Chapter 35: A Brutal Beating for Feng Xiaotian

"Air Blade: Six-in-One!"

Mo Hui whispered, and the first soul ring beneath his feet flared to life. As his Pidgeotto flapped its wings rapidly, six wind blades shot out, merging into a single, massive cyan wind blade over three meters long. It tore through the air with a piercing shriek, hurtling toward Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian, however, seemed frozen in place, staring blankly as the wind blade bore down on him. It was not until the blade was almost upon him that he snapped out of his trance. His first soul ring flashed, and a formation of ten semi-arc-shaped cyan blades materialized to intercept Mo Hui’s massive attack.

Yet, how could mere ordinary wind blades stand against Mo Hui's Six-in-One Air Blade? The ten blades only delayed it for a heartbeat before being pulverized, and the massive wind blade continued onward with hardly any loss in momentum.

Taking advantage of that fleeting moment, Feng Xiaotian activated his second and third soul skills almost simultaneously. He leaped into the air to evade the strike, then suddenly dove toward Mo Hui at high speed.

"Does he think he can't win at range, so he wants to fight up close?"

Seeing this, Mo Hui’s eyes glinted as he instantly discerned his opponent's intent. He did not retreat, nor did he ask Pidgeotto to intervene. Instead, he adopted a close-combat stance, ready to meet Feng Xiaotian head-on. He wanted to test his own melee skills and gauge the true worth of the Kamikaze Academy’s top prodigy.

Mo Hui’s expression tightened as his pale purple third soul ring lit up. A powerful gust of wind swept across the arena, coating Mo Hui in a faint white glow. Watching Feng Xiaotian dive toward him, Mo Hui thought to himself: "Feng Xiaotian, let me see what you’re really made of!"

In an instant, Feng Xiaotian was upon him. Sharp wolf claws extended from his fists, and he slashed at Mo Hui. Mo Hui sidestepped the strike, and fueled by the tailwind of his field, he concentrated a massive amount of soul power into his right leg and spun, kicking toward Feng Xiaotian.

Since Mo Hui had been able to develop self-created soul skills like "Tackle" and "Peck" back at Notting Academy, how could he not produce similar techniques after four years of study and absorbing the knowledge of the Kamikaze Academy? To the current Mo Hui, however, such techniques were no longer true self-created skills; they were merely crude applications of soul power.

On the other side, seeing the incoming kick, Feng Xiaotian moved to defend. But the moment he made contact, his expression shifted violently. He felt a colossal force surging from Mo Hui’s leg—the power of this blow was no less than that of a power-type soul master of his own level!

"Bang!"

With a thunderous crash, Feng Xiaotian was sent reeling, taking several steps back to dissipate the force.

"Such immense strength!"

After stabilizing himself, Feng Xiaotian looked at Mo Hui with a serious expression. He now regarded Mo Hui as an opponent of equal standing; his initial disdain, born from their eight-level disparity, had completely vanished. Yet, a question gnawed at him: how could his opponent possess such terrifying power?

Though filled with questions, Feng Xiaotian had no time to ponder, for Mo Hui was already on the offensive. Pushing off the ground, Mo Hui charged. He did not even use "Quick Attack," yet, boosted by the tailwind, his speed was not inferior to any agility-type soul master of his level.

Mo Hui became a blur of cyan, appearing before Feng Xiaotian in an instant. He concentrated his soul power into his fist and delivered a heavy blow.

As the battle intensified, Feng Xiaotian grew increasingly alarmed. Every punch and kick from his opponent posed a massive threat. He had to expend immense energy just to neutralize the overwhelming force behind Mo Hui’s attacks, leaving him on the defensive and steadily losing ground.

"Damn it! How does he move so fast while hitting so hard?" Feng Xiaotian roared inwardly. Logically, one usually had to choose between speed and power; it was rare to possess both. His own pride was tied to his mutated Gale Twin-Headed Wolf martial soul, which granted him the speed of an agility-type soul master while remaining a power-type.

Now, that pride was being shattered. The person before him, whose soul power was nine levels lower, was faster and stronger than he was.

"Bang!"

Another collision of limbs sent Feng Xiaotian skidding back over a dozen steps. As he stopped, he looked down at his hands, only to find them trembling from the impact of receiving a dozen such blows.

Mo Hui stopped his pursuit and looked calmly at Feng Xiaotian. "Is this the so-called top prodigy of the Kamikaze Academy? How disappointing."

"Ah! Don't get cocky! Let's see how you handle my Gale Demon Wolf Eighteen Consecutive Slashes!"

Seeing Mo Hui’s indifferent expression, Feng Xiaotian felt his pride trampled. Unable to bear it any longer, he unleashed his trump card: his newly improved Gale Demon Wolf Eighteen Consecutive Slashes!

As the phantom of the twin-headed wolf behind him merged into his body, he leaped into the air. His arms transformed into giant wings, and he descended upon Mo Hui along a unique trajectory designed to minimize air resistance and maximize energy accumulation.

"Cutting Wind Wheel."

Facing the onslaught, Mo Hui remained calm. He raised his hand, rapidly condensed a one-meter-wide cyan disc of light, and hurled it forward.

"What is that!?" Feng Xiaotian gasped, his heart skipping a beat. However, he had absolute faith in his Eighteen Slashes, so he refused to dodge, colliding head-on with the spinning blade.

*Shing!*

In an instant, Feng Xiaotian regretted his decision. The sharpness of the disc far exceeded his expectations; one of his wings was sliced through as if it were tofu, instantly terminating the momentum of his Eighteen Slashes.

But he still had his other wing! Feng Xiaotian’s eyes lit up. Although the momentum was broken, the initial power of the Eighteen Slashes was still formidable. If he could land a direct hit, he could end this fight!

But would things go as he planned? Of course not. Mo Hui flicked his wrist, and the cyan disc behind Feng Xiaotian banked sharply, slicing toward the remaining wing.