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Zhang Jin's power suit's mechanical voice proclaimed after the question was asked. This AI was very basic so it had no advanced appraisal system like the one Zhang Dong had himself. The old man still couldn't get used to this strange treasure, was there a person trapped in it, or was it some kind of soul that was talking to him?
Yang Kai was glowing in a reddish light, a copious number of souls shoot out from his gem and started surrounding his own body. The souls started screaming out and pouring into the man's orifices like his mouth and ears as if they wanted to be one with him. Their high pitched shrieks were even heard by people outside the arena, the loud sound causing them to tremble in fear.
This wasn't for the faint of heart as Yang Kai's body started bulging out, his muscles expanded and his veins were popping out as if he was ready to explode. The more souls that he absorbed the paler his face got, this wasn't all though as suddenly his body started to turn transparent. It was as if his body was flickering in and out of existence as it switched between the material and the immaterial plane.
"W-what is that technique..."
Zhang Jin shouted out while already swinging his large mace weapon forward, he produced another ranged strike of green energy that flew upwards at the man that was looking more like a ghost than a person now. The mass of Spiritual energy charged forward right at the enemy, but the moment it collided with his body it just past through it.
"How is that possible?"
Zhang Jin's attack was ineffective, it had gone through the opponent that just phased through it. Did he turn into a ghost that wasn't affected by regular spiritual attacks?
"Hahaha, no one who has seen this technique has come out alive! Behold my Phantasm Spectral Body of the Nine Hells!"
"None of your feeble techniques will work on me, but I can still harvest your soul just fine. After I'm through with you, I'll be sure to impale your body on a pole for everyone to see!"
Yang Kai cackled as he descended rapidly, his fingers expanded and turned into sickle blades. His mouth expanded as well, making him look quite grotesque, his high pitched screams being heard throughout the destroyed colosseum.
"I'll be sure to place you right next to this little bastard that spoiled my plans! You all should just die like the trashes you are!"
Zhang Jin wasn't the only person fighting around here, but the others were busy with their own battles. There were far more Dark Palm Sect elders ready to keep Huo Qiang and Feng Liena busy.
The first thing Zhang Jin did was to back off, not sure what would happen if he got scratched by those long looking fingers. While he was jumping back he made sure to kick a large rock at his opponent. Yang Kai didn't even flinch as the large boulder just flew through him not impeding his approach at all. This confirmed the old man's theory, this technique really did make the man intangible.
The two started playing a game of cat and mouse. Zhang Jin was skillfully dodging the strikes not sure about the result if he got touched by this strange ghost art. He tried attacking with some ranged attacks, but just like the previous ones they only went through the attacker without damaging him at all.
"Stop running you old bastard!"
Yang Kai was slowly losing his cool, this technique was taking a lot from him but he wasn't getting anywhere with this. The old fart was just running and he couldn't keep this up forever, he knew that he would run out of souls eventually and suffer a powerful backlash if this continued for too long. The clunky looking suit of armor that he was wearing didn't apparently make him slower in any way.
While he was thinking about his next move, he saw someone out of the corner of his eye. It was Zhang Liu that was still floating up in the air, the barrier that was covering his body was still there but could it hold against his attack?
"If you keep running... then the boy dies!"
He quickly changed his strategy and turned to the side, his body expanding in height as he looked more like a monster than human now. Zhang Jin was taken aback and quickly bolted for where his grandson was floating in the air. He had no plan whatsoever but he couldn't let this villain harm his boy.
"No, stop you fiend!"
The monster that looked like a cross of a banshee and slender man charged forward. He wasn't really aiming for the youth though, he just wanted the old fart to try defending him. When he did, he would quickly strike and perform a devastating attack to his soul.
This Phantasm Spectral Body of the Nine Hells was a special technique, it didn't really make Yang Kai stronger but it allowed him to shrug off all sorts of attacks. He was actually slightly weaker in this form, but he couldn't be harmed. His attacks didn't affect his opponent's real-life body but instead targeted their soul. It was very effective against anyone below the nascent soul level as their souls weren't strong and mostly without any protection. There were very few items and very rare arts that could apply damage to this demonic ghost technique.
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Zhang Jin arrived in front of Zhang Liu first, his armor was already enhancing his body above Yang Kai's level so this wasn't a difficult feat. The only thing that he could do was to gather up more energy and swing the person-sized mace at his opponent, maybe if he gave it his all it would deliver a devastating blow.
Yang Kai on the other side sniggered and increased his speed. He would wait for that idiot elder to do a big swing and then he would devour his soul whole. This man was quite the connoisseur that liked feeding on aged souls the most. This was also the reason that he was going after Feng Maling that had quite a delicious soul to his taste.
The ground rumbled and people in the vicinity could feel a massive amount of spiritual energy filling the area. Everyone that was fighting in the vicinity quickly jumped back, the Feng and Huo clan members followed suit.
The two people clashed, the person that turned into a monster ghost expanded even further his fingers looked like large blades that were on a collision course with the black knight's body. The person in the dark suit of armor swung his weapon in a last-ditch effort, his power suits energy reserves dropped to twenty-five percent in an instant as he infused most of it into this swing.
The resulting energy wave blasted a giant fissure into the ground that expanded forwards and to the sides making it look like the earth was parting. The surge of energy washed over Yang Kai's body but still his ghastly figure didn't feel any pain or pressure from this massive attack that carried over into the town behind him.
"You Fool! Your soul is mine!"
The large ghostly sickle like hand moved towards the old man's chest. He had made a large swing and was now unable to dodge or put his guard up. The pointy fingers nimbly cut the air towards the enemy, not going for the flesh but for what was inside of that meat suit.
"Clang..."
A strange thing happened though, the long digits instead of penetrating inside just bounced off the dark armor. Yang Kai stopped dead in his tracks, what was this thing made of that his ethereal body couldn't even penetrate was this some kind of rare spirit metal? He didn't have much time to think as he felt something hard slam him to the side, this was the same mace that Zhang Jin was carrying.
"Huh... the Qi attacks can't damage that art... but the material that this treasure is made of can?"
Zhang Jin was being super cautious when fighting this demonic cultivator that he didn't even test out if this dark metal had any special qualities. He didn't think that a simple melee attack would be better than using grand Qi attacks that could devastate the area.
Yang Kai suffered a large hit, his body started shrinking and flickering on and off as if his ghost technique was running out of juice. The Zhang elder didn't give his enemy time to recover though, he was quickly on him like white on rice. What ensued was a one-sided beatdown, the dark knight's mace pounded the Dark Palm Sect's master into the ground while loud thumping noises echoed.
"For the Zhang Clan, take this!"
No one expected this one-sided reversal, even the other elders from the Dark Palm Sect weren't able to aid their leader who was getting turned into minced meat. Zhang Jin was without mercy, he quickly pummeled Yang Kai into the ground the man was now twitching while having a hard time uttering even a single word.
"That Yang Kai lost, just like that?... was this Zhang Jin always this strong?"
Huo Qiao muttered from the side while holding another man from behind by the neck and choking the ever-loving crap out of him.
"No, it must be that strange treasure he is wearing... it made him far stronger. Young master, we should quickly withdraw while we have the chance!"
The bodyguard alerted his young master, with Zhang Jin's victory the strongest opponent was out of the way. What done was done, the only way out of this was to flee. After that they would have to think about the next step to take, but for now getting out of this city was the first thing they all had to do.
Huo Qiang was just smacking a Dark Palm Sect member around as he heard Qiao. This prompted him to look inside the ring, his eyes sparkling slightly while looking at the large obsidian suit of armor. He wasn't sure why, but he really liked the way that thing looked, if only he could get one in red was what he was thinking.
Feng Liena and Maling had rounded up the junior members from the three clans by this time. Thanks to the strides forward that all three clans had made during the two years, they were somehow able to fight off these sect elders. The EMP like attack that turned the communication jades into scrap has given them an advantage for now, but they knew that after that last blast that Zhang Jin produced everyone in the city would be alerted.
"En, we should retreat for now at the harbor, all of our clan members are gathered here. We can use the failure of the communication jades to our advantage and evade further combat!"
Feng Mailing chimed in, she then looked at the old man in the edgy black suit still surprised about how strong he was in that thing.
"You old fart, grab your clan member and let's go we don't have time!"
Zhang Jin looked to the side and nodded, he then glared down at the injured body of Yang Kai. He was battered and bruised but still alive, he just needed one good smack to finish the job.
'Can't let this guy live!'
He knew what to do as he moved his large mace above his head, aiming to cave in the Dark Palm Sect master's head with one last large swing. Letting a petty man like this live any further would be a travesty, how many people had he slain during his life already? There was no pity for people like this in this old man's heart. He poured in some spiritual energy into this last swing, the greenish glow on the mace materialized as he began swinging down for the killing blow.
The large weapon headed on a collision course with that man's head, if it connected it would turn into an overripe tomato as it burst. But just a couple of centimeters away from the target the swing came to a stop. Zhang Jin's muscles bulged as he felt like something was holding him captive. He couldn't move a muscle, adding more Qi to his armor didn't solve this problem either. The green energy dispersed into nothingness as if sucked away into the ether by something.
Zhang Jin wasn't the only person that couldn't move, every person from the Triforce alliance felt massive pressure being applied to their very being. The junior members collapsed onto the ground without any warning, the core formation elders managed to resist somewhat but still, they found themselves kneeling.
"What is this? You dare attack the Dark Palm Sect in front of this Wu Ming?"