channeling more energy into his hands, the Thunder Dragon Claw expanded slightly. With his other claw, he aimed for Xu Yang's abdomen.
Yet Xu Yang was quicker in mobilizing his soul power. With his combined cultivation of spirit, energy, and body—upon sensing Yu Tianheng's attack—he narrowed his eyes. His free left hand shifted from fist to palm and struck out directly.
*Bang!*
When their Thunder Dragon Claw met Xu Yang's palm, Yu Tianheng felt an overwhelming dark energy surge into his claw. In an instant, it shattered into dozens of smaller energies that exploded outward.
*Zzzap!*
Blue-purple lightning flickered as the Thunder Dragon Claw formed by Yu Tianheng's first soul skill disintegrated instantly into tiny arcs of electricity that dissipated into the air—no longer able to maintain its claw form.
"Impressive! He actually managed to destroy Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Thunder Dragon Claw using dark energy! Even I couldn't do that!"
Wallace, who had been closely observing the battle, felt increasingly restless. While executing dark energy was easy—something any moderately skilled soul master could do—the challenge lay in how to use that dark energy to dismantle an opponent's soul skill.
After all, that was a technique passed down through countless generations within Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; its stability was impeccable. Yet Xu Yang had managed to dismantle it with a single palm strike—this demonstrated an extraordinary level of control over dark energy and soul power.
"It can't be! I refuse to believe this!"
"Second Soul Skill: Thunderstorm!"
Yu Tianheng roared angrily as he activated his second soul skill. The numerous electric snakes swirling around him due to his martial soul rapidly expanded into bolts of lightning that surged outward in all directions—an indiscriminate attack.
Caught off guard for a moment, Xu Yang was struck by several electric snakes that slammed into him. He immediately felt the lightning rampaging through his body; paralysis set in and rendered him unable to move.
Then a dragon claw-shaped fist appeared before him.
*Bang!*
Xu Yang barely managed to shift his body enough to absorb the impact with his chest. He was sent flying backward for over ten meters before stabilizing himself, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, this attack had inflicted significant internal injuries on him.
"First Soul Skill: Morning Light!"
As Xu Yang whispered softly, his Sun Martial Soul soared into the air above him and cast down golden light while simultaneously activating his healing secret technique. The two effects combined allowed him to recover from those injuries almost instantly.
"Your soul skills are used up; now it's my turn!"
"Second Soul Skill: Splitting!"
With his purple soul ring glowing brightly, the Sun Martial Soul hovering above him began splitting again—instantly producing four additional Sun Martial Souls. Although they appeared smaller than the central sun, they were still formidable.
"Go!"
Xu Yang pointed forward as the newly formed four Sun Martial Souls transformed into streaks of light that flew toward Yu Tianheng—surrounding him completely.
"Solar Fire Line!"
Xu Yang's expression grew serious as each Sun Martial Soul unleashed straight lines of fire directed at Yu Tianheng while simultaneously using divided concentration control to maximize their power; otherwise—with flames close to perfection—the four fire lines could easily incinerate Yu Tianheng entirely.
The so-called Solar Fire Line was a result of Xu Yang absorbing his second soul ring—enhancing control over his martial soul's inherent ability to spit fire by concentrating emitted flames into beams that increased both their potency and speed.
"Damn it! There's no way out now!"
"Is this Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's divided concentration control?!"
Yu Tianheng's face turned grim; if those four fire lines were launched simultaneously, he could have relied on a sudden burst of speed to evade them. However, since they were fired sequentially—with each line targeting every possible escape route—he found himself trapped with no way out.
*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The fire lines struck Yu Tianheng; upon impact they exploded violently. The force sent him flying through the air as he performed multiple flips before crashing heavily at Wallace's feet. His clothing was torn and charred from those fiery waves while patches of burnt flesh became apparent on his body.
"That was close! I nearly roasted Yu Tianheng alive! In battles between lower-level soul masters—having insufficient soul power makes extreme attributes overwhelmingly advantageous!"
Xu Yang wiped away sweat from his forehead while feeling relieved; just moments ago he had almost killed Yu Tianheng outright—and if that happened it would have escalated tensions between Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan irreparably!
(End of Chapter)