"What kind of soul ring configuration is that?" The sect disciples stared in horror at the godlike figure in the sky.
They'd thought Tianlin's thousand-year second ring, ten-thousand-year fourth ring was rare enough, but this guy's rings all started at ten thousand years!
His strength was on another level entirely.
"Nothing to be afraid of. When it comes to ring years, I won't lose!" Tianlin calmly released his rings. Just his two hundred-thousand-year rings already surpassed Qian Daoliu.
Especially his seventh ring with four golden marks—it was far superior to Qian Daoliu's hundred-thousand-year ring.
"Four golden marks—you have a four-hundred-thousand-year ring." Qian Daoliu looked grim; this youth's strength was beyond his expectations.
"It's too soon to be surprised." Tianlin looked at Chen Xin. "Master, Dao follows Nature—Conquer Demons and Evil!"
This was a phrase from the Shu Mountain Sword Arts. Chen Xin realized Tianlin was hinting to change their tactics and use the Shu Mountain sword techniques.
Chen Xin nodded. Together, they flew up.
"Sky-Splitting Slash!"
"Carefree Divine Sword!"
The two swords combined: one, the Shu Mountain elder's ultimate, powerful, and unstoppable; the other, the Shu Mountain master Li Xiaoyao's technique, agile and free.
Two completely different sword styles complemented each other. Qian Daoliu found that faced with these two moves, he had no way to dodge and could only take them head-on.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Angelic Holy Sword!"
Qian Daoliu formed a sword of holy fire. This was a real soul skill, far more powerful than the earlier light sword, greatly enhancing his angelic power's purification effect. If an ordinary soul master was struck, even if not killed, most of their soul power would be dispelled.
"Hmph!" Chen Xin was unafraid. The Seven Kill Sword became a giant sword, smashing down on the light sword.
The sky split with their clash. Chen Xin was knocked back by the soul power backlash.
But he hadn't lost—the Angelic Holy Sword was covered in cracks and finally shattered.
Qian Daoliu's usually calm face showed surprise. Other than Tang Chen and Bo Saixi, no one had ever broken his soul skill with a single blow. "What sword style is this, even more powerful than Tang Chen's Clear Sky technique!"
He'd underestimated the master and disciple, thinking only the other two Ultimate Douluos were his peers. He'd underestimated Shu Mountain's sword arts.
"This is the Daoist sword—taste it, Qian Daoliu!" Tianlin seized the opportunity; Qian Daoliu's skill was just broken, the perfect time to attack. The Carefree Divine Sword was fast and precise.
For others, it would be useless, but not Tianlin—his true damage ignored level differences, so Qian Daoliu didn't dare be careless.
"Soul power armor is useless against that sword. But…" Qian Daoliu said calmly, "Sixth Soul Skill: Angel's Roar!"
This skill converted angelic power into a mental shock. If the enemy's spiritual power was less than half of Qian Daoliu's, they'd suffer soul destruction and instant death; if the gap was within half, they'd suffer mental damage.
With one attack, Tianlin's spiritual sea was in turmoil.
"What a powerful spirit! Not quite as good as me at my peak, but not far off from my current soul!" Skydrean Ice Silkworm exclaimed, immediately helping Tianlin defend his spiritual sea.
With its help, plus his million-year soul bone and external bones, Tianlin wasn't seriously hurt, but his head still hurt and his swordsmanship slowed.
Qian Daoliu seized that momentary opening, flicked the Demon Sword aside with a finger, and struck Tianlin in the chest, sending him crashing into a building, which collapsed on top of him.
Gu Ran and Ning Rongrong rushed to help, but Qin Ming blocked them—there was nothing they could do. Even as a teacher, he could only watch, fists clenched in frustration.
"Xiao Tian!" Qian Renxue almost ran to help, but She Long held her back. Her grandfather was fighting Tianlin and his master—she couldn't take Tianlin's side now.
"Once a soul master reaches level 95 and above, each level up evolves the martial soul and deepens the bond with the soul master." Qian Daoliu, knowing Tianlin wasn't dead, spoke to the ruins. "At level 99, my martial soul is fully fused with me. I don't need to activate soul rings to use soul skills; there's no way you can use a time gap to defeat me."
"Don't worry about me!" Tianlin's voice came from the rubble. With a burst of soul power, he cleared away the debris, emerging unscathed.
But now he held not the Demon Sword, but the Holy Spirit Pearl.
At the last moment, he'd switched martial souls, using the Earth Pearl's soul skill to greatly enhance his defense, then activated the Holy Spirit Domain. He was only slightly injured, and his Blue Silver Emperor soul bone's healing quickly fixed that.
Qian Daoliu looked at the orb. "That's your second martial soul? Not bad. You took both my Angel's Roar and a soul power strike and came out fine."
Tianlin wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled. "Yes, Senior. You say you're fully fused with your martial soul—forgive me, but so am I, and it's innate. From the day the Holy Spirit Pearl awakened, it's been one with me."
"Now, let me show you its power! Divine Summon: Martial God! Divine Summon: Mountain God!"
Tianlin used his two strongest skills from the Holy Spirit Pearl.
The Martial God, armored and wielding the Purgatory Blade; the Mountain God, shirtless and carrying a mountain—both radiated terrifying auras.