Chapter 15 - A Worthy Opponent

As hundreds of weapons flew towards him, Xu Sanshi braced himself with the shield.

Mystic Deep Quake!

The weapons slowed down as the halo of black light from the shield covered ten meters around, causing the weapons to explode in impact, minimizing the damages.

"Ha! Is that all you got?!"

Ignoring his remarks, I snapped my finger, and countless weapons flew from all around Xu Sanshi. He sweated as he used another spirit technique, which was his second spirit ring's ability.

Mystic Deep Shield Formation!

Numerous palm-sized shields were scattered in all directions around Xu Sanshi. These shields blocked and took the brunt force of the weapons from all sides.

Boom! Boom!

It blocked most of the attacks, but a few attacks managed to land on him, Xu Sanshi flew across the stage landing at the edge with a bruised body, but he didn't give up.

He stood up with difficulty, as he had a stubborn look.

"Teach me a lesson? Was that all talk? A weakling's pride is pointless if they don't have the strength to back it up."

I muttered with a mocking tone, as Xu Sanshi stood up with blood trickling from his mouth.

"Shut the hell up."

"What are you trying to prove in the first place? Your desperateness for that girl? Trust me, she's uncomfortable being near you. She's better off with someone better than cow dung."

The reason why Jiang Nannan hated Xu Sanshi was because she was forced to copulate with him. Of course, Xu Sanshi's family took advantage of Jiang Nannan's sick mother to make this deal, which was the reason why she hated him.

Of course, I don't remember all of the story, so I don't know if they did it or not. Well, as for why Xu Sanshi kept pursuing her despite that. It was because he fell for her. 

'These teenagers are pathetic nowadays.'

I closed my eyes as Xu Sanshi went into a frenzy, he used his martial soul, enabling him to tap into the full power of his spirit rings. His body transformed with dark green scales and long hair. Rings with runes appeared floating around his chest.

"Huo Yuhao!!!"

Xu Sanshi surged through the onslaught of hundreds of weapons, disregarding the wounds inflicted by the explosions. His eyes burned red with determination as he relentlessly charged toward me.

When I was in his striking range, Xu Sanshi unleashed a powerful punch, empowered by his enhanced strength. The referee, recognizing the imminent danger, attempted to intervene. However, to the dismay of the crowd, I stopped his attack with a swift motion of my palm. 

Tightly gripping his punch, I rose from the throne, Dark Gauntlets materializing on my arms. In a blur unbeknownst to him, I delivered a lightning-fast strike, slamming my fist into his solar plexus. 

Xu Sanshi spit out blood as he was sent flying from the force, before landing on the ground, he got up again and screamed.

"AHHH!!! I'll kill you!"

"Try it if you can."

I slammed the ground, and in an instant, we charged each other. My fists found their mark on Xu Sanshi, while he struggled to land a hit on me as I dodged his attacks with elegant movements with an unperturbed expression while counterattacking. The bout unfolded like a clash between a seasoned warrior and a novice, evident to all watching.

"Rage is a powerful tool, but when rationality is thrown away, you're only a beast relying on instincts to fight your battles."

"Shut up!"

I unleashed an uppercut to Xu Sanshi's chin, momentarily stunning him. Without hesitation, a roundhouse kick landed on his solar plexus, threatening to bring him down. Swiftly, I caught him with a barrage of punches, pinning him to stand while making him bear the brunt of my attacks like a punching bag. Relentlessly, I rained heavy blows on his vital points, his struggling defenses barely holding against the onslaught. 

My strikes targeted his kidneys, liver, stomach, heart, and lungs—precision in every assault. The crowd watched in silence, witnessing the brutal scene.

I then slammed a heavy jab towards Xu Sanshi's chin with him facing blankly towards the sky. His eyes were about to fall unconscious, but he gritted his teeth and remained still, as he breathed, and defended his vitals with a somewhat calmer look now.

It seemed that he had gained back his rationality from that trauma, huh?

I calmly stepped back, allowing Xu Sanshi to take a breather. He was struggling to stand up due to the injuries he had sustained.

"You're right. Dammit! What you just said was right!"

"..."

"But, what does it matter?! I love her so much! I won't back down!"

"It's disgusting hearing it from you."

Xu Sanshi no longer looked at me in anger, as he now looked more determined. 

"I'll beat you, and I'll prove to Jiang Nannan that I am a better man than you!"

"..."

'I think you're misunderstanding something? When did this fight turn into a fight between two men fighting for a girl?' I frowned.

"What nonsense are you talking about?-"

Xu Sanshi hurtled toward me, his speed now greater than before.

"I speak with actions! Brace yourself for my full strength! I won't underestimate you anymore!"

I looked at Xu Sanshi with confusion, as he ran to the other side of the stage.

"..."

"What is he doing?"

"Did he go crazy after getting beaten up?"

The crowds muttered while watching Xu Sanshi preparing something.

Mystic Deep Power!!!

With a resounding scream, Xu Sanshi unleashed all his might, delivering a powerful punch to the ground. The physical augmentation, a staggering 100%, triggered a seismic effect, shattering the very floor of the stage into pieces. As the fragments scattered, water enveloped him, and with strategic precision, he poured it into the crumbling ground, manipulating the elements to his advantage. 

'What is he planning?' I used the power of Almighty to look into the future and smiled at his pathetic display of cleverness.

Xu Sanshi then closed his eyes momentarily before opening them widely, as he used his fourth spirit ring.

Mystic Deep Replacement!

Both of us swapped places in space, as I lost my footing while Xu Sanshi rushed towards me to use the water he had accumulated from his initial location, which was now around me.

The once placid water transformed into menacing waves that reverberated, amplifying the slippery conditions on the ground. Xu Sanshi skillfully utilized this to his advantage, sliding even faster and intensifying his momentum.

As I navigated the slippery surface, I found myself gradually descending into the puddle of water created by Xu Sanshi's third spirit ring – the Mystic Deep Power. 

Anticipating the potential threat with foresight from the Almighty, I smiled confidently. Even without such foresight, the worst outcome would have been a minor injury. A confident snap of my finger summoned light-dark portals around both Xu Sanshi and me. He grimaced, clearly caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events. 

Boom!

 The explosion disrupted his strategy, engulfing Xu Sanshi in chaos. Seizing the opportunity, I skillfully stepped on the darkened spear to steady my posture, executing a nimble maneuver that landed me on the opposite side of the battleground. 

"It's not over yet!"

Xu Sanshi rushed towards me, as he looked somewhat disappointed that the plan had failed. Nonetheless, he successfully made the stage slippery, which was to his advantage.

Using the Godhand, I conjured a spell.

Tier 2 Spell: Landmine.

"What?" 

Xu Sanshi's gaze lowered to a dark magic circle materializing beneath him, adorned with a pentacle strengthened with radiant runes. In mere moments, the glow intensified, and he found himself consumed by the enveloping darkness. 

Boom!

The darkness burned through his skin like flames, continuously corroding his skin with darkness.

His momentum staggered as I lunged forward, directing my fist at him. Although he managed to intercept the attack, a new portal of dark light materialized behind him, a sword of darkness flung to his back, causing a wide explosion.

Boom!

"Ugh!"

Xu Sanshi shook, and his defenses crumbled. He was sent hurling towards me due to the explosion while I prepared a heavy-powered punch that radiated a deadly aura. It was a boxing technique that used all of my muscle groups that could hypothetically break a Spirit King in half if landed precisely with Black Flash.

"Stand proud, you are strong."

A sinister smile played on my lips, and I whispered ominously. Xu Sanshi's horrified gaze locked onto me as a dark crimson light surged wildly around my body, converging on my arm encased with the dark gauntlet.

"Stop!"

The referee's attempt to halt the unfolding chaos was futile, his words lost in the air as he witnessed the inconceivable. The attack carried a speed and power that defied the capabilities of a mere 20th-ranking spirit master. Shock rendered him speechless, as the relentless force of the assault left no room for intervention. 

Black Flash

My dark gauntlet coated with a dark red light boosted a devasting blow that would break through even the most formidable defenses.

I then slammed the 100% powered Black Flash into his double-arm block. Xu Sanshi had already brought his arms forward to block the formidable attack. He used all of his spiritual energy to create a dark green barrier made from his Xuanwu Martial Soul with a pale face. But, alas, it was useless, as the relentless force of a fully powered Black Flash broke through his defenses. The terrifying blow landed on his solar plexus. 

The stage quaked as the thunderous shockwaves of dark crimson light reverberated through the arena, chilling the spectators. The sickening sound of bones shattering reached their ears as Xu Sanshi was sent hurtling beyond the stage, crashing into the edges of the spectator area.

He was unconscious with whitened eyes, with the crowds still silent at the amazing display of battle prowess of both Yuhao and Xu Sanshi.

'Not bad.'

When Xu Sanshi unleashed his Xuan Wu transformation, his battle power was no different from a peak-level Spirit Ancestor. It could even contend with a Spirit King.

Honestly, I hadn't anticipated Xu Sanshi to be such a formidable opponent. His exceptional defense played a crucial role in prolonging the fight, outlasting even Bei Bei. Additionally, I intentionally extended the battle, relishing every moment of the intense encounter. 

I swiftly exited the stage, paying little heed to the speechless referee, and strolled beyond the battle arena. The medical team promptly stepped onto the arena, carefully transferring the unconscious Xu Sanshi onto a stretcher, as the audience scattered to engage in animated discussions about the intense fight.

"Dammit, why is your Spirit Battle Department getting such a good disciple while our Spirit Guidance Department is left to rot?!" Qian Duo Duo cursed.

"Hahahaha!" Dean Yan Shaozhe laughed happily.

"The two children displayed strength far above their current levels. That Xu Sanshi wasn't bad either." Xuan Lao commented while frowning at the sight of the darkness from Yuhao.

"Do you think Yuhao is a dark spirit master?" Wang Yan asked.

"Hm... I don't sense any evil intentions. The dark element is often unfairly associated with dark spirit masters" Xuan Lao drank his wine with a heated face, as he was enjoying the drink, he continued.

"This Huo Yuhao. That power didn't come from his spirit ring." Xuan Lao muttered.

"His spirit ring... he didn't even need to use it. He'll grow to become quite a monster."

Yan Shaozhe said with a surprised and happy look. As if he had found a treasure. But, he paused and asked one important question, "Wait, didn't Yuhao only have one Martial Soul? He called it the Almighty, which should only be capable of perception and foresight. Then what was that? It wasn't a spirit technique nor a martial technique." 

 "Does that brat have a twin martial soul that he didn't inform us about?" 

"He used those techniques. I haven't seen or heard from the continent, but I am not sure that..." Wang Yan touched his head with a baffled look.

"It's better to ask him. That arrogant brat won't be easy to talk to." Xuan Lao frowned, and the trio nodded as if they reached a consensus.

"I'll tell the core court elders about this. It'll be interesting to see their reactions." Dean Yan Shaozhe smiled.

"Tsk." Qian Duo Duo soon left the room to share the news with Xian Lin'er.