Sparring

The waters of Sea God Lake shimmered, reflecting the sunlight, dazzling as a pool of gold...

On the shore, a tiny white-haired fluffball rested his chin in his hands, staring absentmindedly at the lake.

In just half a month,

The same Sea God Lake, the same white-haired fluffball.

But Shen Yichen knew that some things had changed.

He was no longer that melancholy pretty boy. Now... he was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!!!

He picked up a stick by the lake and ran a hand over it.

The rough, crooked stick instantly became a staff suited to his height.

The staff was straight and bright red from end to end.

He twirled the staff, then swept it backhand. Within two meters, not a single blade of grass could survive intact!

"Hey~ Yichen!"

Once again, the voice reached him before its owner appeared.

But this time, Shen Yichen couldn't help grinning, baring a neat row of little white teeth.

"Yo, long time no see, Little Blue Hair. You finally came back!"

As the saying went, to gain riches and honor without returning home was like walking through the night in brocade.

If I don't show off in front of my good brother, won't I have awakened such a powerful Martial Soul for nothing?

"That's your Martial Soul?" Bei Bei studied the red staff in Shen Yichen's hand. Young as he was, he wasn't lacking in knowledge. Surely this staff wasn't as good as the Jade Ruyi or the Sky Pillar?

A malignant Martial Soul mutation?

"That's your Martial Soul?" Bei Bei sneakily studied his good brother's expression. If his good brother was only a little worse off than him, he would definitely mock him to his heart's content. But if the gap was too great, he wouldn't feel good about it either...

"No, it isn't."

Shen Yichen twirled the staff. It was the reward he'd received after his second Current Affairs Review.

The Aolai Staff Technique, a lesser divine ability derived from the Wishful Staff Technique of the Fox Spirit Matchmaker world!

In short, it was a set of staff-wielding "martial arts," plus the ability to turn any little wooden stick into an Aolai Staff.

Shen Yichen placed the red Aolai Staff in his left hand and beckoned with his right, summoning the Golden Cudgel. "This is my Martial Soul."

Bei Bei: "..."

If the bright red Aolai Staff still had the look of a high-grade Martial Soul, the Golden Cudgel, with its ancient, austere appearance, looked no different from an ordinary Martial Soul.

So his Martial Soul was too poor, and Elder Lin found Yichen a weapon?

"Come on, Little Blue Hair, let's fight. Let me weigh up this Soul Grandmaster of ours!"

Shen Yichen put the Golden Cudgel away and held the Aolai Staff across his body.

He didn't use the Golden Cudgel because he was afraid he'd kill Little Blue Hair in one blow.

Though Shen Yichen felt no qualms about messing with Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao, Little Blue Hair was different. He was a true insider!

"Huh?" Bei Bei looked troubled. "Do we really have to fight?"

Without another word, Shen Yichen pressed forward with his left foot and swung both arms in a wide arc, bringing the Aolai Staff down toward Bei Bei's shoulder with the force of a blow that could split Mount Hua.

Bei Bei was long accustomed to Shen Yichen's sudden sneak attacks without warning, and his reaction was swift.

The lightning bolt on his forehead turned, and he looked as though he'd gone Super Saiyan 2, electric arcs crackling all around him.

It took long to tell, but happened in a flash. Bei Bei raised both arms to block, and the Aolai Staff slammed into them.

Hmm... it didn't hurt.

Bei Bei did have the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, after all. Even though he hadn't reached level thirty and couldn't use Dragon Transformation on his body, Martial Soul Possession alone made him extremely sturdy.

He even tensed his muscles and raised his arms, pushing Shen Yichen's staff straight back.

Shen Yichen's expression changed. He'd grown so used to the Golden Cudgel that he'd forgotten he was just a little weakling who'd only recently awakened his Martial Soul!

After blocking Shen Yichen's attack, Bei Bei instinctively threw a spinning kick.

Bang!

After taking a direct kick, the white-haired fluffball, just over a meter tall, flew two meters away.

"Yichen, Yichen! Are you all right?!"

Little Blue Hair ran to Shen Yichen's side, sparks and lightning flying around him.

"I-I'm fine. Let's keep sparring!"

Shen Yichen glanced at his personal panel in the Diary.

[Host: Shen Yichen

Martial Soul: Ruyi Jingu Bang

Soul Power Level: thirteen

Mind: 26

Constitution: 15

Skill: 8 (Aolai Staff Technique added 2 extra points to 'Skill')]

Although his attributes had gained fifteen points in total, his physique had only improved by four points from before.

What did that mean? At best, Shen Yichen's physical condition was equivalent to an ordinary Beast Martial Soul Soul Master of the same level using Martial Soul Possession.

He was still two streets behind Little Blue Hair!

Still, though Little Blue Hair had sent him flying with a kick, and he'd rolled on the ground until he was covered in dirt,

It hadn't hurt at all!

It wasn't that Little Blue Hair had held back, but because of... Indestructible Diamond Body!

Without summoning his Martial Soul, the Martial Soul and his body were one and the same. Wasn't that another way of keeping the cudgel in his hand?

As good as Indestructible Diamond Body was, it didn't grant him an unflinching body, nor did it offer much of a boost to his strength or physical condition.

So the white-haired fluffball could only pat his backside, get up, and charge at Little Blue Hair again.

Bang, bang, bang!

The two exchanged several rounds. Setting aside their initial misjudgment of each other's strength, they fought back and forth thereafter.

Soon, Shen Yichen had a rough idea of Bei Bei's current attributes.

Leaving aside "Mind," which represented things like spiritual power and comprehension, his "Constitution" was probably between 20 and 30. Without using Soul Skills, his "Skill" might only be 5.

Play to my strengths and avoid his—I can fight him!

Meanwhile, Bei Bei was beginning to marvel at Shen Yichen's staff technique.

We were both the sort who climbed trees to raid birds' nests and went into rivers to catch fish before. How did you suddenly get so good with a staff?

"Watch out!"

"Thunder Dragon Claw!"

A dragon claw formed of bluish-purple lightning, roughly a foot across, shot out and struck at the white-haired fluffball.

Shen Yichen smiled knowingly. Without dodging or evading, he swung his staff at Bei Bei's head.

Bang!

A sound that good meant a good head!

His head spinning from the blow, Bei Bei looked worriedly at Shen Yichen.

After all, his first Soul Skill was no joke!

And yet...

Shen Yichen twirled his staff and lifted his chin at Little Blue Hair. "Admit it, I'm the strongest person on the continent!"

Bei Bei: "..."

His Soul Ring lit up. Thunder Dragon Claw!

Crackle~

The lightning looked like an extra layer of special effects around the white-haired fluffball. Not only did it do little damage, it made him look even cooler.

Th-this isn't right, is it?

"Thunder Dragon Claw?" Bei Bei used Thunder Dragon Claw again, less certain this time.

It gave the white-haired fluffball another three seconds of special effects.

"Huh?"

Bei Bei began to question his life...

"Thunderous Might!"

Countless serpents of electricity swelled at once, becoming arrows of lightning that flashed fiercely through the air!

Amid the lightning, Shen Yichen yawned in utter boredom.

When showing off, words were unnecessary!

After using his first Soul Skill three times in a row, followed by his second, Little Blue Hair had little Soul Power left.

But he no longer wanted to fight. He just wanted to know what on earth the white-haired fluffball's Martial Soul was.

"I surrender!"

"Call me Brother Chen, or I'll crack your head open like a flower!"

"Brother Chen... Brother Chen..."

"Mm. Is your Brother Chen impressive or not?"

"Impressive. Way too impressive."

He was convinced. Little Blue Hair was thoroughly convinced...