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A colossal red ape-like fist slowly magnified within the field of vision provided by the 'Golden Eyes.'
Observing the velocity of Tai Nuo's assault, Ye Lan remarked with a scornful laugh, "Your strength is quite impressive, but your speed is utterly pathetic!"
Ye Lan stomped his foot firmly on the ground as a golden radiance enveloped his body. 'Flash' was activated!
With a swift sideways maneuver, he instantly evaded the massive fist of the 'Vigorous Ape King'!!
Bang!!
After Ye Lan dodged, the 'Vigorous Ape King's' fist struck the building directly behind him, and a formidable stone wall was instantly punched clean through!
Having flashed to Tai Nuo's side, Ye Lan noticed his opponent was momentarily staggered by the attack's recoil. Seizing this precise opportunity, he instantly used 'Flash Fist' layered with 'Meteor Strike.'
A brilliant light flared across the space where Ye Lan stood!
It appeared as though Ye Lan had not even thrown a punch!
But in the very next moment, Tai Nuo's enormous figure was sent flying backward for more than twenty meters.
Afterward, Tai Nuo tumbled uncontrollably across the ground.
While rolling, the Vigorous Ape King couldn't clearly see Ye Lan's movements at all. Without time for further thought, Tai Nuo dug his massive, claw-like hands deep into the marble flooring.
A moment later, a series of deep gouges were carved into the ground.
The 'Vigorous Ape King's' tumbling body came to an abrupt halt.
Tai Nuo pushed himself to his feet, rubbing his shoulder.
The pain radiating from his shoulder caused him to grimace.
Is this Grand Spirit Master before me some kind of monster?
How can he unleash an attack comparable to that of a top-tier Spirit Ancestor?
On the other side, after confirming that Tai Nuo was largely unharmed and after two rounds of engagement, Ye Lan utilized his 'Eight-Sided Exquisite Heart' to instantly analyze the full extent of Tai Nuo's capabilities.
His power was comparable to a Power-Attack System Spirit Sage.
His speed was comparable to a Power-Attack System Spirit Ancestor.
His defense was comparable to a Power-Attack System Spirit King.
"Vigorous Ape King? More like the captain of a demolition crew. The old district of Heaven Dou City is in dire need of your services," Ye Lan stated venomously.
Ye Lan paid no mind whatsoever to anyone whose speed was inferior to his own.
So what if his attack power was immense?
If he couldn't land a single hit, what was the point?
"You brat, you're courting death!!" Upon hearing Ye Lan's taunt, Tai Nuo instantly roared with fury.
The third purple spirit ring on Tai Nuo's body lit up in a flash!!
"Source of Strength!!"
The already burly, mountain-like 'Vigorous Ape King's' muscles swelled once again.
Beneath his skin, bulging green veins like little serpents crawled all over the 'Vigorous Ape King's' flesh. Tai Nuo's skin had now turned an intense shade of crimson and was emitting puffs of white, hot steam!
Evidently, Tai Nuo's strength had received another significant boost!
Beyond the physical changes to his body, the spirit power in Tai Nuo's vicinity also transformed.
Ye Lan, being highly sensitive to the spirit power in the air, felt innumerable strands of it converging around Tai Nuo like a vortex.
The next second.
Tai Nuo lifted his right leg and stomped it down ferociously in Ye Lan's direction!!
Dong!!
The earth within a hundred-meter radius trembled instantly, and countless buildings began to shake and sway as if caught in a violent earthquake!
The ground beneath Tai Nuo's foot split apart, forming a massive fissure that rapidly extended toward Ye Lan.
In just the blink of an eye, the fissure appeared a mere two meters in front of Ye Lan!
Fierce gusts of wind, accompanied by waves of shattered stones, erupted from within the enormous crack.
The golden spirit light in Ye Lan's pupils grew increasingly bright; under the power of his Golden Eyes, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
A slight smirk played on Ye Lan's lips. "Still far too slow!! Captain of the demolition crew."
Ye Lan suddenly transformed into a flash of light, moving laterally for a distance of ten meters and instantly evading the primary vector of the 'Source of Strength' attack.
When Tai Nuo saw Ye Lan teleport once again, his eyes brightened, and the fourth spirit ring on his body flared to life!
He simply refused to believe that this sort of flashing spirit ability could be used consecutively!
"Fourth Spirit Ability!! Quake of Force!!"
Tai Nuo pulled his enormous arms back, his entire body arching backward like a great bow being drawn, channeling the full power of his waist and back into his two massive fists.
Boom!
The instant Tai Nuo's fists struck the ground, all the earth, stones, trees, and debris within a thirty-meter radius were blasted high into the air.
Countless yellowish-gray objects soared upwards before crashing back down into the deep crater that had been formed.
Except for the very spot where Tai Nuo stood, the entire area affected by the 'Quake of Force' had sunk a full five meters deep!!
Tai Nuo straightened his back and peered into the deep pit, eager to see Ye Lan's miserable state.
To his astonishment, Tai Nuo discovered that apart from the ruins of buildings, the pit was completely empty.
"Where did he go?! Can that teleportation spirit ability actually be used in succession?"
The nearby crowds of onlookers had long since fled, watching the battle between the 'Vigorous Ape King' and the 'Azure Emperor' from the safety of over a hundred meters away.
The 'Vigorous Ape King' was notorious for his destructive power, a true one-man demolition team!!
So, where was Ye Lan?
A hundred meters away, Ye Lan watched in amazement, clicking his tongue at the widespread devastation Tai Nuo had caused!
He hadn't been wrong to call him the demolition captain; all the buildings in Tai Nuo's vicinity had completely collapsed.
Just a moment ago, at the very instant Tai Nuo smashed the ground, Ye Lan had used 'Flash' in conjunction with 'Resonating Shift.'
'Resonating Shift,' which could normally only cover a distance of about ten meters, was amplified when layered with 'Flash.'
The teleportation distance was instantly increased tenfold!!
If any other Spirit Master were facing Tai Nuo one-on-one on the Great Spirit Arena stage, this single spirit ability would have been enough for Tai Nuo to completely obliterate the four-hundred-square-meter platform!
However, such a large-scale attack was nothing remarkable in Ye Lan's eyes now.
Tai Nuo looked up at the sky but saw no sign of Ye Lan.
He tilted his head back and roared in frustration, "Where are you?? Get out here, you coward! Have you turned into a ghost or something?"
From a distance, Ye Lan was calmly analyzing how he could possibly break through Tai Nuo's defenses. With his twenty-fifth-level spirit power, even summoning the 'Blue Silver Sacrificial' to use its whip-like attacks would likely inflict no significant damage upon Tai Nuo.
Furthermore, Tai Nuo's strength had reached the level of a Spirit Sage; the 'Blue Silver Sacrificial' would probably be instantly shattered by him, leading to an unnecessary drain on his spirit power.
So, the optimal solution was to maintain his speed and continue to harry Tai Nuo??
As long as Tai Nuo couldn't hit him, all of his attacks would be utterly useless.
In less than a second, Ye Lan had formulated his battle strategy.
In the next instant, Ye Lan used 'Flash' layered with 'Flash Step' to appear directly in front of Tai Nuo.
Propelled by the speed of 'Flash,' a golden arc of light, like a rainbow, instantly struck Tai Nuo squarely on the chin.
Thwack!
Tai Nuo's lower teeth slammed into his upper teeth, and a small piece of shredded flesh from the tip of his tongue flew from his mouth!!
"Argh!!"
A surge of intense pain shot through Tai Nuo's mind.
Tai Nuo hadn't seen who had attacked him, but at this point, he no longer cared!
His fifth, purple spirit ring instantly blazed to life!
"Force Shakes Mountains and Rivers!!"
Tai Nuo vowed to annihilate every single object within a radius of several dozen meters!!
The moment Tai Nuo's fifth spirit ring began to glow, it was captured by Ye Lan's Golden Eyes.
Ye Lan's brows furrowed! He roared furiously:
"Have you caused enough trouble!!"
"Ancient Beast's Touch!!!"
The instant Tai Nuo's spirit ring lit up, countless pitch-black tentacles erupted from Ye Lan's back.
After the Ancient Beast's Touch had perfectly fused with Ye Lan's body, releasing it would instantly increase Ye Lan's spirit power by fifty percent, elevating his spirit power to the level of a Spirit Elder in a flash.
One should not underestimate this fifty-percent increase from the 'Ancient Beast's Touch.'
It must be known that aside from 'Flash,' which relied on spiritual power, the foundation of all of Ye Lan's abilities stemmed from his spirit power!
With the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' activated, Ye Lan was, in every aspect except for lacking a third spirit ring, no different from a Spirit Elder!
"Blood Armor Full Body!!"
The blood throughout Ye Lan's body began to circulate at an extremely high velocity. Countless streams of blood-qi steamed out from the pores of his skin, and the pitch-black tentacles were coated in another layer of this bloody aura.
With spirit power at the Spirit Elder level, the all-around enhancements provided by the 'Blood Armor Full Body' became even more terrifying.
Although the consumption of blood-qi also increased, the boost in spirit power meant that his Blue Silver Grass could convert more life force.
With both factors increasing, the blood-qi consumption of the 'Blood Armor Full Body' and the life force replenishment from the Blue Silver Grass reached a state of equilibrium.
"Flash!!"
"Meteor Strike!!"
Ye Lan's entire form blurred into a gold-and-red afterimage, and with a single punch, he instantly interrupted Tai Nuo's fifth spirit ability!!
Tai Nuo didn't even see what Ye Lan had done before the world in his vision began to spin and ascend into the sky!!
In that fleeting moment, although it seemed Ye Lan used multiple skills while Tai Nuo only used one spirit ability, Ye Lan, relying on the accelerated consciousness granted by his 'Eight-Sided Exquisite Heart' and 'Golden Eyes,' could use multiple spirit abilities simultaneously and with greater speed!!
Before Tai Nuo had flown even three meters, two blood-black 'Ancient Beast's Touch' tentacles instantly wrapped around his head.
The enormous tentacles completely enveloped Tai Nuo's head, blinding him and plunging him into a world of darkness.
At this moment, not only could Tai Nuo see nothing, but the cells in his tongue and abdomen were screaming in agony.
Just as the fiercely struggling Tai Nuo was about to resist, he suddenly felt as if his entire body was being lashed by countless whips!
Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow…
Every single 'whip strike' from the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' produced a sonic boom.
The six tentacles seemed to dance wildly, crazily lashing out at the struggling Tai Nuo.
Don't be deceived by the fact that Ye Lan was only a twenty-fifth-level Grand Spirit Master. With the spirit power bonus from 'Ancient Beast's Touch,' stacked with 'Blood Armor Full Body,' 'Flash,' and 'Meteor Strike,' his attack power instantly reached the Spirit King level, allowing him to break through the 'Vigorous Ape King's' defense!
Although Ye Lan could achieve Spirit King-level attack power with his fists and legs, the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' held three crucial advantages over his own limbs:
Hardness!!!
Regeneration!!!!
Extreme Range!!!!
When Ye Lan's 'Ancient Beast's Touch' first began to whip him, Tai Nuo was still fighting back with all his might!!
The 'Vigorous Ape King's' punches, each comparable to a Spirit Sage's attack, collided with the 'whip strikes' of the 'Ancient Beast's Touch.'
Any tentacle that came into contact with Tai Nuo's fists would instantly burst, revealing the bloody, purple flesh within!!
If Tai Nuo's counterattacks had struck Ye Lan's body at this time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
It would absolutely have been a case of whatever Tai Nuo's fists touched, that part would explode!
Touch a hand, the hand shatters; touch a leg, the leg shatters!!
However, Ye Lan was currently positioned three meters away from Tai Nuo, who, suspended in mid-air, was completely unable to reach him.
And the countless ruptured tentacles would, within a few seconds, regenerate to their original state and once again unleash powerful whip strikes upon Tai Nuo!
Pow! Pow! Pow…
Tai Nuo's counterattacks started to weaken, and he gradually began to give up his resistance.
Yet, Ye Lan at this moment seemed to have been consumed by a battle frenzy, paying no attention to Tai Nuo's condition, as countless black, gold, and blood-red afterimages continued to lash out at the suspended Tai Nuo.
Just as Ye Lan was descending into complete brutality, a voice called out.
"Teacher!!!"
A loud cry from Zhu Zhuqing pulled Ye Lan back from his savage state!
The blood-red hue in Ye Lan's Golden Eyes instantly dissipated.
Having come to his senses, Ye Lan noticed that Tai Nuo was no longer putting up much of a struggle.
With a casual flick, the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' sent him flying over a hundred meters away to where Tai Long was.
Meanwhile, the dark 'Ancient Beast's Touch' continued to writhe behind Ye Lan's back, "excitedly" breathing in the fresh air.
After calling out to Ye Lan, Zhu Zhuqing, along with Ning Rongrong, quickly ran towards him.
In a short while, Ye Lan was embraced by the two girls.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong paid no mind to the terrifying tentacles on Ye Lan's back; no matter what form Ye Lan took, they would still rush towards him like moths to a flame.
Ning Rongrong's eyes were filled with red. "Ye Lan, are you alright?! Teacher's aura just now was truly terrifying!!"
Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, closed her eyes and held onto Ye Lan tightly, afraid that her teacher would transform into a homicidal maniac who had lost all reason.
"Whew! I'm fine," Ye Lan said, holding the two girls close.
His hatred for the Clear Sky Clan had almost caused him to lose control and go on a killing spree.
Although it wouldn't have been difficult for Ye Lan to kill Tai Nuo just now, doing so would have exposed him to Tang Hao's notice.
Until he possessed the strength to crush Tang Hao, Ye Lan had no desire to reveal himself.
Otherwise, forget the protection of the 'Silver Wolf'; even the protection of a Titled Douluo would be absolutely insufficient to guard against a Tang Hao who was determined to attack him.
"Teacher, I'm just glad you're okay!!" Zhu Zhuqing said with relief.
"Ye Lan, what are those tentacles on your back? Are you turning into a monster?" Ning Rongrong asked, looking earnestly at the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' behind Ye Lan.
"This is my external spirit bone, the 'Ancient Beast's Touch'!" Ye Lan whispered, instantly retracting the tentacles into his body.
"Zhao Wuji thought I had obtained a hundred-year spirit bone, but in reality, I acquired an external spirit bone!" Ye Lan explained.
Zhu Zhuqing said worriedly, "Teacher, by revealing the 'Ancient Beast's Touch,' won't you attract more people to attack you?"
Ning Rongrong also looked at Ye Lan with concern.
Ye Lan reassured them, "Don't worry, my external spirit bone has already fully fused with me!"
"Once an external spirit bone is fused, even if I am killed, the spirit bone will not be dropped."
"Teacher knows so much," Zhu Zhuqing murmured.
"Alright, alright, you're getting my clothes all wet with your tears. Was I really that scary just now?" Ye Lan asked, scratching his head.
"Terrifying!!"
"Horrifying!!"
In the evening, Ye Lan lay comfortably on his large bed.
The battle with Tai Nuo during the day had completely drained his spirit power, spiritual strength, and physical stamina.
For the next few days, he had no desire to move a single muscle.
He had gone to the Great Spirit Arena to let loose, and he never expected to let loose quite so thoroughly!!
While it was true that Ye Lan could elevate his strength to the level of a Spirit King, this was all built upon an immense foundation of blood-qi and life force.
It was only because Ye Lan possessed the Ultimate Life attribute and the six-fold life force bonus from 'I Want to Grow Up.'
If it were anyone else using so many spirit abilities in such a manner, their blood would have been instantly drained dry.
Even if other Grand Spirit Masters could unleash attacks at the Spirit King level, their bodies simply wouldn't be able to withstand it.
It was only because Ye Lan's current physical constitution was comparable to a Spirit King's that he could fully endure the recoil from Spirit King-level attacks.
If Ye Lan had unleashed a Spirit King-level attack before fully fusing with the 'Ancient Beast's Touch,' it would have been a pyrrhic victory, injuring himself as much as the enemy.
He didn't know about others, but Ye Lan's own arm would have definitely been shattered instantly.
Just as Ye Lan was reviewing the day's battle, a knock suddenly came from the main door.
At this hour?
Normally, no one should be looking for him at this time.
(End of Chapter)