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"Not bad at all—your strength isn't too far behind Bei Bei's from that day," Yuwen Tuo praised.
Bei Bei was at the peak of a Soul Elder, on the verge of ascending to a Soul Ancestor. In contrast, Dai Huabin had only recently entered the Soul Elder realm. Even though both were three-ring soul masters, the gap in their abilities was still quite significant.
For Dai Huabin to elevate his attributes to a level comparable to Bei Bei's with just one soul skill was already an impressive feat.
However, much to his misfortune, if Yuwen Tuo could counter Bei Bei's dragon claws back then, he could handle Dai Huabin's tiger claws today just as easily.
The position of his blade shifted again, returning to his right hand.
With swift strikes of his right hand, he forced Zhu Lu into a state of disarray.
Meanwhile, his left hand moved with precision, targeting key acupoints on Dai Huabin's palm. Yuwen Tuo relied on finesse rather than brute force to neutralize his opponent's attacks. Though there was a saying that "overwhelming power can subdue ten techniques," unfortunately for Dai Huabin, his strength was not superior to Yuwen Tuo's, let alone overwhelming enough to break through the latter's Xuan Yang Flame Fingers.
Each time Dai Huabin attacked, Yuwen Tuo countered by striking precise points on his body, causing sensations ranging from numbness to sharp pain. As a result, Dai Huabin's immense strength remained completely suppressed and unusable.
"Dividing focus between two targets while wielding both hands simultaneously!" Wu Feng exclaimed in astonishment. "Ning Tian, he actually knows something akin to our Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect's inherited technique of multitasking control!"
Yuwen Tuo alternated between intricate finger movements with his left hand and powerful blade techniques with his right. Each movement varied in style and force—a feat traditionally achievable only through the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect's multitasking control methods.
Ning Tian shook her head. "No, this isn't multitasking control. It comes from Xiao Xiao."
All eyes turned toward Xiao Xiao, who had begun playing another new melody.
The Fourth Movement of 'Six Spring Melodies': The Spring Equinox Tune!
The Spring Equinox marked the midpoint between two solar terms, perfectly dividing spring into halves. Another meaning of the term referred to the "equal division of day and night." On this day, the sun shone directly over the equator, creating equal lengths of day and night—exactly twelve hours each.
Thus, the effects of this tune differed greatly from those of Rain Water or Awakening of Insects.
It didn't enhance any attributes of its beneficiaries but instead cleared the mind, allowing one to divide focus between multiple tasks.
Of the twenty-four melodies of the Celestial Sound Sect, every single one held unique and profound utility.
"Damn it! I can't get close to Zhu Lu at all. Without proximity, we can't use our Spirit Fusion Skill!" Dai Huabin said anxiously.
On his side, however, he hadn't shown any signs of defeat yet, as Yuwen Tuo's primary target was Zhu Lu.
Whenever Zhu Lu retreated, Yuwen Tuo advanced. Whenever she faltered, he struck.
If Dai Huabin chose not to intervene, Yuwen Tuo ignored him entirely. But whenever he attempted to assist Zhu Lu, Yuwen Tuo would block him with Xuan Yang Flame Fingers, effortlessly neutralizing his attacks and preventing the two from getting close enough to initiate their Spirit Fusion Skill.
"No wonder he didn't need my help yesterday," Huo Yuhao remarked smugly. "Hmph, poor Dai Huabin is about to suffer a humiliating loss. Losing isn't the worst part—it's being utterly dominated by a two-ring Great Soul Master without even getting a chance to unleash his Spirit Fusion Skill. Such disgrace will leave his pride trampled underfoot."
Dai Huabin had always been a proud individual. One could imagine how losing face so completely against Yuwen Tuo would infuriate someone like him. Given his petty nature, he wouldn't merely abandon attempts to recruit Yuwen Tuo—he'd likely list him as an enemy instead.
This development pleased Huo Yuhao immensely. He no longer needed to worry about clashing with Yuwen Tuo himself.
Indeed, reality unfolded exactly as predicted. Dai Huabin grew increasingly desperate. Losing wasn't可怕 (kěpà)—terrible—but enduring such a humiliating defeat was unbearable.
For the combined forces of the Dai and Zhu families to be rendered incapable of using their Spirit Fusion Skill by a mere Great Soul Master was a disgrace. If news of this reached the Duke's residence, where would Dai Huabin find the face to stand tall? Worse still, it might jeopardize his future inheritance of the White Tiger Duke title.
"Yuwen Tuo, how about a deal?" Dai Huabin proposed while fighting. Moving closer to Yuwen Tuo, he used a secret sound transmission technique to whisper, "Sell me an opening so I can activate our Spirit Fusion Skill. Let us win this match, and I'll transfer the championship rewards to you afterward. Plus, I'll reward you handsomely—with something far more valuable than the championship prize."
Secret sound transmission wasn't considered advanced cultivation; most influential figures within major factions learned this art early on to ensure privacy when discussing sensitive matters.
Yuwen Tuo sneered in response. "Sell my victory? Do you think I, Yuwen Tuo, would stoop to such shamelessness?"
His attacks intensified further. With pinpoint accuracy, Yuwen Tuo struck the center of Dai Huabin's tiger palm, channeling searing flames into his arm. The heat scorched his flesh, leaving it blazing red.
"You're nothing but a commoner, Yuwen Tuo! What do you gain by offending the White Tiger Dai family and the Spirit Cat Zhu family?" Dai Huabin fumed. He had wasted his efforts trying to secure a bright future for Yuwen Tuo yesterday, offering him a place in the Duke's residence. Yet here Yuwen Tuo stood, ungrateful and defiant.
Yuwen Tuo simply shrugged. He didn't want to offend anyone unnecessarily—but he certainly wasn't afraid to do so when necessary. This victory was tied to his promise with Ling Luo Chen. How could he possibly give it up for the sake of the Dai family?
"Ahh!!"
At this moment, cries of agony erupted from Zhu Lu. Against Yuwen Tuo's fiery blade dance, relying solely on her speed to evade was already a commendable effort. But prolonged defense inevitably led to mistakes.
Moreover, with Starfire Blaze Across the Sky empowering him, Yuwen Tuo's speed rivaled hers.
By now, Zhu Lu's body bore numerous cuts. Her tight black leather outfit was slashed open along her left arm, abdomen, and right thigh, revealing streaks of blood. Observant spectators could see flames flickering across her wounds—proof that Yuwen Tuo's fire energy had penetrated deep inside her body. Internally, her organs must have been burning intensely.
"This is hopeless. At this rate, we'll suffer a crushing defeat!" Dai Huabin's eyes burned with determination. He knew further entanglement was futile.
Since he couldn't defeat Yuwen Tuo immediately, he decided to target someone else.
His gaze shifted to Xiao Xiao, who continued to play her flute. Compared to the relatively useless Lian Yue, this girl was Yuwen Tuo's true support.
Only under the influence of Xiao Xiao's melodies did Yuwen Tuo's fiery blade dance reach its peak potential.
"I'll take you out first. Without you, let's see how he continues to dance," Dai Huabin snarled. His second soul ring lit up as he declared, "Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Roaring Lightwave!"
A milky-white sphere of energy erupted from Dai Huabin's mouth—a long-range attack.
"Hmph, foolish!" Huo Yuhao sneered coldly. He hadn't expected Dai Huabin to make such a reckless mistake during the finals.
Perhaps Dai Huabin had a sliver of hope earlier, but now he had squandered it himself.
Master Xuan sighed and shook his head. "Dai Huabin is finished!"
The idea of taking out Xiao Xiao seemed reasonable at first glance, but it carried a critical flaw.
Xiao Xiao possessed dual martial souls, allowing her to switch seamlessly to her defensive Three Lives Soul-Sealing Cauldron. Defeating her wouldn't be easy—it would take several minutes just to gain the upper hand. But how long would it take Yuwen Tuo to finish off Zhu Lu? Three seconds? Perhaps less?
With Dai Huabin assisting earlier, the duo could have pressured Yuwen Tuo together, allowing Zhu Lu to dodge using her speed. Now, left alone, was she supposed to fight Yuwen Tuo solo? She doubted she could last two seconds!
Furthermore, since Dai Huabin wasn't focusing on Yuwen Tuo anymore, why should Xiao Xiao continue playing the Spring Equinox Tune?
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