SoulLand:Ascending to Godhood through Science

"Could it be that it's not that I'm too strong, but that you're too weak?"

You Chen voiced his honest thought.

Truth be told, upon hearing Bai Hu's information, he had been briefly excited.

With a level precisely ten above his own, marking a significant rank as a Soul Emperor, Bai Hu's martial spirit quality couldn't be too shabby, and being of the same agility-based system, perhaps You Chen might finally encounter a worthy match?

However... reality was a huge letdown.

With You Chen's keen insight and level of understanding, the brief exchange was enough to gather ample information.

'Honghu (Swan), by my grading standards, would score around 14 or 15, a decent high-level beast martial spirit leaning towards agility.'

Such a martial spirit couldn't be deemed worthless.

Even if Bai Hu's spirit ring configuration was suboptimal, his stats, as You Chen presented them, were slightly higher.

Yet, as a soul master, Bai Hu was far from adequate.

Maybe due to his age? His vitality had diminished, control over spirit power declined, and most crucially, his fighting spirit was exceedingly weak.

This resulted in his actual combat power being at the very bottom among Soul Emperors, despite having stats that were middling to lower-middle.

Just slightly falling behind, Bai Hu's will to fight plummeted, and his decision-making and reaction times in battle noticeably deteriorated.

This allowed You Chen to seize an opportunity as Bai Hu's intent to retreat and create distance became apparent, landing a critical blow that made Bai Hu cough up blood.

Scratches, light injuries, gradually escalating to significant damage...

Bai Hu was thoroughly on the back foot.

"Silence!"

As if his sore spot had been struck, Bai Hu's face contorted with rage for the first time.

You Chen's words were undeniably truthful, but precisely because Bai Hu himself acknowledged them, he was incensed.

This was shame turned to anger.

A pragmatic battle soul master, even if his combat prowess waned with age, was being bested by a theoretical indoor scholar!?

Especially recalling the harsh words he had spoken to You Chen before the fight... his old face was thoroughly disgraced.

Bai Hu's spirit power surged as he reclaimed the energy maintaining Hu Liena's cocoon of light, and his sixth spirit ring flared to life!

You Chen's eyes narrowed; any ten-thousand-year spirit skill was not to be underestimated.

Even if Bai Hu's combat prowess was lacking, should he have a game-changing ten-thousand-year spirit skill, a small mistake could lead to unexpected defeat.

Bai Hu had already demonstrated his first four spirit skills in the previous battle: the first skill enhanced claw attacks, the second launched feathered energy blades from a distance, the third boosted strength and speed, and the fourth was the feather cocoon.

Bai Hu's spirit skills were quite disjointed, lacking synergy, a hallmark of a commoner soul master who had likely advanced based on talent alone.

Whoosh!

As You Chen speculated about Bai Hu's sixth spirit skill, the sound of an explosive gust resounded.

Bai Hu, with astonishing speed, appeared before You Chen in the blink of an eye.

Though moments ago he instinctively sought distance out of fear, he now attacked You Chen to mask his inner terror.

'An attack that emphasizes speed as strength, possibly a single-target strike?'

As Bai Hu's strike neared, You Chen, having prepared, activated his third spirit ring.

Third Spirit Skill, Stormy Turbulence!

Though typically a group attack skill with control and binding effects, You Chen used himself as the eye of the storm, deploying it as a defensive barrier.

The raging air currents successfully disrupted Bai Hu's spirit skill release.

Yet, due to the difference in spirit ring age and spirit power level, and the inherent strength disparity between single-target and group attack skills, You Chen's perfectly timed execution couldn't equate to Bai Hu's skill.

However, as the chaotic tempest slightly weakened Bai Hu's strike and obscured his vision, You Chen's fourth spirit ring subtly lit up.

Fourth Spirit Skill, Starlight Incarnation!

Starlight Incarnation deceived Bai Hu, allowing him to strike the incarnation instead of You Chen's true form.

BOOM!

Starlight Incarnation, besides its high controllability, was characterized by its self-destruct feature.

The moment Bai Hu struck the incarnation was akin to pressing a detonation button, triggering a violent explosion in the wilderness!

However, before the dust settled, a silver arc pierced through the smoke, charging straight at You Chen!

'Not a single strike, but a double strike!?'

Realizing this, You Chen also heard Bai Hu's deranged, scorched shout: "Sixth Spirit Skill, Swallow Return!!!"

Given its name, Swallow Return, a double strike was not surprising.

With heightened reflexes, You Chen noticed Bai Hu's arms, seemingly transformed into blades, were the main components of the silver light.

The first strike of Swallow Return was more flexible and controllable, while the second was faster, creating an illusion of inescapability due to speed exceeding normal human reaction.

As Bai Hu charged, You Chen's eyes remained calm. He slightly hunched forward, activating both his second and fifth spirit rings simultaneously!

Second Spirit Skill, Amplification Skill, Gale Force!

Fifth Spirit Skill—

"Dragon's Roar of the Wind!"

In an instant, energy surged, with fine blades of air condensing and compressing at You Chen's mouth before launching forward.

This almost invisible air column-like attack, though lacking the visual impact of something like "Excalibur's golden beam," was equally potent!

Not only matching any comparably-aged high-destructive spirit skill in power, its greatest strength lay in its speed!

Bai Hu's second strike of Swallow Return was beyond typical soul masters' visual capture, yet You Chen managed to charge and fire during Bai Hu's advance!

Boom!!!

Bai Hu's eyes widened, desperately trying to slice the air column of fine wind blades with his bladed arms, but he barely advanced a meter or two before being utterly consumed by the "Dragon's Roar of the Wind."

"Phew—."

You Chen exhaled softly, faint wisps of smoke emanating from his maw.

While the Dragon's Roar of the Wind was powerful and nearly instantaneous in release, it required a "cooldown" period compared to most repeatable spirit skills.

Until You Chen's throat, mouth, and the energy-storing organ in his martial spirit recovered, he couldn't freely use this skill.

"Do you understand now that you're not my match? Do you still wish to continue fighting?"

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