On the chaotic battlefield, neither the experts from Star Ring nor those from Black Water had time to process Shi Feng's words before they witnessed the terrifying surge in aura from Banxia Qingcheng and Jianying.
In that instant, the entire arena fell silent. Almost everyone involuntarily turned their gaze to the pair, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"Such powerful aura!"
"How is this possible? Weren't we told that no burst-type skills could be used within the arena?"
The pressure emanating from Banxia Qingcheng and Jianying now was completely different from before. It even gave everyone present the sensation of facing a high-ranking grand lord of the same level.
In the Divine Realm, when players couldn't clearly probe an opponent's information, they would often gauge their strength by the aura they emanated, because aura couldn't be faked. Especially for expert players, this was often the very method that allowed them to avoid unnecessary deaths.
A stronger aura meant greater strength.
Yet within the auction arena, players couldn't use any items or burst-type magic skills. The fact that these two had become so powerful was simply unbelievable.
Their sudden transformation made the surrounding Black Water members shudder. They abruptly halted their assault, each quickly pulling back, their faces filled with wariness as they stared at Banxia Qingcheng and Jianying. They didn't dare act rashly again.
An aura comparable to a peak expert who commanded a Domain—if they carelessly launched an attack and their weakness was seized, the battle could end in an instant.
"Don't be fooled!" Xue Hen roared at the fighters who had stopped. "No one can use burst skills to boost their strength inside the arena! They must have used some special skill to increase their mental pressure against players! Their actual combat power hasn't improved at all! This is nothing but a deathbed struggle!"
In the Divine Realm, it wasn't unheard of for weapons or equipment to temporarily increase mental pressure against players, though such items were extremely rare.
Given the sudden explosion of aura from Banxia Qingcheng and Jianying, besides burst-type skills, this was the only plausible explanation.
"Talk about a scare. I almost thought Zero Wing had produced two more monsters. Turns out it's just gear that boosts aura."
"I nearly got fooled by Black Flame too. Monster-level experts aren't exactly growing on trees. The fact that Zero Wing already had two was heaven-defying enough."
"But Zero Wing is still pretty impressive. To actually get their hands on gear like that."
"Right! I heard that kind of equipment is incredibly rare. I'd only heard about it before, never actually seen it. Even though it doesn't boost a player's actual combat power, the increased aura can affect the psychology of an opponent, making their reactions sluggish. In player versus player combat, that's extremely useful."
In the distance, the experts from the various factions watching the battle felt enlightened upon hearing Xue Hen's explanation. To them, this seemed like the most reasonable scenario; otherwise, the sudden appearance of two monster-level fighters would be too terrifying.
"Gear that boosts aura?" The Sword Demon glanced at Banxia and Jianying, then looked at Shi Feng and shook his head with a smile. "I thought you had some new trick. Looks like you're at your wit's end. While aura-boosting gear can be quite effective in PvP, against a seasoned veteran, such cheap tricks are useless. All you're doing is stalling for time."
"Oh, really?" Shi Feng replied with a faint smile.
Instantly, the atmosphere around Shi Feng shifted. The aura that had previously made him seem like a prehistoric beast now exploded further, causing the very space around him to blur slightly. Facing him, the Sword Demon's expression sank immediately.
If Shi Feng's aura before was like an overwhelming ocean that made even top experts struggle to breathe, then now it was as heavy as being submerged in mercury, crushing everything.
"You..." The Sword Demon stared at Shi Feng, his face a mask of shock and fear.
He was, after all, an expert standing at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm, a figure feared by anyone within any superpower. Yet now, he sensed death from Shi Feng.
It was as if the person standing before him wasn't a player at all, but a human-shaped T-Rex!
And Shi Feng's control over his own aura was impeccable, completely enveloping only his immediate surroundings, utterly imperceptible to anyone outside.