First Battle with Evil Tiger

Evil Tiger had achieved nine consecutive victories at the Great Soul Arena, so his strength and in-the-moment judgment were certainly not to be underestimated.

With that strike, Evil Tiger's tiger claws caught the sword qi head-on.

For the next half minute, neither side attacked first. They kept their distance, searching for openings in each other's defenses.

Most of the spectators were not soul masters and could not see the intricacies of the battle, so a wave of boos rose from the stands.

Evil Tiger was not affected by the audience. Shaking his aching palms, he thought to himself:

This kid didn't recklessly attack just because he had the advantage after one strike. He's going to be troublesome.

His First Spirit Ability carried an extraordinary presence.

Those with weak wills would lose their ability to resist after merely one glance.

Yet Ning Tianchen was not flustered at all. Instead, he responded with remarkable maturity.

Moreover, his opponent's gaze was unusually sharp, clearly not something a teenager should possess.

He would not be easy to deal with.

During the standoff, Ning Tianchen continuously built up his momentum.

He infused the Seven Kill Sword with a great deal of soul power.

Feeling that the time was right, he immediately raised the Seven Kill Sword above his head and brought it down in a sweeping slash.

A crisp sword cry erupted from the blade, and white sword qi burst forth, shooting directly at his opponent's vital point.

It was not over yet. Ning Tianchen followed with a horizontal slash, the two streams of sword qi forming a cross as they pressed toward his opponent.

Evil Tiger could not help but furrow his brow.

Earlier, he had caught Ning Tianchen's sword qi with his tiger claws and had already been injured.

The Seven Kill Sword's sharpness had left him stunned. It had nearly severed his palm.

He absolutely did not dare take this cross-shaped sword qi head-on.

The direction of sword qi attacks was fixed. Evil Tiger dropped onto all fours and sprinted along the edge of the arena like a wild beast.

He was so fast that he not only evaded the sword qi, but also circled around to Ning Tianchen's flank.

"Second Spirit Ability, Tiger Claws."

His claws thickened and lengthened, flashing with a bright gleam beneath the lights of the Great Soul Arena.

Such sharp tiger claws would surely be able to tear open prey with ease.

The Seven Kill Sword Spirit possessed only offensive methods, while the soul master himself had weak defenses. If that claw landed on him, he would be crippled even if he survived.

Ning Tianchen frowned slightly, but he did not panic. He suspended the Seven Kill Sword before him.

"Second Spirit Ability, Dragon Sword Guardian."

Soul power poured into the Seven Kill Sword, instantly transforming into countless phantom spirit swords. These phantoms gathered of their own accord, forming a Sword Qi Barrier.

Evil Tiger did not know the effects of his spirit ability, nor did he know the truth of his opponent's strength.

Dragon Sword Guardian was an area-of-effect spirit ability. To be safe, he chose to avoid its edge for the moment.

Only when the Sword Qi Barrier had fully risen did he realize that it was a defensive spirit ability.

I've been fooled, he thought, and in the next instant, his sharp claws struck the barrier.

The claws scraped against the barrier, producing a crisp but grating sound, like hard objects scraping against glass.

"Kid, I admit your tactics are excellent. But your Soul Power Level is far below mine. This strike will decide the victor." Evil Tiger roared.

A faint curve tugged at Ning Tianchen's lips as he said calmly, "Break through my defense first."

In battle, withholding one's exact strength could greatly conceal one's true capabilities. Evil Tiger knew Ning Tianchen's soul power was lower than his, but he did not know exactly how many levels lower.

That would force him to alter some of his tactics.

Second, in battle, one should never change one's tactics because of someone else's words.

After all, an enemy would only take measures beneficial to himself. Following the enemy's lead would only put oneself at a disadvantage.

Ning Tianchen's Sword Qi Barrier was difficult for Evil Tiger to break. There was no reason for him to abandon his current position.

Evil Tiger's words were highly stirring, and waves of boos immediately rose from the audience.

The last time, the spectators had booed because Evil Tiger had failed to gain the upper hand. This time, they were simply dissatisfied with Ning Tianchen hiding inside his "Turtle Shell."

To them, the cost of watching a soul battle was fixed. Naturally, they wanted to see an exciting performance.

That was also why villains like Evil Tiger could win the favor of so many spectators.

Although Ning Tianchen did not know what Evil Tiger had been like before, anyone who could earn such praise from the audience was hardly a good person.

Seeing the match dragging on and affecting his reputation, Evil Tiger decided not to waste any more time.

"Third Spirit Ability, Tiger's Fury."

The purple Third Spirit Ring beneath his feet radiated dazzling, brilliant light.

The power of the spirit ring flowed into his body. Evil Tiger's muscles swelled again, and even his height increased significantly.

At that moment, he stood on the arena like a humanoid mountain.

In the next instant, Evil Tiger's eyes turned scarlet. His breathing became heavy and powerful, like a ferocious tiger consumed by fury.

The barrier probably won't hold much longer.

Ning Tianchen made his judgment. The instant Evil Tiger pounced, he stretched out his right hand and seized the Seven Kill Sword floating before him.

"Roar—"

A thunderous tiger roar frightened the front-row spectators out of their wits. Some were even so terrified that they lost control of their bladders.

Ning Tianchen, standing on the arena, was not intimidated by these harmless tricks.

After entering his enraged state, all of Evil Tiger's attributes had increased considerably.

Under his attacks, the Sword Qi Barrier lasted only two breaths before shattering with a crash.

"Kid, I don't care who stands behind you. Since you stepped onto this arena, you should have prepared yourself to die."

"I'll return those words to you." Ning Tianchen snorted.

The three spirit rings beneath his feet did not light up, yet his body emitted the soul power fluctuations of a spirit ability.

"Seven Kill Sword Manual, Pressing Sword Stance."

Evil Tiger's claws came sweeping in. Ning Tianchen explosively pushed off with both legs and leaped into the air.

He raised the Seven Kill Sword above his head and immediately slashed downward.

At that moment, Sword Dao Tianchen resembled a true master of swordsmanship. His sword momentum was like a meteor crashing down from the sky, unstoppable and overwhelming.

Evil Tiger abruptly looked up, facing that sword momentum head-on. In that instant, fear rose within his heart.

A tiger that retreated would only hand victory to its opponent.

"Congratulations to Sword Dao Tianchen for winning this soul battle!" the referee shouted.

The audience fell silent for a moment before erupting into thunderous cheers.

The drunken merchant felt as though he were dreaming, as if none of it were real.

Before the match began, no one believed a newcomer to the Great Soul Arena could withstand Evil Tiger, whose winning streak was at its peak. Thus, the odds had been incredibly high.

With this, the merchant's initial investment had increased at least fivefold.

On the arena, Ning Tianchen put away the Seven Kill Sword and glanced at Evil Tiger, who lay in a pool of blood.

The latter's tiger claw had been completely sliced off, and his entire arm was covered in numerous deep wounds. Bright red blood continued to gush out.

Even if he recovered from such injuries, he would not be able to participate in soul battles for at least half a year.