Chapter 14 First Kill of a High-Level Soul Master.
"Hmph, courting death."
Hu Erhan stomped his right foot on the ground, three soul rings—yellow, yellow, and yellow—appearing beneath his feet.
"First Soul Skill, Demonic Bear Stomp!"
His foot slammed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble and scattering fragments of stone.
The edges of the fragments were sharp and incredibly fast; any impact would inflict serious injury.
"Nothing special!"
Wu Qi sneered, his Azure Phoenix Wings flapping behind him, creating gusts of wind that formed a wall, blocking the attack of the fragments.
"I underestimated you."
Hu Erhan rushed forward, throwing a heavy punch at Wu Qi.
The attack power of a power-attack type Soul Master was unstoppable by any agility-attack type Soul Master.
In his view, Wu Qi's abandonment of aerial advantage and his decision to fight on the ground was a death sentence.
With freedom within reach, Hu Erhan's punch gained even more power. His Azure Phoenix Wings spread open, blocking the punch.
The power of a high-level Soul Master is not to be underestimated, and Wu Qi's figure retreated several steps.
"As expected of a power-type Soul Master, in that case, let's use this move."
As a disciple of Qingluan Douluo, he had already begun to learn his opponent's signature skill.
The Spirit Phoenix Martial Void Technique was a close-combat Soul Skill created by Qingluan Douluo himself.
He came here for training, to test the power of his self-created Soul Skill, which was naturally included in the training.
A sharp blade flicked from Wu Qi's fingertips, and he grabbed out with one hand.
Suddenly, he laughed wildly, "Alright, let's fight in close combat, who's afraid of who!"
"Second Soul Skill, Demon Bear Roaring Fist."
He gathered power in his right fist, ready to unleash it.
As a high-level Soul Master and a power-type Soul Master, the power of this punch was definitely not small.
For Wu Qi, who was only a low-level Soul Master, it was best to take advantage of the air to avoid the attack.
Confident in the power of his Spirit Phoenix Martial Arts, he took the punch head-on.
Hu Erhan, blinded by freedom, had no time to consider the intricacies of the fight. Just as the fist was about to land, Wu Qi leaned back sharply, grabbing Hu Erhan's arms with both hands. His wings flapped rapidly, dissipating the force of the punch.
He then wrapped his arms around Hu Erhan's, his abdominal muscles surging with power, slamming Hu Erhan to the ground. Dissipating force was a power of the Azure Phoenix Martial Soul, allowing him to create a fighting style that made him a formidable opponent in direct combat, comparable to a typical strength-type Soul Master.
Moreover, Hu Erhan had no defensive measures; it was impossible for Wu Qi not to strike.
Meanwhile, Qian Gu Chang Kong wielded his Dragon-Coiling Staff, each strike creating a dazzling display of power, causing A Ming to cry out in pain.
A Ming's Martial Soul was also a weapon, and the overwhelming pressure of his techniques prevented him from even raising his head.
Hu Erhan was furious at being constantly outmatched by Wu Qi in close combat.
"For a mere beginner Soul Master to push me to this point, you truly are a genius of the Spirit Hall. Unfortunately, your biggest mistake was blocking my path to freedom."
"I'll give you one last chance. Hand over the golden badge, and I'll let you go!"
Wu Qi chuckled. "Oh? You seem to have misunderstood the situation. I already have the upper hand, why admit defeat?"
Hu Erhan's eyes blazed. "Very well, you asked for it."
"Third Soul Skill, Wild Instinct!"
He entered a berserk state, his attack and defense increasing by fifty percent.
In terms of strength, he was now comparable to a low-level Soul Master.
"Then let me wake you up!"
Wu Qi leaped into the air, his Azure Phoenix wings flapping rapidly, and his second Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
His second Soul Ring wasn't an ordinary hundred-year Soul Ring; it had a hint of purple on it, and its age was a terrifying nine hundred years, exceeding the absorption limit of a second Soul Ring.
Thanks to the resources of the Spirit Hall, his physical strength was comparable to that of other power-type spirit masters of the same level. When absorbing his second spirit ring, he clearly still had some energy left!
It could be said that nine hundred years was not his limit, but rather the limit that the Azure Phoenix Douluo could absorb within a safe range.
"Second Spirit Skill, Sorrowful Wind."
The spirit ring from the Mystic Parrot provided a spirit skill corresponding to another ability of the Azure Phoenix spirit—sound waves.
Sound wave attacks are also a type of mental attack.
Entering a berserk state, Hu Erhan temporarily lost his mind, but the sound wave attack brought him back to his senses, and the berserk spirit skill was rendered useless.
"How is this possible? What kind of spirit do you have?"
Seeing the power on his body receding like a tide, Hu Erhan had long lost his previous arrogance.
As a Spirit Master, the sound wave attack had little effect on him, but his little brother, A Ming, was not so lucky.
His perception and mobility were completely paralyzed, and he became like a wooden stake.
Qian Gu Chang Kong used his second spirit skill, killing him on the spot.
Hurhan panicked, but he wasn't injured and still had the strength to fight.
Crane Cloud Wings sprouted from Wu Qi's back, overlapping with the wings of his Azure Phoenix Martial Soul, showing no outward change.
The Crane Cloud Wings could transform into wing blades, enhancing Wu Qi's combat power.
The wings spread, gleaming coldly, the feathers at the wingtips transforming into sharp blades.
"Die!"
The wings spun, creating a storm, and he flew out.
Hurhan, in his panic, steadied himself and tried to defend.
The wings' attack was incredibly swift, cutting multiple wounds into his body.
Seeing he was outmatched, Hurhan considered retreating.
Today, he admitted defeat; once he regrouped, it would be his opponent's death!
With his identity as a trainee exposed, how could Wu Qi let him leave?
"Wing Blade Slash!"
Using the wings transformed from the Crane Cloud Wings, Wu Qi created a new soul skill on his own.
The wing blade slashed out, shattering both man and horse!
Hu Erhan was a burly man, severely injured but not fatally.
Wu Qi immediately severed his legs to prevent his escape!
About three minutes later, Hu Erhan's body collapsed limply in the rain, completely lifeless.
Qian Gu Changkong ran over excitedly, "Brother Wu, you're amazing! You killed an enemy above your level, right?"
Then, he added guiltily, "If Grandpa finds out, he'll probably compare me to you again."
Wu Qi was somewhat tired. Killing a high-level Soul Master in this environment was still too much of a stretch. In windy weather, it would be much easier.
"Your innate Soul Power is as high as level nine, but you're only a level twenty-eight Great Soul Master now, which is indeed a bit low," Qian Gu Changkong protested. "I haven't been lazy, my cultivation speed just won't go up, what can I do?"
Hearing this, Wu Qi couldn't help but think of something.
The biggest problem in Douluo Continent was that Soul Masters didn't have a complete cultivation method.
Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill, though a product of a low-level martial arts world, is absolutely superior to all other Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent.
If it weren't for the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San's talent would likely have been ruined by Yu Xiaogang long ago.
Wu Qi couldn't change the nature of cultivation techniques. Even if he wanted to create one, it would take decades.
He paused, then urged, "Cultivation is something that cannot be rushed; don't be too impatient."
"Let's collect the badges first. Before nightfall, we'll enter the inner city."
(End of Chapter)