A First Glimpse of Renown

The atmosphere was electric, and people kept cheering.

The host raised one hand high, his voice impassioned.

"Yes, you heard that right! A newly enrolled student of War King Intermediate Spirit Master Academy, the genius Fang Ling!"

"Even a freshman with one crippled leg!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire audience erupted.

A crippled leg, a genius, a freshman—those three things put together were simply too strange.

"The other Spirit Master is also attempting a Life and Death Battle for the first time: Cui Feng, a One-Ring Spirit Master with the War Bear Spirit!"

"War King Academy's crippled genius, the young Spirit Master Fang Ling, against War Bear Spirit Master Cui Feng. Who will emerge victorious? Let us wait and see!"

The cheers grew even louder as the audience eagerly watched the supposedly gifted Fang Ling.

"Get up there already!"

"Yahoo~!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The crowd waved their arms and shouted encouragement.

Lin Tianyang was nervous to the extreme, gripping his wife's hand tightly.

As the deputy director of the Treatment Room, Shu Manyun often treated all kinds of injuries for the academy's students and had seen plenty of blood.

She had already calmed down first.

After the host stepped off the stage,

Fang Ling and the other Spirit Master, whose Martial Soul was a War Bear, quickly entered the arena from the preparation area.

The War Bear Spirit Master looked around thirty, with a fleshy face and slightly high cheekbones.

His triangular eyes and hooked nose made him look like no good person.

When he saw Fang Ling, he spoke as arrogantly as that red-haired Exploding Fire Monkey Spirit Master from before.

"Little Cripple, you sneaked out here behind the academy's back, didn't you?"

"For a dangerous fight like a Life and Death Battle, I won't even make a move. Jump down yourself and leave yourself a way to live."

His dismissive wave and irritated expression made it seem as though he were shooing away flies.

Faced with his mockery, Fang Ling remained calm and utterly unmoved.

Without saying a word, he directly summoned his sickle.

The slightly slanted silver-white scythe blade gleamed with cold light. No one doubted that it could kill.

The instant his Martial Soul appeared, the Yellow Spirit Ring emerging around him suddenly lit up.

Star Mole Transformation!

Nerve Reflex increased by thirty percent!

Fang Ling charged forward swiftly.

His normally bright eyes were now deep and lightless, like two pools of cold, stagnant water.

His steps were steady and soundless, every one seemingly calculated with precision, wasting not a shred of unnecessary strength.

The War Bear Spirit Master cursed inwardly that the brat had no sense of fair play and hastily activated his Martial Soul.

He had always been used to running rampant outside. Only because he had recently fallen into debt had he been forced to come here for emergency money.

He had thought he could intimidate the little Spirit Master before him into retreating, but he had never expected the brat not to answer a single word.

Of course Fang Ling would not answer. What was there to say to a dead man?

Points. They were all points!

Fang Ling's gaze was cold as a blade as he watched the War Bear Spirit Master grin savagely and use Martial Soul Possession. A White Ten-Year Spirit Ring then lit up around him.

When he activated his Soul Ring, a red glow spread from his body.

His fierce eyes instantly turned blood-red, and a violent aura surged from him.

It was as if he had lost his own will.

"Frenzy?" Fang Ling recognized it, delight rising in his heart.

This Spirit Skill provided powerful and comprehensive enhancements to speed, defense, and attack.

Its greatest strength was that it could temporarily eliminate pain.

Even though it was only a Ten-Year Spirit Ring, its power was comparable to that of an ordinary Hundred Year Spirit Ring.

But its drawback was also enormous: it caused Spirit Masters to lose their reason.

This move was the foundation of the War Bear Spirit Master's tyrannical ways, and it was highly effective against other Spirit Masters.

With every blow landing solidly, combined with the War Bear Spirit's tremendous physical enhancement and the enormous advantage of ignoring pain, ordinary Spirit Masters truly could not defeat him.

The War Bear Spirit Master thought that a cripple would have trouble moving, so he would activate his Soul Ring and kill him in one blow.

Unfortunately, Fang Ling was extremely agile.

He favored precise combat, and his Nerve Reflex far surpassed that of ordinary people.

For Fang Ling, this was no different from walking right into the line of fire!

The instant Lin Tianyang saw the War Bear Spirit Master's eyes turn blood-red and his demeanor become frenzied, he recognized the Spirit Skill and immediately declared,

"Fang Ling has won!"

"How has he won already?" Shu Manyun relaxed slightly, though confusion filled her beautiful eyes. "Doesn't the other side look very strong?"

"Just watch. Little Fang Ling's fighting is art."

Shu Manyun said nothing further, and both of them focused intently.

After going Berserk, the War Bear Spirit Master charged straight at Fang Ling, while Fang Ling slowed down.

With a sideways leap, he dodged the man's full-force punch.

The sickle sliced through his clothes and left a shallow bloody cut across his waist.

The blade was not sharp enough. To kill him in one strike, he would still have to target the neck.

Having formulated his strategy, Fang Ling began to taunt him.

The mindless War Bear Spirit Master was easily provoked and immediately stomped toward him in a wild charge.

Fang Ling moved toward him, waited for the right moment, and lowered his body.

As he avoided the incoming punch, he hooked out with his right foot, shifted nimbly, and drove an elbow into the man's back, instantly throwing him off balance and sending him falling forward.

The prepared sickle flashed past.

Fang Ling then showed excellent judgment and quickly retreated.

The War Bear Spirit Master let out a shrill wail.

It was a sound that could only be made after one's windpipe had been severed.

Fresh Blood sprayed wildly from the ruptured carotid arteries on either side of his neck.

He still tried to charge at Fang Ling, but with his blood supply cut off, his eyes lost focus.

His limbs flailed wildly before he collapsed to the ground, unable to rise again.

The bright red blood gushing out made the blood-soaked ground even redder, and stepping on it created an especially slick sensation.

The War Bear Spirit Master was dead!

The host quickly stepped onto the stage, checked him over, then announced passionately, "The victor of this Life and Death Battle is War King Academy's genius Spirit Master—Fang Ling! His win count is now one."

"Spirit Master Fang Ling, please remember to register after leaving the stage, and do not forget to collect your Gold Soul Coins before you go."

"Mm, thank you." Fang Ling saw the number in his points column increase by one and replied with a simple thanks, pleased inside.

"Good! He died well!"

"Awesome!"

"Genius! Amazing!"

The sight on the arena drove the audience nearly mad. Their impassioned emotions could not be restrained as they surged endlessly from the depths of their hearts.

Their voices rose and thundered like wave after wave.

After raising his sickle to acknowledge the crowd, Fang Ling quickly cleaned the blood from the soles of his shoes in the designated area before returning to the stands.

Seeing the two of them looking so worried, a brilliant smile appeared on his handsome young face. "Teacher, Shimu, I won."

"Happy that you won? This time, you were merely lucky enough to encounter an opponent you happened to counter!"

Lin Tianyang was deeply gratified, though his words were dismissive.

"Yes, yes. Thank you for the reminder, Teacher. It was only one battle. I won't become arrogant."

Shimu Shu Manyun pinched his ear instead.

"Of course you cannot be arrogant. This was a Life and Death Battle."

Amid the two of them teaching Fang Ling, a month passed in the blink of an eye.

With Fang Ling's formidable combat talent, some battles were easy while others were dangerous and thrilling, leaving him with minor injuries.

Over that month, including the War Bear Spirit Master, he participated in thirteen Life and Death Battles, won all thirteen, and killed thirteen people.

He earned one hundred eighty-five points and advanced directly to Bronze Soul Fighter.