Struck by Kaku's overwhelming attack, Xiao Lin was sent flying dozens of meters, only stopping after crashing through and snapping a massive tree that would have required two people to encircle with their arms.
But that wasn't all—Kaku's terrifying reversal force also invaded Xiao Lin's mind.
A violent concussion rattled his brain, leaving him dizzy and miserable—nausea, retching, even the urge to vomit. His vision alternated between pure white and total darkness, as though his brain lacked oxygen.
Fortunately, this was Xiao Lin. His body inside and out was protected by Diamond Invulnerable Soulforce and Vital Energy.
Otherwise, Kaku's single strike just now would have been enough to kill even a Soul King–level expert.
"What on earth… is this!?"
Xiao Lin frowned deeply. His complexion wasn't pale, but shock lingered on his face. Kaku's mysterious ability left him rattled.
"It's a substitute attack, Xiao Lin!"
Out of nowhere, the Ice Dragon King's voice echoed in his mind-space.
"Substitute attack?"
"In other words, the one who hit you just now wasn't the real Kaku—but his substitute, a soul skill granted by his martial soul or soul rings?"
"Summoning an invisible clone?"
The Ice Dragon King's reminder snapped Xiao Lin to attention, and he instantly pieced it together.
Yes—Kaku's martial soul couldn't possibly possess so many abilities on its own.
Extreme speed, devastating strikes, stealth…
No, his martial soul must be some kind of invisible existence, a spiritual entity—or perhaps his soul skills manifested as unseen attacks.
Xiao Lin suddenly understood. No wonder Kaku had only targeted his abdomen and his head.
Those were weak points for ordinary soul masters. But against him, attacking something like his eyes would have been far more effective.
This proved Kaku's precision wasn't perfect.
That meant his martial soul was a speed-based, stealthy assassin-type—likely of the darkness attribute.
It all made sense.
Realizing this, Xiao Lin ignored the lingering pain and nausea in his head and instead burst out laughing.
"So that's it. I've completely understood your martial soul—your soul skill."
His words made Kaku, who had been silently observing from his spot, frown slightly.
But as a professional killer, Kaku betrayed nothing—not aura, not movement. He simply stood there, waiting to strike again.
He wasn't about to waste words with his prey. When his substitute landed a fatal hit, the battle would end.
"Pathetic clown. Trying to bluff me?"
Kaku sneered inwardly as he released his next attack.
If Xiao Lin had possessed Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes, he would have seen the truth:
The unmoving Kaku flashed a purple soul ring beneath his feet. A dark shadow-like entity split from his body, darting low along the ground at blinding speed until it reached Xiao Lin.
The shadow transformed into a humanoid shape and threw a vicious punch—
Straight into a tree beside Xiao Lin!
Boom!
The massive trunk exploded behind Xiao Lin. After striking, the shadow dissolved and rejoined Kaku.
That was what the Purple Demon Eyes would have revealed.
But Xiao Lin didn't have them. He had only avoided the attack on pure instinct, dodging just in time.
When he turned to look, his eyes widened in shock.
The giant tree behind him had been twisted into a corkscrew, fibers wrung tight like a rope.
What a terrifying power!
"Darkness attribute… fused with some kind of gravity manipulation?"
Xiao Lin felt a ripple of awe, but more than that—a surge of confidence.
Such soul skills were extremely rare. The only similar cases he knew of came from the Dark Crocodile, a soul beast with both darkness and earth attributes.
Those creatures lurked in shadows, ambushed prey, and used gravity and their death roll to tear enemies apart.
They were so rare that there were even recorded cases of thousand-year Dark Crocodiles killing ten-thousand-year beasts.
But Xiao Lin's laughter had only one reason:
If Kaku's martial soul specialized in speed and stealth, then his attack options were limited.
This substitute punch was likely his strongest move.
That meant there was nothing left to fear.
And given the lack of fine precision in his strikes, Xiao Lin could wager confidently that Kaku wasn't far from him—perhaps his range was only C-tier at best.
Meanwhile, inside his consciousness, the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings watched.
They were satisfied with Xiao Lin's quick deduction, but frustrated that he couldn't see Kaku's attacks.
"Damn it, so slow! He can't even see the enemy coming. Let me take over already!" the Ice Dragon King grumbled, shaking its head as it burst out of the icy-flame sea.
The Fire Dragon King rolled its eyes. "You? Please. If you were in control, you'd have been hit a second time already."
Still, it was pleased with Xiao Lin. Even without seeing Kaku's true body, his insight was sharp. With future training to strengthen his spiritual power, the problem would resolve itself. The Fire Dragon King even resolved to personally help Xiao Lin refine his mental cultivation atop the Flame Mountain.
Back outside, Xiao Lin's body had already recovered thanks to his Vital Energy's immense regenerative strength. The dizziness and nausea were gone.
He twirled his coiling dragon staff with a calm smile, slowly walking toward Kaku.
His expression carried the air of someone who knew exactly where his opponent was.
"Heh. Keep hiding all you like. I already know what your martial soul is—and what kind of soul skill you used."
As he spoke, one yellow and two purple soul rings lit up beneath his feet.
The sudden reveal almost made Kaku retreat outright.
But his experience as a killer kept him steady. He wasn't so easily fooled.
Still, Xiao Lin showed no reaction to the obscene hand gesture Kaku made from his hidden spot. That confirmed it: Xiao Lin truly couldn't see him.
Kaku grew bold. He remained where he was, continuing to charge his strongest strike.
Yes—his substitute soul skill was powerful, but it lacked precision and required him to stay still and gather power.
He had already charged fully. Now, all he needed was one chance to land a blow directly on Xiao Lin's true weakness—his eyes.
That would end it.
"You still won't show yourself?"
Xiao Lin chuckled, then sighed.
"Looks like our martial souls are of the same type."
The moment the words left his mouth, Kaku felt a sudden jolt of danger. His instincts screamed.
Without hesitation, he leapt back more than ten meters.
And just then—
Xiao Lin activated all three soul rings at once.
The atmosphere changed instantly. Power erupted around him.
A blinding flash of light, a surging core of flames, raw destructive force—
In a single moment, Xiao Lin lit up the entire battlefield.
(End of Chapter)