After Yang Xiong and his opponent both entered the preparation area of the arena, Yang's opponent was a very burly middle-aged man. He stood over two meters tall, his body covered in muscles, and he even carried a massive hammer on his back.
In contrast, Yang Xiong appeared much smaller, like an ordinary person facing a giant.
The announcer began the introduction: "Hello everyone, welcome to this great Soul Master-level duel. The combatants are the 'Dominating the World' contestant and the 'Earth Bull' contestant."
"The 'Dominating the World' contestant is participating in a soul battle for the first time, with no previous record in the arena. His martial soul is his body, and his soul power level is 24."
"The 'Earth Bull' contestant's martial soul is the Bull. His soul power level is 29, and his arena record is seven wins and two losses. He is currently on a three-win streak."
"Will the 'Dominating the World' contestant achieve his first victory in his debut match, or will the 'Earth Bull' contestant complete a four-win streak? Let's all watch closely. Now, please welcome the two great Soul Masters onto the arena."
The two originally stood in the preparation zone, then slowly walked toward the center of the arena.
When they stood side by side, the size difference was even more obvious. Especially the 'Earth Bull' contestant, who was shirtless, flexing his muscles and pounding his chest. The entire arena seemed to boil with excitement.
Yang Xiong felt a bit nervous. The 'Earth Bull' contestant was clearly a pure strength-type Soul Master. The huge hammer on his back was not just for show, it was extraordinarily heavy. Normally, weapons were allowed in soul battles, but very few contestants carried such large weapons onto the stage.
The 'Earth Bull' contestant looked at Yang Xiong with disdain: "Kid, you're still young. This brutal Soul Master competition isn't for you. Go home quickly."
Yang Xiong, who had been a bit nervous, calmed down: "Once on the arena, you only find out by fighting. I want to see just how strong a contestant with a three-win streak really is."
The announcer continued: "Both Soul Masters now have one minute to prepare. Please summon your martial souls and soul rings."
The 'Earth Bull' contestant suddenly roared, and a huge bull's shadow appeared around him. Two yellow soul rings glowed simultaneously.
Yang Xiong did not hesitate either. His true body emitted a faint light, and two yellow soul rings appeared as well.
One minute passed. The announcer said, "Both Soul Masters are ready. The duel officially begins."
As the match started, the 'Earth Bull' contestant charged at Yang Xiong with great speed, throwing a huge punch filled with raw power.
Yang Xiong moved swiftly, delivering a side-hand strike that hit the incoming fist, slightly deflecting its force.
The 'Earth Bull' contestant missed and immediately threw multiple punches in succession, each full of power.
But to Yang Xiong, this 'Earth Bull' contestant had plenty of strength but lacked speed, let alone agility. Moreover, there was no rhythm to his punches, indicating he probably never formally trained in boxing techniques.
After about thirty seconds of back-and-forth attacks, Yang Xiong used his quick body control and speed to dodge every punch effortlessly.
This was Yang Xiong's first soul battle. Real combat was very different from punching bags or wooden dummies. His opponent was unpredictable, and even Yang Xiong initially found it taxing, so he focused more on evasion.
The 'Earth Bull' contestant got visibly angry: "Can't you fight properly? What's the point of a soul battle if you just dodge attacks?"
A slight smile appeared on Yang Xiong's face: "Then let me see how strong you really are to talk big like that."
Now accustomed to the fight's pace, Yang Xiong punched back with full force. Their fists collided in midair; Yang's body didn't move an inch, but the 'Earth Bull' contestant staggered back two steps. Clearly, Yang's strength was significantly greater.
The 'Earth Bull' contestant was shocked. This was his first time losing a strength contest in a Soul Master duel, and his opponent looked much smaller and weaker.
He roared, and his first soul ring flashed. His whole body charged forward like a giant bull, this was his first soul skill: Bull Charge.
Yang Xiong watched the attack and thought to himself: "How did such a reckless brute get a three-win streak? The arena is so big, dodging this attack is way too easy."
Still, Yang wanted to test his own limits. Gathering all his soul power into his fist, he struck with all his might.
Yang's soul-powered fist collided with the huge bull shadow, producing a tremendous impact that even sounded like bones cracking.
When the dust settled, Yang Xiong stood calmly, while the 'Earth Bull' contestant was blasted several meters away, bleeding from his hand. He was clearly badly injured.
Fear flashed across the 'Earth Bull' contestant's face. He hadn't expected his opponent, five soul levels below him, to crush his soul skill purely through strength. If his opponent used soul skills, how powerful could he be?
But the fear was fleeting. Gritting his teeth, his second soul ring glowed, and his already mighty body seemed even more imposing. This was his second soul skill: Bull's Strength, a strength-boosting skill.
Seeing his opponent charge again, Yang Xiong clenched both fists, meeting him head-on. It seemed like a pure test of strength and physical power, with neither gaining a clear advantage.
However, everyone understood that the 'Earth Bull' contestant had already used two soul skills, while Yang Xiong hadn't used any yet. The difference in soul power consumption was huge.
After a full minute, the 'Earth Bull' contestant realized the gap in strength. Frustrated, he pulled out the giant hammer from his back and swung it at Yang Xiong, unwilling to concede easily.
Yang Xiong initially only wanted to test his strength. Since his opponent had already resorted to using weapons, it meant no one was holding back anymore. Yang Xiong decided not to play around either.
With fingers like claws, Yang Xiong firmly grabbed the hammer's handle, holding it completely still.
He then spun around and kicked the 'Earth Bull' contestant hard in the abdomen, sending him flying several meters.
Before the opponent could react, Yang Xiong dashed toward him at several times his previous speed, like a shadow appearing before the 'Earth Bull' contestant. This time, he landed a punch directly on his chest.
The 'Earth Bull' contestant felt the punch's immense power as if his bones were about to shatter. He spat blood and collapsed on the arena floor, clearly badly hurt.
The audience was initially stunned but soon erupted into thunderous cheers. No one expected the three-win streak contestant to lose so easily to an opponent five soul levels below him, especially without the winner even using any soul skills.
Yang Xiong showed a bitter smile. He seemed to have overestimated the strength needed in soul battles.
He had trained rigorously since childhood, pushing his strength, speed, and reflexes to the extreme, with defense not far behind. His opponent had good strength for his level but lagged far behind in speed and agility.
Especially with expensive medicinal baths and painful physical training, Yang was arguably the toughest physical soul master present.
Most importantly, the difference was in martial soul strength. The Bull was just an ordinary strength-type beast martial soul, far behind true top-tier martial souls.
If you want to read advanced chapter please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel