Chapter 20: A Surprising Move

As they watched the battle unfold in the arena, Xie Yue and Hu Liena couldn't help but wonder: would Yan choose to use his external spirit bone to turn the tide against such a difficult opponent?

At that moment, Lin Zhendong kept his gaze fixed on Yan, who was now fully prepared for battle. Yan had bested Xie Yue just the day before, proving his superior strength. Lin Zhendong was eager to see how Yan would handle this challenge.

When Yan saw that Feng Yizhi's martial soul was the Wind Sword, he immediately recognized the difficulty.

Neither his first soul skill, Hell Magma Surge, nor his third, Hellfire Inferno, or even his fourth, Blazing Slash, would likely inflict much damage on Feng Yizhi.

No matter how powerful a soul skill was, it was useless if it couldn't hit its target. And with Feng Yizhi's ability to fly using the Wind Sword, avoiding attacks would be all too easy.

Thus, Yan knew that his only options were his second soul skill, Granite Barrage, his self-created skill, Fiery Sand Prison, and possibly the power of his external spirit bone.

Learning from Xie Yue's mistake, Yan decided not to go on the offensive immediately. Instead, he opted to observe and conserve his energy, looking for a critical opening to deliver a decisive blow.

Feng Yizhi, however, seemed to read Yan's intentions. With a smirk and a hint of provocation, he remarked:

"Young man, I can tell from your aura that you're a formidable fire-type Soul Master. But seeing my martial soul, you should realize that your flames won't harm me easily. Let's see how long you can last under my attacks."

With that, Feng Yizhi launched his offensive. His Wind Sword sliced through the air with precision and power. A sharp burst of sword energy, glowing with a pale green light, surged toward Yan.

With a flash of movement, Yan evaded the strike, his agility and reflexes saving him from the lethal blow. The sword energy smashed into a nearby boulder, shattering it with a loud explosion.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena tensed as they watched, their hearts racing. Feng Yizhi, who had initially seemed gentle, now attacked with deadly precision and ruthlessness. That single strike could have ended the match if it had landed.

"Brother, have you noticed? Yan's speed has improved significantly," Hu Liena observed.

"Yes," Xie Yue replied. "I noticed it during our fight yesterday. That Skyfire Fox he encountered didn't just give him soul rings and an external spirit bone, it enhanced his speed as well."

As the siblings discussed, their focus remained glued to the battle.

The first strike having missed, Feng Yizhi didn't let up.

"Your speed is impressive," he admitted. "But it won't save you from my Sky-Net Blade Array."

The moment the words left his mouth, Feng Yizhi unleashed his second soul ring ability. In an instant, dozens of sword lights erupted, flying at Yan from all directions and forming a dense web of attacks.

Despite the sudden, overwhelming assault, Yan remained calm. His second soul ring lit up, and he quickly activated Granite Barrage.

Rocks from the surroundings seemed to heed his call, rising into the air and spinning rapidly around him. Some of the stones collided with the incoming sword lights, while others compressed together to form an impenetrable shield around him.

The clashing of wind swords and rock created a cacophony of sound, but Feng Yizhi's attacks couldn't penetrate Yan's solid defense.

Feng Yizhi frowned as he watched his skill fail. The other two Spirit Kings observing the match were equally surprised.

"Who would've thought this fire-type Soul Master also has such formidable earth-based skills?"

"Impressive," Feng Yizhi said with a smile. "But this is far from over."

His tone was light, his confidence unshaken. He was only getting started. The Sky-Net Blade Array was a crowd-control skill with limited single-target damage. Now, it was time for something more powerful.

Feng Yizhi's ten-thousand-year soul ring began to glow. His Wind Sword extended to five meters in length, and an even more potent burst of sword energy slashed out, aimed directly at Yan's stone barrier.

Boom!

The impact shattered the barrier into countless fragments. Yet, to everyone's surprise, those fragments didn't just scatter, they flew toward Feng Yizhi at high speed, forming a whirlwind of debris around him.

Before he could react, fiery energy surged into the spinning stones, creating a blazing Fiery Sand Prison that trapped him inside.

Yan had been using his stone barrier as bait, forcing Feng Yizhi to escalate his attacks and expend more energy. The moment the barrier broke, Yan countered with his self-created skill.

"Underestimating me was your mistake," Yan thought.

The scorching flames within the Fiery Sand Prison weren't ordinary. They carried the raw intensity of Yan's fire, capable of inflicting significant damage.

However, Feng Yizhi wasn't just any Soul Master, he was a Level 52 Spirit King.

Inside the fiery prison, green sword energy slashed outward repeatedly. After a few moments, with a deafening explosion, the Fiery Sand Prison disintegrated.

But Yan had anticipated this. As Feng Yizhi broke free, a column of molten lava shot up from beneath him, aimed squarely at his position.

Reacting in a flash, Feng Yizhi leaped onto his Wind Sword and soared into the sky, avoiding the molten attack.

Hovering in the air, he steadied himself and exhaled deeply.

"This young Soul Master... His combat skills are extraordinary," Feng Yizhi thought.

Though Yan was weaker in terms of raw power, his clever use of skills and precise timing left no energy wasted. Feng Yizhi had underestimated him and paid the price, evident in the burn marks on his arm.

Back on the ground, Yan stared calmly at his airborne opponent.

Seeing this, Xie Yue grew excited.

"Is Yan about to use his Flame Wings? If he does, he might win this!"

But Yan didn't do as Xie Yue imagined. Instead, he glanced at Lin Zhendong, then turned back to Feng Yizhi and said plainly:

"Senior, I concede this match."

The crowd froze in shock.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged bewildered glances.

"Did Yan just... give up?"

Lin Zhendong, however, smiled approvingly and gave a satisfied nod.