Chapter 113: Triple Compressed Soul Power: Eight Extremes Collapse
Slowly raising his hands and clenching them into fists, the soul power surged through his fists and feet.
A flash of brilliance gleamed in his eyes as he suddenly stomped his foot. The ground shattered in a spider-web pattern, and with a sharp whoosh, Dai Yao appeared in front of Dai Mubai.
"So fast!" Tang San's expression was one of shock. He realized that this person wasn't using his martial soul; merely relying on his body's speed, he could rival an agility-type soul master.
The others were equally surprised, but they all understood that the real battle was about to begin. Dai Mubai would never go down without a fight.
As Dai Yao suddenly appeared, Dai Mubai's pupils constricted.
Six years ago, when he had fought Dai Yao, Dai Yao had used this extremely fast speed to keep up with him. Moreover, he knew that Dai Yao also had a powerful self-created soul skill.
Naturally, Dai Mubai, being a battle-hardened soul master, held a grudge about the fact that Dai Yao had used this trick to defeat him back then.
With the added enhancement from his third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, his physical strength was now doubled!
This time, he was determined to face Dai Yao head-on and find out just how much stronger he was compared to him.
He extended his giant tiger claw and struck at Dai Yao, the ear-piercing sound of the wind slicing through the air causing everyone to pause. The force of this blow was so powerful that it seemed few could block it.
Seeing Dai Mubai choose to go head-to-head with him, Dai Yao was neither shocked nor alarmed; instead, he was pleased.
"Eight Extremes Collapse!"
His fist, slightly tinged with white, seemed to be forged from iron, radiating an immovable feeling just by looking at it.
When the punch landed, it tore through the air, emitting a sharp, ear-piercing screech, causing everyone to instinctively cover their ears.
"Boom!"
The tiger claw and fist collided, creating a loud, thunderous crash. A circular shockwave spread out from the two combatants, rapidly expanding in all directions.
Both fighters were affected by the force of the collision, and they were sent flying backward.
Tang San stared blankly at the battle between Dai Mubai and Dai Yao, his shock evident. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He had fought Dai Mubai over a room in a hotel before. After Dai Mubai used his third soul skill, his physical strength had reached an extraordinarily frightening level, easily breaking free from the Blue Silver Grass's restraint.
Yet this person, Dai Yao, didn't use any soul skills and merely relied on his physical strength to block Dai Mubai's attack, which was boosted by his third soul skill!
"Is this guy even human?" Tang San's expression grew grave as he watched Dai Yao.
The expressions of the Shrek team members were all extremely serious, their gazes filled with shock as they watched Dai Yao.
Zhu Zhuqing still stood there coldly and indifferently, as though the outcome came as no surprise to her.
Dugu Yan shook her head in disappointment. She had hoped to see Dai Yao's strength firsthand, but what she didn't expect was that Dai Yao didn't even use his soul skills, yet he was already evenly matched with his opponent.
Dai Mubai stared in terror at his trembling hand, feeling a force raging through his arm. The power continued to transmit through his body and exploded inside him.
"Hmph—" He gritted his teeth, stifling the intense pain in his body.
Then, he glared at Dai Yao with great caution. "What kind of power is this?"
"Dark Force. How does it feel?" Dai Yao grinned.
"You really are a genius. Not only have you created your own soul skill, but you also dared to compress your soul power, taking your self-created soul skill to the next level by adding Dark Force."
"If my body weren't so strong, I would have already lost."
Dai Mubai gave Dai Yao a complicated look and fell silent for a moment, unable to stop himself from marveling at Dai Yao's talent.
"Compressing soul power? What's that?" Oscar asked, confused.
Tang San, as a disciple of the Master, had studied a lot of soul master knowledge. Seeing the others' confused expressions, he explained, "Compressing soul power means compressing two units of soul power into one. This means that the energy contained in one unit of compressed soul power is double that of normal soul power."
"Thus, the power of soul skills is greatly enhanced."
Oscar's eyes lit up. "This sounds like a huge advantage! We should try compressing our soul power too!"
Tang San's expression grew serious as he warned, "No, the risks of compressing soul power far outweigh its benefits."
"Compressing soul power is an extremely dangerous move."
He continued, "For the same amount of soul power, compressed soul power contains far more energy. Therefore, it requires much greater physical strength. If the body can't handle the pressure of the compressed soul power, the result is an explosion of the body."
"Moreover, while soul power becomes more stable after cultivation, if forced to compress it, the results could range from severe injury to death!"
The harsh consequences made everyone shudder. Their eyes now held a sense of respect for Dai Yao.
Not only was he fearless in the face of danger, but compressing soul power required immense determination and courage.
Hearing the praise, Dai Yao chuckled lightly, "It's just luck."
Although he said that, his actions never stopped.
His right fist tightened, and his soul power rumbled, flowing through his meridians and into his right arm.
The soul power continued to compress!
Double Compression!
At this moment, Dai Yao's clothes began to flutter as a mysterious aura emanated from him. His eyes, filled with unshakable confidence, focused on Dai Mubai.
Compressing soul power had been the greatest result of his three years of training.
The energy contained in double-compressed soul power was four times that of normal soul power, and triple compression increased it to nine times. The highest, with eight times compression, would be sixty-four times the original energy.
Each level of compression had to build upon the previous, just like the Chaotic Wind Hammer method of Haotian Sect. Each strike needed the previous ones to strengthen it.
The Eight Extremes Collapse required eighty-one strikes of preparation, so Dai Yao couldn't directly perform the eight-fold compression yet.
In his earlier battle with Dai Mubai, he had used the one-time compression of the Eight Extremes Collapse.
Now, he was able to compress his soul power by two times.
The power of the Eight Extremes Collapse, growing with each compression, made Dai Yao excited to imagine how terrifying it would be when he reached eight-fold compression.
"What's that?" Tang San's eyes turned purple as he saw Dai Yao's body and felt a strange sense of danger.
Dai Yao was just standing there, yet Tang San could sense a subtle distortion in his vision, especially around his right fist.
Dai Yao once again launched his attack on Dai Mubai. The whoosh of the air it disturbed was enough to leave everyone in awe.
This punch was even more powerful than the last one!
Seeing Dai Yao charging towards him, Dai Mubai was horrified. The Dark Force was still raging inside him, and he dared not clash head-on with Dai Yao again.
Gritting his teeth and unwilling to yield, Dai Mubai's first soul ring glowed, and a white light shield appeared to protect him.
"First Soul Skill! White Tiger's Shield!"
Six years ago, if it hadn't been for external factors, he might have had a chance to defeat Dai Yao.
But now, he couldn't even force Dai Yao to use his soul skills!
He was unwilling to accept it!
"Is the gap between us really that large?"
He muttered to himself.
Boom—
Dai Yao's fist collided with the White Tiger's Shield, producing a deep, resounding clang, like the sound of a giant bell.
Both of them were sent flying back, and a violent shockwave blasted through the forest, causing the trees to rustle.
Immediately afterward, the white light shield emitted the sound of cracking glass.
Crack—
A crack appeared in the White Tiger's Protective Barrier. Within just a few breaths, the barrier shattered into countless pieces, dissolving into tiny white dots of light that vanished.
Dai Mubai stared blankly at the scene, unable to believe it.
This was the first soul skill, White Tiger's Protective Barrier, enhanced by his third soul skill, White Tiger's Diamond Transformation!
It was actually shattered by Dai Yao's fist!
The seven members of Shrek's team looked on with disbelief, their eyes wide.
Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from Dai Yao, drawing their attention to the strange changes occurring around him.
Dai Yao had his fist clenched at his waist, preparing for another strike, just as he had in his previous attacks against Dai Mubai.
But around his arm, where his fist was held, they could not clearly see what was happening, as if there were a black hole distorting all their vision.
They rubbed their eyes, but when they looked again, nothing had changed.
Only Tang San, with his exceptionally keen spiritual perception, was the first to react. He shouted in alarm:
"That's distorted soul power!"
His mental strength far surpassed that of the others, making him particularly sensitive to Dai Yao's changes.
He had noticed it during Dai Yao's second attack, when Dai Yao's right fist radiated an extreme sense of danger.
Now, as the distortion around Dai Yao's arm grew more intense, Tang San was sure that Dai Yao had compressed his soul power again, even affecting the environment around him.
"Great observation."
Dai Yao turned his head, offering a faint smile, his expression showing no surprise at Tang San discovering the secret of his Eight Extremes Collapse.
The soul power inside Dai Yao rumbled as he compressed it three times over.
Instantly, invisible air currents surrounded him, his clothes fluttered, and his golden hair waved wildly.
The ground beneath his feet cracked open, and fissures rapidly spread outward, causing dust and small rocks to rise into the air, swirling around him.
The immense soul power fluctuation forced Shrek's team to retreat a few steps, their faces full of shock.
Boom—
With an explosive step, Dai Yao stomped heavily on the ground. The sound was like a meteor crashing into the earth, creating a deep crater while soil flew into the air.
The sound struck everyone like a heavy blow, making their hearts skip a beat.
Seeing Dai Yao move faster than lightning, Dai Mubai's expression turned frantic, filled with fear.
Just from the power of that punch, he knew that he would definitely be unable to block it.
But when he remembered that Dai Yao hadn't even used any soul skills, a surge of unwillingness welled up in his heart. He didn't want to give in so easily.
Grinding his teeth, he activated his first and third soul skills at once.
With the boost from his Diamond Transformation, his White Tiger's Protective Barrier became even more solid.
"Eight Extremes—Collapse!"
Dai Yao shouted angrily, launching his fist. The wind from his punch whistled, and before the seemingly unbreakable white shield, the White Tiger's Protective Barrier was torn apart as if it were made of paper.
Dai Yao's fist continued with unstoppable force, heading straight for Dai Mubai.
"This is bad!"
Zhao Wujie cried out loudly.
Even watching, the power behind this punch made his heart race. If it struck Dai Mubai, he would either die or be severely injured!
But an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended on him, preventing him from moving.
"Soul Douluo!"
Sensing the pressure, Zhao Wujie bitterly said.
Looking in the direction of the pressure, a Soul Douluo appeared next to Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan. The old man was surrounded by eight soul rings that gently rose and fell, watching Zhao Wujie intently.
He dared not make any move.
The rest of Shrek's team didn't notice the sudden appearance of the elderly figure. When they saw the White Tiger's Protective Barrier instantly shatter, their expressions were filled with shock.
But when they saw Dai Yao still charging toward Dai Mubai, their eyes widened with concern.
Dai Mubai felt the most intense pressure. Even though Dai Yao's punch was still a distance away, the force from the punch's wind made his skin sting.
He could already predict the devastating consequences if he was hit by Dai Yao.
Boom!
In this critical moment, Dai Yao's fist stopped just an inch from Dai Mubai's abdomen. But the air pressure from the Eight Extremes Collapse still sent Dai Mubai flying.
He crashed through several trees before slowly coming to a halt.
Looking in the direction of Dai Yao's punch, the area was in ruins—leaves flew, trees were broken, and the ground seemed as if it had been plowed.
"Th-thank you... for sparing me..."
Dai Mubai collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His voice was weak as he spoke.
He knew that if Dai Yao had struck him with full force, he would have lost half his life.
"This is just a sparring match. No need to make it a life-and-death issue."
Dai Yao retracted his fist and slowly stood up, speaking calmly.
He had no intention of taking Dai Mubai's life. He still had plans to obtain the Eight Spider Soul Bone from Tang San, and there was no need to worsen their relationship.
The others froze for a moment, then, seeing Dai Mubai's weakened state, rushed to his side to help him up.
"Dai Laoda, here, have some of my sausage."
Oscar took out a large sausage and handed it to Dai Mubai, showing genuine concern.
Dai Mubai took the sausage, bit into it, and his complexion improved significantly. He said to Oscar,
"Thank you, little Oscar."
"No need to thank me, we're brothers, right?"
It was at this moment that the Shrek Seven noticed something.
A soul master had defeated their strongest member, Dai Mubai, without using any soul skills or soul rings. They all looked at Dai Yao with a newfound respect, their gazes filled with awe.
Tang San stood up and cupped his hands, saying,
"Thank you for sparing him."
"This was just a competition. Besides, Dai Mubai is my half-brother, isn't he?"
Dai Yao said lightly.
Everyone was stunned. Their eyes darted back and forth between Dai Yao and Dai Mubai in confusion.
Both of them had White Tiger-type soul weapons and looked somewhat alike—golden hair, strong features.
But if they were brothers, why had they fought so fiercely when they first met?
The others were puzzled, too.
Zhu Lu sighed deeply, silent, her gaze on Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing was complex.
As a member of the Zhu family, she understood her own fate.
Seeing the confusion in everyone's eyes, Dai Mubai coughed lightly and forced a smile as he explained,
"Don't be surprised, he is indeed my half-brother from the same father, but there are some things I can't explain to you all."
"I hope you won't hold it against us."
"Since Dai Laoda doesn't want to explain, we won't press further."
Tang San said to everyone.
Seeing everyone nod, Dai Mubai smiled gratefully,
"Thank you for understanding."
"Alright, alright, the sparring is over. We need to leave Star Dou Forest quickly."
Zhao Wujie pushed the others aside impatiently, speaking up.
He had originally planned to recruit Dai Yao into Shrek, but after seeing the Soul Douluo-level elder, he quickly abandoned that idea.
With a Soul Douluo guarding them, their academy must be extraordinary, much wealthier than Shrek.
At that moment, Tang San smiled and said,
"Sorry, Teacher Zhao, but it looks like we can't leave Star Dou Forest just yet."
"I'm the teacher! I say when we leave! Star Dou Forest is no playground. Every extra minute we stay here increases the danger."
"We must get back to the academy as soon as possible, or how will I explain it to Master Flanders?"
Zhao Wujie paused, then angrily responded,
"What? You've broken through to the thirtieth level?"
As the members of Shrek continued talking, Dai Yao silently observed, his eyes shifting toward Xiao Wu. A faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his lips.
"The plot is about to begin! The Eight Spider Soul Bone is mine!"
(End of Chapter)
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