"The difficulty of combining Star Martial Skills lies merely in multitasking Star Power manipulation and comprehending the principles of the Star Martial Skills. The so-called notion that those below the Galaxy Stage cannot master them is just an excuse used by those of mediocre talent to gloss over their inadequacies. Some people are simply born capable of skipping this process, aren't they?"

Since he had already displayed a compound Star Martial Skill, Mu Shaoyun stopped pretending.

In an instant, his body crouched sharply, his palm pressed against the ground. The earth beneath his feet suddenly surged like the ocean's surface.

The ground under Wang Lan's feet instantly turned into a quagmire. The surrounding quagmire suddenly came to life, extending countless tendrils to stab at Wang Lan.

Electric arcs flashed around Wang Lan, and the pulling force beneath his feet dissipated under the onslaught of electricity. Wang Lan's Thunder Sword swept out, severing the quagmire tendrils around him.

But the tendrils seemed endless. If this continued, Wang Lan would eventually be worn down by the prolonged battle. Suddenly, Wang Lan's figure blurred, and a dense, seemingly infinite mass of afterimages appeared around him.

All the spectators who witnessed this scene couldn't help but gape in utter astonishment.

"Holy shit—"

It wasn't that Wang Lan's clones were particularly strong or difficult to comprehend; rather, their bizarrely relentless nature rendered the audience speechless. Layers upon layers of afterimages, each seemingly capable of attack. With a flicker, a large swath of quagmire tendrils around Wang Lan was cleared away.

Instantly, Wang Lan leaped up and pointed at Mu Shaoyun in the distance.

"Messenger Bird—"

From Wang Lan's fingertips, thunderous arrows shot out in rapid succession. In the void, the arrows transformed into Thunder Snakes, which then suddenly burst apart. Ten Thunder Snakes became a hundred small, flapping, thunderous birds.

They assaulted Mu Shaoyun from all directions like an encompassing net.

Mu Shaoyun, who was about to manipulate the quagmire for another attack, was forced to halt his actions. He raised a wall of mud before him to defend against Wang Lan's strike.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Electric arcs exploded, and the mud wall was bombarded, sending mud splattering everywhere. Mu Shaoyun's eyes instantly turned cold.

Wang Lan's strength far exceeds my expectations. He only just broke through from the peak of the Star Shine Stage to the early Star Cloud Stage. So why does it feel like he's as difficult to handle as someone breaking through from the pinnacle of Star Cloud to the Galaxy Stage? His skills are powerful, and his Star Power seems as inexhaustible as a bottomless pit.

The wave of bombardment finally dissipated. Mu Shaoyun cracked open an observation slit in the dark crystal barrier before him. With just one glance, his eyes widened completely.

An arrow, formed by Wang Lan from combined fire and thunder attributes, had taken the shape of a diving phoenix and was heading straight for him. The moment Mu Shaoyun saw it, the phoenix had already reached his face, engulfing his entire field of vision.

BOOM!—

The seemingly indestructible dark crystal barrier shattered instantly. Flames engulfed Mu Shaoyun's world. The power of this arrow is already at the Galaxy Stage level! If this isn't enough to win, am I even human?

I understand now, Wang Lan thought. I can't afford to get entangled with Mu Shaoyun. His combat intellect is too high; a prolonged engagement will likely lead me into one of his traps. My advantage is firepower. I have to decide this with overwhelming offensive power!

HUMMM—

The expected explosion didn't occur. Within the sea of fire, a distortion suddenly appeared, followed by a void that opened up amid the flames, like a space torn apart by a black hole.

The void grew larger and larger, swallowing all the flames. From its center, a figure slowly emerged.

Mu Shaoyun, after enduring such a terrifying strike from Wang Lan, walked out completely unharmed.

Suddenly, Mu Shaoyun's body turned a glazed amber color, resembling a human-shaped container filled with iridescent light. Brilliant flames erupted around this figure, with electric arcs dancing amidst them.

Wang Lan immediately retreated to a safe distance. In an instant, a phoenix formed from a thunder-and-fire arrow burst forth from Mu Shaoyun's body, appearing right before Wang Lan in a flash.

How is this possible! Wang Lan's expression changed drastically. His figure flickered, and he narrowly avoided the attack.

BOOM!—

The arena's protective barrier rippled violently from the impact, shimmering and wobbling precariously as if on the verge of collapse.

This scene stunned everyone. After unleashing the Thunder and Fire Phoenix, Mu Shaoyun returned to his original state, standing silently in place.

"Student Mu Shaoyun, please explain how you accomplished that," a voice suddenly boomed from the venue's loudspeakers.

The abilities Mu Shaoyun displayed were incomprehensible. To rule out cheating and uphold the principles of fairness and justice, the provincial martial arts tournament organizers had the right to request contestants to explain their abilities.

"Respected leaders, teachers," Mu Shaoyun began, "the ability I just used is my Inborn Talent of the Bloodline: Black Emperor Form! Teachers can review the records from when I first awakened as a Star Martial Warrior. I once accidentally caused seven classmates to collapse from exhaustion and fall unconscious. My Black Emperor Form can devour all Star Martial Skills and Star Power, then release them to attack my opponent. Moreover, it can absorb others' vitality to replenish my own energy consumption and alleviate fatigue. Because I've never fully mastered this ability, I've never displayed it publicly. It's perfectly normal that the leaders and teachers are unaware of it."

"Are you saying this is your Inborn Talent of the Bloodline, not some kind of external item?"

"It is my Inborn Talent of the Bloodline."

"Very well. There are no further issues. The competition continues."

Once the leader finished speaking, Mu Shaoyun looked at Wang Lan with a mocking expression. "Is there really any need to continue? Your attacks are ineffective against me."

Wang Lan frowned. I recall the Thunder and Fire Phoenix attack Mu Shaoyun returned earlier—it didn't seem instantaneous, did it? He immediately raised his hand, and a Crescent Arrow shot out from his fingertips.

Mu Shaoyun, a smile on his face, stood unmoving as the arrow approached. When it reached his face, it vanished as if it had entered a Different Dimensional Space.

But just as the arrow was about to disappear, electric arcs flashed around Wang Lan, and he instantly fired off six Thunder Snakes. The snakes weaved through the air, reaching Mu Shaoyun's face the moment he absorbed the Crescent Arrow.

BOOM!—

Suddenly, a Crescent Arrow shot out from Mu Shaoyun's fingertips just as the Thunder Snakes converged. The single arrow caused an explosion that sent electric arcs and flames soaring into the sky.

This scene shattered Wang Lan's hopes. In the stands, Xiao Zi sighed in dejection.

"It seems the championship is out of my reach..."

"Don't lose heart, Xiao Zi! You have twenty times their Star Power!" someone comforted her.

"What's the use of having more Star Power against Mu Shaoyun?" Xiao Zi lamented. "It's like loading more bullets, only for them to end up in the enemy's gun. How can such a perverse Inborn Talent of the Bloodline exist in this world..."

"So, you're saying... Wang Lan is definitely going to lose?"

"He's doomed. Any Star Martial Skill is countered. He'd have to use an Inborn Talent of the Bloodline or pure physical combat. But pure physical combat won't work either; Mu Shaoyun's physical fighting strength isn't inferior to Wang Lan's, and his talent lets him absorb vitality. As one's strength wanes, the other's waxes. Wang Lan can only be worn down to defeat."

The speed Mu Shaoyun exhibited in his Black Emperor Form is beyond my imagination, Wang Lan thought. He can absorb any attack instantly and release it back.

After a moment of reflection, Wang Lan's figure shot forward. Boosted by Thunder Activity, he moved like a bolt of lightning. A smug smile touched Mu Shaoyun's lips.

He spread his arms, and an invisible ripple emanated outwards. The moment Wang Lan stepped into this field, his movements abruptly slowed. Decelerated, Wang Lan quickly raised his arm, shooting a Crescent Arrow from his fingertip.

"It's useless! As long as it's a Star Martial Skill, it's ineffective against me," Mu Shaoyun declared calmly, as the Crescent Arrow vanished upon reaching his face.

Suddenly, Wang Lan's body flashed with lightning, and amidst the arcs, flames danced violently. An arrow imbued with both attributes shot from his fingertip, transforming into a purple projectile that sped towards Mu Shaoyun.

Mu Shaoyun has already absorbed one Crescent Arrow and will release it in the next second, Wang Lan calculated. But can an ordinary Crescent Arrow withstand my strongest attack? Obviously not. An ordinary Crescent Arrow will be obliterated by my arrow, and the remaining power will still hit Mu Shaoyun.

This was the latest tactic Wang Lan had devised. When he unleashed it, the eyes of all the teachers who were still pondering how to counter Mu Shaoyun's ridiculously overpowered ability lit up.

Wang Lan's tactical acumen is even more advanced than that of all the teachers present! they thought.

Many believed, Mu Shaoyun's Inborn Talent of the Bloodline—it's been broken!

But in the next instant, all the teachers were stunned. Mu Shaoyun hadn't released the Crescent Arrow. Instead, he had absorbed Wang Lan's second attack as well.

His talent isn't just absorbing one attack and releasing one; he can keep absorbing?

At that moment, Wang Lan sensed imminent danger. Just as he made an evasive maneuver, Mu Shaoyun's body once again turned into its glazed amber state. Two attacks, one after the other, shot towards Wang Lan.

BOOM! BOOM!

A series of afterimages flickered around Wang Lan, only to be engulfed in the explosions.

Seizing the moment Mu Shaoyun was unleashing the returned attacks, Wang Lan had closed the distance to within three meters of him. Faced with Wang Lan's close proximity, Mu Shaoyun revealed a sinister smile.

"Thinking of close-quarters combat? You still hold no advantage over me," he said, drawing his combat blade, preparing to engage Wang Lan face-to-face once again.

But Wang Lan suddenly halted. He drew one fist to his waist, and blue flames erupted around him.

"Surging Waves—"

With a single punch, a beam of blue light erupted from Wang Lan's fist. It separated from his hand and transformed into a ferocious blue wolf's head.

Mu Shaoyun hadn't expected Wang Lan to still provoke him with a Star Martial Skill at such a moment. His estimation of Wang Lan plummeted. I thought he wouldn't be so foolish, but he's lost his composure at this crucial juncture. It seems I overestimated him. He knows Star Martial Skills are ineffective against me, yet he still uses one.

Mu Shaoyun sneered, ready to face Wang Lan's attack head-on. With a BANG, the wolf's head slammed harshly into his chest. At that instant, Mu Shaoyun's expression changed.

The Star Martial Skill, which should have been absorbed by his Black Emperor Form, wasn't. Instead, a powerful force slammed into his chest, rampaging through his body like an electric current.

ARGH!—

A mouthful of blood sprayed out as Mu Shaoyun's body was flung high into the air.

Wang Lan wouldn't miss this golden opportunity. He instantly rushed towards Mu Shaoyun's airborne form, unleashing punch after punch. With each impact, shockwaves erupted from Mu Shaoyun's body. He went spinning backward through the air, flying all the way out of the arena.

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