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The youth who called himself "Scar" was undoubtedly already on this path.
The moment he summoned his martial soul, even Huo Quan, a veteran of countless battles, felt a chill run down his spine, as if the blade would strike him in the next second.
Huo Quan wanted to recall more knowledge, but the opponent couldn't wait any longer.
After the referee shouted "Begin," Scar charged at Huo Quan without hesitation. There were no unnecessary movements—just a single downward slash.
Though it was just a battered, nicked blade, it gave Huo Quan the illusion of facing a divine weapon. He hurriedly dodged.
But Scar didn't let up. Still wearing that ferocious yet ecstatic grin, he relentlessly pursued Huo Quan with another slash.
How could Huo Quan, known as the little war god of the spirit battle arena, tolerate such humiliation?
Golden light erupted from his hands as he unleashed Rigid Fist, directly striking at the damaged blade.
Scar hadn't expected Huo Quan's strength to be so astonishing—one punch had deflected his blade. But instead of retreating, Scar grew even more excited, relentlessly hacking away like a madman.
"Don't look down on me, you lowly Soul Elder!" Huo Quan roared inwardly.
The two exchanged rapid attacks, neither able to break through the other's defenses. For a moment, their blades and fists clashed, sparks flying between them.
"Amazing! No wonder you're the disciple of a master renowned across the continent—even without using soul skills, you can go toe-to-toe with my blade.
You're far superior to those other trash. Come on, Huo Quan! Hit me harder!"
First Soul Skill: Thunder Blade!
Second Soul Skill: Thunder Surge!
Suddenly, the seemingly decrepit blade erupted with crimson lightning, and even the speed of his slashes increased dramatically.
This sudden burst of speed caught even Huo Quan off guard. Relying on his superior body control, he retreated step by step, barely avoiding injury.
"Don't run!!!" Scar shouted excitedly, quickly giving chase.
The spectators were utterly stunned. Though Huo Quan wasn't using his soul rings, it should have been easy for him to overpower a Soul Elder who hadn't yet reached the Soul Ancestor level, relying solely on his physical strength.
But what did they see? A Soul Elder chasing down a Soul Ancestor—and not just any Soul Ancestor, but one of the top-tier ones.
As for the idea of Huo Quan holding back, they dismissed it outright. Huo Quan had no reason to make such an effort for a commoner boy—it would only serve to elevate him as a stepping stone.
Thus, there was only one explanation: this commoner Soul Elder had surpassed Huo Quan in technique, despite Huo Quan being renowned for his combat skills.
At this moment, Huo Quan was seething with frustration. Using soul skills against a mere Soul Elder would be humiliating, so he had no intention of resorting to them.
But to be outmatched in technique? That was unacceptable!
He had been personally named by his master as the future strongest in technique on the Douluo Continent.
Rapid Step Double Dash—Modified Rigid Fist Finger Gun: Cannon Fist!
Huo Quan's legs erupted with incredible speed, closing the distance to Scar's back in the blink of an eye. He unleashed a powerful punch, a self-created soul skill born from mastering multiple techniques of the Six Styles.
True to its name, the Cannon Fist struck with the force of a cannonball—powerful enough to shatter even the fifth soul skill of a defensive-type Soul King.
However, Huo Quan didn't intend to deliver a fatal blow. He aimed for Scar's right shoulder, intending to inflict a serious injury and force his defeat.
But the instant Scar noticed Huo Quan vanish from his sight, his body instinctively reacted to the attack coming from behind.
In the split second before the punch landed, Scar spun around and slashed his blade backward.
This astonishing reaction startled even Huo Quan, who barely managed to roll his body aside to avoid injury.
Though the attack didn't fully land, the sheer force still dislocated Scar's right shoulder. Now, he could only wield his blade with his left hand, his right arm hanging limply.
"What beast-like instincts, Scar. Surrender. With your talent, I can recommend you to my master as his disciple."
Scar paid no heed to Huo Quan's suggestion, merely glancing emotionlessly at his dislocated shoulder.
"What monstrous techniques. Is this the other half of the Six Styles that's been causing such a stir across the continent recently?"
"No, this is the power of the Six Styles when cultivated to their deepest level," Huo Quan explained kindly.
For dislocations, low-level soul masters on the Douluo Continent still lacked the ability to reset bones on their own. After all, it required highly precise knowledge of skeletal anatomy—something only high-level soul masters or medical soul masters currently possessed.
"Ho ho ho," Scar chuckled again.
"Truly impressive! So this is the strength of a top disciple from Tian Xing Academy—it's exhilarating! Come, let's continue the fight!"
Scar's eyes once again burned with excitement. With a flick of his wrist, a crisp sound echoed from his body. His previously limp, dislocated right arm suddenly returned to its original state.
Huo Quan instantly realized what had happened. Scar had been stalling for time.
Huo Quan had thought that only someone like him—with a Body Martial Soul granting complete control over his body—could reset bones on their own. Yet here was a Weapon Martial Soul user, a wielder of a damaged blade, displaying such innate talent. This only strengthened Huo Quan's resolve to recruit Scar into Tian Xing Academy.
But such a defiant and frenzied individual wouldn't submit easily unless thoroughly defeated.
"Don't underestimate me. From now on, I'll go all out—you'd better not die," Huo Quan said coldly.
"Perfect! Bring it on!" Scar once again charged forward, his blade gleaming with excitement.
At this moment, Huo Quan completely abandoned his earlier relaxed state, entering full 100% combat mode.
Even Scar's increasingly ferocious slashes were effortlessly blocked by Huo Quan, who steadily compressed Scar's range of motion, gradually weakening his strength.
Scar grew more and more excited, even though every one of his strikes was perfectly countered by Huo Quan in various ways.
"Don't die yet—" Scar suddenly muttered.
The thousand-year soul ring representing his third soul skill lit up abruptly. The crimson lightning that had previously enveloped the damaged blade vanished, fusing into the blade itself. A massive red crescent-shaped slash surged forth.
Third Soul Skill: Great Thunderclap!!!
Though Huo Quan had been alerted the moment Scar spoke, the lightning-fast slash was too swift. Even with his perfect control over his body, Huo Quan struggled to react in time.
With his body momentarily frozen, he instinctively activated the full-body version of Rigid Fist to block the attack.
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