Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao who returned from Sekiro

Chapter 49 is a draw.

Huo Yuhao's elbow strike was extremely precise, hitting Xu Sanshi's diaphragm hard.

The diaphragm is a muscle-fiber structure located between the thoracic and abdominal cavities. It is the most important respiratory muscle in the body. Although Xu Sanshi reacted to Huo Yuhao's actions, he was completely unaware of the importance of the diaphragm to him. He simply used the small shields that were broken down from the Xuan Turtle Shield to protect his heart and lungs.

"what!"

Struck hard as iron by Huo Yuhao's elbow, Xu Sanshi let out a short, strange cry and couldn't catch his breath!

How incredibly hard can an elbow be?

It should be noted that the hardest part of the human skeleton is the skull, followed by the elbow. Otherwise, there would be no saying that an elbow strike is like a knife and a knee strike is like a hammer. Moreover, Huo Yuhao's elbow did not strike Xu Sanshi's ribs, but the diaphragm, which is more vulnerable than the ribs.

Even with Xu Sanshi's physical strength as a level 29 Great Soul Master, he couldn't help but twitch in pain after being struck by Huo Yuhao's elbow, which was as hard as metal. For a short time, he could only breathe in short, rapid, small breaths.

However, Huo Yuhao wouldn't give Xu Sanshi a chance to recover. An enemy like Xu Sanshi, whose cultivation level was far superior to his own, would immediately unleash an attack that was extremely difficult for him to withstand once he found a chance to catch his breath. Therefore, Huo Yuhao couldn't hold back.

Furthermore, Huo Yuhao's fierce elbow strike just now was a series of kowtow punches from the Senpou Temple style, a martial arts technique that uses the elbow and palm heel to attack.

Xu Sanshi was forced to retreat by Huo Yuhao's elbow strike. Huo Yuhao then took another step forward and struck out with the heel of his left palm. He was once again pressed against Xu Sanshi, and the heel of his palm struck Xu Sanshi's throat with precision!

Xu Sanshi, who was already having trouble breathing, felt even more suffocated after taking Huo Yuhao's thunderous palm strike. The sudden heavy blow to his throat caused the affected area to swell rapidly with blood, making it even more difficult for Xu Sanshi to breathe.

The fragments of the Xuan Turtle Shield that Xu Sanshi had originally separated were now rapidly reassembled under his control. He held them in his right hand and swung them violently, like a trapped beast struggling to force Huo Yuhao back. However, Huo Yuhao simply tilted his grip on the katana slightly and used the blade to meet the Xuan Turtle Shield.

"Clang!"

The Xuan Turtle Shield and Huo Yuhao's blade collided violently at that moment, producing a metallic clang. Xu Sanshi immediately felt as if his Xuan Turtle Shield had been shaken open.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Xu Sanshi mustered his last breath and swung the Xuan Turtle Shield again, but Huo Yuhao blocked it all with an extremely strange force-dissipating technique. As a result, even though he was the one attacking, after several exchanges, he felt his arms go numb and almost lost his grip on the Xuan Turtle Shield.

The pain of difficulty breathing plagued Xu Sanshi, causing him to exert only about 70% of his strength, which continued to decline over time. Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, although he was initially somewhat exhausted, recovered some of his strength after taking several heavy blows from Xu Sanshi.

How is this possible?!

Xu Sanshi's eyes widened. He knew that although both of his soul skills were defensive in nature, even if he just swung the Xuan Turtle Shield and smashed it around, the destructive power it unleashed was no less than the full-force attack of an ordinary first-ring soul master. Why was the opponent getting more and more relaxed as the fight went on?

Xu Sanshi was unaware that this technique of perfectly deflecting the enemy's attack, restoring his own body, and turning the enemy's power into his own to counterattack was the core secret of the Ashina style: Riding the Carp and Descending the Carp.

[The Ashina style is inextricably linked to the flow of the Fountainhead Water. It beautifully deflects the blade and launches a series of counterattacks, concentrating all its power into a single point, like a thunderbolt whipping its tail. It not only uses the enemy's power to repair its own damage but also precisely returns the enemy's power back to them, much like a carp plunging down and climbing a waterfall.]

"Feel this strike well, it's coming."

Huo Yuhao spoke in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over Xu Sanshi, whose eyes still held an expression of disbelief.

Before he could finish speaking, Huo Yuhao had already transformed into a blur, his blade gleaming with divine golden flames, its edge enveloped in dazzling golden light, as he unleashed a powerful horizontal slash.

Xu Sanshi's expression was extremely solemn. He had greatly underestimated the child in front of him. Even in Shrek Academy, which was known for its monsters, this little guy who was only nine years old was a monster among monsters!

Xu Sanshi stared intently at the blade light unleashed by Huo Yuhao, gathering all his soul power and energy. He finally saw the terrifyingly fast blade light clearly, and before it reached him, he disassembled and superimposed the Xuan Turtle Shield onto his right arm, blocking the blade's edge.

Clang!

A strange, trembling force emanated from the blade, the overwhelming power causing his arm to go numb and tingle. Xu Sanshi's expression changed slightly; he almost felt that Huo Yuhao's terrifying strike was about to sever his arm!

Left with no other choice, Xu Sanshi stumbled back a few steps to create some distance, half of his body was numb!

An incredibly oppressive feeling! Xu Sanshi even felt that the pressure Huo Yuhao exerted on him surpassed that of many teachers in the academy!

Before his torso could adjust and his body could adjust, Huo Yuhao had already closed in, his katana already pointed at his throat!

After catching his breath, Xu Sanshi looked up at Huo Yuhao, who was looking serious. Huo Yuhao's eyes were neither happy nor sad; he simply stood there and slowly sheathed his sword.

"What is that strange power?"

Xu Sanshi felt his throat was a little dry, and after hesitating for a moment, he asked.

"It's flowing water."

Huo Yuhao had no intention of keeping anything to himself and said frankly, "The Flowing Water Sword Technique is a sword technique that uses softness to overcome hardness. When receiving an enemy's attack, one should be like a carp being hit by a waterfall and going downstream. When the enemy's attack weakens, one should be like a carp leaping up from a waterfall, flicking its tail and returning all the force it had received. The combination of the two is the Flowing Water Sword Technique."

The resentment on Xu Sanshi's face faded, replaced by heartfelt admiration. Losing to such a monster among monsters was not shameful.

"Flowing Water Sword Technique, excellent, I'm completely convinced, you win."

"It's a draw."

Huo Yuhao interrupted Xu Sanshi, drew his katana back from its sheath, and with a slight tremor, the blade shattered like glass, falling to the ground with a crackling sound.

"The Xuan Turtle Shield's defensive power is terrifying. Although I left two marks on the Xuan Turtle Shield, the lifespan of this sword has reached its limit due to these two strikes and the previous deflection of your attack. Therefore, it's a draw."

Huo Yuhao had clearly won, but his decision to call it a draw puzzled Xu Sanshi. However, following Huo Yuhao's gaze, Xu Sanshi seemed to understand something when he saw the beautiful figure in the stands, and a look of gratitude appeared in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, it's a draw. Hehe, brother, I'll treat you to dinner later. I was really grumpy before, I apologize to you."

For some reason, Xu Sanshi broke into a silly grin.

(End of this chapter)