The three Oslers were incredibly fast, forming an encirclement in an instant while simultaneously attacking Shi Mo, who was holding his shield.
Facing three directions, Shi Mo could only defend his front, leaving him unable to account for the other two.
However, Shi Mo had fought Osler countless times and knew exactly what his next stage of attack would look like.
Unsurprisingly, when the three Oslers attacked, the two doppelgangers would definitely rush to the front, followed by the original body launching a sudden raid in an attempt to deliver a fatal blow to Shi Mo.
Thus, Shi Mo only needed to wait for Osler's original body to reveal itself.
While the doppelgangers possessed thirty percent of Osler's attack power, Shi Mo could tank that level of damage using only his physical defense. He intended to wait for Osler to commit to an assault before launching a counterattack.
Indeed, Shi Mo planned to use this method of tanking damage to identify the real Osler and then initiate a counter-strike.
This was actually the most common tactic used by Defense Type soul masters. Given their staggering defensive capabilities, such a move was perfectly justifiable.
However, Gu Xuan, watching from the sidelines, felt a bit exasperated. To him, this seemed far too foolish, as it was practically turning oneself into a sitting duck.
Against an Agility Attack Type like Osler, it might work, but what if he faced a soul master like Gu Xuan, who could deliver a lethal strike? Wouldn't he be defeated instantly? Even if he managed to defend at the last second, wouldn't he still end up heavily injured?
Of course, Gu Xuan didn't have a doppelganger skill, so if Shi Mo faced him, his response would likely be different. Still, in Gu Xuan's eyes, Shi Mo could do much better because there was a lot of tactical potential in the Black Tortoise Flying Shield that he simply wasn't utilizing.
Sure enough, the next moment, the three Oslers struck simultaneously. Sharp claws slashed toward Shi Mo from three directions—chest, waist, and back.
Shi Mo remained still, staring intently at the three Oslers while sensing their soul power fluctuations.
When they were less than two meters away, the soul power around the Osler behind him surged violently, and the second yellow soul ring among his three rings lit up.
"Second Soul Skill, Black Leopard Slash!"
Sensing this powerful fluctuation, Shi Mo's second soul ring flashed again. He hurled the shield directly behind him while simultaneously retreating at high speed, attempting to dodge the two doppelgangers' attacks.
"Oh?" Seeing this, Gu Xuan was somewhat surprised. It seemed Shi Mo didn't just know how to stand still and defend.
The real Osler's claws erupted with a cold light, releasing a one-meter-long slash that significantly boosted his attack power.
However, the shield thrown by Shi Mo arrived instantly, proactively blocking the second soul skill. Although the shield was knocked back by the slash, Shi Mo used his control over the Black Tortoise Flying Shield to direct the rebounding shield back toward Osler.
Meanwhile, Shi Mo had already dodged the pincer attack of the doppelgangers, but the original Osler and the two clones immediately lunged at him again, claws aimed at his vitals.
Startled, Shi Mo quickly manipulated the flying shield to return. As the shield flew back, his purple third soul ring ignited.
"Third Soul Skill, Turtle Shell Burst!"
With the release of the third skill, the returning flying shield exploded. The massive impact and the shield fragments instantly destroyed Osler's two clones. Dozens of fragments remained under Shi Mo's control, swarming toward Osler.
Osler had been less than a meter away from Shi Mo, but the sudden storm of fragments engulfed him. Shi Mo then surged his soul power to control the pieces; dozens of fragments formed a spherical cage, linked by soul power as if creating a magnetic field that directly pinned Osler in place.
With Osler restrained, Shi Mo charged forward. The one-meter gap was closed instantly, and a massive fist slammed into Osler's abdomen, sending him flying off the Soul Battle stage.
"Shi Mo wins," Qin Ming announced the result calmly.
"Osler, you've shown some progress this time, but it's not enough. Even though Shi Mo is a Defense Type, you still haven't fully utilized your speed as an Agility Attack Type," Qin Ming began his critique.
After speaking to Osler, Qin Ming turned to Shi Mo and said softly, "Shi Mo, you performed well today. Striking immediately after the soul power field of Turtle Shell Burst restrained Osler was a better execution than last time."
After finishing his review of the two, Qin Ming looked at the others. "Next match, Gu Xuan versus Shi Mo."
Shi Mo and Osler stepped down to rest and recover their soul power, while Gu Xuan and Shi Mo took the stage.
Actually, Gu Xuan had been eager to step up for a while, as he could hardly contain his urge to offer some guidance. It wasn't that Qin Ming's teaching was bad; on the contrary, compared to other teachers who followed rigid, conventional methods, Qin Ming's approach was quite good.
However, people in the Douluo Continent seemed to have hit a ceiling. Even someone like Qin Ming, hailed as a genius in the original story, hadn't researched self-created soul skills. His training was merely tailored to each soul master's traits without making any groundbreaking changes.
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as it could enhance a student's specialty, but that was for ordinary students.
People like Yu Tianheng, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo were far from ordinary; they were well above average. While conventional training was effective, it couldn't fully tap into their maximum potential.
Gu Xuan wanted to develop them properly, but the prerequisite for doing so was having the strength and capability to command everyone's respect.
He had already demonstrated his strength, but his "capability" still needed time for them to see.
He had made a preliminary impression during his admission yesterday, winning their trust, but that wasn't enough. Gu Xuan wanted absolute authority.
Gu Xuan flipped onto the Soul Battle stage with a cool, handsome motion. It wasn't that he was intentionally showing off; it was simply faster.
Shi Mo stood twenty meters away, facing him with eyes burning with battle intent.
He had been excited watching the battle between Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng yesterday. Although he knew he might not be a match for Gu Xuan—after all, even Yu Tianheng had lost—he still wanted to test the gap between them.
"Shi Mo, Martial Soul: Black Tortoise, Rank 35 Defense Type Soul Elder. Please advise," Shi Mo spoke slowly. Just like his older brother, he underwent Black Tortoise possession, and three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—began to pulsate around him.
Shi Mo's already burly frame was encased in a thick layer of emerald-green tortoise shell, making him look even more formidable.
Gu Xuan, however, was long accustomed to the sight of beast soul masters undergoing possession and offered no comment.
Staring directly at Shi Mo, Gu Xuan lifted his right foot and took a slow step forward. A yellow soul ring rose accordingly. His left foot followed, and a second yellow ring ascended. By the time he took his third step, three rings—two yellow and one purple—were spiraling around him.
A faint, silver-white film of soul power shrouded his body. His large-knuckled hands transformed into a pair of bone claws flashing with a cold, sharp glint. The claws were massive and domineering, looking as if they could easily slice through metal or jade.
"Gu Xuan, Martial Soul: Bone Dragon, Rank 33 Power Attack Type Soul Elder. Please," Gu Xuan said, his voice resonant and magnetic.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has More Then 140+ Chapters on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.