Chapter 26: Severe Injury

Tie Li switched the Forging Hammer to his left hand, and Lightning Armor quickly covered his trembling left arm.

With Lightning Armor's aid, the condition of his left arm improved considerably.

Boom—

Tie Li felt a subtle tremor coming from the ground, his pupils constricted, and he was shocked by the scene before him.

Such a massive body could actually leap in a single bound, then immediately press down on Tie Li like a small mountain.

He powered his right leg and hurriedly propelled his body several meters away.

Boom—rumble— The huge sound made even the ground shudder.

Tie Li's face turned ashen; the opponent not only blocked his full-force strike, but even the counterattack seemed so ferocious.

The Second Soul Technique, empowered by the First Soul Technique, still couldn't break through the opponent's defense.

Hu Yanhao imitated the crushing soul technique's attack style; the effect was naturally far inferior, and the massive impact left him briefly dazed.

Tie Li spotted this weakness and naturally would not let the chance slip.

He could block his own power, but could he block the power of the fused soul bone in the right leg?

The soul bone strengthens the physique, yet when the soul bone merges with the right leg bone, the power boost of the right leg far exceeds the mere physical enhancement.

He gathered power in his right leg, and the ground of the Soul Battle Platform cracked a fine fissure.

In his dazed state, Hu Yanhao instinctively sensed danger!

Boom—, Tie Li sprang up, delivering a kick; Hu Yanhao hurriedly crossed his arms to block in front of him.

In that instant, Hu Yanhao's gaze changed; the force of this kick was far more terrifying than what had been shown before.

Such a huge body was kicked five meters away!

Tie Li was eager to use the soul skill of his soul bone; if he unleashed the soul skill attached to the right leg's soul bone, this kick would surely win the Soul Battle.

But it's not worth it!

Exposing his soul bone for a single Soul Battle victory is completely not worth it.

"I concede!" Tie Li admitted defeat outright.

To avoid letting Hu Yanhao notice anything amiss, Tie Li limped down the Soul Battle Platform, as if his right leg had suffered a serious injury.

In fact, Tie Li's right leg bone was intact; he merely pretended it for the opponent.

Although Tie Li lost, in everyone's eyes, holding out this long against a Xiang Jia Sect disciple was considered an excellent performance.

They had seen many Soul Masters face top sect disciples, often losing combat ability after a few rounds.

"Hu Yanhao, victory!" the referee announced the Soul Battle result.

Hu Yanhao ended the Martial Soul Possession State, and a large charred patch instantly appeared on his chest, the wound from Tie Li's thunderous strike.

It seems there was indeed damage, but the soul skill's aid concealed the wound.

A thin line of blood traced Hu Yanhao's mouth corner, clearly showing he wasn't as relaxed as he appeared.

"What a powerful soul skill, it actually hurt me."

Descending from the platform, Hu Yanhao muttered, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

But Tie Li on the other side thought differently: was his soul skill's power insufficient, or was the opponent's defense too strong?

One failure would not make Tie Li retreat, especially when facing a Soul Master wielding a top-tier martial soul.

Having retrieved his belongings from the lounge, Tie Li was about to leave.

"Wait." A sudden voice sounded behind Tie Li.

Tie Li turned, recognized the speaker as Fu Zhuguan, the supervisor of the Grand Soul Battle Arena.

"Supervisor Fu, what do you need me for?"

"I want to invite you to join a Team Soul Battle." Fu Zhuguan stated his purpose directly.

The Grand Soul Battle Arena cultivates Soul Master teams to handle various situations.

Soul Masters are already few in number, so Soul Master groups are even rarer.

Especially, seven-person Soul Master teams are almost unheard of; yet in the Grand Soul Battle Arena, seven-on-seven Soul Battles are the most popular, with the highest ticket prices.

Tie Li's performance on the Soul Battle Platform caught Fu Zhuguan's attention, prompting him to invite Tie Li to the newly formed team.

The focus is on Team Soul Battle between Level 20 and Level 30, with teammates' Soul Power Levels being Second Ring Grand Soul Masters.

"What do I gain?"

Compared to empty talk, Tie Li cared more about tangible benefits.

"In a normal Team Soul Battle, each Soul Master on the winning team receives ten Gold Soul Coins; after five consecutive wins, each subsequent win yields one hundred Gold Soul Coins, and ten consecutive wins yield two hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"I can double that profit for you, and the Grand Soul Battle Arena will provide you with a Third Soul Ring, guaranteed to last a thousand years."

Tie Li's pupils narrowed; he hadn't expected the Grand Soul Battle Arena to present an offer he couldn't refuse.

Hunting a thousand-year Soul Beast requires at least a thousand Gold Soul Coins if hiring a Hunting Soul Group, which is a major dilemma for him.

He could use this chance to hone himself, making a trip to Geng Xin Cheng less urgent than imagined.

Since merging the soul bone, he now had the right to chase a prodigy's pace, so Tie Li's thoughts naturally shifted.

By then, Geng Xin Cheng might just become one of the many places he visits across the continent.

"Does it include meals and lodging?"

Hearing that, Fu Zhuguan's mouth curved into a slight smile.

"Of course, we provide dedicated dormitories and a cafeteria."

"Alright, I accept."

With Tie Li's affirmative reply, Fu Zhuguan planned to take him to meet his new teammates.

"Won't you go back and tidy up?"

"All my belongings are on me."

Very good.

Outside the Great Soul Battle Arena, there is a small venue, and those who live inside are Soul Masters cultivated by the Great Soul Battle Arena.

Professional training grounds, luxurious dormitories with two people per room…

Fu Zhuguan brought Tie Li to the third floor of the venue and first took Tie Li to his dormitory.

When the door opened, a fresh fragrance wafted in; the dormitory was neatly arranged, and all the necessary equipment was present.

"For now, you are living alone."

"Alright."

The venue consists of double rooms, and since no Soul Masters have joined yet, Tie Li can occupy a room by himself.

"Fu Zhuguan, has someone arrived for our team?" A person appeared at the doorway.

He was a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old young man, strikingly handsome, with flowing golden hair and blue eyes that watched Tie Li's every move.

"He is Duolangbu, the Team Leader of your squad," Fu Zhuguan introduced him to Tie Li.

"Indeed, you're the new member of our team, hello hello."

Duolangbu warmly grasped the hand Tie Li extended, seeming delighted by Tie Li's arrival.

"The team must wear a uniform; from now on, during training and competitions, do not wear your own clothes," Fu Zhuguan emphasized.

Following Fu Zhuguan's instructions, Tie Li saw three sets of black combat outfits on the bed, naturally made from his own plain clothes, with the Great Soul Battle Arena's unique emblem embroidered on the back and chest.

"Then, from now on it's up to you; teammates can get to know each other,"

"Yes, Fu Zhuguan," Duolangbu said resolutely.

Fu Zhuguan temporarily left the venue; as the supervisor of the Great Soul Battle Arena, he cannot be away for long.

After Tie Li put on the team uniform, he followed Duolangbu to meet the other teammates.

"Don't worry, everyone gets along well, you don't need to worry about that;

although we are a newly formed team, I believe our strength will certainly make a name for us at the Great Soul Battle Arena," Duolangbu said, full of confidence.

(End of chapter)