Chapter 1151: Three Techniques at Once
From the collision of Remnant Moon and the bone blade to the bone blade’s thunderous shattering, a total of four deafening roars erupted during this process. The collision between Remnant Moon and the blade qi, followed by the shattering of the blade qi, produced two thunderous bangs. The subsequent collision between Remnant Moon and the bone blade itself, and then the shattering of the bone blade, unleashed another two thunderous bangs.
Each thunderous bang unleashed a powerful shockwave. Yang Haoran's position, directly beneath the impact of Remnant Moon and the bone blade, subjected him to the most intense force.
Facing the powerful shockwaves from above, Yang Haoran's Death God attire billowed noisily in the turbulent air. Yet, his body remained unyielding against this force, hovering in the air as motionless as an ancient, deep-rooted tree.
While his body stayed still, Yang Haoran's hands began to move. As Remnant Moon shot forth from the Yin Qi by his side, he didn't cast his gaze towards the collision above, for in his heart, the outcome was already settled.
Knowing the outcome, why bother looking? He merely controlled Remnant Moon with his mind, seizing the opportunity to rapidly form hand seals.
Previously, he had only faced the heavily injured Cold Yue and her Guardian Spirit. Thus, apart from mentally controlling his two Soul Armaments, he hadn't performed hand seals to unleash a Ghost Art.
However, now he faced two Grand Spirit Masters and their Guardian Spirits, both of whom, along with their Guardian Spirits, were unexpended and uninjured before joining the fray. Their condition was worlds apart from Cold Yue's. The same methods effective against Cold Yue might not suffice against these two, which was why he decided to form hand seals and unleash a Ghost Art.
Of course, if Yang Haoran were to unleash his full power, he might still be able to defeat the two even without resorting to Ghost Arts. However, he temporarily wished not to expose his true strength, especially in this current situation.
Furthermore, in his view, holding back some strength and concealing certain techniques outweighed the risks of full exposure. Thus, he believed it best to reveal as little of his true power as possible.
Yang Haoran's hand seal formation was exceptionally swift, his fingers rapidly shifting, leaving streaks of afterimages in their wake. As the bone blade exploded, his hand seals concluded.
“Ghost Art, Ghost Fiend Soul Chain! ”
The first Ghost Art Yang Haoran unleashed was his frequently used Ghost Fiend Soul Chain. One reason for choosing this particular Ghost Art was its immense power; furthermore, among Ghost Arts of comparable might, it consumed relatively less Spirit Power. Another reason was his deep familiarity with the technique, having performed it numerous times, allowing him to swiftly complete the hand seals and successfully cast it in a very short time.
As Yang Haoran's faint voice echoed, the space immediately fluctuated violently. Numerous ghostly chains appeared, some materializing from thin air, others bursting from the ground. A bone-chilling spectral laughter reverberated through the area, followed by an immediate assault on the lanky man and his companions.
Simultaneously, the dark clouds shattered by the bone blade swiftly re-formed above. After shattering the bone blade, Remnant Moon did not linger, but immediately turned, transforming into a streak of black light and shooting towards the eyepatch woman.
This scene unfolding before them caused the eyepatch woman and the lanky man's expressions to drastically change. They had not anticipated Yang Haoran's reaction to be so swift, successfully unleashing a powerful Ghost Art in such a short span of time.
What astonished them even more was that Yang Haoran was simultaneously employing three techniques: mentally controlling two Soul Armaments while also forming hand seals to cast a Ghost Art. Had they not witnessed it firsthand, they truly wouldn't have dared to believe Yang Haoran possessed such an ability, nor would they have been willing to.
Naturally, they also wished Yang Haoran did not possess such capabilities. However, whether they dared not believe or were unwilling to, the facts were undeniably before them, leaving them no choice but to accept.
Yang Haoran's previous dual tasking of controlling two Soul Armaments had already greatly surprised the two. Now, with Yang Haoran simultaneously employing three techniques, their surprise had escalated beyond mere astonishment; it was outright shock.
Nevertheless, despite their shock, the two's reactions were not slow. Facing the incoming Soul Armaments and ghostly chains, they immediately counterattacked.
From the moment they intervened in the battle between Yang Haoran and Cold Yue, the two had been on the defensive. This was because they sought to preserve Cold Yue's life, whereas Yang Haoran had relentlessly aimed to kill her, his assault on Cold Yue never ceasing. This continuous offensive had kept the two in a passive position since they joined the fight.
Subsequently, the eyepatch woman's bone blade had torn through the dark clouds formed by Black Lightning and directly threatened Yang Haoran's vital point. The lanky man had also successfully applied a spiritual shield to Cold Yue. The two had believed the situation would reverse, allowing them to shift from passive to active. Yet, they had never imagined Yang Haoran's reaction would be so swift, his attacks linking one after another, giving them no opportunity to turn the tide. Thus, even now, Yang Haoran remained the aggressor, while the two could only passively defend and search for opportunities to counterattack.
After the shattered dark clouds reformed, Black Lightning once again continuously unleashed black bolts of lightning to strike the targets below. The Soul Armament, Remnant Moon, also launched a fierce assault on the eyepatch woman under Yang Haoran's mental control. Coupled with the numerous ghostly chains conjured by Yang Haoran's Ghost Art, Ghost Fiend Soul Chain, these offensive methods were not only powerful but also considerable in number. This couldn't help but make the eyepatch woman and the lanky man inwardly lament their predicament.
To withstand Yang Haoran's fierce and powerful offensive, the eyepatch woman and the lanky man also pulled out all the stops. To buy themselves enough time to form hand seals and cast Spiritual Arts, they even resorted to using their treasured talismans.
As the great battle commenced, Yin winds howled, talismanic light blazed, and spectral wails filled the air. Deafening roars echoed ceaselessly, and this clash between the two sides was far more intense, more astonishing, and more visually impactful than the recent struggle between Yang Haoran and Cold Yue.
The eyepatch woman and the lanky man had also considered leaving the strike zone covered by the dark clouds. That way, they would at least no longer face the threat posed by the black lightning, and with one less powerful threat, confronting Yang Haoran would be considerably easier for them.
However, they did not do so. It wasn't that they had absolute confidence in their own strength, believing that being under the dark clouds wouldn't hinder their ability to deal with Yang Haoran. Rather, it was because if they left the strike zone covered by the dark clouds, Yang Haoran, who was beneath the clouds, would also fall outside their own strike range. Not to mention that not all of their methods could strike Yang Haoran; the vast majority would be useless, and those that could be used would have little impact on him.
If they were to flee the strike zone covered by the dark clouds merely to evade the black lightning unleashed by Black Lightning, then harming Yang Haoran would become exceedingly difficult. This battle would then hold no meaning for them, as their primary objective was never to save their own lives, but to eliminate Yang Haoran. Capturing Yang Haoran alive would, of course, be even better, but if they couldn't even harm him, the battle would lose all purpose.
Furthermore, even if they chose to escape the area covered by the dark clouds, it was unlikely Yang Haoran would simply allow them to do so. After all, neither of them knew if the coverage of these dark clouds could expand or shift. If both were possible, then their evasion would not only be meaningless but would also render their situation even more passive.
Therefore, neither of the two fled the area covered by the dark clouds. Although they had not communicated about it, their choices were identical: to confront Yang Haoran's Soul Armament, Black Lightning, head-on.
Though the lightning unleashed by Black Lightning was numerous and rapid, both were perfectly aware of one thing: this attack method would undoubtedly consume a significant amount of Yang Haoran's Spirit Power. In a sense, this was a good thing for them, because the more Spirit Power Yang Haoran expended, and the faster he expended it, the sooner he would enter a weakened state, making it much easier to deal with him then.
Indeed, that was the case. Although Yang Haoran was currently unharmed, his Spirit Power had significantly diminished. After all, continuously controlling Black Lightning to unleash black bolts of lightning also consumed a corresponding amount of Spirit Power. The faster the frequency and the greater the number released, the more it drained him. Therefore, up to this point, he had indeed expended a considerable amount of Spirit Power.
If he were to continue controlling Black Lightning to madly unleash black lightning in this manner, his Spirit Power would indeed be completely depleted eventually, at which point he would likely be at the mercy of his opponents. However, given Yang Haoran's modus operandi, how could he possibly allow such a scenario to truly unfold? For he currently held quite a few Soul Pills, which could promptly replenish his Spirit Power. If the Pure Yin Qi continuously released by one Soul Pill proved insufficient, he could simply take another, or even several more, always able to quickly compensate for the Spirit Power consumption.
Therefore, Yang Haoran had never worried about the rapid consumption of Spirit Power. Since there was a solution to this issue, he dared to unleash black lightning with such reckless abandon and high frequency.
The lanky man's Guardian Spirit had previously been shattered by Remnant Moon. Although it hadn't suffered Soul Transformation as a result, it was severely wounded. Given its peak Evil Spirit realm, to be struck by Yang Haoran's Soul Armament, Remnant Moon, and not suffer Soul Transformation was an immense stroke of luck.
And now, as this Guardian Spirit had just managed to re-coalesce its Spirit Body, it was met with an attack from a ghostly chain. If it were in its peak condition, it could indeed handle a single ghostly chain. But with its Spirit Body severely wounded, and having only just re-formed, it found itself outmatched against the ghostly chain. Even though it faced only one, it still fell into a disadvantaged position.
Meanwhile, his master, the lanky man, was similarly in a disadvantageous position, forced to retreat step by step by Yang Haoran's assault. In terms of strength, the lanky man was certainly more powerful than his Guardian Spirit, and by more than a little. However, precisely because of this, Yang Haoran paid him far more attention than his Guardian Spirit. He not only faced the continuous offensive and harassment of several ghostly chains but also had to dodge the black lightning constantly descending from above. Therefore, his current plight was not much better than that of his Guardian Spirit.
Given the lanky man's initial Grand Spirit Master realm, his strength was actually quite formidable. However, he had encountered Yang Haoran, and both of Yang Haoran's Soul Armaments were offensive, making offense his strong suit. Unless he could interrupt Yang Haoran's assault, if he continued to be attacked like this, he would undoubtedly be the one to suffer, not Yang Haoran.
Of course, the lanky man also wished to interrupt Yang Haoran's offensive and launch a counterattack. Unfortunately, Yang Haoran gave him no such opportunity, nor did he possess the absolute power to overwhelm Yang Haoran's assault. Thus, he could only sullenly defend and dodge, remaining in a passive state. In a short period, he had even sustained considerable injuries.
In contrast, the situation of the eyepatch woman and her Guardian Spirit was considerably better than that of the lanky man and his Guardian Spirit. This was because the eyepatch woman's strength surpassed the lanky man's; although her power fluctuations were slightly weaker than Yang Haoran's, her strength had, after all, reached the mid-Grand Spirit Master realm, making her not much weaker than Yang Haoran in comparison.
Moreover, the eyepatch woman's Guardian Spirit possessed formidable strength; its Ghost King realm power was utterly incomparable to a peak Evil Spirit. Coupled with the seamless coordination between it and the eyepatch woman, the master and servant pair did not fall into a disadvantaged position when facing Yang Haoran's fierce assault.
It's worth noting that the pressure the eyepatch woman and her Guardian Spirit faced at this moment was far greater than what the lanky man endured. This was because the master and servant pair not only had to contend with more ghostly chains but also the constantly descending black lightning from above. In addition to the threats posed by these two attacks, they also had to face the assault of the Soul Armament, Remnant Moon. Therefore, the pressure they endured was far beyond what the lanky man and his Guardian Spirit could compare to. For the master and servant pair to not fall into a disadvantageous position under such circumstances, both their individual strength and their tacit cooperation were indispensable.
As for Cold Yue's Guardian Spirit, its current state and predicament were the worst, even slightly worse than the lanky man's Guardian Spirit. This was because it had already been nearly struck to the point of Soul Transformation by Yang Haoran, and had only just managed to escape the suction of the Soul-Gathering Bead and successfully re-coalesce its physical body. Before it could even catch its breath or escape this combat zone, the battle had reignited.
Coincidentally, it was located in the same area as the eyepatch woman, and Yang Haoran's assault on the eyepatch woman was the fiercest. This resulted in the residual shockwaves from the battle between the two sides having a significant impact on it.
If it were in its peak condition, with its Ghost King strength, it naturally wouldn't have cared about such minor residual shockwaves. But the problem was that at this moment, it had been tormented to the brink of death by Yang Haoran, utterly incomparable to its peak. Under these circumstances, the residual shockwaves generated by the battle between the two sides had an extremely strong impact on it; a slight lapse in attention could even lead to its Soul Transformation.
At this moment, the fear in its heart was no longer just a tiny bit as it had been before. Due to the constant threat of Soul Transformation, its inner dread had expanded infinitely. To avoid truly suffering the fate of Soul Transformation, it, clinging to its inner fear, retreated backward while dodging the residual shockwaves of the fierce battle, seeking to escape this combat zone.
It dared not retreat towards Cold Yue's position below, for doing so would only further attract Yang Haoran's attention. After all, both it and Cold Yue were currently in a weakened state; gathering together would be akin to inviting concentrated fire. Yang Haoran would, in all likelihood, not miss this excellent opportunity to take down both master and servant in one go. If it were him, he would do the same, even if it meant sustaining some injury or paying a small price.
Therefore, for the sake of safety, it decided to stay away from Cold Yue, not to gather with her. In its view, this was the most rational approach.
“Yang Haoran, if you have no stronger techniques to unleash, then this battle today, you are destined to lose, and it won't be long before you reach that point! ”
The eyepatch woman unleashed Spiritual Power, sending the incoming Remnant Moon flying. Immediately after, she blasted out a palm strike, shattering a ghostly chain. Then, with a cold smirk on her face, she simultaneously dealt with another incoming ghostly chain and coldly sneered at Yang Haoran.
As she had not fallen into a disadvantaged position, and was even slowly gaining the upper hand, the eyepatch woman's heart at this moment held no fear; instead, it brimmed with confidence.
The main purpose behind her words at this moment was to provoke and challenge Yang Haoran, to make him employ stronger methods and expend more Spirit Power. As long as she could withstand it, then in her view, Yang Haoran would be at her mercy.
“Hehe, our Underworld Office's Ghost Arts are countless, incomparable to your Spirit Masters' Spiritual Arts. Since you are so eager to witness even stronger methods, how could I possibly refuse you? ”
Yang Haoran spoke with a faint smile, and as his voice fell, his hands once again formed seals. Although these hand seals were not awkward, they were nowhere near as swift as when he had just unleashed Ghost Fiend Soul Chain.
Upon seeing Yang Haoran truly preparing to unleash a stronger method, the eyepatch woman couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised by his decision. She didn't believe Yang Haoran hadn't realized her words were a deliberate provocation.
However, her cold smirk deepened a few moments later, for Yang Haoran's decision perfectly aligned with her intentions. After all, this was precisely the outcome she desired.
“Hmph, it seems you're quite confident in your next technique. Fine, I'll see what tricks you can pull! ”
The eyepatch woman snorted coldly and spoke, then mobilized even more Spiritual Power. While defending against Remnant Moon and the black lightning, she also launched a lethal strike against the incoming ghostly chains, for she had to clear all these annoying ghostly chains before Yang Haoran could successfully complete his hand seals.
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