Despair and Self-doubt

Dai Mubai lunged forward, his muscles bulging with each movement as he entered Martial Soul Possession.

Ma Hongjun braced himself, his stance solid as purple-red flames enveloped him, both his hair and pupils turning crimson.

Dai Mubai could feel the intense heat radiating from his opponent's body as he closed the distance between them.

"Phoenix Fire Bomb!" Ma Hongjun said as he threw a full-powered Phoenix Fire Bomb at Dai Mubai. As the Phoenix Fire Bomb hurtled towards him, Dai Mubai's instincts kicked in. He swiftly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the fiery explosion. Sensing the intense heat on his skin even from a distance, he realized the potency of Ma Hongjun's attack.

With a swift motion, Dai Mubai summoned a protective barrier around himself, the White Tiger Shield Body Barrier shimmering with ethereal light as it formed a shield of energy.

As another Phoenix Fire Bomb collided with Dai Mubai's White Tiger Shield Body Barrier, a series of explosions erupted, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The barrier held on, with a crack after absorbing the impact of the attack.

"How can a tiger only keep defending? Brother Jun said that the tiger who only defends and not attacks is a useless tiger, bringing shame to the title of King of Killing!" Ma Hongjun taunted as he unleashed another volley of Phoenix Fire Bombs, each orb exploding upon impact.

As the cracks spiderwebbed across Dai Mubai's White Tiger Shield Body Barrier, the protective barrier began to falter under the relentless assault of Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Bombs. Despite his efforts to maintain it, Dai Mubai found himself overwhelmed by the sheer force of the explosions. With a final resounding boom, the barrier shattered into fragments, dissipating into the air as Dai Mubai was left exposed to Ma Hongjun's attacks.

With a fierce roar, he retaliated with his White Tiger Intense Light Wave, as the White Tiger Intense Light Wave surged forward with deadly precision, Ma Hongjun found himself unable to evade the attack completely.

Despite his own attack landing, Ma Hongjun could only brace himself for the impact, his flames flickering wildly as he prepared to endure the full force of Dai Mubai's counterattack.

As the battle raged on, sweat dripped down their brow as, their soul power drained with each passing moment.

Despite their exhaustion and the toll the battle had taken on their bodies, neither Ma Hongjun nor Dai Mubai showed any signs of backing down. The air crackled with tension as they continued to clash, their movements swift and precise despite their weariness. Sweat glistened on their skin, mingling with the dirt and blood. Every strike landed with resounding force, each impact echoing through the battlefield as they fought.

Despite the pain and fatigue that threatened to overwhelm them, neither Ma Hongjun nor Dai Mubai faltered, their spirits unyielding as they pressed forward with unwavering determination.

Indeed, for Ma Hongjun, flying high above and bombarding Dai Mubai with his Phoenix Fire Bombs would have been the easy way out, but…where's the fun in that?! This isn't a life-or-death battle, and it's extremely difficult to find a worthy opponent. Besides, he didn't have time to fly to Tang San to fight. As for fighting Sheng Jun? He wasn't that stupid. Now that he has found Dai Mubai, there is no way he will let this opportunity pass.

With a roar, Dai Mubai unleashed a powerful punch and with a defiant roar, Ma Hongjun met Dai Mubai's punch head-on, blocking the strike with all his might. However the force of the blow sent Ma Hongjun crashing to the ground, the impact rattling his bones. But before that, he counterattacked with a swift kick aimed at Dai Mubai's face. The blow landed with satisfying force, sending Dai Mubai crashing to the ground too.

Slowly standing up Dai Mubai approached, his footsteps heavy with the weight of their intense battle, Ma Hongjun lay on the ground, his breathing labored and his body battered from the exchange of blows. With blood trickling down his face, Dai Mubai gazed down at Ma Hongjun, a mixture of pride and respect evident in his expression.

"Looks like it's my win this time" Dai Mubai declared proudly, though his tone carried a hint of acknowledgement for Ma Hongjun's formidable strength. But despite emerging victorious, Dai Mubai felt a growing sense of self-doubt and loss.

Before Martial Soul Possession, Ma Hongjun's strength had been on par with his own. If his Martial Soul were not more inclined towards close combat than Ma Hongjun, he wouldn't have been able to gain the upper hand.

"Hahaha" Ma Hongjun erupted into laughter, his voice echoing with a mix of admiration "Dai Mubai you are really strong, you are worthy of becoming our new little brother!"

Dai Mubai couldn't help but be taken aback by the sudden shift in atmosphere. Before he could react, Ma Hongjun muttered softly "Phoenix Nirvana" In a burst of flames, Ma Hongjun invoked his Phoenix Nirvana, the fiery aura enveloping him in a blaze of light.

Dai Mubai watched in awe as Ma Hongjun's wounds began to heal before his eyes, the fiery aura surrounding him growing stronger with each passing moment.

At that moment Dai Mubai realized that despite their fierce battle, Ma Hongjun had never once used his first spirit skill.

With a newfound sense of strength, Ma Hongjun stood up as he charged forward once more, his fists ablaze with Phoenix Fire Bomb.

As Ma Hongjun charged forward, Dai Mubai braced himself for the impact. Despite his best efforts to counter the attacks, Dai Mubai found himself struggling to keep up with Ma Hongjun's overwhelming power.

In the end, Dai Mubai hurtled through the air, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

As he lay there, tears streamed down his face, consumed by a sense of defeat and despair.

"I'm really useless, huh" he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I can't even beat someone younger than me. I'm really not fated to ever beat that bastard in this life. Maybe... running away was the right decision..."

His words echoed in the stillness of the aftermath, carrying with them the weight of his disappointment and self-doubt.

"The bastard you're talking about is your brother, isn't it?" the figure who appeared beside Dai Mubai spoke.

Dai Mubai's gaze lifted to meet the figure standing beside him, his eyes widening in astonishment at the sight of the white-haired individual emanating a holy and regal aura. With a crown and halo adorning his head, the newcomer possessed an otherworldly presence that seemed to command respect and reverence. Dai Mubai then nodded silently, unable to mask the turmoil raging within him.

"Brother Jun? What are you doing here?" Ma Hongjun asked in confusion, indeed the figure was Sheng Jun, in his Martial Soul Possession state, trying to heal Dai Mubai with his passive aura. Despite his embarrassment at lacking traditional healing skills as Healing System spirit master, It wasn't his fault either. It's not like he could decide what kind of spirit skill he gets from a spirit ring, at least, not yet. Besides, he was supposed to get an attack-type skill as his second spirit ring anyway. Although the skill he got is a bit…vicious.

"Look around you, you muscle head, how can I not be here when you two caused such a ruckus?" Sheng Jun's said as he looked towards Ma Hongjun. Ma Hongjun scratched his head sheepishly, realizing the commotion they had caused. "Sorry about that" he mumbled apologetically.

"This is not the place to talk. Dai Mubai, can you walk?" Sheng Jun asked as he turned his attention to Dai Mubai who seemed be lost in thought, his eyes dull as he nodded.

With Sheng Jun leading the way, the trio made their way back to the camp.