The +10 effect of the Flame-edge Bracer: When blocking, there is a 9% chance of absorbing and converting the attack power of the blocked attack into the user’s next attack. There is a duration of three seconds and would not convert any attack power that exceeds the equipment’s defense.
Bai Yunfei had only planned on using the Flame-edge Bracer to block the icicles, but he didn’t expect to have the +10 effect activate. A chilling sensation was absorbed into his bracer before traveling into his right arm and filling him with power. Unwilling to waste this precious chance, Bai Yunfei urged some soulforce into his feet and pushed off against the ground to immediately charge at Zhao Xiluo. His right fist clenched tightly before releasing a straightforward punch onto his chest.
A puzzled look flashed across Zhao Xiluo’s eyes, but he didn’t move to evade the strike. Instead, he took a half step back with his left foot and dropped his left arm down with his palm facing up while the right arm was moved up with the palm facing down. His arms were positioned as if he expected Bai Yunfei’s punch to enter the middle, but his arms were not there to protect the chest.
Both of his hands swirled around an imaginary center around it, causing a blue fog to start to appear and condense in the middle. Soon enough, a sphere around the size of a fist had materialized in between.
Bai Yunfei’s fist had pa.s.sed through the blue sphere almost as quickly as it appeared and caused the power of his fist to weaken noticeably. The sphere itself felt as if it were made of some sort of sticky liquid, but there was a feeling of his power being drained away. The deeper his fist sunk in, the stronger this draining force felt. As soon as the fist made it three inches deep, Bai Yunfei had felt the power in his fist already drop by a third. And the sphere itself had turned from a mist into a sphere of water with time. In a flash, the bright blue sphere created by Zhao Xiluo had formed between his hands had already covered the entire right fist of Bai Yunfei.
One second!
In a single second, the power behind Bai Yunfei’s fist had been reduced to about half of its original strength, He could distinctly feel that the sphere itself was rapidly becoming like ice, and if he didn’t hurry, then his entire right arm would be frozen by it!
The corners to Bai Yunfei’s lips quirked in unease when he saw just how carefree Zhao Xiluo looked. At the same time, he let out a grunt and turned his right arm as much as he could.
Two seconds!
“Boom!”
A dazzling red light suddenly appeared from Bai Yunfei’s right arm and sliced apart the sphere of water with a streak of fire. Under the wide-open eyes of everyone else, the water had exploded into every direction and evaporated into several streams of vapor and faded away from sight.
Three seconds!
And under Zhao Xiluo’s startled eyes, Bai Yunfei’s bright red fist had slammed against Zhao Xiluo’s left shoulder.
“Bang!”
Zhao Xiluo took six staggering steps backwards, but with each stagger, the ground beneath him fractured under the pressure of his weight almost as if some sort of tremendous weight was being delivered from his shoulder down. Astonishment flooded Zhao Xiluo’s eyes when he felt the bones in his shoulder seem to start to fracture–Even though the punch had been weakened by several degrees, it was still enough to cause harm to a Middle-stage Soul Ancestor like him. And this punch had been delivered to him by a Late-stage Soul Sprite!
He hadn’t been defending with his entire strength due to his shock of course, but because of this sudden development, he could only look at Bai Yunfei with a new light.
Zhao Xiluo had only just lifted his head up after receiving a boosted Ninefold Fist Force when he saw that Bai Yunfei had already chased up to him with a second strike ready to slam into him!
Narrowing his eyes with concentration, Zhao Xiluo chose not to evade again and sent out an equally strong right punch.
“Bang!”
When the two fists collided, a faint red and blue clash of light exploded from the fists. Zhao Xiluo had been forced to take another two light steps back while Bai Yunfei had faltered five steps back.
Overtaken by adrenaline to continue fighting, Bai Yunfei gave two shakes of his body to steady himself before sending some soulforce to his right arm. With a gentle shake of it to stabilize his right arm, Bai Yunfei prepared himself to attack again.
But just as Bai Yunfei took a single step forward, Zhao Xiluo smiled and waved his hands to say, “Haha, that’s enough. We don’t need to fight anymore.”
The elemental water that had been prevalent in the area had dissipated along with his soulforce, reinforcing the fact that Zhao Xiluo was done with comparing pointers.
Bai Yunfei’s breathing had been hitched as a result from the backlash of the soulforce. Stopping in front of Zhao Xiluo, his face had been rather unsatisfied– “Are you mistaken? We only just warmed up and you’re done? Are you joking?”
He had really wanted to say, “I’m not satisfied yet, let’s go at it again!”.
But with so many people looking and even Zhao Xiluo smiling at him with the intent to stop fighting, Bai Yunfei could only restrain his soulforce reluctantly and without a word.
“Nephew Xiluo, what do you mean by this? Lord Bai is an honored guest of my house, what reason do you have to suddenly attack him?” Ye Ting strode to Bai Yunfei’s side with furrowed eyebrows to stare at the transgressor. His aura as an Early-stage Soul Ancestor was beginning to leak out, and his voice conveyed an unhappy tone to it.
“Haha! Uncle Ye, please quell your anger. I had no ill intentions at all. But seeing just how a youngster like brother Bai was able to become a Late-stage Soul Sprite, I had only wished to compare notes with him, that’s all.” Zhao Xiluo clasped his hands together apologetically. “Brother Bai is by all rights a natural prodigy. Not only is his talent strong, his fighting capabilities aren’t inferior to it. I can’t help but admire such a strength.”
Bai Yunfei’s lips quirked upwards as he thought to himself, “It was only two moves. I didn’t even get to use my other upgraded equipment, how could you possibly see how strong I was?”
Ignoring the fact that they were ‘comparing notes’, Bai Yunfei questioned him, “Then, going by what sir Zhao said, you’ve heard of me from someone else? Whom might that be?”
“Haha, there’s no need for you to be so suspicious, brother Bai. To be honest, it was senior You Qingfeng from the Wood School. On my way back, I came to meet him by accident and he told me about you, brother Bai and how you might be pa.s.sing by Gaoyi City. Uncle Liu told me that you’d be here at the Ye, so I decided that on my way here today I may as well see the young prodigy that senior You had in such high regards.” Zhao Xiluo explained.
“Senior You….” The coldness on Bai Yunfei’s face melted away along with his suspicions. Nodding his head, he spoke, “I see now, I didn’t think that big brother Zhao would be acquaintances with senior You….”
“Ah, senior You forced me to pa.s.s on a message should I meet you saying that if you have the chance, you should go see the Wood School. He’s brought a little girl named Chu Yuhe with her, is that your sworn sister?”
“Yuhe was brought to the Wood School?” Bai Yunfei was taken back, but he nodded his head nonetheless. “Is that right? Thank you for pa.s.sing on this message then, big brother Zhao.”
“Haha, I see now. Nephew Xiluo, you scared this old man half to death! I had thought that lord Bai and you had a grudge of some sort!” Ye Ting laughed before turning to the other people around him, “What are you all doing standing around? Hurry up and escort our guests to the receiving room.” He laughed.
Zhao Xiluo shook his head, “My apologies, but since I’ve accomplished what needs to be done today, I’ll need to return home to take care of a few matters. I’ll be taking my leave today, perhaps we can establish another day in the future to pay a visit again, uncle Ye.”