Chapter Nine: The Combined Assault of the Soul-Suppressing Gong

"Another underestimated fellow," Ding Island calmly collected himself deep underground.

Although he’d heard tales of the Watchman’s strange and mysterious techniques even before today’s challenge, those were only rumors. Experiencing Ye Yan’s methods firsthand, he finally understood just how troublesome Ye Yan could be.

Ding Island had studied the Hundred Schools Arts and considered himself familiar with the various sects within the circle of the gifted. Yet Ye Yan’s style was utterly inscrutable. Before Ye Yan appeared, no one had ever heard of such an art—the Watchman seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

He sighed. He had never underestimated Ye Yan, yet Ye Yan’s exceptional performance still far exceeded his expectations.

But difficult as Ye Yan was, this minor setback wasn’t enough to dampen Ding Island’s fighting spirit. Having to invoke the “Earthwalking Immortal” was proof enough of his opponent’s formidability.

In truth, the real battle had only just begun, he thought.

“Earthwalking Immortal—Shadow Investigation.”

A deep blue energy flowed through Ding Island’s body, spreading like sound waves before swiftly retracting. In an instant, he pinpointed Ye Yan’s location, surprise flickering across his expression.

“He’s landed?”

Ding Island felt a sliver of confusion. If Ye Yan remained airborne, he’d have little recourse from underground. But the moment Ye Yan touched down, everything changed.

Like a fish swimming beneath the earth, Ding Island advanced silently, intending to attack from a place out of sight and reach. Just as he prepared to burst forth from the soil, he saw the corner of Ye Yan’s mouth curl into a subtle, enigmatic smile.

“Not good!”

Sensing imminent danger, Ding Island tried to withdraw. But above ground, Ye Yan suddenly lifted his foot and stomped downward with tremendous force.

Boom!

His foot struck, shattering the ground. Debris exploded outward, the world turning upside down. Ding Island, hidden below, felt his body enveloped by an immense power, dragged uncontrollably out from underground.

This was a standard technique of the Watchman called “Five Directions Tremor”—a ground-shattering stomp that unleashed a wide-area attack, destabilizing the opponent’s stance.

“How could this be…”

The instant Five Directions Tremor struck him, Ding Island felt his body seized by the force, hoisted into the air along with the flying shards of earth.

Head down, feet up, his senses reeling, Ding Island saw Ye Yan beside him, standing completely inverted, wearing a fox-like smile of cunning triumph.

“Well, well… found you.”

No unnecessary words—Ye Yan simply raised his hand, and from his sleeve shot a black shadow, aimed at Ding Island less than two meters away, then veering past his waist in an odd arc.

“Did… did he miss?”

Though his body was paralyzed, Ding Island’s mind remained clear. In the heightened “Observation” state, he noted exactly how the shadow flew by.

But how could Ye Yan have missed at such close range? He couldn’t even move—dodging was impossible.

Unless… it was deliberate?

Before Ding Island could unravel the reason, a soul-shaking clang exploded in his mind.

It wasn’t just Ding Island—anyone spectating close by felt the annihilating resonance reverberate through their souls, collapsing limply to the ground.

Majestic, weighty, pain piercing the crown. Even the world seemed to tremble.

Ding Island crashed to earth in a daze, his eyes unfocused, unable to rise for a long time.

Meanwhile, standing a dozen meters away, Old Horse, holding the Soul Calming Gong and catching the powerful strike of the Soul Shattering Hammer, let his misty body ripple—clearly affected by the blow.

“Combined Assault: Soul Calming Gong.”

The monster wields the bronze gong, striking it with the Soul Shattering Hammer, inflicting soul loss and area damage to nearby enemies. But the monster suffers injury as well.

“It’s over.”

Ye Yan exhaled softly. Having overwhelmed Ding Island, he didn’t bother to finish him off, simply waited quietly nearby. This was a duel, not a fight to the death—once here, it was enough to stop.

Anyone struck by the Combined Assault: Soul Calming Gong would enter a brief soul-loss state, the duration varying by the opponent’s strength.

For someone of Ding Island’s level, two seconds at most.

But for the strong, even a single second can overturn the outcome of a battle.

Thus—

Ye Yan had won.

Habitually, he tucked a cigarette between his lips, his gaze sweeping through the darkness. After such a battle, the arena looked freshly plowed, riddled with pits and scattered rubble.

Victorious, and convincingly so.

Smoking, Ye Yan was in high spirits.

He held Ding Island in high regard—a martial fanatic, a true warrior, refined in his techniques, unlike those old men in the circle who lorded over their positions but accomplished nothing.

Uncommon bearing.

Two heroes, their reputations well earned.

As Ye Yan drifted in thought, Ding Island, who had been sprawled on the ground and dazed, managed to struggle upright. Though his limbs were still weak and his gaze unfocused, he regained control of his body.

“I lost…”

His first words upon rising.

A hint of frustration in his tone, but his admission was forthright and candid.

“Thank you for the match, Brother Ding.”

Ding Island sighed, “No need for formalities—lost is lost. You won fair and square, and I accept it wholeheartedly.”

With that, he sat cross-legged, rubbing his aching head.

Then he asked, “That final sound you used to defeat me—what was it?”

Though he knew he’d lost, Ding Island didn’t understand how Ye Yan had bested him.

“The Combined Assault: Soul Calming Gong and Five Directions Tremor are both the Watchman’s secret techniques,” Ye Yan explained simply.

Ding Island marveled, “So the black shadow you threw was deliberately off-target?”

“Exactly,” Ye Yan smiled. “You challenged me for a friendly spar—no need to make a mess of things. If it were a fight to the death, that Soul Calming Gong would have landed right on you…”

“After all, you know me—though I may lack distinctive traits, when it comes to throwing sacks and using dirty tricks, I never hold back…”

Ding Island: “…”

“Of course, I had the advantage this time. If it were broad daylight, defeating you wouldn’t have been nearly so easy…”