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At this moment, Xiao Zhan had reached his absolute limit.
Ever since the Seventh Elder stacked his momentum to the seventy-fifth strike of the Great Sumeru Hammer, Xiao Zhan had been pinned down under crushing pressure. With every clash of hammers, Xiao Zhan was forced to endure immense physical trauma.
Yet, he persevered. The layer of emerald-green flames coating his body was more than just a lethal offensive tool; it possessed potent healing properties, mending his wounds as they occurred and bolstering his endurance.
Finally, the Seventh Elder reached the pinnacle of his technique: the eighty-first strike.
"Hahaha! Today, I shall show every Spirit Master under heaven that the world's number one tool martial soul is my Fire Demon Book!" Xiao Zhan laughed, his voice laced with wild arrogance.
"You've finished stacking your eighty-one strikes... so it's time I unleashed my ultimate move as well."
"This self-created soul skill is the fruition of my last two years of cultivation. It is the absolute peak of my power."
"This move is called—the *Buddha Angry Fire Lotus*!"
In Xiao Zhan's hands, two distinct clusters of dual-colored flames flickered into existence. Like primordial fire seeds, they began frantically devouring the surrounding essence of heaven and earth.
Because of the sheer volume of energy being siphoned, even with his unique fire-seed properties, Xiao Zhan could not fully refine the influx of power in such a short window. The two clusters of flames became volatile and explosive.
The protective flames surrounding Xiao Zhan's body began to drain away, funneling into the palms of his hands. He forced the two opposing fires together, compressing them into a rapidly spinning core.
The centers of the two flames swirled violently, maintaining a precarious, delicate equilibrium. For a moment, the two distinct fires remained clearly defined yet inextricably intertwined. Aside from that final sliver of balance, they had almost completely fused into a single entity: a crystalline fire lotus radiating brilliant hues of red and green.
As the Seventh Elder's massive Clear Sky Hammer descended, the sheer force caused the surrounding air to solidify. His ninth soul ring flashed brilliantly, boosting his physical power to an entirely new tier. The terrifying aura radiating from the hammer was enough to make one's soul tremble.
Xiao Zhan's eyes burned with unwavering confidence. With a sudden motion, he hurled the spinning, dual-colored fire lotus toward the incoming attack.
The moment he released the lotus, Xiao Zhan retreated at full speed.
*BOOM!*
Under the protection of his Fire Demon True Body, Xiao Zhan was immune to a portion of the resulting shockwave. He used his internal fire seeds to absorb and dampen the remaining impact of the disparate flames as much as possible. Then, using refined control techniques, he redirected the energy to suppress the explosion's backlash.
Even so, he was sent tumbling backward, his Fire Demon True Body riddled with cracks and damage.
As for the Seventh Elder, who had taken the brunt of the Buddha Angry Fire Lotus at point-blank range, he felt as though he were seeing the ghost of the old Sect Master. The eruption of the fire lotus inspired a primal, heart-stopping terror in everyone who witnessed it.
It was an explosion designed to annihilate everything in its path.
The eighty-first strike of the Clear Sky Hammer was undeniably powerful. In a direct head-on collision with the fire lotus, the two forces actually appeared to be at a stalemate.
However, the Seventh Elder was simply too close to the epicenter. Even though the Clear Sky Hammer shielded him from the majority of the blast, the residual, explosive flames still bypassed his defense, inflicting grievous wounds.
Bang!
The Seventh Elder was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing heavily into the ground. His body was covered in severe burns, with emerald and dark-red flames still clinging stubbornly to his flesh.
'Xue Qinghe's' pupils constricted violently. This was her first time witnessing Xiao Zhan's full explosive potential.
So strong!
Even with her innate Level 20 Spirit Power, she felt a massive weight of pressure. She couldn't say for certain if she could unleash such devastating power even if she were at Xiao Zhan's current rank.
One had to remember that while the Seventh Elder was "only" a Level 92 Titled Douluo, his martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer. Even if his soul ring configuration was somewhat unorthodox, his explosive output was undoubtedly among the highest of all power-attack Titled Douluos.
Furthermore, he had successfully stacked the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique to its eighty-first strike.
In the Spirit Master world, a Clear Sky Douluo of the same rank is considered top-tier even without the Disorder Splitting Wind bonus. In a real fight, an opponent would never give them the chance to stack strikes; usually, the chain would be broken after five or six hits.
The Seventh Elder's twin-hammer style made his attacks even more rapid. Normally, an expert of the same level would have shut him down before he reached ten strikes. Yet, Xiao Zhan had chosen to clash with him head-on, allowing the Elder to reach the full eighty-one strikes.
That final hammer strike was comparable to the peak, full-strength blow of a Level 95 Power-Attack Super Douluo!
When Su Wen had previously killed a Titled Douluo while being at a lower rank, it was because Tang Hao's state had been severely limited, only allowing him to exert the power of a Spirit Douluo. Of course, that was still a feat that stunned the world and shattered records.
Qian Renxue was utterly convinced of Su Wen's brilliance. But now, another name had been added to her list of admired Spirit Masters: Xiao Zhan.
At Level 89, he could actually produce such power. Though it was achieved with Ning Fengzhi's support, his foundational combat strength was nothing short of legendary.
Su Wen, however, did not find it staggering. In his eyes, Xiao Zhan's potential to fight above his rank hadn't even peaked yet. Once Xiao Zhan crossed his current bottleneck and obtained his dual Soul Cores, his power would skyrocket.
Even if the two Soul Cores only operated in a state of resonance, the boost to a Spirit Master would be terrifying. By then, with the addition of a ninth soul ring, Xiao Zhan would likely be able to exert the power of a Level 96 Super Douluo without needing Ning Fengzhi's help.
---
Beside 'Xue Qinghe,' Meng Shenji no longer hid himself. Looking at the battlefield where the peak confrontation had just occurred, his eyes were filled with profound shock.
Xiao Zhan was too strong! Far stronger than him, the head of the Education Board.
"What are you still looking at? Attack!" Tang Xiao roared.
The five Spirit Masters accompanying him finally snapped out of their daze. They hadn't even realized they had been standing there like spectators.
Meng Shenji frowned and sighed. "Sect Master Ning, I'm counting on you."
Fighting two opponents at once was difficult for him, but with Ning Fengzhi's buffs, he stood a chance of holding off the two opposing Spirit Douluos. As for Su Wen, he had already shown incredible strength during the Continental Spirit Master Tournament. Now that he had broken through to become a Spirit Emperor, he should be able to handle three Spirit Saints, right?
The situation seemed stable.
Tang Xiao's heart raced. He gathered his Spirit Power and let his voice boom across the landscape for miles.
"Gentlemen, are you still not going to show yourselves?"
He knew there were other Spirit Masters hiding in the shadows. Now that the scales were balanced, they couldn't afford to wait any longer!
As Tang Xiao's voice faded, another Spirit Douluo lunged from behind Su Wen and his group, striking directly at Su Wen with lethal intent.
Meng Shenji's expression shifted. His seventh soul ring flashed as he activated his Avatar. His martial soul was the "Black Demon," a rare mental-attribute soul, and his skills focused on psychic control.
"Hahaha! Meng Shenji, your martial soul can't hold me!" the attacking Spirit Douluo laughed wildly. His face was deathly pale, suggesting he had used some forbidden method to forcibly resist the mental shock and confusion caused by Meng Shenji's skills.
"Today, Su Wen must die!" Madness gleamed in the Spirit Douluo's eyes.
From all directions, three more Spirit Saints and over a dozen Spirit Emperors charged out. Su Wen's Academy had evidently threatened the interests of too many people, and their resentment was all boiling over at this single moment.
Meng Shenji's face darkened; the situation was far worse than they had initially projected.
'Xue Qinghe' also looked troubled, debating whether or not to reveal her hidden Enshrinement guards. However, she glanced over and noticed that while Ning Fengzhi looked serious, he was not panicking.
Su Wen turned slowly, watching the horde of Spirit Masters rushing toward him. His expression remained entirely calm.
Her heart skipped a beat. She sent a silent message to her hidden guards to stay put for now, deciding to observe how Su Wen would respond.
Space rippled. A figure flickered through the void, appearing instantly in front of Su Wen and throwing themselves into his embrace.
A brilliant, blinding light erupted from the two of them.
(End of Chapter)