Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Ling Yu reacted extremely quickly, leaning his upper body back sharply so that his entire body was almost parallel to the water surface, narrowly avoiding the fatal whip strike.

The flames brushed past the tip of his nose, the scorching heat making his skin tingle. He could even clearly smell the burnt smell of his hair, and the few strands of black hair at his temples had already curled up and turned black.

The moment his body leaned back, he quickly braced his hands on the water's surface, and lightning burst forth from his palms, pressing a deep indentation into the water's surface. Using this reaction force, he spun around violently, his right leg lashing upwards, silvery-white lightning condensing into a sharp lightning blade at his toes, aiming straight for Ma Xiaotao's chin at an extremely tricky angle.

Ma Xiaotao's expression hardened, and she tilted her head to the side. The lightning blade whistled past her cheek, catching a few strands of charred hair. The lingering numbness in her fingertips instantly spread to half of her cheek, making her feel unbearably numb.

But instead of retreating, she used the force of her twisting body to press forward, her left hand forming a claw, her five fingers wrapped in raging flames like five menacing fire snakes, grabbing straight for Ling Yu's throat, fast and ruthless, giving him no chance to breathe.

Lightning flashed beneath Ling Yu's feet, and his figure moved three feet across the water like a ghost, barely avoiding the claw.

But Ma Xiaotao's attack was too fast. The claw wind still grazed his shoulder, and the flames instantly burned a charred mark on his shoulder. The intense pain made him frown slightly, but he was still not distracted. While moving sideways, lightning quietly gathered at his fingertips, secretly gathering power. Without stopping, he was already preparing for the next counterattack.

He had barely regained his footing when Ma Xiaotao closed in again, unleashing a barrage of attacks like a storm. Her fists, elbows, knees, and legs came in turn, each part of her body becoming a deadly weapon. Every strike was accompanied by a raging inferno that could burn everything in its path. Her speed was astonishing, giving Ling Yu no chance to catch his breath or retaliate.

A punch was aimed at his chest. Ling Yu dodged to the side. The wind from the punch whistled past his clothes, instantly burning a fist-sized hole in the fabric. Black smoke was still rising from the edges, and the scorching heat burned his skin through the fabric.

As his punch missed, Ma Xiaotao's knee followed suit, aiming straight for his abdomen. Ling Yu quickly pressed down with both hands, his palms on her knees. Lightning and flames collided violently between his palms, and the violent force sent him sliding backward half a zhang, leaving a long trail of water on the surface of the water beneath his feet.

As he glided, his hands flew rapidly in front of him.

Zi-chen-mao

Before Ma Xiaotao's elbow strike could come, in the instant he ducked to dodge,

Yin.

The last hand seal is complete.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

A completely transparent water dragon surged out from the bottom of the lake, its scales distinct and its whiskers fluttering. It reflected tiny rainbows in the sunlight, opened its blood-red maw, and with towering waves in tow, it swiftly lunged at Ma Xiaotao!

Where the dragon's body passed, a deep trench was carved into the lake surface, and the waves on both sides surged several meters high, creating a terrifying spectacle.

As for Ling Yu, the moment the water dragon erupted, he used the force of the water waves to retreat more than ten feet again, avoiding Ma Xiaotao's possible counterattack, without stopping for a moment.

Ma Xiaotao's eyes were filled with intense excitement, shining brightly: "That's more like it! That's the strength to beat Zhou Yi!"

Instead of retreating, she advanced, and her fourth purple soul ring suddenly lit up, its light dazzling!

Flames surged wildly from her body, coalescing behind her into a gigantic phoenix phantom with a wingspan exceeding five zhang. Its entire body was crimson, with each feather distinct and burning. The intense heat nearly dried up the entire lake surface. The phoenix's shrill cry intertwined with the water dragon's roar, causing the air to tremble.

"Fifth Soul Skill - Phoenix Piercing Cloud Strike!"

boom!

The crimson phoenix of flames collided head-on with the transparent water dragon without any buffer!

Water and fire exploded violently in mid-air, and a violent shockwave swept across the entire area, more intense than any previous collision! A huge crater with a diameter of over ten zhang was blasted into the lake surface, and the surrounding water surged and churned like a tsunami, rising several zhang high. Before the splashing water even hit the ground, it was instantly evaporated by the high temperature generated by the explosion, and a thick white fog completely enveloped the entire Sea God Lake, reducing visibility to less than a foot. The scorching steam generated by the collision of water and fire swept in all directions like a gale, even blowing the green bamboo on the shore to the side, and the bamboo leaves fell in a rustling sound.

Ling Yu was violently thrown backward by the shockwave, tumbling several times on the water's surface. Unable to suppress the metallic taste in his chest any longer, he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the lake beneath him red.

He struggled to support himself on the water with one hand, the lightning at his fingertips flickering slightly. The moment he turned over and steadied himself, he began to form hand seals again.

The white fog gradually dissipated, and the lake surface gradually returned to calm, leaving only the huge puddle slowly healing.

Ma Xiaotao stood opposite, her red dress charred black, her hair disheveled and plastered to her cheeks, her face still smeared with cigarette ash, yet she showed no signs of distress. Her eyes held only pure, irrepressible excitement, and the flames around her continued to burn fiercely.

"Again!" she shouted, her figure flashing as she transformed into a crimson afterimage once more, rushing towards Ling Yu with even more intense flames on her fists and her power becoming increasingly violent.

Ling Yu took a deep breath, and his movement to stand up and face the enemy was completed in sync with the last seal.

"Lightning Release: Chidori!"

Sizzle—!!!

The piercing bird calls instantly tore through the air, as if hundreds of birds were chirping at the same time, so sharp that it hurt the eardrums!

Silver-blue lightning condensed and churned wildly in his right palm, surging out and enveloping his entire right hand.

He pushed off the water with the soles of his feet and charged straight at Ma Xiaotao's attack!

The distance between the two closed instantly, and the aura of thunder and fire in the air became even stronger.

Ma Xiaotao's fist was enveloped in intense flames. The flames had faded from crimson and were faintly orange-white, a sign that the temperature had reached its peak. Wherever her fist passed, the air burned fiercely, leaving behind a long-lasting line of fire that struck straight at Ling Yu's heart.

Ling Yu's eyes narrowed, and the Thousand Bird Light Blade pierced straight out. The silver-blue light cut through the sky full of fire, leaving a dazzling light trail, and accurately met Ma Xiaotao's fist!

Bang! ! !

Fist and blade clashed fiercely, lightning and flames tearing and colliding wildly between the two, producing a teeth-grinding sizzling sound, and violent power rampaging within a small space.

The lightning desperately tried to penetrate the barrier of the flames, while the flames frantically devoured the power of the lightning. The two completely different extreme powers engaged in a fierce battle, and every inch of the air trembled.

The lake beneath Ma Xiaotao's feet could no longer withstand the terrifying force, and a deep pit suddenly appeared. Waves of water surged up from the edge of the pit, but were instantly evaporated by the lightning and fire in mid-air, turning into a sky full of white mist that once again enveloped the two of them.

"Open for me—!" Ma Xiaotao shouted sharply. Her second and third soul rings lit up, and the phantom of the fire phoenix behind her reappeared. With a sudden flap of its wings, a violent flame power surged into her fist, causing the flames to swell several times in an instant, forcefully suppressing the Thousand Bird Light Blade. The lightning flashed violently, and it was in danger of collapsing at any moment.

Ling Yu was forced back three steps by the force, each step creating a huge wave on the water.

His right hand trembled violently as the power of lightning and fire backfired on his meridians, causing sharp pains. The wound on his hand reopened, and blood dripped continuously from his fingertips.

As he retreated, his left hand began to form a hand seal.

"Water Release·Water Formation Wall!"

Whoosh—!!!

The lake beneath their feet suddenly exploded, and a massive wall of water rose from the ground in front of Ling Yu. It was five zhang wide, three zhang high, and more than one zhang thick, like an indestructible city wall, standing between the two of them.

The surface of the water wall shimmered, while the water flowed at high speed in a strange and rapid pattern, forming a dense defense. Any attack that landed on it would be peeled away, dissipated, and neutralized by the rotating water flow.

Unable to stop in time, Ma Xiaotao's fist, wreathed in intense flames, slammed fiercely into the water array wall!

Bang! ! !

The deafening roar shook the lake, and the water wall was punched into a huge dent. Countless water droplets splashed everywhere, and the white mist rose even more intensely, but the water wall remained indestructible, showing no signs of collapsing.

The swirling water frantically dissipated the power of the flames. Where the flames met the water wall, a hissing sound rang out, and a large amount of white mist gushed out, completely enveloping Ling Yu's figure.

Ling Yu stood behind the water wall, slowly calming his breathing.

His eyes were sharp, his gaze fixed on Ma Xiaotao on the other side of the water wall, his Sharingan rotating steadily in his eyes, accurately capturing every subtle movement of the other party.

"Little Yu, if that's all the skill you have, then I'll win!" Ma Xiaotao said smugly.