When facing Evil Soul Masters, Xu Yang wasn't interested in idle chatter—nor did he have the luxury for it. Any distraction or shift in mindset during such a fight could mean his death.
Thus, Xu Yang went all in from the outset. As he charged forward, he raised his Sun Sacred Blade high, golden flames igniting along its length. He swung the blade toward the three, each strike releasing arcs of flame like cutting winds that slashed toward the trio.
At the same time, the seven sun spheres floating in the sky radiated intensely. His self-created soul skill, Sun Fireline, activated, sending seven thin beams of golden flame streaking through the air.
After consuming the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Xu Yang's spiritual power had risen to the Soul Douluo level. His mental control, once at the rudimentary level of the Five Aperture Dispersed Heart, had suddenly advanced to the Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart. He could now seamlessly split his focus seven ways, coordinating both long-range and close-range attacks with ease.
On the other side, the Evil Soul Masters proved their mettle—these were men who had danced on the knife's edge of life and death. They reacted instantly, their fourth soul rings glowing as they each cut into their palms. Crimson blood sprayed forth, condensing into massive blood scythes over three meters long.
They slashed out with these blood scythes, colliding with Xu Yang's flame arcs. At the same time, their wings unfurled and they took to the sky. Their second soul rings activated, conjuring blood-red shields around them to deflect the Sun Fireline's attacks.
Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle…
The intense golden flames vaporized blood, rapidly eating away at the shields. The gold flames spread from each crack, steadily expanding the damage. Burns began to appear on the three Evil Soul Masters' bodies, though they furiously wielded their blood scythes to parry the continuous rain of flame arcs and beams.
"What is this flame? Why can it even burn soul power?!"
The trio's expressions grew uglier as they frantically poured more soul power into repairing their shields and weapons. Instinct screamed at them: If they were hit directly by Xu Yang's attacks, death was certain—even the Soul King among them felt the threat.
This was the power of attribute suppression and the might of an ultimate attribute. Xu Yang's combination of Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Light, though not as overwhelmingly suppressive as Holy attributes, still stood as a bane to darkness and evil. Fire and light both inherently countered shadow and corruption, and Xu Yang's flame, born of both ultimates, burned not just with staggering heat, but with purifying power—a natural counter to the Fallen, whose very essence was steeped in filth and malevolence.
To the three Evil Soul Masters, Xu Yang's attacks were like a red-hot knife cutting through butter. They had no real means of stopping him, only the desperate choice to pour more and more soul power into their defenses.
"I won't let you escape. I've finally cleared my mind, and now I'll finish this and kill you all!"
Xu Yang's focus sharpened to a razor edge. With a thought, golden flames gathered behind him, forming a pair of radiant wings. He took flight, matching the three Evil Soul Masters in the air.
"What?! This brat can fly too?!"
The trio's disbelief was palpable. They had never encountered a soul master who combined long-range, melee, defense, and mobility into one seamless fighting style. He was a true all-rounder!
Xu Yang gave them no time to react. In a flash, he was upon them. His Sun Sacred Blade, wreathed in condensed golden flames, cleaved through the air in deadly arcs, each strike aimed at vital points.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Sun God Light!"
His fourth soul ring shone beneath him as the seven suns above moved in a precise pattern, radiating golden light. Countless rays coalesced into a torrential rain of light, shrouding the sky and bombarding the Evil Soul Masters from above.
Faced with this overwhelming and wide-ranging attack, the trio's only choice was to erect defensive barriers to hold out.
But this was exactly what Xu Yang had anticipated. From their previous exchanges, he realized the three had no real resistance to his attacks. They could only rely on burning massive amounts of soul power to maintain their defenses or attempt evasive maneuvers.
Thus, he used this area attack to force them into constant defense, rapidly draining their soul power. When they were exhausted and left with openings, he would strike decisively.
Against these three, Xu Yang wasn't afraid of a battle of attrition. The attribute suppression forced them to expend several times more soul power to resist his attacks, while the difference in soul ring quality was stark.
In the world of soul masters, the higher the age of a soul ring, the lower the consumption and the greater the power of the soul skill.
Xu Yang's soul ring configuration utterly outclassed theirs, granting him a decisive advantage in both power and endurance.
Thus, with the double advantage of attribute suppression and soul ring superiority, Xu Yang was fully confident he could wear down and eventually kill the trio.
"Old bones, this brat's fighting style is too cautious and reserved," said Dugu Bo from the carriage, lifting the curtain and frowning as he watched. "While his approach works, he's a genius—he shouldn't be fighting like some ordinary soul master. This overly methodical style is a bad sign."
"I see it too," Gu Rong replied, also frowning. "He's lived too comfortably these past few years in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. He's never truly fought for his life, so his combat style is too rigid, lacking the boldness to press the advantage. At critical moments, this could prove fatal."
"Right now, he can leapfrog ranks because of his powerful martial spirit and soul rings. But as his strength grows, the gap between him and his opponents' martial spirits and rings will narrow. Once he reaches the Super Douluo level, his advantage will disappear."
"If he still fights like this then, he'll be the one to lose."
"Looks like we'll need to arrange a new training regimen for Xu Yang when we return."
Xu Yang, unaware of Gu Rong and Dugu Bo's discussion, continued battling the three Evil Soul Masters in midair, wielding the Sun Sacred Blade with both hands.
But as the fight dragged on, Xu Yang's frown deepened. Things weren't going as smoothly as he had expected. The longer the battle went on, the more strained he felt. Despite the overwhelming attribute suppression, the three Evil Soul Masters, after adapting to his attacks, were not only effectively defending against the dispersed Sun God Light but were also managing to engage him in close combat.
Moreover, the bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes only grew fiercer, and their attacks became increasingly powerful.
"Where exactly did I go wrong?! Is it a difference in battle experience?!"