Test, Close-Quarters Combat

"A Hundred Year Soul Ring?" Seeing the pale yellow soul ring on Yu Tianlin, Yu Luomian said to Yu Yuanzhen, who sat in the seat of honor, "Did it mutate while he was absorbing the soul ring?"

"But even so, it has only just reached the hundred-year level. That isn't enough for us to agree to give Tianlin a Dragon Source Fruit."

The elders beside him nodded in agreement.

Seeing the elders' reactions, Yu Yuanzhen did not care. He merely smiled casually and said, "All right, the battle begins!"

On the field, when Yu Tianqing saw the yellow soul ring on Yu Tianlin, he was a little surprised too. Wasn't Lin-ge supposed to have only a ten-year-level soul ring? Why was this different from the rumors?

Yu Tianqing was about to say something, but after hearing the sect master's order to begin, he swallowed his words and charged straight at Yu Tianlin.

No soul skills, just pure close-quarters combat? Perfect!

Looking at Yu Tianqing charging toward him, Yu Tianlin went straight to meet him.

As long as Yu Tianqing did not use Thunderbolt Dragon Claw, Yu Tianlin was not afraid of him at all in close combat.

Very quickly, the two collided head-on. As their four palms met, Yu Tianlin directly suppressed Yu Tianqing and pushed him back.

"Tianlin is actually stronger!" Seeing the result of their contest of strength, Yu Luomian frowned and said, "Impossible. Tianqing's First Soul Ring came from a Swift Electric Dragon that was just over four hundred years old. With such a large difference in age, logically speaking, the physical enhancement after absorbing the soul ring should be far stronger than Tianlin's. How is the result like this?"

"Luomian, over these past four months, you should have mainly had Tianqing cultivate his Soul Power so he could reach rank ten and add a soul ring as soon as possible," Yu Yuanzhen said. "As for physical conditioning and practical combat training, I imagine there was very little."

"Tianlin is different. Over these four months, I arranged for Yu Jian to put him through a large amount of physical training, so his physique improved tremendously. It's perfectly normal for him to suppress Tianqing in strength now."

"After all, the soul ring Tianqing absorbed is only four hundred years old. Even if you exaggerate it to the heavens, how much can it improve his physique? How could it compare to Tianlin's four months of devil training?"

First, the ten-year soul ring in the information had become a Hundred Year Soul Ring, and then came the suppression in strength. The contest had only just begun, yet Yu Tianlin had already twice overturned the elders' understanding, making them feel as if the plan was no longer under control.

After giving his eloquent older brother a deep look, Yu Luomian said, "Big Brother, no matter what advantage Tianlin gains now, as long as Tianqing uses Thunderbolt Dragon Claw, everything will be reversed."

"Tianqing hasn't used his full strength at all yet. Tianlin absolutely won't be his match."

Hearing his younger brother's words, Yu Yuanzhen said noncommittally, "Perhaps."

At this moment, on the battlefield below, after realizing he could not match Yu Tianlin in pure strength, Yu Tianqing immediately changed his method of attack.

Yu Tianqing lifted one leg, intending to kick Yu Tianlin in the abdomen.

"Too slow!"

However, Yu Tianqing's movement was completely within Yu Tianlin's expectations. Yu Tianlin kicked first, striking Yu Tianqing in the abdomen.

But Yu Tianlin did not go hard on him either. He merely planted the sole of his foot against Yu Tianqing's abdomen and pushed him out with force.

Looking at Yu Tianqing, who had staggered back several steps, Yu Tianlin could not help shaking his head.

Xiao Qing's combat experience was only average. Compared with me, who's gone through Yu Jian's practical combat training, he's far too lacking.

Because Yu Tianlin had not attacked with the tip of his foot, Yu Tianqing had not suffered any real injury. After rubbing his stomach, he charged over again.

The first head-on clash with Yu Tianqing had been to test his physical strength. Now that he had a sense of it, he could use some fighting techniques.

Facing Yu Tianqing as he charged at him again, Yu Tianlin stood in place. Only after Yu Tianqing drew close did Yu Tianlin take a step forward, quickly bend down to avoid the fist striking toward his head, then throw a backhand punch that slammed heavily into Yu Tianqing's chest, sending his entire body flying.

The first time, he had already shown mercy with his foot. This second time, Yu Tianlin truly used his full strength.

In order to halt his backward momentum after being sent flying, Yu Tianqing dug both legs hard into the ground and just barely managed to stop, though his breathing inevitably became somewhat hurried.

After all, Yu Tianqing was currently in a state of Martial Soul Possession, with Soul Power protecting his body. Even though his chest had suffered a heavy blow, it only left him with a tight chest and shortness of breath.

Clutching his chest, Yu Tianqing looked at Yu Tianlin before him and said helplessly, "Lin-ge, you're serious?"

Yu Tianlin's expression remained calm. "Xiao Qing, if you don't use Thunderbolt Dragon Claw and only engage in close-quarters combat, you won't be my match no matter what."

Glancing at Yu Luomian seated above the hall, Yu Tianqing gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "All right, Lin-ge. Don't blame me."

The moment his words fell, the yellow soul ring around Yu Tianqing lit up.

Blue-purple lightning flared violently, instantly condensing on Yu Tianqing's right hand into a lightning claw over a foot long, enveloping his palm within it.

Above the hall, seeing that Yu Tianqing had finally used Thunderbolt Dragon Claw, Yu Luomian could not help stroking his beard and said, "Now that Tianqing has used his First Soul Skill, this battle should end very soon."

Yu Yuanzhen did not want to argue with him and only said, "It's still too early to make a judgment. Keep watching."

After using Thunderbolt Dragon Claw, Yu Tianqing was full of confidence. He let out a great roar, and his entire body carried an unstoppable momentum as he pounced toward Yu Tianlin.

"Good!"

Yu Tianlin advanced instead of retreating, meeting him head-on.

The distance between them rapidly closed. Yu Tianqing stomped his right foot hard against the ground, and his entire body leaped into the air. That one-foot-long lightning claw slapped straight toward Yu Tianlin's head.

Seeing that Yu Tianlin was about to be struck by the lightning claw, one of the elders seated above had already stood up, prepared to help him block the attack at the critical moment.

However, as the sect master, Yu Yuanzhen stopped the elder who was preparing to act and forbade him from interfering in the battle. He himself made no move either, merely watching the scene below quietly, as if he was not worried that his grandson would be injured.

Facing the lightning claw coming down at his head, Yu Tianlin did not panic in the slightest. The results of four months of devil training were displayed at this moment.

Carefully observing the trajectory of Yu Tianqing's attack, at the crucial instant, Yu Tianlin suddenly dodged to the side, avoiding the claw.

Boom!

Yu Tianqing's lightning claw slammed fiercely into the ground. Amid a violent flash of lightning, it let out a tremendous crash, blasting a small pit into the ground and showing just how powerful the Thunderbolt Dragon Claw's destructive force was.