Whether it was Ye Wen's taunt that took effect or something else, the Netherworld White Tiger, now fully focused, leaped directly at Ye Wen with a ferocious pounce.
The sharp tiger claws gleamed menacingly under the sunlight, sending chills down the spines of onlookers.
The fierce Netherworld White Tiger versus the seemingly delicate girl made many teachers instinctively want to intervene. The visual disparity between the two was simply too great.
As countless eyes turned toward Director Du, who was overseeing the match, they saw him remain unmoved. Years of teaching experience calmed their nerves, and they decided to observe quietly.
However, little did they know that even Director Du Weilun, a Soul Douluo, was utterly baffled. The shock from Huo Yu'er's earlier punch had left a deep impression on him.
By the time Director Du snapped out of his daze, Huo Yuer and the Netherworld White Tiger were already less than a meter apart.
Seeing no fluctuations in Huo Yuer's soul power, Director Du immediately realized something was amiss.
Just as he was about to step in to stop the fight, another astonishing scene unfolded.
The sharp claws flashed, but Huo Yu'er didn't split apart or go flying as expected. Instead, she twisted her body in a bizarre manner, flipping into the air.
Originally, the six techniques taught by Ye Wen truly consisted of only six moves, as the original version of Paper Drawing was far too absurd.
But over nearly twenty thousand years, Ye Wen had perfected the six techniques into what was nominally six moves but actually seven.
Though it couldn't make the human body as evasive as paper, the new Six Techniques' flexible body allowed for free contortion to negate frontal damage.
Once the flexible body reached its limit, it signified mastery of the ultimate secret of the Six Techniques—Life Return.
Huo Yu'er, spinning rapidly in midair thanks to the Netherworld White Tiger's force, narrowed her eyes and concentrated all her strength into her right leg, launching a close-range counterattack at the massive tiger head before her.
"Boom!"
A bone-chilling collision echoed across the arena, sending shivers through everyone present.
Though this strike still couldn't dismantle the sturdy body of the Netherworld White Tiger, the entire beast was left stunned.
However, forces acted reciprocally. Under normal circumstances, Huo Yu'er's leg bones would likely have fractured from such a move. But at the last moment, Ye Wen activated the Rigid Form to protect Huo Yu'er's foot.
This imitation of Armament Haki was essentially the high-pressure condensation of qi to shield oneself. In a world with soul power, almost any soul master could achieve it. However, with Ye Wen's spiritual power amplifying it, Huo Yu'er's Rigid Form far surpassed others at her level.
Ye Wen wasn't worried about being caught cheating, as the core foundation of the Rigid Form was spiritual power—and Huo Yu'er's spiritual power was leagues beyond that of her peers.
After landing, Huo Yu'er didn't press her advantage. Instead, she assumed an odd stance.
Ye Wen's voice echoed in Huo Yuer's mind once more.
"Little Yu'er, pay close attention to this set of fist techniques.
Though I'm not skilled in close combat, I possess a strong ability to mimic. This technique was created by my most accomplished disciples.
When mastered, it allows you to shatter mountains without using any spirit skills, becoming invincible under heaven."
"Yes, Master!" Huo Yu'er joyfully responded within her consciousness.
Though her body was under Ye Wen's control, Huo Yuer could still feel that the same strength was being used—but in Ye Wen's hands, it was unleashed far more effectively than she ever could. And this power was more than enough to brutally beat that despicable duke's son who had once looked down on her and called her a bastard.
"Life Return—Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!"
The teachers around the arena were puzzled by Huo Yuer's strange stance, which seemed devoid of any combat effectiveness. But the next second, they began to doubt their own eyes.
As Huo Yu'er's palms gently moved, it seemed as though flowing water emanated from her hands.
???
While these teachers were left bewildered, an unkempt old man in the audience even forgot to chew the chicken leg in his hand.
Incredulously, he muttered to himself, "Is this… intent?"
But Ye Wen paid no heed to the gazes of others. At this moment, he only wanted to avenge his young disciple.
With a single stride, Ye Wen closed the gap between himself and the Netherworld White Tiger, leaving only a palm's distance between them.
The next second, the previously slow-moving illusion of flowing water transformed into surging waves, unleashing a fierce barrage of attacks against the Netherworld White Tiger.
Though these attacks didn't send the Netherworld White Tiger flying backward like before, the dense network of dents caused by the high-speed strikes made the surrounding teachers' scalps tingle.
Director Du couldn't comprehend the earlier phenomenon, but he knew it wasn't a spirit skill—it was some kind of self-created spirit skill, one he had never encountered before.
Under these circumstances, how could the self-created spirit skill Huo Yuer used possibly be ordinary!?
Just as Director Du decided to step in and stop the battle, a figure moved faster than him.
The ten-meter-long Netherworld White Tiger was lifted by the scruff of its neck and tossed out of the arena like a ragdoll.
From the shadows, Ye Wen frowned upon seeing the newcomer.
Such disheveled appearance was unique to only one person in all of Shrek Academy.
But as the saying goes, "Strike while the iron is hot; falter, and momentum wanes." Ye Wen had no intention of forcibly halting the attack now, as doing so might cause backlash to Huo Yuer.
Target shift: Xuan Zi, 98th-level Super Douluo.
Seeing Huo Yuer dare to continue attacking him, Xuan Zi assumed she had gone berserk. With amused interest, he stood his ground to observe the effects of this self-created spirit skill imbued with intent.
After all, she was merely a Great Soul Master at Level 20-something. Even if this self-created spirit skill was extraordinarily powerful, could it possibly harm a Super Douluo like him?
But soon, Xuan Zi paid the price for his arrogance.
Ye Wen's eldest and second disciples were both possessors of Body Spirits, both having undergone the highest golden awakening. His eldest disciple, Huo Rui, specialized in explosive close-range attacks, while the second disciple pursued a more balanced martial path.
The Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was developed by Huo Quan.
After thousands of years of refinement, this set of fist techniques had transcended mortal martial arts, even surpassing the Thirteen Styles of the Sea God once passed down by the Sea God himself.
Though not as overwhelmingly violent as the fist techniques wielded by Huo Rui, this style had one defining characteristic: it could stack its power endlessly, like waves crashing against the shore.
The Disorderly Splitting Wind Hammer's eighty-one strikes? Hmph. The Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist would only grow stronger and more devastating with each successive wave.
In the end, even the disparity between water and rock would be obliterated entirely.
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