Soul Land IV (Douluo Dalu) : Ultimate Fighting-Chapter 1384: Are You Looking for Me?

But at this moment, retreat was no longer an option for him. He let out a thunderous roar, his battle qi exploding outward as his figure suddenly froze in mid-air. The heavy sword in his hands began to descend slowly, carving a deliberate arc. As this strike was unleashed, the aura surrounding him erupted to its absolute peak. Within his Sky Horse Battle Qi, one could vaguely hear the sound of resounding explosions.

The descending heavy sword gave off a sensation of immense weight, as though the entire world was poised to shatter under its force—Sky Horse Wave-Cutting Slash!

This was one of the Sky Horse Clan’s most formidable techniques. When cultivated to perfection, it could cleave through space and strike down warships from hundreds of miles away.

By continuously compressing his Sky Horse Battle Qi to the absolute limit his body could withstand, he unleashed it all in a single moment. For someone of Gao Yiyang’s cultivation, executing this technique was equivalent to a life-risking Sacrifice Strike.

"Boom—" A massive light blade erupted instantly, illuminating the sky with blinding brilliance. The previously darkened First Arena, shrouded earlier by the light-devouring presence of Lan Xuanyu, regained its radiance. The light blade, moving almost instantaneously as though bypassing space itself, descended upon Lan Xuanyu. It seemed as though the Golden Dragon Princess hadn’t even had the time to defend.

Waves upon waves, breaking forth in an instant. The speed of its traversal through space left no room for reaction. The Sky Horse Wave-Cutting Slash was not just colossally powerful but also incomparably swift. When Gao Yiyang executed this strike, it was as though his very essence, spirit, and energy had been drained. Yet when he saw that the Golden Dragon Princess hadn’t even attempted to dodge, an involuntary smile of relief surfaced on his blood-drained face. His goal had already been achieved.

He was confident—no matter how formidable the Golden Dragon Princess’s defensive power, there was simply no way she could withstand his Sky Horse Wave-Cutting Slash with her physical body. That was simply impossible...

The moment this thought crossed his mind, his gaze suddenly froze. To his utter disbelief, the domineering and fearsome vision of the Golden Dragon Princess, hurtling toward him and seemingly struck down by his slash, dissipated like a fragile bubble. The terrifying power of the Sky Horse Wave-Cutting Slash swept past harmlessly and collided violently against the far-off protective shield of the First Arena.

At that moment, the protective shield—jointly reinforced by four God Rank powerhouses of the Sky Horse Clan—shuddered violently. Miraculously, it remained unbroken.

"Looking for me?" A cold voice rang out from behind and to the side. Gao Yiyang spun around abruptly, but all he could feel was an icy chill.

The freezing touch of the Ice Demon Dragon Spear pierced through his chest. Lan Xuanyu had appeared at this position without anyone knowing when. The lightning-fast, flickering spear glow was utterly beyond what Gao Yiyang’s armor could defend against. Having wagered everything on his attack, he’d completely forsaken even his instinct for self-defense, and now he could only watch helplessly as his body was impaled.

It’s over. Am I... dying?

As this thought surfaced in his mind, his body suddenly felt weightless. He was sent flying horizontally, directly in Li Menglong’s direction. Even his wound showed no signs of bleeding, as it had been entirely frozen.

The battle was over. The arena was utterly silent.

In the eyes of the strong, this was a match resolved with astonishing ease. Was Gao Yiyang truly so lacking in skill, unable to even manage a proper exchange in combat?

To the sharp-eyed observers, this was clearly not the case. The swiftness of the battle’s conclusion, which left Gao Yiyang unable to even cause any noticeable consumption on his opponent, came down to one crucial reason—his mind had been overwhelmed before the fight even began.

When confronted with the overpowering aura emanating from Lan Xuanyu, he had already displayed a tinge of timidity. Combined with the crushing bloodline suppression Lan Xuanyu exuded, his only impulse had been to complete his assigned task as quickly as possible. As a result, his attempt to lock onto his opponent with the Sky Horse Wave-Cutting Slash failed utterly—his target had used an illusion to replace their true body, shattering the lock in an instant.

Had he steadied himself, he might at least have prolonged the battle. But as his composure dissolved into chaos, the outcome became inevitable.

Two battles, two victories. The Golden Dragon Princess wasted no time, achieving swift victories in two consecutive matches. It was clear to all that "her" current state was at peak form, entirely unaffected by yesterday’s battle.

In fact, the power she exhibited at this moment seemed even stronger than the day prior.

Neither Xing Haotian nor Li Menglong could hide their bewildered expressions. Yesterday’s Golden Dragon Princess had already been overwhelmingly powerful—how could she have grown even stronger today? Was this reasonable? No, it was simply too unreasonable!

Especially Xing Haotian, who found himself haunted by a peculiar sense of injustice. Why hadn’t she killed the Sky Horse Clan combatant? Why only kill those from the Eight-Armed Demon God Clan?

If he voiced this question to Lan Xuanyu, the honest answer would be simple: because the Sky Horse Clan was of no particular value to her, while the Divine Demon Core possessed by the Eight-Armed Demon God Clan contained vast destructive energy that could aid in her cultivation. Thus, they were the ones she targeted.

Of course, on the surface, the explanation was just as straightforward. If the Eight-Armed Demon Gods arrived intending to unleash suicidal attacks, employing mutually-destructive tactics, why shouldn’t she retaliate by killing them?

Even the Eight-Armed Demon God King couldn’t find fault with this, given such self-sacrificial tactics left no room for complaint.

Two consecutive wins dazzled the audience, while the atmosphere in the waiting zones grew subtly tense.

The other clans grew increasingly eager to forge an alliance with the Dragon Clan—particularly with a powerhouse like the Golden Dragon Princess. However, when they saw thirty Heaven Nourishing Crystal Stones deposited into the payment bucket, they understood that the Sky Horse Clan and the Eight-Armed Demon God Clan were dead set on their claims. There would be no room for others to compete. To say this didn’t ignite frustration and resentment would be a lie. Especially after the unification development summit of the Dragon Horse Star System the day prior, every major race harbored their own brewing discontent.

Now, watching Lan Xuanyu crush two powerhouses in succession brought them a sense of vindictive delight. The glances they shot toward Li Menglong and Xing Haotian brimmed with schadenfreude.

Someone glanced toward Li Menglong, their gaze seeming to ask, what now?

Li Menglong’s mouth twitched slightly. What should we do now? You’re asking me? What can we even do?

The current situation left only one option: to grit their teeth and press forward. The Heaven Nourishing Crystal Stones deposited in the payment bucket couldn’t be reclaimed. To concede now would mean an enormous loss.

Thus, the look Li Menglong shot back at Xing Haotian was one of grim resolve and fierce determination.

A silent exchange of glances, and both understood—they had no choice but to see this battle through to the end.

As the second combatant from the Eight-Armed Demon God Clan prepared to ascend the stage, a sudden streak of light flashed through the air, dropping into the payment bucket atop the First Arena.

Hm?

The stark movement caught everyone’s attention immediately, drawing all eyes toward the location.

Amidst the crowd—who had thrown in the Heaven Nourishing Crystal Stone? Li Menglong and Xing Haotian failed to locate the culprit at first, as the powerful figures of the other clans conveniently closed ranks to block their view.

Li Menglong and Xing Haotian’s expressions darkened instantly. Depositing thirty Heaven Nourishing Crystal Stones was meant to deter other clans and secure dominance over upcoming matches. Theoretically, thirty matches should be more than enough to monopolize the arena. So what was the meaning of this? This was blatant provocation!

The message was clear: even if the two clans fought through thirty matches, they wouldn’t win—and they wouldn’t have enough time either. With time on their side, others would still have a shot.

For someone to squander a Heaven Nourishing Crystal Stone for such a ploy, they were doubtless one of the Ten Major Races. Whether the tactic succeeded or not, it was enough to thoroughly irritate the Sky Horse Clan and the Eight-Armed Demon God Clan. Even a figure as calculating as Li Menglong couldn’t help but look grim.

The second Eight-Armed Demon God ascended the stage, his gaze toward Lan Xuanyu now laden with wariness.

Though the Eight-Armed Demon Gods were unafraid of death and possessed extraordinary self-sacrificial resolve, battle was their instinct and slaughter their passion. Even so, they weren’t about to charge to their deaths meaninglessly!