Chapter 123: Battle, Part 2
Dao Ba and Huo Quan sensed the shift in the barrier, and a spark of amusement flashed in their eyes.
"Enough warming up. I'm tired of dragging this out," Dao Ba said, his tone suddenly sharp. He released his six soul rings:
Yellow Yellow Purple Black Black Black!
"First Soul Skill: Thunder Blade!
Second Soul Skill: Thunder Strike!
Fourth Soul Skill: Wrath of Thunder Body!"
Scarlet lightning coiled around Dao Ba's body, arcing fiercely in jagged streaks. Even the stage itself seemed to pulse with the force of his electric field. His fourth, fifth, and sixth rings were all obtained from the same dragon beast variant soul beast the Thunderstorm Dragon. Aside from its lightning attributes, this dragon also granted immense physical strength and a potent explosive potential.
Hunting this particular type of soul beast had been grueling work, but the results were worth it. Dao Ba now possessed soul skills that boosted his strength and agility significantly. When he defeated the last of these Thunderstorm Dragons an 80,000 year old king it even left behind a trunk bone soul bone. Ye Wen had given this powerful soul bone to Dao Ba, reinforcing his defenses and physical resilience. However, Ye Wen had warned him to only use the soul bone's abilities in life or death situations to avoid exposing it unnecessarily.
Unfazed by the electric aura that could paralyze or even kill an ordinary person, Huo Quan calmly allowed golden light to shimmer from his body as he activated his own six soul rings:
Purple Purple Purple Black Black Black!
Compared to Dao Ba's lineup, Huo Quan's soul ring distribution was even more impressive, as each of his rings from the start was a millennium ring. This distinction highlighted the difference in strength between disciples who had been with Ye Wen from the beginning and those who joined later.
Notably, Huo Quan's sixth soul ring shimmered with a faint red edge, hinting at an unusual intensity. His sixth ring was derived from a powerful true dragon soul beast known as the Diamond Tyrant Dragon. In addition to granting exceptional physical strength, the Diamond Tyrant Dragon also provided unmatched defense. Huo Quan's fortuitous encounter with this dragon also yielded a torso bone that Ye Wen encouraged him to absorb due to its compatibility with Huo Quan's attributes.
"First Soul Skill: Berserk Power!
Third Soul Skill: Diamond Body!
Fourth Soul Skill: Frenzy Force!
Fifth Soul Skill: Tyrant Dragon Body!
Sixth Soul Skill: Thunder Diamond Transformation!"
In mere moments, Huo Quan activated five augmentation soul skills, causing his eyes to turn crimson. His previously dark hair became a radiant gold, standing on end, and his body became encased in a golden electric field. His hands transformed into sharp claws, with golden dragon scales embedded along his skin, creating a formidable and majestic appearance.
Ye Wen suspected that this Diamond Tyrant Dragon had crossbred with a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, given the presence of lightning on its body a trait absent from typical Diamond Tyrant Dragons.
The entire audience, including Emperor White Tiger, sat stunned. His eyes widened in amazement, though he managed to keep his composure.
However, many high ranking nobles were visibly shaken, staring at the stage with disbelief.
These two young soul masters' presence was intense enough to rival that of most Soul Sages. Observing the mounting tension between them, every spectator held their breath, feeling a palpable sense of awe and dread.
"Master Ye Wen, after this battle, your reputation as a master will undoubtedly reach unprecedented heights," Emperor White Tiger remarked, awe evident in his voice.
"Thank you for the kind words, Your Majesty. I'm fortunate to have such talented disciples; they deserve all the credit, as my guidance was only a small part of their journey," Ye Wen replied with humility, though inwardly, he felt the satisfaction of having predicted such outcomes long ago.
On the Douluo Continent, talent was scarce, but experienced and competent teachers were even rarer. Thanks to his annual Hidden Dragon Tournament, Ye Wen had successfully unearthed and cultivated a significant number of young prodigies. His reputation as a teacher had already soared among commoner soul masters, with families even training their children to improve observational and combat skills in the hope of winning the tournament and becoming his disciples. Even being accepted as a nominal disciple was an enviable achievement.
Back on the stage, Dao Ba laughed wildly, his expression a mixture of battle frenzy and excitement. "Such terrifying strength! With all these enhancements, your physical power rivals a high level Soul Sage. This is incredible! Fighting someone like you means it won't be boring. Let's see how you handle this!" Dao Ba cackled as he activated his fifth soul skill.
"Thunder Dragon Flash!"
With a crack of lightning, Dao Ba disappeared, moving at near instantaneous speed.
In an instant, the crimson lightning surrounding Dao Ba condensed tightly around his body. To the spectators, he seemed to vanish and reappear as a dragon shaped bolt of lightning charging straight toward Huo Quan.
Layer upon layer of enhancement soul skills stacked atop each other, and Huo Quan reacted with lightning speed. The duel on the stage became a blur, as the arena was filled with flashing light and the clash of red and gold. It looked like a fierce red dragon and a golden thunderbolt were battling, intertwining and colliding as they struck at each other, neither yielding an inch.
Both soul masters unleashed their powerful, self created techniques, sometimes hitting the arena barrier itself with explosive force, which elicited gasps from the audience.
Suddenly, Dao Ba leapt high into the air, gripping his blade with both hands raised above his head. "Sixth Soul Skill: Thunder Dragon Strike!"
On the ground below, Huo Quan's face grew serious; the power of this attack reminded him of Dao Ba's fearsome "Thunderbolt" move from their last duel in the battle arena. But this time, Huo Quan wasn't going to dodge. With his 69 levels against Dao Ba's 64, Huo Quan believed his spirit was just as formidable. If he had to rely on tricks in a clash like this, how could he ever aim for the summit of true strength?
"Second Soul Skill: Mighty Strike!"
One boost to his attack power fifty percent.
"Finger Spear: Cannon!"
A streak of crimson lightning descended from above, met by a dazzling golden strike from below.
Their clash lit up the arena, sending shockwaves across the stage that forced lower level soul masters in the stands to squint against the blinding brightness. Witnessing the intensity of this moment, Ye Wen sighed to himself, sensing the match had reached its conclusion.
Neither opponent had held back; this attack would decide the winner. The high level barrier designed to withstand Soul Sage attacks now trembled, straining against the overflow of their unleashed power.
After a tense pause, the storm of clashing techniques gradually subsided, bringing the intense battle to an end.
Dao Ba staggered, blood trickling from his mouth, nose, and ears. His battle uniform was torn to shreds, and red droplets dotted the ground beneath him.
"You win, Second Brother," Dao Ba managed, his voice hoarse but resolute. "But one day, I'll catch up to you. Just wait."
With those words, Dao Ba collapsed, unconscious.
Dao Ba's defeat wasn't due to a lack of power if anything, his sixth soul skill rivaled a hundred thousand year soul technique in potency. The Thunder Dragon Strike concentrated all of his lightning into the blade's tip, unleashing it upon his opponent with devastating force. With his lightning infused strength and added inertia from his fifth soul skill, Thunder Dragon Flash, this attack was formidable enough that even a junior Soul Douluo would struggle to withstand it.
However, under Huo Quan's full array of augmentations, their attacks had been evenly matched. The difference lay in Dao Ba's reliance on a weapon based martial soul; as a Tool Soul Master, his physical body lacked the enhancements of a Beast Soul Master. Amid the shockwaves from their collision, Dao Ba's body gave out first.
Had both been Soul Sages, however, the result could have been different. At that level, a Tool Soul Master could achieve harmony between soul and body, compensating for their weaker physique.
End of Chapter.
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