On the fourth stage, Wang Ba seemed practically invincible—like he had some sort of cheat activated. No arrow could harm him at all, and clearly, he had expected this outcome long ago.
He was the only one running with his spirit rings activated. The two bright yellow rings hovered up and down around his waist, making him a glaring target—his attitude practically begged for a beating.
Apparently, someone even said, "Better hope I don't run into him, or I'll teach him a lesson."
Wang Ba's kind of blatant showboating was the kind that drew the deadliest attention. Sure, arrows couldn't harm him, but that didn't mean people couldn't.
As long as someone's attack power exceeded his defense, he could still be hurt. Some strength-type battle spirit masters could traverse the fourth stage just as effortlessly as he did.
Right now, Wang Ba had become the number one target of those strength-type battle soul masters.
Kong Long, a member of the Assault-type class, was one such master. His martial spirit? The Tyrant Dinosaur—a powerful sub-dragon species.
"Roarrr—!"
A dragon-like bellow erupted behind Wang Ba, followed by a fierce gust of wind.
Turning around, Wang Ba saw someone charging directly at him with their martial spirit activated. That kind of display was even flashier than running with spirit rings—and burned through spirit energy at a frightening rate.
It wasn't Gu Yecheng—the guy who had made the earlier threats—who launched the attack, but rather the bold and arrogant Kong Long.
Kong Long had a flamboyant personality and loved comparing himself to others. He couldn't stand anyone being cocky in his presence. Showing off in front of him? Might as well have a death wish.
With iron walls flanking both sides of the road, a few underhanded tricks here would go unnoticed from the mountains afar.
BOOM—!
A loud explosion rang out as the two clashed violently.
Kong Long, charging at full speed, threw a heavy punch. Wang Ba wasn't one to back down; he bent at the waist and raised his arms to block.
The collision sent ripples of soul power through the air, kicking up a cloud of dust from the ground.
Thud… Thud thud thud—!
Both of them staggered backward from the impact—Kong Long retreated three meters, while Wang Ba was forced back five.
Clearly, Wang Ba was slightly outmatched in momentum. After all, one was attacking, the other defending.
More importantly, Kong Long's soul power was already at level 29, while Wang Ba was only at level 27. Despite his defensive strength, his lack of offensive power put him at a clear disadvantage. Right now, all he could do was block—he had no way to strike back.
Wang Ba narrowed his eyes, then snapped them open and shouted, "First Soul Skill: Black Tortoise Protection!"
Kong Long's attacks were too fierce. Wang Ba had no choice but to summon his martial spirit and use his soul skill to defend.
Hearing the name Black Tortoise made Kong Long's heart skip a beat. Among top-tier beast spirits, a few were incredibly powerful—one of which was the Black Tortoise. In defensive martial spirits, it ranked very high.
"So his spirit is actually the Black Tortoise?!"
Green light surged from Wang Ba's body. On his back, green spines emerged in clusters. His first hundred-year soul ring lit up—he had activated his first skill.
But… something about it looked odd.
The edges of his turtle shell seemed filled with… collagen? It didn't look sturdy at all—more like it might taste good!
Kong Long burst out laughing. "What kind of turtle is that? Doesn't look like a Black Armor Tortoise. Never seen one like it. Is this some kind of mutated softshell turtle from the water?"
Wang Ba's appearance did indeed seem off—it looked less like a Black Tortoise and more like… a common snapping turtle. The shell, full of collagen and soft-looking despite the spikes, didn't appear very defensive at all.
Wang Ba growled, "Hmph! So what if it's a softshell? I can still defend against your attacks with ease. Try breaking through my first soul skill first! This skill doubles my defense. Let's see what you've got!"
With a swift flick of both hands, three green defensive shields appeared and began spinning around him.
"Hmph. That's it?" Kong Long scoffed.
Though his martial spirit was a sub-dragon, it was still a dragon type. Among the continent's three great sects, one family's martial spirit was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—a top-tier beast spirit. Kong Long's might have ranked slightly below that, but it was still an elite spirit.
As his Tyrant Dragon spirit fully materialized, two yellow spirit rings floated up around him—clearly an optimal configuration.
The first hundred-year ring lit up, and Kong Long chanted, "First Soul Skill: Tyrant Dragon's Stomp!"
The air rippled as his legs thickened, becoming darker and longer. The ground beneath his feet visibly sank, leaving deep footprints.
He stomped backward, then launched himself into the air, aiming directly for Wang Ba's spiny turtle shell.
Kong Long's body plummeted like a boulder. Just as he made contact, Wang Ba retracted into his shell.
"Damn, he actually hid inside the shell!"
Kong Long cursed under his breath. He realized his first soul skill wasn't enough to break through after all.
The impact, mixed with the resulting shockwave, knocked them both back. Thanks to his higher spirit power, Kong Long remained relatively stable—but Wang Ba was visibly weaker.
Hurriedly, Wang Ba shouted, "Alright, alright! Let's stop here. I admit defeat. We're still in the middle of the trial—keep this up, and someone else will swoop in and take advantage."
"If you want a rematch, pick a better time. I still have my eye on the second-place prize."
Kong Long finally cooled down. "Good that you know what's smart. You've got skills—why not join me?"
"If you're willing to join my clan, we've got plenty of soul power-enhancing herbs like the one for second place."
Wang Ba waved his hand. "We'll see. If you win first place in this trial, maybe I'll consider it."
"But that girl in front of us already left us in the dust. Catching up with her won't be easy."
"If she wins first place, I might choose to follow her instead. My family's weak—I need protection."
"My standard for choosing a clan isn't based on status, but on potential. And I think she's got more of it than you. So for now, I can't accept your offer."
Kong Long snorted. "Hmph! First place in this trial? What's the big deal?"
"Didn't you notice? That cute little girl is injured. Just wait and see. It'll be your honor to call me boss soon enough."
Just as they were talking, a shiny bald head drifted between them, causing both of them to stop and stare in disbelief.
"Holy crap, that's ruthless!"
That gleaming dome belonged to none other than Zui Wuqing—the man so dedicated to his training that he went bald from it. And right now, he was literally running in midair.
It was even more impressive than Cai Xiang's flying martial spirit. While flight spirits let you fly, this guy was sprinting in the sky. Completely insane.
(End of chapter)
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