Chapter 398

At this moment, the air around seemed crushed by an invisible force; Li An moved forward slowly, carefully observing his surroundings. Suddenly, a sharp whistling tore through the silence, and a dark shadow shot toward him like lightning. Li An's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively sidestepped. "Boom!" The powerful impact kicked up a cloud of dust where he had just stood, revealing a massive Xu before him.

The Xu was enormous, radiating strange black energy, its blood-red eyes filled with endless greed and brutality. It opened its gaping maw and let out a deafening roar, charging at Li An again. Li An's countenance was grave; he swiftly summoned his mana to form a defensive barrier before him. "Crash!" The Xu's attack slammed hard against the barrier, the force making Li An's arms tremble slightly as he was shoved backward several meters.

Far away, Guo Yao saw this scene, clutching her mouth with both hands, her eyes brimming with worry and anxiety: "Li An, please be safe!" Her body trembled slightly, desperate to rush over and help Li An, but she knew her strength was useless in such a battle—she could only watch helplessly.

Li An clenched his teeth, thinking inwardly: "This Xu's power is unexpectedly strong—this trial is far more difficult than I imagined." His gaze locked onto the Xu, searching for its weakness. The Xu seemed to sense Li An's intent and intensified its assault, swinging its massive claws with each strike sending violent gusts of wind, the ground around them pockmarked and dust rising in clouds.

As Li An and the Xu struggled in fierce combat, a cold voice rang down from above: "Hmph, do you really think you can pass this trial?" Li An looked up to see Ulquiorra hovering in midair, his icy face expressionless, his black Arrancar robes fluttering in the wind.

Ulquiorra descended slowly, landing beside the Xu. He glanced at Li An, his eyes brimming with contempt: "Do you think this trial is so easy? Today, you won't leave alive." As he spoke, he lifted his hands slightly; black spiritual pressure erupted instantly, resonating with the Xu's aura to form a crushing pressure.

Li An took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew he now faced two powerful enemies—there could be no hint of panic. He closed his eyes, and instantly the system's analysis of Ulquiorra and the Xu flashed through his mind. Moments later, he opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

"If that's how it is, then come!" Li An roared, launching himself toward Ulquiorra and the Xu like an arrow released from a bow. He skillfully dodged the Xu's attacks while launching fierce counterstrikes at Ulquiorra. His figure darted rapidly between them, each strike carrying immense mana.

Ulquiorra snorted, his body flickering slightly as he effortlessly evaded Li An's attack. He swung his hand backward, firing a black crescent-shaped Cero toward Li An. Li An's eyes hardened; he sidestepped swiftly, the Cero grazing his body and carving a deep trench into the ground.

"Hmph, you've got some skill," Ulquiorra muttered, frowning—he hadn't expected Li An to dodge his attack so easily. He attacked again, this time faster and stronger. Li An gritted his teeth, giving his all to counter Ulquiorra's strikes while simultaneously dodging the Xu's assaults—soon, he was locked in a desperate battle.

So Powerful After All