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**
With a flash of light, a ring radiating a bright silver halo materialized around Ling Xiao.
The silver-white glow upon it gradually turned translucent. In the next instant, a rich radiance abruptly burst forth, and the ring transformed almost instantaneously into a cylinder of transparent energy currents, enveloping Ling Xiao entirely.
Though it appeared deceptively thin and easy to breach, the moment this energy cylinder formed, Ling Xiao felt an intense, crushing pressure descend upon his body. The surrounding space felt as though it were solidifying, heavily obstructing his movements.
It was as if his entire being was subjected to spatial suppression.
The control capability of Huyan Li's third soul skill was incredibly potent—it was practically the prototype of the spatial suppression wielded by Soul Saint experts.
Under the influence of this specialized power, even though it was merely a third soul skill, its immense controlling force would heavily impact even a Soul Ancestor-level Soul Master. Escaping or dodging was virtually impossible; one could only take it head-on.
Ling Xiao was already ensnared by the elephant trunks of Huyan Ba and the other five, his limbs dragged by their raw strength as he locked forces with them, suspended in mid-air.
Now, struck by the spatial suppression of Huyan Li's third soul skill, "Suppressive Slaughter," his body bore a relentless force plummeting vertically from above.
Unable to withstand it, he crashed violently to the ground with a resounding bang, smashing a massive crater into the plaza's stone slabs, sending fragments flying. The intense spatial pressure did not relent, continuing to pin Ling Xiao firmly against the earth.
Instantly, Ling Xiao was left lying flat on his back upon the plaza floor.
He endured the spatial pressure of Huyan Li's third soul skill from above, while his limbs remained bound and dragged by the elephant trunks of Huyan Ba and the others, forcing him to exert his strength to resist and struggle.
Through this seamless and exquisite cooperation among the seven members of the Elephant Armored Sect, Ling Xiao was temporarily rendered completely immobilized, seemingly pushed into a desperate corner.
As Huyan Li finished executing his third soul skill, bringing his lockdown on Ling Xiao to its absolute peak, he unleashed his final strike. Charging forward, he stomped heavily, his body leaping violently into the air.
A fierce blaze of soul power erupted around him like a soaring rocket, positioning him directly above Ling Xiao's body. Reaching the apex of his leap, he executed a Thousand-Pound Drop technique, causing his body to plummet sharply from the sky.
Accompanied by a thunderous elephant roar, the brown light on Huyan Li's Martial Soul body flared brilliantly, his explosive power surging further.
His pillar-like, massive legs, saturated with dense soul power, resembled a colossal boulder falling from the heavens as they stomped down toward Ling Xiao's chest and abdomen.
Watching Huyan Li descend from above while he had yet to break free from his restraints—making it difficult to counterattack—a rare look of helplessness flickered in Ling Xiao's eyes.
At this moment, there was only one thing left to do.
Just as Huyan Li's fatal strike was about to connect, a violent surge of soul power suddenly erupted from the ground below.
A rich, golden light burst forth with Ling Xiao at the center, transforming in a split second into a massive golden light barrier that shielded him within.
At the very core of this golden defensive barrier, the phantom of a colossal tree manifested, shimmering with the color of gold and iron, serving as the pillar of this golden light barrier.
This was precisely Ling Xiao's third soul skill, Vajra Barrier.
At this moment, inside the barrier and around Ling Xiao's body, a purple thousand-year soul ring had been released, spinning continuously. The appearance of this scene thoroughly shocked the Huyan brothers.
They had been battling Ling Xiao for so long that because Ling Xiao had never utilized his soul rings—relying solely on his own strength to drive his Martial Soul—they had somehow overlooked the possibility of him executing a soul ring skill.
Furthermore, they never expected that Ling Xiao, whose combat style was so fierce, dominant, and tyrannical, would actually possess a defensive soul ring skill.
It was truly a staggering surprise.
High above on the viewing platform, Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes also flashed with surprise.
Just a moment ago, he had been secretly harboring a trace of worry for Ling Xiao, completely forgetting about this card up the boy's sleeve. With the defensive power of his third soul skill, blocking Huyan Li's attack wouldn't be a difficult feat.
Ling Xiao had originally intended to rely solely on driving his Martial Soul to face his opponents in this sparring match, without tapping into the power of his soul rings. At this moment, however, he had no choice but to use it.
Fortunately, the power within his third soul ring, inherited from the Shala Iron Tree, truly did not disappoint him. The defensive barrier, shimmering with golden light, exuded an aura that felt completely impervious to all elements.
Not only did it block Huyan Li's direct attack, but it even deflected the spatial pressure generated by the giant's third soul skill. Ling Xiao instantly felt the crushing weight lift from his body, though his hands and feet remained restrained.
Huyan Li's feet stomped ruthlessly onto the golden barrier. Under the impact of such ferocious physical force, the Vajra Barrier couldn't help but tremble slightly, instantly letting out a booming roar like a giant struck bell.
Violent soundwaves rippled outward in all directions, warping the very air and creating wave after wave of visible shockwaves. Yet, despite the terrifying spectacle, Huyan Li's attack failed to inflict even a shred of damage upon Ling Xiao.
"Dammit!"
Huyan Li cursed inwardly.
Despite all their painstaking efforts, they had fallen short at the very last moment.
Missing this window meant they likely wouldn't get another opportunity. After all, even though their seamless cooperation had successfully lured Ling Xiao into their trap, their raw strength could only contain him for so long.
Dragging the fight out to this point meant Ling Xiao was already on the verge of breaking free. Just as this thought crossed Huyan Li's mind, the golden barrier beneath his feet suddenly began to dissipate rapidly.
In the next instant, he felt a violent surge of energy erupt beneath him, its momentum as furious and torrential as a volcanic eruption. Sensing the sudden change, he didn't dare linger and rapidly leaped backward through the air.
Sure enough, just as Huyan Li retreated, a thunderous roar echoed out, and an incredibly dense, black-red Astral Qi shot up into the sky from the ground, exploding outward. The incredibly fierce Astral Qi instantly scattered the frigid mist and frost blanketing the floor.
Around him, Huyan Ba and the other five looked as though they had been stung; they hastily retracted their elephant trunks and staggered back several paces.
A figure violently charged out from the center of the torrential Astral Qi—it was Ling Xiao.
However, compared to before, he looked slightly disheveled.
The white shirt on his upper body was riddled with tears and hung in tatters. Through the gaps in his clothes, one could even see a few newly formed lacerations beginning to ooze blood, though the exact cause remained unclear.
Having just forced his way out of the restraints by detonating his energy through the Heavenly Astral Qi Method at the cost of self-inflicted shockwaves, Ling Xiao was now like a tiger unleashed from its cage.
His gaze was as sharp as an arrow.
While still suspended in mid-air, his eyes locked dead onto Huyan Li on the ground. Raising the Profound Sky Axe high with both arms, he poured a massive surge of soul power into it, causing the edge of the axe blade to instantly brim with an incredibly sharp, formidable aura.
By now, the icy seals binding Ling Xiao's right arm and the Profound Sky Axe had been utterly shattered. Driven by his full might, the soul power on the Profound Sky Axe flowed relentlessly, and wisps of black mist actually began to curl out from the axe body, swirling around the blade.
It carried a terrifying, menacing aura—not the kind of bone-chilling cold that made one feel as if they had stepped into an ice cellar, but rather a dominant, tyrannical, and brutal pressure that struck primal fear into the hearts of men.
**
Enjoying the story? Support the translation and get early access to future chapters here: www.patr eon.com/c/FanficTranslator
Thanks for reading!
I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday