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As Yang Xiong had pointed out, it was rare for a soul master to have two augmentative soul skills in their first two slots. Such skills provided a significant advantage in spirit battles, especially for someone like Huyan Meng, who had reached level twenty-eight. However, in team combat, the lack of group attack or defense skills limited his explosive potential.
Huyan Meng's face darkened. "What do you know? That guy only won because he could fly. In every other aspect, he was inferior to me."
Yang Xiong nodded. "I see. I assume the guy simply wore you down until you lost. No wonder you were defeated."
Huyan Meng roared in anger. "Enough talk! Let's see how strong you really are!"
Yang Xiong shook his head. "Your weaknesses are too obvious. Even though you've tried to compensate, your massive size limits your agility. While I could exhaust you too, I'd rather test the full extent of your strength."
Huyan Meng suddenly laughed. "You're wasting time talking. Yes, using soul skills drains my soul power, but aside from its outstanding defense, the Diamond Mammoth also boasts the strongest recovery ability among all soul masters."
Yang Xiong looked closely and noticed that the five bloody wounds on Huyan Meng's shoulder had stopped bleeding and were even beginning to heal.
Yang Xiong smiled. "This is just a game. Have you forgotten that I haven't used any soul skills yet? My soul power and stamina consumption are far lower than yours. Besides, who says what you've seen so far is my full strength?"
Huyan Meng was taken aback, but before he could react, Yang Xiong charged at him like a ferocious tiger. Despite Huyan Meng's best efforts to resist, the gap in speed and agility between them was insurmountable.
After exchanging several punches, Yang Xiong suddenly deflected Huyan Meng's fist with his elbow and delivered a powerful blow directly to the wound on Huyan Meng's shoulder. Even with his defensive augmentation skill, the old wound began to tear open again.
Huyan Meng winced in pain and clenched his teeth, attempting to deliver a full-force punch to Yang Xiong's head.
But Yang Xiong's face twisted into an enigmatic smile. With lightning-fast reflexes, he grabbed Huyan Meng's right arm mid-swing but did not stop the attack. Instead, he shifted his stance, using Huyan Meng's own momentum to throw him over his shoulder.
Huyan Meng was slammed violently onto the ground, creating a deafening crash that shook the entire arena. His full-force attack seemed to rebound on himself, leaving him disoriented.
Before Huyan Meng could recover, Yang Xiong had already gripped his neck tightly, drawing blood. It was clear that with just a slight twist, Yang Xiong could snap his neck.
The referee finally reacted. "Congratulations to Supreme Overlord for winning this spirit battle!"
The crowd erupted once more. Reversals like this, where the apparent disparity in strength was overturned, were always thrilling to watch.
Yang Xiong merely shook his head and left the stage.
Originally, Yang Xiong had intended to use these spirit battles as a form of training, honing his combat awareness by facing different opponents. Unfortunately, the Soul Grandmasters in the Spirit Arena couldn't provide much pressure.
Take Huyan Meng, for example. Although his strength was impressive, he had some combat experience, and his body possessed a degree of agility, his massive frame ultimately restricted his movements. In terms of speed, flexibility, and even raw strength, the gap between them was vast. If Yang Xiong had purely aimed for victory, he could have ended the fight within a minute, possibly even killing his opponent.
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Over the next period, Yang Xiong fought multiple matches, but in each one, he barely needed to exert much effort to win.
He even encountered the opponent who had previously defeated Huyan Meng—a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster with the Flame Eagle spirit. This person could fly, was incredibly fast, possessed fire attributes, and had decent strength, making them nearly invincible among Soul Grandmasters.
However, Yang Xiong remained as immovable as a mountain, countering only when attacked. His counterattacks were faster than the opponent's assaults, and since even a Flame Eagle spirit required soul power to sustain flight, the battle gradually turned into Yang Xiong draining the opponent's soul power instead.
This was the longest match Yang Xiong had participated in, lasting nearly an hour. He had prolonged the fight to experience battling a flying-type soul master. Otherwise, he could have secured victory with his first counterattack.
After thirteen days of consecutive spirit battles, Yang Xiong achieved a perfect record of thirteen wins, earning him the Bronze Soul Fighter Badge.
However, Yang Xiong had no intention of continuing to participate in spirit battles. The pressure they provided was too minimal to truly enhance his combat experience.
Moreover, he had already obtained the information he sought in Tian Dou City. The next phase of his training awaited—one that would be far more intense, involving real bloodshed and life-threatening challenges.
Early one morning, Yang Xiong left Tian Dou City alone, heading toward Sunset Forest.
Sunset Forest was located just over a hundred kilometers from Tian Dou City. It was one of the most famous spirit beast forests on the Douluo Continent, home to a wide variety of spirit beasts, including many thousand-year-old ones. It was the perfect place for rigorous training and guaranteed to put immense pressure on him.
Yang Xiong understood clearly that without experiencing danger, bloodshed, and stress, a soul master's growth would always be limited.
As for safety concerns, Yang Xiong wasn't overly worried about encountering danger. For one, he was an inner disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and ordinary people wouldn't dare provoke him lightly.
Additionally, he possessed two life-saving soul skills. Even if he encountered relatively advanced soul masters, he could escape quickly.
Furthermore, soul masters were generally cautious about risking their lives. Unless there was a compelling reason, no one dared to provoke a disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, as it could bring catastrophic consequences to their family or sect. Such was the deterrent power of the Upper Three Sects, especially within the Tian Dou Empire.
After walking for nearly half a day, Yang Xiong arrived at Hunter's Town, located on the outskirts of Sunset Forest.
The town bustled with merchants selling supplies necessary for survival in the forest, as well as mercenaries who specialized in helping others hunt for spirit rings.
Yang Xiong had already prepared everything he needed, filling nearly all his storage devices. After years of studying books detailing survival rules in spirit beast forests, he was well-prepared.
A mercenary attempted to approach Yang Xiong, who was traveling alone, but was quickly silenced by a stern glare from a nearby older man.
Yang Xiong paid no attention and entered Sunset Forest by himself.
The would-be recruiter looked puzzled. "Boss, why didn't you let me talk to him? He might have given us a big job."
The middle-aged leader appeared unusually serious. "Do you want to die? Don't drag me down with you. Look at his attire—he's obviously from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. No wonder they produce such extraordinary talent. At such a young age, he dares to enter Sunset Forest."
The surrounding crowd shuddered with fear upon hearing this. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was an unassailable mountain in the world of soul masters.
Everyone knew why people ventured into Sunset Forest. The only questions remaining were the methods and timing of their approach.
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