C8 [now, It's My Turn.]
"You're not the only one with a Soul Object!"
Amidst the astonished stares of those gathered, Su Yun's Soul Power began to surge, and a shadowy figure slowly materialized above him.
"A Soul Object! This lowlife actually managed to condense a Soul Object!"
"How can that be? This lowlife is only at the peak of the Soul Condensing Stage; how could he possibly condense a Soul Object!?"
...
A chorus of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
"This..."
Up in the pavilion, Yun Yan, Yun Linguang, and the others were equally taken aback.
"This kid's been playing his cards close to the chest!"
Yun Yan, briefly taken aback, quickly broke into a smile, glancing sideways as he remarked, "Looks like he's not the only one who's managed to condense a Soul Object!"
Yun Linguang's brow creased.
But within moments, something caught his attention, and his frown gave way to a sly smirk. "Indeed, it's not only Feng'er who has condensed a Soul Object. But are you certain that qualifies as one?"
He cocked his head, feigning astonishment as he peered down.
Yun Yan followed his gaze.
The apparition above Su Yun's head was now fully visible—a fist, or rather, a tiny wooden hammer no bigger than a finger.
In comparison, Yun Feng's Sword Soul was utterly imposing by size alone.
Yun Yan's face momentarily stiffened.
"Ha! Are you sure that's a Soul Object?"
"A Soul Object? Looks more like a toy hammer for kids! And even that's being generous—it's too small for that!"
"Ha! I can't stop laughing! How did this nobody pull it off? To condense such a Soul Object!"
...
The initial shock subsided, and the crowd erupted into laughter at the sight of the diminutive wooden hammer above Su Yun's head.
In the arena.
"Tsk..."
Yun Feng, momentarily stunned at the sight of Su Yun's condensed Soul Object, quickly snickered, "That pathetic little hammer is your Soul Object?"
Su Yun remained composed, his Soul Power visibly pulsing in time with the emergence of the Divine Hammer.
"What nonsense!"
Yun Feng couldn't help but let out a contemptuous snort at the sight before him.
With a powerful step backward, he launched himself forward, his right hand hoisting the sword Soul Object above his head. His face twisted into a menacing snarl, "I'll show you, you worthless trash, the true power of a Soul Object!"
With those words, he brought his sword down on Su Yun.
The blade's edge cut through the air, creating ripples as if it were tearing the very fabric of space.
"Such a fierce Sword Soul!"
Many spectators gasped in awe at the display of power.
Yet, in the face of this formidable strike, Su Yun remained motionless, as if paralyzed by fear.
"This guy's done for!"
That was the thought that crossed everyone's mind as they watched. Some of the more faint-hearted couldn't bear to watch, shutting their eyes to avoid witnessing the impending carnage.
"Su Yun, dodge it!"
From the pavilion above, Yun Yan's voice rang out in a desperate telepathic plea.
To him, at the Soul Controlling Stage, even this sword posed a significant threat, let alone to someone at the Soul Condensing Stage. If it connected, Su Yun would surely be cleaved in two.
He certainly didn't want his daughter to become a widow.
But Su Yun, standing in the arena, seemed oblivious to the warning, remaining eerily still.
"Die!"
Yun Feng was relentless, his sword soul descending mercilessly towards Su Yun's head, now less than half a meter away.
"Enough."
In that instant, Su Yun finally spoke.
Boom!
Caught off guard, Yun Feng hesitated, his vision suddenly flooded with light. The sword soul in his grasp met resistance, halted by a metallic clang.
"What the..."
As his eyes refocused, he was met with a bewildering sight.
The tiny wooden hammer that had been above Su Yun's head was gone, or rather, it had transformed, expanding exponentially into a colossal wooden hammer over two meters in length, now gripped in Su Yun's hand and intercepting the sword soul.
"Now, it's my turn!"
Su Yun's voice was calm, his grip on the hammer tightening as a surge of yellow electricity crackled and roared to life along its length.
Before Yun Feng could even register what was happening, he and his sword soul were sent flying backward by a surge of force.
"Thunder—"
He hadn't regained his footing when Su Yun, with a hammer crackling with electricity in one hand, closed the distance in a single step.
"No! Please, no—!!"
In that instant, Yun Feng's heart seemed to cease beating, and every hair on his body stood on end.
"Thunder Hammer!!"
But Su Yun was relentless. The wooden hammer in his grasp unleashed a dazzling current of electricity as it swept across.
Boom! Bang!
The sound of the explosion echoed through the arena.
As the audience watched, blood mingled with yellow sparks lifted Yun Feng high into the air, out of the ring.
A hush fell over the entire venue.
Stunned, the crowd could only gape at Su Yun, standing in the ring with the massive wooden hammer.
He'd won!
The lowlife had actually won!
He'd beaten the Yun family's top prodigy!
How... How was this even possible?
"Impossible! It can't be!!"
A disbelieving shriek pierced the silence of the arena.
Yun Liyao, clad in red, stood frozen beside the ring, her face a mask of shock, as if her soul had fled her body.
Her brother, the Yun family's celebrated genius—defeated by the same man they had crushed underfoot just three days prior? A worthless son-in-law?
She refused to believe it! She must have seen it wrong!
She rubbed her eyes, wiping frantically, smearing the makeup between her brows, continuing to rub, unwilling to accept the reality before her.
Clearly, she wasn't alone in her disbelief.
"This cannot be!!"
Yun Linguang, from his vantage point on the balcony, had completely lost his composure and risen from his seat.
Next to him, Yun Yan, after a moment of stunned silence, snapped back to reality. He sneered at Yun Linguang's outburst, "What's so impossible? The Sword Spirit is decent, but against my son-in-law, it's nothing more than a one-hammer affair!"
He spoke with unabashed pride, as if he had anticipated this outcome all along.
The onlookers were left speechless. They had just witnessed the little wooden hammer turn someone's face green with envy, and now it was a source of pride?
"Humph!"
Yun Linguang's expression was icy, his patience worn thin. He had no desire to bicker with Yun Yan. With a swift leap, he descended from the stage to check on Yun Feng's condition.
"Bastard, how dare you strike with such force!"
Upon inspection, Yun Linguang's rage ignited.
Yun Feng lay unconscious, his once vibrant and elegant robe now tattered rags, scorched and bloodied, his appearance a blur of flesh and blood.
Su Yun cast a detached glance at the scene before turning on his heel and exiting the arena.
A heavy hand?
He scoffed silently.
"You're asking for death!"
Yun Linguang, bristling with the power of the Soul Controlling Stage, could hardly contain his fury, directing his Soul Power at Su Yun.
"Humph!"
But before the energy could reach its target, Yun Yan leaped from the balcony, shielding Su Yun from the oncoming force. "Yun Linguang, have you no shame left to lose?" he asked icily.
"You!"
Yun Linguang's face twisted with rage, his aura growing wilder.
Yun Yan stood unflinching, his own Soul Controlling Stage aura enveloping him.
The powerful auras of the two men caused many of the Yun family's younger members to blanch.
"Enough!"
At the height of the tension, a stern, aged voice cut through the air.
Yun Yan and Yun Linguang, as if doused in cold water, saw their auras evaporate instantly.
"You two fools, isn't it enough that you've become a spectacle for the younger generation?" the Old Family Head of the Yun family reprimanded them from the pavilion.
At his words, both Yun Yan and Yun Linguang bowed their heads in submission.
Yet, while Yun Linguang's face was contorted with fury, Yun Yan's held a smirk, and he covertly praised Su Yun, "Kid, you did well!"
Su Yun gave a nonchalant shrug.
At the same time, he noticed Yun Linguang hurriedly carrying Yun Feng off for treatment, his eyes betraying a glacial chill.
Treatment?
The man was beyond saving!
He had poured all his might into that hammer blow. While it hadn't outright killed Yun Feng, it had come dangerously close. His electric current had thoroughly infiltrated his foe's body. The current unleashed by the Thunder God Holy Body was devastatingly powerful. Even if they managed to revive him, Yun Feng's future would be confined to a bed!
He had vowed to make Yun Feng and Yun Liyao pay back a hundredfold, and he didn't make such vows lightly!