Swallowing the Heavens with a Single Breath - Chapter 8

Not long to live?

How was that possible?

Xu Yi was startled.

He asked in his mind, “Fairy Sister, what exactly is going on?”

Leng Yunshang replied, “Your cousin has a rare dual martial soul. Besides the level-seven Eye Wolf of the Abyss, he also has a dormant level-ten martial soul—the Flame Mountain True Bear.”

“Ordinarily, in a small place like this, he would be considered a prodigy with unlimited potential. However…”

“However, what?”

“Unfortunately, the Eye Wolf of the Abyss is of the water element, while the Flame Mountain True Bear is of the fire element. Water and fire are incompatible, and the latter is much stronger than the former!”

“As your cousin’s strength increases, once his second martial soul awakens and the two souls clash, he will undoubtedly die.”

Xu Yi frowned deeply upon hearing this.

Although his cousin Xu Chi was usually arrogant and constantly flaunted himself in front of him, he didn’t deserve to die.

Besides, if Xu Chi died suddenly, his uncle would surely blame him.

With this in mind, Xu Yi sincerely said, “Fairy Sister, you possess great knowledge and powers. You must know how to solve Xu Chi’s problem. Please teach me.”

Leng Yunshang chuckled, “Have you forgotten the unique traits of your Chaotic Martial Soul? It grows stronger by devouring the souls of others. Since your cousin cannot handle the Flame Mountain True Bear, why not take it and refine it for yourself?”

“As for how to absorb martial souls… you’ll find out when you fight him.”

Xu Yi suddenly realized the opportunity, and a wave of excitement washed over him.

A level-ten martial soul! Even if you combined the dozens of cities in the surrounding area, it would be a rarity seen only once in a hundred years.

The higher the martial soul’s level, the more terrifying the power it could bestow upon its wielder. If he could acquire a level-ten martial soul, his combat strength would surely skyrocket.

Although taking Xu Chi’s martial soul seemed a bit dishonorable, if he didn’t do it, his cousin would be doomed to die anyway. Thus, Xu Yi had no moral qualms as he confidently strode onto the martial platform.

Xu Chi, looking smug, was about to mock Xu Yi as he approached but noticed something strange.

Why did Xu Yi’s gaze lack fear and instead show… pity?

This infuriated Xu Chi, but with important figures watching from the sidelines, he maintained his composure and spoke coldly, “Xu Yi, since you are a martial soul-less waste, I, as your cousin, won’t bully you. I’ll let you strike first!”

Xu Weiheng and Xu Mingqing, who were observing, nodded in approval. Their satisfaction evident—Xu Chi’s demeanor was truly befitting of a strong warrior.

Xu Yi gave a faint smile, “Very well, then I won’t be polite.”

With those words, he took a step forward, moving like lightning, and in the blink of an eye was right in front of Xu Chi. Gathering his energy in his fist, he threw a powerful punch.

The force of the punch was intense, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.

“Wha—”

Xu Chi was stunned, and before he could react, the punch landed heavily on his chest.

Boom—

With a muffled thud, Xu Chi’s body arched backward as he was thrown high into the air, then crashed to the ground.

Thud—

He landed hard, frothing at the mouth as if vomiting up everything he had eaten the night before.

Seeing this, the Xu family members, as well as Wang Fuzi and Huangfu Linzhu, were all astonished!

Wasn’t Xu Yi supposed to be a waste? How could he knock down a martial artist with a level-seven martial soul in a single punch?

Could this really be a martial soul-less waste who couldn’t cultivate?

At that moment, Wang Fuzi exclaimed softly in surprise, “This young man, Xu Yi, not only possesses cultivation but seems to be at a level higher than the first stage of Martial Disciple.”

These words caused the Xu family to be even more shocked.

Xu Weiheng was dumbfounded. “Having cultivation is one thing, but could he be at the second level of Martial Disciple?”

“Impossible! Xu Yi is a martial soul-less waste who cannot cultivate… even if he somehow managed, he couldn’t have advanced this quickly!” Xu Mingqing was also anxious.

“Wang Fuzi, could you be mistaken?”

“It took Chi’er, with his remarkable talent and three Vitality Pills, to break through in seven days. If Xu Yi didn’t use any Vitality Pills, does that mean his talent is even greater than Chi’er’s?!”

Wang Fuzi stroked his beard. “Though this is my first time seeing such a situation, I can still distinguish between an ordinary person and a martial artist.”

Hearing Wang Fuzi’s firm response, Xu Weiheng and Xu Mingqing were left speechless, no longer daring to question him.

Meanwhile, Xu Minghai and Li Shushen’s faces were filled with delight!

They didn’t know how Yi’er had managed to cultivate and break through from an ordinary person to the second stage of Martial Disciple, but they could imagine how much hardship he must have endured over the past seven days to achieve such a feat.

The couple felt a mix of pride and heartache, and they hoped their son would truly win this battle. If he did, perhaps Wang Fuzi might take him as a disciple!

However, Xu Chi had a level-seven martial soul, and he wouldn’t be easy to defeat.

On the martial platform, Xu Yi glanced at his fist with mild surprise.

He wasn’t astonished by the fact that he had knocked Xu Chi away, but rather by the strange sensation he felt when his fist connected with Xu Chi’s body.

As soon as his fist struck, he could clearly sense two incompatible forces within Xu Chi’s body.

The Eye Wolf of the Abyss and the Flame Mountain True Bear, the two martial souls.

The former occupied the dominant position but was far weaker than the latter and faced the risk of being devoured at any moment. Although the Flame Mountain True Bear was dormant now, once awakened, it would erupt like a volcano and consume everything.

Such was the vast difference between a level-seven and a level-ten martial soul!

Sensing the two forces, Xu Yi immediately targeted the Flame Mountain True Bear’s martial soul and began absorbing it.

In that brief moment, unnoticed by everyone, including Xu Chi himself, Xu Yi had already absorbed a full tenth of the Flame Mountain True Bear’s power.

He was quite pleased with the result.

Nine more punches, and he would possess the level-ten Flame Mountain True Bear martial soul!

Of course, the reason he could freely seize Xu Chi’s martial soul was that Xu Chi’s strength was far inferior to his own.

If his opponent were stronger or even just a little weaker than him, trying to steal their martial soul would not be so easy.

Opposite Xu Yi, Xu Chi, dazed from the punch, took a while to recover. Clutching his stomach, he struggled to stand.

Looking up at Xu Yi, who was staring down at him, Xu Chi clenched his fists in fury.

This battle was supposed to shape his future, yet here he was, utterly humiliated. How would Wang Fuzi see him now?

Could he still enter Green Vine Academy?

The thought made Xu Chi’s eyes redden with rage as he let out a loud roar!

“Ahhh! Xu Yi! You have completely angered me!”

As he spoke, a wolf-shaped apparition appeared behind Xu Chi, the manifestation of his martial soul.

The phantom of the Eye Wolf of the Abyss gradually merged with Xu Chi’s body. His eyes transformed into wolf-like pupils, and his muscles bulged, giving him the appearance of a ferocious lone wolf.

The power emanating from Xu Chi at that moment was over seventy percent stronger than before!

Everyone watching was stunned.

Every martial artist had a martial soul, and to unleash its full potential, one had to fuse its apparition with their body to gain an enhancement.

The degree of enhancement depended on the martial soul’s level.

A level-one martial soul could increase a warrior’s strength by about ten percent, a level-two by twenty percent, and so on.

Beyond level ten, martial souls offered not only power boosts but also various extraordinary abilities!

This was why everyone sought out high-level martial souls.

Even below level ten, a martial artist with a high-level martial soul could easily outclass others of the same rank, illustrating the importance of martial souls.

Different martial souls provided different benefits; some boosted strength, others increased speed or explosive power.

The Eye Wolf of the Abyss, as a level-seven martial soul, significantly enhanced Xu Chi’s vision, sense of smell, and physical toughness, making him more than seventy percent stronger overall—a complete transformation!

In contrast, Xu Yi, without even a level-one martial soul, had no way to enhance his combat ability. Although he had surprised Xu Chi earlier, he now faced a dangerous situation.

Many onlookers gave Xu Yi pitying looks. Reaching the second stage of Martial Disciple in just seven days was indeed impressive, but in the face of absolute power, he stood no chance.

Xu Weiheng and Xu Mingqing regained their composure, believing that while Xu Yi’s strength was surprising, he was ultimately just a minor nuisance. With Chi’er’s martial soul, victory was assured!

Xu Minghai and Li Shushen were filled with anxiety.

While they were impressed by Yi’er’s performance, his lack of a martial soul was a major disadvantage.

Xu Minghai tensed, ready to jump in and rescue his son if needed.

On the martial platform, Xu Chi’s gaze was as cold and bloodthirsty as a wolf’s. He sneered, “Xu Yi, you have surprised me, but against absolute power, you will achieve nothing!”

With that, Xu Chi vanished from his spot.

A gust of wind swept across the platform, and Xu Chi’s afterimages appeared and disappeared around Xu Yi like the wind.

Taunting voices echoed from all directions.

“Hahaha! Xu Yi, can a waste like you keep up with my speed? Guess which direction I’ll attack from!”

“Feel the fear! I’ll make you realize your helplessness…”

But before Xu Chi could finish, Xu Yi suddenly extended his arm and swung hard in a seemingly random direction.

Smack—

The crisp sound echoed throughout the arena, and Xu Chi flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the crowd.

“Showoff.”