157 Chapter 157 (1/2)

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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.

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.