Chapter 54: Defeating the Bear-Panther Combo

Facing the Bear-Panther Combo, Yang Xiong's speed was extraordinary—faster even than Wang Bao, whose martial soul was the Black Panther.

When Wang Bao attempted to join Li Meng in attacking Ning Rongrong, Yang Xiong smirked. "Both of you going after our auxiliary? Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourselves?"

In an instant, Yang Xiong reached his peak speed, delivering a powerful claw strike to Wang Bao's shoulder. Five deep gashes appeared on Wang Bao's shoulder, and his speed noticeably slowed.

On the other hand, while Ning Rongrong was relatively nimble, Li Meng was still a battle-type soul master and quickly closed in on her.

Yang Xiong had been multitasking all along, keeping an eye on both Li Meng and Ning Rongrong. Following Wang Bao toward Ning Rongrong, he suddenly abandoned the injured Wang Bao and swiftly positioned himself in front of Ning Rongrong.

Yang Xiong exchanged blows with Li Meng. This time, Yang Xiong only retreated a single step, while Li Meng didn't budge at all—after all, Yang Xiong had rushed over in haste.

Li Meng roared, "Boy, you underestimate us too much! Do you really think you can defeat us without using your auxiliary?"

The first soul ring on Li Meng's body flashed, and the Earth Demon Bear let out a thunderous roar. A massive bear paw slammed down, brimming with overwhelming force—this was the first soul skill of the Earth Demon Bear: Demon Bear Blast.

Meanwhile, Wang Bao also moved rapidly. His first soul ring lit up, and his shadowy figure accelerated several times over. His panther claws gleamed with sharpness, seemingly capable of slicing through the air—this was his first soul skill: Panther Shadow Assault.

Notably, both of their attacks were aimed not at Yang Xiong but at Ning Rongrong behind him.

Ning Rongrong, who had never encountered such a situation before, froze in shock.

Yang Xiong grabbed Ning Rongrong's hand and shoved her forcefully, sending her flying six or seven meters away, beyond the range of the opponents' soul skills. However, Yang Xiong now had to face both of their attacks alone.

As the two soul skills bore down on him, they radiated immense power.

But Yang Xiong smiled faintly. He clenched his right fist and extended his left hand like a claw, both glowing with silvery soul power. With his silver-hued hands, he directly met their attacks head-on.

The surrounding crowd gasped in astonishment. Yang Xiong was attempting to block soul skills with his bare hands! Though Li Meng and Wang Bao's soul power was average, their soul skills were both century-level techniques.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Li Meng and Wang Bao were no ordinary civilians—they likely came from influential backgrounds. At just twenty-five years old, they each possessed two century-level soul rings, something unheard of among commoners.

Moreover, their combat experience was impressive, though their innate talent was somewhat lacking.

But Yang Xiong showed no fear. Moving at incredible speed, he charged forward to meet their attacks.

The collision was explosive. Yang Xiong was pushed back six or seven meters, but astonishingly, Li Meng and Wang Bao were also forced back a full meter. Clearly, Yang Xiong's combat prowess was far more terrifying than they had imagined.

The clash between his silvery fist and the massive bear paw was a pure contest of strength, while the meeting of his claw-like hand and the panther claws seemed imbued with tearing force, even suppressing the panther's attack.

Dai Mubai and Tang San on the spectator stands were even more astonished. As battle-type soul masters themselves, they rarely saw someone wield two different techniques with each hand. Tang San, a control-type soul master, doubted that even his Blue Silver Grass could achieve such precision.

Especially considering Yang Xiong's physical resilience—withstanding two century-level soul skills unscathed—his body was indeed terrifyingly strong.

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On the arena, despite being pushed back, Yang Xiong suddenly flipped like a sparrowhawk, darting forward with even greater speed than before. This time, he directly targeted Wang Bao, who posed the greater threat.

As for Li Meng, though the Earth Demon Bear's attacks were formidable, its speed was relatively sluggish. By now, Ning Rongrong had regained her composure and was sprinting across the arena, dodging Li Meng's pursuit as best she could.

Yang Xiong appeared extremely busy on the arena, almost flustered as he alternated between pursuing Wang Bao and rushing to aid Ning Rongrong. The battle remained intense.

Li Meng and Wang Bao's coordination was impeccable, clearly seasoned in ambushing opponents.

At this moment, after another collision with Li Meng, Yang Xiong's speed inexplicably increased further—it seemed he intended to finish off Wang Bao in one decisive move.

Seeing Yang Xiong's increased speed, Wang Bao realized he couldn't abandon him to chase Ning Rongrong. Instead, he unleashed his second soul skill, splitting into two shadowy figures that attacked Yang Xiong with even greater speed and ferocity. The two figures, one real and one illusory, struck with explosive force—this was his second soul skill: Panther Shadow Clone Strike.

Yang Xiong smiled faintly. Both his hands shimmered like silvery claws, each moving in a distinct manner to intercept the two panther shadows.

After several rapid exchanges, Yang Xiong suddenly tightened his grip during a collision. An overwhelming force erupted from his claws, seizing both panther figures by their claws.

With a mighty exertion of force, one figure vanished entirely, while the other—the real Wang Bao—was sent reeling from the impact. Bones could be heard cracking.

Before Wang Bao could react, Yang Xiong's claw transformed into a fist, delivering a devastating blow to his chest. Wang Bao collapsed on the arena floor, foaming at the mouth, clearly gravely injured.

Seeing his companion incapacitated, Li Meng abandoned Ning Rongrong and rushed to assist, unleashing his second soul skill. His body grew even bulkier, clearly augmented by a power-enhancing soul skill: Demon Bear Strength.

As Yang Xiong finished off Wang Bao, Li Meng launched a full-force attack, the air around him exploding with energy. This strike was incredibly powerful, aimed directly at Yang Xiong's head.

But Yang Xiong reacted with lightning speed. Twisting his body, his hands formed an unusual shape, gently deflecting Li Meng's attack. His palms moved slowly yet steadily, subtly retreating while dissipating the force of the blow.

Li Meng felt as if his full-strength attack had landed on cotton, all his power seemingly neutralized.

Though Yang Xiong's movements appeared slow, his hands wrapped around Li Meng's attacking arm like soft threads. Li Meng felt as if his right arm were caught in a vortex, losing control of his body.

Before he could react, Yang Xiong's slow-moving palms suddenly accelerated, pushing Li Meng's arm aside and delivering a fierce strike to his chest. Even with his sturdy build, Li Meng was sent flying off his feet.

This was the essence of Tai Chi Push Hands—a technique that deflected an opponent's fierce attacks with gentle movements, blending softness and hardness. After neutralizing the enemy's assault, it delivered a sudden, overwhelming counterattack.

Now only Li Meng remained. Yang Xiong's attacks became overwhelmingly swift. Despite Li Meng's formidable offense and defense, he had already expended two soul skills. Even with his power boost, he was completely outmatched by Yang Xiong in every aspect. Within less than a minute, Yang Xiong knocked him off the arena.

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